Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Cynthia watched as the child slowly turned around: “I caught it,” the child said, looking numb. “Is it over?”

Cynthia had never seen her look so shaken. The child – Dawn, was her name – had always seemed so self-assured. Even while doing feats that would make adults balk, made Cynthia herself balk. It reminded Cynthia that this was a child. A prodigal one for sure, but still young, not even a year into her first Pokemon journey.

Not even, and she had commanded Gods with a power Cynthia could not fully understand.

But now, the child looked small, drawn in. “Yes, Dawn,” Cynthia said quietly, “it is over. Let's leave this place.”

Dawn only nodded, but stayed put. “Are you okay? He threw you.”

“I am fine, Dawn. Are you hurt?”

Dawn didn't answer, but she seemed physically fine. “Come on,” she gently pulled the child's arm, “Giratina made a portal for us to get back.”

“But what about him?”

Cynthia needed no explanation about who she meant. “Cyrus left.”

“But where will he go?”

“I don't know, Dawn. But with Giratina captured, he can't leave. Once we get out, we can get the proper authorities to apprehend him.”

Dawn was not crying, but her eyes were so strained and tired-looking that Cynthia was worried. A ten year old should not have a thousand yard stare. A ten year old had no place in this distortion. They needed to get out of this literal god-forsaken place. Cynthia pulled on her arm and this time, Dawn followed her.

Dawn was shaken back to her senses when Cynthia said, “We're at Sendoff Spring. We're back in our reality.”

Dawn still had Giratina's Pokeball in her hands. “What do I do with this? How do I even…”

“Giratina wouldn't have joined you if you couldn't handle it.” Cynthia responded, hoping to assuage her fears.

“Maybe it just wanted to be able to leave the Distortion World. You said Arceus banished him. Maybe you should have him.”

Cynthia shook her head, and pushed the Pokeball back towards Dawn. “Giratina did not choose me.”

Dawn looked down at the ball. “I don't know how to take care of Giratina.”

“Dialga and Palkia are happy with you.”

“They come and go.”

“We can talk to Arceus. Maybe Giratina can come and go as well. But first, let's get you home.”

Dawn stayed quiet, and Cynthia didn't say anything either as the girl held her hand. If that would give some comfort to the child, she would not complain. From then on, the girl didn't speak, and when she did, it seemed oddly rehearsed.

Cynthia gave her Togekiss to Dawn to ride home, while she followed on Garchomp. She would have to speak to this girl's parents. They would need to know what had happened. Cynthia had heard of more than seen the child's exploits. She checked in, from time to time. And she was always fine. A precocious child, but a happy one. Cynthia was not equipped to help this girl, not in the way she needed. “To Twinleaf town?”

Dawn simply made a small sound, which Cynthia interpreted as an affirmative.

The ride back did not take long. Dawn seemed accustomed to flying on a Pokemon, and took Togekiss to her top speed. Cynthia didn't even ask – she probably had a flying Pokemon she'd rather use instead. But Cynthia hoped the Togekiss would bring comfort to the child, the way that line of Pokemon usually did to people.

“This one here, Togekiss,” Dawn pointed to her house. With a happy chirp, the Togekiss started to descend.

Dawn gave a formal bow as the Garchomp landed behind her. “Thank you for allowing me to use your Togekiss. She is very sweet.”

Stilted. Formal, especially for a ten year old. It was also a dismissal, but that wouldn't do. She was about to invite herself over, when a woman exited the house, trailed by a Glameow.

“Dawn!” The woman exclaimed, in her hurry ignoring Cynthia to hug her daughter. “I saw on the news about Spear Pillar. Are you hurt?” She let go and took a step back to appraise.

“I am fine, Mother.” Dawn said in a monotone, which made the woman look up sharply. “Are you sure, sweetie?”

“Yes.”

The woman stood up to her full height. She finally noticed Cynthia standing there.”Champion Cynthia!” she exclaimed. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”

“I was with Dawn at Spear Pillar. I wanted to make sure she got home.”

The woman relaxed into a smile. “Thank you. I'm glad she had someone to look after her.”

“It's no problem. Dawn is truly exceptional.” Cynthia paused. “But if I'm not mistaken, so are you. You are Top Coordinator Johanna, aren't you? I don't know how I didn't put it together – you two look very similar.”

“Yes,” Johanna laughed, “But that was a long time ago. Just Johanna is fine.”

Cynthia turned to Johanna more fully, “I would actually like to talk to you. Dawn, maybe you should shower and change out of your clothes? They look very dirty.”

“So are yours.” Dawn said. “Or do you just want me to leave?”

Cynthia blinked. “Yes, I want to talk to your mother alone.”

“I'm fine,” Dawn insisted.

“Dawn, please do as you're told.” Johanna reprimanded, and Cynthia was grateful for the use of the Mom-card.

Dawn gave another bow, a hug to her mother, and went inside.

“Come, have a cup of tea. Dawn won't overhear us in the living room.” Johanna welcomed her through the door.

After settling, Cynthia launched into an explanation. Johanna was horrified. “Dawn did not mention this. I knew about the explosions at the Lake but I made her promise to not get caught up in anything else with that group!”

Cynthia shook her head, “She shouldn't have had to deal with any of it. I failed her in that way, and for that, I am sorry.” She stood up to give a low bow.

“But you did help her, in the end. She did not seem too hurt.”

“No, she is not physically hurt. Her Pokemon kept her quite safe. But she's...different. I am not sure, but she seems off.”

“Yes, I noticed that. It's no surprise, after what happened.”

“Right. I think she needs a therapist.”

Johanna seemed surprised, “You think this could be a long term thing?”

“I guarantee it. Especially since...” Cynthia trailed off.

“What is it?”

“The next step for her to take is the Elite Four, and myself. She is a very driven child. She won't stay down for long. But she needs to rest, and heal. After that, I will be pleased to accept her challenge.”

“Do you think she'll win?” Johanna knew Dawn was a good trainer – she did receive a phone call after Dawn had beat the eighth gym – but her daughter, Champion, and so young? It was a big job for such small shoulders.

Cynthia didn't need time to think. “I do. I think she will be Sinnoh's next champion. But only when she is ready.”

When Dawn came down to the living room, the discussion had died down, the two women sipping on their tea. Cynthia set hers down, and stood up. “I should be going. Thank you, Johanna, for the tea. And thank you, Dawn. On the behalf of Sinnoh: you have saved us all. Take a rest now, child.”

Dawn was only too willing to oblige, “I could do with a nap,” she giggled, seeming a bit more like the old Dawn.

Cynthia smiled. Maybe the kid would be all right. After all, everything was always better after some sleep.

---

It had been such a quiet morning, Ingo nursing a bitter coffee while Emmet lazily scrolled through his news feed on his xTrans. Quiet, until their apartment door slammed open suddenly. They both jumped, startling at the loud noise and sudden movement, and looked up to see Elesa storming in, a rolled up magazine in her hand.

“Look at this!” she demanded.

Ingo and Emmet did not respond, both shocked by her sudden appearance. Sure, Elesa had the passcode to their apartment and a permanent invitation, but she always knocked. Eventually, Elesa became tired of waiting for them to grab the magazine, and plopped it unceremoniously on the table.

Realizing it was a friend and not a hostile intruder, Ingo recovered first, “Is everything all right?” he asked her, thinking that perhaps she had gotten embroiled in another scandal. Despite them all being in the public eye, Elesa had always been held to impossible standards. Too prude, too revealing, too cold – there was no end to the silly accusations.

“There's nothing wrong.” Elesa stated. “Just look.”

Looking down, he saw it was a copy of PokeTimes, a magazine aimed at Pokemon Trainers, generally focused on League business or new training techniques. Ah, it must have something to do with the Gym Leader part of her career. The cover had a picture of a green-haired man and the words, “We asked, you answered! The most popular Pokemon trainers in Unova! Starring bad-boy Prince N.”

Emmet narrowed his eyes, “Certainly they do not mean Wanted Former Prince of Team Plasma N, correct? A terrorist organization? Like, wanted as in legally?” he clarified.

“Yes, that is concerning.” Ingo grabbed it up in his hands to read the other words around the cover. (How to Revive Your own Archeops! Think You Can’t EV Train? Think Again! Gloria Wins Galar League Championship!)

Elesa snagged it out of his hands, “That’s not what I care abou- okay, yes that is concerning, but that’s not what I want you to see.” She flipped open to the beginning of the Popularity Poll. Coming in at number ten was the most recent Champion. Ingo supposed that made sense, even if she had renounced the title and went back to a private life. Then it was Professor Juniper’s assistant, someone he didn’t recognize, Cilan – good for him – someone else he didn’t recognize, and then – ah, it was Elesa.

“Congrrrratulations!” Emmet beamed. “Fifth most popular trainer in Unova. What does it say?” He glanced at the words underneath. “Gym Leader Elesa, the Shining Beauty of Nimbasa fame, comes in at number five. Even if you don’t live near Nimbasa, you’ve surely seen her in magazines, billboards, and as a model for many fashion and cosmetics brands. Of course, her beauty is only accented by her electrifying battle prowess, her twin Emolgas as cute but deadly as she is.”

Elesa still shook her head, “I appreciate that, but I’ve been on the cover of Vogue, thank you, so that still isn’t what I'm talking about.”

“Oh, Skyla is ne-!” Emmet started to say before he stopped as Elesa turned the page.
Emmet turned his head not unlike a Lilipup trying to triangulate a noise. Perplexed, he did what he did best: point and called at the picture and said “I am Emmet. That is Emmet.”

“It sure is you!” Elesa nodded.

“Why?” Emmet asked. There was no script for being the third most popular trainer in Unova. He hadn’t encountered it before.

“Why don’t you read it?” Ingo asked. Emmet nodded, and started reading silently. “No! Read it out loud.”

“Right, sorry. It says: Subway Boss Emmet comes in at the top three! Emmet runs the Doubles battle line in Gear Station and works the Multi-line with his twin brother, Ingo. Being a Subway Boss, he challenges those who have won twenty matches in a row. His Eelektross is known for having no type disadvantages thanks to its Levitate ability and always presents a fun challenge for those skilled enough to even get the chance to challenge him. We hit the road to find out why this elusive Boss scored so highly. One trainer stated: “It’s my dream to win against him one day! He’s so fun! He always introduces himself, as if no one would know who he is. I’m such a fan!” Then, she shrugged off her pack to show a small Emmet keychain hanging off the side. Those who wish to get their own Emmet keychain can buy one at the Gear Station gift shop.”

“You should probably tell the managers to order more of those -- I’m certain you will sell out soon.” Elesa stated.

“Hah! I’m the fun twin!” Emmet stuck his tongue out at his brother.

Elesa smirked. “It is not over.” She turned over the page, and Emmet stopped. “What? How did you win?”

“I did not win, Emmet. I am in second place. To a criminal, at that.” Ingo frowned. “Subway Boss Ingo runs the Single Line and helps out with the Multi-line with his twin brother, number three winner Emmet. Ingo’s ace Pokemon, Chandelure, is as apparently dark and mysterious as he is, one trainer stating: “He's always brooding. Kinda emo. I like it.” This trainer did not have an Ingo keychain but I was assured that they are also available at the gift shop in Gear Station. More information about why both brothers are so popular can be found in the next section…”

Ingo wasn’t quite sure where to start with that, so he just said, “Emo?”

“I think you might need to smile more. Maybe we can lighten up the jacket? How about gray? Or, you could just lean into it. Elesa can do fantastic things with eyeliner.” Emmet piped up.

“You’ve let me put it on you before.” Elesa agreed.

“Because you were practicing for school! I took it off after you left.” Ingo responded.

“Hmm. Pity. I worked hard on it.”

“You should do it. Maybe we can get you at number one for next year.” Emmet looked contemplative.

“But then you would lose.”

“Well, maybe we could both take the top spot!” Emmet amended.

“Maybe you should be the emo one! You’ve got the giant poster of Piers, not me!” Ingo shot back

“Keep reading guys, it’s still not done.”

“Oh right, it did say there were more in the next section.” Ingo flipped through the pages.

“Men only poll...ah, Elesa, you’re here again.” He stopped, “Why are you on the men only poll?”

“Because it’s only men who have voted.”

“Ah right, that does make more sense. Fourth! You’re moving up. And Skyla is number one!”

“The men are going to be… verrrrry disappointed.” Emmet said, and Elesa broke eye contact.

“Yes, well,” she said, “it’s my gain.”

Elesa looked awkward, a little shy. It was uncharacteristic of her, but the grin Emmet was wearing was not. Ingo looked between the two of them, horror starting to set in. “Are you two-”

“Oh Gods, no.” Elesa said with an amount of disgust that seemed more akin to a teenager than a grown woman. Emmet looked at his brother, mirroring his own confusion at the insinuation.

“Did you not read the PR note my agency released?” Elesa asked Ingo.

“No? Why would I? I see you everyday.”

“To quote,” Elesa started, “Skyla and I are ‘seeing each other with good feelings’.”

“What are ‘good feelings’?” Ingo looked bewildered, “Like, I can guess, but why did they say it that way?”

“PR speak, very common for models and/or other professions that tend to cultivate a certain kind of fan.” Elesa shrugged.

“Is that why Skyla’s been coming over so much?”

“Ingo,” Emmet started, “did you honestly think they stared at each other a normal amount?”

“Elesa’s job is to be pretty. People stare at her! It’s what they do!” Ingo argued.

“But does Elesa stare back?”

“...No.” In fact, they both had gotten used to having a very pretty (as Emmet called it) ‘sister from another mister’ and ignoring such obvious stares, stepping in only when it became too much.

Elesa, at this point, was looking both pink and amused. “I can not believe the general public knew about this before you did. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to keep it from you. I just...thought you knew?”

“That does...explain why Skyla declined the extra sleeping roll when you guys both stayed over.”

Elesa snorted. “If it’s alright, I’d like to have her over again. To, hmm, properly introduce her.”

“Of course!” Ingo crinkled his eyes. He patted her hand. “I’m glad you are happy.”

“Thank you. But we’re still not done yet. Flip the page.”

Ingo did as instructed and saw the header ‘Women only Poll’. Emmet’s face was staring at him from rank three, (“Holding steady!” Emmet declared) and his was at rank one.

“You beat N!” Elesa stated, “You beat rabid fangirls. Do you understand the power that you hold?”

“No eyeliner needed” Ingo wheezed.

“Popular with our aged 20-40 readers, Subway Boss Ingo beat out N for the top spot in our women’s only poll. Sorry Emmet – looks like Ingo is the hot twin.”

“The hot twin?!” Emmet spluttered. “We’re identical! This is a popularity poll! Not who's the hottest poll!”

“A popularity poll is always a 'who's the hottest poll', Emmet.” Elesa stated, “Congrats, Ingo, you are perfectly crafted for the female gaze.” Elesa patted him on the back.

“How?!”

“According to this, you respect women, are competent at your job, very polite, but also kinda moody with your little frown.” Elesa mimed his frown by tugging at the edges of her mouth with her fingers.

“That’s all?” Ingo scoffed.

“The bar is on the floor,” Elesa agreed.

Emmet was still miffed in the corner. “I’ve gotta catch up. I’m gonna modify my sleeves so I can roll them up over my elbow. Maybe during battles I’ll take off my coat. Women love men in a uniform but women love men who are usually in a uniform but are not even more.” He stopped, “Do you think I should change my script? Should I wear eyeliner?”

“Aww, Emmet,” Elesa placated, “you still got third. Obviously they like you just as you are. But also, where did you learn that?”

“Internet.” Emmet mumbled.

Ingo’s xTrans then vibrated -- an alert he had put on his name. It was a post from the official Battle Subway social media. It included what looked like to be a battle video, but when he clicked on it, music started playing and it was edited – no, not like promotion material, but like –

“They posted a thirst trap of you?! Where's my thirst trap?! I’m on the list too!”

Elesa was also looking at it and read the post, “Congratulations to our very own most popular trainer, Subway Boss Ingo. Winky face.”

"And they actually just typed out ‘winky face’," Emmet was flabbergasted.

“I’m not the most popular.” Ingo protested. “We should change that. Can’t have our official media spreading lies.”

“I’m sure you’ll have plenty of time to talk to them, because both of you are going to have so many promotional photoshoots after this. I guarantee it.” Elesa smirked.

And at that, both brothers groaned loudly, dreading what may be to come.

Chapter Text

Dawn sat up with a gasp, beating away the visuals of her nightmare. She had been idle for too long. Cynthia and her Mother insisted that she rest and take some time off of her journey. But it had been months at this point, and if she couldn't occupy herself enough to have a dreamless sleep, she was going to scream.

The therapist Cynthia introduced her to was great, and helped her confront what she had gone through. She had not fully processed anything that had happened until after fighting Cyrus. The battle was intense, terrifying, the notion that she had commanded Dialga, a God, against a mortal man, settled like a thorn in her conscience. There had been an anger inside her that reared up. She didn't know where or why it was there, but it scared her.

She panicked after catching Giratina. A quiet panic. One where Cynthia could tell something was off, but couldn't tell what.

But the nightmares never went away. And with the nightmares came a lack of sleep, which led to being too exhausted to do anything, which caused her to think more-

It was an exhausting cycle. She needed to do something about it. Talking it out with her therapist would be the healthy option, but as tiring as avoiding your problems were, healing was even more tiring.

So, she decided. After months of nothing, with the sun not even yet risen, it was time. It was time for her to seriously train to take on the final part of the league. She grabbed her Pokeballs, left a note for her Mother, and pulled out her map.

-----

“The good news is: we’ve struck gold. The bad news is we have to toe the line between the organic that has given you guys the popularity you already have, while also strategically expanding this popularity.” The Head of Marketing and PR was gesturing to a projector screen. “We made contact with the magazine who ran the poll to obtain the poll numbers. Ingo received 6% more votes than Emmet, mainly from women with a median age of 32. Emmet skewed younger, the majority of his votes coming from young women ages 20-26.”

Emmet squinted at the graph on the wall, wishing they could both just go back to the Multi-line. Heck, he’d go back to the Single line alone, even though the Single line was verrrry boring. It was not the first meeting both Ingo and Emmet had been dragged into ever since the magazine had hit the newstands. However, it was the most boring one of all. Most boring so far, he supposed he should think.

Normally, they had nothing to do with Marketing and PR. Sure, they’d both get an email here or there saying a camera crew would be coming to film a battle or two. Usually, it was a match with a famous trainer or for a documentary or tourist video. It was minimally invasive.

More annoying were the occasional photoshoots done to coincide with a new promotion or new League season. Those had eventually diminished in number since the pictures always ended up looking the same every time.

But now, oh boy. It looked like their Marketing Team had a marketing plan. And one that required the active participation of both subway bosses. He wished Elesa were here – this was her world. She’d help make it bearable. But for now she was at her own work, probably in a similar meeting about which of her fashion lines should be expanded next quarter.

The presenter cut into his thoughts, “So, we’ll have to use the responses from the poll for each of you to cultivate the personalities of your public persona. To try to keep it as natural as these things can be, we should pinpoint what in your natural personalities are working, and slightly dramatize them.”

“We would be different. Won’t it be odd for-” Ingo made vague motions with his hands, “Customers? The audience? Regular challengers?”

“Not likely. Both of you are already working with a public persona. It just doesn’t happen to be any different than a regular office worker puts on: just acting professional at work.” The presenter continued, “Not many of your public appearances are widely public. You’re usually in a train car. So we’ll coincide the latest promotion with a circuit of appearances on interview shows and the like.”

Emmet startled, “What? I...am not sure I’d be…good at that.”

Ingo, clocking the concern on his brother’s face, agreed. “Maybe we can put those on the back burner. Or I can do them for both of us.”

The presenter shook his head, “Part of your appeal is the two of you together. It would really help the promotion if you both did the interviews.”

“And what exactly is the point of the promotion? Except making the money arrow go upwards this season?” Emmet asked, bluntly. “Why, exactly, can’t things just stay the same? It’s not broken. So, why are we fixing it?”

“This is a perfect opportunity to pounce on the popularity you guys currently have in order to grow the Battle Subway brand.” The presenter stated.

“But why do we need to grow the brand? The Battle Subway is in no trouble. Ingo and I stay busy.” Emmet continued arguing.

“Well, this would help alleviate some of that schedule. With an expanded budget, we could run more trains, build more routes, and hire some more maintenance and scheduling personnel. In that way, the Subway could do more and you guys would have less work.”

“Hmm,” Ingo hummed, “I don’t think us taking on less work is the incentive you think it is for us. But, it is also a schedule we might not be able to keep up indefinitely.”

Emmet glanced over, “Not be able to keep it up indefinitely? How old are you? In that case, how old am I? Surely we can keep going for some decades.”

“Of course we can!” Ingo agreed, “But we have to remember safety checks. An engine will get burned out if you run it too hard for too long.”

“Well, sure, but--”

“And I am interested in the ‘building more routes’ plan.” Ingo looked at the presenter.

“Unfortunately, you’ll need to obtain more information from the Engineering department. But I do know there are blueprints being sketched for three more routes to connect to Castelia, Driftveil, and Mistralton Cities. Surely, you can understand the economic boon that would create.”

Castelia City was a huge metropolis, Driftveil a port town, and Mistralton had access to air. Yes, that could be beneficial for the whole region. And yet--

“In that case, the Battle Subway isn’t even a part of the plan.” Emmet crossed his arms. "We don't get anything out of it."

“Well, perhaps not directly.” The presenter confessed, “But it is also likely that it will cause more people to have easier access to the Battle Subway, and thus participate. But to be frank, the Battle Subway is the most profitable branch of Gear Station, and the potential of profit is astronomical.”

Ingo sighed deeply, “I do not like it. I do not like that our jobs will have less to do with trains, and more with being a celebrity – because that is what this is, right? You’re asking us to sell our images, our bodies, and to create fake versions of us that we will have to be anytime we’re not in our apartment. This is a big ask.”

“I will not sugarcoat it; that is correct. We will get Legal to help draw up new contacts to make sure you are being adequately compensated.”

“We will also bring in a team for our interests.” Ingo stated firmly.

“Of course.”

“Wait,” Emmet held his hands up, “We have not agreed to anything yet.”

“Of course not,” The presenter assured.

“Ingo has a point.” Emmet went on, “I am only slightly privy to this kind of life through Elesa. This would be a huge change. But we’d still be Subway Bosses first and foremost, correct?”

“Correct, the new hires would be so you can be Subway Bosses and also do promotional work. Your being Subway Bosses is crucial for this to work, so that part would not change. It would be the secondary jobs you have both taken on that would be shifted to new employees.”

“And these new employees would be sent through the same amount of training and orientation.” Ingo declared. It was worded like a question, but not spoken as one.

“They would. I understand the concept of safety checks even if I don’t work in the tunnels.” The presenter gave a small smile.

“I still don’t like this,” Ingo said, and looked over at Emmet. “But connecting the region with trains has been our dream. For...an uncountable number of years.”

Emmet looked conflicted. “That is true. It looks like we may have to sacrifice our time with trains so the people of the region can have their trains.”

“That is a good way of thinking about it.” Ingo agreed. “Do you want to hear more, then?”

Emmet nodded. “Fine. What exactly do our new selves look like?”

The presenter clicked to the next slide. “This is an idea board for Ingo. His image will stay older and darker. Since Ingo is the older twin, we can also emphasize the fact that he is an older brother. This plays right into Emmet’s image: lighter and younger.”

The presenter clicked again to the next slide. “Emmet is the carefree, slightly silly, younger brother, and Ingo is the more stoic and harried older brother. Both of these images cater to your respective audiences and connect to others that may have similar sibling dynamics.”

Emmet grinned slyly, “Sorry, Ingo. I gotta be annoying -- It’s in my contract.”

“Not yet, it isn’t!” Ingo shot back.

The presenter continued, “Both of these roles are very natural and your audience probably has already slotted you for these roles anyway. Your reinforcement of these roles will be less of establishing a character and more giving fanservice. Like making your audience feel they are in your circle as well. It makes them feel as if they know you personally.”

The twins were both...alarmed at that. “So what exact, umm, fanservice will we be doing?” Emmet asked.

“No, before that. What is fanservice?” Ingo asked.

Emmet glanced over, “You need to be on the internet more.”

“It is simply catering to what your fans want.” The presenter explained.

“And they want me to act like a big brother?” Ingo questioned.

“The dynamic between you too is a big draw. Perhaps eventually we could collaborate with Elesa and make the ‘Nimbasa Trio’, as you call yourselves, another draw."

Ingo shook his head, “That’s sacred!”

Emmet nodded along, “Ingo and I are many things, but we are also coworkers. Elesa is a friend.”

The presenter backed off, “Of course, we will not do anything you don’t agree with. As our prime money maker you have some power here. Don’t tell Finance I said that.”

Ingo barked out a laugh, “That is true. Thanks for the reminder.”

“Very good. To finish off, I have a packet of promotional material that we will be planning on either making, manufacturing, or doing. Please take a look and get rid of any that are not tolerable to you both.” The presenter handed out two manila folders.

The twins opened up the folders, and saw a stack of paper the size of a paperback.

“Oh,” Emmet said, “We are going to be verrrrrry busy.”

------

“Things will change for you, Champion Dawn.” Cynthia walked Dawn out of the Hall of Fame. “You are very young, so the clerical work will still fall to me. But you would become a public figure. You would also be on the first line of defense for the region. Arceus knows you've already done your part in protecting the region, though.”

“Is the first change going to be that I’m Champion Dawn, now?” she sighed.

“Well, we'll need your Mother here, and a lawyer, but yes. Once the contract is signed, that will be your official title. You would actually be my boss, as odd as it sounds.”

Dawn chuckled dryly, “What have I done?”

“You haven't signed anything yet,” Cynthia assured, “and you never have to. You can still take a title and just leave. The buzz of someone beating me will die down, You could lay low, and still be a private person. I don't mean to scare you, I just want you to know. You will be given schooling, language classes, PR classes and media training, and the League will support you – I will support you, Champion Dawn – in any way we can. But it will be different.”

“Will I be very busy?” Dawn asked.

Cynthia gave her an odd look, “Yes. It will be a lot of work.”

“Then yes. I want to do it. How soon can we get started?”

Cynthia appraised the girl, wondering if she should object – tell her to come back when she is a few years older. But the girl looked determined, and she hoped to keep a close eye on her anyway. After a moment of deliberation, she said, “I can set up the meeting now. Follow me.”

Chapter Text

Of everything that could have happened, a photoshoot was fine. Familiar, even if they had somewhat stopped doing them. It was the same; getting into the uniforms, hair and makeup putting a sort of powder on their faces, and the usual, “stop us if you feel uncomfortable, speak up if you don’t want something published, we won’t touch you without asking” spiel that Ingo always paid attention to. (“All professions benefit from safety checks!”)

Emmet, however, was bored, and trying to figure out what “Wardrobe and makeup changes will be included in the session” truly meant. Oh, well, Emmet could point and call in a Tyrunt suit if needed. He was almost glad when the speech wrapped up and it was time for action, even if he found the action slightly embarrassing.

He was a professional, of course. And all professional trainers, at some point in time, would go through photoshoots with their Pokemon and any signature poses they’d carved out for themselves. It was about being marketable. But there were only so many times he could point-and-call with Ingo, in slow motion, with various expressions on his face.

This is why the photoshoots did not occur much anymore. It was always the same. Emmet was fine with that, but apparently it was “wasting money” and “what’s the point of putting up new signs anyway”.

“Ace Pokemon in!” The photographer yelled. Chandelure and Eelektross quickly floated over to their respective trainers and joined in the various emotive exercises.

“Full teams!” The rest of the Pokemon joined. “Haxorus, to your left. Exadrill, move back a little. Perfect! Stay there!”

The camera kept clicking and flashing, and both Ingo and Emmet saw more spots than the actual photographer. They weren’t being yelled at for staring in the distance so they figured it was fine.

“Solo shots! Emmet and team, leave.”

“Gladly!” Emmet moved off his mark and went to sip a cup of water. A makeup artist walked over and scrutinized his face closely.

“You need more powder,” they said.

“All right,” Emmet consented, and closed his eyes to get peppered with a fat brush. He tried not to sneeze.

“Don’t wrinkle your face,” the artist chided.

“Ah sorry,” he said, and he received a tut when the powder went into his mouth.

He felt a weight on his head, and glanced up to see Chandelure had taken residence on his hat with some happy chimes. Ingo must almost be done.

“Ah, Chandelure, you would like a touch up too?” The artist smiled as Chandelure bobbed up and down.

Emmet crouched down a little so the artist could pat Chandelure with a brush. He did wonder if the Chandelure noticed that there was nothing on the brush. But she seemed happy so Emmet wasn’t going to say anything.

“Solo Emmet, no Pokemon, please!” The photographer called.

Chandelure rose from her spot and glided over to Ingo. Ingo tried to grab his own cup of water but was also accosted by the makeup artist. Emmet walked back to his mark and started the familiar point and call routine. Eelektross joined him, and then his full team. Usually, he and his brother shared Pokemon but technically these were the ones registered to him. It was all a well-oiled machine. They were done quickly.

“All right! Time to change!” An assistant came out and ushered them into a changing room.

“Uhh, just the one?” Ingo looked around. He had his own changing room so why-?

“That’s all you’ll need. These are still official Battle Subway shots so we will still need you in uniform.”

“What are we changing into, then?” There was no other uniform.

“It’s a modified uniform. Remove your coats, hats, and gloves, and place them on the rack. Please go back to hair and makeup when you are done.”

“Oh my gods, it’s happening.” Emmet laughed, “Should I roll my sleeves over my elbows?”

The assistant shook her head, “They will make adjustments outside if necessary.”

Emmet cackled, and said, “Oh no, now people will know what we look like in the break room. How scandalous and new. Is this really going to work?”

Ingo shrugged and placed his gloves in his hat. “All aboard?”

“All aboard. Hopefully they still take Chandelure’s picture. She loves this so much.”

Both Emmet and Ingo were surprised when the first thing Ingo’s makeup artist did was pull the lever on the chair. Ingo suddenly jolted backwards, almost laying down, his arms outstretched as if to catch himself. The makeup artist then just held up a pen, said, “Eyes.” and Ingo nodded, a bit fearfully.

Emmet had to crane his head to look at what the makeup artist was doing. “Eyeliner!” he called out. “I was right. You have to lean into your emo side.”

“Shut up, Emmet.”

“I’m sending this to Elesa, Ingo.”

“She will see the pictures anyway, Emmet.”

“I’m still going to do it, Ingo.”

“No you won’t,” Emmet’s make-up artist confronted him. “Because you also need your face put on.” She held up her own pen. “Eyes.”

Ingo laughed. “Now you can look like Piers.”

“Umm...okay.”

Ingo and Emmet looked at each other after the artists declared them finished. They were fully professional, and did not laugh at each other’s faces. Or they did a little bit. Surely that was acceptable. They didn’t crease anything, so it was fine. Probably.

“I can’t even see your eyeliner! Did they take it off?” Ingo narrowed his eyes.

“My eyeliner shows youth and lightness. Yours is because you are old.”

“That does explain the very rosy cheeks.” Ingo tried not to smack off whatever it was they put on his lips. It felt sticky and wrong.

Emmet looked at the mirror. He did have quite flushed cheeks, and his eye liner was lost in the small amount of mascara they had put on. It did seem...to make him seem a bit younger. Ingo was still pale, but his eyes were darker.

Hair stylists came over and combed their hair before declaring their jobs done.

“Guess we have to go back out.”

The first part wasn’t too different. The usual point and call double and singles shots, and then they broke up for solo shots again.

Emmet was taken first, Eelektross ordered to join him, probably as a mercy. It’s much better to navigate uncharted territory with a trusted partner. It was different – much looser. No more pointing and calling, he was supposed to be natural. (How does one act naturally? Emmet wondered.)

“Eelektross, Emmet, look at each other. Smile!” The photographer continued to direct. It was good. Emmet was not a professional model so the photographer telling what he needed him to do was verrry comforting.

“Emmet, wink.”

“What?” Emmet was taken aback.

“Youthful energy! Act silly!”

Emmet only did what his instincts told him to do: throw up a peace sign.

“Perfect! Do something with your tie!” The photographer called.

The directions kept getting more and more unhinged until Emmet found himself face to face (so, on the floor) with Galvantula, his tongue sticking out at her. Both Pokemon and trainer burst into a fit of laughter, and with a final snap (and a very satisfied-looking photographer), he was done.

Emmet recalled his Pokemon and gave Ingo a bemused look as he got ready for his own shots.

“Did you have fun?” Ingo asked.

Emmet laughed, “Maybe?”

Emmet was done, so he could have very well asked the makeup artist to remove his makeup and leave, but he stayed around for Ingo’s shoot. He clipped his Pokeball belt back on and found a chair.

The photographer was not taking photos. He had stopped and was looking at Ingo. He called for a hair stylist.

“I changed my vision. Make his hair messy. I know it’s short, but see what you can do.”

“Messy!” Ingo looked a little panicked. “My hair is never messy!”

“Well, you don’t have to. I won't touch a hair unless you tell me to. I’m my own boss.” The hair stylist leaned in conspiratorially.

“Do you think it would help the shoot?” Ingo asked the photographer.

“I do.”

Sucking air through his teeth, he bit out an, “Okay.”

The hair stylist left to get a jar of some gel and a comb. She worked on back combing, and worked on fluffing his bangs. He thought it was odd, really, how intense the makeup and hair artists looked while working. He did not feel like a man, but just strands of hair, or patches of skin. It was almost a comfort, how clinical it was.

The stylist took a step back and looked at the photographer, who nodded.

“Can you loosen your tie and undo your top button? Actually, let’s roll up those sleeves, too.”

“What?” Emmet protested. “Why does he get to roll up his sleeves?”

Ingo pinched the bridge of his nose, sighed extremely deeply, and just went with it.

-----

Dawn did stay busy. Which is what she wanted, of course. But there was an upward limit of having so much to do that it made her just as stressed as doing nothing.

Language courses – she already knew Kantonian and Galarian, but Kalosian and Paldean were added – stretched her mind to its limit. She also had to take traditional schooling lessons, which would continue until she had the equivalent credits to graduate secondary school. And the fake interviews, the smiles they made her plaster on, made her wonder, just for a moment, who she really was. The meetings where they built her up into a new Dawn gave her existential crises, but she grinned and beared it. She was too busy to give it much thought, anyway.

She was also taught how to protect herself. She learned how to perform first aid. She was going to be a first responder as much as actual first responders. It made her worry – how much could she, an eleven year old – actually help in a crisis. Cynthia did not understand her worry, saying that Dawn had already helped plenty in a crisis.

But that was a fluke. She could have failed, and no one would have been any much the wiser. Cynthia was also working on it with her. Lucas and Barry and Professor Rowan were also there. Now, people were depending on her. And she couldn’t let down a whole region. Not even if she was still a child.

It wasn’t all bad. She enjoyed watching her Pokemon go through the media training, how they learned their best angles to best show off their moves. Empoleon had a knack for it, even. And she enjoyed the photoshoots, and loved the ones where they dressed her up even more. She might be Champion Dawn, but she was still the same Dawn. Sometimes, they even let her keep the dresses!

It was around a year that Dawn spent training to become the next champion. When she had just turned twelve, the League was convinced that she could hold her own with both the media and social circumstances that came with the position. In a televised event, she officially became Champion Dawn.

The now Regent Champion Cynthia still stood by her side for most public appearances, and promised to for many years to come.

The weirdest part of it all, Dawn thought, were not the people who came up to her, asking for photos and autographs. It wasn't being recognized everywhere she went, cameras following and cries of “Champion!” being thrown at her. It was the fact that nearly every girl her age started to do their hair like hers. Videos on the internet popped up on her feed, tutorials about how to 'achieve Champion Dawn's hairstyle'.

It didn't feel to Dawn like it was anything to achieve. It was just something her Mom had taught her when she was young to keep her bangs out of her face. It took her two minutes every morning – how those videos could be ten minutes long she couldn't understand.

She had been given a dorm in the League, but she had decided to visit home for the weekend. There were fewer people around, and nearly no paparazzi to be seen in what, despite the name, was a small village.

It was a good choice, as well, since Sinnoh's Gods then thought it was a good time to visit. Dawn usually loved when they visited, begging for poffins and playing with her team. It had stopped hurting, eventually, when she saw Dialga. She knew now that she had done what she needed to, and her rage did not define her.

However, it became a not-fun experience, when the whole family had decided to show up.

Giratina had immediately recoiled straight into its Pokeball, which had not been used since Arceus gave it leave to be in this dimension again. Dialga and Palkia stopped in their tracks, growling. Arceus said nothing.

Dawn groaned. Was it some kind of Holiday for Pokemon? PokeGods get the day off? Visit the person who put you in a pokeball day?

“C'mon, guys,” Dawn begged, “Y'all are literally Gods, surely you are above this sibling infighting business, yeah?”

Palkia looked away. Dialga, at least, had the decency to look ashamed.

“If you want Poffins, then you all have to get along. Someone growls, and no Poffins, and you'll be forced into Pokeball time, all right?”

Arceus, not having been captured at any point and thus beyond being able to be threatened, simply drifted downwards to greet Dawn.

“I will make my children behave,” Arceus promised her.

“Good. Now, who wants a Poffin?”

Giratina released itself and the whole trio started to gather, vying for the sweet pastries. Palkia only showed their fangs once, which was technically within the rules.

Chapter Text

Elesa had demanded to see the proofs as soon as they were sent. They agreed, since she would be especially helpful when selecting the ones to send in for A-cuts. Technically, their job was only to get rid of the ones they absolutely did not want published. But Elesa was eager to go above and beyond.

“I think this one is fine.” Emmet passed a photo to Elesa. It was the usual photo of the both of them, point-and-calling, Chandelure and Elektross floating by their heads.

The real Chandelure chirped happily, staring at itself in the photo.

Elesa looked exasperated. “Your official League Portrait is not what we’re going to go with. These are going on signs and billboards all around the station. Eventually, they might be all over Nimbasa and beyond. We must choose carefully.”

“This one is a new angle!” Emmet handed over another.

“Hmm, it is a good angle.” Elesa agreed. “And it is very dynamic. But it's still boring. I know for a fact they did a makeup and wardrobe change. Let me see those.”

Ingo put his hands in front of himself, “They are very different. I’m sure they don’t even need to be considered.”

Elesa raised an eyebrow, “Well, now I really want to see them. Surely they can’t be bad?”

“Here’s mine!” Emmet redirected her, giving her a stack of his solo shots.

“Aww, cute!” Elesa trilled as she flipped through the photos. “Oh. We need to teach you how to wink.”

“I did my best!” Emmet defended himself.

“I’m sure you did.” she nodded. “I like the makeup look. Very fresh. I assume they are attempting to make you look a bit...less like an overworked old man?”

“Why does everyone think we’re old men?” Emmet asked.

“Well, now you don’t look like it! I love this one. You should use it!” Elesa put one on the table, tapping lightly.

It was the photo of Emmet laying on the floor, Galvantula and him laughing heartily.

“Oh! That one.” Emmet grabbed it. “That was the last photo they took.”

“Funny, that seems to happen often.” Elesa nodded. “We’ll for sure get rid of the uh...winking ones, and I’ll recommend this one to Marketing. Ingo, what about yours?”

Ingo was holding his photos close to his chest. “They went in a bit of a different direction with mine,” he warned.

“I’m sure they’re fine.” Elesa reassured him. “I’ve had plenty of photoshoots where I look back and question the thoughts of everyone involved. Including mine. Whatever they are, I’ve seen weirder, and I’ve seen worse.”

“And it's fine because we’re both professionals now?” Ingo said.

Elesa smiled, “Yes. And sometimes even professionals have bad battles.”

“Right.” Ingo handed over the photos.

“Hmm. They definitely did lean into the...emo.” Elesa started to flip through them. “Oh my Gods is Ingo smoldering?”

“Is it bad?” Ingo quickly asked.

“No, no it’s good. I’m clutching my pearls though.” Elesa laughed. “Cringe. I didn’t know you had it in you.”

“What do you mean? I have an organic charm!” Ingo retorted. “They specifically said I had that.”

“No, no. You’re right. I’m sorry. I know this is difficult for you. I didn’t mean to laugh. They are actually very good.”

Ingo didn’t seem convinced, “Then why were you laughing if they were not, should I say, cringe?”

“Well, I can’t say I expected to see my brother with messy hair and tie undone smoldering for a photo today. It’s a bit shocking, I won’t lie. It’s personally gonna seem cringe to me because…ew. I’m sure you think the same of some of my shoots. But professionally, no. These are great. I’m not seeing any that stick out to me as being bad.” Elesa patted him on the back, “We’ll make a professional model out of you yet!”

“Please, no,” Ingo grumbled.

Chandelure, having been watching the proceedings from above, excitedly floated to Elesa.

“Ah, are you happy that you’ll get to do more?” Elesa laughed as Chandelure happily bobbed around. “See, Ingo? You’ll have to keep going for Chandelure’s sake.”

Ingo just sighed.

Elesa looked at him sadly, “Are you uncomfortable, Ingo? I’m sure you could just use your official portraits. You know you can stop this at any time.”

Ingo thought, but shook his head. “I’m fine. It’s just…”

“What?” Elesa urged.

“I mean no disrespect to you or your job.” Ingo prefaced, “But it feels like a lie. This is not what I look like. They made me look like this only in order to get money. They made me look like this specifically to attract women, which is something I wouldn’t say I normally do. It’s something of myself that I’m making public, and it’s not even me.”

Elesa nodded, understanding. “It is difficult. The public will think they know you. Especially the more “natural” the Marketing tries to push itself to be. And it won’t be you. It will be a warped version of yourself. Some people find themselves changed to be this warped version. Staying true to yourself is one of the hardest things in this profession.”

Ingo nodded, and spoke again: “And Emmet – again, sorry, no offense. Emmet gets to mostly be himself. He gets to be silly and is encouraged to bounce around. And me, to put it bluntly, they want me to be sexy. I’m just...such a private person, usually. Doing the photoshoot was fine. I mean, I was working. But seeing the results? I think I might feel uncomfortable.”

Elesa nodded. “I understand. I’ll take these out. We won’t even send them back to the department.”

Emmet had been silent, but spoke up, “They said at the meeting they wanted to bring out the broodiness aspect. I think we should pick one that leans that way, and ask to push more for the ‘mysterious aloofness’ in upcoming material.”

Ingo nodded. “I think that would be better. I’m used to just being...part of the Funny Train Men. I’m not sure I’m comfortable with anything much stronger right now.”

Emmet passed a photo over, “How about this one?”

It was a picture of Ingo and Chandelure. Ingo had his arm outstretched, palm up. Chandelure rested on his hand. They were looking at each other with silent fondness.

“I think that would work.” Elesa nodded, “What do you think, Ingo?”

Ingo smiled, “This will work well, I think.”

-----

“I'm going to just start forging your signature,” Dawn groaned. “We'd get paperwork done in half the time.”

Cynthia grabbed the stack of papers from Dawn that required her signature. “I could just get you a copy of my personal seal.”

Dawn's eyes grew wide, “You'd trust me with your seal? I could, like, buy a house in your name.”

“Would you, though?” Cynthia smiled.

Dawn thought for a moment, “Maybe. Do you know how loud the Elite Four are? Who let them all live right next to each other?”

Cynthia's smile grew into a laugh, “I am very aware of how loud they all are. There are some caveats to you living here, too. I can't even go to the bathroom without some God jump scaring me. Why are they always so hungry?”

“My cooking is god-blessed,” Dawn said. “...and they also use me to get away from their family sometimes. I think. I love them, but they are ridiculous.”

“And let's not forget how loud Barry is when he visits. Seriously, Twinleaf is a quiet little place, how did he grow up to get so loud?” Cynthia shook her head as she started to stamp the papers.

“That, I can not answer. Lucas says he wants to study him.”

“Tell Professor Rowan to get on the case, too. It needs to be solved.”

“Will do!” Dawn was interrupted by her stomach. “Ah, we've worked past lunch, haven't we?”

Cynthia looked at her Poketch, blinked in surprise, then stretched, “Yes, we should get some food. What are you feeling?”

Dawn brightened, “Let's order from that Kalosian restaurant!”

“You always want Kalosian,” Cynthia rolled her eyes, but started tapping the number into her phone anyway.

Chapter Text

It would have been another boring meeting, if the brothers had not walked in to samples of merch littering the conference room table.

Emmet made a combee-line to the long Eelektross plush, wrapping it around his neck and shoulders, “This stuff is great!” He proclaimed.

“Oh, they made new keychains.” Ingo picked up the one which was supposed to be his.

“Yes, the older ones are selling very quickly. It would be good to have a “second generation” line of them. They are only marginally different, but they will come with a random photocard, to help spur along sales.” The Head of Marketing and PR – what was his name? Todd? – finished stacking boxes, presumably what had held the samples.

“Photocards?” Ingo asked.

“Small pictures of both of you and of your team. They are a randomized collectible. Kinda like the trainer cards they trade in Galar. Very common with idol groups.” Todd stated.

“Do you think Piers has photocards?” Emmet asked.

“Is Piers an idol?” Ingo asked.

“He is to me!” Emmet huffed.

“In any case, I will need you to take selfies of you holding the keychains.” He passed the twins a new, top-of-the-line xTrans with a stick attachment. “Take multiple, and we’ll pick out the good ones.”

Emmet shrugged and raised his arm up in order to take a photo.

“Oh, sorry,” the Head said, “separately. The photocard will correspond to whichever keychain the customer buys. I’ll leave you two to it; I’m going to check the list.”

Todd poured over a spreadsheet an assistant had collated for him, looking at the top-selling items in other Battle Facilities. Usually, it was something intrinsic to the facility itself, so it was not easy to replicate for the Battle Subway. There were a great array of items, but it lacked..something. T-shirts, magnets, pins, postcards, all of that was derivative. The only two flagship products were the keychains and a model train of the battle cars.

Todd looked up when he heard the twins start to move towards him again. “Sorry, what? Are you guys done?”

Emmet nodded, pulling at the little coat his miniature self wore, “I was just saying that the little coat was cute. Our Pokemon should also wear them.”

Todd looked at him, gears turning. “Well, that solves that.”

“Hmm? Sorry, solves what?”

“We’re going to sell kid-sized coats. Get ready for hordes of little children and Pokemon wearing them.”

-----

It was, in fact, a viral sensation, with #LittleIngo and #LittleEmmet going viral on Sneaslr (#LittleEmmet had more posts, Emmet was pleased to point out). The hashtag was filled with children and Pokemon swimming in coats, peeping out of oversized hats, and respectable recreations of the point-and-call.

It was enough that Emmet and Ingo were pulled into another meeting, this time for a social media strategy plan. They were going to be given personal (but actually professional) Sneaslr, HoothootTok, and Rotopic accounts. They were expected to keep all of them updated, although the social media teams would supply some content as well to supplement.

It took some amount of time to get through the basics of each platform and common trends. Generally, the trends move so quickly that even if they start filming and reviewing the most popular trends now, it would be too late. So the teams would pinpoint up-and-coming trends and provide instructions. Otherwise, they were free to post random things about the subway.

Ingo was particularly excited about this, “So we can make videos about how the trains work?”

“Assuming you don’t show any confidential information, I see no problem. We will have to adjust what is posted if things don’t do well.”

“How does something do badly?”

“If the engagement is low. Which means, if people don’t engage with the post, either by liking or commenting.” The presenter explained.

“And we want engagement to be high?”

“That is correct. We have your handles and passwords here. Please protect them. It would be a PR nightmare if we got hacked,” the presenter sighed, as if the very thought stressed him out. “We’ve already got the accounts verified. You can start posting on them as soon as you are inspired. The social media team will schedule posts in a queue.”

“And please,” the presenter gave one last piece of advice. “Be careful. Post appropriately and according to your personas.”

“Sorry, what did you say?” Emmet looked up after sending a Sneas on Sneaslr:

-----

Having two competent champions at the helm freed up time for the both of them. Cynthia proposed that Dawn take a bit of a break. She knew that the child had never quite been the same since the battle against Cyrus in the Distortion World. So, she urged Dawn to take a vacation with her friends, Lucas and Barry. Cynthia even offered to pay for it, as long as Dawn agreed to tell her if she found any Ruins.

“We're going to Unova. I know the language, but it isn't Galar. I've been to Galar so often. And there's nothing for me there, not anymore.” Dawn had told her.

“Oh, I have a vacation home there! In Undella. There's not much there, but it's close to Nimbasa.” Cynthia said, surprised. She didn't expect Dawn to take a break across the entire globe. “You should go to the Nimbasa battle district. It would be a fun challenge for you. I've never really done it – I go to Undella because it's quiet. The only battles I did there were when Hilda came knocking down my door. I wonder where she went to?” Cynthia stopped, as if she was deep in thought, but started up again: “I go there every spring. But obviously, I won't be using it, so feel free.”

“Don't you also have a villa in the Resort Area?” Dawn said, perplexed. Being a minor, her pay from the League was heavily guarded under a trust fund. She hadn't cared about the money aspect, but now she wondered just how much of it she had.

“Well, I did say the Elite Four was loud. The Elite Four in Unova is much more subdued. They also are allowed to use the house. So, if someone's in there, don't freak.” Cynthia started rummaging around her bag. “I don't have the keys with me right now, but just catch me before you leave.”

“Okay, Rich Aunt Cynthia.” Dawn was a little bemused, but wasn't going to complain. “I'll let Barry and Lucas know we won't be needing hotel reservations.”

Cynthia snorted, “That's Rich Aunt Regent Champion Cynthia, to you, kid.”

“Hey, I'm your boss, I could call you 'bruh' if I wanted.” Dawn retorted back.

“Please don't. But, have fun, Dawn. Have battles that aren't work – or else you'll get burned out.” Cynthia patted her hands and then turned back to her desk.

“I will Cynthia, thank you.”

“Oh wait, Dawn!” Cynthia called just as she started to leave. “I really am serious about the Ruins. Any hint of anything old happening? Call me.”

Chapter Text

Ingo had just received a message that challengers were quickly moving through the Multi-line and that he would be needed. He double checked the train and cabin number he needed to board, and strode towards the blue line.

However, his tracks were barred by a small child, probably about four or five, sitting on the floor hugging an obviously well-loved Lilipup plush. Her eyes were red and cheeks were tear stained, but she looked too terrified to cry out loud. No adult was present.

Ah, a lost passenger.

Gear station was always abuzz with people, so this sometimes happened. Sometimes kids wandered off, or were knocked from a parent’s hand and swept away by the crowd. No bother, Ingo was trained for what to do in these situations. Sending Emmet and Control a message that they would need to delay his boarding, he walked over to the small child.

“Hello!” He crouched down on one knee, “Are you lost?”

The small child’s eyes grew wider, and she bobbed her head up and down.

“Okay, let’s stand up. You don’t want to get stepped on. What’s your name?”

Lifting herself to her feet, never once loosening the grip on the Lilipup, she stuttered out, “Katie.”

Ingo nodded, “Okay, Katie. Were you with someone today?”

Another bob, and another stutter, “My mommy.”

There was a lost child/parent location right next to the first aid station. Hopefully her mother would have quickly noticed her absence and when she didn’t find her, went straight there. Or perhaps she had found a depot agent and was able to make contact with them.

Ingo fished out his radio and called into the department, “This is Ingo, I have a lost passenger with the name of Katie, she was with her mother. Has she made contact with anyone yet?”

“Yes, we have a mom here looking for a Katie. Five years old, blonde hair, brown eyes. Wearing pink overalls?”

“That would be the Miss Katie here,” Ingo confirmed.

“We have depot agents searching around, where are you located?” The radio buzzed.

“Near the north stairs of the blue line.”

“Roger, we’re escorting the mother to your location. I’ll send an all-call that the girl has been found.”

“Good news, Katie!” Ingo exclaimed, and then lowered his voice again as the little girl jumped at his volume. “Sorry. Your Mom is on her way. Just a little bit longer, okay?”

“Okay,” she nodded.

“So, you like Lilipups, do you?” He asked, trying to keep the child occupied. She was not crying at this time and he would really like it to stay that way. No sense in having people just stare at him kneeling with a crying child.

The girl nodded, “We have one at home.”

“Do you?” Ingo chuckled, “does it have a name?”

“Lily.”

Not the most creative, but he was spared trying to find a suitable response when he heard a woman’s shout.

“Katie!” A woman swooped the young girl up and placed her on her hip, hugging her tightly. “I was so scared!”

Now, Katie startes crying, digging her head into her mother’s neck and letting out a wail.

Ingo finally stood back up, willing his knees to not pop and crack as he did so. The Depot Agent winced when they did, in fact, make some ominous noises, but gave him a new platform to board the Multi-line cab in order to make it to his challengers.

“Thank you so much, sirs,” the mom, relieved but still looking frazzled, said to both Ingo and the Depot Agent, “I don’t know how it happened. I was so worried. Thank you for finding her.”

“No problem, ma’am. Take care to not get uncoupled in the future! Now, if you excuse me, I have a train to catch.” He gave a little salute, and a stage-whispered “All aboard!”, which made Katie laugh.

Eventually, Ingo made it to his station, where he saw Emmet and the two challengers waiting.

“Apologies for my delay,” he said, “there was a lost passenger that needed assistance.”

“No problem!” The girl challenger said, “We’re on vacation, so we got nothing but time!”

“They’re here from Sinnoh! We’re challenging Dawn and Barry today! Dawn is the new Sinnoh Champion!” Emmet supplied.

“Oh, yes, Dawn! I have heard about you. Congratulations on your title. Are you here to celebrate it?”

“Celebrate, rest, just be glad that my Champion training is over; any and all of that.” Dawn laughed.

“Very well, here are your photocards for making it this far!” They each handed them an envelope from a pile at the front of the cabin. Anyone who made it to the twenty-first car would receive them. It was a popular incentive, and occasionally someone would fight all the way to the twenty-first car, get their photocards, and leave without a battle. Which was disappointing, to say the least.

“I better have gotten good ones or I’ll fine you for a million Pokedollars!” The boy, Barry, was loud. Very loud.

“Please ignore him.” Dawn pinched the bridge of her nose. “Can we battle now?”

“No!” Barry interrupted, “We are settling this. Lucas is being insufferable, and I have to know.”

“Do not ask, I’m sure we can find it on the internet when we get signal again.” Dawn pleaded.

“That’s only because you’re also afraid of being wrong.” Barry spun around. “How old are you guys?”

Emmet and Ingo were both taken aback. Wasn’t this public information on the League site, or on the Trainer License Lookup website? But perhaps, being from out of the region, they wouldn’t know of such resources.

Ingo shrugged, “We are twenty nine.”

“Damn!” Barry struck his fist and palm together.

“Language!” Ingo admonished. He knew trainers of other regions skewed younger due to the age restrictions of Pokemon licensing in Unova, but they were still children!

“I’m gonna be honest with you; I thought you were like forty.” Barry explained.

“I think we've derailed,” Emmet cut in.

“I agree!” Dawn said quickly. “Let’s ‘all aboard’, and stuff now, right?”

Emmet and Ingo looked at each other, and began to recite their script. The one named Dawn's eyes gleamed as they spoke.

-----

“Which one did you get?” Barry peered over the table to see what Dawn had pulled from the photocard envelope.

“Emmet!” She sounded pleased.

“I didn't know you had a preference.” Barry laughed.

“Oh, hush.” Dawn flicked him away. She hesitated for a second, then began taking her phone case apart.

“What are you doing?” Lucas asked, having joined them for a meal.

Dawn finished putting the photocard in the back of her phone. “Just to make sure it doesn't get bent.” She said, defensively.

“Oh boy,” Barry said, “This is going to be one of your things, isn't it?”

“I don't know what you mean.” Dawn stuck her tongue out at him.

—--

Later that week, the brothers had received an email for another social media meeting.

“The good news is: Ingo is going viral!” The social media manager clapped his hands together.

“For something good, I hope?” Ingo asked.

“Yes, it looks like a lot of people filmed you helping a lost little girl. There are so many angles of the scene, people are making compilations.” The manager played the video on the screen.

“That was Katie, I helped her earlier this week.” Ingo recognized the pink overalls and plush immediately.

“Well, it’s been an overwhelming response. It even hit network TV, which is essentially the pinnacle of internet virality. Of course, that’s also how a trend dies, so we can’t capitalize on it. But it does show the possibility of at least Ingo going viral."

Emmet frowned at that. Weren't they both going viral what started all this in the first place?

The presenter did not notice and continued, “So instead, we’ll have to see how this adjusts your image, if at all.”

“Adjusts my image?” Ingo asked.

“Of course,” the manager said. “We can go with 'dark and brooding with a heart of gold', or spin it that you have a soft spot for children? Actually, yes, since your audience skews older, it would be perfect if you were seen helping other children...” the manager rambled on. "Do any of the Depot Agents have young children we can stage a-"

“Excuse me,” Ingo was oddly quiet.

“Yes, sir?”

“Why are there so many angles of me helping a child? Why did they pull out all their phones to record me?”

“Well, they saw a celebrity doing a nice thing-”

“No. Why did they find the time to stop to film, when they didn’t stop to help the lost five year old.”

Ingo stared at the manager, who did not answer, “And why,” he continued. “Are we discussing how me doing my actual, literal job ‘affects’ my image? I was promised to be a Subway Boss first and foremost. Excuse me.”

Chapter Text

Finally, after months, they had finally finished their last televised interview for the season. Both brothers were sprawled out on their couch in a way that seemed uncomfortable, but they made no move to sit upright.

“I’m going to hibernate for one hundred years,” Emmet yawned. The interviews were hard for him, Ingo knew. Emmet was drained after every one, worried that he’d forget the script. Without the script, Emmet wouldn’t know what to do. But he did fine. Any stumbling was generally found to be endearing by the audience, anyway. Ingo was proud of his brother with how well he got through it. He would tell him, but not right now. Right now, Ingo was just gonna lay here.

“You aren’t yet!” Elesa scolded, tossing a bottle of micellar water on the couch, “Wash the powder off, or you’ll break out.”

Ingo groaned, “Elesa, come on. If we break out, people will just think we’re relatable.”

“Up, up,” Elesa urged, “It’s not just for your fans! Your skin is your largest organ! Everyone needs to keep theirs healthy.”

“I want to be the number one professional trainer with bad skin,” Emmet huffed, but went to the bathroom with Ingo to scrub their faces.

"If I never get asked 'boxers or briefs' again, it will be too soon." Ingo cringed inwardly. How did the interviewer think it was appropriate? There was an approved script for these things.

"Right, but if you answer 'your mom's underwear' again, I think Gear Station might fire us." Emmet said, almost seriously. Ingo snorted. It was a way to make sure that part of the interview never got aired.

“Anyway,” Elesa smiled, trying to change the subject, “we should celebrate. Your press gauntlet is over. Have you guys eaten?”

“No, but I’m starving.”

“Well, do you want to order in?”

Emmet let out another groan, “No, I haven’t seen the sun in ages. Just studio lights. Let’s just all three go out, like we used to.”

Ingo nodded, “I'm going to change. I feel like people won't recognize us without the coat. Some sun would be nice, though. It will wake us up, I’m sure.”

“Okay,” Elesa agreed, “but you guys have to put on sunscreen, then.

They both groaned at that.

-----

Eating a comfort meal of burgers and fries on the patio, Ingo sighed contently. The fall breeze was lovely, just enough to be refreshing without being cold. Snow would come to the city soon, but for now, it was crunchy leaves and coat weather (not that any weather was NOT coat weather for them).

It felt as if it was a time gone by, when the three of them would get off work and go to dinner. Ingo watched fondly as Emmet and Elesa laughed and chatted, and tipped back his head to relax.

From there, he caught movement in the corner of his eyes.

It was a table, staring at him. Withering under their stares, he quickly looked away – to another table, with their cameras out. He panicked and started looking all around him. Was there any table that was just going about their meal in peace?

“Ingo, what’s wrong?” Emmet asked, stopping his conversation with Elesa. He followed Ingo’s line of sight. “Ah. I see the issue. Maybe we can get a private booth?”

Ingo snapped back to focus on Emmet, “Sorry, no, it’s fine. It’s so nice out.”

Emmet looked unsure, “If you say so.”

Elesa nodded, “It’s likely they will get bored and leave you alone, but we can always pack up to go.”

“I won’t let them bother me,” Ingo tried to tell the truth. But truly, how could it not bother him, when just eating was apparently enough to warrant a complete documentation by strangers?

Ingo flinched hard when he felt someone squeeze his arm. “Subway Boss Ingo!” said a woman, shoving a camera in his face. “I’m such a fan! Can I have a picture?”

Frightened, Ingo shook off the touch and said, “No!”, without thinking to control his volume. His wrought-iron chair grated loudly as he jumped back. The patio became silent.

The woman was taken aback, then angry, "It's just a picture!"

Ingo was stunned, but reflexively said, "Ma'am, please stay behind the yellow line!"

The woman seethed, "Who do you think you are, you fuckin' train weirdo?"

She stomped away, muttering something about someone having the interaction on camera, leaving behind only a crowd of people staring at Ingo.

Generally, unruly passengers were only dealt with at the station. He wasn’t even at work!

“Let’s go,” Elesa said quietly as more cameras started to come out and Ingo started to look even more overwhelmed, “Just help me make sure no one follows us, Emmet.”

“Will someone follow us?” Emmet asked, gathering his things and standing up.

“It’s happened to me before,” Elesa shrugged.

“That’s terrible!” Emmet stated, “You need security, Elesa.”

Ingo was still standing stock still, trying to stop the uncomfortable tingles on his arm where he had been suddenly grabbed. Emmet held out a hand, and Ingo shook himself out and grabbed it. So much for not being recognized out of uniform. But then again, Gear Station did promote him without it, too.

“Let’s go, Ingo. Bring your food; you didn’t get to eat much.”

Ingo didn’t have an appetite, but he grabbed it anyway. He thought about putting in the trash, but he didn’t want to walk through all the tables to reach the waste can.

“I’m sorry, Ingo, we should have stayed in.” Emmet had let go of him, “It was my idea.”

Ingo wanted to say that it was okay, that it wasn’t his fault the outing had been ruined. But he couldn’t get it out from around the guilt he felt. No, it was Ingo’s fault. He had been impolite. He hadn’t been careful. He knew the ramifications of his actions and yet...he made such a mess.

And poor, poor Emmet was also going to pay for his mistake too. Everyone had a phone, and everyone had a social media account. Ingo still stayed silent.

-----

“Sorry, you want to go to Sunnyshore, why?” Barry asked. He had been visiting his father at the Battle Tower, and had stopped at the League on his way back.

“Because the market is selling ball capsules!” Dawn urged. “Flint showed me his and now I need one too. You know how it is.”

Barry furrowed his brows. “Like, those sticker things?”

“They're called seals, but yes.” Dawn nodded.

“Are they even legal to use in League matches?”

Dawn shrugged, “I guess I don't know. But if they aren't, I could just...change the rules.”

Barry titled his head, “Can you actually?”

Dawn mocked hurt, “Barry! I am shocked! Shocked, I tell you! You forget who I am. Of course I have the power to change League rules!” (Dawn did not have the power to change the League rules directly. Keeping the League safe from the whims of a teenager was Cynthia's literal job.)

“Okay, okay,” Barry waved his hands. “Do you want to go on my Staraptor or use the League Abras?”

“The Abras!” Dawn said, “They're much faster.”

“Wow, so rude to my Staraptor. Sorry it can't just teleport.”

Dawn patted the Pokeball in Barry's hands. “Staraptor is great! But so are the seals. Let's go.”

-----

Dawn and Barry gave berries to their rented Abras as thanks, before sending them back on their way. They would use the Pokecenter Abras to get back.

“This way to the market!” Dawn grabbed Barry's wrist and started moving towards the open air stalls. She scanned the aisles, before stopping at a particular booth. “Here!” she said.

“Ah, Champion Dawn, what an honor to see you here.” The owner of the booth stepped to the front, “We were just about ready to start a demonstration. Care to watch?”

“Sure!” Dawn beamed.

The owner of the booth then released a Pokeball saying, “Dazzle us, Shinx!”

And Dawn was dazzled. Instead of the red energy that usually came from Pokeballs, the Shinx was showered in a show of pink petals and sparkles. Dawn was immediately sold.

“I will literally take one of every seal you have,” Dawn said.

Barry gave a sharp, “What?” beside her, but she ignored him.

“Of course, of course. I'll give you a complimentary capsule and seal box, as well. I'll make new seals as time goes on, you should come back and visit.”

“I will!” Dawn said eagerly.

Barry shook his head. “I suppose I'll take some then, too. Not one of every one, though. Some of us don't have a Champion's salary.”

“Of course, of course, feel free to browse!” The owner said, obviously pleased to have made another sale. “And, Miss Champion, if you could perhaps put out a good word for my business...”

Dawn laughed, “I'll see what I can do. I can not promise anything like a sponsorship, though. Everything takes about five times more paperwork than you would think.”

“That's all I ask. Thank you.”

The rest of the transaction went by smoothly and Dawn was hauling her shopping bag out of the market. She stopped suddenly. “Barry, look at that coat!” she pointed.

Barry squinted, “The pink one?” He looked down, “It's the same color as your boots. Do you like it?”

“Yes! Let's go check out the booth!” Dawn pulled him away again. Barry was known as the impatient one, but growing up together had caused her to adopt some of his habits. She ended up taking the coat, and a new scarf, and new socks.

“Let's go eat something. I'm starving!” Barry declared, loud enough for people to turn around and look at them. More than one person took out their phones to record, or take a picture, but they ignored them.

“What do you want to eat?” Dawn asked.

“No idea. Flip a Magikarp coin.” Barry suggested.

“We'd still need two ideas for that to work,” Dawn argued.

Barry groaned, “Then don't ask such difficult questions!”

“What? Like, 'what do you want to eat'?”

“Exactly that!” Barry grabbed her shoulders and shook her gently.

Dawn laughed, and said, “How about I just choose then?” She was going to, as always, find a Kalosian restaurant, but she was interrupted from her thoughts by a camera flash.

Both Barry and Dawn stopped smiling and looked over. There was a paparazzo, waving towards them, “Dawn!” he called out to her, “Who is this mystery man?”

Barry let go of her as if he was burned. “I'm going to fine you a million Pokedollars if you don't leave right now!” he hissed savagely.

“No need for that, I just have a few questions,” the paparazzo insisted, making people stop walking to stare. Feeling emboldened, he made his way towards them.

Dawn froze. She had been given multiple options about what to do here during her training. The only issue was, in a real world situation, she had no idea which one to do. Should she engage? She didn't want to. Glare until he leaves? Seems rude. Say 'no comment'? That makes her sound suspicious. In lieu of any of that, she decided to leave instead.

“Let's go. Barry, I'm so sorry.” She made sure not to touch him again as she ushered him towards the Pokecenter. Once there, she immediately started signing out two Abras.

After being handed two Pokeballs and handing one to Barry, Dawn bit her lip. “You…might be in for a rough few days. But Cynthia and I can help.”

“I don't mind, Dawn.” He said, quieter than usual, “Let's just get back to the League.”

Chapter Text

At the end of it all, the repercussions weren’t that bad. Yes, there were plenty of people angry with Ingo, dramatically showing themselves getting rid of photocards/ other various merch. But there were many who simply didn’t care, or thought that the woman was in the wrong, anyway. There were an even smaller number who over-analyzed the video, taking Ingo’s reaction as some sort of confirmation that he was either 1: abused 2: traumatized or 3: gay. While Emmet and Ingo found this melodrama particularly amusing, the social media team did not. That is, until the team realized that it somehow made him more popular in some sections of the internet.

To Ingo's humiliation, however, the hashtag #fuckingtrainweirdo gained enough popularity that Gear Station started to make buttons that said it. Ingo did not particularly enjoy the next marketing meeting that listed those buttons as one of the top sellers. They even made him wear one, piercing through his coat.

It was supposed to be worn with a sense of pride, Ingo knew. But it actually just reminded him of his quite uncomfortable childhood, where such insults were thrown around with abandon. He decided to take it off when he was on the lines.

Even though it wasn't all bad, the PR team still wanted something else to be in the forefront of the news about the two brothers. Their scheduled interviews were finished and aired, so the team instead decided to do a live stream on social media.

Emmet had tried very hard to not show how terrified he was of it; Ingo would take it as his fault that his brother was put in such an uncomfortable situation. No script was given for the live stream. Their only instructions were to have a “relaxed chat” with their fans. Emmet had never had a ‘relaxed chat’ outside of about a dozen separate people, so he was really not sure how that would work. When he brought up his fears, alone, to the social media team, they just said to read the comments if he was out of things to talk about.

Emmet was not as assured as the team seemed to be, so he went to Elesa, who understood who he was without the veneer of his trusty script.

Elesa had debated for a bit, and then offered to join the two in the live. “They would probably say yes, considering plenty of people post about the ‘Nimbasa Trio’ on social media.” She explained.

But Emmet shook his head. “You are our friend. You do not need to be dragged into whatever is going to happen to us.”

Elesa had frowned and just stated, “I don’t mind going down or up with you guys. We are colleagues, anyway. We’ve been to plenty of League Exhibitions and Conferences together.”

“I’m not sure Ingo will go for it. They – the social media team – have tried to drag you in with us before, but we both have always declined.”

“If Gear Station won't do it, maybe we can make you a script, then.” Elesa considered. “Just like an outline you would make for a speech, on notecards. Obviously, you wouldn’t be able to read everything off of them, but we can keep it off camera for an emergency.”

“Ah! That’s perfect!” Emmet exclaimed. "Just making the proper preparations.”

-----

With a notecard stashed into his sleeve, Emmet sat on the couch of the fake living room that would be their set. He frowned at the bright studio lights. Ingo sat down at his side.

“Are you doing alright?” Ingo asked him.

“Perfect!” Emmet gave a thumbs up.

“I just know that these things can be hard for you, especially as they didn’t give a script.”

Emmet waved a hand, “I’m not worried about it,” he said, “I’ve had plenty of practice by now, haven’t I?”

Ingo looked unconvinced, “I just wanted to say that I’m really p-”

“Quiet on the set! We will be going live in ten seconds!”

“Ah, here we go.” Emmet took a deep breath and tried to change his nerves into something that looked a bit like happiness, “Hi everyone! Welcome to our first live! I’m Subway Boss Emmet, and this is Subway Boss Ingo.”

“Greetings!” Ingo gave a small salute.

After a while of chatting (Emmet thought he was doing great, thank you very much), Ingo leaned forward to read the comments pouring in, “Take off your coats,” he read.

Emmet, who absolutely did not want to lose the comfort and protectiveness of his coat, pretended to look shocked and appalled, “Scandalous!” he said. “If we took off our coats, we couldn’t do this!”

He grabbed the collar of Ingo’s coat and popped it. Their uniform had always sported ridiculously oversized collars (they did not design the coats), which now stuck up over Ingo’s head.

“Ah yes,” came the muffled reply from Ingo, looking vaguely like a Lilipup in a cone after visiting the Pokemon Center, “that would be such a shame, wouldn’t it?” He reached up to flip the hat off of Emmet’s head.

Emmet laughed. It had been awhile – almost since they started being Subway Bosses, and thus, started wearing the uniforms – since they had messed around like this. He looked at the feed, and saw many long strings of “lol”. Behind the camera, he saw a manager giving a thumbs up. Ah, guess they were supposed to continue down these tracks.

“How childish of you,” Emmet huffed.

“And yours wasn’t?” Ingo retorted.

“I was simply showing our viewers how our uniforms can help us block out the rain. You, however, have disrespected my hat. Now my hair will get all wet in the rain.”

“Good!” Ingo stated, “builds character.” He looked at the feed, bringing his collar down to be able to clearly see. “Why does the chat just say ‘Daddy’?”

Emmet peered forward, not bothering to pick up his hat from the floor. “Oh, yeah, that’s for me.”

“Looks like they changed it to say “‘Daddy Ingo,’” Ingo argued. “But I do not have any children.”

Emmet looked at him silently, and tried not to laugh. “Maybe you do.”

Ingo looked straight at the camera, and said, “Alas, it is true. My greatest happiness was when I gave birth to Chandelure.”

Emmet was straight up gagged, but was saved by the chandelier, as Chandelure popped out of her Pokeball then.

“Chandelure!” Emmet exclaimed, “Did you sense a camera and had to join us?”

“Hello, esteemed daughter!” Ingo bellowed.

Chandelure just looked at him, confused.

-----

After a (very long) hour, it was over. The brothers had no further scheduled promotional activities. In the League’s off season, more routes would be added to the rail system, and the two Bosses could continue mostly as before. Sure, the addition of the new routes would most likely cause some disruption in operations, but that could be worked around.

The Subway Bosses were truly going to be Subway Bosses again...at least, until next season.
The only extra things that they were required to do is to keep up their social media accounts. That was easy enough, and the social media teams could always post on their behalf – they’d done it before. Apparently, they knew Ingo’s and Emmet’s voices well, since they helped build them in the first place.

Elesa had proposed some time off, a vacation before the construction started. None of them were quite sure yet where to go, whether to finish up autumn at a cabin in Undella or to take trips home to see family. Ingo would definitely think about it. Even if they all stayed in their apartment, oblivious to the outside world for a week, he would be happy.

-----

“What do I do?” she approached Cynthia, magazine in her hand. It was a gossip rag, not reputable by any means, but it was the first time rumors had begun to circulate about her. Once she had turned thirteen, and different labor laws applied to her, the media had been much looser about what they would say about her.

Cynthia saw the child – no, teenager now – was very upset. “Can I see it?” She asked gently.

Despite Dawn being the one to bring it up, she hesitated, not wanting Cynthia to see. Eventually, however, she passed the magazine to her.

“Miss Champion Dawn has a new older Boy Toy?” it declared, and had the picture of her and Barry trying to decide what to eat. Out of context, she thought, it could look suspicious. They were both fondly laughing at each other, and Barry did have his hands on her. But it wasn't like that.

“He's barely older than me. Like, not even a full year.” She grumbled. “And also,” she added, realizing that she may need to make it clear,”He is not my boy toy.”

“What about it upsets you?” Cynthia asked, and Dawn balked.

“No,” she tried again, “I'm not saying you shouldn't be upset. Just what specific part makes you upset? That it's a lie? That they took unsolicited pictures of you? Or because you want it to be true?” Cynthia wasn't sure if she was supposed to be in 'help a heartbroken teenager' mode or 'PR help' mode.

Dawn pulled a face, “I hate it because it's not true – not that I want it to be. It's just, if they're going to go through the trouble to talk about me, make it true” Dawn sighed, “And because they pulled Barry into this mess. He never agreed to be a public figure. He never got training for this.”

“An admirable concern. Have you talked to him?”

Dawn played with her fingers, “I apologized, and said that we could help if things got out of hand for him. But what can I do?”

“About Barry? Or about this?” Cynthia lifted the magazine slightly.

“I don't know! Either?”

"Barry will be fine. Don't forget that he is also the son of a Battle Facility Head." Cynthia sighed. “You have options. You can make a statement to ask people to respect your privacy, you can make a statement that Barry is just a friend, or you can just leave it be.”

“What would you do?” Dawn asked.

“I trust you to make your own decision on this. But, if you want my opinion, I would just let it be. Asking them to respect your privacy makes it sound true. Making the statement that Barry is just a friend would make it officially acknowledged and might put fuel on the fire.” Cynthia looked at Dawn.”You are thirteen. I can't imagine too many people old enough to read physical gossip rags probably care about your love life. Letting it be will just let it die.”

Dawn nodded.”That...makes sense. I'll do that. Thanks, Cynthia.”

“Anytime, kid.”

Chapter Text

Dawn was finally getting to the cool part. Or at least, that’s what Cynthia told her, and Dawn was inclined to agree. Dawn was practicing for the Charity Match happening that evening. The best part about the Charity Match is that it didn’t follow the standardized League Rules. Instead, it ran exclusively on the Rule of Cool. The whole point was to get people who weren’t even into Pokemon battling to engage and donate. The money went straight back to helping fund first Pokemon Journeys, which many people found to be a worthy cause.

Of course, the League rules were created for a reason, which led to where Dawn was standing now – a full dress rehearsal to ensure the safety of participants and spectators. Dawn was trying very hard to pay attention to the Safety Coordinator, but she kept getting distracted by all the frills on her new dress, custom made for the occasion. She was also trying not to stumble in the giant heels they put her in. It wasn’t a fashion choice – the designers were just trying to get Cynthia and Dawn to be closer to the same height. The promotional photoshoot from this event led to some very cool pictures, Dawn thought, and had sent posters to nearly everyone she knew. They had best hung them up.

She and Cynthia were standing on a raised platform in the middle of the arena. The Elite Four were spread out around the center, the Pokemon milling around them. It was going to be a 4 vs. 2 battle, the Elite Four against the Champions. It was specifically choreographed to be a close battle – keep the battle long enough to garner donations, but short and explosive enough for it to be interesting.

“Dawn!” the security coordinator cut into her thoughts. “What are the two main safety rules?”

“Umm,” Dawn started, “Never leave the platform until the all clear, and if I need to stop the match, hold up both arms.”

“Yes! Continue paying attention, Miss Champion.”

Dawn pouted. How did she get admonished when she answered the question correctly? The speech didn’t last long after that, however, and she was being ushered off to take more photos and shake more hands. That was all fine and swell, but Dawn was hoping to get to the battling part soon.

—--

Dawn wavered in her heels a bit as she stood back to back with Cynthia, and hoped it didn’t show up on camera. Muscle memory took over, and she fell into her position.

“Steady,” she heard Cynthia whisper, too quiet to be picked up by the mic of the Rotom camera floating around their heads. Dawn just nodded, trying to not stare around the arena too hard. There were more people in one place than she had ever seen before, and they were looking at her.

“Let’s give them a good show, kiddo,” Cythia said, as she spotted her signal to throw out her first Pokemon. Dawn took a deep breath, looked at her pokeball decorated with seals she had designed herself in a collaboration, and followed suit: “Let’s do it, Glaceon!”

—--

After some derailment, it was finally time to go on that vacation. Elesa booked a villa in Undella Town, and Ingo and Emmet packed for a week of relaxation. It was on a deep discount, since beachfront properties weren’t especially popular late autumn, but it did have a heated pool and hot tub attached.

The Depot Agents sent them both off, telling them to get a tan. Elesa said that they should not get a tan and should wear sunscreen. Either way, the Depot Agents wished them well and both the Bosses had no qualms of leaving their Subway Systems to them. They had been trained well.

Or at least, they had been trained well in the matter of trains. Not so much when it came to discretion, since the three pulled up to their vacation villa which was already crawling with cameras and reporters. They had told no one but their coworkers where they were going, and yet it came out. Of course, they took some of the blame as well – they should not have told anyone. They hadn’t even thought of the ramifications of someone overhearing.

But the villa had already been paid for, so they lugged their suitcases from the taxi and made their way through the crowd, ignoring the flashes and the voices demanding their attention. Once inside, Ingo, uncharacteristically, swore loudly, letting his luggage fall onto the floor.

Elesa jumped at the noise. “What’s up?” she said, reflexively, as if she didn’t also just walk through a horde of people promising to make their ‘relaxing’ vacation anything but.

Emmet sighed instead, and decided to get to business. “Okay, there’s four bedrooms. Only one has an attached bath. I would usually say let’s have a battle for it, but I don’t think that’s possible with the commotion outside.”

“We’ll just have to do it the old fashioned way.” Elesa shook her head.

They all made eye contact. Suddenly, they all shouted at once:

“Fire!”

“Water!”

“Water!”

Ingo grumbled. “Guess I’ll just find a room upstairs.”

Elesa won the next round, winning the largest bedroom, and the only one with an attached bath. “Hell yea!” she pumped her fist.

Emmet groaned. “I’ll find one upstairs, too, then.” He gave a rueful glance at his heavy luggage before carting it upstairs.

“Hey, Ingo!” Emmet called to him, “This one’s got bunk beds!”

“Absolutely not!” Came the yell from across the house.

Emmet cackled and moved on to another room. Finding it sufficient, he started to unpack, when he heard Elesa yell from downstairs. Both Ingo and Emmet went to the top of the stairs to see what she was saying.

“Boys!” she called. “Hot Tub! Five minutes! Be there or be square!”

“I am square!” Ingo called back.

“She’s already gone,” Emmet laughed, “let’s make tracks.”

-----

Barry was going to fine every single paparazzi that existed. Including the ones that weren't even in Sinnoh. It wasn't awkward with Dawn, but it was...different. She was less likely to be open and laughing if they were out in public. Always took care to be a few more feet away from him than usual. Careful to not touch him. Always looking over her shoulder. She relied more on sarcasm now to express her feelings. She was acting jaded.

Barry understood. He knew it was difficult enough being Sinnoh's youngest ever champion without his presence making unsubstantiated rumors fly around about her. But it still hurt. Barry did care for Dawn. Just not in the way that the magazine suggested, of course. And Dawn was forced to change.

Both of their mothers had moved to the village to distance themselves from their busy, fast-paced lives from before. It was classic – they were nearly the same age, their moms were friends, they were neighbors, and they were literally the only kids around. She was in all ways but blood a sister. And the fact that people trying to make a quick buck were ruining that made him so angry he was ready to fine the Starly pecking at the tree in front of him.

Dawn had apologized, but Barry knew it wasn't her fault. He couldn't help but wonder, however, what could have been if he was the talented trainer, like his father. He wondered if his dad would be proud of him, then. He wondered if Dawn would still be able to be herself. He wondered if he would be proud of himself.

Chapter Text

The next time they arrived to work at Gear Station, something was wrong. Both Ingo and Emmet had been called into a meeting, and there was a whole team waiting for them. This had never happened before, even after Ingo’s outburst at the restaurant patio hit the internet.

“Thank you for joining us, sirs. It looks like we have some things to talk about; Ingo is going viral again.”

Ingo froze for a second. He hadn’t done anything. He had been so careful with his words and actions and volume. He had done nothing to warrant this team of carefully neutral faces.

“I’m afraid there’s been a leak of some sort. We’ve already contacted the company who did the Photoshoot to see if they can find where the pictures were released.” The Head of the meeting stood up and clicked on the screen. It was a collage of photos of Ingo, taken way back in their first photoshoot of this whole promotion.

The exact photos Ingo and Elesa had so gleefully shredded.

“We know the proofs did not get out from here, since we know they were destroyed.” The Head stated. “We did have to pay for the destroyed proofs.”

Emmet gave the man a look, as if that would be what anyone was worried about right now.

Ingo stared at himself on the screen, the darkened eyes and slightly parted mouth, and just felt a wave of emptiness. Why did he ever think he had a modicum of power in this situation? Elesa and him had destroyed the photos, but of course the photography company would have the digital files. Of course some disgruntled intern or worker would leak them for fame and money.

“We will, of course, take legal actions against those who released the photo without the Battle Subway’s permission. We have a team here to see what our next steps could be.”

Is that who were here now? Legal? Not a PR team? Or, Gods, the HR team? Ingo tried to piece together what that meant.

“We will try to find a way to settle it out of court. With luck, we will just get a payout and there will be no prolonged legal battles.”

Emmet spoke up, “All right, we have seen them, you can turn the screen off again.”

Ingo didn’t look away, even as the screen blanked out.

“You care about the legality of the leak.” Ingo said.

“Of course,” the Head said, “It can also help fund us if we play our cards right.”

“What about the fact that I never wanted these photos released?” Ingo whispered.

“Ah, well. Nothing that can be done about that. You know how the internet is; we’ll never get them off of there. Trying will just make more people share it.” The Head nodded, sagely. “Best thing to do is to look at the upside of the situation, which is that you have gone viral again. Good publicity, this time. I'm sure Marketing will want to capitalize on it as well.”

“I- I see. Is that all?” Ingo choked out.

“All for now, we just wanted to keep you gentlemen in the loop. Would you like legal updates?”

“No.” Ingo then dismissed himself, Emmet following close behind.

Ingo walked quickly, not stopping or slowing down when people greeted him in the office hallways or when Emmet called out after him. He needed to get somewhere quiet. His office seemed as good a place as any. He dammed up the emotion that tried to crash, pushing it down, down, until he couldn’t feel it anymore trying to burst from his chest.

Why did he even agree to do this in the first place? All of this, and no construction had even started yet. He had nothing to show for it, except for billboards and followers. And what did that ever mean for him? He put in the passcode to his office and opened the door. Emmet slipped in behind him before he could close it.

He didn’t want Emmet here. He didn’t want Emmet to see what would happen when he could no longer fight his losing battle against the sorrow and embarrassment and rage and whatever else it was that he felt.

“Go to your office,” he tried to say, but his throat was closed off, dry.

Emmet tried to lead him to his chair. “No, I’m not going to leave you alone now.”

And then that’s when Ingo could no longer hold it back, and cried. He sobbed, shedding tears that he had not known was in him. His life used to be so good, with his job, and his Pokemon, and his apartment, and Ingo, and Elesa. And, and, and. He had so much to be grateful for.

But now, his job was the most stressful part of his life, because it was his life. Not in the way that it once had been, the passion of his work defining him. No, he could never get away from work. There were cameras everywhere, and fans that always wanted more, more, more.

Ingo had nothing left to give them, and so he just sobbed harder.

Emmet crouched on the floor, to be a little more level with Ingo in his office chair. Emmet held the hands that had started to tug in Ingo’s hair, and just sat, silently.

“They didn’t care, Emmet.” Ingo spat, so low Emmet had to lift himself from his crouch a little to hear. It scared Emmet, just how soft he was talking. A quiet Ingo was an angry Ingo. “They just cared that it was illegal. They want the money. They don’t actually care about me.”

“I know, I know. I know how hard it is.” Emmet tried to wrap his arms around his head, to put his chin on top of Ingo’s hat, but he was pushed away.

When he looked down, he saw an ugly look on Ingo’s face, one he truly had never seen before. He wondered what exactly it meant, and what was coming.

“You don’t know!” Ingo spat, furious.

Emmet was so surprised, he didn’t know what to say. His brother had never, even during the hardest, ugliest, most grueling moments of their Pokemon journey, ever spoken to him like that.

“Ingo, talk to me. This can’t be just about the photos.” Emmet pleaded.

“Maybe it is about the photos! You knew I didn’t want them out in public. I’m tired of being the only one who has to deal with the crappy parts of this!” Ingo was yelling, back to being loud, but it was no comfort.

“Parts of what?”

“Oh please, the part where I had to sell my body and soul to be exploited for other people’s money!” Ingo stood up.

“We both did-” Emmet tried to cut in.

“Did we?!” Ingo asked, eyes wide. It terrified Emmet. “Did we?! Sign up for the same thing?”

“We are doing it together.” Emmet said, quietly.

“We sure as hell are not.” Ingo huffed. “Why is it always me? Why am I the bad one? The one that messes up, the one that gets all the negative consequences out of this? You get to stroll around and just act stupid, it’s what the people love. Elesa does this all day, every day. Hell, my damn Chandelure is enjoying this much more than I ever could, or will!”

Emmet knew the Chandelure could hear this in her Pokeball. “Absolutely do not talk about her that way! She has done nothing wrong.”

Ingo did stop, but still stared straight at his brother, “You don’t know what it’s like. I’ve been sexualized to the distortion and back, demonized just as much, been called a weirdo at a frequency I've not had for two decades, and for what?”

“You are not the only one who has had negative consequences!” Emmet bit back, a bit offended now. “The interviews, the unscripted live! Do you know how worried I was, how much I laid awake at night thinking about them?”

“And every mistake you made made the entire audience love you even more!” Ingo slammed a fist on his desk.

“Because they infantilized me as much as they sexualized you!” Emmet yelled back, “I am a grown adult man, and these people think I’m so incompetent, so useless that I deserve a pat on the head for answering a damn question. And as for Elesa, she told us about how people stalk her, about how sometimes she doesn’t feel safe. And you dare think only you can have it hard?”

“You enjoy this!” Ingo hissed, “you have since the very beginning. Do not act put upon now! I am done. Do this by yourself.”

“Do what, exactly, by myself?” Emmet asked, jaw dropping.

Ingo looked sharply back, “You aren’t taking my real job, don’t act so shocked. You can play at being a celebrity on your own. I’m out. I’m done.”

“We have to be together!” Emmet said, near tears himself “we promised to always be together! Even as kids! We either keep going together or we quit together!”

"Would you? Actually quit?" Ingo scoffed.

"Yes!" Emmet answered, "If you had just talked to me. But now we have contracts-"

Ingo looked overwhelmed. “I can’t do this right now, Emmet. I can’t.” He unclipped his Pokeball belt. “Go home. Feed the teams dinner. Don’t wait up. I need to go take a walk.”

“By yourself? I can go--”

“Alone!” Ingo snapped, then sighed, “I need to be alone. I can’t do this right now, Emmet.”

“Ingo!” Emmet called after him, but the door slammed. He was left alone, in his brother’s office, holding his brother’s team. He could feel through the Pokeballs themselves the distress coming from the Pokemon.

How did it end up like this?

Chapter Text

Despite Ingo telling him not to, Emmet did wait up for him. And waited, and waited. Until he fell asleep, exhausted. He woke up with a start in the middle of his bed. He hadn’t even gotten under the covers, and he shook a bone-deep chill out of his bones. It was morning.

The previous night percolated in. He needed to see Ingo, to apologize, to talk. He gathered himself up and walked to the closed door of his brother’s room. He knocked, “Ingo?”

There was no answer. It was unlikely he was still asleep, always being the earlier riser. So he knocked harder, “Ingo! Let’s please talk!”

With still no answer, he thought that maybe he was somewhere else. Emmet walked through the rest of the rooms, but saw no sign of him. He went back to Ingo’s room and opened the door. Empty. Ingo wasn’t here.

Perhaps he stayed the night at Elesa’s, or he went on a morning walk. He dialed Ingo’s number on his xTrans. The phone number could not be reached. Odd. Perhaps he did stay the night at Elesa’s and couldn’t charge it overnight.

He dialed in Elesa’s number. She answered, obviously having been asleep. “Hello?”

“Sorry for waking you, Elesa. I need to talk to Ingo.”

“Ingo? Then why did you call here?”

“He didn’t stay with you last night?”

“Umm, no. Did he say he was? I guess he could have come in while I was sleeping.”

“Can you check?” Emmet could not keep the desperation out of his voice. “Every room?”

“Uh, sure, Emmet. Is something up?”

“I can’t contact him,” Emmet said, voice rising, “I don’t know where he went.”

“Okay, let’s take a deep breath. I will check the rooms here. Don’t worry, he might just be out for a stroll. His Pokemon are strong enough to deal with anything.”

“He doesn’t have his Pokemon,” Emmet wailed. “He gave them to me before he left.”

“He’s nowhere in my apartment. What do you mean before he left?”

“Last night, he gave me his team and said he needed to take a walk.”

“Why would he do that?” Elesa said.

“Me and him...fought. Last night.”

“You fought?” Elesa said, “you never fight. What did you fight about?”

“It’s just, those photos he was so uncomfortable with leaked and he had had enough and we both said just horrible things to each other, Elesa!” Emmet screamed, “I need to find him!”

“Okay, okay. Let’s narrow things down. Do you think he came home at any point last night? Any food missing, did he end up taking any Pokemon, anything?”

“Nothing’s been touched. I don’t think he came home last night.”

"Okay, maybe he stayed at the station. Can you contact a depot agent?"

"Right, right. Of course." Why hadnt he thought about that earlier? He was already there, so maybe he just fell asleep in his office. It would not be the first time.

"I'm hanging up, Elesa. I'm gonna call the station."

"Okay. Call me back after."

"Sure," he hung up and began to scroll through his contacts, trying to remember which manager was on shift. He tapped one that seemed right, and waited for them to answer.

"Boss Emmet," they answered. "How can I help you?"

"Is Ingo there?"

The agent seemed confused, "He isn't scheduled for a few more hours. But I can radio around."

"Please do."

"Roger, Boss. I'm going to put you on hold for just a bit."

Emmet tried to not panic as he listened to the Gear Station hold music. Instead, he made his mind go blank. It was effective enough that he didn't notice the agent come back on.

"Boss?"

"Sorry, yes, go ahead."

"He isn't here."

Emmet swallowed, "Are you sure?"

"Yes, Boss. Is something wrong?"

Emmet didn't know what to say to that, so he said, "If you see him, let me know."

"Roger."

He called Elesa back, "He isn't there!"

“Okay, then I think wherever he is, he might need some extra help, okay? I think we should call the police.”

“The police?!” Emmet wailed.

“Even if he’s staying away on purpose, he doesn’t have anywhere else to go. He might need some help. Do you want me to call them or do you want to call him?”

“I’ll call them, I will. This is all my fault! I pushed him away.”

-----

Weeks turned into months and still there was no sign of Ingo. It was as if he had simply vanished. The case was cold, and had been after the first week. Emmet had tried to go to work, but found he couldn’t. Reporters at every step asking if it was true that they had an altercation the night before he disappeared, if it was true that he was the last one to see him, why he had waited until the next morning to call the police, and lastly, whether he had killed Ingo.

“Is it true that you were jealous of your brother’s fame and wanted to get rid of him so you could be in the spotlight?” One had asked. He was stunned. His sudden stop emboldened the reporter. “Does that sound familiar? Tell me, did you think killing him will accomplish that?”

Emmet had no idea what to think. If it was better that he had decided to go on his own, or if something had happened to him. It hurt, so much, to think that Ingo would turn his back on his brother, Elesa, his Pokemon, and leave. But it was better than the alternative. Because if Ingo had just decided to leave, well, he was a talented trainer. Anywhere there was Pokemon, he could make do. Yet if something had happened to him, and he didn't leave of his own accord, then his chances of survival were low.

Emmet would have never dreamed that Ingo would willingly walk away, but was unsure now. Ingo had said he was done. That he couldn’t do it anymore. What was stopping him from leaving to a new region? He could perhaps blend in in a faraway region, no one knowing who he was.

His brother, his bright, wonderful brother. He just needed to know where he was, if he was alive. He would grant Ingo the space he needed. He would not bother him. But he just needed to know he was okay.

-----

“You know that Subway Boss Guy we challenged some time ago?” Barry asked Dawn while they were eating in Sandgem town.

“Emmet?” Dawn asked.

“No, the other one.”

“Oh, Ingo.” Dawn said, “What about him?”

“He's gone missing.” Barry said, which made even Lucas look up.

“What do you mean, missing?” Lucas asked.

“Just that. Apparently, there was an altercation between Emmet and Ingo and now Ingo hasn't been seen for awhile. People think Emmet killed him.”

“What?” Dawn gasped. It certainly didn't seem like the man. She had learned through the years that you could not trust public personas. That didn't mean the person was not good, or was bad, but it did mean that you shouldn't expect them to act the same inside and outside of their job. But for the man to be capable of murder?? Dawn didn't believe it. There had been enough malicious rumors about her for her to not take it with a grain of salt.

It still disturbed her though, and the rest of the meal was silent.

Chapter Text

Ingo found his way into a disused train tunnel. Patron-side, the entrance had been blocked off decades ago by a brick wall, blending in seamlessly into its surroundings. Anyone who found the old exit where the subway went above ground at one point would just be met with a grate. To any layperson, the tunnel simply didn’t exist.

But Ingo wasn’t a layperson, and he knew even the deepest paths of the unused parts of Gear Station. He unlocked the maintenance gate that led to the tunnel. It was not lit, and for a moment Ingo wished he had not given his Pokemon to his brother. He needed Chandelure.

More than that, he needed to apologize to Chandelure. And, of course, to his brother. But right now, he did need to be alone, to gather his thoughts in an order that could be productively dealt with. So he rifled through his pockets, past the photocards, the wallet, the various papers he kept on him, a train schedule, a map to help lost passengers who weren’t five years old, and pulled out a flashlight.
He would walk here for a while, clear his mind, go back home, and talk to Emmet. Apologize to Emmet. Maybe call a therapist. Definitely call a therapist. He let out a very deep breath to steady himself as he clicked on the flashlight and walked forward.

All the bad things, the embarrassment, the shame, the rage, that came from this whole new promotion – none of it was Emmet’s fault. Emmet had always been supportive. When he didn’t want those gods-forsaken photos shared, Emmet helped him find another way to steer the Marketing Team. When Ingo yelled at the woman at the restaurant, Emmet never complained, even when it led him to do an unscripted interview.

So, yes, Emmet did seem to have fewer negative ramifications from this promotion, but none of the negative things that happened to Ingo was his fault. And, Ingo supposed, Emmet was right; he was not the only one that this had been difficult for.

Ingo had let his frustrations build, and build, until it could no longer be held back, like a bide attack. It was poor Emmet, trying to comfort him, that had been there to suffer the blow. Ingo should have added more maintenance checks, to talk to someone.

But for now, he needed to go back and apologize. He needed to face the repercussions of the terrible things he had said to his brother. Would Emmet accept his apology? Would he even want to see him? Let alone want to talk to him? He could understand if Emmet did not. Ingo was sure that he had irreparably damaged something. That nothing would ever exactly be the same between them again.

But still, he needed to make contact. At least let Emmet know he was sorry, even if Emmet didn’t accept it.

He turned on his heel to make back towards the entrance of the tunnel. He checked his xTrans. It had not yet been half an hour since he had left Emmet in his office. Perhaps he was still there? He should call him. He punched in the number, but the call couldn’t be completed; There was no signal in the tunnel. Instead, he sent a message, knowing that it would be sent as soon as the xTrans got any sort of connection: “Did you go back to the apartment yet? I want to talk. I’m sorry."

As soon as he queued the message to send, his flashlight flicked out. Odd, he thought, knowing that the batteries were fresh. A flashlight was of no use in an emergency if it didn’t work. He knocked on the end a couple of times.

Suddenly, gravity seemed to intensify. He was knocked sideways. He felt a deep wave of vertigo as he struggled to lift himself onto his knees. His ears popped as if he was going through a rapid altitude change.

He desperately tried to claw his way forward to the end of the tunnel. If he passed out – that was what was happening, right? – no one would know where he was. He had no Pokemon to help him. And his message to Emmet would never be sent. He felt sick at the thought that Emmet would think that he had done something wrong, that Ingo could ever truly be upset with him, and not the situation.

The weight disappeared as soon as it had come, this time lifting Ingo up, up, to...a crack in the tunnel wall? No, the crack in the air, it was a rip in the air and suddenly Ingo was plunged through and kept floating until he hit a dusty ground.

Able to finally stand, Ingo looked around. Three Pokemon were locked in a battle, with a background of floating islands, water flowing upwards – what was this place? He screamed as a blue quadrupedal Pokemon let out a crushing roar, one that made reality itself bend even more than it already had. He jumped out of the way at the last second, skidding on his side as he tipped over the edge of the island.

He fell.

He screamed again, falling, falling, until he was pulled leftwards by some unseen force, landing on another patch of land. Was this land vertical? The explosive battle raged on above him, and Ingo feared he was about to be collateral damage. He needed to get out.

And that’s when he saw another crack in the air, some yards away. Would it take him back? Would he end up back at the tunnel that he was at? He started to run, and trusting only his intuition, jumped off the ledge and waited for him to be pulled somewhere.

In this way, he made his way to the tear, dodging errant attacks and holding his ears against the cries of the battle. Through the tear, he could see a frozen wasteland, nowhere he could recognize. It didn’t look like anywhere near the north of Unova. Should he find the tear he came from? Or should he get out of this place as soon as possible?

Unfortunately, his line of thought distracted him enough that he was hit, hard, by the brunt of an attack. He didn’t know which attack, or which Pokemon it had been. As the edges of his vision grayed, he felt himself fall into the crack, and was out before he even hit the snow.

-----

“I'm going to do the contest circuit.” she said to Cynthia, who was working in their shared office.

Cynthia looked up, concerned. “Dawn. It is okay to do nothing. You will be busy again.”

Dawn tried to pretend Cynthia didn't hit the crux of it all. “Oh, I know, I know. But with who my mother is, you know – I was always curious about becoming a coordinator. And since the League season just ended, there really isn't much to do here.”

“Dawn, are any of your Pokemon even Contest trained?”

“Well, no. But they are media trained. And really, what's a contest match other than just a flashy charity exhibition anyway?”

“Tell that to your mother,” Cynthia gave a wry smile, “She'll probably have some words about that.”

“As a child, I was always going to follow in her footsteps. I was going to be a coordinator. I'm not sure what happened, really. Life got in the way, I guess?” Dawn looked at her feet.

“Dawn, you still are a child. You speak like you have an old soul.”

“Doesn't having an old soul just mean you're traumatized?” Dawn smirked back.

If you asked Cynthia, she would say she was worried for Dawn's well-being.

If you asked Dawn, she would say that her trauma made her funnier.

“Dawn.” Cynthia started again. “I will not stop you. I know you'll be able to juggle both when the season starts back up. And if you really want to try it out, great! I have reason to believe that you'll go far. But that doesn't mean you should or that it's healthy. Just take a moment, please, to find out the why you want to do this, and if it is for a good reason.”

“I will, Cynthia.” Dawn agreed, and then secretly thought that she would not.

Cynthia looked at her for a long time, then sighed. She started shuffling a blanket down by her feet. “Here. My gift to you. Raise it to be your Contest champion.”

“An egg?” Dawn carefully hugged it close to her chest.

“I have a whole clutch of them. I think you'll take good care of it, yes?”

“Of course, I will. Thank you, Cynthia. For always supporting me.”

“Such formality! Go have some teenage angst, girl. Aren't you fourteen? Roll your eyes at me or something. Take time to be a kid, child. You won't always be one.”

Chapter Text

The peace talks, even though they were currently being held on Pearl Clan land, were not going as the Pearl Clan leader wished. Her main advisor, Calaba, was currently busy attending to a feverish newborn. Instead of Calaba’s biting wisdom, Nacre was on her own trying to navigate a treaty she was sure was unfair, but couldn’t tell why.

“Surely you don’t mean to keep us waiting, Lady Nacre?” came the gruff voice from the Diamond Clan Leader, Clarence.

“I will respect your time, if you respect my space to do as I need,” Nacre bit back. The clan members on both sides glared at each other, sensing the tension between the two leaders. They had each brought a veritable army of Wardens, elders, and councilors, ready to fight by tongue or otherwise.

Nacre had hoped hosting the talk on Avalugg’s Legacy would give them an advantage. She had hoped the Diamond Clan members would be willing to settle quickly, and for looser terms, if the chill of the environment froze their mouths and thoughts. Barring that, maybe the size of Lord Avalugg would intimidate them. Or the fact that they were standing on a precipice of ice. She had no such luck.

“I notice here,” she continued, “that the land allocation percentages include Firespit Island, but other Arenas are considered to be neutral and are left out. Why does this count against the Pearl Clan?”

The few partner Pokemon in the crowd cried out, rearing up on hind legs or looking anxiously around. Their handlers shushed, worried that any sudden aggression would cause a full-out battle between the groups.

“I should have known you’d throw away peace to squabble about space. What other Noble Pokemon has such an inaccessible arena? None of that land would be open to the Diamond Clan, so why should it be neutral?” Clarence argued back.

The partner Pokemon again cried out. Clarence was about to tell the handlers to leave, when a noticeable change in air pressure stopped him. Suddenly, the air seemed to move several feet from where it had started, bringing snow and ice along with it. Just barely after, a booming sound rang out, like thunder. The echoes died as the gathered groups tried to wipe their eyes and rub their ears to perceive anything.

It blindsided the lot of them, then, when the avalanche from the noise barreled into the groups.

-----

The avalanches were widespread, but mercifully missed most of the Pearl Clan settlement. Both clans, having lost many key members, were dedicated to search and rescue. Ursaluna was brought in, Arcanine attempted to sniff out survivors, and even the Lady of the Ridge, Lilligant, braved the snow and ice to try to help. Other nobles desperately searched for their wardens. Very few of anyone was found.

Lady Sneasler, however, brought an unexpected quarry. She dumped a man, bewildered, into the snow in front of Lady Irida’s and Palina’s tent. The two daughters of Nacre were forced into a leadership role when their mother did not make it back from the meeting. They both stared at the man, marveling at his odd style of dress.

“Lady,” Palina started, “who is this? He is not a member of the Pearl Clan or the Diamond Clan. Why did you bring him here?”

“I’m afraid,” the man started to say, “I don’t know where here is.”

He had an unplaceable accent. At first, Palina didn't think he was speaking Kantonian. But eventually, the meaning trickled into her mind. “You have been brought by Lady Sneasler to the Pearl Clan settlement.” Palina provided.

“Sneasler?” The man said, “That sounds very familiar. But I know I’ve never seen one in person.”

“Well, you should be honored to see the Lady in the flesh.” Palina shrugged, “I would suggest moving along. We are in the middle of something just at the moment.”

Sneasler growled out a protest, which shocked both sisters.

“I’m afraid I don’t know where to move along to.” Ingo grimaced.

“Did you not come from Jubilife? That small settlement of outsiders?”

“I’m afraid I don’t know the one.”

“Where did you come from?” Irida finally spoke.

“I don’t know.”

“What do you mean you don’t know? Lady Sneasler. Why did you bring this strange man into our settlement?”

Lady Sneasler huffed, looking offended. She simply outstretched her hands towards the man as if to say, Look at him??

Irida asked, “What was your name, mystery man from the sky? You never said.”

“It is Ingo. Did I come from the sky?”

“Well, nowhere else for you to be from. And with the number of bruises on your face, you likely fell from somewhere.”

“He likely fell from a cliff side in an avalanche. I’ve heard stories of people hitting their heads and losing their memories.” Palina called over to a small woman in the distance. “Since Sneasler seems so fond of you, I will let our Healer look at you. But then, you must leave.”

Sneasler hissed.

-----

The clan, Ingo soon realized, was in shambles. The same day Ingo had appeared, a slew of avalanches had taken many of the Clan’s top positions. Heirs were scrambling to catch up, spares were placed in roles not meant for them, and everything seemed to be turning upside down.

He had watched the two sisters turn bitter as the eldest was sent to perform a lower ranked role. The youngest was floundering, dealing with the death of her mother, many of her clan, and the fact that she was now in charge of the whole thing.

Ingo would have had more sympathy, if he had any idea what was going on. He knew very few things: He was Ingo. He was in the Pearl Clan. This Sneasler seemed very attached to him. People seemed to distrust him, probably because he showed up the day lots of people died. He was weird. Or at least, compared to everyone else, he was weird. His clothes were different. He spoke differently.

The only problems with this knowledge were: he didn’t know who Ingo was, what the Pearl Clan was, and felt a peculiar confusion about the fact that a Sneasler was a living being. There was also a sadness, an empty hollow near his stomach that he decided was best to deal with later.

Sure, he was sad, but at least he didn’t lose the majority of his clan, right?

-----

“Lina!”

“Do not call me Lina, Irida!” Palina argued, “And how dare you accept an outsider for such a role?”

“Because like it or not, Palina, I was the heir chosen. I might be younger but I’m in charge. If you want to be a productive member – a productive Warden - it is best you remember that!” Irida yelled. “Look, I’m not sure why Lady Sneasler decided this, but Nobles have had a say in choosing their Wardens for generations. And we both know we are running out of people in the clan who could accept such a position.”

“I am very aware of that! If you recall, that man showed up the same day our Mother died, Irida. Don’t you find that a little suspicious?”

“I would have, if Lady Sneasler didn’t choose him. But the Lady did, and I am in no position to argue.” She added, “He has been very helpful in the rebuilding and search efforts. Didn’t you see how he could wield those wild Pokemon?”

“I did see, and it is not natural.” Palina sniffed.

“Natural or not, we can’t give up the chance to have such a skilled member in our clan. Especially when one of our Nobles won’t take no for an answer.”

“Fine, Irida.” Paulina sighed, “Just know, if anything does go wrong, don’t do it by yourself. I am aware that I am not in charge. I am aware that you are. But I was the one trained for the position. I can help.”

Irida tried to hold her gaze steady, trying to pretend that she was doing fine, that she didn’t need any help. “He will be sworn in at the next meeting with the rest of the new Wardens.”

Chapter Text

Even without already being champion, using a Pokemon gifted to her by Regent Champion Cynthia, Dawn's appearance on the Contest Circuit would have made a big splash. The daughter of Top Coordinator Johanna – who looked so alike her mother – was following in her footsteps.

There were, of course, some detractors. Some were worried that the Champion of the Sinnoh region should not be distracted by such activities. The League was the first line of defense, after all. But there was a Regent Champion (who also took breaks that were outside the region, so truly, what were they complaining about?) who could pick up any slack.

Dawn, for her part, was elated. Kicking ass in a ball gown was more her style. Fantina had the right idea. She spent hours training her Togekiss, hours putting on seals, and even convinced her mother to come out of retirement to meet her on the field.

Dawn, as always, was proving to be promising. She had won the five ribbons needed to qualify for the Grand Festival long before the end of the season, and instead used the remaining contests to experiment with different Pokemon and styles. Her Empoleon, registered as her battling ace, had an affinity for Contests, and she decided to put her through Contest Training as well.

“So when you win the Ribbon Cup and earn your title, how should people address you?” Barry lazily asked from the trunk of a tree, watching Dawn train.

“Aren't you getting a bit ahead of yourself?” Dawn asked, turning around.

“Well, it is something to think about,” Barry protested. “Top Coordinator Champion Dawn is a bit of a mouthful. It doesn’t sound very good.” He thought for a moment. “Is Champion Top Coordinator Dawn any better? No, it just sounds like you're a champion coordinator.”

Dawn sniffed, “Maybe I am a Champion coordinator.”

Barry huffed, and then said, “Hey, those Gods that tag around you, I haven't seen them in a while. What gives?”

Dawn was used to conversations with Barry suddenly changing topics. Dawn shrugged. “I'm not sure. I haven't seen them in a while either. I assume they are busy, being Gods and all.”

“Do you miss them?” Barry asked. “Maybe they could've participated in a contest.”

“Oh, and give the entire region an extensional crisis all at once?” Dawn shook her head. “I do miss them, though. Even though they were gods, they really were just Pokemon. But, since I've been using so many Poffins for contests, maybe it's a good thing. I don't want to disappoint them with a lackluster amount of stock. They'll come back one day, I'm sure.”

Dawn just hoped that they would come back before the end of her lifetime. Gods probably weren't great at calculating human lifespans, after all.

-----

Ingo could only watch as Lady Sneasler burst into his tent, placed a wailing Sneasel in his arms, threw up her own lanky ones, and left. He looked over the little Sneasel but saw no injuries, and felt no fever. It was just loud. Did baby Pokemon get colicky? What did one do with a crying baby Pokemon?

He knew there had been an ill newborn in Calaba’s tent, where he also stayed for a while after his sudden arrival. Calaba would swaddle the newborn and do some sort of bouncing. That seemed to work when the baby fussed, so maybe it would be similar?

He grabbed a blanket and wrapped it around and around the small Sneasel. The blanket was much too large, and he didn’t actually know how to swaddle something, but he hoped it would be close enough. Thinking vaguely that he probably looked ridiculous, he bounced the baby Sneasel (who was approximately 90% blanket) on his hip.

The baby Sneasel was so confused that it ended up settling down. Ingo sighed. That crisis was averted. He enjoyed staying busy, needed it even, so he decided to lay the Sneasel on his cot, peeping out of a swath of fabric, and organize his store of berries.

Ingo had been in Hisui for a long while now, and the time had mercifully passed by in a flash. It had to – the clan needed to build up as quickly as possible. Warden Training was passed over in favor of baptism by fire, and Ingo had needed to adapt quickly. It had been winter when he was appointed, so he was taught how to forage for food and to preserve what he found. Now that spring was approaching, he had created a small field to farm.

He didn’t really know how to farm, but he was supported by the clan, odd as they thought he was, and would likely be visited soon for an education. Ingo was doing just fine, because he never stopped working.

Because if he stopped, the emptiness that he had squashed down so well would appear. If he didn’t wear himself out to the point that he fell asleep the moment he hit his cot, then he would have Thoughts, and he certainly didn’t want to deal with those. Thoughts about how he was missing something – someone – extremely important, thoughts that maybe he did lose his clan too. Thoughts that he might never feel real peace again (then again, had he ever? He didn’t remember).

He kept everything that he had arrived with on him at all times. His hat had to be taken off while he slept, but he just put that next to his pillow. He had gotten used to sleeping even with the things in his coat pockets. Since he had them when he arrived, he must have thought them important enough to carry around.

He didn’t necessarily understand why he needed to carry them around. He had pulled the stuff out, once, to look at it. Some papers, some photos (in full color! Definitely different than what everyone else had around here) in small white envelopes that as far as he could tell, were of him? He knew it looked like him, and he was still wearing the black cap and coat. He had a beard now, because anything that made him look at his reflection for too long made him especially unhappy. His skin also didn’t seem as nice. He felt like someone had helped with that. No matter. There were many of them, all of the same photo. He didn’t know why he carried around photos of himself, let alone so many. Maybe he used to be very self-centered?

Then again, he felt as if he used to give them to people. Maybe that was the custom where he was from. Maybe it was the custom here? He hadn’t received any photos, but that may be because people thought him a little weird, with his manner of dress and speaking. Maybe if he gave them out to people it would break the ice, so to speak. It was lonely in the highlands, and he felt as if he was not wired to be alone. Well, that’s just what he would do, next time he went to the Settlement or saw the other Highlands warden.

He ended up not giving any out, even as more months passed. It didn’t seem right; like he was supposed to give them out if somebody else did something.

-----

Emmet was running out of leave. He had run out of vacation, personal, bereavement, and paid leave long ago. Gear Station had called him (he didn’t answer) and said that if there weren’t any talks about coming back they would have to search for his replacement. He was also running out of money. Money had never been an issue for him, ever since he had a Pokemon that could battle. But he bought out of his contract for the promotional work (expensive), ran out of any sort of paid leave (he was basically unemployed), didn't have the chance to battle anymore, and he had two full teams to feed.

Sure, there was Ingo’s money. He got the life insurance settlement from Gear Station (which sent waves through the press). Ingo's bank account was emptied and given to the next of kin. But Emmet refused to think that Ingo was actually dead. Ingo would come back, he had to, and he would want his money. Just because the bank gave it to him didn't mean it was his to spend. And besides, the amount of people who think he actually killed Ingo would love to hear that he had inherited and used Ingo’s money. He had tried to go to work at one point, but seeing the makeshift memorial of his brother in the entrance, seeing the depot agents having to remove the “FUCK EMMET” signs every morning, was too much.

He needed to go back to work. But how could he walk the same tracks that he walked with his brother alone? How could he recite a script meant for two, alone? But also, how could he not go back? If Ingo ever came back, decided he did want to be around Emmet again, how would he react if the Battle Subway was no longer theirs? Ingo would be furious that Emmet lost the Battle Subway. Would it make Ingo leave again?

The questions he couldn’t answer stressed him, and he started biting at his nails again, a habit that annoyed Elesa to no end. Elesa had started to give him manicures, both to help relax him and also to dissuade him from continuing the destructive habit.

“Stop that,” Elesa swatted at his hands with her own, then yelped loudly.

“Elesa!” Emmet was shocked back to awareness, “What happened?”

“You...you bit me!” Elesa grabbed her finger showing it to Emmet.

“That’s an interesting excuse for flipping me off.” Emmet narrowed his eyes.

“No! That’s not – look!” She shoved the finger in his face, taking care to keep it out of biting range.

“Oh gods! Elesa, I’m so sorry. Let me get you a bandage. Well, first, you should wash it in the sink. Does it hurt? Should I put an antibiotic on it?”

“Emmet, it isn’t bleeding.”

“Oh. Well, what can I do for it? Ice? Does it hurt?”

“It’s fine. I will wash it off. You used a dark type move on me! How rude!” Elesa scoffed. “I need you to know that I regularly get thunderbolted. I will be fine. But it’s still kinda gross.”

“Ah, yes. Sorry.” Emmet spoke, weakly, as he watched Elesa move off the couch and into the bathroom. He tried not to be upset. There was no reason to be upset. But he had just bitten his only friend and he hurt her and he was absolutely not going to be dramatic about it.

Before she could return to her spot on the couch, however, her xTrans rang. She answered, recognizing the number as one of her PR Team. Deciding to spare Emmet the boring details of PR and Marketing, she flipped it on her wrist to turn off video mode and held it up to her ear, “Hello?”

“Miss Elesa? Your name has suddenly trended on Sneaslr. So we took a look, and it looks like it’s a long story. Do you have a moment?”

“Of course. Am I in for a scandal?”

“No. In fact, it doesn’t even have much to do with you at all. It looks like last November, someone posted a picture of a ‘Warden Ingo’ from a Hisuian textbook. Well, the Hisui Historical Society took notice and decided to do research. It didn’t go very far, but after Ingo disappeared, the Hisui Historical Society has been trying to get Emmet’s attention to no avail.”

“He broke his contract, I doubt he even has access to his accounts.”

“Right, that would explain that. It’s just, someone had the thought to tag you, and now you have over 50 thousand tags asking you to contact the Hisui Historical Society.”

“As a sort of genealogical exercise for Emmet? Where exactly is Hisui, again?”

“It’s Sinnoh, but what it was called until around 200 years ago. And, no. There’s a particular...line of thought…that believes this ‘Warden Ingo’, is possibly the Ingo you know.”

“Why would they think that?” Elesa was stumped. Emmet had taken an interest in the discussion, but Emmet had already been burned by the public before. So she waved him off. She didn’t want the public to give Emmet hope, only for it to be (likely) an ancestor of some sort.

“There’s many reasons listed on Sneaslr, but I think it’s best if you contact Emmet and the Hisui Historical Society right away. I’ll send you the contact info.”

“But that doesn’t make sense.” Elesa argued.

“I know, it doesn’t.” The voice stopped, as if it was debating on whether to continue. “Elesa, I’ve been in this industry for many years. I’ve seen many well-manufactured news bites, or fake but career-ending scandals. I think there really is something here.”

Elesa went silent, and only gave a quick thanks and goodbye. She decided to get on Sneaslr and find out what exactly Emmet looked at her curiously, but she shook her head. “Just work stuff.”

“I heard my name.”

Elesa said, “It’s just because people made the connection on Sneaslr that we knew each other.”

Emmet tried not to look upset, ended up looking very upset anyway, and said, “I’ve caused you a scandal?”

“What?” Elesa was shocked. “No, no, of course not. It’s nothing like that.” She continued to scroll Sneaslr until she found – there! That was Ingo. It had to be Ingo, right? Elesa tried to remember her textiles classes from school. What were the jackets made out of? When did that material start being used? It was true that even if the fabric did exist at the time, the Gear Station symbol was certainly not around two hundred years ago.

Elesa looked at Emmet, whose eyes were rimmed red. They always were, nowadays. He thought he hid it so well. Emmet would not be able to handle this if it was a fake photo, or fake tweet. It could also be that the Hisui Historical Society didn’t even really exist! She needed to check for herself first, before Emmet heard of it.

“What time is it in Sinnoh?” Elesa asked, knowing Ingo and Emmet had, for some reason, memorized the time zones around the globe.

“It is a thirteen hour difference.”

“Perfect. I need to make a phone call to Sinnoh.”

“For what?” Emmet asked, perplexed.

“A collaborative project.”

Chapter Text

Elesa received the contact number for the Hisui Historical Society and tapped it into her xTrans. It didn’t ring for long until a very young, very eager voice said, “Hisui Historical Society, how can I help you?”

“Hi,” Elesa started, quite sure this was not going to work, but pushing on due to the things she had seen on Sneaslr, “I’ve heard that people from here have been trying to contact me?”

“Ah, yes. Umm. I’ve been trying to contact a lot of different people, sorry.”

“Oh, sorry. It’s Elesa from Nimbasa City. I’ve been tagged a lot on Sneaslr.”

There was first a silence, and then a loud noise of shuffling papers and maybe of falling books. “Elesa?! The Elesa? You’ve seen the stuff about Subway Boss Ingo, right? You are friends with them, right? You can try to contact Subway Boss Emmet?”

“If you are real, and what you found has got merit, then I will tell Emmet. But not until then.”

“Well, I can assure you that I am very serious about this. I’m the Head of the Hisui Historical Society, and I’m stationed out of Canalave City. I started noticing last November how Subway Boss Ingo kept appearing in texts from this pivotal period in Sinnoh history. Of course, back then, he was known as Warden Ingo.” The young man rattled on, “I’ve tried contacting Subway Boss Emmet through social media but I haven’t been able to get through to him. So someone mentioned that I should contact you. And it worked!”

“It did indeed. Emmet does not have his social media accounts anymore. People have been quite nasty, I’m sure you’ve seen.” Elesa felt like she had to take up for Emmet. It wasn’t like he was ignoring people’s attempts to find Ingo. It just happened to be collateral damage because he was avoiding people’s attempts to blame him for Ingo’s disappearance.

“Ah, of course, of course. Do you want to hear more?” The young man asked, as if he was holding his breath.

“Of course?” Elesa was not sure why the boy had stopped.

“Sorry, just checking. Sometimes people say I talk about this stuff too much. My name is Lucas, by the way. I am Professor Rowan’s research assistant.”

“You are Professor Rowan’s research assistant and the head of the Hisui Historical Society?”

“Well, to be honest, the Hisui Historical Society is just a handful of people. It’s a very niche topic, you see.” Lucas seemed a bit embarrassed. “It’s actually just me. But I promise you, these sources exist! I can send photocopies and citations, to show that these texts exist! And I know it’s far but it might be worth trying to come to Sinnoh? We have all the first person accounts of life in Hisui.”

“Send me the citations, and I’ll have this Librarian I know check them. If she says they are legit, I will go ahead and give Emmet your contact number.”

“Oh perfect! It’s quite a few, so it might be better as an email? Do you have one I can send them too?”

“Yes, you can just use my work email…”

-----

Emmet could have sworn he heard his name a couple of times during the phonecall for her ‘collaborative project’. It made him anxious. It reminded him of the police investigations and interviews where he was spoken to as if he was guilty. As if he was the reason his brother went missing.

And, of course, like he always thought in the back of his mind, he could be. He could be the reason Ingo had given up and run away. But he certainly didn’t do anything criminal to his brother, didn’t kill him. Didn’t the police and papers know he already felt guilty enough?

He trusted that Elesa would not be trying to betray him or make a case against him, but it was still uncharacteristic for her to keep secrets. The amount of times that she had said, “Oh, but don’t tell anyone, it’s not public yet!” when she was working with a new designer, or was excited about a new job was astronomically high. So the fact that Elesa was acting so evasive did nothing to ease his anxiety.

His xTrans vibrating on his wrist jolted him back to awareness. He sighed. Another message from the Battle Subway, no doubt. He looked at it anyway, not wanting it to hang over his head. He did not expect the message to say it came from Ingo: “Did you go back to the apartment yet? I want to talk. I’m sorry.”

Emmet fumbled around to send a message back: “I am at the apartment. Please come here."

The relief that Emmet felt finally pulled the stopper from his tears. Instead of leaking, he sobbed. He cried loudly, and Elesa came running back in, wondering what was wrong and what had happened.
Emmet could not speak, so he lifted his wrist. Elesa took it to steady it enough that she could read.

Instead of looking relieved, looking happy, she just looked worried, confused. He didn’t know that she was around 80% sure that Ingo was in a place that certainly had no phone signal. He did not know that Ingo’s fans had been building solid theories of where he was at, and why.

All he thought, all that he knew, was that Ingo said he was on his way home. He cried and sobbed and when Ingo never arrived, wept some more.

—--

Nearly a year later, Dawn had won the Ribbon Cup. As Barry feared, she was known as Top Coordinator Champion Dawn, or TCC Dawn as the media liked to abbreviate it. Her business cards were going to be very cramped. Barry and Lucas referred to her as just 'The Dawn' instead. Dawn did agree that was cooler.

After she had turned fifteen, Cynthia relinquished more control over League business to her, and also took extended vacations to go find ruins somewhere again. Dawn was adjusting well, especially since the Contest season had ended and she was back to having only one job. She also received a higher amount of pay directly, rather than just in the trust fund.

Cynthia still supported her at every turn, but she was not as present as she had been. It was a surprise, then, when Cynthia arrived back from Johto unannounced. It was especially surprising since it was around three in the morning, and Dawn just wanted to go to the bathroom when she ran into her.

“God, Cynthia!”

Cynthia just laughed, “Now you know how I feel when I would just casually run into the God of Distortion on a bathroom break.”

“Welcome back!” Dawn said. “How was Johto?”

“Fascinating as always. Very cool. Congratulations on your new title, Top Coordinator Champion Dawn.”

Dawn waved her hands, “Thank you, thank you. But, still just Dawn, please.”

“Okay, Just Dawn.” Cynthia said, “You should also look at taking a break soon. There have not been any promising challengers for months now. Volkner is going stir-crazy.”

“Poor guy,” Dawn said. “Maybe he should challenge us.”

“Maybe,” Cynthia said, and then groaned, “Then I'd have to hire a replacement for him if he won. Do you know how much effort and gym remodeling that requires?”

“No, not really.” Dawn said. There hadn't been any line up changes in the recent years. “And anyway, Lucas, Barry, and I were throwing out thoughts of going to Alola.”

Cynthia clapped her hands, “I've never been! I've heard it's gorgeous there. They've just recently started up their own League on the islands. It's pretty different from the ones here.”

“Oh? Maybe I'll challenge it, then.” Dawn said, and then stopped. “Wait, am I allowed to do that?”

Cynthia chuckled, “You are allowed. You just can't be employed by another region's League.”

“So I can't be Champions of two regions at once?” Dawn said, not that she would have wanted to.

“Not unless you're champion of the Orange League.”

“Ugh,” Dawn wrinkled her nose. “I hope they get paid more, then.”

Cynthia hummed, “Actually, a lot of the rules and labor laws we had to follow when you were younger were the result of one of the champions of the Orange League, Red. He was very similar to you.”

“In what way?”

“Being too young for what life threw at you.” Cynthia gave her a look. “Get planning on that Alola trip, you know? Sadly, I don't have a house there you can rent.”

“That's fine,” Dawn said, “I'm, like, super rich now.”

-----

Across the world, Dawn gave a luxurious stretch and sat on the couch of the vacation villa she was sharing with Barry and Lucas. They had finally, finally made it to Alola. It was a close thing – Lucas had booked the plane tickets forgetting that Dawn usually went by her Galarian name, rather than her legal name. The airport worker threatened to prevent Dawn from getting on the plane, Barry threatened an enormous fine, and Dawn had to call her mother very quickly for some last minute paperwork.

It was very stressful, but it was done. She sprawled out, letting herself be tired as the last of the luggage was brought in through the door. It was nice to have some time off. The three of them hadn’t been on a vacation since that time they went to Unova together. She felt so sleepy. So peculiarly sleepy. Maybe Barry and Lucas wouldn’t mind if she just...drifted…off.

She opened her eyes immediately, tiredness gone. However, she was face to face with a familiar figure – one she hadn’t seen in years.

“We meet again, chosen one.”

“Arceus,” Dawn said, “did you call for me?”

“I did.” Arceus spoke, but not through a mouth. Dawn had decided not to think too hard about it years ago, and wasn’t going to now, either. Dawn did, however, wonder if it was blasphemous to say, ‘Not now, I’m on vacation.” Wasn’t there another teenager to introduce to the horrors of Sinnoh’s legendary Pokemon? Someone else to deal with the fact that time, space, and reality itself was controlled by the whims of three very cute but also very petty siblings?

“The timelines have been growing brittle. They are fit to shatter, if something is not done.” Arceus continued, “I need you, chosen one that has walked through times and spaces not fit for you, to mend what has been broken.”

“Why is it breaking?” Dawn asked.

“There has been an agitator of unknown origin. Something that has changed and fluxed the timeline outside of the accepted parameters.”

“The accepted parameters?” Dawn echoed.

“Correct, chosen one. Time and reality is always gently changing, flowing slowly. Recently, however, tears in reality have become too focused in one place of space and time. It is too much for the timeline to handle. It is liable to break if I interfere directly.”

“But how could I be the one to fix it?” Whoops. She sprinkled in a little bit of blasphemy.

“Time and space bend around you differently, ever since you have stepped foot into the distortion world. You would create fewer ripples in your duties.”

“And what are my duties?” Dawn tried to stave off the existential crisis Arceus seemed to habitually cause.

“Locate anyone who has fallen victim to the tears of reality. Mend the relationships between people and Pokemon that have been severed by these cracks in time and space. Find the agitator. Seek out all Pokemon.”

Dawn wondered how cracks and time and space could specifically break down the relationships between people and Pokemon. She decided she probably shouldn't push it, though.

She had still been seeing her therapist after all these years, and had been working on making healthy boundaries, but how does that work when you were literally being told what to do by God? It didn't come up, since Dawn didn't think it would happen twice. “Do I have to go back to Sinnoh?”

“No. I will take you to the time and space you need to be. When you have finished all of your tasks, I will bring you back.”

“Bring me back?!” Dawn exclaimed, “where are you taking me?”

But Arceus could not answer, as the space gave a shudder. “Something is wrong.” Arceus stated.

“What’s wrong?”

Another shudder, a distant boom. A closer one.

“My children are fighting.”

“Again?” Dawn said, “After I specifically asked them not to? Is that why I haven't seen them in so long?”

Suddenly chaos, beyond Dawn’s comprehension. Sensations that should not, could not be felt at once were at war. She was burning up inside, she was freezing solid. Being torn in all directions. Dawn barely registered Arceus's yowl of pain.

“Go now!” Arceus panted. “I am weak. But I will get you as close to the correct time and space as I can. Go, my chosen one. Complete your-”

Arceus did not finish the sentence, as Dawn was physically hit and thrown backwards. She landed, hard, on the ground. She tried to scream. Her head felt like it was being stabbed, and her eyes would not open.

“Wake up! Do wake up, won’t you?” she heard a man’s voice.

She tried to make a sound.

“Are you alive, my girl?”

Dawn finally opened her eyes, and made a grunt.

“You gave me quite the shock, falling from the sky like that...what is your name?”

Dawn used her Government Name this time, not wanting any trouble. “...uh….ri…”

“Sorry, my girl. You are mumbling. I didn’t quite get it.”

“Uh...uh...kari…”

“Ah, Akari. That name has quite a ring to it!”

Dawn tried to argue, it’s Hikari, but her eyes closed again and she fell unconscious.

“Oh, my girl! I’ll get help!”

Chapter Text

Dawn woke up with a blazing headache. She opened her eyes, looked to her left, and was relieved to see Nurse Joy at the head of the room. That was familiar. At least Arceus sent her to a place that still had free healthcare.

When the pink-haired nurse saw she was awake, she said, “Ah, Miss, how are you feeling?”

Dawn knew the answer to this question: “Fine, thanks.”

“Good, now, can you tell me your name and the year?”

Well, those were a bit trickier. She knew that the guy who found her misheard her name. But if she gave another answer, the nurse would probably keep her here for longer, think she had forgotten it. And the year? Please, it didn’t seem like even Arceus knew exactly where she was going to end up.

But Dawn was nothing if not a problem solver, so she said, “Akari, and I’m not sure which calendar system you use here.”

“Ah, I thought you might be from somewhere else. I had never seen such clothes before, and you were found with this.” She gestured to the bedside table, “I’m not sure what it is, but it buzzes, occasionally, like a Combee.”

Dawn looked over to see what was certainly her phone, albeit with a different case. Arceus had apparently decided to get into the aesthetic-but-useless phone case industry. How was she going to be able to carry it with her? Didn’t Arceus know women’s clothing barely had pockets? She missed her small and practical clear case, one that showed off her stickers and general decorations on the back of her phone.

She unlocked it, and saw that Arceus had left her a message: “I have upgraded your phone into an ArcPhone. It will help you on your way. The timelines no longer are running linearly. Different eras are moving at different speeds. Hurry to complete your tasks.”

Arceus had given her homework tasks, but also given her an agenda book. How nice.

“Now, Miss Akari, where did you come from?” The Nurse Joy asked her.

“Hmm...I think a long way away from here.”

“I see. What did you do there?”

Was she asking about a job? “I’m a professional trainer and coordinator.”

Nurse Joy looked confused, “What is that?”

What do you mean, what is that? Arceus had told her that the integration of people and Pokemon may not be moving exactly smoothly, but surely they knew what a trainer was, even if coordinators didn't exist yet?

“A Pokemon trainer?” she rephrased.

“Oh! You work with Pokemon? Wow! You must be very brave.”

Dawn was brave, thank you very much, but did not see how working with Pokemon had anything to do with it. “I suppose so?”

“Well, once you’re back in working order I’ll have Professor Laventon talk with you. He's the one that found you. Maybe you could help out in the Survey Corps. I’m not sure they’ll let you stay without a job, and it seems pretty close to what you were talking about.”

Dawn seemed like she doubted that very much, but agreed. Arceus did want her to help out.

Too bad Arceus’s help came in the form of a giant phone.

-----

The standards in Hisui were low, but high-stakes. Dawn found this out when she got her first assignment, presented as an extremely dangerous task. If she failed, she was getting the boot. Her tasks were to catch three Pokemon: a Bidoof, a Starly, and a Shinx. Tragically, the Starly was the hardest to catch because they just kept flying away. Dawn was not used to being sneaky – generally wild Pokemon jumped at her from the wild grass, rather than her crouching in some weeds. Surely, this could not be the same species that attacked her so she had to steal Professor Rowan’s Pokemon, right?

The team gave her a little pouch to put her primitive Pokeballs in. It looked ridiculous. Especially when the yellow halos of her increasingly-frustrating phone case were sticking out of it. She had texted God and asked if it would be blasphemous to snap them off the case. God just answered, “Yes.”

Dawn, of course, passed the assessment and was given a uniform and a room. Professor Laventon also let her keep his Cyndaquil. She had been working through the ranks in order to gain “super secret recipes” for more effective Pokeballs. Because it definitely made sense that the more effective Pokeballs should be given to the more experienced members who likely needed the extra help less.

But it was no matter, because even with how aggressive the wild Pokemon would become, the Pokemon here were so much easier to catch. Probably because they weren’t used to Pokeballs and were caught off guard by them. It was also good that they showed her how to make her own Pokeballs, because she was catching a lot of Pokemon and the Galaxy Team was not paying her enough to buy all of them.

She had thought she had met Lucas, knowing that Arceus said others had been drawn into this time accidentally. But that just led to an awkward hug and a very confused young man named Rei. Dawn then decided that she would mostly keep her memories – and the fact that she had any – to herself.

Her hard work, however, was being rewarded by more work. Every time she talked to a townsperson who expressed any small want, Arceus would put it in her assignment book to do. Dawn has ever since rued the day one guy muttered that he wanted a big Buizel. When she was approached about a Noble Pokemon being in a frenzy, Arceus added a big symbol next to her assignment listing. It was obvious what they wanted her to focus on.

Not one to defy God, she ignored the requests that were piling up to first quell Lord Kleavor, and then Liligant. She had not expected Rei’s roll technique to actually be needed, but it probably saved her life. Well, it did, multiple times. The Pokemon didn’t become extinct because of its battle prowess, that was for sure. But the Pokemon was slow, predictable, and didn’t give her too many grievous injuries.

Lady Lilligant fell quickly with Quilava’s help. Lord Arcanine...she didn't like to talk about. She was glad the Galaxy Team uniform featured long sleeves, so she could hide the bandages underneath them. Ginter was probably getting suspicious by the amount of Rawst berries she was buying from him, but at least he showed some discretion. But of course, Lord Electrode had then been frenzied. Her work was never done.

It was done for now though, because she needed to wait until Lady Sneasler’s (like the social media! It’s like meeting a God! Except she’s done that and it has not led to great things) Warden came to pick her up. Apparently she had to be led through tunnels and taken to the Pokemon personally? Whatever, she could use any excuse to turn in for the night.

-----

Ingo had heard that there was another person like him, who turned up out of the blue. Apparently, she was doing quite well for herself, quelling nobles and quickly rising through the ranks of the Galaxy Team’s Survey Corps. She was rumored to handle Pokemon especially well, like him. Irida had visited him, requesting him to go to Jubilife to pick this new person up and conduct her across the Highlands.

What anyone failed to mention was that this person was a child. Why anyone would let her around the frenzied Nobles, let alone make her responsible for quelling them, was beyond him. But if he didn’t help her, she was the type to be liable to do everything herself. He wasn't sure how he knew this.

“If you’re going to face it,” Ingo started, “you might consider catching Pokemon that can withstand electricity."

“I’m just going to wing it.” Dawn said, which made Ingo look at her, incredulously.

“That does not pass safety checks.”

“Yeah, sounds like something you would say.”

“I’m sorry, have we met before?” Ingo was confused.

Dawn cringed, and hoped this would not turn out to be another Rei situation. It had been very awkward for a long time after that. But she thought it unlikely for this to be an ancestor. Even if Ingo was a family name passed down, the uniform surely wasn't. She needed to play it cool. She was not a fan. Just a person.

“Well, yes, but I know there’s only one of you but a lot of challengers, so it makes sense you would forget. But yes, we have briefly met before.” Dawn waved her hand in front of her.

“I’m sorry, I seem to have lost many memories of who I was before. Shall we continue?”

“Oh. I’m sorry, yes.”

Ingo brushed off the odd words – he also appeared one day and said many things that others thought were weird. This Akari must be no different. He started to lead the way through Wayward Cave, when he realized the torches must have gone out. In the darkness, a small flash of a thought surfaced, “I need…” But what did he need? He could not picture it clearly, but he saw flames, wielded with precision.

He didn’t realize he was thinking out loud until he heard Akari make an odd noise. He spun around, when he spotted an alpha Crobat to the side.

“We’ll have to change tracks for safety.” Ingo shuffled quietly to the side. He was trying very hard to focus, but the emptiness he had pushed down for so long threatened to rear up again. Something about Akari made it difficult to push it away. He continued to lead, then took her to Melli, yelled at Melli for getting rid of the torches, and then realized he must battle this Akari. It felt imperative. Anything to get rid of the hollow pain at his side.

Akari agreed, and won. Truly a formidable opponent! He reached into his pocket, and pulled out one of the white envelopes.

“I think, in my time, it was custom to exchange these? I have no other reason for why I have so many on my person. Do not worry if you don’t have one yourself, for I know I am not where I came from.”

Dawn took the envelope, completely sideswiped. “Have you given anyone else one of these?”

“No,” Ingo explained, “you have been the only opponent I’ve battled and lost against.”

“I see. If you lose again, I would suggest not giving any out. It would be…nontraditional.”

Ingo tried not to be embarrassed, “I understand. I’m sorry if I have put you in an uncomfortable position.”

“No!” Dawn said quickly, “Not at all. Here, look!” She pulled out her ArcPhone and showed him the back.

Ingo saw only a white rectangle and some yellow halos. “I’m sorry, I’m not sure what I'm supposed to be looking at.”

Dawn looked at the back of her phone case and sighed, “Oh, right. They better still be back there or I’ll fight you, God.”

“Fight me?” Ingo said, alarmed.

“Not you,” Dawn said, “God. Ah ha! Here we go. This better not be blasphemy.” She removed the large case to reveal a smaller rectangle, where various bits and pieces of paper fell out. She grabbed a card and handed it to Ingo, “Look! I got the other of the set, too!”

Ingo grabbed the piece of paper, and looked down. It was very similar to the photos he had in his pockets, but subtly different. A different pose, a different outfit. Same face. Was it him? No. He could feel in his bones that it was not him. It was another. Someone always dressed in white. Someone who loved winning more than anything else. Someone that he very much missed.

Oh, how he missed. His heart ached, and he clambered on the ground when standing just felt too high up. He clutched the photo with both hands, willing it to tell him more. It was trying too, but it only translated as pain, as loss.

“Ingo?” Dawn said, “Ingo are you alright? I’m sorry, I didn’t mean- I shouldn’t have-”

“I think it’s okay, Akari.” Ingo wheezed out. “I know this person. I miss him so much. But who is he?”

“Do you want to know?” Akari asked quietly.

“More than anything.”

“That is Emmet, your twin brother.”

“Emmet...Emmet.” Ingo kept repeating the name, hoping for it to sink in and clutch a memory. His own twin brother. No wonder he felt so alone, so hollowed out. “Emmet. I miss Emmet.”

“I’m sure he misses you too.” Dawn crouched down to be on his level. “I’m sorry. I did not mean to hurt you!”

“No, no. It’s okay. You do know me? Who I was before?”

“I do. Do you want to know more?”

Ingo nodded quickly, but then stopped. “We have gotten derailed. We must help Lord Electrode. He is in pain. I can wait. Let us delay our mission no further.”

Dawn stood up, and looked sadly at him, “Okay, Ingo. Let’s meet the Lady.”

Ingo started to give the photo back, but Dawn refused, "No, it's okay, keep it."

Ingo didn't argue

Chapter Text

Lucas, Barry, and Dawn’s Pokemon were frantic. There was nowhere she could go. The boys had been out front, dealing with the luggage. The back door was completely screened in.

But Dawn wasn’t anywhere. She didn’t have her Pokemon with her, either. Pokeballs were locked closed on airplanes, and so Dawn released them immediately in order to get some fresh air.

Dawn’s Spiritomb and Lucario looked especially affected. While her Luxray was running around, sniffing for a hint of her location, and Togekiss and Staraptor took to the skies to try to find her from above, the other two just stood still.

Barry yelled after her loudly enough that the police were called in for a disturbance. Lucas explained what was going on (much more calmly), and to both of their surprises, the police immediately called the International Police.

“We’ve been instructed,” one of the officers started, “in these types of cases, to call Interpol immediately.”

“O-oh. Okay.” Lucas said.

It didn’t take them long to arrive, a young woman with purple hair arriving on a Salamence. She made quick work in taking out lots of equipment.

“What’s this?” Barry asked.

“Don’t touch it,” Anabel said, even though Barry was nowhere close to the machines. “It’s measuring for wormhole particles. However, I am not finding any. Whatever took away your friend is nothing we can help with. It’s a job for the police.”

Barry bristled, “What do you mean? You’re giving up just like that?”

“There’s nothing more to be done on my end. The police will reopen this as a missing persons case.”

“We have to call Cynthia. And Dawn’s mother.” Lucas started to fidget. They need to know.” Lucas pulled out his phone. “I don’t have either of their numbers!”

Barry took out his own phone, “I don’t have Cynthia’s number, but I have Johanna’s.” Barry swallowed hard, “let me tell her.”

-----

Cynthia was surprised to see Johanna’s number show up on her phone. Dawn’s mother generally didn’t reach out to her. “Johanna,” she answered, “to what do I owe the pleasure?”

“Cynthia.” Johanna did not seem happy. “Dawn is missing.”

“What?” The silence stretched long enough that Cynthia followed up with, “what do you mean?”

“In Alola,” Johanna sounded like she was staving off tears, “she just…disappeared. No one knows where she went. She was inside the villa they all rented. Lucas and Barry were just bringing the luggage in and when they came back…she was gone.”

“Okay, okay. I - I mean, Dawn is…Dawn is very strong. No matter what happened, her Pokemon will protect her.”

“Her Pokemon were out with the boys after the flight,” Johanna sobbed.

Damn, Cynthia thought. It made sense. But Dawn without Pokemon was like a Garchomp without fangs.

“I’m…I’m so sorry, Johanna.” It was all that Cynthia could say. “Is there an investigation?”

“There is.” Johanna confirmed, “But it’s not proving fruitful.”

“Okay. We can go to Alola, I don’t mind paying for the flight.” Cynthia said, needing to take action.

“No,” Johanna said. “There’s already one Champion that’s disappeared under mysterious circumstances. If you did too…the region would be left very vulnerable.”

Cynthia didn’t like it. But she was right. More than ever, she should stay at her post. It wasn’t a matter of needing a Champion in the region – Cynthia went to Undella every spring when she was the only Champion after all – it was the fact that if someone was targeting the strongest trainers of the region, she would have to be prepared.

The conversation ended quickly after that. Cynthia stared numbly at her phone. She had failed. She may have many jobs at the League, but protecting Dawn was her foremost duty. And she had failed. She had even been the one to encourage Dawn to go to Alola. Cynthia thought she was doing right by her, by making Dawn take a rest from her work. Instead, she created a time and place where Dawn would be the most vulnerable – separated from her Pokemon, tired from traveling, and in a foreign region.

“Where are you, Dawn?” Cynthia asked aloud, knowing that there would be no answer.

—--

The Lady took to Dawn very happily, gleefully dumping her in her basket.

“This is terrifying.” Dawn peeped out of the hole.

“I can assure you, Lady Sneasler will conduct a safe trip.”

“Sneas!”

Once Lady Sneasler had arrived at the top of the cliff, Dawn climbed out of the basket. She briefly stretched before realizing that Ingo was still with her.

“How did you get up here?” Dawn asked, not seeing another Sneasler.

“Me? Oh, I just climbed.” Ingo pointed at the rocks.

“With no ropes or anything? That doesn’t seem to pass safety checks.” Dawn looked at the man. Weren’t he and his brother...sticks?

“I can assure you, I am very safe. The Lady is an excellent teacher.”

“Okay, then.” Dawn would make him answer questions later. “Let’s just go bother Melli.”

“Excellent! All aboard!”

“Oh my God, you still do that.”

Chapter Text

It still took some convincing – and a little bit of Adaman pulling rank – before Dawn was ready to face down Lord Electrode. Melli would have been exceedingly proud to know that Lord Electrode was in a different league than the other Nobles. Dawn had seen her life flash before while quelling Lord Arcanine, but this time, she was certain she was going to die.

She had barely thrown any balms yet, too busy dodging attacks and getting glancing blows anyway for her efforts. She needed to retreat. She needed to find a way back. But she was too busy dodging. She didn’t have the time to plan a retreat. Dawn was getting so very tired. Her work had put her in the best shape of her life, but even that had its limits.

She needed to start throwing balms if she was ever going to win this. She needed to stop moving so much, and take some risks. It worked, for a bit. She would get hit with the frayed edges of Lord Electrode’s attacks, making her stiffen. But she would be able to get two or three balms off before she had to move again. Her luck was holding out just fine.

Until it wasn’t.

She had miscalculated. Thought she could throw another balm before moving. Instead, she was hit by a direct attack, both above and below. It was instant. She didn’t scream. Dawn just dropped.

-----

Dawn opened her eyes, and saw Arceus before her once more. They seemed displeased.

“You died.”

Dawn looked at them, “Whoops?”

Arceus did whatever the equivalent of clicking their tongue was, “My chosen one is not meant to fall.”

Dawn didn’t know what to say to that. “So...what’s next?” she asked instead, “Do I become a ghost Pokemon? Or am I a tormented soul of a Spiritomb now?”

Arceus held her gaze, “You are not a tormented soul.”

Feeling slightly offended, Dawn scoffed. Like hell she was.

“And you are not finished with your task yet. I will manipulate space and time. You will be healthy again, and Lord Electrode will be as quelled as it was before you died. I will use my influence to make the people around you forget that you fell. It might cause them concern otherwise.”

“So, first of all – I am a little concerned.” Dawn pointed at herself.

“I can also make you forget, if you like.”

Dawn thought of Ingo, a broken man with broken memories. She shook her head. “So, can I not die? Am I immortal?”

“The timelines, as I have told you before, are fragile. This chips away at them. If you die too often, the benefit of you doing your tasks here will be moot.” Arceus then commanded, "So, try not to die, my chosen.”

Dawn said, “I'll try?”

-----

Despite Arceus specifically asking her not to, Dawn died two more times before finally quelling Lord Electrode. Both times, Arceus didn’t even talk to her. She dropped, blanked out for a few seconds, and was back on her feet.

A little rest would have been nice.

Once it was finished, Melli acted like the world was over, and Dawn briefly wondered if he knew that she had came back to life three times. That would probably make one seem suspicious. But no, he had simply been lamenting the loss of Lord Electrode’s power.

Which, honestly, Dawn was pretty happy about. She was ready to turn back around and sleep in her bed. Or a base camp. Maybe any flat surface. Or vertical. She waved a short goodbye and left the arena. She noticed Ingo was following her, but she didn’t think anything of it. He was also probably just making for home.

“Akari.” He said, finally, after they had walked some distance from the arena. He did not sound particularly happy.

She had nearly forgot! “Sorry! Right, I was supposed to tell you more about who you were. It slipped my mind, I am so tired-”

“Akari,” he interrupted. “Can you tell me why I just watched you die? Three times, at least?”

Oh come on, Arceus! Dawn thought, You had one job!

(Arceus said that they had plenty of jobs, thank you very much.)

“Haha,” Dawn tried to redirect, “Obviously, I’m not dead, I’m right here!”

Ingo stared at her, hard. Dawn felt a bit of fear; it was the same look, after all, that was used to stop unruly passengers from...unrulying.

“Do not,” he started, “lie to me, Akari.”

Oh, he’s actually terrifying. Dawn grimaced and switched to placating, “I’m okay now, really! Arceus said I can’t stay dead until I’ve done their tasks.”

“So, you did die?”

“Well, yes,” Dawn added quickly, “But I got better!”

“Are you alright?” The tone and the words did not match.

“Yes! No pain! I’m all right! I’ve been fixed up. Actually, I’m in less pain now!” She pulled up her sleeves to see the bandages from the wounds she had gotten while quelling Arcanine. Unwrapping one, she found her skin whole. “So I’m better than ever!”

This was apparently not the right track, as Ingo narrowed his eyes. “Where did you get all those bandages?”

“The Ginko Guild sells them. Do you need some?”

Ingo blinked in annoyance, “Why do you have those bandages.”

“Oh!” Akari shuffled her sleeves down. “Lord Arcanine burned me. Not that it was his fault – he was frenzied.”

“And the Galaxy Team let you come here, injured?”

“Oh, the Galaxy Team didn’t know.”

“Why did you not tell them?” Ingo asked.

“Well…” she tried to think of an excuse, but was afraid Ingo would see through her, “I’ve been told, in no uncertain terms, that if I don’t pull my weight I will get kicked out.”

Ingo looked alarmed, “They’ll kick you out of the Galaxy Team?”

Dawn shook her head, “Kicked out of the village.”

Ingo’s eyebrows shot up, “Excuse me? Aren’t you doing their tasks?”

“Well, technically, I’m doing Arceus’s tasks.”

“That is not better,” Ingo argued. “Arceus wants you to die to do their bidding?”

“No, actually! They specifically told me not to. The dying was an accident.”

Ingo just stared at her more. She felt like a little child, the people pleasing she had worked so hard with her therapist to squash rearing up. In times like these, she missed Cynthia. She always knew how to keep her on track. “Are you mad at me?” She said, quickly, without thought.

Ingo looked confused, “No? I mean, I have words to say to the Galaxy Team. And Arceus. You are the victim, here? Why would I be mad at you?”

Dawn didn’t think of herself as a victim, but perhaps she was. “Then don’t scold me!” She chuckled, less from amusement and more from anxiety. “You aren’t my parent.”

Ingo snorted at that. “More like grandparent.”

Akari laughed at that. Then she said, “Oh. You’re being serious.” She squinted at him. “I mean, the timelines are whack right now but…”

Ingo looked embarrassed, “I did not mean to impose. I know I am not a guardian figure for you – that you already have-”

“Nope, nope. Not what I meant. Ingo, you are in your early thirties.”

“What?!” He said. “But look!” He ripped off his hat to reveal his gray hair. It was thinner than it had been. That and the baby Sneasels had a habit of playing with his hair. The babies that came equipped with razors on their hands. Wasn’t there a movie about that?

Dawn winced, “Yeah, you’ve always been gray. The, uh, hair loss is new, though. Maybe stress. Are you stressed?”

Ingo gestured around him, “Yes? You dying three times in front of me made me lose another clump, I’m sure of it. My Gods, I’m thirty?” He certainly felt like a senior citizen.

“Well, hold on, let me do math one second. I think you are...33. I don’t think your birthday has happened yet.”

Ingo didn’t even know his birthday. “How do you know that?”

“Umm…” Dawn squinted, “Don’t worry about it. But that just means instead of Grandpa Ingo, you are Uncle Ingo! No take-backs.”

“Uncle Ingo? Did I just get adopted?” Ingo wasn’t sure how the discussion had gone this way.

“Yup! Now, let’s find a rock or something and we can discuss your past life, yeah?”

“Check in at the base camp, and come find me at my tent.” Ingo said instead. “Hopefully, someone is worried and waiting for you. I’ll start dinner and we can eat while you tell me apparently everything about myself.”

-----

Dawn did not know how to knock on a tent, so she just said, “Hello?” instead.

“Come in!”

Fighting against the layers of fabric that insulated the entrance, she saw Ingo puttering around a stove. “I’m making soup,” he added.

“Very nice.” she said absently, taking in the room around her. It was an eclectic sort of messy, different fabrics strewn about and different preserves lining some leaning shelves. It was cluttered, but organized. Dawn figured there probably weren’t that many storage solutions in a tent.

“Ah, sit down.” Ingo patted on a cushion next to the stove.

“Right, thanks.” Dawn was starting to feel awkward. Where did one start when telling someone else’s life story? Especially when all she knew was the public persona presented by the said person.

She decided to start slowly, “My name is Dawn.”

Ingo looked surprised, looking up from the pot. “Dawn?”

“Yes, there was a misunderstanding.” Dawn started, “My real name is Hikari, but Professor Laventon misheard. And I go by Dawn in all things except...legal?”

“Ah, is Dawn your middle name, then?”

Dawn shook her head, “People don’t really have middle names where I’m from. It’s the Galarian version of my name, from my Dad. It means the same thing in Kantonian. My dad died when I was young and he...called me Dawn.”

“I am sorry to hear that.” Ingo stopped stirring.

“No, no! It’s alright. It was a long time ago. I didn’t mean to make it about me, I just...wanted you to know. That I go by Dawn.”

“Then, would you like me to refer to you as Dawn?”

“Yes, please!” Dawn sighed, “It would be nice to hear my name without making it sound like I’d lost my mind.”

“Very well, Dawn. I think, perhaps, you made me remember something.”

“Oh?” Dawn was wondering if he would remember her now, either as Champion of Sinnoh or as a Battle Subway challenger.

“Yes. I think that my parents also died. A long time ago.”

Dawn internally screamed. “Are you sure you want me to do this? I mean, the last couple of times I’ve brought something up it’s only been painful for you.”

Ingo looked alarmed, “No, please. I’m tired of missing myself. Please, spare nothing. But…” he went fishing around in his pocket and held out the photocard of his brother, “Can you start with him? With Emmet?”

Dawn smiled. “Of course. As I’ve said, this is Emmet. He is your younger twin brother. You both are Subway Bosses at Gear Station in Nimbasa City, Unova. You can drive the trains, but usually you just face opponents. You, like, really love trains. It's kinda you guy's thing. You like doing single battles. Emmet loves double battles.”

“Because he loves combinations of Pokemon.”

“Yes! That’s exactly what he says.” Dawn smiled. “You both run the multi-line, which is where you two face off against two other trainers. That’s where I met you both, actually.”

“So, you were a challenger?”

“Yup! Me and my friend Barry were on vacation. Lucas, too, but he’s a Professor’s assistant and doesn’t battle much anymore. So Barry and I faced you and Emmet. That’s where you gave us the photocards.

“And what are the photocards for, exactly?”

“Well, you collect them. Not you, other people. People collect them. Put them in a binder. Or, like me, put them in a phone case.”

“And I just hand them out?”

“You hand them out to people who reach you on the Battle Subway.” Dawn nodded, “It’s a bit of a hassle getting to you. You have to beat twenty other battlers in a row to get to your car. So, it’s a bit of a reward? For an accomplishment.”

“Hmm. And did you win against us?”

Dawn laughed, “Yes, we did. But Lucas was waiting for us and we had a dinner reservation at a restaurant soon so we got off. Generally, if a challenger wins twenty more battles, you’ll face them again with a different team. I’m not sure too many people make it that far, though.”

“I wonder how far you would have made it. I have a feeling that I did not lose often.”

Laughing again, Dawn said, “Wow, ego? But you are right. Your official League Win/Loss ratio – which doesn’t actually include Battle Subway battles – is insane. Emmet’s too. Both of you are known as some of the strongest trainers in the world, let alone Unova.”

Surprised, Ingo said, “In the world? What a minute, Dawn, you’ve beat me multiple times. One I don’t remember, but another time was literally today. Just who are you?”

“I’m...” Dawn stopped. She had been enjoying being Just Dawn here. No one bowed deeply when they addressed her, no one expected so much for her. Despite being a weirdo that fell from the sky, it was a type of anonymity that she had not had for a while now. She could stay busy without the need for titles in Hisui. “I was at an advantage. I don't have amnesia. That puts a pretty hefty damper on your battling, I'm sure.”

Ingo knew that couldn't explain the first time she won, back at his home station, but he could also tell she didn't want to talk about it, so he let it drop. “So, this Battle Subway? Was it successful?”

Dawn laughed at that, “You were a celebrity! A household name! I would watch your interviews and lives, study your battle videos, and I followed you on Sneaslr. You and Emmet were quite the power duo.”

“A celebrity? As in, I was famous?”

Dawn nodded eagerly, “Very famous. You both were. If you want to know a secret though, you were just a bit more famous than Emmet.”

Ingo seemed sad at that, “Why?”

“Hmm, not sure. But there was a poll once, and you scored higher. And you always seemed to get more interactions on social media.”

“So wait. You said that you faced us years ago. Why have you had my brother’s picture in your phone for years?”

Dawn was really hoping he wouldn’t ask this. “Umm. Well. I am a fan of your brother’s. He’s a lot like me. Or, I guess, I’m a lot like him. He scripts. Says the same thing each time. I used to do that when I was younger. To the point of detriment. Otherwise, he communicates through his Pokemon via battling” She looked down, playing with her fingernails, “It was just nice to see someone who struggles like me be so universally adored.”

“Emmet scripts?” Something about that seemed very similar.

“Follow the rules. Safe driving! Follow the schedule. Everybody smile! Check safety. Everything's ready! Aim for victory! All aboard!” Dawn point-and-called, in a mimicry of Emmet. Her smile then fell, “Oh, oh no. Ingo, are you crying? I’m sorry, sorry!”

Ingo, who had his face shoved into his hat, simply gave a thumbs up. “Everything’s fine,” he said, extremely unconvincingly.

Dawn thought that maybe it wasn’t just Arceus that needed a lesson in tact.

Chapter Text

Dawn and Ingo then came to the conclusion that their memory gathering missions should happen slowly. So Dawn went back to work as a Survey Corps member and joined Ingo for lunch once a week. From there, Ingo led the discussion and asked what questions he could think of. Ingo had reassured Dawn multiple times that any time he was upset, it was borne out of what was once happiness, and thus they were happy tears, in a way.

Dawn didn’t buy it, but went along. Whatever he says makes him happy.

Dawn and Ingo had a bit of a scuffle over her going to quell Avalugg alone. Ingo said it wasn’t healthy for her to die. Dawn said it would be less healthy for literally anyone else to die because they wouldn’t likely come back. In the end, she ended up getting long range support. (Ingo was confused when Dawn said he was a dps and she was a tank. Ingo thought that Gaeric was more of a tank, but apparently he was dps too?)

Dawn only died once this time, which she thought was quite cool of her. Considering she was staring down a landmass. Dawn was fine! She was immortal* some conditions apply. And what better time to come to face with one’s own (im)mortality than at the ripe old age of 15?

After that (apparently she should have not said that out loud) Ingo bought her some charms from a lady in Jubilife. Five of them strung together, in fact. It seemed like a bit of overkill, especially with the expense. He said it was to make sure she stayed ‘in good health’ or something. He was in Jubilife a lot lately, having taken up a post at the training grounds. Dawn found it very fitting, and Ingo seemed to enjoy it. It made their lunch sessions much easier to coordinate, anyway.

It also meant that Ingo was around when the sky went red and Dawn was subsequently kicked out of the village. A very angry Ingo was a force to be reckoned with, but Irida made him stand down. He was, at his heart, a rule follower. He would not disobey authority. But he was pissed. When Irida denied Ingo to give shelter to Dawn for political reasons, he simply left the village. He knew there couldn’t be war, that there were reasons for everyone’s actions but that didn’t make them right.

He needed to walk, and think. That seemed familiar enough at least. With a pang, it almost seemed too familiar. Perhaps this was just how he used to deal with stress in the past. He wondered if something bad would happen again this time, and then wondered what that meant. Curious.

-----

Leonora nodded, “These check out, yes. I actually have a copy of this one here if you’d like to borrow it.” She set down the printed paper of the list of citations and sources that Lucas had sent Elesa. “Are you going to tell Emmet?”

Elesa sighed, “Not right now. He’s at work, thank goodness.”

Leonora looked surprised, “He went back to work?”

Elesa nodded, “I begged him to. I felt like these sources might check out. It’s not like Professor’s Assistants are in the business of not doing good research. But once I tell Emmet – and I wanted to make sure this was serious before I did – he’s going to want to go to Sinnoh. If we leave immediately, without him have going back to work, I fear he might have lost his position. He might still. I’m not sure how he will react to knowing that Ingo is somewhere but can’t get to him.”

“Certainly they wouldn’t fire him? I mean, it would be callous.” Leonora exclaimed from the stacks, finding the book she had in the collection.

“I have good reason to believe they were already discussing it. Of course, I hope you will keep this under wraps.”

“Of course, dear.” Leonora stepped off the small ladder and handed her the book, “Here’s this. I’ll check it out under your name. Do you have a card with us?”

Elesa shrugged, “Not sure. If I do, it’s years old.”

“Probably not, then. I can get you set up.” Leonora started tapping at the computer. “Will they not just fire him when you are both in Sinnoh?”

Elesa sighed, “They probably will try, yes. But it’s gotta be a least a month before I talk back with Lucas and clear our schedules and book flights or whatnot. I am hoping to use some of my...influence, so to speak. To try to keep his job waiting for him.”

Leonora looked up, “What are you planning?”

“A contract. An exclusive contract. As in, I leave my current agency and sign with Gear Station’s PR. They’ll have the rights to my image to do whatever they want. I know they must be hurting for money. They are in the middle of making three new lines. The Depot Agents can run the lines, but that is not an enough incentive for challengers except the most dedicated.”

“Will you be a Subway Boss, then?”

“Unlikely. Hopefully not. I would still be a Gym Leader – that’s through the League. I would just advertise for them. Maybe make special appearances. But only if they keep Emmet hired.”

“Wouldn’t that throw a wrench in your career?” Leonora pushed over a card for Elesa to sign.

“No more than Emmet’s has been interrupted. It’s fine. I’ll be able to negotiate a short term contract, I’m sure. Three years and I could be done.”

Leonora patted her hand in a motherly way, “It is admirable to sacrifice for your friends. But make sure you take care of you, too.”

Elesa grabbed the book. “I know, Leonora. Thank you. But I want to do this.”

“Best wishes, then.” Leonora smiled at her faintly.

-----

Ingo received a letter from Irida, stating that all Wardens were to stay at their stations until further notice. He wondered if all Wardens had actually received this notice, or if it was just him. Ingo had never warred against the truth of authority and the ideals of his own moral code. It must have been his belief system, from before. Dawn had mentioned the two twin dragons of Unova briefly. He thought that he always leaned towards truth. The law was the moral.

Ingo was now under the impression that his younger self that thought that was wrong. Very wrong.

But he wasn’t doing much better right now, was he? Dawn was literally out in the wilderness. She couldn’t die, thankfully. But that was only a technicality. And certainly it wasn’t just her physical health that was in trouble. Despite everything she was a child.

Ingo finally made his mind up. He growled, sent out a telepathic apology for the leader that had welcomed him with open arms, and grabbed Gliscor’s Pokeball from his low table.

Stepping out of his tent, he had an answer to the burgeoning question of where Dawn was. Did the Temple of Sinnoh just explode? Oh, it definitely just did. Ingo turned around and went back inside to grab the rest of his team. They were likely to be needed.

-----

Dawn wasn’t quite sure why the Lake Trio did not give her two teeth or feathers or claws. They provided her with an envelope containing each item but couldn’t be bothered to just give her an extra? At least she did have some heavy-hitting help at the end. Volo helped her for the literal first time since her coming here. Cogita was the perfect kind of jaded. (Dawn had a new role model) Lian came in clutch with ore, and Rei was able to craft an Origin Ball, of all things? And of course, the Clans directly ignoring Kamado’s orders was super cool.

Kamado and Beni were on thin ice, though.

She finally got to see Dialga and Palkia again, after some years. Long ago were the days that she fed them Poffins and scolded them when they tried to snap at Giratina. Now, she was just trying to not get killed. She did not die, even though she felt like death. She stayed upright, and she flung that Origin Ball as hard as she could.

She hoped it hurt.

-----

By the time Ingo scaled Mount Coronet, making his way to the Temple of Sinnoh, he saw Dawn, somehow standing, throw an oddly iridescent Pokeball. As she threw it, she let out what could only be considered a primal scream. He hoped it was cathartic. She deserved it.

He continued walking forward as the sky drained of red, and the rift at the summit snapped closed. He heard Dawn wail out an “It’s done.” A little dramatic, he thought, but he respected it.

“Warden,” he heard the sharp call.

Oh, no. Obviously Dawn did not need any help. He should have slipped away while he was still unseen. Then Irida would never know that he had disobeyed-- wait a minute, was that not Lian? Apparently not all wardens needed to stay back.

“Yes?” Ingo answered his leader.

“I believe I told you to stay at your station, as you would call it.”

“Coronet Highlands is my station. Something exploded. I figured it was quite within my duties to check what transpired.” Ingo hoped it would work. He knew she decreed it so he wouldn’t do something stupid to start a war. So maybe he could convince her that he came for a totally different, respectable reason.

It didn’t work, but he was saved by the Jubilife villagers declaring a festival immediately, and the two leaders were back into diplomatic mode. A celebration for all three settlements? What a chance for unity.

He took the chance to sidle over to Dawn. “How are you doing?” he asked, quietly.

“I didn’t die,” was her answer.

Chapter Text

Ingo was happy to see that Dawn had perked up for the festival. It was quite lively, but the lack of an age restriction on the alcohol served was giving him a headache. He had ‘accidentally’ spilled Dawn’s, Rei’s and Lian’s drinks so they would get the hint. It worked, mostly because he had heard Dawn whisper, “Just don’t—he’s so scary when he’s angry”, which didn’t make him feel great, but it did work for his current purposes.

Taking in the scene, he saw Melli on top of the platform singing and dancing his little heart out. Skuntank too. Would he remember doing that? He was probably wasted. He did a double take as he saw Irida and Glaceon dancing with him. That was not on his bingo card. What was a bingo card? He’d ask Dawn.

Laventon was taking pictures with his photobox. He looked up and saw Sabi flying around on Braviary. He hoped no one served the four year old a drink. Kamado looked stressed – good – but Cyllene looked extremely happy about the events.

Palina and Iscan were also looking quite happy – and also not subtle at all. Was that allowed? Was it new? Ah, well, he is always the last to know. He stayed a bit away from the festivities, until he saw Dawn point at him, wave, and drag Rei over to him.

Ah, well. He did have people to celebrate with.

“They’re looking for performers!” Dawn excitedly informed him as she came near. “I’m going to perform! I need to find Anthe!”

Ingo blinked, “Perform? What are you going to perform?” He hadn’t ever noticed her singing or dancing or otherwise putting on a show, but it was true that he…didn’t know much about her. Their weekly talks had always centered around him, and she evaded a lot of questions.

“Just an old routine. Gotta go!”

Ingo shrugged, and went to find someone else to talk to. He was spared from it when Zisu appeared behind him, offering a drink. “Ah, thank you,” he accepted.

—--

The next time Ingo saw Dawn, she had changed out of her festival attire and into a long dress. It must have been why she needed to see Anthe, the village clothier. It certainly didn’t seem like Dawn would own such a dress. Her hair was mostly down, but tied up with clips in a way that was surprisingly complicated. Her Gastrodon was adorned with matching ribbons. He should have realized it would be a performance with Pokemon.

“Gastrodon!” Dawn yelled, “Sunny Day!”

Ingo blinked. It was night time but just a few moments ago. He was slightly tipsy from the drink Zisu gave him and the bright light was giving him a headache.

“Waterfall!”

Some spectators moved back to avoid the rush of water, but it was well contained within the area around Dawn. Zisu, still standing by him, seemed impressed. “Her Gastrodon has good control,” she nodded.

“Icy wind!” Dawn commanded from what must be inside the waterfall. The waterfall immediately froze, glinting sunlight.

“Earth power!”

Suddenly, the frozen waterfall splintered, sending a haze of shining shards and mist upwards. All of the vapor and debris caught the sunlight, and sent rainbows arching throughout the audience. The audience gasped, the younger ones trying to grab the rainbows with their hands.

When did Dawn learn to do this? Ingo cupped his hands to capture a rainbow on his palm. She was obviously very talented. He sniffed. Man, she was just so talented. And she called him uncle. So she was his niece. He had such a cool niece.

Oh, right. Ingo remembered. He was a sentimental drunk.

-----

Ingo opened his eyes, and immediately regretted it. His throat was dry, his eyes felt some sort of gritty, his head pounded. He was hungover. He hadn’t been hungover since...well, he didn’t remember. But he knew it hadn’t been for awhile.

More concerning was the fact that he was looking at a ceiling. One made of wood. Not fabric. Looking around, he was surrounded by people. A lot of people. No one was touching him, thank the Gods. But, yup, that was Palina’s head sleeping on Iscan’s chest. And that was Irida and Glaceon smushed into a corner. Adaman was sitting up, but holding his head looking like he was questioning his life choices. How did the two clans end up sleeping on the floor of wherever this was?

Ah, the festival. No one was probably able to make it home.

“Afternoon!” Sabi stepped into the room, “My clairvoyance said that some people were awake! I bring water!”

Well, at least the four year old was fine. He croaked out a thanks and drank the whole bowl. Rubbing his eyes, he got up and stepped over the bodies. Mai, Arezu, and Calaba were in a large jumble in the middle. The only actual futon in the place was empty.

He groaned when he opened the door and the sun blasted him. It was past noon. He had never slept in so late in Hisui.

“Hi, Ingo!” he heard Dawn shout. “Afternoon”.

Ingo grumbled, “Loud.”

Dawn snorted. “Did you sleep well?”

“I have no idea. Did you?”

“Yes, I slept like a nice, non-inebriated, well-hydrated baby.”

Ingo covered his eyes again, “Show off.”

He turned around. “Wait a minute. Isn’t this your accommodations?” He had never been inside before, but he had been pointed towards it once, to be an alarm clock.

“Yup, it was a full house, for sure.” Dawn laughed. “I ended up sleeping over in the Survey Corps office. Did you know Melli snores like a Varoom? His Skuntank is no better.”

“I don’t seem to recall.” Ingo said.

“Typical! You gotta know your limits, Uncle!”

“Hey! I am fairly certain the alcoholic drinks that I’ve drank before weren’t as...strong.”

“Ingo!” Lian started running towards him from the village entrance. He must have went back to Kleavor last night. “Where is everyone?”

“In my house.” Dawn pointed towards the door. “Everyone’s mostly asleep. Rei went off to get more water when people wake up.”

Right on cue, Rei came forward, carrying two jugs of water. “Hi guys!” He spotted Ingo and beamed. “Do you want some more water, Ingo?”

Oh, Ingo did not like that look in his eye.

“Are you feeling better, Ingo? A little less excited?” Rei continued.

Ingo felt the blood drain out of his face, “What did I do? Rei?! What did I do?”

Dawn saved him, “You, uh, well. Laventon had his photobox, right? And you know how we talked about how you were a celebrity, right?”

“Right?” Ingo wasn’t sure where this was going.

“So, you’ve probably done a lot of photoshoots before, and you were making Laventon...shoot your photoshoot.”

Rei cut in, “You took off your coat and insisted on rolling your sleeves up. What was that about? And what’s a smolder?”

Ingo decided that Lady Sneasler needed to be checked on. “Bye, kids! Have fun with the rest of the clans.”

“Wait!” Rei called after him. Ingo ignored him.

Chapter Text

Arceus wasted no time telling Dawn that her work was far from over. They came to her in her sleep, the night after the festival. It was like they knew Dawn had taken a night off and wanted to prod her back to productivity. That certainly wasn't going to necessitate more talks with her therapist.

“So far, you have completed one of my four tasks,” Arceus started.

“I’ve done quite a bit more than four things,” Dawn argued.

“’Locate anyone who has fallen victim to the tears of reality.’ I had asked you. You have completed this. ‘Mend the relationships between people and Pokemon that have been severed by these cracks in time and space.’ The tasks I have outlined in your ArcPhone must be completed. ‘Find the agitator. Seek out all Pokemon.’ These have not be completed.” Arceus droned.

"Do you have any idea about the agitator? I mean, is it possible that your children are fighting without one?" Dawn had made no progress on this task, and was hoping maybe it could be solved by a stern glare by a parent

But Arceus shook their head, "No, the frenzies of my children and my Noble Pokemon is not something that could happen without outside influence."

"And do you have any clues about what this outside influence could be?"

"No," Arceus stated simply. "But continue to complete your tasks and I will update the ArcPhone when I can find out more information."

“And when I’ve done all of your tasks, what happens then?” Dawn crossed her arms.

“What is it you wish to happen?”

“I want to go home.” Dawn said. “I want to see my family and my friends. And I want Ingo to be able to go back home too. And I want his memories to come back.”

“I can do everything you wish except for the other’s memories. I did not remove them."

Dawn frowned, “Then how did he lose his memory?"

"I am not sure," Arceus said, "It is unrelated to the breaks in time and space. They alone would not cause a loss of memory."

Sighing, Dawn watched as her dream began to fade. Arceus was leaving, and Dawn fought to stay unconscious. Despite her best efforts, however, she opened her eyes with a gasp and found herself in the survey corps office, wrapped around a spare sleeping roll she had found in storage. She sat up, and blinked away the sleep that had collected around her eyes.

Wait a minute, was Cyllene sleeping on top of her desk? Her Abra sat on her back, clearly sleeping herself. What was even in those drinks? Dawn was almost glad Ingo had swatted them all out of her hands. Not that she would ever tell him that.

-----

Dawn thought it was rather cheap for the Pokemon that only appeared in time distortions to be included in the ‘seek out all Pokemon’ task. But after reuniting someone with their very dizzy Spheal, she saw one forming in the distance and decided to make her way over. She needed more of the Porygon line.
As she was walking toward it, she felt the tell-tale change in atmospheric pressure. Her ears popped and crackled like she was flying on Braviary. Gravity didn’t always seem to work exactly as she had left it in these distortions. It was disorienting, but manageable.

The distortion finished forming as she walked in to enter. She took a deep breath and shoved away the fear that always accompanied being in a place that felt so wrong (it was Distortion World Lite, after all).

Spotting an Eevee materialize in the distance, she readied Typhlosion’s Pokeball. There were always more tasks to do with that whole evolution family. She crouched in the grass, trying to make her way to a small jut in the rock. Just a little closer...

But her attention should have been elsewhere, and by the time she heard, rather than saw, the Rampardos charging towards her, it was too late to dodge. It hit her hard, having had plenty of time to wind up while she was distracted. A shriek ripped out of her lungs as she felt something in her ribs crack. Typlosion’s Pokeball fell out her hand, and the Pokemon unlatched itself and released.

Dawn did not have the ability to call out any attacks, but Typhlosion had been well trained. Leaving her partner to it, she focused on getting her breath back. The pain of her lungs attempting to retain air again was amplified by what must be broken ribs. With a few shattering coughs, she scrambled up gracelessly. She was still in a distortion, and Typhlosion couldn’t beat all the Pokemon that were bound to materialize.

And right on cue, a Magmortar and Dusknoir, extremely enraged by their travel through space and time, start leering down at her. “Typhlosion!” she called out.

The Typhlosion dropped the Rampardos and came back over. Before he could make it over, however, an Ambipom tackled him. Spitting and hissing, Typhlosion scuffled to untangle itself from Ambipom’s tail-arms.

Dawn was forced to dodge a Shadow Ball from the Dusknoir, which tore a ragged scream as she landed hard on her broken ribs. The scream, while involuntary, was not the right course of action, as the Ambipom found that much more interesting

That did free Typhlosion to put himself in between Dawn and the Pokemon. Dawn picked herself up again – with much difficulty – and tried to run out of the boundaries of the distortion. She recalled Typhlosion once she got a far enough lead on the Magmortar and Dusknoir. She didn't want to abandon her Pokemon in the distortion. She blankly grabbed her flute, not sure which Pokemon she wanted to call – but any one of them would do. Any that could just get her out.

But her mad rush to leave alerted yet more Pokemon. She tried to dodge, but couldn’t move fast enough. An Octillery threw what must have been a water pulse at her, because she immediately felt confused. She tried to get under cover, but instead walked right off a small ledge that were so prevalent in the Highlands.

Stars flew around her eyes as she landed roughly on her wrist, collapsing on the rough rocks. She apparently hadn’t gotten far, because the Ambipom was back – or was it a different one? Everything was still spinning, and she had no other thoughts other than to close her eyes and raise her arms as the Ambipom used Fury Swipes. It always did seem to hit more when it was her opponent that used the move.

Typhlosion released himself – again – and Dawn mentally kicked herself. Why hadn’t she called him out before? Why didn't she call out more than one Pokemon? She didn't have her actual team on her, carrying Pokemon she was planning on studying instead. But it wasn't like these were League matches that she had to follow rules for. Why was she being so stupid? How did this go so wrong? Not too far away, there was an alcove, facing away from the center of the distortion. She could hide there, until the distortion passed – it always did. As Typholsion scared away the Ambipom, she stood up, still confused. Typholsion placed himself under her arm, steadying her.

Unfortunately, when Dawn still tripped, and Typhlosion moved forward so she could land on him, she didn’t think to raise her arms to stop her fall, and she landed on her chest. Typhlosion, getting the idea, started dragging her to the alcove.

He let her fall with a soft thump, and Dawn stopped to take stock of her injuries. Ribs were definitely broken. Wrist was up in the air. Bloody scratches lined her arms, her Galaxy uniform sleeves shredded, the ragged fabric plastered to her arm with blood.

Assuming that to be the most pressing issue, she took off her handkerchief, had Typhlosion rip it in half, and tied tourniquets on both of her arms. She felt dizzy, and wondered if it was the water pulse or the blood loss. Could be both.

Dawn vaguely wondered how she was even conscious. The amount of blood that streaked up her arms, down her shirt, and onto poor Typhlosion was concerning. In fact, why couldn’t she just die? Arceus could then fix her right up, and she could just go study some Shinx instead. As the adrenaline wore off, and the pain set in, she figured that would be the best plan. So she tried to loosen up her body that was beginning to stiff with pain, and wait for darkness.

Unfortunately, her body was not cooperating, and was unhelpfully staying conscious, able to feel all the pain from her broken ribs every time she breathed.

“Typhlosion,” she croaked out.

Typhlosion, obviously upset, moved his head towards her own and gave a small whine.

“Typhlosion, kill me, please. Just kill me so I can be healed.”

The Pokemon stood straight up with a cry. It did not move after that. Eventually, it laid back down, ghostly flames flaring, but only to warm her body.

“Please! Please, Ty!” When the Typhlosion still refused to kill his trainer – even if she would technically be fine, Dawn let out a wail.

“Then get help! Get someone!” Dawn cried.

Typhlosion was loath to leave, but decided it was likely the best plan. Running out into the Highlands, dodging the Pokemon still forming in the distortion, Dawn watched him go.

-----

Ingo was hanging up his blankets that he had just finished washing when he heard a Pokemon cry. Turning around, he saw a Typhlosion charging at him. Alarmed, he started to grab a Pokeball from his belt, until he realized that Typhlosion were not native to the Highlands. This particular Typhlosion did not look aggressive, and also looked very familiar. In fact, it was Dawn’s Typhlosion.

The Typhlosion stopped in front of him. It was frantic, pointing and squawking. It was also covered in blood. He followed the Pokemon’s point, and saw a space time distortion. Those weren’t anything odd, but to have Dawn’s Typhlosion, alone, and so upset, could only mean one thing…

Dawn was in trouble.

“Got it,” Ingo said, and ran inside to get his med kit. He was out within seconds, and told the Typhlosion to lead the way.

Thankfully, the distortion was not far. Typhlosion carefully led him into the distortion. Ingo felt his wrist vibrate, and he spared it a look. “Message sent” it had said. Odd. The device on his wrist had not worked except for a day after he had arrived in Hisui.

The Typhlosion pointed towards an alcove in the rock, and Ingo dived in.

He knew, in the back of his mind, that it had to have been bad for Typhlosion to come to him, alone. Especially since Dawn could not die. With a drop of his heart, he wondered if Dawn had died and not come back, and that was why Typhlosion had ran and got him. Maybe since the rift had closed, Arceus saw no need to keep reviving her. He took a look over her form, covered in blood, uniform shredded, head lolled back, and eyes dull.

Ingo lunged towards her neck, to check for a pulse. It was unnecessary, as Dawn murmured “Hello Ingo.” She blinked many times, very hard.

Ingo thought she was falling asleep. “Stay awake, Dawn! Don’t fall asleep.” He slapped her cheeks lightly.

Dawn growled, “I can’t.” She moved her head to make eye contact, “Ingo. Please kill me. I will be fine. I will come back. It hurts so much.”

“I won’t do that, Dawn.” Ingo grabbed bandages from the med kit, and started wrapping her arms.

“Why not?” Dawn wailed. “Why haven’t I already died? Why can’t I go unconscious?”

Ingo looked down at her bag, the five charms hanging off in a chain. Dawn followed his gaze, and her eyes sparked back to life. She grabbed the front of Ingo’s tunic, her grip weak.

“You?” she spat, “You’re the reason I can’t die anymore?” She gritted her teeth, “Do you know how much pain I’m in?” She punctuated that with a scream, and Ingo didn’t know if it was from pain or anger.

Ingo bit back guilt, and kept bandaging. If he could stop the bleeding, he could carry her back to a base camp, and the base camp could stretcher her back to Jubilife.

Dawn was not done with him, her pain channeling as anger. “If you caused me this much pain, the least you could do is end it for me!” she hissed. “I’m broken. Kill me, or let me die at least. And then I’ll be fine.”

“I’m not going to, Dawn.” Ingo steadied his voice. “I’ve watched you die too many times.”

“Selfish!” Dawn shrieked. “This is not about you!”

Ingo swallowed. He thought he remembered someone yelling at him like this, before. He was distracted by his wrist vibrating again: “I am at the apartment. Please come home.” He blinked, and saw it was a message from Emmet, of all people?

Wait a minute. He didn't know how to read. Did he?

He shook his head. That was not the priority. He finished wrapping up both arms, and said. “Okay, I’m going to get you to a base-” His voice was cut off as the distortion vanished. The sudden pressure difference made him hack into his elbow, and Dawn wrapped her arms around her chest and gasped.

“My ribs,” she said through clenched teeth, “broken.”

“Okay,” Ingo sucked air through his teeth. Was there any way he could carry her without causing more damage? He was taught basic first aid. This was above him. Change of tracks needed. “I’m going to get the lady, and she’ll take you in her basket to the nearest base camp, alright?”

Dawn just nodded, and Ingo took out his flute, hoping to add the urgency he felt into the summoning tune.

The Lady took no time to arrive, basket in tow. “Okay, Dawn,” Ingo sighed. "I’m going to place you in the basket. It’s going to hurt. Scream if you need, it will help.”

And Dawn screamed, even as she covered a hand to her mouth to muffle it.

----

Ingo watched as Dawn slept in the infirmary at the Galaxy Building. Mercifully, she was given pain medication and something to let her sleep.

“It could be much worse.” Pesselle had said. “Multiple broken ribs, but nothing punctured her lungs. Her wrist is sprained, not broken, but it will hurt. Heavy blood loss.” She added, a bit more quietly. “A lot of blood loss. I’m not sure how she stayed conscious the whole time.”

Ingo looked away. He was beginning to realize that he probably should have explained more of what those charms did before giving them to Dawn. “That’s good. Considering.” He said instead.

“It really is,” the nurse agreed. “She will sleep most of the day. You can go to your shift at the training grounds. Do you want updates?”

“Yes, please.”

Chapter Text

Elesa was in uncharted territory. How exactly does one tell a grieving brother – who was finally rebuilding his life – that his twin’s fandom found him halfway across the world, 200 years ago? She wanted to be prepared, so she printed out photocopies from Lucas, citation lists, and even some threads from Sneaslr. Printing out something from social media made her felt a couple of decades older than she was, but she wanted them to be laid out for Emmet, rather than having to scroll through and maybe see some of the less helpful posts.

She shrugged off her coat as Emmet let her into his apartment. “Hey,” he said in lieu of a greeting, “is everything okay? You normally don’t want to order in.”

“Yes, I’m fine,” Elesa assured him, “I just wanted to order in this time because I wanted to talk to you.”

Emmet quirked up his lips, “I’m doing fine, I promise. The Doubles Line is running smoothly, and I’m fit to start the Singles Line part time next week.” He didn’t mention the Multi-Line. It, of course, was going to stay closed.

He had always wanted to do more on the Subway Boss side and less on promotions. Well, now that there was only one Subway Boss, he got his wish. All day he would run from one challenger to another.

“It’s not about that.” Elesa sighed, “Why don’t we eat on the couch, yeah?”

“Sure, that’s fine. I’ll just move it in from the kitchen. Are you sure you’re okay?” Emmet narrowed his eyes at her. He knew that her grief was cut short, needing to support him. It made him feel immeasurably guilty, but she always said she had Skyla. Maybe she just needed extra support today?

“Really, I am. Sit down, I’ll explain everything.” She pulled a folder and a book from the tote she had been carrying. “So, people have been pretty active on social media, after Ingo disappeared.”

Emmet frowned. “...Yeah. I know. They made it quite clear what they think happened to him.”

“Well, yes, but not in the way that you think.” She pulled out some papers from the folder. “His fans have tracked him down to Hisui, which is ancient Sinnoh. Ingo was sent back 200 years into the past.”

Emmet felt disappointed. He had underestimated the grief that Elesa had felt, had been too caught up in his own. “Elesa…” he started.

“No, I know how it sounds. I’ve been contacted by people who have also had someone missing – and show up in Hisui, 200 years ago. They just...disappeared.”

“Who contacted you?”

“The Hisui Historical Society.” Elesa said. “It’s run by Sinnoh’s premier professor’s assistant, Lucas. Back last November, this photo was discovered in a historical text.” Elesa fished out the printed photo of Ingo, getting ready for battle.

Emmet looked at it, immediately recognizing the uniform, ragged as it was. The silver eyes, the odd looking Pokeball in his hands. “It’s a very good photo edit.” he nodded.

“It’s not an edit, Emmet. Look, I have a citation for it. It’s from this article, published around twelve years ago. Tracing back from that, the photo was a donation to the Sinnoh Regional Museum from the Laventon Estate.” Elesa pointed towards the reference sheet, “Professor Laventon is known to be the first person to make a Pokedex. And he made it, 200 years ago, in Hisui.”

“But you don’t actually have the articles, though.” Emmet placed the sheet down.

“No, I don’t. Unova doesn’t have these texts. Many of them haven’t even been translated to Galarian.” Elesa said, “but I asked Leonora, and she said the texts really do exist in databases, and that it is what they say.”

“Well maybe, somehow, it’s just a distant relative who has a very similar coat.”

“That’s extremely unlikely, Emmet.”

“And this is?” Emmet huffed.

“It is unlikely, yes. But this thread explains here that the material the uniforms are made of would not exist at that time.” Elesa shuffled through the papers.

“Another social media thread, though? Fandoms get creative. It could just be a very well thought out kind of roleplay.”

"I literally studied textiles in school. That part is completely true. And anyway, some of these articles predate social media. And Leonora did have one item in her collection.” She presented the book she got from the library, A People’s History of Hisui, likely only translated due to it being a part of a larger series of history texts.

Elesa flipped open to where she had placed sticky notes. It was a chapter on Wardens, high ranking members of the Pearl and Diamond Clans. “It says here, ‘Not much is known about Sneasler’s Wardens, only that the Lady did not have many. She did have one notable Warden, Warden Ingo, who was said to have fallen from the sky with no memories on the day of the Avalanches of Grief. First hand accounts of Warden Ingo state that he was eccentric, with odd turns of phrase, but with an unrivaled skill with Pokemon.” Elesa turned the book around to show him. Accompanied with the text was a small black and white photo of this Warden Ingo.

Emmet looked closer. This time, Ingo was not wearing his Jacket nor his hat. His hair was very thin, the hairline having receded far more than Emmet’s had. He was wearing a sort of tunic and base layer, sleeves rolled above his elbows. His gaze was unfocused.

“If that is Ingo, then he is very drunk.” Emmet said.

Elesa looked at the photo, “What? He looks normal to me.”

Emmet shook his head. “It really does look like him. But he doesn’t have his hat or coat on. Could be a coincidence? An ancestor?”

Elesa sighed. “I mean, someone who showed up one day with no memory? Someone who spoke weirdly but had a great talent with Pokemon? Who else could it be?”

“I mean sure, it sounds like Ingo, but…”

“But, what? Emmet?”

“If Ingo got transported back into the past, then...he’s dead. He died a long time ago. And I’ll never see him again. He’s somewhere I can’t go.”

Elesa understood, “So, you hope it’s not him?”

“I don’t know.” Emmet whispered. “Did he have a good life? It’s better than him dying outright, I suppose. Did he ever remember? Did he miss me?”

“This book doesn’t say much more about him. I do not know. But it is a generalized book about the history of Hisui. These other articles,” she grabbed the citation list, “focus more on the minutiae of the time he’s been found.”

Swallowing hard, Emmet asked, “How do we get access to those articles?”

“Lucas has offered for us to stay with him. He’s the one that’s been collating and crowdsourcing information through texts and the internet.”

“And Lucas is in Sinnoh?”

“Yes.”

“So we would need to go to Sinnoh.”

“Yes.”

Emmet spoke after a pause, “I would lose my job. If that is not Ingo, and Ingo came back, then...we wouldn’t have the Battle Subway. He would leave again, Elesa! If it is Ingo, then I wouldn’t be able to see him, anyway. He’s dead. And then I would still lose the Subway. Without Ingo and the Subway, who even am I?”

Elesa wrapped him in a hug, “You’re still Emmet. Even without those things, you are still you.”

Emmet squirmed, “Then I don’t know who I am.”

Elesa sat back, “I won’t make you do anything you don’t want. If you aren’t sure, you can think about it. If you want, I can get you in contact with Lucas. That might give you some information on what you think would be the best next step?”

Letting out a steadying breath, Emmet nodded. “Okay, I can talk to this Lucas. But I make no guarantees. I just hope...that wherever Ingo is, or was, he led a very happy life.”

Chapter Text

Dawn did not stay asleep for long. Despite clawing her way to consciousness, the pain medication had not run its course. When Peselle’s assistant had retrieved him from the Training Grounds, Ingo’s first thought, to put it quite bluntly, was that she was high as a kite. This was confirmed after he asked how she was feeling, and Dawn answered with a giddy, “yee.”

Taking that as a good sign, Ingo sat down on the stool next to her bed. “That’s good. Are you tired?”

Instead of answering, Dawn said, “Hi, Ingo! Ingoo! Haha, like a Sligoo. In goo. You are in goo now. Must be in the Mirelands.”

Ingo figured he might as well be known as Ingoo. Why not?

“Oooh, what’s lit up on your wrist? Is that an xTrans? Cool. Very cool. Uncle Warden Subway Boss Ingoo is cool and in goo.” Ingo let his wrist ragdoll around as Dawn tugged on it, and tried to get a Nurse’s attention. Dawn probably needed...something. Did she have too much pain medication? Did she have a fever?

“Wow, it’s in Galarian!” Dawn continued. “I haven’t seen Galarian in so long! Oh my god, it says it’s from Emmet. Why didn’t you text him baaaack? Text Emmet baack!”

“Galarian? What a minute, what are we speaking now?” Ingo wondered what scrambled bag of Caterpies his language was. If Dawn said he was from Unova, then why did he speak the same as everyone else in Hisui? Why was his brother’s texts in a different, but also comprehensible language?
Dawn laughed mockingly, “You want me?” she pointed to herself. “To help you? I can’t even see straight. Lol.”

Ingo realizing she just said ‘lol’ out loud, he got up to go physically find a nurse.

“Wait, no! Don’t go! Don’t leave Emmet on read. Say hi!”

Ingo sat back down, “I don’t know what to say to him.”

“Where you are, that you miss him. I mean, what do you think I want to say to my mom?” Dawn rolled her head around to him, definitely with a ‘teen girl is judging you’ look on her face.

“Right.” Ingo was surprised he knew how to work the xTrans, as Dawn had called it. He stopped and started multiple times, not sure what to say. But he ended up with, “I am in the past. I have lost my memory, but I have someone with me helping to get it back. I remember I miss you lots.”

“This look good?” Ingo asked, and wondered why he was having a teen-aged girl proofread his texts.

“Tell him I said hiiiii!” she whined. So Ingo had to add, “The person with me says hi.” before Dawn gave her approval. He pressed send, and waited. He only got an error message that said, “Message is queued”.

“What does that mean?” Ingo asked.

“You have no signal. Where did you get signal here?”

“In the time distortion,” he started, and broke off as Dawn looked upset.

“The time distortion?” Instant sobs. Ingo was perplexed. What had caused the sudden mood change?

“Ummm. Yes, I think I got signal in the time distortion. Maybe it will send again if I find one.”

“We have to go into one again?” She wailed, which finally alerted a nurse. By the time the nurse arrived, however, Dawn had already fallen into a deep sleep.

“What happened?” Ingo asked the nurse.

“Ah. It can be a side effect of the pain medication. She will sleep it off,” the nurse said, glumly.

-----

Reluctantly, Ingo had to leave Jubilife to attend to the Lady and his Warden duties for a few days. Peselle kept assuring him that it was fine, that Dawn was fine. She would be asleep most of the time, and she probably wouldn’t be lucid for awhile, anyway.

He still felt guilty as he left, hoping that when Dawn woke up for real, she wouldn’t wake up alone.

-----

He needn’t have worried. He got a Starly every morning that said there was no real change, just steady forward progress.

When he came back, however, Dawn was lucid enough to hold an actual conversation.

“Hello,” he said, one day after finishing his shift at the training grounds. She was sitting up.

“Hi, Ingo.” she responded. No Ingoo. That was probably a good sign.

“How are you?”

Dawn winced, “My ribs hurt. But I’m fine. There's not much they can do for them anyway. They're honestly just keeping me for the blood loss still, I think? Everything is healing fine. No infection.” She lifted up both of her arms. The scratches had closed, leaving only faint red streaks. Her bandages had been taken off.

“And how do you feel…about what happened?”

Dawn looked at him questioningly, “I’m not sure what you mean. Like jeez, I wish it didn’t happen. But I’ll be fine.”

Ingo wasn’t sure if he should bring it up. But if the mere mention of space time distortions was enough to make her sob…

“Ingo,” Dawn sighed, “Now I’m getting worried. What happened, other than I fucked up in a space time distortion?”

“Language!” Ingo barked, but his heart wasn’t in it. She had mentioned it herself, and she seemed fine.

Maybe he should ask. “When we talked before – you probably don’t remember, you were drugged – we talked about needed to go back into a distortion, and you were very upset.”

Dawn blinked. “Is that all? Well, like you said, I was drugged. I’ll need to go back in to finish my tasks so we can get home, anyway.” The truth was that she was quite anxious, but she was not going to mention that. Apparently the medicine made her lose her pretty heavy filter.

“Wait, home? Put a pin in that, one second.” Ingo tried to untangle his thoughts. “I meant to apologize. I should have told you about those charms. That they would keep you alive.”

Dawn fell, a little. “Ah. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to yell at you like I did. I don’t remember too much of the specifics, but I knew I was saying just horrible things to you. I just couldn’t stop.”

“You were in lots of pain. Yelling helps, sometimes.” Ingo shrugged.

“I have…a kind of anger. That scares me. I don't know where it's from. I'm sorry I directed it towards you. But I don’t mind that the charms kept me alive. Generally, after I die, I have a few seconds and then I’m right back to it. Not dying finally gave me a break. A little vacation. If I knew all I had to do was mess up in a distortion I could have gotten a break earlier.”

“That is...unhealthy.” Ingo said, “You should take breaks without getting grievously injured.”

“But when I’m done,” Dawn argued, “we get to go home. But why did you want to go back into the space time distortion, anyway?”

“Still putting a pin in the ‘home’ comment. I think my xTrans works in space time distortions. I can talk to Emmet.”

“Really?” Dawn sat up further with a wince, “Let me see-”

“It’s dead now. The distortion seems to charge it but it dies since I don’t have any other way to power it.”

“Ah,” Dawn seemed disappointed. “Well, now I want to go back into a space time distortion. But they won’t let me out!”

“No, that’s a good thing. Take the time to rest. When you are ready, we can find a distortion and try to contact Emmet. Maybe you could try your mom, as well.” Ingo started to pat her shoulder, but thought otherwise. He didn’t know if it would hurt. “And now, finally, what do you mean by go home?”

Dawn pointed towards the stand by her bed, “can you grab that for me?” she asked.

Seeing her ArcPhone, Ingo grabbed it and handed it to her. “I’ve been talking to God,” she started, then stopped. “I know that sounds ridiculous. But the reason why I’ve been sent here is to complete four tasks: ‘Locate anyone who has fallen victim to the tears of reality. Mend the relationships between people and Pokemon that have been severed by these cracks in time and space. Find the agitator. Seek out all Pokemon.’” She showed him the message on her phone. “I’ve completed the first one. I have three left. After I finish, Arceus has agreed to send both of us home – that is, if you want to…”

“Yes.” Was all Ingo said. “But why are you doing this alone?”

“Well, it’s not like I can die, and God told me, so…”

“Absolutely not. I’m going to help you. All these tasks that Arceus has listed here – why does that man want a big Buizel anyway? – I will help you with. Then we can both get home.” Ingo was scrolling through Arceus's agenda list.. One hundred and seventeen tasks, around fifty more Pokemon, and finding whatever the ‘agitator’ was. They could do that.

Dawn shook her head, “Aren’t you busy? With being a Warden and working at the Training Grounds?”

“Well, how about this: I will take the Highlands and Alabaster Icelands, since I have to be there for my duties. I’ll work on the tasks and catch Pokemon while I do my patrols.”

Dawn smiled, “That...would work. That actually sounds like a plan. As soon as they clear me, we’re going to find a space time distortion, and you’ll be working on those two areas in the meantime. I’ll make a copy of what my phone says so you don’t have to remember everything. And a copy of the Pokedex, too.”

Ingo felt lighter than he had for a long, long time. There was a plan. There was an ability to communicate. He could go home.

They both get to go home.

Chapter Text

By the time Dawn was medically cleared, Ingo had accomplished quite a bit in the Highlands and Icelands. The pages for Sneasel and Sneasler were exceptionally good work, if he said so himself. He also found a whole team of white Vulpix in the snow, and found a handful of Unown. In fact, he truly believed most of the two areas had been fully surveyed.

Except for whatever those wisps were. Try as he might, even though Dawn’s instructions said there were nearly forty spread out between the two places, he found none of them. He also skipped the space time distortions for now, not wanting to deprive Dawn from also being able to contact someone.
That was soon to be rectified, however, as Dawn came bounding up to him in the training grounds. “Ingo!” She called out to him. “Ingo, let’s go find a distortion!”

“I’m afraid I’m scheduled to be stationed here, Dawn.” Ingo tipped his hat in greeting.

Dawn groaned, “Take the day off! Don’t you get PTO?”

Ingo thought for a moment. Wait a minute, was he getting paid at all for his work at the training grounds? He found the work fulfilling- fun, even – but it was also a skilled, strategic, and diplomatic position. What was his compensation? He should unionize (what’s a union, again?).

But Zisu – technically his boss, maybe? – overheard and thumped him on the back, “Take the day off, Ingo! She’s the one that takes advantage of the training grounds the most by many times over. So helping her is the least you can do for all the job security!”

Ingo was hesitant, “But I can’t just leave my shift…”

“Then you’re still on shift! I’m just ordering you to give a Security Corps escort to Miss Akari, here.”

“I am not part of the Security Corps,” Ingo argued.

“And yet you still listen to what I say. So, it’s an order! And you can’t disobey an order, right?”

Ingo didn’t particularly like this line of thinking, but an order was an order, after all. And he would be lying if he said he wasn’t excited to get a chance to contact Emmet. So, he nodded, and gave Dawn an “All Aboard!”

-----

They decided to make their way to the Cobalt Coastlands, since Dawn had quite a few more Pokemon there to research and they could look out for distortions along the way. Dawn called for Lord Wyrdeer and they thus made steady progress.

They were nearly out of the Highlands, the ground becoming boggy, when they saw the beginnings of a distortion begin to form. Slightly changing tracks to directly intercept it, they stopped only once to give the Lord a break and to refuel.

Dawn bit down both excitement and fear. The last time she went into a distortion did not end well. But the prospect of being able to talk to someone from her old life, the life she no longer lived, overrode her anxieties. Ingo was being unusually quiet, and Dawn wondered what he was feeling. She could guess, however, and they ate quickly and in silence.

Once they were finished and packing, Ingo said, “Let’s go over the plan. We will stay on the edge of the distortion – most Pokemon, save for my Magnezone – can not leave the distortion, so we should dip in and out as needed. Passenger safety is above communication. If we must leave early, or get separated, we will meet at the Bogbound Galaxy Base Camp. Any questions?”

Dawn shook her head no.

They had arrived before the distortion was finished forming. Dawn couldn’t sit still so she was currently crouched in the grass, eyeing a Togepi. But as she got ready to throw the ball, the air pressure shifted and the Togepi was startled away.

Clearing her popping ears, Dawn turned around. It was time – the distortion had finished forming. Ingo stood up from where he was sitting cross legged in a bush, hidden from wild Pokemon’s views.

-----

Ingo tapped his xTrans. It didn’t do anything, long dead from the last distortion. Hopefully, that would change. He stepped in, tried to not wince at the wrongness, and found a rock that they could shelter behind for now. They sat side by side, and took turns watching the xTrans or looking for any aggressive Pokemon.

In short order, Ingo’s wrist vibrated as the xTrans got enough charge to turn on. Seeing the ‘message sent’ pop up, he took it off, and handed it to Dawn.

“Send your message,” he said.

Dawn smiled, and tried to remember the phone number. She already knew who she wanted to message and what she wanted to say. She just hoped that she correctly remembered her phone number.

She typed out a long message: “Cynthia, this is Dawn. I am in Hisui, year 18xx. Time and space are broken, again, and in places where the times converge, I can get signal. I am using Subway Boss Ingo’s phone, so it might be a different number. I’ve struck a deal with Arceus to get us back home, but I need your help. Arceus says there is an agitator that is causing his children to fight and throw time and space into chaos. Can you find any hints of what that might be in your library? I can do all the other tasks, but I have not made any progress on finding that one. Tell my mom I’m safe.”

She handed it back, and Ingo asked, “Who’s Cynthia?”

“Regeant Champion. She's my mentor. My rich aunt.” Dawn gave a rueful laugh, “But she’s a history nerd and she will help us.”

“Don’t you want to message anyone else?” Ingo asked.

Dawn looked down, “I don’t remember their numbers. I only remember Cynthia’s because I have to fill out forms at work with it. I always just save numbers into my phone.”

“At work? Where do you –“ He cut off when he saw her shake her head. “Ah, I’m sorry. It might be a long shot, but we can check my contacts? Maybe we have a mutual acquaintance you could message.” Ingo offered the xTrans again.

Dawn shrugged. “It’s fine. It might cause a media storm if I text just anyone. Cynthia will know how to handle it. She always does.”

Ingo looked at her oddly, “Why would it cause a media storm?”

“Don't worry about it,” Dawn always said this to evade, and Ingo never asked further questions.

-----

Emmet had been sleeping when he heard his xTrans chime. He groaned, knowing that he only had a few numbers that would go off during this time, and all of them usually meant that he was called into work. Some train emergency, that couldn’t wait until the morning.

He dragged his eyes open and grabbed it from his bedside table. Wincing at the sudden brightness and blinking sleep out of his eyes, he read the message: “I am in the past. I have lost my memory, someone is with me helping to get it back. I remember I miss you lots.”

Realizing that the message made about zero sense, he looked for who sent it. He jumped straight up as he realized it was from Ingo. He fumbled a bit, trying to figure out what to type: “What do you mean by in the past? How did you lose your memory? Are you okay? I miss you too.”

He waited, biting his fingernails until his xTrans chimed again: “I am in Hisui, which is ancient Sinnoh. I have signal right now because I am in a space time distortion. I am fine. We are working hard to try to get back to our time.”

There was too much to take in. It had to be a prank call, of course. Someone spoofed Ingo’s number and was playing a cruel trick on Emmet. But, how much he wanted to hope. He pushed the video call button and waited. It rang through.

-----

“What does that mean?” Ingo asked Dawn.

“It means Emmet is trying to call you. Press that green button and you can see him.”

“I’ll be able to see him?” Ingo said, flabbergasted. “Why didn’t you tell me before?”

“I didn’t think it would work!” Dawn defended herself. “Now answer it, before it goes to voicemail.”
Hesitating only slightly, he pressed the answer button, and waited. Dawn grabbed his hand and lifted it upward, “Point it towards your face,” she said. “So he can see you too.”

The picture was garbled, stopping and starting every few seconds. The sound juddered – the man could have said his name, but it was so messed up anything could have been said. But Ingo could tell.

“Emmet,” he said. “Emmet, I want to go home.”

Emmet could hear and see very little before the call was dropped. It had been worth a try. Messages would have to do.

Emmet waited, and a reply didn’t come back. He should have asked how often this distortions that allowed them to communicate happened. It had been, what, weeks after he initially got Ingo’s last message? But if it said he asked if Emmet had made it home yet – it was definitely past shift time – did that message mean to come before he was swept up into the past? Did he encounter a distortion and that was what sent the message? It must be, which begged the question of why Ingo didn’t reply back when Emmet did.

The disparate pieces of everything trickled together to form Emmet’s new plan of action: he needed to get to Sinnoh. Not just to learn about Ingo’s history in Hisui, able to look but never to interact. But to get him home. Ingo wanted to come home. And he wasn’t going to sit idly and wait for Ingo to figure it out.

He had to make a call to Lucas. And a call to Elesa. He had to pack, he had to clean the apartment.

And if Ingo was coming back, he needed to find a way to keep their jobs.

—--

Dawn laughed at Cynthia’s message and handed back the xTrans as the distortion started to weaken.

“I’m sorry I took up so much of the time.” Ingo told her, “I know you were trying to get help to get us out of here and I was just chatting.”

Dawn shook her head, “I can assure you, Cynthia has it covered. I really trust her on this. I just have to record and take pictures of everything for her. I’m glad you got to chat with Emmet.”

“I wish the video call would have worked.” Ingo lamented.

“I know, so do I.” Dawn agreed, “Maybe we can try to send a picture next time? I’m not sure it will send, though. I’ll queue it to send to Cynthia and Emmet for next time.”

“What would we send a picture of?” Ingo asked.

“Of us, of course!” Dawn laughed, “Come on, let’s take a selfie.” She grabbed the xTrans and tapped a few buttons for the camera.

This felt familiar, Ingo thought. He looked at the lens, and at the last second, held up Emmet’s photocard that was in his pocket. A picture of the three of them. It felt right.

-----

Emmet hung up with Lucas. He had scheduled their arrival for the next morning. Lucas shone a light about the other person with Ingo – it was his dear friend, Dawn, Champion of Sinnoh. He had faced her, once, on the Battle Subway. He tried to remember. There were just so many challengers, and it was so long ago…

Emmet had wondered why Elesa was in the meeting room of Gear Station. He had called her this morning, telling her that he was getting ready to leave for Sinnoh, and that he had to hash things out with Gear Station before he did. As he walked in, he saw Elesa shaking hands with some bigwigs. She gave a bow, and marched towards the door.

“You’re on paid vacation now,” she said, meeting him at the door and turning him, making him walk with her.

“Vacation?” Emmet asked. “I’m out of vacation. I’m out of all my time off.”

“Now, you are not. Don’t worry about it. Let’s worry about helping Ingo.” Elesa did not want a fight about what she had done, about what she had agreed to. That was best saved for after Ingo was back.

The boys had always kept their personal relationship with her separate from their work personas. Now, they were co workers. And Elesa took a drastic pay cut, let alone the cost of breaking the contract with her old agency. No matter. She had plenty saved.

“I have to finish packing, and I have to put the Pokemon in the PC. And I have to book a flight.” Emmet continued.

“I’m ready to go,” Elesa said, “so I can deal with the flight.”

Emmet stopped, “Are you sure?”

“Yes,” Elesa stated. “Maybe Skyla can get us discounted plane tickets.”

-----

Lucas and Barry were kept busy attempting to make their Canalave City studio apartment presentable for two more people. It was going to be a tight fit. Seeing as it was only ever meant to be a home base for them to crawl to after studying in the library all day, it was already slightly crowded and messy.

In the middle of shoving a pile of old pop cans in the trash, Lucas’s phone rang. “Cynthia?” he said after a pause, “You’ve talked to Dawn? It’s really her in the past? With Subway Boss Ingo? How is she?”

The discussion continued, Barry staring wide-eyed, trying to catch all of the conversation. Lucas hung up.

“Cynthia and Johanna are staying with us, too.”

Barry’s eye twitched. “There’s only one bed.”

Lucas groaned, “I probably lost bed rights. And you probably lost couch rights. We’re both gonna be on the floor.”

Chapter Text

Cynthia and Johanna bust down the apartment doors first, Cynthia’s Garchomp clutching a veritable library of books.

“I didn't know Canalave let you check out this many at once!” Barry yelled in surprise.

“These aren't from Canalave,” Cynthia said, “They're from my personal library.”

“Dawn always said you were a nerd.” Barry said in disbelief.

“The correct term is history buff,” Cynthia deadpanned. “Now, Let's get our Dawn back, shall we?”

Lucas came forward, “Can you show me the messages Dawn sent?”

“Of course,” Cynthia said, and passed over the phone. As she did so, the phone vibrated. Lucas handed it back, so he wouldn't see whatever message came in.

“No, it's okay, it's from Dawn. She's been using Subway Boss Ingo's phone.”

“Dawn’s messaging?” Johanna strode to the phone.

“What did she say?” Barry popped up by Cynthia's side, personal space ignored.

“She sent a photo.” Cynthia turned her phone around. Barry laughed heartily.

“Looks like the photocard made it with her,” Lucas shook his head.

“But that means we can contact her now. What do you want to say to her?”

“Tell her I miss her and we are working so hard to get her home, or I will fine you so much.” Barry insisted.

Lucas nodded, “Maybe not so aggressively, but let her know she's got a whole team behind her. Emmet, Elesa, Barry, her Mother, you, and I. We won't stop.”

Cynthia smiled. “I'm glad she has such good friends.”

-----

Emmet did not like the flight. It was long, and he was forced to sit down and do nothing for nearly a whole day. The moment he disembarked in Jubilife City, then, he made for the Pokemon center, having heard that there were Abras that could teleport him to where he needed to go. He filled out the paperwork – apparently he'd have to pay extra for an Alakazam due to his amount of luggage – and accepted the Pokeballs from the receptionist.

“Ready?” he asked Elesa, who nodded in response.

Emmet was distracted by his wrist vibrating. He nearly dropped his luggage as he saw Ingo’s name.

“What’s wrong?” Elesa asked, until Emmet turned his arm around. She looked in surprise, and then laughed, “Why on Earth does he have a photocard of you?”

-----

After Elesa and Emmet arrived at the (too small) apartment, Cynthia took charge. Emmet slightly bristled at that, but got over it when Cynthia seemed to be more apprised of the situation.

“Introductions first, since we’ve been mostly thrown together. I’m Cynthia, I’m Regent Champion of Sinnoh. I am TCC Dawn’s…well, Regent.” Cynthia looked at Johanna.

“I’m Dawn’s mother, Johanna.”

“I’m Barry. I’m Dawn’s…” he stopped, trying to think of the best word. “Best friend. I’m also helping out Lucas with the Historical Society.”

“I’m Lucas, Professor Rowan’s research assistant and history student. I am the least fluent in Galarian, so please be patient with me. I was Dawn’s mentor for about a month before she surpassed me.”

Emmet stood still, before he started. “I’m Subway Boss Emmet. Ingo is my brother. No matter what you may have seen on the internet, I didn’t do anything to him. I want him back.” Emmet looked at the floor, and Elesa patted his shoulder.

“I’m Elesa, I’m the Gym Leader of Nimbasa. Ingo and Emmet are my brothers.”

“All right,” Cynthia nodded, “so TCC Dawn and Subway Boss Ingo have been given tasks by Arceus – the God of creation” she added, for Emmet and Elesa’s benefit. “Once they are finished with those tasks, they can come home.”

“What are the tasks?” Johanna asked.

“I don’t know them all,” Cynthia continued, “but I do know that they seem to have no problems with any of them except one.”

“What’s the one?” Emmet interrupted, impatient.

“Arceus says there is an agitator that is causing his children to fight and throw time and space into chaos, and can we find out what that is?”

“Where do we even start?” Elesa cut in.

Barry stepped forward, “Umm, I’ve been trying to translate some of these articles from Kantonian to Galarian. But it’s been years since I’ve gone to Galar. So, maybe you could look at those? They’re articles that specifically mention either Warden Ingo or Akari – Subway Boss Ingo or Hikari, known as Dawn.”

“So, sorry. Just to clarify – Ingo will show up as Warden Ingo in these papers? And Dawn will show up as Akari? Or Hikari?”

“She will show up as Akari. Sorry, I didn’t make it clear. Dawn’s legal name is Hikari. But in Hisui, she seems to be remembered as Akari. I’m not sure why.”

“We can ask her next time. Which reminds me, I want everyone to put their name and number on this piece of paper, so I can make our communications a group chat. That’s probably the best way to make sure everyone has the same information.” Cynthia passed around a pen and paper. “Dawn said she was messaging me from Subway Boss Ingo’s phone, so it may be that she can’t use hers.”

After the paper was passed around, Cynthia asked Emmet for permission to write down Ingo’s number. “Okay, everyone add everyone else in their contacts.”

“Wait,” Johanna said. “Let me put Dawn’s number down, too. I know her phone might not work, but if it does, I want everyone to be able to communicate with her.”

“Perfect. Now, let me create the group. Both Champion Dawn and Subway Boss Ingo should get the message when they are able to get a signal again.”

—--

Dawn was feeling a bit emotional – how could she not, when Cynthia messaged her and stated that a team of people were working so hard to get her and Ingo home? The distortion, sadly, didn’t last long. By the time it formed, they had still been a ways away, and so it was just a short check in.

“You know,” she started to say. They both were still sitting under an outcropping. “It was my birthday a few days ago.”

“Hmm? Why didn’t you tell me? Happy Birthday!” Ingo responded.

Dawn shook her head. “Thanks. I just. Wonder how things were back home? My Mom probably didn’t have a good day. I mean, she was supposed to be celebrating her daughter’s sixteenth birthday, but…” She trailed off. “And Barry must be devastated. All these messages that they send us, asking us if we’re okay. I’ve never asked if they were okay.”

Ingo frowned a little deeper than usual, “I’m sure they understand, but also, you can ask them next time.

“Yea,” Dawn agreed. “I just wish we had more chances to talk with them all.”

It was annoying to have to share a phone. When she was off doing Survey work, a distortion could form and she would be able to do little about it, not unless Ingo was with her. She could text God, but no one else. Unless. She just asked God if she could? If God could literally keep resurrecting her, they could probably update her phone to let her text people – maybe even outside of a distortion!

That was…good enough, Dawn thought. She’d still need to find a distortion, but at least her phone would function as a phone.

—--

The sleeping arrangements were indeed a bit fraught. Lucas didn’t remember to tell Elesa and Emmet to bring a futon, so they got the bed and couch, respectively. The other four of them bundled on the floor. Being a studio, there was only one room, so they tried to separate to give each other enough space. Lucas grumbled when Barry’s long legs kicked him in the face, anyway.

“Sorry,” Barry said.

“I can’t help but think,” Cynthia said, “That we have a Regent Champion, a Battle Facility Head, and a Gym Leader that also happens to be an international model. Surely, we can afford to rent a different apartment.”

Emmet grimaced a bit. He certainly wouldn’t be able to chip in. Elesa, seeing his predicament, spoke, “I can pay for it, no big deal. A thanks, for your hospitality.”

Cynthia, graceful as she was, got the hint. “I will pay half. You are our guests, after all.”

Chapter Text

—-

Chapter Text

Ingo was patrolling the Highlands when he saw Dawn traveling with someone who looked like a Gingko Guild Merchant. He simply waved at them, not wanting to alert any wild Pokemon or derail their path if they were in a hurry.

Instead, Dawn waved back, and changed tracks to make her way over to him. The man with her hesitated, but followed her anyway. Ingo started climbing down the path to meet her halfway.

“Uncle Ingo!” Dawn greeted him as she scrambled over some rocks, “Volo and I are going to the Ancient Retreat to talk to Cogita. Wanna come?”

Recognition flashed through Ingo. “Oh, Volo! Akari mentioned how you helped her during the Red Sky. I can’t thank you enough. I’m glad she had support then.”

Volo smiled, “No worries. I’m sure you would have as well, if circumstances were different. Thankfully, there’s no way the Galaxy Team could wage war with a Merchant Guild. Even if there was, I couldn’t leave her out in the wilds, now could I?”

Ingo tried not to flinch at that, “Ah, yes.”

“Anyway,” Volo addressed Dawn, “I’m sure Warden Ingo is very busy with his duties.” Turning back to Ingo, he said, “Dawn and I can handle ourselves, don’t worry.”

Ingo brightened at the mention of her preferred name. “Ah, he knows, then?”

Dawn nodded happily, “He didn’t think it was weird. That my name wasn’t what everyone thought it was.”

“I’m glad,” Ingo replied. “But no, I was just finishing up here. I’d be glad to accompany you to your destination.”

“Great,” Volo said with a strained smile. Ingo was under the impression that the young man did not like him much. In all honesty, however, Ingo could not blame him. Ingo did follow orders, leaving Dawn to her own fate. Sure, he got over himself by the end, but it was over by then.

The damage had already been done. He hadn't been there for her, but Volo had been. No wonder the young man had such a low opinion of him.

So Ingo took Volo’s behavior as a well-deserved reprimand, and was just happy that Dawn had someone to support her. Dawn did not seem to notice the tension between the two, and was telling Ingo about how Volo proposed a solution for their agitator problem as they walked.

“You know how after quelling each of the Nobles, they gave me a plate?” Dawn started.

“Vaguely, yes.”

“Well, supposedly, back when the first Nobles helped out the ancient hero, the plates were important.”

“Oh, right,” Ingo remembered some stories he heard from the older members of the Pearl Clan, “there were a number of plates, one for each Pokemon type, and the Nobles were given plates to protect. Supposedly, having the plates all together creates a power to rival the Almighty Sinnoh itself.”

“Right! So Volo and I are going to talk to Cogita – she knows all about this kind of stuff – to see how many plates there are and where they may be. It might be a long shot, but it’s the only thing I have to go on, so far.”

Ingo shrugged, “It is the best lead we have. I suppose Volo knows about the…tasks then?”

“Yes,” Volo answered, “I’ve been helping her with the tasks.”

“More like tagging along while I complete the tasks.” Dawn hummed.

Volo tutted, and remarked, “Well, I have to make sure my favorite customer is well-stocked.”

Dawn laughed, “I’ve never bought anything from you!”

“That means nothing!”

Ingo was content to listen to their banter. It seemed familiar, comfortable. He assumed he must have acted similarly with his friends. He wished, not for the first time, that he could remember more. He had the macro view, knowing that he had a brother named Emmet, and a pseudo-sister named Elesa, and that they were close. He knew that he wanted to be with them. But he didn’t have the memories to back up the feelings. He sighed.

“You alright, Uncle?” Dawn’s worried expression brought him out of his reverie.

Ingo nodded, “Yes, Dawn.”

—-

The librarian sighed. She did not like confrontation, but these patrons should know better by now: they close at eight, on the dot. They came in at opening every day, and had to be ushered out at closing.

It was difficult to stay annoyed at them, though, when they looked so disappointed as she told them they had to leave. They were mostly a quiet bunch, but occasionally they’d get a message on their various phones and congregate with their heads together. Sometimes they’d laugh, sometimes they’d cry. It was an odd sight, especially when they’d eventually go silent and make their way back to the tables they’d commandeered.

She recognized most of them, not just because some of them were regulars, but because they were a ragtag bunch of celebrities. Regent Champion Cynthia made sense – she was known to be an avid lover of history. But the model? And the disgraced Subway Boss? That was odd.

More surprising were the reference questions they asked. At first, they had been reluctant to ask for help. This was not unusual, as many patrons were embarrassed to ask questions. A reassurance of professional discretion later, she understood why they wanted to keep it quiet.

Their champion, TCC Dawn, was found. In the books of the library. They desperately wanted her back. The other Subway Boss is with her. Library School did not prepare her for this situation, but she tried to support them anyway.

And one way of doing that was still being kind to them even after kicking them out at closing for a full week.

“I’ll put the special collection items on this cart. You can grab them again in the morning.” She reached out to grab an old book from a young man.

“Right. Thank you. We’ll be back tomorrow. Sorry.”

“It’s quite alright. Good night.”

—-

Despite the library being closed, the team’s work was far from over. They crashed into their new (much bigger) apartment, and continued working on the books they were able to check out or the books from Cynthia’s library.

Cynthia sighed and rubbed her tired eyes, “I just don’t understand why there’s not much information about the wrath of the Gods. All the information I have so far is just my personal experience, and small fables my Grandmother used to tell me. Both of which don’t have much merit.”

“Personal experience?” Emmet asked, “I mean, have you seen the wrath of the Gods?”

“Yes. Dawn was there as well. She was the one who calmed them down.” Cynthia explained.

“Why were they angry?”

Cynthia grimaced. “There was a man named Cyrus. Around, I don’t know, five years ago. He decided he didn’t like this world, and wanted to destroy it and make one of his own. He exploited the Lake Trio and allied himself with Giratina. Dawn wielded the Gods against him, and stopped everything.”

Emmet wasn’t sure he followed. “Five years ago? Wouldn’t have Dawn been around ten or eleven or so? And how do we know that this isn’t just Cyrus again?”

“She was very young, yes.” Cynthia sighed, “And Cyrus has been…taken care of.”

“Are you sure?” Emmet narrowed his eyes. “Seems like the type of guy to manipulate space and time to get what he wants.”

Swallowing, Cynthia said, quietly. “As punishment, the Gods created his new world. And then destroyed it after he happily went there.”

“What?” Barry said, “That’s not what Dawn told me. Dawn said she didn’t know where Cyrus went.”

“And I want it to stay that way.” Cynthia glanced at the boy, “She seems to somehow…remember it differently. I don’t know if it was a trauma response or the work of one of the Gods.”

“So…” Emmet started, “probably not him, then.”

“Probably not,” she agreed.

“In that case, then it’s likely another person, right?”

“Probably, but that doesn’t give us much to go on. In fact, it's almost nothing.”

“It’s better than nothing!” Emmet said, a little rougher than he meant to. “I’m sorry. I’m just tired of being useless.”

Cynthia gave a sardonic laugh, “Honey, we’re all useless here until we get them back. I’m Dawn’s Regent. I should never have let this happen to her. She trusts me to figure this out. And I’ve found nothing.”

“None of us are useless!” Johanna cut in. “They are working so hard to get home. The least we can do is support each other so we can support them.”

Both Cynthia and Emmet looked to the ground. Emmet doubted Cynthia, the Champion known for her kindness and poise, usually acted like this. But the late nights and little progress were getting to them all.

“Maybe,” Emmet started to propose, “Maybe we should go get stuff to make a real dinner. To sit down, and eat. We won’t be able to help them if we don’t properly refuel.”

Elesa glanced at the trash can overfilling with take out bags. She was going to have her work cut out for her when she went back to her job. “That’s probably a good idea.”

Chapter Text

“Thank you very much, Heatran.” Dawn handed the Iron Plate to Ingo and patted the Pokeball in her hands.

The quest for the plates was going very well, especially as it helped fill in some missing Pokedex pages. It was also very exciting to show Volo her new acquisitions. He would be quick with a smile and encouragement, and fawned over every new plate. Dawn supposed that if Laventon could fuss over every new Pokemon she documented, Volo could get equally excited about some Old Stuff.

It made her miss Cynthia. Not only did he share her history buff tendencies, he looked extraordinarily like her. He must be an ancestor, in the same way that Rei must be an ancestor of Lucas. Apparently, people in Sinnoh have very strong genes. Not that she was one to talk – she was known for looking exactly like her mom.

For now, however, Volo would have to wait. Both her and Ingo were staying in the Cobalt Coastlands with Palina, which meant they also were staying with Iscan. Dawn wondered if they were still a secret or not.

“Dawn,” Ingo started. “I have a bit of an awkward question to ask.”

Dawn gave a hum to show that he could go ahead.

“Could you teach me how to read?”

Dawn stopped. “What?”

Ingo stopped with her, and grabbed his hat as if by habit. “It’s just. The language here. I never learned how to read it. I somehow learned how to speak it. I know that’s not necessarily too uncommon in this time, but…” he trailed off.

“No, I’m not judging you. It’s just…you know how to read, Uncle Ingo.”

“I do not.”

“No, I’ve seen you read letters from Irida. You’ve read some to me, even. You filled out pages of the Pokedex, even! And we know you can read Galarian.”

“That’s – also something I’m worried about. If I’m not speaking Galarian, I am afraid…what if I can’t?” Ingo was worried – what if he couldn’t talk to his siblings?

“Well, that I can help with. We can just speak Galarian with each other. Laventon and I do, sometimes. Prevents us from getting rusty.”

“That sounds good.” Ingo hummed, “But no one taught me how to read.”

“Didn’t you notice you were reading things, though?”

“Not as such…” He was fiddling with his hat again. "Not if I think about it…If I look at a sign, I can’t read it."

Dawn pulled out her Pokedex, and flipped to a random page. “Here, read this.”

Ingo scanned the page. She had flipped to Arcanine. “I can’t. But I can garner the meaning.”

“How so?” Dawn tipped her head.

“It says something about being bulky yet fast. I don’t…know how I know that, though.”

Dawn shook her head. “It must just be a side effect of however you were thrown here. It rewired something in that bald noggin’ of yours to be able to speak and read Kantonian. I suppose more traditional language lessons won't hurt, though."

“Hmph. Hand me a burn heal. I’ll need one after that,” Ingo deadpanned.

Dawn smiled brightly, “Those don’t exist yet!”

“Why is that good?” Ingo asked, “Oh! Because I remembered something!”

—-

Dawn was surprised to find that Ingo’s Galarian was fluent, but it did have an accent. It wasn’t a standard Unovan accent, however. It had hints of a strong Nimbasian burr, with some distinctly Kantonian pronunciation. Certainly nothing she had heard before in his videos. Perhaps it was a good thing they were practicing.

Ingo, for his part, did not think the quirked up lips of his niece while he spoke in what was supposed to be his native tongue was a good sign. But she said nothing, so he continued until they were forced to stop talking as Basculegion started to ferry them across the water.

Palina was waiting for them on the shore. She waved them over. “Iscan has a pot on the fire. Come join us for dinner?”

“Gladly.” Ingo shook himself off and helped Dawn off the large fish. Dawn patted Basculegion's head and thanked the Noble.

“Did you get whatever it is you came here for?”

“We did,” Ingo nodded.

“Glad to hear it,” Palina stated as she walked. She was being trailed by a horde of Growlithes, but she paid them no mind. Ingo could relate. The rest of the trip was quiet, until they arrived at Iscan’s tent.

Iscan smiled widely, “You’re b-b-back!”

Dawn and Ingo looked at each other when they realized he was absolutely only talking to Palina. Ingo cleared his throat.

“Ah, Warden Ingo, Akari. D-d-did you get what you needed?”

“Yes. We should be able to leave first thing tomorrow morning.”

“Oh, it’s no rush,” Palina stated. “It’s always a pleasure to host you two. Now, here. Dinner is ready.”

They ate in an easy silence, everyone too concerned with eating for conversation. When the bowls were emptied and cleaned, however, Palina and Iscan looked at each other and nodded.

“Warden Ingo,” Palina said. “Iscan and I have something we want to share. We have already told Akari, but we don’t wish to hide the truth.” She looked over at Iscan and smiled. “Iscan and I are…seeing each other.”

Ingo blinked a couple of times, making eye contact with the two, who seemed worried about his reaction. “I, -uh…”

Palina spoke first, “I know it’s not traditional. But with the clans growing closer, we were hoping that maybe we could…not hide?”

Ingo gathered himself, “I am very touched you trust me enough to tell me this. Have you told others?”

“Just Akari. And also somehow Cyllene.”

Dawn frowned, “How did she find out?”

“I see,” Ingo cut in. “I think, maybe, you needn’t worry too much. I’m sure there will be some who are not happy about it. But I think you’ll also find less pushback than you might believe.”

Iscan seemed surprised. “R-r-really? Why?”

Ingo looked at Dawn. “Well, in the matter of honesty, I already knew.”

“Akari, we told you in confidence.” Palina looked disappointed.

“No, no, don’t misunderstand. Akari never told me. Your secret was safe with her.” Ingo held his hands up, “It was just…obvious how close you two were. For one, Warden Palina, you use every other Warden’s title except Warden Iscan’s. Also, the festival.”

“What happened at the festival?” Palina asked.

“When I woke up, you guys were…cuddled up together in a corner.”

Iscan and Palina turned beet red, “Who else saw?”

“I am not sure. I left soon after I woke up. But I do know Lord Adaman was awake before me. He hasn't said anything?”

“N-n-not at all.” Iscan looked shocked.

“Right,” Ingo said, “So I think it’s more of an open secret, maybe? I mean, I do not mean to push you two to do anything that makes you uncomfortable. But I think you guys will be alright.”

Ingo looked over towards Dawn, who seemed amused. “I really wouldn’t worry about it, you two.” She said, “I promise.”

Ingo gave her a strange look, but it was getting dark. He never asked what she meant until they left the next morning.

Dawn was fumbling with her hands. “Lady Irida…has been staying at the Diamond Clan, at the invitation of Lord Adaman. To play the flute. Because he says she likes her playing.”

Ingo stared at her for just a second, and then burst out laughing. “Okay, fair. Warden Palina and Warden Iscan probably don’t have much to worry about, then.”

“The two sisters apparently have a type.” Dawn muttered.

“Oh? And what type is that?” Ingo tried to think of any similarities between the two men.

“Forbidden ones.”

—-

“We can’t find anything in the books, so what can we tell them to look for?” Cynthia’s fingers rubbed at her temples, trying to stave off a headache.

“I don’t know, what was Cyrus like?” Emmet asked.

“Hated everyone, the world, thought emotions were holding us back from our true potential.” Cynthia listed. “It would take a big personality, I think, to try to harness the Gods for evil. So you would think some suspicious person would pop up in these diaries.”

“Wait,” Elesa said. “Instead of having to wait for Akari and Ingo to find Distortions to communicate. We should tell them to write diaries. Maybe we could catch something then, find something they might have missed with an outsider’s perspective.”

Cynthia frowned, “I think that could work, assuming they survive.” Cynthia looked at the glares shooting her way. “I mean the diaries!” Cynthia added, “Paper and ink isn't always reliable! I’ll queue up a message.”

“In the meantime, who else would be likely to mess with the Gods?”

“A God weirdo?” Cynthia threw out. “A history weirdo? Me, if I weren’t so well adjusted?” She groaned, “I think I’m out for today. My eyes are crossing. Goodnight, team.”

Chapter Text

After finishing the tasks that Cogita gave her (yet again helpfully added to her agenda by Arceus), Dawn went to visit the Ancient Retreat again. She was surprised but pleased to see that Volo was also there.

“Volo!” She called out, “look! Five more plates!” She held them up from where she had them stringed to her belt.

“Perfect, Dawn!” Volo ran to meet her, giving her a quick hug. Dawn was surprised and tense for a moment, before she relaxed. She had not been hugged once in Hisui (save for a disastrous one with Rei…don't remind her). Even before that, she hadn’t hugged anyone since the paparazzi incident. It was nice. It was almost like she was just a normal person who had friends again. She laughed, “You’re quite happy.”

Mistress Cogita called over from her seat at her table. "Here you are again, lost one. You collected all the plates?"

Volo smiled, “Of course! Dawn is a famed member of the Survey Corps, after all! So, what more can you tell us? We're so close now! You must know more about the plates!"

Cogita chuckled at the man’s impatience. "If there's yet more you want to know...kindly bring me wood. Three logs will do."

Dawn, confused, looked to Volo for clarification. But Volo seemed just as stumped. "Wood? So you're saying wood is somehow tied to these plates...?” He looked over to Dawn, “Well, I suppose that's what we get to learn next! Hop to it, Dawn! While it shames me to admit it, merchant that I am, I'm quite out of my wood stores just now..."

“That is extraordinarily like you,” Cogita tutted.

“Are you sure you’re a real merchant?” Dawn asked him, shuffling around in her bag. She pulled out three pieces of wood. She kept them around when she needed extra money; She had a side hustle making and selling Pokeshi dolls. Strangely, it could be quite profitable.

“How did you fit all of those in your bag?” Volo asked.

Dawn huffed, “Ugh. Some guy named Bagin taught me. And ripped me off while he was at it.” She handed Cogita the wood.

"Oh-ho! Yes, this certainly ought to do. Come inside my tent with me."

When the three of them had entered, Volo wasted no time. "Now the moment comes at last! The big reveal! What, pray tell, is the secret behind this wood?!"

"Secret? Your expectations need tempering, I fear. This wood is merely for fashioning myself new cutting boards." Dawn thought she looked a little too happy about crushing Volo’s hopes.

"C-cutting boards? You mean...for cooking?” Volo was exasperated. “The plates we're after aren't dinner plates, so this is hardly the time for cooking!"

"How you complain for one shirking his own work this very moment. Poor Ginter of the Ginkgo Guild must have his hands full with you." Cogita shook her head, “But honest work earns honest pay. Here you are, Dawn—a reward for the wood you've brought me. My old cutting board."

Dawn eyed the cutting board, heavy in her hands. She flipped it over. It seemed familiar. Almost as if –

"THAT'S ONE OF THE PLATES WE WERE LOOKING FOR!" Dawn jumped out of her skin, swinging her head towards Volo, who had shouted in his excitement.

Volo cleared his throat and tried again, “Apologies. That's indeed one of the plates that we've been searching for."

Looking unimpressed, Cogita said, "What do you mean, a plate? Let me see that again! Hmm. This does rather look like one of the plates you've been tracking down. While the engravings upon it made it less than accommodating as a cutting board...whatever ingredients crossed it certainly gained a more pleasant flavor. Perhaps that was the board's power—the plate's power, rather."

Dawn narrowed her eyes. Cogita was definitely messing with him, right? Surely if she gave her all the hints to find the rest of the plates, she knew her cutting board was one, right? Dawn huffed out a laugh.

Cogita glanced at her, "Well, no more needs saying. What do you two intend to do now?"

Volo answered, "Well, we've managed to collect quite a lot of the plates by now... But I still don't know what we're to do with them, exactly. It's just a hunch, but perhaps we should have a look around the Temple of Sinnoh?” He turned towards Dawn, “These plates are connected with the deity Pokemon, and that’s where you quelled them before, right?”

Dawn nodded.

“Then there. I have some other research to double check, so I’ll meet you there tomorrow.”

"I see. A fine pretext to continue shirking your mercantile duties to crawl about in old ruins as you so enjoy. On with you, then!" Cogita rolled her eyes. “Not even bothered to escort your little helper.”

“Oh please,” Volo smiled, “Dawn is one of the greatest – if not the greatest – Pokemon wielders in Hisui. She’ll be fine.”

—--

Instead of trekking all the way back to Jubilife, Dawn went to Ingo’s tent instead to see if she could stay the night. There was no reason to have to make the trip when she would be staying in the Highlands anyway.

“Of course, of course. You don’t even have to ask, Dawn.” Ingo waved her in when she arrived. “Why are you staying in the Highlands tonight?”

Dawn began to explain her conversation with Cogita and Volo.

“I can’t help but think Cogita is hiding something,” Ingo said.

“I certainly think she knew she had a plate.” Dawn shook her head, “She doesn’t seem very fond of Volo, but they also seem to have a lot of shared history. Not sure."

“I never really met her, but from what you have told me, I think she knows much more than she lets on.” Ingo paused, “I think I should go with you tomorrow.”

Dawn seemed surprised, “Won’t you be busy?”

“I’ll send a Starly to Captain Zisu. Tell her I’m giving a Security Corps Escort to you. She won’t complain.”

“I’m sure she won’t.”

Ingo looked at her, “Hush.”

He didn’t seem actually angry, so Dawn giggled, “So how is that working out?”

“It won’t work out. I’m actively trying to leave this place forever?” Ingo looked confused.

“I know that,” Dawn rolled her eyes. Ingo had made it clear that he was Not Interested in going down those tracks. “I mean, how is working at the dojo now?”

“Ah, I see. Fine, honestly. Sometimes I wonder if she was talking about another Warden in her diary. Or else she hides it well.”

“Were there any other Wardens crying during my performance?”

“I have no idea. I didn’t know I was, to be honest.” Ingo sighed. That festival was just the gift that kept on giving.

“Who else could it have been? Did she mention pronouns or just use Warden as a title?”

“The translation Barry gave us at least said ‘he’.”

“Hmm. Iscan? Very taken. Melli? Probably not. Gaeric?” She tilted her head. “I…could see it, actually.”

Ingo looked like he just tasted something very sour, “Oh, Gods. I could see it too.”

“They would flirt by benching each other,” Dawn giggled. “This inter-group mingling is getting ridiculous.”

“You did say the Diamond and Pearl Clans don’t exist in the future.” Ingo said, “That is one way that they could disperse. But, I think it is a good thing.”

“Hmm? Why so?”

“It means what you’re doing is working. You’re bringing Pokemon and people together. That seems to be having a side effect of bringing people together as well.”

Dawn snorted, “Glad my work is accomplishing something, at least. Well, I’m going to sleep. We’ll probably have to get an early start or Volo will come knocking down your tent.”

“Sure thing. Good night, Dawn.”

“Good night, Uncle Ingo.”

—-

“I’ve got it!” Cynthia stood up from her chair. People turned to look at her. The librarian was startled, but didn’t reprimand her.

“What does it say?” Emmet asked.

“It says…” Cynthia narrowed her eyes. “I’m sorry, I’m terrible at translating from one language to another. Barry, please.”

Barry came over, “You found something?”

“Yes, can you be a dear and translate it for Emmet?”

Barry scanned the paragraph for a few seconds, then started in Galarian, “A Ginkgo Merchant Guild Member, Volo, was reported missing by his superiors after an occurrence at the Temple of Sinnoh, which caused distortion portals to open in multiple places throughout the region. An eyewitness reported seeing the man make his way up to the Temple of Sinnoh earlier that morning. He was known as the first casualty of the Portal Crisis.”

Elesa asked, “What’s the importance of that?”

“Distortion portals, especially when they become multiple and widespread, are the work of an enraged Giratina. This Volo person must have used Giratina to open them. For what, I don’t know. But the time period is right. It’s the same thing Cyrus tried to do.”

“Then we have to tell them.” Emmet said.

“I’ll send a message right away. They’ll get it when they go into a time distortion. Let’s hope it is not too late.”

Chapter Text

Dawn and Ingo both woke up with the sun. A quick breakfast later, they packed up their Pokeballs and bags to set off.

“You seem excited,” Ingo observed.

“I am!” Dawn exclaimed. “It’s the best lead we’ve ever gotten about the agitator task. We’ll be able to go home soon, I know it!”

Ingo smiled. “We are nearly done, aren’t we? Just a handful of requests from around the village, and less than a dozen more Pokemon?”

Dawn nodded, “I finished finding all the Unown and wisps last week. Assuming Arceus didn't add some that I missed, the requests are largely done. I’m mostly just worried about finding the remaining Pokemon. How can I find them if I don’t know what I’m looking for?”

Ingo hummed, “We’ll figure it out.”

Dawn stopped suddenly, looking out in the distance. “It’s a distortion forming.”

“Are you wanting to reroute?”

Dawn looked hesitant. “I would like to, but…”

“But we have someone waiting at the station?”

“Yeah. I mean, if you want to go, though. We can just explain to Volo. I’m sure he’ll understand.” Dawn looked at him, worried that he'd be disappointed.

“It’s quite alright. We’ll have plenty more distortions to use. I don’t want to be rude.” Ingo chuckled, “He already seems to dislike me enough.”

“He does?” Dawn seemed surprised. “Why?”

“Because I wasn’t there for you during the Red Sky,” Ingo said, quietly. “I…don't blame him.I will never forgive myself for that.”

“Is that all?” Dawn frowned. “It wasn’t like I was alone. Irida was with me the whole time, as well as Volo. Cyllene even helped. And Cogita was…there.” She laughed a bit at that.

Shaking his head, Ingo stated, “I am still so very sorry, Dawn.”

“Don’t be,” Dawn sighed.

They trekked up the mountain in silence. Entering the tunnel before the Temple, Dawn looked around warily. Fortunately, there was no ninja waiting in the shadows. One could never be too cautious. Apparently.

“Volo!” Dawn called out to him, waving. He was waiting near the back.

“Ah, Dawn. Glad you could make it.” His eyes flicked over to Ingo. “I see your hanger-on came with you.”

“Aww, be nice. Uncle Ingo’s been helping me.” Dawn swatted at him, “I see you’ve dropped the merchant pretense,” she added, looking at his new clothes. “Did you get inspiration from my phone case?”

Volo bit out a laugh at that. He looked a little frantic. “Have a look at this, Dawn.” He gestured around him. “The temple lies in ruins now... Columns cracked and broken... Like pillars now turned into spears, stabbing into the heavens..."

“Like Spear Pillar, you mean?” Dawn realized that this must be how it got its name. She’d never get over witnessing history.

Volo ignored her and shook out his hands, “Ever since I became convinced that Arceus really does exist, there has been one question that consumed my thoughts... How can I meet such a being myself?”

Raising an eyebrow, Dawn said, “Well, I promise you, it isn’t all that exciting.”

Spinning around, eyes flaming, Volo shouted, “I've devoted myself to Arceus beyond any other! I worshiped it as the creator of our entire world! I bent all of my passion and interest to its study! All the time I've spent poring over the legends... Everything that I've done—” He broke off. “And you, you have Arceus’s favor and don’t even want it.”

Dawn took a step back, and Ingo protectively put his arm in front of her, “I would suggest you calm yourself and stand behind the yellow line.”

“I used Giratina to rip a hole in space-time. And all that came out of it was you,” Volo spat at Ingo. “It didn’t work, so off I was to get all the plates, just like the Celestica Ruins murals told me. Who knew Arceus’s little chosen one would be the one to hand deliver them to me? Eighteen plates said to be the fragments of the all-encompassing deity... You hold in your hands seventeen of them. So, you must be wondering: Where is the last one?"

This was the man that did this to him, Ingo realized. He grabbed the back of Dawn’s uniform and pulled her back, “Lets go.”

“Don’t you dare!” Volo shoved at Ingo, taking him by surprise. He released a Togekiss. “Thunder wave!”

The Togekiss barreled into him, and Ingo seized, teeth bared in pain.

“Ingo!” Dawn shouted.

Try as he might, he couldn’t move. Pokemon break out of paralysis in battles all the time. Why couldn’t he? He knew how battles worked. Pokemon were more likely to break out of status conditions when they were close to their trainers. The Pokemon didn’t want to disappoint them, after all.

But here he was, disappointing Dawn. Always disappointing Dawn.

“Now, the pest is out of the way.” Volo grabbed Dawn's arm. “I have the last plate. Give me the plates, little girl.”

“No!” Dawn tried to break from his grip.

Volo pushed her down to the ground. He grabbed a fistful of her hair to keep her down. Kneeling to make eye contact, he said. “Hand over the plates child, or I will take them by force.”

Dawn looked broken, “You used me.”

Volo snorted, “That’s what you’re worried about? You were such a lonely, pathetic girl. All I needed was to give you a smile, a hug. And you were willing to do anything I said," he chuckled darkly.

“You — how dare you.” Dawn spat back.

“Oh, is little miss angry now? Don’t worry yourself, it won’t be for long. Once I have the plates, I’ll subjugate Arceus’s power. I will create a new, better world.” He laughed, “Of course, if I create a brand-new world, then the Hisui region that we currently exist in will be undone and returned to nothing. You, everyone you know, and all the Pokémon living here will vanish in an instant, as if you'd never been."

Ingo watched as Dawn’s gaze grew hard, “No. You will not do that,” she said, softly.

In a burst of strength Ingo didn’t know she had, she broke Volo’s hold and pushed him away, hitting him square in the chest. Volo wheezed, clutching at himself. He threw a Pokeball, and Dawn threw one out at the same time.

“Garchomp, slash!”

“Zoroark, bitter malice!”

But the Zoroark’s move never connected. Garchomp was not aiming at it. Dawn barely raised her arms up in time, before the slash hit her. She screamed, and dropped. She recovered quickly enough, holding her arm.

“I see,” she said. “There’s no League rules to follow. Zoroark,” she called.

The Zoroark turned back to listen to her.

“Do what you must.” She said, and the Zoroark’s eyes gleamed. He looked back to the Garchomp and tackled it. Dawn looked away from the fight between the Garchomp and Zoroark. She didn’t want to know.

That taken care of, she shakily got to her feet, and pulled out a Pokeball. “Dialga, my old friend. We have another one.”

Ingo watched the God of Time materialize. What did she mean by old friend? And that they had another one? It was almost like – had this happened before? Volo took a step back as Dawn marched towards him.

“Do you even know who I am?” She grabbed a hold of Volo’s collar. “I have the rage of Gods. I am Top Coordinator Champion motherfucking Dawn. I am the first line of defense of the entire Sinnoh region. And you know what you are? Job security for my therapist.” She kicked him, flat footed, in the stomach. The League training she had been given to protect herself was finally proving useful.

Dawn kneeled down, “Give me your plate. You wanna see Arceus so badly? I can make you meet him.”

Volo recognized the threat that it was, “No!”

Dawn stood. “Hmm. Fine.” She raised a hand, “Dialga, Roar of Time!”

Gasping, Volo called, “Giratina, strike her down!”

“Giratina?” Dawn yelled, seeing it materialize from the Distortion World, “Giratina, stand down.”

Giratina stopped to look at her, then took the full brunt of Dialga’s attack in its distraction.

“Giratina’s not in a Pokeball?” Dawn sneered, looking down at Volo, “Ever wonder why it didn’t get in one? Giratina, come here.”

Volo and Ingo tracked the God as it diligently went to Dawn’s side. Volo’s eyes grew wide, and Ingo’s would have as well, if the Togekiss was not still keeping him hostage.

“Because I command the Gods of Sinnoh.” Dawn growled. “Now, I’ll make the same threat to you. Give me your plate. Or I will take it by force.”

Volo gave her a rancid, poisonous look before pulling something from his belt and slamming it down.

“Thank you.” Dawn said, “Now go.”

Volo stood, “Why? Why you?! Why do you have the blessing of Arceus?” Volo kicked the plate towards her, “Someday, I'll solve every riddle in the legends of Hisui's Pokémon. And on that day, I'll stand before Arceus at last—No, I will conquer it! No matter how many years, how many decades, how many centuries it takes me!"

Dawn hummed, “On second thought. Giratina, make it up to me. It’s all right, I know he can be quite persuasive. Shadow ball."

Giratina began charging the attack, and Volo started to panic. Togekiss let out a cry and left Ingo’s side to grab her trainer. Volo recalled his long-fainted Garchomp and hopped on the Togekiss. Giratina stopped charging as they started to fly away.

Dawn huffed, “Why do they always get away?” She recalled all of her Pokemon, Giratina obediently going inside a new Pokeball. It was lucky that these Pokeballs didn’t have the anti-theft technology, or none of the three would be able to get in a ball at all.

Ingo, freed from the Togekiss’s paralysis, groaned. He extended his hands, trying to bring blood and movement back into his limbs. Dawn turned around and deflated. She whispered, “Ingo. I’m sorry.”

Ingo thought she sounded very tired. He cleared his throat to try to speak. “I’m fine. Just stiff. You’re hurt, though.”

Dawn looked down at the big gash on her arm. “Oh.”

Ingo got to his feet and gasped when he saw the wound. “That’s…gonna need more than first aid. I’ll pack and bandage it, but you’re going to need that sewn.”

Dawn just shrugged.

“Doesn’t it hurt?” Ingo asked.

Dawn shrugged again.

“Dawn, can you talk?” Ingo wondered if she was going into shock. If so, he didn’t have much time. He began to dig out medical items from his pack.

“Of course.” she said, her voice startlingly flat.. “That…was the agitator, right? It was Volo. I didn’t know.” She closed her eyes when the Arc Phone chimed. It apparently was.

The flat tone reminded Ingo of something – or someone, but he pushed it away. “It’s all right. You couldn’t have known. I didn’t know either.”

Dawn just stared out in the distance while Ingo dressed her wound. It worried him. Ingo wished she would cry. That would be normal. This shutting down was not. He grabbed her hand to check her pulse, to make sure again she wasn’t slipping into shock. The touch seemed to rouse her, and she loosened. Thinking about what Volo said, he pushed away his own discomfort and grabbed her in a hug. It had never occurred to him to do so. He pushed down the guilt that maybe if he had told her what she meant to him more often – how proud he was that she was his niece – she would not have been so easily charmed with Volo.

The effect was immediate. Dawn wailed and fell, dragging them both down to sit awkwardly on the ground. She gripped the front of his jacket tightly. Burying her head into his Kimono, she sobbed openly, not caring or not being able to stifle the screams that tore from her.

They stayed like that for a long time before the three Gods released themselves from their Pokeballs. To Ingo’s surprise, the three faced her, and began to bow down their heads. Three Gods, space, time, and chaos, were bowing down to a teenaged mortal girl. Ingo watched as she shuffled to face them.

She sniffed, “Tell your parent…tell your parent to never ask anything else of me again.”

She continued crying. Ingo could only place a hand on her back. Eventually, the Gods recalled themselves.

Chapter Text

Ingo again called for Lady Sneasler to help him take Dawn to the Medical Corps. Knowing that Dawn would not want to answer questions, he walked them all the way to Jubilife. The quiet sniffs eventually stopped coming from the Lady’s basket, Dawn having exhausted herself to sleep. Despite the newfound comfort the residents had with Pokemon, the large Noble would not be allowed through the gates. Instead, Ingo fished Dawn out of the basket and carried her to the Galaxy Building.

He did not think about the alarm this would cause, carrying an injured and unconscious (sleeping) Dawn through the village. Of course, he just had to say, “Medical Corps”, and they left them right alone.

“What happened?” Pesselle asked, ordering her nurses to take off the bandages on her arm.

Wearily, Ingo said, “A Garchomp.” It was not a lie. Not even a lie of omission. But he couldn’t bear to say anything else.

“Her Garchomp?” Pesselle asked.

Ingo shook his head, “No. Not hers. A normal-sized one.”

“Well, at least there’s that.” Pesselle sucked in air as she saw the gash. She nodded to a nurse, “That’s going to need more than one layer of stitches. Boil some water, please.”

Dawn woke up with a gasp, then curled sideways, covering her eyes. Taking deep breaths, she tried to beat away the visuals of her nightmare. She hadn’t had that particular one in years. Not since Cyrus – she bit in another breath.

Gods, her arm hurt. Why didn’t it hurt before?

“Give me pain medication!” Pesselle called, “She’s going to need it.”

Dawn hadn’t realized at first that she wasn’t alone. She nearly always woke up alone in Hisui. She blinked hard, trying to regain her composure. She couldn’t let others see her being weak – they would kick her out again.

And it wasn’t like Volo could help her, now.

She sobbed again, but made it look like a cough. Or at least, that was the goal. She was so stupid. She was pathetic. Pesselle pushed a cup of medicine towards her. She drank it on autopilot.

She felt a gentle hand on her head. She turned over to see who it was.

Uncle Ingo.

She shrank back.

He lifted his hand as if she’d burnt him. She turned away from him again. She couldn’t face him. Not after what she had done. Not after what he had seen her do.

“Akari,” Pesselle said quietly. “The medicine will start working soon. It will help numb the pain. We’ll stitch you up.”

Dawn didn’t respond. Eventually, she felt somebody grab her arm. She gasped and jumped as she felt the needle stitch through her flesh. “Careful, try not to move.”

The room had started spinning. Whether it was the effect of the medicine or the pain, Dawn wasn’t sure. She let out another sob, knowing that it didn’t sound like a cough very much at all. Was Pesselle judging her? Surely people had made less fuss about more serious injuries. It was her fault, anyway. She had trusted too hard, too fast. Just because of who he looked like.

“Next layer,” Pesselle said. The room started to get darker in addition to spinning.

Despite herself, Dawn called in a whisper, “Uncle. Uncle!”

Ingo quickly walked to the side she was facing and knelt down. “What is it, Akari?”

She reached out to him, and Ingo took her other hand. She squeezed it hard as she felt the needle pierce her again. “I am so, so sorry. I never wanted you to know.”

Ingo looked at her, his own eyes red-rimmed. “Know what?”

Dawn closed her eyes, and with the last of her strength said, “That I’m a terrible person.”

“You aren’t-” Ingo started to say, before her grip went slack, “Akari!”

“She’s just passed out. Probably from the pain.” Pesselle reassured him, after some shuffling and vitals checking. “A small mercy.”

—-

Damn the consequences, Ingo just told Captain Zisu that he was not showing up at the training grounds for a while. She took it in stride, telling him to take all the time he needed. Unfortunately, he couldn’t do the same to his Warden duties. Yet again, he would have to leave Dawn while she was injured.

But he was going to make the most of his time. If they had found the agitator, then their trip to their home station was going to be soon. He needed to talk to Irida, to Lady Sneasler. He was going to do what he could to ease the transition for Dawn, as well.

At the foot of the Highlands, he called for Lady Sneasler, who arrived. She seemed worried.

“Dawn is recovering with the medical corps. She’ll be okay.” He reassured her.

Lady Sneasler appraised him for a second, and then nodded. She started poking at him.

“I was not harmed,” he said. “But we do need to talk. Would you accompany me on my patrol?”

“Sneas!”

“I can never thank you enough for finding me in the Icelands,” Ingo started. “I owe you my life, and it has been a pleasure to be your Warden. Indeed, I know most of the reason why I was given a place in the clan is because you insisted.”

The Lady huffed and knocked her head against his. Ingo smiled, and continued, “I was so lost. I had no memories, no home, and you gave me a place. And a purpose.” He rubbed behind her ear feather.

The Noble Pokemon started to look confused at the onslaught of compliments. “Sneas?”

Ingo sighed, “I have a chance to go back to where I came from. From before the Icelands.” The Sneasler perked up.

“It is very far. I would not be able to return.” Ingo cautioned. “I would not be able to be your Warden any longer.”

Sneasler stayed still at that. Then, she lifted her claws to just above his elbows. She made a chirp.

“I’m not sure what you mean, my Lady.”

Sneasler rolled her eyes and held up her claws again, and pointed to her basket. Then she wrapped her ear feather around her neck. A scarf?

“Oh!” Ingo realized, “Yes, Dawn is going as well.” Maybe not eventually to the same station, but he assumed they were leaving at the same time.

Sneasler nodded sagely. She picked up her warden, in something Ingo had assumed was a hug long ago. He laughed as she rubbed her face over his, knocking off his hat. When he was finally set down, he said, “I’m sorry I can not continue being your Warden, my Lady. It was an honor.”

Sneasler laughed, then patted his head.

—-

It was a gamble, but if Ingo was correct, it would save a lot of time. The next morning, Ingo made his way to the Crimson Mirelands. He was proven correct when he heard the sound of a flute as he approached the Diamond Clan settlement.

“Warden Ingo!” Irida stopped playing abruptly. “What are you doing here?”

“I could ask you the same, Lady Irida. Hello, Lord Adaman.” Ingo smiled.

“I am sharing the songs of the Pearl Clan with the Diamond Clan.”

“Hmm. I’m glad there seems to be good feelings between the two clans.” Ingo quirked an eyebrow at her.

The two clan leaders looked at each other. “Yes, diplomatic relations are at an all time high!” Adaman said, a little loudly.

“Right. Anyway, Lady Irida. I’d like to speak with you privately.”

“If you wanted to speak with me, why did you come to the Diamond Clan settlement?” Irida looked concerned. Surely she didn’t think she was being subtle?

“I was correct, wasn’t I?” Ingo smiled. “Don’t worry – Akari told me. I will keep her confidence.”

“There’s nothing that needs confided!” Irida stood up anyway. “There’s a clearing north of camp. It’s quiet. That…didn’t help my case at all, did it?”

“No, but I think it’s great.”

“You do?” Irida looked almost…relieved?

When they arrived at the clearing, Ingo took a deep breath. “You know how this was never my original home station?”

“Of course. It isn’t everyday Sneasler drags in a man that fell from the sky.” Irida said.

“I have found a way back. To my life before. Akari has, as well.” Ingo let out a breath. This conversation was easier than he expected. Maybe because he had already talked to Lady Sneasler, and at least he and Irida spoke the same language.

“So you plan to return to your home space?” Irida asked.

“If you would give me leave to. I will never forget that you fought for me to have a space in your clan. I can never thank you enough for that. I would have died without the clan’s support.”

Irida looked sad, “I can’t stop you from leaving. And I don’t want to. You also helped out the clan in a very tenuous time. Thank you for supporting me, even when others didn’t.”

“You deserved the support. You did – and are doing – a great job as leader.”

“When do you plan on leaving?”

“I have to finish some tasks first. So this is more of a prior warning. I’m not quite sure how quick it will happen – or if I’ll have a chance to say goodbye.”

“Then we’ll have to say goodbye properly, now. I’ll send Starlies out to the Wardens. We can hold a festival. You know we can work fast.”

Oh boy, Ingo thought. The last festival was An Event.

—--

It was dark by the time he returned to the Highlands, and he thought of staying the night in his tent. However, a Starly intercepted him. Thinking it must be from another Warden or Pesselle, he opened it. Instead, it was from Rei. That was unusual. It’s meaning filtered through his mind:

Akari was physically fine. She was recovering well. She had been released to rest in her dorm, but she had refused to come out for the past two days. Rei had been giving her food at the door, but he didn’t know what else to do. She wouldn’t talk to him, and when he collected her dishes, barely anything had been eaten.

Ingo swore. He had told Pesselle to send him a note if anything changed. She had told him they would keep Dawn hopped up on pain medication for at least three days. Apparently, they discharged her within the same day they stitched her up. He wouldn’t have left if he knew they were going to do that. Would he ever show Dawn that he did care for her? It had to be why she shrank away from him. He had put off thinking about what happened at the temple and the medical office. Dawn wouldn’t be able to talk about it unless she was off the pain medication and lucid. Gods, he hoped they at least gave her pain management.

He decided immediately – he would walk through the night and arrive at the Village in the morning. Was it dangerous? Very? Did he care? No.

Chapter Text

“Please leave,” said the voice through the door.

“Dawn.” Ingo repeated, “open the door.”

“No.”

“Then I’m gonna give you twenty seconds to get decent before I break down this door.” Ingo hollered.

He heard a pitter patter and the door opened. He had overdone it – she looked terrified, near tears, and awful. Her hair was out of her handkerchief and knotted. She was wearing what looked to be modern clothes, as far as Ingo could remember. She didn’t look as if she had slept, and she was slightly bent over, as if holding on to the door was keeping her upright.

“Apologies for the rough entrance,” Ingo said. “May I come in? I brought food.”

“Why?” she asked.

“Because we need to talk, and you need to eat.” Ingo explained.

Dawn flinched back, “We don’t need to. It’s fine. I know. I’m sorry.”

“We do. These tracks you’re going down are not healthy. You need to sleep, and you need to eat. Why did Pesselle let you leave the medical wing?”

“I made her.” Dawn said softly.

Ingo looked disappointed, “Why?”

Dawn looked away, “I don’t deserve their help. I deserve what I got.”

“Ooo-kay. I am coming in now.” Ingo forced his way through the door. Not polite. He’d apologize later. He laid out the food he had gotten from the Wallflower and started a fire in the furnace. Dawn crawled over to the fire and wrapped a blanket around herself. She didn’t make moves to grab the food, so Ingo forced it into her hands.

“Dawn,” he started. “Why do you think you deserve this?”

“You saw what I did,” she whispered.

Ingo responded, “I saw that you drove off someone who was trying to at least kill you, perhaps both of us. Which is a good thing.”

“I wanted to kill him.” Dawn said. “I asked Dialga and Giratina to.”

“But you didn’t, and they didn’t.”

“That doesn’t matter. That had nothing to do with me. It’s not the first time I’ve commanded Gods against a mortal man, and it’s not the first time I was upset that they got away.” Dawn shuddered. “In the end, I’m not much different than they are.”

“Of course you are. Volo was scheming to manipulate and kill you. You were defending yourself.”

"And I don't know what I let my Zoroark do to his Garchomp. I just…didn't want to know." Dawn let her chopsticks fall. “Volo was right. I am pathetic. I trusted him. For such a stupid reason.”

“What was the reason?” Ingo asked.

“I trusted him because he looks like Cynthia. He could have been her twin. I miss her so much. If you’re my Uncle, she’s my Aunt. She helped me the first time when…I had to save the world. She took me in, got me therapy. Encouraged me always. Volo has to be her ancestor. She loves myths and ruins. It was almost like I could see and talk to her again.”

“That doesn’t sound stupid. It sounds understandable.”

“But I know it doesn’t mean anything. Captain Cyllene is the spitting image of the man I had to…deal with before. But she’s not anything like him!” She continued, “And if I would have killed him, that could have made it so Cynthia was never born!”

“You had three Gods bowing down to you. If you really wanted him dead, they would have done it. You were angry, understandably so, but you stopped. For a teenager that literally commands Gods, I’d say the fact that you let Volo escape with only an injured pride shows…remarkable restraint.”

“I…don't think I had restraint. If I did, I would have thought about more than just my anger during then.”

Ingo didn't know what to say. "Dawn," he began. "I can not imagine the pressure you've been under. I would pity any adult in your position – nevermind a teenager. The fact that you have been able to function in any capacity is nothing short of extraordinary."

Dawn didn't want his pity. She told him as such and Ingo sighed. "Apologies. I may have phrased it incorrectly. Dawn, I do not pity you. I am in awe of you."

Dawn huffed, "Slinging Gods around tends to do that."

"I'm not talking about the Gods – although, yes, that was impressive and I will definitely deal with the existential crisis later – I'm talking about what you have done yourself."

"Like trying to murder a man? More than once, actually."

"No, Dawn. I am talking about quelling the nobles. You did that on your own until the last one. I'm talking about the Pokedex, which is filled with research that you completed. I'm talking about how you adopted me and showed me hope when I was in a hopeless place. I don't think you know how barely I was keeping it together. I'm talking about how you were sent here alone and just got to work. I'm talking about how I know now that you've been through this shit before. And yet, you have stayed bright and wonderful."

“You’re such a hypocrite about the language thing,” Dawn huffed.

“You have no room to talk, Miss Top Coordinator Champion motherfucking Dawn,” Ingo replied.

Dawn covered her face and groaned in embarrassment, “I was just making a point!”

“Also,” he added, “I’m an adult. I can say the fuck word. You, however, are not, which brings me back to my previous point. What you’ve done is extraordinary. You are a great person – not a terrible one.”

Dawn shrugged, “I didn’t do it by myself. The Nobles – I would have died; I did die? If it weren’t for Arceus, I would be long buried in the ground by now. For more than half of my life, I have been great only because Arceus rolled a die and picked me.”

“You know, I was just talking to Lady Sneasler,” Ingo said. “I thanked the Lady because, if she hadn’t dragged me to the Pearl Clan settlement, I would have died alone in the Icelands. If she hadn’t been so insistent that they make me her Warden, I would have been thrown out the moment I could walk out of the camp.”

“That’s horrible, Uncle Ingo. I never knew.”

“Well, we both have things we don’t talk about. That’s all right. I won’t ask what ‘Top Coordinator Champion Dawn’ is, even though I think I can piece it together.” Ingo continued, “Anyway, it is by pure chance I came to Hisui. It is by pure chance Lady Sneasler found me and I survived my first night. It was nothing I did.”

Dawn sighed, “I’m not sure I get your point.”

“That’s because I haven’t gotten there yet. Apologies – this is going somewhere, I promise. My point is, life is just you reacting to a constant stream of things that happen to you. It takes a special person to be yanked back 200 years, get told to seek out all the Pokemon, and then become one of the most decorated Survey Corps members. A terrible person would not have completed some 100-odd requests for villagers that called them an outcast. And it takes an extremely brave person to die, to just pick themselves up to go die again. It’s ridiculous that you have to do any of it. I kick myself everyday for not helping sooner.”

Dawn shrugged, “They were my tasks.”

“Dawn,” Ingo sighed. “Do you trust me?”

“Of course.”

“Then believe me when I say it. You are not a terrible person. You have been put into a terrible position, and manipulated and betrayed by someone who you thought was a friend. Even though I don’t show it enough, I am so, so, proud that you’re my niece.”

Dawn’s mouth got a little wobbly, but she seemed to regroup and said, “What if I just fooled you into thinking I was good?”

“That’s why you have to trust me.” Ingo closed his eyes, “I know this conversation we’re having will not fix the root of your concerns. So instead, I just ask you to be as kind to yourself as you are to other people. Tell me again, when you helped out Calaba, what did that inscription on the stone say?”

Dawn knew where this was going, “All lives touch other lives to create something anew and alive.”

“Think of how many lives you’ve touched. This entire village would be teetering on the brink. The clans would still be at each other’s throats. Not every person you meet is going to have a positive effect on your life. Not everything you do is going to have a positive effect on others’ lives. All you can do is try to be a positive force in the world. And that has to start with yourself.”

“Myself?” Dawn asked.

“Yes. You can not help others to their destinations if your cab is in disrepair.” Ingo ruffled her tangled hair. “So you can start with a wash, change, more food, and a walk. Then, you need to sleep.”

Dawn groaned, “Ugh. Why are you good at this pep talk stuff?”

Ingo smiled gently, “I’m a big brother – and an uncle. It’s my job.”

“I guess so.”

“But while you do all that, I’m going to crash. I’ve been up for about 28 hours now.”

“Oh, Arceus, Uncle Ingo. How can you say all that and then drop that you haven’t slept in over a day?” Dawn made her way to the cabinets in the back, pulling out her spare futon. “Sleep, you silly man.”

“Meh, do as I say, not as I do,” he grumbled, tucking himself into the futon.

—-

Their purpose having been fulfilled, Team Get Them Back were at a loss. They hadn’t received any messages from Ingo or Dawn, so most of their days were now spent trying to stave off the anxiety that they were too late.

Barry, of course, took initiative to fill the silence. “I wonder why Dawn remembers everything but Ingo doesn’t.”

“Hmm,” Emmet thought. “Ingo went missing quite a bit before Dawn did. Maybe they did not use the same train to reach their destinations?”

“We know Arceus took Dawn. So you think something else dragged Ingo to Hisu?” Elesa walked in with two mugs, and set them on the dining table.

Emmet shook his head, “I have no idea. I just hope he can regain his memory once he is back. I can not imagine how overwhelming his life will be if he’s just thrown into Nimbasa.”

“Especially since the man has no concept of the internet. I mean, his own workplace posted a thirst trap of him on their social media.” Elesa grabbed some berries from the bowl in the middle of the table.

“Which they still never posted one of me,” Emmet said, exasperated.

“I'm sure if you search your name your fans will have created some.” Elesa offered.

“I never want to go on the internet again,” Emmet made a disgusted face.

“Fair,” Elesa conceded.

“That must be really weird, to just see yourself mentioned by strangers like that." Barry tapped his chin, "My dad is respected, but doesn’t get nearly the amount of attention you all do. And I’ve shown up in gossip rags once or twice, but nothing too major.”

Elesa raised an eyebrow, “What got you into gossip rags?”

“Been a male that exists around Dawn.” He rolled his eyes.

“Ahh, yes. Ingo and I have been accused many times of having a secret affair with Elesa. Which is of course impossible on many levels.”

Barry looked horrified, “Yeah! Like…you're their sister!”

Elesa and Emmet laughed, “No, not actually. More like honorary. Or adopted.”

“And I’m also very gay,” Elesa added.

“Oh.” Barry turned red, “I thought – when you said – I did think it was funny, that the twins were obviously identical and you looked nothing like them…” He stopped. “But that’s really cool. That’s kinda like how Dawn and I are. In every way but blood we are siblings. But I thought that might be taken a little literally so I didn’t want to cause confusion…”

“It’s fine, kid,” Elesa patted his head, "live your truth and worry less about how others will take it."

"That seems…oddly philosophical for this situation." Barry cocked his head, but tried it anyway. "Dawn is my sister."

"Yea, like that!" Elesa encouraged.

The three of them were distracted as Lucas came out of his and Barry’s room, rubbing his eyes.

“Have a good nap?” Barry asked.

Lucas only responded with a grunt.

“Johanna and Cynthia went out to pick up food. They’ll be back soon.” Emmet offered.

Lucas opened his eyes, perking up. “What are they getting?”

“You’re so food motivated, I’m gonna fine you” Barry playfully punched his arm, and the four of them chuckled. For some reason, whether it be the break in stress or just pent up energy, the chuckles continued to grow. They would start to die down, only for someone to giggle and it would start all over again.

Johanna and Cynthia were very confused when they walked in to uncontrolled, raucous laughter

Chapter Text

For the second time, Ingo woke up, confused, looking at a wooden roof and questioning his life choices. He sat up, at least not having the same splitting headache.

“Afternoon,” he heard a greeting behind him.

He turned around and caught Dawn’s eye through the mirror. She was sitting on the floor, putting clips in her still-damp hair. She looked exhausted, but it at least looked like she hadn't been crying recently. She was dressed in a casual pink kimono she must have bought from Anthe, and had somehow acquired fuzzy slippers?

“Feeling better?” Ingo asked.

“I guess I am,” she responded. She started to put her hair up. She separated it into parts and clipped hair over her ears. The process did not make sense to him, but she was quick and efficient about it, obviously well practiced.

“How does that hairstyle even work?” he asked.

Dawn smirked, “It’s popular with girls my age back in Sinnoh. It’s not as hard as it looks.”

“Fair enough. You got a new kimono?”

“Hmm?” Dawn looked down. “Oh, this? I’ve had it for a while. I have lots of clothes – I just have to wear my uniform most of the time. And I’m not going to waste bag space when I’m out surveying.”

“No offense, why do you have lots of clothes? You are always, frankly speaking, surveying.”

“Pssh, are you kidding? Custom-made handsewn kimonos for this price? I’d be silly not to pounce on it.” Finished with the mirror, she turned around to face Ingo. “Hopefully Arceus lets us take luggage with us.”

“Ah, I did not realize you appreciated the finer points of tailoring.” Ingo paused, eyes narrowing, “That seems familiar.”

Dawn laughed, “I’m sure it does. Elesa is a model and fashion designer.”

Ingo replied, “I thought you said she was a gym leader that could punch you in the face.”

“She is also those things.” She stood up, “I forgot, I left you some leftover mochi for lunch, here.”

“Thank you kindly,” Ingo reached out to grab the offered food. “Are you a model and fashion designer, too?” He couldn't even be surprised anymore at this point.

“What?” Dawn spluttered. “No! I just like clothes.”

“Huh. Never would have guessed.” Ingo mused, “I didn’t peg you as a girly girl.”

Dawn just stared at him. “How?”

“I don’t know. You constantly roll around in mud and can literally take a man down with your fists.” Ingo shrugged.

Dawn sniffed, “That’s not mutually exclusive.”

“I suppose you are right. My apologies.”

“My job used to have me kick butt in a ball gown on a regular basis.” Dawn sighed, “Both jobs, occasionally.”

“And those jobs were – nevermind, I wasn’t going to ask. What time is it?”

“A couple hours after midday.”

“Really?” Ingo startled. He had not expected it to be quite so late. He had been asleep for many hours.

“Well, I didn’t want to wake you up.” Dawn shrugged, “It seemed like you needed the sleep. I was very productive while you were out, though.”

“Oh?”

“Yes, I finished all of the to-do list you gave me, except for the walk. I was thinking you might want to join me, after you eat?”

“Of course. Do you have a destination in mind?”

“I don’t know. Somewhere close, but quiet, I guess.”

“Sounds good. All aboard…after I eat this mochi.”

—-

They decided to wander around the Fieldlands, staying near the village. There were plenty of Shinx that roamed around the area, but Typhlosion and Ingo’s Gliscor took their jobs as guards seriously. Any particularly aggressive Pokemon was scared off before they could even get close. Having had an unfortunate encounter with Dawn previously, the Alpha Luxio that roamed the area slinked away deeper into the trees.

Dawn sighed and luxuriated in the sunlight. It had been a long time since she had been out of the village for anything other than work. She wasn’t tempted to, either, having completed the entries for the Pokemon around here long ago.

“These are the Floaro Gardens, correct?” Ingo asked, not often visiting this area.

“Mmm-hmm,” Dawn hummed. “It’s always filled with wildflowers, no matter the season. Except for one part where everything is just…dead.”

“That’s…odd.” Ingo frowned, “Why is one part barren?”

Dawn shrugged. “Who knows. Maybe a Pokemon did it, or maybe someone salted it. Wanna go see it?”

“Why?” Ingo asked. “I’m not opposed to it, but why would you rather see dead stuff instead of all the flowers?”

“Flowers grow everywhere. Random large dead spots generally do not.”

“You can take the girl out of the Survey Corps,” Ingo huffed. “Fine, lead the way, then.”

Ingo followed her until she stopped and declared, “Here it is!”

“Yup, well. Everything is certainly brown.” Ingo observed.

“I’m surprised they didn’t force you to join the Survey Corps with that kind of skill.” Dawn snorted. “Hmm, there’s something green in the middle.” Peering, she took a step, crunching through the brush.

“What is it?” Ingo asked.

“It’s a – No, it can’t be. I think it’s…” Dawn started walking faster, “It’s hurt!’

At that, Ingo sped up behind her, “Is it a Pokemon?”

“Yes.” Dawn rubbed her face, “I didn’t bring my pack. Did you bring any medicine?”

“Very little. What does it need?”

“Well, I’m no Nurse Joy, but…” Dawn looked over the small green Pokemon. “I think the Luxio probably got it. Some potions and a cheri berry, maybe?”

Ingo started searching through his pockets. “I have some potions, but no berries.” He whistled sharply, and Gliscor appeared moments later. “Can you search around for some cheri berries? They’re the red ones.”

“Scor!” the Pokemon affirmed, then sped off.

“Do you know what kind of Pokemon this is?” Ingo asked her as he passed her the bottle.

Dawn nodded, “It’s a Shaymin. It’s the Gratitude Pokemon. A mythical-class Pokemon that likes to curl up in flower fields.” She gently pulled it upwards. It gave a worried squeak and tried to wiggle away. “It’s alright, Shaymin,” she cooed. “I’m just going to make you feel better.”

It was stiff from the paralysis, but she was able to help it get the potion down. Around the same time, Gliscor reappeared, too many Cheri berries in its arms. It dumped the pile next to Dawn. “Oh, Arceus! That’s a lot of cheri berries. Good job, Gliscor!”

Chirping happily, Gliscor spun with happiness in its accomplishment, and went back to Ingo to wrap himself around Ingo’s back. Ingo smiled, rubbing under his chin, “You could make a fine Nurse Pokemon, couldn’t you?”

After administering the berries, the Shaymin started to loosen up, and began to warily look around. “Are you feeling better?” Dawn asked. “Do you want more berries?”

Shaymin blinked up at her for a few seconds, before launching itself into her arms. Dawn laughed, and gave it a small squeeze. “You’re welcome - oh!”

The Pokemon began to bloom, with pink flowers dotting its green back. Shaymin wiggled out of Dawn’s arms and offered her one of the pink flowers.

“A - a gracidea flower?” Dawn seemed shocked. Ingo wasn’t quite sure how this one was different from all the others they’d seen today. But she reverently cupped it in her hands, then stuck it through her hair. “Thank you, Shaymin. I’m honored.”

Dawn stayed still for another couple moments before hugging the small Pokemon again, “And you’re still so cute!” She squealed, then stood up. “Look, this is my Uncle, Ingo. Say hi to Uncle Ingo!”

The Shaymin chirped, and raised its little paw in a greeting. Ingo moved closer. “Hello, Shaymin. I’ll admit I’ve never seen one of you before. Dawn is right – you are very cute.” He patted the small head, then stepped back in surprise.

All around them, the brown and broken weeds began to sprout into a beautiful field of flowers. Dawn laughed, dazzled by all the colors. Ingo just watched, happy that Dawn was happy and marveling at the mysteries of Pokemon.

—--

After a while, Dawn waved goodbye to the Shaymin and it skipped off into the meadows. And Dawn stood up and dusted herself off, with Ingo suggesting that they should head back before it got dark.

“Also,” he added, “So you can get to bed early.”

“Are you giving me a bedtime?” Dawn asked, aghast.

“Yup, now let’s go.” Ingo started to walk, “Oh, by the way, I let Lady Sneasler and Lady Irida know that we were setting our tracks for home. She insisted on a festival to say goodbye.”

“Oh, how fun!” Dawn exclaimed. “I do have a suggestion for you, though.”

“Hmm? What is it?”

“Do not drink this time. Did I ever tell you I found Cyllene sleeping on her desk the next morning?”

Ingo groaned, “Yeah, yeah. I feel like the revelations of what happened that night will never stop coming.

The conversation stayed light until they got back to her dorm. Ingo went to pick up some dinner (with a generous side of cheri berries). She ate and crawled into her futon and didn’t even remember the folk story about Floaroma Town until she was nearly asleep.

Chapter Text

Back to work, Dawn went back to the Floaro Gardens. “Shaymin?”

The little green Pokemon, stalking Dawn from the moment she entered the flower fields, suddenly jumped out at her. Dawn squeaked, before catching it in her arms.

“You scared me!” Dawn chided, “I might have sent a Pokemon out at you.”

Shaymin just whirred, and Dawn sighed, “Do you mind terribly if I take some measurements for your Pokedex entry? I didn’t have my supplies on me last time.”

Shaymin nodded in assent, so Dawn got to measuring and weighing. She took a photo with her ArcPhone and then wrote down some observations. Curious, the Shaymin jumped on her shoulder to watch what she was doing.

“This is your page,” Dawn explained. “I’m making one for every pokemon in Hisui. I’m done now, though. Got more work to do elsewhere. See ya around, Shaymin.”

The Shaymin did not jump off her shoulder. Dawn laughed, “Okay, I get it.”

—--

Professor Laventon and Rei fell in love immediately with the Pokemon. Laventon did not have his usual qualms about Pokemon he did not recognize, and Rei became cuteness aggression incarnate. They even clapped when it started to show off and transform into its Sky Form.

“Marvelous! Simply marvelous!” Laventon cried, slipping into Galarian in his excitement.

Dawn, leaving them to it, was very worried. If Shaymin was here, what other insanely rare Pokemon might she have to seek out before she and Ingo could return home? She was turning to leave, before Laventon stopped her, “Oh, Dawn! I have a request for you.”

Dawn’s eye twitched. She had been done with the requests. Apparently not anymore. “What is it?”

“There’s been recent rumors of a dark ghostly Pokemon that roams the Clamberclaw Cliffs at night. Can you check it out?”

“The Clamberclaw Cliffs in the Highlands?” Dawn frowned. It seemed like Ingo might have mentioned this, or at least would know about it.

Laventon nodded, “We had Security Corps camp out near there one night and they all complained of horrible, realistic nightmares.

Dawn thought for a moment, and decided it was probably time to retrieve Cresselia from the pastures. “I’ll look into it.”

“Thank you, my girl!”

—-

With the help of Ingo and Lady Sneasler, Darkrai was caught and cataloged. It was then firmly placed in a Pokeball for the time being, so the entire Village wasn’t caught up in a nightmare.

Laventon mentioned another suspicious happening, although Dawn couldn’t figure out what exactly it was going to lead to. A Manaphy and several Phione later, Dawn was wondering how many more ‘requests’ were going to pop up.

It seemed as though the requests dried up after that, and Dawn was at a loss. She had searched far and wide, but there were still four more blank pages in her ArcPhone. Finishing the Pokedex was the only task standing in the way of her and Ingo going home. She couldn’t fail now. She was so close to finishing all of Arceus’s tasks. Even if Arceus was not helping in the slightest.

—-

Ingo had just finished his work for the day as he heard a greeting at the entrance of his tent.

“Melli?” He said, “Why are you here?”

Melli scoffed, “Is that really how you should greet the Great Melli when he graces your doorstep?”

“Apologies.” Ingo said, “To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit?”

“Better.” Melli flipped his hair back, “If you must know, Adaman requested I give you assistance.”

“Assistance for what?”

“Do you know how to dance, Warden?”

Ingo cocked his head, “Excuse me?”

“Of course, what a silly question.” Melli glared, “Someone as gangly and uncoordinated as you could never hope to know the fine intricacies of Clan dancing.”

Ignoring the insults, Ingo nodded, “It is true, I don’t think I know how to dance.”

Melli nodded sagely, “I figured. It’s all right, the Great Melli will graciously instruct you!”

“Wait, wait!” Ingo held his hands up. “Why?”

“Why?” Melli looked appalled. “Because of the stupid festival Diamond Clan is insisting they must host for you and Akari’s desertion.”

“I –” Ingo bit down his words, “Why is the Diamond Clan hosting it?”

“Because they are also insisting that those Jubilife fools be invited, and Irida thought that more people would come to a central – warmer – location.” Melli sniffed, “Seems like even the lesser clan has realized our space is much better suited.”

“And I need to learn how to dance, because?”

“Because this will be a traditional Clan festival – nothing like the lame affair Jubilife put on – and you will have to dance. The whole thing is about you, after all.”

“I, uhh. Okay.” Ingo stuttered, “It’s, uhm, very kind of you to help teach me.”

“Don’t I know it! Now, it’s a line dance so face towards me…”

—-

Seeing that Dawn was concerned about something, he cajoled her to tell him what about. Eventually, Dawn revealed that she had four blank entries and had no idea what they could be. She had scoured the Pokedex, not finding any missing evolutions, and did not find anything fruitful in any Security Corps field notes either.

He reluctantly suggested that maybe she talk to Cogita. It seemed likely that if anyone knew about the most elusive Pokemon in Hisui, it would be her. Dawn agreed, but asked for him to come as backup. She didn’t know, after all, how connected she was to Volo’s schemes.

It was for that reason, then, that she and Ingo cautiously approached the Ancient Retreat. Cogita, as always, was sitting at her table.

“Hmm, it’s been a while, lost one.” She greeted. “How goes your – what was it called – surveying work?”

“It’s going,” Dawn said, and didn’t elaborate.

Cogita paid no mind, looking deep in thought, “I've just been told of the foul plan Volo had concocted. Well, think no more on that scoundrel. Just another tale of passion burning too bright and consuming its bearer. That is what happens, if you allow it to.”

“Did you know?” Dawn bluntly asked.

“Know what?”

“About Volo.”

“Ah. No, I did not know what he had plans to do. I will admit I did not trust him fully. Not because of what I thought harbored under the surface, but because he was only ever concerned with himself.”

Dawn pushed, “But you knew about the Pixie plate?”

“That? Of course. But I was given my own task to guide the lost one, which I knew was not Volo. So, yes, I kept it a secret until I could hand it to you directly.”

“Do you still have things to tell me?”

“I know there’s still more Pokemon to be found in Hisui. Shall I speak to you about them?”

Dawn nodded, and Cogita continued. “For now, I will speak on three Pokemon. Tornadus, who flies about when there is a blizzard in the Alabaster Icelands. Thundurus, who appears when a rainstorm lashes the Cobalt Coastlands. Finally, Landorous, who prefers the Obsidian Fieldlands. Why don’t you catch them all, and then return to me?”

“Is there a fourth?” Dawn asked, “I’m missing four.”

“Such impatience, lost one. I will reveal everything you need to know when it is time.”

Dawn fought very hard to not roll her eyes – Cogita seemed to be their ticket home, no matter how annoying and cryptic she may act. “Thank you, Cogita. I will see to it.”

—-

On the way home, Dawn and Ingo encountered a space-time distortion, and decided to let Team Get Them Back know that they had completed the agitator task, and were clearing their way for home.

Ingo noticed Dawn go silent again, then looked at his xTrans when it booted up. He sighed when he saw the message. Knowing that Dawn would not be likely to respond, he typed out a response, then suggested they make their way back to his tent in the Highlands. It was, after all, much closer than Jubilife.

Chapter Text

After an extremely difficult and quite annoying encounter with Landorus, Dawn was happy for the distraction of the festival. Perhaps it elongated their stay in Hisui, but it could also save time in the end. Other than giving her a break from the Forces of Nature, it provided a singular place where Dawn and Ingo could begin saying their farewells.

Some of them she would see again before she left, but also many others – especially the far-off Wardens – she may not make the trek. So she put her hair up, put on her festival attire, and left Jubilife with the rest of the attendees.

The Survey Corps – namely, Rei, Laventon, Cyllene, and her, all walked together. Laventon was the only one who hadn’t changed out of his usual clothing, but had gotten rid of his lab coat. The Shaymin clung to the top of his hat, and all of the Survey Corps had a Gracidea flower either pinned somewhere or tucked in their hair.

The Corps had definitely obtained a mascot. Laventon had even potted wildflowers in his office so Shaymin could delight in them.

Rei and Laventon were chatting about Buizel sizes (why is everyone so obsessed about Buizel sizes? Dawn thought), but Cyllene and her walked quietly. She was surprised when Cyllene broke the silence, her usual austere look dampened a bit by the Abra clutching her head.

“I must commend you, Akari, on your performance in the Survey Corps,” she said. “The progress on the Pokedex exponentially grew after you joined our ranks.”

“Ah…thank you.” Dawn felt a bit bashful. She always felt a little guilty – if anyone else had grown up in a time where Pokemon partners were considered the norm, they too would be considered skilled.

Cyllene continued anyway, not noticing or not caring about Dawn’s discomfort. “I’ll think you’ll find, if you are still here a few days from now, that you’ll be due for a promotion soon.”

“Oh!” Dawn said, “Thank you. Wouldn’t that mean…”

“That you would be a Full Star member of the Corps? Yes, that is correct.”

Dawn spluttered a bit. “Thank you.”

Cyllene nodded, “I expect you to carry yourself with the dignity befitting of someone of your rank, no matter where you may find yourself.”

“Yes, of course.” Dawn agreed. The rest of the trip to the settlement was silent.

—

Ingo was glad when he arrived at the settlement, his traveling partner having been Melli. He had arrived after Dawn, spotting her with the rest of the Galaxy Team. He waved, and she started to make her way over to him.

“Hello, Uncle!” Dawn looked at him critically, “You didn’t change at all!”

“Yes, well, I only own Pearl Clan clothing and my coat and hat,” Ingo stated.

Dawn tutted, “Anthe and I could have gotten you something.”

Ingo shrugged, “I don’t see a point. I’m comfy in these.”

Dawn huffed, “Oh well. Guess what Cyllene just told me…”

—-

The part that Ingo had been dreading had come: musicians started playing, and the festival goers started to line up. He was having a better time than Dawn, apparently.

“What do you mean by dancing!?” He heard her say.

“Arezu taught everyone staying in Jubilife, didn’t she teach you?” A clan member said.

“She was out on Survey at the time.” Rei grimaced.

“How was Akari looked over? This festival is half for her!” Irida looked a little panicked.

“It’s all right! It’s all right! I will…learn by doing.” Dawn said, and then shot a very concerned glance at Ingo. Ingo could only laugh and send a thumbs-up back before someone swung him around.

“Don’t mess up, or people might think I’m a bad teacher,” Melli sniffed, before swing him around again to start the round proper.

“Well, Melli,” he started, “It is certainly going to be different without you as a neighbor.”

“A deficit in your life, no doubt.” Melli sniffed, “But I suppose life will be much different without you and your hanger-on romping around the Highlands.”

“I’m pretty sure I’m Akari’s hanger-on.”

“Either way, old man. It will be very different. And, I suppose, I didn’t mind having another Warden to share the Highlands with.”

“Melli!” Ingo said, surprised. “I’m touched!”

“Yeah, yeah. That’s what this type of festival is for, right?”

“Sure, Melli. And I enjoyed your antics as well.” Ingo thought for a moment. “Some of your antics.”

Melli didn’t reply, it being the time for partners to switch. Ingo suddenly found himself face to face with the Professor, “Ah, hello, Professor Laventon. Hello, Shaymin.”

—-

“Yes, hit your heels with mine, perfect! Yes, you got it!” Arezu was Dawn’s first partner, “Thanks for all your help with quelling the nobles. That was pretty cool.”

Dawn laughed as she flubbed the steps, “You’re welcome. I was glad to help, really. Thanks for doing my hair, I would have been so annoyed if it grew out too much.”

“No problem, Akari! I won’t waste your time, time for your next partner!”

“Ah, Mai! I’m not quite good at this yet. Thanks for your help with the Massive Mass Outbreaks. It made the Pokedex so much easier to work on.”

—-

Ingo (now with a gracidea flower tucked in the brim of his hat), found himself now with Adaman, “Thank you very much for helping my niece while the sky was red. I rest easier knowing she had support.”

“Thank you, Warden, for being supportive. I think they’ll be a few announcements today, if you don’t mind a little upstaging?”

“Please upstage away.”

—-

“I wanted you to be one of the first to know.” Palina said, blushing. “Iscan and I are betrothed now. Got Irida’s and Adaman’s blessing and everything.”

Dawn smiled, “Congratulations! I’m so happy. Are you going to tell everyone now?”

“Honey, if I pass by a wild Pokemon I’m going to tell them.”

—-

“I hear there’s good news?” Ingo asked Iscan.

Iscan said nothing, just nodded silently.

—-

“Hiya, kid!” Zisu greeted her. “Thanks for everything. I can’t list everything cause the dance isn’t that long.”

“Aw, thanks Zisu.”

“You know that Cyllene was once one of the finest swordswomen of Hoenn?”

Dawn stuttered her steps. “Um, no I definitely didn’t know that.”

“You wouldn’t know just looking at her, right? I think you’re like that, too. You have so many multitudes, kid. No matter what you do, you’ll do a good job.”

“Uhm, thank you Zisu,” Dawn thought for a moment, “Do you have a crush on Uncle Ingo?”

“Do I what?” It was Zisu’s turn to mess up her steps.

“I thought I noticed something at the last festival. Call it a woman's intuition.”

“I…thought I was hiding it.” Zisu added, “I wasn’t going to say anything.”

“All right, just wondering. Maybe try Warden Gaeric! Bye!”

—-

It was a little more difficult to dance with a ten year old, but Ingo made do. “You were cool. You let me talk about rocks a lot. So, thanks.”

—-

“Akari, my clairvoyance says that I will miss you. And that your name isn’t actually Akari.”

—-

“Hmm, despite being an outsider, I guess you did okay,” was Calaba’s ringing endorsement. Ingo was just going to take it as a compliment.

—-

Finally, Ingo and Akari met in the middle.

“Did you figure out the dance?”

“Nice flower. Marginally. How did you know about it?”

“Melli taught me.”

“Melli taught you? I can’t believe I missed that. That was probably amazing.”

“Depends on your definition,” he huffed.

“Oh, by the way. I confirmed, Zisu was talking about you.”

“You did not ask her!”

“Yeah, I did. Have fun when you get to her. Bye!”

—-

Eventually, Akari and Ingo got to the opposite ends of the line. The music and dance changed to something much less structured, and people began to fracture into groups. Dawn was pleased to see that the huddles included members of all three groups. The people of Hisui were really coming together.

For the first time, at her farewell party, Dawn realized the lives that she had touched and had touched hers. She had always been looking forward, trying to get home, that she hadn’t taken the time to realize all the wonderful things Hisui had to offer. She had built friends and acquaintances, mended bridges that decades of religious infighting had burnt. And she was going to leave it all behind.

“Is everything all right, Dawn?” Ingo asked her.

She startled, having been lost in her thoughts. “Sorry. I just realized. In a week, or however long it will take, these people, from our perspective, will have been dead for decades.”

“Hmm,” he laid a hand on her shoulder. “I know. In going back to our past lives, we are shedding this one. It is a sort of death, in a way.”

“Especially for you. All the memories you have are of this place. It must be scary. I at least know what I’m jumping into.”

“My memories are scarce, but…I think as I talk more with the Team, I remember bits and pieces. I’m sure I’ll learn more when I get there.”

“Hopefully. And one other thing.” Dawn played with her fingernails.

“What’s up?”

“We live very far away from each other. I live in Sinnoh, you live in Unova. I know everyone is in Sinnoh right now, but…”

“I asked Emmet if we have a spare bedroom. We do. You will be welcome, no questions asked, anytime.”

“Thank you,” Dawn said. “I’m just worried…I lead a very busy life back at home. I will try to visit, but I’m not sure what I’ll be able to do.”

“That is fine. Just whenever you want to, we’ll be there, waiting for you.”

Dawn leaned on his side, “Thanks, Uncle Ingo.”

Chapter Text

Dawn took it back. Dealing with Landorus (and Tornadus, in the Icelands) were not nearly as annoying as Thundorus. Basculegion was a little trooper, but Dawn was not. She had to keep driving an Alpha Gyarados away, while simultaneously trying to catch a Pokemon that would not stay still.

Yelling with frustration, she just started throwing mud balls at the thing. After several glancing blows from a Thunder attack, she released her Gastrodon to swim behind her and Light Screen its attacks into oblivion. It worked, but she was as ragged as the fights with the frenzied nobles by the end of it.

She fell off of Basculegion onto the beach, and decided it was as good a spot as any. She waved weakly as Basculegion swam away. Her Gastrodon curled up around her.

Apparently, it had run off to get Iscan, who came dashing towards her. “Ak-kari!” he said. “Are you all right?”

“Oh, yeah, yeah. This is nothing. The ground is just really comfy right now. I may have been struck by lightning, but I’ll get better. Hey!” She yelped as Iscan grabbed her and began to carry her, “Hey! I can walk! I was just tired.”

“You are v-v-very light. Are you eating enough?”

“What? I don’t know. I’m 85% potato mochi at this point.” Dawn huffed, “Seriously, where are you taking me?”

“Our t-t-tent,” Iscan replied.

“Oh? Not just your tent anymore?”

—-

Palina was not in the tent, no doubt attending to her Lord. Dawn had been dropped off on some blankets and handed some berries. She watched as Iscan grabbed a piece of parchment and started writing.

“Wait, who are you writing to?” She asked.

“Your Uncle.”

“Nope! Please don’t do that. Then I’ll just get yelled at for not doing safety checks and he’ll go into a guilt spiral that he didn’t help me – even though I didn’t tell him I was going. I’ll be fine, and then he’ll be fine.”

Iscan said nothing, but called for a Starly. Dawn sighed. This was not going to Be Fun.

—-

Palina arrived at the tent first, presumably after she had finished her rounds.

“Ack!” She took a step back, “Akari, what are you doing here?”

Dawn frowned, “About to get chewed out.”

“I found her on the b-beach,” Iscan explained, “So I made her st-tay here and I sent a St-t-arly to Ingo.”

“I was just resting on the beach,” Dawn pouted.

“Then why d-did Basculegion come g-get me?”

“Ugh,” Dawn said, “for a supposedly timid man, you ask a lot of hard questions.”

“Your uniform is torn,” Palina said, “are you hurt?”

“Not really,” Dawn shrugged, “This is just a normal Tuesday.”

Suddenly, they heard a crash outside the tent. Palina raced outside.

“Warden Ingo! Did you just fall off of that Gliscor? Are you all right?”

“Where’s Akari?”

“Inside.”

Dawn could barely look at Ingo’s face as he came in, his eyes wide. He looked near to panic.

“Uncle!” She said, covering her face, “I promise I’m fiiine.”

“I got a message from Iscan that said you were lying on a beach and got struck by lightning.”

“I was resting on a beach after, yes, getting struck by glancing blows of lightning. I work with Pokemon! Again, that’s a normal Tuesday! It wasn’t like the Pokemon was frenzied! And Gastrodon worked as a ground. Sort of.” Dawn still had her hands in her face, which Ingo found very suspicious.

He grabbed her wrists to peer at her face closely. Seeing no tears or injuries, he stepped back. “Your uniform is torn.”

Dawn said, “Hardly more than usual. Anthe fixes it right up. It’s why I have a couple uniforms.” Finally, she added for Ingo’s benefit, “I didn’t even die. I promise, it’s really a misunderstanding.”

Ingo looked at her for a few more seconds, then nodded. “Can you walk?”

“Yes. Are you going to yell at me?”

“No.” Ingo said, “Okay, maybe a little. If the tracks ahead were perilous, why did you push on?”

Dawn crossed her arms. “Because it really wasn’t that perilous. I did not need assistance. I heard there was a thunderstorm in the Coastlands, and so I came to get some field work done. We can continue on the tracks now.” She tried to keep it as vague as possible, knowing Palina and Iscan were right there.

Ingo mirrored her, crossing his arms. “Fine. But you’re staying with me in the Highlands tonight, so I can make sure you rest, Akari. No sense in blocking the tracks home at this point.”

“Fine.”

—-

Although Dawn knew she shouldn’t be asking for reassurance – in fact, her therapist told her not to – she peeped out of her futon in Ingo’s tent and asked, “Are you mad at me?”

Ingo looked over the pot he was stirring and sighed. “No. I just wish you’d let others help you more.”

“I really was fine on my own, though. I think Iscan misinterpreted what happened.”

“I am aware, and agree. He is the only Warden who has not picked up a companion Pokemon. I don’t think he knows what is or isn’t normal.” Ingo looked down. “This is a separate matter. You captured all three Forces of Nature without enlisting any help, even though you have to know by now we’re in this together. Tell me when you run off and do things, at least. Tomorrow, we’ll go visit Cogita, and I want to be with you when you face the last Pokemon, all right?”

Dawn felt a bit anxious, still not really sure what she had done wrong, and whether Ingo was actually mad (or even worse ‘not mad but disappointed’). “All right. Maybe we could go right after. Then we can go home.”

“Yes, then we can go home.” Ingo was quiet. Dawn was unsure how to proceed. It had never been awkward before.

“Is everything all right?” Dawn asked.

“Hmm? Yes. Dinner is ready.”

—-

As much as Ingo wanted to go home, he was terrified. How could he face everyone when he functionally left Dawn – a literal teenager – to do 90% of the work to get home? Dawn’s mother and Aunt were going to tear into him when he got there – not that he would blame them. His own brother and sister would even look at him in disappointment.

He sighed. He was the adult here. He was supposed to be able to shoulder the burdens and do the work and be the rock. Why wasn’t he? He was a failure, always failing the niece that adopted him.

He wanted to go home and see everyone – but would he even be able to look at himself?

Chapter Text

They started the trek to the Ancient Retreat right after dawn. They traveled in what Dawn thought was companionable silence, but she was worried she was reading it wrong. Ingo seemed a little on edge, but not nearly as much as last night.

“What type of Pokemon do you think it’ll be?” Dawn asked.

Ingo shrugged, “Not sure. I’m assuming it’ll be a really rare one. Probably another I’ve never seen, like Shaymin or the princes of the sea.”

Dawn cocked her head, “Have you seen the last three?”

Ingo looked deep in thought, “I guess that must be another thing my memory lost, because I haven’t given it much thought. But yes, or at least, I knew of them. I’m not sure I have ever seen them in person before.”

“Oh, look. She’s still sitting at her table. Is she just always there?”

Giving her a sideways glance, Ingo said, “I think it’s more likely that she just knows when you’re coming.”

“Ah, you’ve arrived.”

“Hello, Cogita. We have the Forces of Nature.” Dawn laid three Pokeballs on her table.

“Indeed. You now know much about Landorus, Tornadus, and even Thundurus. Well done.” She looked down at the Pokeballs. “In more normal times, I would bid you let those three fly free as is their nature. But we are yet fresh from the tearing of the space-time rift. Until its aftereffects fade entirely, perhaps it's better to keep our trio contained. When you must leave and you release your Pokemon, give them to me, instead, will you?”

“When I release my Pokemon? All of them?” She had planned on taking her main partners with her.

Cogita nodded, “Just the ones that Hisui requires. If they disappeared for a couple hundred of years, who knows what would happen?”

“Which ones does Husui require?”

“All of the ones that carried plates, the Creation Trio, The Prince of the Sea and its children, the two twins of the moon…” Cogita tapped a finger on her chin. “I believe that’s all.”

Dawn let out a breath. “Okay. That’s fine. I planned on it, even. But now, what is the final Pokemon?”

“Ah, it is another of their cohort. It’s Enamorus, the Herald of Spring. It is partial to the Scarlet Bog in the Crimson Mirelands. Catch it, and return to me one last time.”

“Okay,” Dawn took a deep breath. “One more. Maybe we could stay at the Diamond Clan settlement, even.”

—-

There was an unpleasant sucking sensation on her face as she was hauled out of the sticky mud. Not since Lord Arcanine were there quite as many terrain hazards as now. She spat out some muck, and sat up.

“You all right?” Ingo asked her, letting go of her collar.

“Peachy,” Dawn answered.

The Herald of Spring was simply toying with them. It felt more like the willpower trial from Azelf than catching any of the other Forces of Nature. Both Ingo and Dawn were soaked, covered head to toe in mud. So, unfortunately, was Lord Wyrdeer, having become collateral damage in the scuffle.

Dawn hopped onto Wyrdeer’s back, and called out to Ingo, “I’ll keep pelting it with mud balls to distract it. Try to find an opening.”

Ingo nodded, then dodged Enamorus’s attack.

“Oi! Look over here, you manufactured holiday Pokemon!” Dawn threw a mud ball, trying to hit its face but only hitting its shoulder. It did the trick well enough, as the Pokemon turned and glared at Dawn.

Grimacing, Dawn decided to let it chase her, before reaching forward for one side of the reins and whirling her steed around quickly. She charged at Enamorus, removing her feet from the stirrups and jumping off to throw a mud ball in close range.

Finally! The Pokemon was stunned, which gave enough time for Ingo to sneak up behind and lob a gigaton ball. Unfortunately, it caused her yet again to land face down in the muck.

“That was stupid,” Ingo said, “Don’t jump off Lords, you Drifloon.”

Hauled up by her collar, again, Dawn shrugged. “I would do it again.”

“Well, you won’t have to.” Ingo said. “We did it. We caught them all.”

“Oh, thank God - not Arceus, they didn’t help at all - it’s over,” Dawn flopped back into the mud. “I never want to move ever again.”

“You still have to write the information in the Pokedex, you know.” Ingo chuckled.

Dawn began making mud angels, “I am illiterate. I don’t know how to write.”

Ingo raised an eyebrow at her.

“All right, all right,” she conceded. “But let’s go to the Diamond Clan Settlement first. Then, I’ll fill out the entry, then we can go to Cogita. And then Jubilife and then home.”

“Sounds like some well-laid tracks to me,” Ingo agreed, and held out a hand to help her up. As soon as he felt her whole weight hanging on his hand, he let go, letting her land in the mud.

“Ugh! Uncle!”

—-

“Almighty Sinnoh, what happened to you three?” Adaman looked at them in horror. “Are you hurt?”

“If I had any pride,” Dawn wryly said, “it would be hurt. But good news for me, I’m fine.”

Ingo had a sheepish look, “Umm, is Mai around?”

“What have you done with Lord Wyrdeer!?” Mai came stomping out of a tent. She started running her hands down the Lord’s legs, ignoring the mud collecting on her tunic. Wrydeer whickered and nuzzled her head.

“Ah, don’t put all your weight on me!” Mai admonished. “It makes it very hard to check.”

Once she was convinced that her ward was in one piece, she went back into the tent, and came back with a brush and bucket.

“If it’s any consolation, Lord Wyrdeer just helped us complete the Pokedex.” Dawn said.

“What?” Mai and Adaman said in unison.

“So that means…?” Adaman asked.

“Yes, our tracks home are laid out. It should only be a few more days before our departure.”

“Wow,” Adaman rubbed the back of his neck, “So soon, huh? I know we held the festival, but…”

“It’s getting real, now,” Mai said, still brushing out mud. “And you were a big help, weren’t you, my Lord?”

“Yeah, he was,” Dawn came over to pet the Ride Pokemon. “Thank you so very much, Wrydeer. For everything. And also sorry for getting you all dirty.”

Wyrdeer chewed on her muddy scarf in reply.

“So, might we bother you guys for some supplies for a wash?” Ingo asked.

“You are absolutely not using any of our wash bath basins until you get the bulk off in the river,” Adaman said. “But I’ll get you soap and a washboard at least for your clothes.

—-

The logistics of it all was quite difficult, especially since they had not brought any extra pairs of clothes. Ingo eventually decided to use Gliscor to fly back to his tent. Dawn stayed in the Mirelands, and said she’d meet up with him when she was done.

So that was how she ended up in an abandoned tent (apparently it was Arezu’s), soaked still from the river, dressed in her chest wrap and underlayer, which mercifully did not get covered in mud. The Survey Corps boots were ugly as sin and bulky, but they definitely got the job done.

She was forever missing washing machines as she scraped her uniform on the washboard. Eventually, the water ran clear and she took out her handkerchief to do it again. After she was finished, she released Typhlosion, asking him to warm up her clothes. Hopefully, they would dry faster that way.

While she waited, she released Enamorus, figuring it should be fine as long as she stays in the tent.

“Can I measure you for the Pokedex?” Dawn asked. She knew most Pokemon didn't actually know what a Pokedex was, but they were curious and liked to watch. Enamorus gave a quick nod.

“Thank you,” she said, and got to work.

By the time she was done, her uniform was just a bit damp. Calling that good enough, she put it on and took her leave of the Diamond Clan. It was likely the last time she would be in the settlement.

She quickly regretted the decision to put on her damp uniform, the air cooling down as she approached the Highlands. She released Typhlosion again, this time to warm her up.

Teeth chattering by the time she got to Ingo’s tent, she called out, “Are you good or will I walk in this tent and have to have a Luxray claw out my eyes?”

The tent door opened, “You should be good.”

Ingo was fully dressed except for his hat and coat, which were hung up to dry outside. “I haven’t seen you without your hat or coat since the first festival.” Dawn grimaced. “It's weird.”

Ingo rolled his eyes, “How did you get your uniform to dry so quickly?”

“I didn’t. I might have frostbite.”

Ingo pinched his nose. “Sit by the fire.” He looked out the open tent flap, “It’s getting dark. I know we want to wrap this up, but I think a meal and then rest would be good.”

Dawn stretched, “Fine with me. I already finished the Pokedex entry. We can leave in the morning.”

Chapter Text

Perhaps because the Team had started to wander further from their regular stomping grounds, the press had caught wind of what they were doing. Or, more accurately, where they were all at. It was at first just separate photos of Cynthia, Elesa, and Emmet that got uploaded to social media, before people started to piece together that they were all in the same place. It took even less time to get the actual news on the bandwagon.

No one had been able to find out just what they were doing yet – those who saw one or more of them go into the library were stonewalled by the staff. That was only a small mercy, however. The press had found out where they were staying days ago, when Barry placed a food delivery order under his name, and workers made the connection.

Barry felt immeasurably guilty. Even though he had been adjacent to people whose fame did make them order food with a fake name, he had never been that person. In fact, he didn’t even think about it. He had bowed deeply and apologized, but the other members of the Team stated that if anyone was to blame it was whoever decided to leak the information for clout. It didn’t make him feel better.

Emmet seemed the most sad. Not that the press were hounding them, but sad because Barry was so upset.

“You know,” Emmet said, “whenever Ingo would make a small mistake, he would take it very hard. It was awful to see, especially because he would beat himself up disproportionately to any inconvenience it would cause. So please, be kind to yourself.”

Cynthia nodded, “It’s all right, kid. This is just part of the job. Unfortunately.”

From then on, they stayed inside. They would order food (with a fake name), or send Lucas out if they really needed something. For whatever reason, Lucas was not connected by fans to the others, so he could slip through unnoticed. Lucas was not sure whether he was relieved or offended by this.

Some savvier journalists put the two disappearances together and wrote think pieces of what plans the Team could be brewing. That caught the attention of Interpol, which could not be ignored like the rest of people hounding them.

Lucas had gone to fetch the plains-clothes officer, sneaking him in.

“Have you or have you not located either TCC Dawn or Subway Boss Ingo?” Pleasantries were, apparently, overrated.

“We have,” Cynthia stated.

“And what are your current plans of action?”

They were silent. Sheepishly, Emmet started, “Well, we’re kinda just waiting for them to finish what they have to do.”

“So you are currently…doing nothing?” The agent looked a bit suspicious.

“Well, if we're going to put too fine of a point on it, yes. We are doing nothing, thank you.” Cynthia was irked. “We can only support from afar.”

The Interpol agent seemed to relax. “So, no world ending plot is being brewed behind these walls?”

“Couldn't you have asked us that first, before making us feel even more useless than we already do?” Barry cried, “I’m fining you so much!”

Elesa tapped his shoulder panickedly, “No, he won't – it's not a threat, it's more like a vocal tic.”

“No, no world ending plot. The opposite really, if what TCC Dawn and Subway Boss Ingo has told us is to be believed.” Cynthia stated. “And of course, we do believe them.”

“You have made contact with the two? They are located near the same area?”

“Yes, we have limited communication opportunities with them. It's a long story.” Cynthia sighed.

The agent pulled out a notebook and a pen, “Please start from the beginning.”

“I guess…it starts with the night Ingo disappeared,” Emmet said, and the Team arduously began to tell the whole tale.

When they were finished, the agent only said, “I see,” and was quiet for a long time, looking over his notes. “From what you've told me, it seems like they will be arriving back soon. Do you know when or where this may happen?”

Cynthia shook her head, “No, the last time we've heard from them was about five days ago, when Ingo messaged us saying that they only needed to seek out four more Pokemon before they could come back.”

“And what if they reappear where they originally disappeared? Subway Boss Ingo would be in Unova, and TCC Dawn would be in Alola.”

“I have told some trusted Depot Agents to keep an eye out for any lost passengers around Gear Station,” Emmet said. “Not that they know they’re looking for Ingo, of course.”

Cynthia looked crestfallen, “I never thought Dawn could show up in Alola. I…have never been there. I have no contacts.” Johanna patted her shoulder comfortingly.

“Very well. We have an extensive network of agents in Alola. If I can have the address of the villa that she stayed at, we can assign an Agent there to keep watch.”

“Oh, right. I probably still have the email from where we first booked it.” Lucas grabbed his phone.

“Either way, once they contact you to give you any more information, or that they have arrived at this time, let me know.” The agent pulled out a card. “Any time, day or night.”

Cynthia grabbed the card. “We’ll let you know.”

“Also,” the agent continued, “TCC Dawn is just listed as a missing person, but Subway Boss Ingo has been declared legally dead. There will be a lot of paperwork associated with him when he comes back. Who would be considered next of kin?”

“That would be me,” Emmet raised his hand slightly.

The agent flipped over another card, and wrote a phone number, “Call this number when he arrives back. If he shows up in Sinnoh, we can get him a temporary ID so he can fly to Unova. If he shows up in Unova, he’ll still need to be declared alive.”

“Right, thanks.” Emmet said. “I, uhh, will do that.”

“Perfect,” the agent stood up. “Best of luck to all of you. We’ll contact you if needed. Do not forget to call.”

—-

Dawn plopped Enamorus’s Pokeball on Cogita’s table. After a moment, she placed the other three Forces of Nature as well. “We did it.”

“I have passed on to you all there is to pass. Where history goes from here...I leave to you and your companions to see through.” Cogita responded.

“The history of our story will end here. We’re going back to our time.” Dawn said.

“Hmm,” Cogita hummed. “But won’t your present be history someday? Either way, it means my purpose has been fulfilled. Perhaps Arceus will grant me the luxury of aging.”

—-

The moment Dawn and Ingo arrived in Jubilife, they were grabbed by Laventon and Rei. Having been sent copies of the last four Pokemon’s entries by Starly, they had already collated the complete Pokedex.

“Come to my office, my girl,” Laventon insisted. Ingo trailed behind.

Cyllene and Kamado were waiting, turning to look at the entourage as they walked in.

“I believe it is time for your Full Star rank ceremony, Miss Akari,” Cyllene stated. She walked over and placed another pin on her uniform. “It is well deserved. And with that, I have done my last duty as Captain of the Survey Corps.”

Dawn looked shocked, “You’re quitting?”

“Not quite,” Kamado said. “I’ve decided to help Laventon work further on his research. I am stepping down as Commander.”

“And I am filling the role,” Cyllene finished.

Dawn gaped a bit, seeing not just the man who had thrown her out of the village and the woman who helped her through it, but also a kindly if stern professor, and an egomaniacal leader. Fate was a fickle thing, and Dawn knew she was powerless against it.

“Well, congratulations, Commander Cyllene.” Dawn said, “I know you’ll do great.”

Cyllene nodded, “I will make sure of it. As Commander, I also have one other award to hand out.” She looked over to Ingo, who had been lurking so far.

Feeling her stare at him, Ingo said, “Me?”

“Yes, Warden Ingo,” Cyllene said, “For you, the Galaxy Team’s highest civilian honor, for invaluable help with achieving the Galaxy Team’s goals.”

“Oh, Ingo watched as she pinned it to his coat, “I…thank you. I was happy to help.”

Cyllene then nodded at Laventon, who sprang into action. “Yes, and we made a copy of the Pokedex – or, really, the Akari-dex – to take with you. I’m sure by your time it will be obsolete, but…”

“Thank you,” Dawn said, and took it. She looked at Rei, Cyllene, and Professor Laventon (and the Shaymin on the Professor’s head), “Thank you all. For helping me and guiding me through my purpose.”

If Kamado noticed the slight, he didn’t say anything.

—-

Slightly emotional but pretending she wasn’t, Dawn made her way to the pastures. She took a long time, thanking each Pokemon individually and then releasing them. First, she released the Legends and Mythical pokemon (Shaymin, however, stayed with the Survey Corps). She told the creation trio that she would see them soon, and begged them to be kind to each other.

Then she released any Alpha Pokemon that needed to go back to their herd. She kept some that had made a home in the village, and any that Laventon said he wanted to observe more. She then asked each Hisuian variant if they were willing to go to a place where they would be further studied. Each one agreed. She would give them to Lucas. She knew he would appreciate them. Finally, she released the four main partners that had been by her side in Hisui; Typhlosion, Zororark, Gastrodon, and Garchomp.

“I’m going to be leaving Hisui behind, and going back to my home.” She started, “My home is very different from here. There’s more and bigger villages, and more people. I understand if you want to stay behind. I will find a good place for you or you can return to the wild.”

Her Pokemon were Not Having That, and crowded her, before returning to their Pokeballs. Dawn sniffed, relieved that they had decided to stay by her side.

Finished, Dawn went back to her dorm. Other than clothes, she didn’t have many personal effects. She told Rei when she was gone all of her supplies could be used by the Survey Corps, but she took some Pokeballs that she made with her, and all of the recipe cards she had gathered. She guessed Cynthia would like to see them.

She took some last minute pictures with her ArcPhone, and went out to find Ingo. They’d go to his tent tonight for him to gather his stuff and to rest one more night before leaving.

They didn’t make it out of the village before Laventon and Rei caught up with them. “We’ll walk with you, just until the Highlands” Laventon said.

—-

The goodbyes were harder than Dawn expected – after all, she had spent all of her time trying to leave Hisui. Now that it was happening, she now realized what she would miss. She waved goodbye to the two, and entered Ingo’s tent. They had lingered long past the threshold of the Highlands, and were going back to the base camp to rest for the night.

Ingo had just finished up packing, having even fewer items than Dawn. He wrote some letters and sent them off, no doubt stating to the Wardens and Irida that they’d be heading off in the morning. After that, he started to chop vegetables. Dawn started to boil water. Dinner was a silent and solemn affair.

Everything was finished. All that they could do now was sleep.

Chapter Text

Stepping out of his tent one last time, Ingo pulled out his flute and summoned his ward.

“My Lady,” he said. “I am heading home. Will you walk with me?”

“Sneas!”

“Okay,” Ingo heaved a large breath, “For real this time, all aboard.”

“Aw, come on Uncle, there’s got to be more to it than that?”

Ingo gave her a questioning look, “What do you mean?”

Dawn point-and-called, and screamed, “All aboard!”

Ingo’s eyes grew wide, startling, before he laughed. “Right-o.” He stood beside her, “Ready? All aboard!”

—-

When the three of them arrived at the top of the Temple, they were greeted by the clan Wardens and Leaders.

“We couldn’t let one of our own leave without sharing time and space one last time,” Irida explained, and Adaman nodded beside her. “Nor could we let Akari go without giving her this,” he added.

“What is it?” Akari looked at the parcel.

“Nothing much, really.” Adaman waved his hand dismissively. “Open it when you get back to where you’re meant to be. Now, go on. I’m sure you’re itching to go home.”

The Wardens each wished them luck, and Ingo and Dawn made their way to the edge of the Temple. Sneasler stayed behind with Irida, giving her Warden one last fond headbutt.

“What do we do now?” Ingo asked her.

“When I got all the plates, I woke up the next morning with my flute being replaced with this,” she pulled out the odd looking instrument. “I think I’m supposed to use it to summon Arceus, like how I used the other to summon the Nobles.

“Well, no time like the present, I suppose.” Ingo said.

Dawn nodded, and played. Glass stairs appeared in front of them. “Well,” she said, “I assume that’s as clear of a path as any.”

Ingo placed one foot on the stairs, before he turned around, and bowed at the waist to the clan members. Dawn, surprised, joined him a couple of seconds later. He stayed down for a while, before standing straight, and wrapping his arm around Dawn’s shoulders.

“All right,” he said, starting to make his way up the stairs and not looking back. “Time to meet our maker.”

—-

“You have done well to complete all the tasks I have laid out for you,” Arceus greeted them as they arrived at the top.

“You’ll forgive me if I say I’m glad it’s over.” Dawn said.

“Ah, but there is yet one more task you must complete.” Arceus said.

It was silent for a moment, before Dawn clenched her fists, “That is not what you promised! You said after I did my four tasks I could go home. We’ve done plenty.”

Ingo stepped forward, “Certainly you’ve seen how your chosen has gone above and beyond. Do not torture her further with any more of your tasks.”

“There is one last task,” Arceus repeated. “Prove to me your worth. Then you can leave proud of what you’ve done.”

“What ‘worth’ are you talking about? I did your tasks! You don’t know anything about humans, do you?” Dawn yelled. “Even if I was leaving in disgrace, I’d still go!”

“Just let us go,” Ingo begged, “What more can we do here?”

Two orbs of golden light manifested in front of them.

“Use these as your balms.” Arceus stated.

“Balms?” Dawn started, then choked, “No! You can’t do this! Why?! What did we do to deserve this?”

“It is not about what one deserves, it is about what one does. You should recall that I had to aid you extensively while you were quelling my Nobles. Now, you can prove to me that my gift of life was well-given.”

“By attempting to kill me? By what logic are you operating on?” Dawn asked.

The God made no reply, and Dawn stood stupefied until Ingo knocked her out of range of an attack. She recovered quickly, rolling forward to dodge another homing attack coming at her. She got steady enough on her feet to throw the mysterious balms towards Arceus. It hit, but there was no noticeable change. After all, it wasn’t actually frenzied.

“Guys! One last task!” she shouted, digging around in her pack for her partner’s Pokeballs. She had learned her lesson – she was going in with her full team at once. The League didn't even exist yet, let alone the League rules. Ingo followed her lead, bringing ten allies total to the battle.

And for a while, it was going well. The ten Pokemon were well-trained enough to keep Arceus distracted without commands. This freed up Dawn and Ingo to dart in and hit the God with balms.

But it wasn’t enough. Dawn was not prepared for this battle. It had been months since she had last quelled Lord Avalugg, and Ingo never really got used to quelling nobles in the first place. Ten Pokemon at once was a lot for the God to handle, but their Pokemon’s stamina was waning quickly. At least half had returned to their Pokeballd, taken down by strong attacks that seemed to always be super effective.

It had been a long time since Dawn was fighting for her life. But she was now, as was Ingo. Without the Pokemon to distract the God, before they could get upright enough to throw a balm, another attack would be on them. It was a losing battle, and they were getting sloppy as the time wore on.

Ingo got hit first, and the distraction made Dawn fall from another attack. “Ingo!” she scrambled to him.

“Arceus, stop!” Dawn yelled, seeing the God charge to where they were on the ground.

“I’m fine, I’m fine,” Ingo said, and then pushed her out of the way of the rampaging God. Arceus quickly rerouted, and Dawn had to jump at the last second.

“This is not a battle we can win,” Ingo said, as Machamp returned to its Pokeball, exhausted. “What’s the plan?”

Dawn grit her teeth and blinked her eyes. “We’re going home,” she said.

“Dawn?” Ingo narrowed his eyes, “What do you mean to do?”

“Just trust me,” Dawn said.

This time, when Arceus decided to barrage them with attacks, Dawn dodged towards the God, moving slightly closer each time.

Ingo watched her with concern, trying to follow her. His Alakazam returned to his belt. When he looked up, he saw Dawn smashing the balm against – no, there was no balm. “Dawn!” he shouted, as her fist connected with the God’s face.

Enraged, the God roared and let loose an attack at close range, causing Dawn to fly backwards, ragdolling on the ground. It looked like Arceus was moving forward to finish the job, so Ingo ran over and stood over her. Unfazed, it looked like Arceus was all too willing to take Ingo down too.

“Take me down, if you must,” Ingo yelled at the God. “Let that be my payment. But leave your chosen be.”

Arceus stopped, looking curiously at the man. Then it recoiled as it was knocked back by a powerful blast.

Ingo whipped around. He saw three large shapes materialize – Dialga, Palkia, and Giratina. He glanced up in awe, before he was distracted by Dawn groaning.

“You with us, Dawn?” he asked.

Dawn huffed, “It seems so.”

“Did you just punch God in the face?”

“They deserved it.”

“And how do you feel?”

“Like violence doesn’t solve anything.” Dawn groaned again, and then jumped when she heard an explosion. She looked around, then scene taking its time to sink in. “Dialga? Palkia – and Giratina? They’re helping us?”

“They’re keeping him occupied, at least. And all of them are working together, even.”

“How touching.” Dawn said, sarcastically. “Most normal Creation Family Reunion,” she added.

She stood, and Ingo tried to help her up. She screamed when he grabbed her hand, and he dropped her, “What?!” he said.

“Sorry, sorry,” she said, curled in a ball, and clutching her hand, “I think I’ve broken my hand, is all.”

“This is why you don't punch gods in the face. Maybe we should work on impulse control.”

Dawn groaned, “It wasn't impulsive. It was planned.”

“That's worse. But fair.”

Her scream got the attention of Dialga, who had made their way quickly to them. “If Arceus will not uphold their end of the deal, I will in their steed.”

Dawn looked up at the God of Time, “Can you do that?”

“It will not be easy, nor fun. And what are they gonna do? Send us all to the Distortion World?” Dialga huffed, in the usual way of depositing the words directly into their heads. “I would suggest taking measures to make sure you are not separated.”

Dawn quickly grabbed Ingo’s hand, careful to use her non-broken one. “Thank you, Dialga,” she said.

Dialga bowed slightly, “Arceus has not dealt much with humans, and so they do not understand what you humans call morality. What are morals to a God? How can they realize they are an essential part of how their Creation must run? But enough, you need to go home before my siblings flag.”

For a moment, there was nothing before Dawn stifled a gag as she was pulled into something not unlike the distortion world. She felt her grip on Ingo’s hand loosen as heavy winds drew them apart. He wrapped his other arm around her, trying to keep them together.

Dawn could barely keep her eyes open, but what she saw looked like Mt. Coronet in a rapid cycle of day and night. It seemed like they were there, suspended in time forever, even as it was racing around them. Eventually, the day stilled, and before the mountain began to focus, a violent shear of wind sliced between them. Ingo’s arms were ripped away, but he was just barely able to grab her wrist. His grip became painful as it tightened, and Dawn couldn’t help a yelp. She heard a sickening snap, and Ingo yelled before she was whisked away and landed roughly on solid ground.

She sat up quickly, pushing down the wave of nausea and looking around, “Ingo!” she called. “Uncle Ingo, please!”

He wasn't there.

It had all gone wrong. She was alone on the side of Mt. Coronet, with a broken hand, bruised arm, and no Ingo. She grabbed for her ArcPhone, fumbling a bit due to using her off hand.

Offline.

“What do you mean, offline?” Dawn cursed at it, then stopped fighting the tears. She had no way to contact anyone. She and Ingo had looked for distortions on the way, meaning to message the Team. But, with space-time mending, they had become few and far between.

Having taken a few moments, Dawn dried her tears and took stock of her situation. She was on Mt. Coronet. Judging from the skyscrapers she could see in the distance, she was at least close to her original time. She was close to the summit, which she assumed was Dialga’s original destination. So, Ingo was probably nearby, just knocked around a bit, like her.

Her Pokemon were exhausted and she hadn’t brought any medicine, but she knew at least how to make some. She would travel up to the Temple to get a good view, and find oran berries on the way. It was a game plan.

It was all she had.

—-

Ingo was still screaming as he hit the ground. He clutched at his shoulder, knowing it was broken. The violent turbulence had twisted Dawn right out of his arms. He held on as tight as he could, but it wasn’t enough. His bones had snapped and betrayed him instead.

He didn’t bother to sit up. She knew she wasn't with him. “Dawn?” he called out weakly, despite himself. When she didn’t answer, he said louder, “Dawn!”

He got up with no little amount of pain and creaking, “Dawn! Dawn, where are you?”

He was still on Mt. Coronet. He recognized this part of the Highlands. It wasn’t too far from the Temple. Was that where Dawn went to? Surely she didn’t go back to rejoin the fight? Was she okay? Did they end up in the same time?

Ingo grimaced. He would follow her, of course. But his body was protesting wildly. His shoulder needed set, but he had no idea how to do that. Hopefully, he wouldn't need to climb to the temple.

—-

“Guys,” Lucas jumped up, turning around his phone, “Look.”

The group gathered around, peering at the phone screen.

It was a news article that stated, ‘BREAKING NEWS: Two Mysterious Meteorites fall on Mount Coronet’. There were similar others in the feed.

“That's probably…” Elesa started.

Cynthia snapped into action, “If their arrival was explosive enough to be mistaken as meteorites, then I’m calling Interpol and medics,” she said.

“The rangers, too. Maybe.” Emmet said, voice timid.

Cynthia nodded, “Right, do that, have Barry help you translate. I’ll call Interpol. Johanna, call the Pokecenter in Eterna and say there might be two injured hikers. Does everyone have flight Pokemon?”

“I’ll just ride with Barry,” Lucas looked over to Barry, who nodded.

“I don’t,” Elesa stated.

Cynthia nodded, “Then you can borrow my Togekiss.”

Lucas said, “How can we leave without making a hoopla?”

“We will simply have to make one,” Cynthia explained. “We’ll leave through the windows.”

“What?!”

Chapter Text

Dawn got to the top of the Temple – even more wrecked in this time than in Hisui – and unstrapped her bag. She would have packed lighter, if she knew she would have to fight her way back. She was actually surprised her luggage made it with her in one piece.

Dawn was worried about any Divine Retribution that might occur, and kept looking at the edge of the Temple, where the glass stairs had appeared before. An angry Arceus was not marching down the steps, so she tried to relax.

It didn’t work. Not only was she afraid for herself, going against God’s direct orders, but she was afraid for the Creation Trio. Dialga especially. It would not take long before Arceus noticed Ingo and Dawn missing. In fact, they probably already had, since her phone was still bricked. What punishment awaited the God of Time? If Giratina’s was anything to go by, it was likely to be cruel and unusual.

Most of all, she was worried about Ingo. Her arm had developed small but nasty-looking purple bruises from his grip. She couldn’t get his scream out of her head as she was ripped from his grasp. It was full of frustration and so much pain. She had never heard anyone scream like that.

Hoping for clues of his whereabouts from the sky, she released Garchomp. “I’m sorry buddy,” she said, seeing him droop once out of the Pokeball. He had fought valiantly against Arceus, and deserved a long rest, not more work. “Have some Oran berries.”

The alpha gently reached down to pluck the berries from her hand. He essentially inhaled them, and then begged for more. “That’s all I found. I’ll get you healed up as soon as I can, I promise.”

Garchomp bent down again, this time to sniff her hand, careful not to bump it. He recoiled back and gave a concerned whine.

Dawn patted his horns with her good hand, “Yes, I’m a bit hurt, but I’ll be alright. Are you able to fly and see if you can spot Ingo? I think he’s hurt too.”

“Gar!” The Garchomp wasted no time, and took to the air after a running start. Dawn watched him go, content to sit on the crumbling stone steps. These were the same steps she climbed less than an hour ago, but they had become weathered through the centuries. She looked over to a broken pillar. That was where the leaders and wardens had said their goodbyes.

But everyone she had said goodbye to was long dead. She knew this would happen. She knew what traveling forward in time meant. But it was still a shock. It would be even more shocking for Ingo, because he didn’t truly know anyone from before. He just knew of them.

She had never heard of the Diamond and Pearl Clans before being sent to Hisui, but she hoped there were remnants somewhere. The remnants of the Galaxy Team, after all, were nothing to bother with. But it would be nice to keep some connection with the past, now that she lived it.

Dawn jumped when she heard Garchomp yowl. Expecting for him to show up soon, she looked to the skies. Instead, she heard another yowl. The silence stretched, and Dawn knew something had to be wrong. She started running towards the sound. It wasn’t far away. She skidded down a small ledge and that’s when she saw them.

She gasped. Leaning heavily on Garchomp, right arm held oddly, was Ingo. There was a cut on his temple that made him shut his left eye, and his teeth were bared in what had to be pain. He was barely upright.

“Ingo!” she ran up to him. “Are you alright?”

“No,” he answered simply.

“Okay. Okay, let’s get you to the temple so we can dress your wounds.” Dawn said.

That was much easier said than done, unfortunately. He wasn’t really able to go uphill, and he eventually gave up, leaning on Garchomp. “I think this will have to be my station.”

Dawn bit her lip. They couldn’t stay on this cliffside for long. There weren’t any marked trails nearby, so it was unlikely someone would stumble upon them. At least the Temple had a path leading to it, and sometimes sightseers or hikers would travel up there. Without any way to communicate and no way to flag down passerby, Dawn was at a loss.

“My shoulder is broken.” Ingo said suddenly, dazed. He muttered something about walking off a cliff, which did explain his ragged state.

“Right, okay.” Dawn was racking her brain. She had been taught this at the League. Field first aid. She remembered her martial training, being engraved into her muscle memory. But she had never actually dealt with a real broken bone. She didn’t remember what she was supposed to do. She had no medicine.

Their return home was nothing like she imagined. It had all gone wrong. Despite being trained for emergency situations, she didn’t know what to do. Despite being called all those fancy titles and winning all those accolades, Dawn was just a scared little girl. She shivered, and took off her handkerchief. She could at least do what she remembered, she thought, and put pressure on the wound on Ingo’s head.

—-

Emmet had somehow tapped into the Ranger’s radios. Cynthia didn’t ask, she just listened. They were flying over Mount Coronet, trying to spot anything from the air, when they heard someone call out an “unusually large Garchomp flying around Spear Pillar”.

“That’s Dawn,” Cynthia said. “Follow me to Spear Pillar.”

—-

“What’s your name?” Dawn asked.

Ingo side-eyed her from the ground, “...Ingo?”

“Are you guessing?”

“No. What’s your name?” He was getting concerned. Had she also hit her head on the way back? Whiplash probably also wasn’t out of the equation, considering the force of the travel.

“Do you not know?” Dawn asked, wide-eyed.

“No, I know your name. Do you know it?” This conversation was walking in circles.

“Yes?” Dawn narrowed her eyes, then it clicked. “No, Ingo, I know the answers to these questions, I’m trying to see if you have a concussion.”

“Oh. I’m Ingo. You’re Dawn, my wonderful niece. Don’t ask me what year it is, though. I don’t know.”

Dawn chuckled mirthlessly, “I don’t know either. I hope it’s close to where it needs to be. It was a pretty rough ride, and I don’t want to deal with any more timeline shenanigans.”

“If we see another of ourselves, I’m putting in a complaint,” Ingo winced as Dawn put more pressure on his head. “I can do that, you know.”

“No, you’re staying as still as you can.” Dawn chided, “Do you know where you are?”

“On the side of Mount Coronet. What it’s called today, I have no idea. But we’re near the Temple.”

Dawn nodded, “It’s called Spear Pillar now. Because when Dialga wrecked it made all the pillars look like spears.”

“How fitting,” Ingo said. “That first Dialga wrecks Arceus’s Temple and then helps his chosen escape from his whims. I like Dialga. Just wish he was a better driver.”

Dawn laughed, “I’m friends with blasphemy, but you might need to be careful, servant of Palkia. But I like Dialga too, and yes, a gentler landing would have been nice. Is that how you got your cut or was it from your fall?”

“Ah, the face was from the fall.”

“Was it a bad fall?” she asked.

“No, no,” Ingo said quickly, “I just couldn’t climb very effectively with one arm. Nor, uh, move my head around to see where I’m walking very well.” He added, “I didn’t lose consciousness or anything.”

“What about memories?” Dawn said, quietly. “Are you missing any more?”

“All the ones I had before are still here. It’s not bad. Head wounds just bleed a lot.” Ingo shrugged, and then gasped at the movement. “Okay, bad move.”

Grimacing in sympathy, she turned to look at his xTrans, “Does that have charge?”

“No, sadly.” Ingo said. “Seems like the distortions charged it through some sort of anomaly. It’s still dead.”

“My ArcPhone went offline. I have no way to contact anyone,” Dawn sniffed a little. “I don’t know what to do.”

“It’s all right,” Ingo said. “Surely if you tell Garchomp to go flying around, people will notice a ten foot tall Garchomp.”

Dawn sighed, “Right. You’re the one with the head injury and you have the good ideas.”

Ingo chucked, “Glad to finally be the adult around here.”

Hearing a company of flying Pokemon’s wings, she turned around roughly. Her hand reached for her belt, instinct overriding the need to not use that hand. She gasped, and was about to call Garchomp back to defend them when she spotted the Pokemon.

Dawn could have nearly cried with relief. “They found us! Cynthia! Over here! Please help us.”

Cynthia hit the ground running, and so did the entourage behind her. She started to give out orders, “Johanna, call back the medics and give our location. They’ll need first aid before transport. Barry, tell the Rangers the hikers have been found.”

At first, Dawn was overwhelmed and all she could do was stare as Cynthia, Emmet, and Elesa ran towards them. It almost didn’t seem real. “Cynthia?” she asked, tentatively, as if she wasn’t sure it was really her.

“It’s all right, child. You did well.” Cynthia told her, kneeling down to be at her level. Dawn looked like she wanted to say something, but she stayed silent, staring at her mentor.

She was still holding a bloody rag to Ingo’s face, but Emmet put a hand on her shoulder. “Thank you, Dawn,” Emmet said, “for taking care of my brother. I can take over now.” She slowly nodded and passed the rag to him.

She stood up now, and Cynthia followed her up. She tried to pat her hands, but Dawn moved them away. “Sorry,” she said. “I am so glad you are here.”

“I am, too.” Cynthia smiled. She was afraid Dawn would shut down again, but it looked like she had just been overwhelmed. “Are you hurt?”

“No, I’m fine.”

Cynthia cocked her head, “Then why are you holding your arm funny?”

“Oh, right.” Dawn said. “I broke my hand. That happened.”

“We have medics on the way,” Cynthia assured her.

Dawn looked backwards to the rather noisy group behind her. The three of them – Ingo, Emmet, and Elesa, were a huddle of sobs and wails.

“It’s Emmet. My younger twin brother.” Ingo was choking out.

“I - I am Emmet.” He was still holding the handkerchief to Ingo’s head, leaning his head on Ingo’s unbroken shoulder. Elesa was at his feet, holding on to the cuff of his pants.

“And Elesa. I’m sorry I don’t remember much of you, but I’m excited to make new memories.”

Elesa’s lip was wobbling, “And I’m excited to make them with you, Ingo.”

It was enough to make Dawn cry herself, she thought, as she turned around and saw –

“Mom!” Dawn shouted, and then nearly tackled her. She squeezed her mother in a lopsided hug, her right arm hanging limply by her side. “I’m so sorry.”

“Oh, my sweet, for what?” Johanna rubbed her back.

“I don’t know,” Dawn sniffed again, blinking away her tears. She had her Mother. She was safe. She could cry, but what was the point? She was happy. “I didn’t have a choice. I wasn’t given a choice. I didn’t mean to leave you.”

“I know, I know. You didn’t do anything wrong.” Johanna soothed, “You were very brave, and you made it back. You’ve done enough.”

Dawn decided right then and there that a small thirty second cry never hurt anybody. When she pulled back with a shaky breath, she heard an equally wobbly voice behind her.

“Hi, Dawn.”

She turned around. Barry and Lucas. She couldn’t imagine how they felt when she disappeared in Alola. She knew them, and knew that they would blame themselves. She ran towards them, but stopped suddenly. She didn’t hug her friends anymore. Not after what the press did to Barry.

“I don’t mind, Dawn,” Barry said, “I never did.”

“And the press literally hasn’t found out that I exist yet.” Lucas added.

Dawn’s face crumpled, and she grabbed both of them in a hug. It was awkward, her right arm just laying across Lucas’s shoulder more than anything. All three of them were powerless to the tears that erupted, seemingly all at once.

Eyes closed, Dawn heard more than seen the flash. Gathering herself in a fast enough time to be concerning, she whistled for her Garchomp. Of course, reuniting with Cynthia or her mother wasn’t juicy enough for the cameras. She flicked her eyes over to the pillar where she had heard the click, and added, “Don’t hurt them. Just…make them leave.”

It didn’t take much. A ten foot tall Garchomp staring daggers down at them was enough to send them off screaming.

“That’s useful,” Barry wiped his eyes. “You owe me so much in legal fees.”

Dawn laughed shakily, “I can offer you handmade Pokeshi dolls. They sold well in Hisui.”

She turned to Lucas, “It’s so good to see you and it be you,” she said, which only led to Lucas’s confusion. “I’ve got presents for you and Professor Rowan. Not now, though.”

“Let me guess, are they extinct Hisuian variants of Pokemon?” Lucas asked.

Dawn nodded sheepishly, “I know you’ll have to do a lot of paperwork, but think of the research possibilities!”

Lucas snorted, “Oh, trust me, I am. I’m in university now – I’m thinking I’ll specialize in Hisuian history.”

Dawn blinked. “You’re in university?” For some reason, even though Dawn had grown nearly two years older during her time in Hisui, she was thrown off guard by the fact that the others did, too. Now that she thought about it, Barry was a lot taller, wasn’t he?

“You grew. A lot.” Dawn looked at Barry.

Barry laughed, “Yes.”

Dawn’s eye started getting watery, “I’m sorry I missed so much,” she said.

“Oh, Dawn.” Barry said, “We’re sorry about what we missed. It doesn’t sound like the time was kind to you.”

“The medics are here,” Cynthia announced, waving the team dressed in pink over. “These two right here, if you please.”

Ingo raised an eyebrow as he watched a medic bow deeply to Dawn, “TCC Dawn, we are glad for your reappearance.” No one in the group seemed to share his response, which was even weirder.

“Thank you,” Dawn said, bowing in turn, not as deeply as the medic, though. “My uncle – he’s been hurt badly. He fell off a cliff and his shoulder is, frankly, shattered.”

“That’s all right,” the medic said, “We have a team tending to him, now. Are you hurt?”

“Oh, right, yes. My hand,” she lifted her arm up. It had swollen to an almost comical proportion. “It’s not good.”

“No, I would say it isn’t.” The medic agreed, nodding sagely. “Let’s see what we can do for it, all right?”

Chapter Text

Dawn just let herself be whisked away in the flurry of movement. It didn’t settle down until a nurse gave her a plastic bag and a gown and left, pulling the curtain behind them. She stayed still for a few moments, trying to process everything that happened. She gave up eventually, and changed into the gown with one hand, taking out her hair clips in the process. She put her clothes in the plastic bag and set the bag she had been carrying next to it.

Oddly enough, she was looking forward to the bed. She knew hospital beds weren’t famous for their comfort, but after sleeping in a futon at best and on the ground at worst, she was excited for the fluff.

“Can I come in, Sweetie?” She was distracted by her mom at the curtain.

“Yes, I’m dressed,” Dawn answered back, “What’s happening with Ingo?” They had forced him into a stretcher and taken him immediately to a different area when they arrived.

“They ran tests. No concussion, thankfully. But they’re getting ready to operate on his shoulder. I didn't quite get all of it, but they’re worried about blood clots, I think?”

“Oh…that doesn’t sound good.” Dawn frowned.

“I know you’re worried. But he has plenty of people looking after him.” Johanna walked over to give Dawn a side hug. “Why don't we get you on the bed and under the covers, okay? Might as well get comfy while you’re here.”

She was in the middle of helping Dawn into the bed when she gasped, “Dawn! What happened to your arms?”

Dawn flinched. She had forgotten about her arms. She always had long sleeves on in Hisui, and such scars wouldn't have been odd there. “It’s healed,” she mumbled. “They’re old injuries.”

Johanna waited for her to continue. When she didn’t, she gently added, “can you tell me how you got them?”

Dawn looked down at her arms. “These small ones are from an Ambipom. This big one here was from…a Garchomp. The bruises are from traveling back to this time.”

“They were caused by Pokemon?” Johanna was horrified.

“Yeah. The Pokemon in Hisui were very…unsettled due to the issues with the rift and space-time.” Dawn said, “But nothing too bad.”

“Do they hurt?”

Dawn shook her head, but then stopped, “No, well, other than the bruises. And the hand.” She waggled her arm.

“Knock knock!” the curtain pulled away quickly. “Hey there! Is it Hikari? I’m Nurse Hanako. I’m going to be your nurse today – just need some information from you.”

“Hi, umm, Dawn is fine.”

“Perfect, Dawn!” the nurse said, “I’m just gonna take your blood pressure real quick – don’t worry, I won’t move that hand.” She stared at her watch. “All right, everything seems normal, considering.” She flopped into the low chair and scooted over to the computer. “I’m just going to get a bit of history. How did you break your hand?”

“Umm,” Dawn started. “I…hit something.”

The nurse blinked. “Like, you punched something?”

“Yes.”

The awkward silence stretched on. “...Was it a person?” The nurse asked tentatively.

“No.”

“All righty then, we can move on. What’s that big gash on your arm? Looks like it was sewn at some point?”

“Umm, a Garchomp. I got the stitches removed probably about…two months ago?”

“Removed?” The nurse said. “Or did they dissolve?”

Dawn shuddered, “No, definitely removed. There are more layers underneath, but they said those would stay forever.”

The nurse cocked her head, “They didn’t have dissolving ones?”

“Umm, no. Not where I was at.”

“Okay, we’ll take a look at that when the doctor comes in,” the nurse continued, “And the small scratches on your arm, are those from the Garchomp, too?”

“No, those are from an Ambipom’s Fury Swipes. That was a long time ago – probably almost a year.” Dawn traced them.

The nurse wheeled over to her, “All right, these bruises look fresh. Can you tell me about them?”

“Oh,” Dawn poked at them. “I did get them recently. They’re from where Ingo was holding on to me.”

The nurse looked concerned, “I did think they looked consistent with grip marks. Did you feel unsafe at any point?”

It took a moment for the meaning to sink in. “No!” Dawn said, a little too loudly. “No, it’s not like that at all.”

The nurse’s gaze flicked over to her Mother, “Do you want me to ask your mother to leave?”

“No!” Dawn said, “Like I said, it’s not like that. Ingo broke his shoulder trying to keep a hold of me – so we wouldn't become separated.”

Dawn groaned. That probably sounded just as suspicious. “All right. There’s privacy laws, right? With medical information? Even if you’re…a public figure?”

She heard Johanna gasp, and lay a hand on her shoulder. Darn it, Dawn really couldn’t sound any more suspicious if she tried.

“Of course, Dawn. Everything you say will be between us and your carel team.”

“Right. Because I’m sure this is gonna be a whole PR thing, and that isn’t my job, so I’m probably not supposed to be talking about it at all? I’m not sure – I’m out of practice.”

“Dawn, you can tell us anything.” Johanna started petting her head.

“Right. Wait, no, Mom. Ingo isn’t abusing me or anything. Ugh. Okay. First thing, Ingo is not abusive. Second thing, I’m going to have to start at the beginning.”

The nurse looked confused, but nodded.

–

“...and so Dialga told us that it would be a rough landing and that we should try our hardest to stick together. So we kept being ripped apart by the turbulence, but Ingo was able to grab my wrist. Unfortunately, it snapped his shoulder in the process. He was able to hold on long enough that we were vaguely in the same area.”

The nurse was slack jawed. That is not what she expected to come out of this story at all. “All right…okay. So we’ll do the Time Travel protocol on you and Mr. Ingo.”

“There’s a protocol?” Dawn asked, incredulous.

“It’s not used often, but, yes, there is.” She started tapping furiously at the computer, “Any other major injuries that occurred while you were in…”

“Hisui.”

“Yes, Hisui.”

Dawn tried to think, “Oh, yeah, I broke a bunch of ribs. I don’t know which ones, but the Nurse there said I didn't pierce anything.”

“...Okay. I’ll have the doctor look at those as well. I’ll send her in shortly.”

The Nurse walked out, shutting the curtain behind her. She went to find Dr. Hinaba, “Hey, doc, got a case to run by you…”

—-

Emmet was pacing in the waiting room, shaking out his hands. He saw the X-Ray. Ingo’s shoulder was completely shattered, ripped from its place. What possibly could have caused this?

The other four, Elesa, Lucas, Barry, and Cynthia, were sitting together in the seats. Elesa and Emmet were waiting for Ingo to be out of surgery, but the rest of them couldn’t go into Dawn’s room yet because they weren’t ‘legally’ family.

Emmet tried to stop and take a few deep breaths. It could have been worse. The cut on Ingo’s head could have been a lot deeper and he could have had a concussion. He could have been mortally wounded. But bones could be fixed. Heck, there was a whole department at Eterna Hospital dedicated to fixing bones.

But he was still worried. The doctor had explained to him why Ingo needed surgery now, and it did seem urgent. He was so useless. All he could do was wait. And if what the doctor told him was true – and why wouldn’t it be? – he would be waiting for a long time, yet.

“Emmet, c’mere,” Elesa said quietly, grabbing his hand. “Sit by me.”

“I do not think I can sit, Elesa.”

“Try, why don’t you? You’ll just exhaust yourself at the rate you’re going.”

Emmet sat down with a huff. “Thank you,” Elesa said, and leaned her head on his shoulder. “He’s going to be fine. It’s just going to take a while.”

“I hope so,” Emmet said, turning in and closing his eyes against her hair. “He was so close to making it home. How did he get so injured so close to making it home?”

—-

“Can I have visitors now?” Dawn said, as the Doctor was about to leave after giving her a bunch of shots and going over her test results. “And is my Uncle out of surgery yet?”

“Uncle?” The doctor asked.

“Ingo.”

“Oh.” The doctor frowned, “Well, I can’t give information about another patient.”

“Oh.” Dawn said. “I guess…it’s true we’re not legally family.”

“But I can allow visitors. I can have someone send them in. They’ve been waiting very patiently.”

“Oh, please! Thank you!”

Chapter Text

Dawn was discharged quickly, having a relatively clean bill of health. She had plenty of follow up appointments scheduled, and had a whole round of booster shots that she needed to get later, but otherwise, she was good to go.

Not that she was going anywhere. Ingo had finally been released from surgery and was on pretty strong painkillers. He would be there for a couple days, at least. So they all stayed put, bundling into the private hospital room. Shared rooms would be too much of a liability, considering the crowd.

Ingo would wake up occasionally, but never for long. He wasn’t lucid enough to hold a conversation, so usually he very joyfully said hello to everyone and then fell right back to sleep. He would get agitated if anyone was missing – even the ones he didn’t know very well, like Lucas or Barry. He once asked Cynthia if she was going to betray them, but Dawn smoothed that over and waved it off, saying she’d explain later.

“Interpol will be visiting soon to get your official statement,” Cynthia said when they had the room to themselves, the others off getting food or stretching their legs. “I delayed it as much as I could, but now that you’re discharged they’re very insistent.”

“Okay,” Dawn nodded, “I can deal with that. Is this…damage control or…”

“No, you can speak to them freely. They deal with this sort of stuff more often than we’d want to know. They already know most of the situation. They came to talk with us while you both were still in Hisui.”

“Oh? Did you contact them?”

“Ah, no, they found out we were all congregating together. They were afraid we were planning to literally destroy the world to get you guys back.” Cynthia smiled, “maybe we would've. But you seemed to have it handled.”

“Ugh.” Dawn groaned, “I never want to deal with another world-ending plot in my life.”

Cynthia raised an eyebrow. “You mean, other than the one you dealt with at eleven?.”

“Yeah, yeah. The short of it is I had to deal with another Cyrus, except I thought he was my friend and he also looked like your twin. I saw a lot of ancestors in Hisui. Even Cyrus’s, actually. She was really cool. Nothing like him at all.”

“Oh, well that sounds…”

“Like it was terrible? Yes.” Dawn shivered, “He was going to kill me. He ordered his Garchomp to do this,” she rolled up her Survey Corps uniform to show the large, jagged scar on her arm. “But I always just say a Garchomp did it.”

“That…I’ve been hit by my Garchomp before, but it was an accident. It was still horrific. I couldn’t imagine ordering to do that to a human.”

Dawn shrugged. “Hisui was…a wilder place. Will you be with me when Interpol comes? I don’t want to be alone but…I don’t want my Mom to know any more than she does. It would only worry her.”

Cynthia patted her shoulder, “If they let me – which I think they will; you are still a minor – I will be right by you. What else is a Regent for?”

The door opening caught both of their attentions. Elesa and Emmet walked through, bags in hand. “We brought snacks!” Elesa announced. “To be honest, I’m not sure what all of them are. Our little translator is off walking the courtyard with Lucas.”

Dawn asked, “Little translator? Is that Barry?”

“Yup! He’s been verrrrry helpful with research. His Galarian is very good.”

“Ha!” Dawn laughed, “I made him learn Galarian. It was like we had a secret code – at least, when we weren’t in Galar or around my Mom.”

“Ingo and I used to have a secret conlang.” Emmet said. “It was actually gibberish. We just liked people looking very impressed at it. More than likely, they were just humoring us.”

Elesa snorted, “You couldn’t do that now. It would be recorded, uploaded, parsed by linguists, and declared fake within the hour.”

“But it would be a fun hour!” Emmet protested.

The door opened again. This time, it was Dawn’s mother. She was also carrying bags, but it didn’t seem like food. “I got you some clothes to change into,” she explained to Dawn. “I figured you might want some modern clothing.”

“Oh!” Dawn said, “Cool!”

“I didn’t know whether you preferred skirts still or pants. So I got both.” She explained, taking the items out.

“Pants. What if I have to run somewhere? Or dodge something?”

Silence.

“...That was an odd thing to say, wasn’t it?” Dawn grimaced.

“Pants it is, then.” Her mom recovered quickly. “That’s these bags. Go ahead and see if you like anything. If you do, you can change in the bathroom.”

“Okay, I’ll take a look at them. Thanks, mom.” Dawn skipped to the bathroom. New clothes were always fun. Besides, much of her old stuff may not even fit her anymore. She did grow a bit in Hisui, after all.

Rifling through the bag, a long hoodie stylized with a Pikachu and some leggings caught her eye. They looked like they'd be very comfy. She pulled on socks and tennis shoes, and looked at herself in the mirror.

She stepped out of the private bathroom with a flourish. “Look! I’m cute!” She struck a pose, before realizing that there were two men in suits in the room as well.

She lowered her peace sign slowly, “Are you guys from Interpol?” she asked.

She heard a snort-laugh from somewhere in the room. Sounded like Emmet. Jerk.

“Yes, and you must be Miss Hikari?” One of the men said. “We’re agents Takeshi and Louis. May we have a bit of your time?”

“Yes, that’s all right…can Cynthia come with me?”

The Agents looked at each other and nodded. “Yes, but we want to hear your official statement.”

“That’ll be fine. Umm…where should we go?”

“The staff have graciously allowed us to use a consultation room for the time being. Follow us.”

Dawn sighed. She was going to tell this story for the rest of her life, wasn’t she?

—-

“...And then we arrived here and were transported to the hospital.”

“You said that Dialga went against Arceus’s wishes and brought you back?” Agent Louis asked, “Is it likely that Arceus will come to this time looking for you?”

“I don’t know,” Dawn shrugged. “If they do, at least I have their children on my side. And I’ll have my full team again. The ArcPhone is still bricked. I don’t know if that’s a specific punishment from Arceus or not. I don’t know if they're angry.”

“Okay, so we will be on the lookout for that. A vengeful God is always cause for concern to life and property. I’m going to give you our business cards, and – once you get a new phone, which I suggest to be very soon – I want you to call anytime you have any new information.”

“New information about…?”

“Any of the Creation Family’s statuses.”

“Right. I’ll make sure to do that. Is that all you need from me?”

The Agent nodded, “We’ll keep in touch, and we’ll be around when Subway Boss Ingo is discharged. Until then, good luck.”

—-

Ingo woke up slowly, trying to blink his eyes open. “Emmet?” he called.

“I’m right here.” Emmet stood up from his chair.

“Hi, Emmet.”

Emmet looked down at him, and at the door. Dawn and Cynthia were still talking to Interpol, and Ingo didn’t look any more lucid than he had the last times he woke up. This probably wouldn’t end well.

“And Elesa?”

“Right here, Ingo.”

“Hi, Elesa. Where’s Dawn?”

“Dawn is with Cynthia. She’s talking to Interpol about what happened.”

“Is she safe?”

“Yes, Ingo, she is safe.”

Ingo frowned, “I should –” he looked around, and then stopped. He was wearing an odd garment. White. Gown-like. “Where is my coat?”

“Sorry?” Emmet asked.

“My coat? I would like my coat.”

“Oh, are you cold? I can get you a blanket.”

“No,” Ingo insisted. “I want my coat. Please.”

“Sure thing, Ingo.” Emmet didn’t look like he really understood, but he grabbed the plastic bag that was hanging from Ingo’s hospital bed. Digging through the contents, he fished out the coat. “There’s a lot of stuff in the pockets. Do you want me to empty them?”

“No.” Ingo said, “That’s all right.”

“Okay,” he handed it over. “I’m not sure you can wear it, though. With the cast.”

“That's fine,” Ingo said, and then held the coat to his chest with his good arm. He was asleep again in seconds.

“Well that…went okay,” Emmet said.

“The most words he’s said so far and it was about his ratty uniform.” Elesa laughed.

“You can take the man out of the subway,” Emmet shook his head.

Chapter Text

Ingo woke up in a white room with a dull ache in his shoulder. His arm was sticking unnaturally in the air – ah, it was casted. He blinked to clear his eyes, feeling less foggy than usual.

“They needed to do surgery on it,” he heard someone say. He looked over. Emmet.

“Emmet,” he smiled. “Where is Elesa?”

“She just stepped out for a bit.” Emmet soothed, “She’ll be back soon.”

“Where’s Dawn?”

“Over here!”

“Are you all right?” He asked.

“Yeah. Didn’t need any surgery. They just taped my fingers together, and ran so many tests. I got an itty bitty cast. Yours is huge.”

Ingo sighed, and used his good arm to trace out his cast. It took up most of his upper body. That was going to be annoying. Looking down, he realized he had his coat bundled by his side. Odd. “Where is everyone?” he asked, suddenly realizing the room was very empty.

Emmet said, “We’re taking shifts. The others are getting something to eat or walking in the courtyard. I can let them know you’re awake for real, if you’d like.”

“What do you mean, ‘for real’?”

Dawn laughed, “You’ve been waking up, spouting nonsense, and then going back to sleep.”

“Oh,” Ingo said. “Hopefully I haven’t said anything too embarrassing.”

“You asked for all of us one by one to say hello to us, and then get sad if someone was gone. Just so you know.” Dawn offered.

“Like a mother Swanna whose Duckletts will not stay in the same spot.” Emmet laughed.

Ingo groaned. “Be careful, Dawn, I have plenty of stories from Hisui when they gave you painkillers. Like when you would alternate sobbing and falling asleep to wake up ten seconds later sobbing and-”

“Alright, alright. I got your point,” Dawn pouted.

“Speaking of painkillers, how was your shoulder broken?” Emmet asked him suddenly.

“Oh. Uh, well…” Ingo started.

“That would be my fault,” Dawn said, sheepishly. “We were forcibly separated on our way here, and Ingo tried to keep hold of me…”

“And I would do it again,” Ingo said. “Although, hopefully, with the outcome of actually keeping you near me.”

“It did work, though. We were in the same general area.”

“You guys were separated?” Emmet asked, alarmed.

“Yes, I had my Garchomp help look for him, and then I got us as close to the Temple as I could.” Dawn said, quietly.

“Is that also how you broke your hand?” Emmet asked Dawn.

“Oh, er, no. That was broken before we traveled through time.” Dawn didn’t particularly want to mention the specifics of it, and after a beat of silence, Emmet moved on. “Also, seriously, I have to ask. Ingo, why do you sound half Galarian?”

“I what?” Ingo asked.

Dawn laughed hysterically, “That is also my fault. His language was a whole can of Wurmples so we decided to speak Galarian together. He must have picked up my accent.”

“Why do you have a Galarian accent?” Emmet asked.

“I went to school in Galar for a bit. My dad was Galarian, and I bounced back and forth for a while before…he died, and I stayed here.”

“Oh, I am…sorry to hear that.” Emmet said, looking uncomfortable.

“It was a long time ago,” Dawn brushed it off, “But if that was asked, then, I can ask why he suddenly sounds extremely Unovan.”

“Ah, well,” Emmet started, letting the same Nimbasian burr color his voice, “that’s just how we grew up. We adopted a neutral accent when we became Subway Bosses.”

“Huh,” Dawn said.

By then, the rest of the crew had bundled into the room, no doubt getting Emmet’s message. Ingo saw Cynthia and asked her, “You have no plans to betray us, do you?”

“You have got to stop asking her that, Ingo.” Dawn shook her head.

Ingo decided to deal with it later. Elesa had come over to his side and squeezed his hand. “Hi, Ingo. Are you feeling better?”

“Yeah,” Ingo said. He looked around the room. “Yeah, I think I’m good.”

—-

It was a nice bubble they could all live in, the increased security of the hospital keeping photographers and the media away. Eventually, however, when Ingo was discharged, they had to venture outside. Dawn grabbed her pikachu hoodie and leggings, feeling most comfortable in them. Ingo was wearing his Pearl Clan tunic and his coat was hung over his shoulders. Cynthia handed Dawn some sunglasses, saying, “I knew you’d want these.”

“You’re a lifesaver,” Dawn replied, putting them on.

“What are those?” Ingo asked.

“It’s for the cameras. They’re so bright,” Dawn explained.

“Elesa wears them too.” Emmet added, watching as Elesa put on (much more stylish and expensive) glasses.

Ingo went through the first set of doors before stopping in his tracks, eyes wide. “Why…are there so many people?”

“It’s a big deal,” Emmet said, “both the missing Champion and missing Subway Boss are back.”

“Is everywhere going to be like this?” Ingo took steps backward.

“Uncle, it’s all right.” Dawn came over and tugged on his sleeve. “It’ll be bright, and they might yell, but the League will have security guards out there. They won’t be able to touch you. Do you want my sunglasses?”

Ingo looked at her, “...No. You’ll need them. They won’t touch us?”

Dawn nodded, “You can just look down, if you want. I’ll walk with you.”

—-

Emmet watched as the teen girl led Ingo through the people until they got into a League-marked van. Part of him was glad that Ingo had a strong support. Another, uglier, part, was upset that Ingo did not seek his comfort, and that he didn’t realize right away what kind of reassurance Ingo needed.

This is what it meant, he supposed, when Ingo said he had forgotten everything. He knew Ingo wouldn’t be the same. Heck, he knew he wouldn’t ever be the same again. But to have his brother prefer the company of…a stranger was difficult. Even if his brother considered the stranger family.

He looked out the windows of the car. The windows were heavily tinted, so passerby couldn’t see in. Of course, the giant League logo on the side probably gave them away, anyway. But it was stealthier than flying, and Emmet wasn’t even sure Ingo and Dawn could fly at the moment.

He looked at his brother again. He was still wearing the ratty coat and hat. Emmet didn’t even bring his coat to Sinnoh. It was just a work uniform, after all. But it seemed like to Ingo, it had become a type of armor. He had on a pink tunic and a large out-of-place bracelet. He had switched which wrist he put it on, seemingly desperate to wear it, even if it made him take off his xTrans. His face was lined and more tan than Emmet’s, probably from rough years working outside. He also had a beard, which Emmet was still not quite sold on.

Otherwise, he was outwardly the same Ingo. Mostly.

“Do you need something?” Ingo asked.

“Hmm?”

“You were looking at me, I thought you were going to say something.” Ingo explained.

“Oh! I was just…”

“Making sure you’re still here.” Elesa finished. “It’s been years, Ingo. We missed you lots.”

“Me too,” Ingo said. “Even if I didn’t always know what I missed.”

Emmet sighed. At the end of it all, wasn’t that all that mattered? Despite not remembering anything, despite knowing everything would not be completely fine, despite having to get rid of everything he had ever known, Ingo had fought tooth and nail to come back. He was here. Wasn’t that enough?

—-

Dawn was about two seconds away from throwing elbows, but then was scared by the thought. Did she always have such violent tendencies? She needed to talk to Cynthia about setting up a therapy appointment soon.

The security guards cleared the way to the apartment the team had been staying at, and then swiftly deadbolted the door behind them.

“That was terrible,” Dawn said, “has it been like that for a while?”

“Unfortunately, yes,” Cynthia said, “Our location was leaked about a week ago, and we’ve mostly just been holed up here since. When we left to grab you, we literally jumped out the windows to leave.”

“Oh,” Dawn said. “How did you know we arrived?”

“Lucas found a news story about two supposed meteorites that fell on Mount Coronet. We figured it was you guys. Emmet tapped into the Rangers’ radios and we followed the reports of a colossal Garchomp.”

“You were right, Ingo. I guess the giant Garchomp did work as a beacon,” Dawn turned around and addressed him.

“Eager to help,” he gave a mock salute as Emmet was helping him down onto the couch.

“I guess it also attracted some of this crowd,” Dawn nodded towards the door. “Sorry about that again, Barry.”

Barry shrugged. “I’d rather have you and rumors than no you and no rumors.”

“Relatedly,” Ingo started, “May I ask what Top Coordinator Champion truly means?”

Dawn looked down, “I suppose you need to know, at this point. I’m sorry for keeping stuff from you, Uncle. It was just…so nice to be anonymous.”

Ingo stared for a second, “People called you the Savior of Hisui and you considered that anonymous?”

Dawn snorted, “Well compared to this...” she gestured around.

“Fair enough.” Ingo said. “You told me Emmet, Elesa and I were famous. But you are too, aren’t you?”

“Yes. I became the Champion of Sinnoh when I was eleven. Cynthia is my mentor and Regent, the Champion before me. My mother was a professional coordinator – she has the title of Top Coordinator too – so I tried out the circuit and won the title. That’s all.”

Cynthia snorted, “That’s all, child? I’m assuming that Ingo doesn’t remember what those titles mean.” She turned to him, “Dawn was our youngest – and most prodigious – Champion. That means she went through the eight gyms – like how Elesa is a Gym Leader – challenged the Elite Four, and beat me. She is the strongest trainer in Sinnoh.”

Ingo gaped at her. “That’s why you beat me. You said my League win ratio was one of the best in the world. And you just said you beat me because I had lost my memory.”

“I mean,” Dawn started, “I’m sure it didn’t help.”

“And Top Coordinator?” Ingo pushed.

“Do you remember my performance with Gastrodon at all?” Dawn asked.

Ingo groaned. “It’s a bit fuzzy, to be honest. I know it was cool though.”

“Well, it’s that. I work with my Pokemon to create stunning displays of my Pokemon’s moves and talents.” Dawn explained. The answer had the air of a PR spokesperson to it.

“I assume Top Coordinator means you’re the best in Sinnoh as well?”

“Not necessarily. There’s a season every year, and anyone who wins their season gets the title. My mom still is a Top Coordinator, even though I am, too. You never lose the title.”

Ingo shook his head, “Why didn’t you tell me?”

Dawn frowned, “I’m sorry. It wasn’t that I wanted to keep secrets from you. I…just wanted to be Just Dawn. You saw how the medics – two fully grown adults! – bowed to me. It’s like that everywhere. At first, I kept my memories secret from the people of Hisui as a precaution. Then, I was afraid you’d treat me differently.”

Ingo sighed. “I understand. But, please trust me. I will always see you as my niece. No matter all the amazing things you do, I will be here the same. I said before that we both have things we don’t talk about. That’s fine. But don’t hide anything because you’ll be afraid of how I’ll react.”

Dawn looked down, “All right, Uncle Ingo.”

Chapter Text

Dawn and Ingo, used to wandering around the wilderness daily, were not settling in very well. They were still forced to stay inside, the media camping at the doors. There was also no way Lucas could sneak around, having been photographed with the rest of them at the hospital.

Despite his restlessness, Ingo had fallen asleep leaning on the arm of the couch, so Dawn was attempting to stay quiet. She was laying on the other end, her head on her mom’s lap. She was single handedly scrolling through her mom’s phone (her old one still not working), looking at the pictures her mother had taken.

“Oh, I like this one!” Dawn said quietly, turning it so her mother could see. It was a contest where they competed against each other. They were dressed in all their contest fineries, and they had their arms linked. Despite technically competing against each other, they were all smiles, both Kangaskhan and Togekiss posing in the back.

“Me too,” her mom chuckled. Dawn would never get over the comfort of her mother being present again. After so long in Hisui, companionship had started to feel transactional. Rei and Laventon liked her because she helped a lot with the survey work. Irida and Adaman liked her because she helped them. Her mom, however, liked her because of who she was: Just Dawn.

–

Emmet was walking out of the kitchen with a few berries when he saw that Ingo had fallen asleep on the couch. His hat laid on the floor, knocked off at some point. Putting the berries in his mouth, he reached down to grab the discarded article. He went to put it on the side table when he was greeted by a picture of himself.

“Oh, Ingo,” he whispered. The photocard was battered, and was obviously water damaged, but was affixed securely just the same.

Dawn must have heard him, because she looked over and said quietly, “Oh, are you looking at the photocard? He didn’t go anywhere without it.”

“Why?”

“When I pulled that photocard out, he literally was taken to the ground by it. He missed you so much it hurt him, even when he didn’t know your name.” Dawn shook her head. “I think it kept him going, even when Arceus asked for…too much.” She yawned widely.

Emmet said, “Maybe you should also think about taking a nap.”

Yawning again, Dawn agreed, “Yeah, I got sleepy just so suddenly…” Her eyes snapped open, “No! No! I can’t go back!”

“Dawn, what’s wrong?” Johanna cried, her daughter suddenly flailing in her lap.

Dawn felt her foot connect with something – Ingo woke up with a pained gasp. “Dawn?” he said, “Dawn, what’s happening?”

Dawn felt herself losing the battle, the edges of her vision darkening, “Please, don’t,” she pleaded, before officially nodding off. Johanna, seeing her suddenly fall limp, jumped up, taking her up with her.

“Oof, she got heavy.” Johanna wheezed, “Emmet, please help me put her on a bed.”

“Of course,” Emmet agreed, taking her. “No, Ingo, stay on the couch. We can’t deal with two of you going down.”

The others, having been holed up in their respective bedrooms, came out to see the commotion. “Cynthia, can you please call a medic? Dawn…might have had a panic attack, maybe?” Johanna said, with a forced air of calm.

“Right away,” she pulled out her phone.

–

Dawn opened her eyes to see Arceus. She stayed silent, and the two looked at each other for a long while.

“My Chosen has disobeyed me.” Arceus started. “And my children have rioted against me.”

“We had an agreement.” Dawn said, slowly. “You didn’t hold up your part.”

“So my children have told me.” Arceus intoned. “You have also said I do not know much about humans. That is foolish. I created them.”

Dawn scoffed, “No you haven’t. If you have, why’d you leave all the human bits to the Lake Guardians?”

“The Lake Guardians had a lesser job of creation.”

“You’ve maybe made the vessel, but you didn’t make anything that made us human.” Dawn rolled her eyes. “Get on with it. What’s my punishment? Am I being sent back to Hisui? Can I at least say goodbye this time?”

“I learned long ago that what I thought was a blessing, humans found to be cruel. I would offer a long-lasting life to those who aided me, but more often than not, I was turned down. If I wasn’t, they would come crawling back to me years later asking for it to be reversed.” Arceus continued, “So, I can not adequately offer punishment or blessing. Instead, I offer you an arm of myself, in order to see the world from the perspective of a human trainer. I will consider all other matters…resolved.”

“You…are going to join me? In my team? To be able to punish people better in the future?”

“My children have offered this as a solution.”

“Do your children hate me?” Dawn asked.

Arceus, not yet knowing the hidden world of sarcasm, disagreed, “My children seem to be ruinously fond of you. Now, go. I will join you when you wake.”

—-

“...some sort of trance?”

Dawn woke up with a gasp, staring into the face of a pink-uniformed medic.

“Hi, there. Are you with us now, Dawn?” she asked.

“Yes, yes. I’m still here.” She wheezed, feeling a Pokeball in her hoodie pocket. She grabbed it. It looked like any other modern Pokeball. She tried to find Cynthia in the crowd and somehow signal to her that they needed to talk, now.

She got the hint. “All right, people. Now that Dawn’s awake, let’s not crowd her. Thank you, Nurse, for coming to help. I think she’ll be okay now.”

“...Well, yes. Everything seems fine. It could just be stress and exhaustion. Please make sure you get adequate rest and fluids, Miss Dawn.”

“Err, yes. I will, thank you.”

Cynthia took a few more minutes for pleasantries and shoving everyone out of the door before she locked it and turned around. “Child, why do you suddenly have a modern Pokeball?” her original team was currently being taken care of at the League.

“Arceus called for me.” Dawn said. “This is Arceus – or, at least, a part of it.”

“You caught Arceus?”

“No,” Dawn shook her head, “It didn’t give me a choice. Apparently the Trio pressured Arceus into it.”

“Did they mention…a punishment?”

“I don’t have one.” She heard a faint beep. She took out her ArcPhone and saw that it was once again functioning.

“I’ll get Interpol on the line,” Cynthia said, stupefied.

Chapter Text

“You mean to tell me you haven’t upgraded your xTrans in over four years?” Elesa asked Emmet, incredulous.

“I have not,” Emmet replied, “But that’s good, because then Ingo can use my charger.”

Emmet certainly hadn’t been using his charger, mostly keeping his xTrans turned off. Apparently, alerting Gear Station that yes, Ingo was alive, yes they were going to be staying put for a bit, and no, he didn’t know when they were coming back, four times, was not sufficient. He turned it off in hopes that Gear Station would just think he was out of service, rather than ignoring him. Everyone he needed to talk to was with him, anyway.

Ingo was watching the xTrans charge with fascination, “Electricity is so cool.” His volume control had left the building.

Elesa snickered, “I’m glad you agree.”

“Whatcha guys doin?” Dawn, Barry, and Lucas walked into the room and saw the three of them crouching around an outlet.

“Learning about electricity,” Ingo says.

“You know what’s really fun? If you stick a fork –”

“Barry, no!” Dawn scolded.

“Barry, yes!”

“Third rail.” Ingo said.

Emmet looked taken aback, “What?”

“Very dangerous. Do not touch.” Ingo nodded sagely.

Emmet and Elesa smiled at each other, before laughing.”You remembered something!” Elesa said. They kept smacking him on the back in their giddiness, around the cast.

“You remembered the safety checks!” Emmet laughed. “That’s great, Ingo!”

“I helped!” Barry pumped his fist in the air.

Ingo laughed with them, being knocked forward and needing to catch himself with his left hand. Eventually, he decided that he lived there now, and rolled over to his back. “That’s quite enough for today, then,” he said. “I should take another nap.”

“Anyway,” Dawn continued, “Cynthia wanted me to warn you that Interpol are on their way. You’ll give your official statement and then we’ll talk about this whole Pocket God thing.”

“I will receive them from the floor.” Ingo said.

Dawn prodded him with her slipper, “Like that’s gonna be the weirdest thing they have to deal with today.”

—-

Having a conversation about the care and keeping of your Pocket God got awkward when said Pocket God texted you in the middle of it, and then got frustrated enough to release itself from their ball anyway.

The Interpol agents, seasoned as they were, felt their soul leave their body. For Dawn, it was Tuesday.

“I have offered up a part of myself in this realm to better see the world from a human’s perspective. Please do not interfere.”

“And because the Creation Trio told them to or they’d keep attacking.” Dawn very helpfully added, “And so they can figure out how to give better punishments to people.”

Worried that the whole block might get smited soon, the agents quickly wrapped up the meeting and moved on. They gave Dawn leave for Arceus to do as they wished, simply asking for weekly reports of their whereabouts. (What else could they do, really?)

—-

After the meeting, Ingo went back to the living room and saw that his xTrans had been fully charged. “Ah, why do I have so many alerts?” he exclaimed.

“Hmm?” Emmet went over to look, “Oh, they’re news notifications. You wouldn’t have gotten them if you weren’t connected to the internet.”

“They’re all news alerts for Ingo,” he laughed. “My phone notifies me if I’m in the news? That sounds exhausting.” He deposited it on the stand again.

“You set it up before we got truly famous. It’s how we found out Gear Station put out a thirst trap of you.”

“What’s a thirst trap?”

Emmet then realized that he had a once in a lifetime opportunity. He grinned evilly. “Hey, Dawn, can you come here for a minute?”

Dawn opened up the door to the room she was sharing with her mom, “Yeah? What’s up?”

“Inquiring minds want to know. What, exactly, is a thirst trap?”

Dawn narrowed her eyes, “Something Gear Station never made for you.”

Emmet made a wounded noise and clutched his chest. “Oof.”

Ingo, still confused, looked back and forth between them.

“Oh, just show him. He’ll learn through baptism by fire.”

“I like the way you think,” Emmet said, “My phone is dead, can we search it on yours?”

Dawn made a sour face, “I don’t want that in my search history,” she retorted, but handed over her now-working ArcPhone.

Emmet tapped for a bit, “Ah, here it is. This is what a thirst trap is, Ingo.” He held it out so the other two could see.

Dawn looked nauseated, but Ingo looked surprisingly happy. “I look very nice! And that’s the Chandelure you told me about, right? When can I meet her again?”

Trying to pretend he wasn’t disappointed at the utter lack of a reaction, he said, “The next time we can get out to a PokeCenter, we can retrieve your team from the PC. Since they weren’t registered to my name, I couldn’t bring them with me to Sinnoh, and I can’t log in without your trainer ID.” He wasn’t going to drag Ingo’s death certificate with him in order to get them out anyway.

“An ID?” Ingo frowned, digging around in his pockets, grabbing a card. “Like this?”

Dawn snorted as he pulled out one of his own photocards. “Yes, please give that to the receptionist when we get there.”

“No, it should look something like this,” Emmet pulled out his wallet and grabbed his ID.

“Huh,” Ingo said, taking it to look at it closer. “I do have one of these.” He went rifling around in his pockets. “Got it! When do you think we’ll be able to get to a PokeCenter?”

Emmet shrugged, “I’m not sure when we’ll be able to break out of here, to be honest.”

“Hmm,” Dawn thought for a moment, “There’s a PokeCenter inside the League Building, and plenty of PCs around there too. If we can get there we could also be a little more…spread out. I have a dorm there, and there’s always extra ones, too.”

“That is an idea,” Emmet nodded. “How far is it? I don’t quite have the whole geography of Sinnoh memorized.”

“By Pokemon flight it’s a couple hours, but I’m not sure either Ingo or I could stay on top of a bird. The PokeCenter Abras would be almost instant, but then we might have to drop kick some cameras. So…we’d have to drive.” Dawn said, “I can call for security and an escort. It would definitely be a road trip, but the League vehicle is already around here from picking us up at the hospital.”

“You can just…call for security and an escort?” Emmet frowned. Elesa didn’t even have security – not that Dawn shouldn’t, of course.

“There are perks to being employed by the League,” Dawn grinned. “I’ll check with Cynthia to first make sure it's feasible, and then we can ask the rest of the group to see if they want to change their stations.”

The use of a train pun did not escape Emmet, who smirked, “Ha! We’ve rubbed off on you.”

Dawn just groaned, “Ugh. I feel old. Goodbye, I am finding Cynthia.”

“You can’t escape the trains!” Emmet called after her.

Dawn raised her hand and left to – not quite knock on Cynthia and Elesa’s door, but to stand by it and yell “Let me innnnnnn!”

The door slowly opened, and Elesa’s face peeked out, “Hi?”

“Hi, I need Cynthia. And also your opinion, too.” Dawn waved.

Cynthia came to the door, “Yes, Dawn?”

“Do you think we could move this whole party to the League? We could use the dorms and we could pick up our Pokemon too.”

Cynthia thought for a second, “It would be a long trip, but I don’t see why not. It would let us at least walk around the whole headquarters. And use the arenas.”

“Like…battle arenas?” Emmet said.

“We can battle there?!” Ingo asked.

“Who’s battling?” Barry came running.

“Don’t battle here– we chipped in for the deposit!” Lucas came running.

Johanna came out of her room as well, “Why are we yelling?”

“I think we’re moving to the League,” Dawn explained.

Chapter Text

Dawn had pleaded (she was pleased to see shinx-eyes still worked on the League employees) for their driver to go out and get them snacks and activities for the ride. The first couple of hours were spent chatting excitedly and playing cards. After that, it gradually became quieter and quieter as they dropped off to sleep.

Dawn had to be shaken awake as they pulled into the League’s parking lot. She groaned as she tried to loosen the crick in her neck.

“Your League has stained glass windows?” Emmet exclaimed. “How gothic!”

Cynthia snorted, “It was made during a time in Sinnohian history known as the Gothic Revival. It isn’t nearly as old as you’d think, only about 100 years.”

“So it took 100 years after we left to form the League,” Ingo pondered. “I do wonder how it all went down.”

“We have plenty of research notes around the time period you both were in. I can’t say we looked much past that, however.” Cynthia offered, “But I have a history library in my office at the League. I have a few books in Galarian, or Barry can help translate.”

“That would be great, thanks,” Ingo replied.

—-

The first stop was dorm allocation, so everyone could put down their luggage. The League had a surplus of dorms, since in its inception, Gym Leaders were required to live there as well. Now, living there was completely optional (but convenient), and generally only the Elite Four, Champion, and some employees stayed there. The dorms were always clean and each had a small attached bathroom. It wasn’t glamorous by any means, but it was nice to be back in her room. She was sure the others were glad to have their own spaces.

As she was unpacking her bag from Hisui, hanging up her new clothes and clothes from Anthe, she heard a knock on the door. “Come in,” she called out.

It was Ingo, poking his head in, “We were going to grab our Pokemon and head to an arena to let them out. Do you want to join?”

“Of course!” Dawn bounced, setting down the parcel she had received from Adaman, still unopened.

As she made her way to the door, she saw Ingo narrow his eyes and cock his head, “Nice decor,” he nodded to a poster.

“Hmm?” Dawn turned to see what he was referring to, and then covered her face. “I forgot about that!” she screamed into her hands.

It was an action shot of both Ingo and Emmet, their respective aces also adopting a battle stance. That wouldn’t have been so bad, but it was personalized and signed. “When did we sign that?” Ingo asked her.

“Agh,” Dawn explained, “Gear Station was having a charity sale online so I bought it. The shipping price was ridiculous. I can take it down. I’ll take it down.”

“No, no, leave it up. It’s fine,” Ingo chucked, “who would’ve thought that I was signing something for my future niece? You’ll have to sign one of your promotional posters for me, too.”

Dawn laughed, “All right. I’m sure I’ll be in for more photoshoots soon, anyway. I probably look a bit different from when I was fourteen.”

—-

Dawn was nervous. Would her teams take to each other? They were raised very differently, both because of her age and the time period she was in. Everyone had made their way to the League’s biggest arena and was able to release their teams out for the first time in a while. Only her and Ingo hadn’t released theirs yet.

She turned to look at him, “Should we do newer teams first…? Or?”

“Perhaps all at once?” he suggested.

“I suppose we should just…rip the bandaid off,” she nodded, and dumped her bag.

She was first rather painfully body slammed by her Empoleon, obscuring the rest of her teams from view. Her Typhlosion was concerned, wriggling underneath the large penguin. Dawn laughed as his head poked next to hers.

“I missed you so very much, my dear, but can you let me up please?” Dawn giggled.

After that, the rest of her Team went to fawn over her. Zoroark looked a little overwhelmed by the number of Pokemon, and stayed in the corner with her Garchomp. Cynthia’s Garchomp was stealing glances at the larger specimen.

Dawn looked over to see Ingo surrounded by his Pokemon, clutching his Chandelure to his chest with one arm. His battered hat was on her head and she was chiming softly. The rest of his Pokemon – and most of Emmet’s, too – were patiently waiting beside him.

“Please explain.” Lucas came up to her, pointing at her Typhlosion and Zoroark.

Dawn chuckled, “These are also yours.” she said, handing him a sack of Pokeballs. “All of the Hisuian variants I found…and I supposedly found them all, according to Arceus.”

Lucas just stared. “I don’t even know where to begin with the paperwork, so I’ll keep them all inside until I can talk with Professor Rowan.”

“That’s fine. This arena is getting pretty crowded, anyway.” Dawn shrugged. “But this is Typhlosion. He’s a fire/ghost type. And a sweetheart. This is Zoroark. He’s a normal/ghost type. Known as the Baneful Fox pokemon.”

“Neat,” Lucas was peering at them.

“Speaking of…I guess I should release Arceus, too.”

—-

To no one’s surprise, it didn’t take long for a mini-tournament to form. Once Cynthia, Dawn, Ingo, and Emmet were the four left, they decided to make it a doubles match. Ingo would be using his new team, and Dawn would use her new team, plus two of her old to make a full roster.

Dawn laughed with happiness as her and Cynthia adopted their usual pose, which Barry dubbed, “Back-to-back badasses”. She had grown a bit taller since last time, but…”This pose doesn’t really work without my giant heels,” she lamented.

Ingo and Emmet were similarly having issues. “Wait, no, I always use my left hand,” Emmet was saying.

“Well, I can’t use my right!” Ingo retorted.

“Wait, let’s just switch sides.”

“No, this feels weird.”

“How would you know?” Emmet said, flabbergasted.

Dawn, gracelessly reverse headbutting Cynthia in her middle back, snorted, “Just get with the script.”

“Right!” Ingo said, “Follow the rules. Safe driving! Follow the schedule. Everybody smile! Check safety. Everything's ready! Aim for victory! All aboard!”

Emmet looked scandalized, “That’s my line!”

Ingo was perplexed. “What? What should I say?”

“Yo, get it together!” Barry yelled from the stands. “God is watching!”

Dawn looked over to see Arceus was also in the stands.

“Oh, good lord.” Dawn said, and released her Glaceon.

—-

After Cynthia and Dawn’s victory (and Ingo nearly brought the arena down with his excited “Bravo!”) they decided to wander off to the kitchens to find a meal. The League’s chef saw the amount of Pokemon they were all packing and got to work.

They ate mostly in silence, having worked up too much of an appetite to talk. Ingo figured he might as well deal with his xTrans, since it has been beeping incessantly. He had been wearing it above his Warden bracelet, since he had only one wrist to decorate. Some were messages from people he must have known before, because they all wished him well and were glad he was alive.

Then, he looked at the news articles his alert gave him. His heart dropped as he was scrolling through.

“Emmet? Elesa? Can we talk? Now?” He hissed, standing up, and making his way out of the cafeteria.

Concerned, they both followed him out of the room. “What's wrong, Ingo?” Emmet asked, as he shut the door.

Ingo said nothing, just unstrapped his xTrans and handed it to them.

Elesa gasped, “No!” Bringing her hands to her mouth she said, “That’s a new low. That’s depraved!”

Ingo looked very upset, “It isn’t true – none of it is true.”

“Oh, Ingo, we know.” Elesa wrapped herself around his uncasted arm.

“What do we do?”

Elesa bit her lip, “This is bad. Especially since these news articles have been going around for a couple of days. You’ll need to make a statement."

Eyes widening, Ingo exclaimed, “I don’t know how to do that!”

“It’s all right. We should tell Cynthia, and then we can all figure out what to do.”

“Why Cynthia?” Ingo groaned.

“Because this affects Dawn, too, and they’ll have to respond.”

“I promise it’s not like that at all!”

"I know, I know,” Elesa soothed.

“You didn’t do anything wrong, Ingo,” Emmet said quietly, “It’s just the media doing what it does best – ruining lives.”

Ingo couldn’t help but continue to scroll through the headlines, even though it made him feel even worse. This is what Emmet had warned him about.

It still didn’t make it easier.

—-

“Subway Boss Ingo Reamerges Suspiciously Close to TCC Dawn”

“Subway Boss Ingo Accused of Kidnapping”

“Long Lost Dad Ingo? The Truth of TCC Dawn’s Real Parents unleaked.”

“Subway Boss Ingo Accused of Faking Death for Affair with Top Coordinator Johanna.”

“Emmet Exonerated for Killing Ingo? Or Enabler?”

“WATCH: Old Man Ingo clings to our TCC Dawn! Disgusting!"

“Subway Boss Ingo revealed as predator?”

Chapter Text

Dawn knew she would have to hold a press conference eventually. However, she was not prepared to have to address this. She kicked herself. She should’ve expected it from the hospital, when the nurse accused Ingo of abuse. She should have protected Ingo better. He didn’t remember what it was like to be famous, for every detail to be scrutinized. She did.

She did all she could – apologize to him, and work with Cynthia to craft and plan a whole press conference. Emmet ended up calling Gear Station, begging them for help, even though Ingo was not employed there anymore, having been declared dead years ago. They agreed to help, assuming it would eventually affect Emmet’s image, which they were still in charge of.

So the whole group was in a conference room, talking virtually with the PR department of Gear Station (who asked a lot of pointed, uncomfortable questions, Ingo thought). Opening statements were written, an outline was made, a press release sent out.

The PR crew of Gear Station listened to their stories of Hisui with confusion, but acceptance. It was decided how much should be spoken and how much should be kept out of the spotlight. They ended up just writing down the basics – Dawn, known for her deeds at Spear Pillar with Cyrus, was called again to solve a problem which caused time and space to become fragile. This fragility led to distortions that ended up (as far as they could tell) dragging Ingo to the past. Ingo lost his memories, but Dawn didn’t, and they helped each other get home. Dawn adopted Ingo as an Uncle. Nothing weird. No kidnapping.

Hopefully, the press would accept the truth.

—-

It was not going well. Dawn, Cynthia, Ingo, and Emmet were getting torn apart at the table. It wasn’t until one particularly bold reporter said, “It seems like with your previous relationship that you prefer older men. Is that true?” that Dawn couldn't take it anymore.

“Why don’t you ask your real question instead of dancing around it?” Dawn snapped, “You won’t ask it because it’s crude and disgusting.”

“I am not insinuating anything,” the reporter said, smoothly.

Dawn slammed her hand on the table, standing up. The mic was too low, so she took it off the table with her. “I will not stand for this. This is an insult to me, and to my Uncle, who helped me through the hell that we just described to you. Do you know he saved my life when I almost bled out from a Pokemon attack? Did you know he supported me when one of – who I thought – best friends manipulated and betrayed me? No, all you saw was a video of him grabbing on to my sleeve to navigate some paparazzi. Which, need I remind you, he didn’t remember existed.”

A reporter raised their hand, “No questions.” she said. She felt a hand take hers. It was Cynthia.

“I am tired of tiptoeing around my friends. Don’t think I didn’t notice the stories some of you ran about Barry, who I have made very clear I consider a brother.” Dawn nearly snarled, “Did you know I didn’t even hug anyone for three straight years because I was afraid of what you’d do to whoever I hugged?”

Cynthia stood up with her, probably because she was visibly shaking, “And you’re doing it again,” she cried. “My best friend, my Uncle, who will it be next? What other man will you decide to attack for views and clout, hmm? Are you guys upset that my Dad died, so you can’t try to make stories about him as well?”

Dawn closed her eyes and sighed, “I was stuck somewhere where I took my life into my hands going to work everyday. I didn’t have running water, or electricity. But I felt peace.”

She stared for a long time. Ingo thought that maybe she was on the verge of something. Some sort of debate was going on in her head. She took a few steadying breaths, and continued. “Please, please leave my friends and family alone. After two years without this,” she gestured around the room, “I can’t deal with this anymore. I am grateful for my supporters, and I can only hope they will continue to grow with me. But for those who want to drag me and the people around me down, stop. It doesn’t even make sense because…”

Dawn squared her jaw. Well, if this is how it gets out, it’s how it gets out.

“I’m gay.”

She was a sudden rush of voices, all trying to ask follow up questions. “I said no questions! Now, I’ve made myself quite clear, so excuse me. Leave Barry and Ingo alone.”

Her walking away sparked another wave of yells and protests, trying to get her to stay or elaborate. She would not. She felt stares at the back of her head, and not just from the audience. She was going to have to live with that, now. It was going to be all over the internet. It was going to be all anyone wanted to talk about. She sighed. Still worth it, if it got the media to back off.

She slipped behind a curtain and listened to the rest.

“I…” Ingo started hesitantly. “I think I need to go check on my niece. Please excuse me, as well.”

“I think this press conference is at an end,” Cynthia stated. “There have been plenty of questions asked and answered. Please respect Subway Boss Ingo and TCC Dawn’s privacy at this time. They are still healing physically and mentally from their ordeal in the past.”

—-

“You didn’t have to do that,” Ingo was whispering in her hair, arm around her, “You should have done that when you were ready, not because some rude reporters were…were doing that. You didn’t have to save my honor, or anything.”

“It’s alright,” she sniffed. “It was going to happen one day. At least this way it came from me, and not through some horrible news story or something.”

Cynthia and Emmet walked to the ‘backstage’ area, having wrapped up the press conference quickly.

“I’m sorry, Cynthia. I know that wasn’t part of the script.” Dawn said.

Cynthia shrugged, “Honestly? It wasn’t bad at all. There'll be some articles that publish something stupid like you ‘stomped out’ or had an attitude or something, but what you said was solid.”

Emmet huffed, “Maybe we should have had more of an attitude with them.”

Her Mom was next to arrive, also scooping her in a hug and asking if she was alright. “I’m fine, I’m fine,” she said. “Where’s Elesa and the boys?”

Her question was answered as they ran in, Elesa waving around a huge pride flag and Barry finger gunned the whole way to her. Dawn snorted, and then threw her head back to laugh. “Where did you even get that?”

“We ran,” Lucas huffed, “so fast…to-to the nearest store.” He was holding his head between his knees.

“This family keeps adopting gay women, hell yea!” Elesa shouted.

“That is…an odd coincidence.” Emmet agreed.

“That’s because you scare away all the bitches, Emmet.” Ingo said, sarcastically.

“I don’t want bitches, Ingo.”

Ingo stared for a minute. “Oh. What does that mean, exactly? Wait. What do I -”

“You forgot?”

“Is that really that surprising?” Ingo yelled back, stressed.

“Haha, good luck. Don’t let it take twenty years this time.” Emmet chuckled.

“What?”

—-

Chapter Text

It had been a few weeks since the disastrous press conference, and Dawn was back to work just in time for the new League season. This, of course, meant photoshoots for the new promotion. Usually, she found the pageantry exceptionally fun. Now, however, she was exceptionally nervous. It was bad enough that she had been out of practice for a couple years, but Elesa – the international supermodel Elesa – had offered to come watch.

And it wasn’t like she was going to say no.

This time, they had her in a gorgeous kimono-inspired dress, her hair done up with kanzashi. This photoshoot would be focused on her new Pokemon (Cynthia helped her do the paperwork to make them registered), and her time in Hisui. In doing so, the League decided to go with a more traditional theme.

“Ah, you guys look beautiful!” Elesa exclaimed as her and Cynthia came out of their dressing rooms. She stopped and looked over Cynthia, “You know, you could actually model. You’re almost as tall as me, and you have the build they’re looking for.”

Cynthia laughed, “I’m flattered, but I don’t think that’s for me.”

Elesa shrugged, “The world’s loss, then.”

“Cynthia! Dawn! Doubles shots, please. Wardrobe, please get Dawn her heels.” An assistant called. Someone else emerged and presented some shoes.

“Oh! New ones!” Dawn exclaimed.

“You have grown a few inches since the last photoshoot, so they don’t need to be as tall.” The assistant stated.

“Good lord!” Elesa exclaimed, “These are the shorter ones? They at least got to be five inches!”

“You should have seen the ones they stuck me in when I was eleven,” Dawn huffed, stepping into them.

“And usually they had me sit, anyway.” Cynthia added.

“All right, official League poses first,” The photographer walked up to them, and stopped. “Pleased to make your acquaintance, Miss Elesa,” he bowed.

“Thank you very much. I’m just here to watch the photoshoot.”

“Very, well. Follow me, girls," he called.

They fell into their usual back-to-back pose, this time working much better due to their height being roughly within half a foot of each other. Dawn tried to act as graceful as her dress made her feel.

Back when she was training, she would practice her expressions in the mirror. Occasionally, she would even video tape herself, in order to see which angles worked the best. She was hoping that her facial structure hadn’t changed much within the past two years – surely, it wouldn’t, right?

She tried not to think about the copious amounts of makeup on her arms, an attempt to hide her scars from Hisui. She had changed, both inside and out. She found it ironic that this photoshoot was supposed to showcase her time in Hisui, but it covered the truth of her situation.

“All right, single shots, please. Cynthia first.”

She stepped off her mark, and was accosted by a hair stylist who started spraying some more product on her hair. Dawn tried not to giggle as they started to roll out an industrial sized fan. While Dawn’s hair was done up, Cynthia’s was loose, specifically so her hair could blow in the wind. Cynthia raised her left hand, completing her signature pose.

“Is that why she has a Togekiss?” Elesa came up behind Dawn, “So it can do that all the time?”

Dawn laughed, “When I was ten, I thought it was so cool.”

“Hmm, you’ve been doing this for a while now, haven’t you?” Elesa asked.

“I suppose I have,” Dawn agreed. “I would say I had a two-year break, but the people of Hisui loved getting their pictures taken. It was new, then. I guess maybe I should send copies to Canalave or something, I don’t know.”

"Or perhaps to the Hisui Historical Society."

Laughing, Dawn said, "I've been bomboarding Lucas with so much stuff lately."

"I assure you, I doubt he cares. He's been at it for a while."

“Dawn, please take your mark. Cynthia, you may get changed.”

A shriek came out of one of the dressing rooms, and Dawn instinctively grabbed for her Pokeballs…which weren’t attached to her belt. A woman came out of her dressing room, followed by Arceus, who apparently had gotten bored inside the Pokeball.

“Why are you running?” The god asked.

“Oh, for God’s sake, Arceus.” Dawn pinched the bridge of her nose.

—-

Emmet and Ingo had decided to take a day sightseeing in Sunyshore. Cynthia promised that they would not likely be recognized often, especially if Ingo didn’t wear his coat and hat, and wore modern clothing. Ingo did not have modern clothing, but luckily, Emmet and him were the same size. Obviously.

So Ingo was uncomfortable in many ways, but he also wanted to enjoy this day out with his brother.

Cynthia had suggested the Sunyshore Market, so that’s where they were headed. Before that, Emmet stopped at the bank to withdraw some of Ingo’s money that had been sitting in his own bank account for years. Emmet hoped that Ingo could find some clothes he liked there, since he needed something more than just his tunics.

But when Ingo stopped suddenly, it wasn’t in front of clothes. It was a small ice cream stand, the proprietor shouting out available flavors.

“You want some ice cream, Ingo?” Emmet asked, “We can get some. You’re paying, though.”

“I…think I like ice cream,” Ingo nodded.

“Of course you do, it’s ice cream! Did you not have any in Hisui?”

“No.” Ingo started walking up to the stand, looking at all the different pictures. “Which one did I like?”

“Hmm? You like a lot, but your favorite was probably…” Emmet scanned the pictures, “This one, Pecha. It’s very sweet.”

“Pecha? Like Pecha berries?” Ingo laughed, “I ate a lot of those in Hisui. Occupational hazard of being the Warden of Sneasler.”

Emmet frowned, “Pecha berries are for poison.”

“Of course,” Ingo waved over the worker, “Sir, can I have a cone of pecha ice cream, please?”

“Oh, cup of oran for me, thanks,” Ingo translated Emmet’s order. Emmet turned back to Ingo, “Sneasels are not known for their poisonous…nature.”

“The Hisuian Sneasel line are poison and fighting types.” Ingo said, “It is a different variant than what we found in the space time distortions, which were dark and ice. I wrote the first ever Pokedex entry on Sneasels, actually, while Dawn was in the infirmary.”

“Oh? Took up the torch while she was out of commission?”

“Yes,” Ingo said, “I didn’t do nearly as much as she did, but I wanted to help. I felt like I owed it to her.”

“For what?”

Ingo hummed, “I’m telling you this in confidence. Dawn does not want her mother in particular to know these things.”

“Of course. I am the keeper of all your secrets.” Emmet laughed, “That’s what we do.”

Ingo chuckled, “That makes sense. I have become…unintentionally a very effective keeper of your secrets. So…where do I even begin? Part of Dawn’s job was to quell frenzied Pokemon. In other words, huge, extremely powerful Noble Pokemon that were actively trying to kill her.”

“Did Pokemon actually kill people there?”

Ingo looked at him, “Yes. There was a Rapidash in the Fieldlands that claimed a few lives before Dawn captured it and showed it how to coexist with humans. It was a very dangerous place.” He continued, ignoring how wide Emmet’s eyes were getting. “Anyway, Dawn did die multiple times, right in front of me. But Arceus kept reviving her, making her keep going. I couldn’t stand it, so I bought these shrine charms that would help her stay conscious and moving. But I didn’t explain they would do that. And so that day she nearly bled out – she was so hurt, and she was begging me to kill her so she could stop the pain. I didn’t, and she was so angry when she found out the reason why she couldn’t die.”

“Oh, thank you,” Emmet walked over to the counter to grab both of their ice creams, and handed Ingo’s to him. “Let’s sit down at a table, shall we?”

As they found an empty table in a deserted corner, Emmet said, “Ingo, that’s horrible.”

Ingo was silent, staring down at his ice cream. “I knew then it was messed up, but sitting here, talking about it…makes me realize just how awful that had to have been.”

Emmet took a deep breath, “I know she was angry, but it sounded like she was in a lot of pain. I don’t think you did anything wrong.”

“We talked about it. She apologized,” Ingo shrugged. “I should have told her what they would do.”

“I…am sorry I didn’t realize how bad it was there. I can see now why Dawn called it hell there.”

“How would you have known? And it’s not like you were downplaying anything.” Ingo took a bite. “Oh! This is really good! Much better than just plain pecha! Does it still work for poison?”

“No idea,” Emmet shook his head, “Probably not. It might not even actually be real pecha.”

“Too bad. Being poisoned by Sneasels wouldn’t have been so bad if this was the medicine.” Ingo stopped, “...not that I’ll be poisoned by Sneasels anymore. They’ve died out.”

Emmet reached over to pat his good shoulder. “I’m sorry. I know they meant a lot to you. You can talk to me about anything, you know? If you had to live it, I can handle hearing about it.”

Ingo smiled, “I know, thank you. Dawn mentioned that she talks to a therapist. Maybe I should, too.”

“You definitely should. Once we get back to Unova, we can find you one.” Emmet was playing with his spoon. “When…do you think you want to head back?”

“I don’t know,” Ingo said. “I haven’t given it much thought. What does it look like for us there? You are still employed at Gear Station, yes? You said you might not be a Subway Boss anymore?”

“For some reason, they backed off on the firing threats. So yes, I am still a Subway Boss. I’m almost certain we could also get you rehired.”

Ingo thought, “I…am not completely sure what a Subway Boss does. Can I watch you, first?”

“Of course, Ingo.” Emmet said, trying to push down the disappointment that he may not come back to the lines. “Of course, if you come back as a Subway Boss, that comes along with the craziness of fame. What do you think about that?”

“I think at this point, it's going to happen either way. So I'll watch you, and see what happens.”

“Before they’d let you truly restart, you’d have to be retrained – hah, pun – and you wouldn’t be able to drive until you redid your certifications, anyway.”

“That’s actually reassuring,” Ingo crunched on his cone. “I’m not sure I’d want to be thrown onto the job. That’s what happened when I became a Warden, since a large portion of the clan was killed because of Avalanches – you know what, sorry, nevermind. I promise all my conversations won’t be about death.”

Emmet frowned, “I’m sorry you had to go through that. Let’s get home and get settled soon, okay?”

“Sure,” Ingo agreed. He chewed his lip.

“You’re going to miss Dawn.” Emmet stated.

“Yes. Yes, I will. You can’t get adopted and go through multiple life threatening situations with someone and not develop a fondness.” Ingo looked east, “And…I will miss my mountain.”

Emmet followed his gaze, “We should climb it again.”

“Hmm?”

“Before we leave. As a group. You can show us around. Maybe?”

Ingo hummed, “Yes, I think we should. Before we leave.”

“And of course, Dawn is welcome to visit any time.” Emmet finished scraping the last bits of ice cream from his cup.

“Yes, I think she’ll want to.” Ingo nodded, “But she’s already back at work. She may not be able to make it until after their League season is over.”

“Well, that will be something to look forward to.” Emmet said quietly, “Are you ready to go?”

“To go clothes shopping? Ugh, if I must,” Ingo rolled his eyes. “But it is a necessary evil to get out of these hideous clothes.”

“Hey! Rude!” Emmet laughed, “Those are my clothes!”

Chapter Text

“Ingo, look!” Dawn suddenly stopped short, a rolled up poster in her hands, “What happened to you?”

“What?” Ingo laughed, “I just shaved off my beard. Do you dislike it?”

Dawn peered at him suspiciously, “It’s weird. You are Ingo, right?”

“I am Emmet, he is Ingo,” Emmet said. “We went shopping for clothes.”

“I got a new coat!” Ingo said with a flourish. “It’s not as good as my old one.”

Dawn appraised him, “A long black coat, pink sweater, and black pants. I can’t see how you look much different,” she laughed, “except for the baby face.”

Ingo huffed good-naturedly, “I know what I like. Anyway, what do you have there?”

“Oh!” Dawn unrolled it, “I got stuff from my photoshoot! Signed personally by yours truly!”

It was from her most recent photoshoot, a solo shot with her Typhlosion. She was wearing that beautiful kimono-inspired dress (she asked the designer and they let her keep it!), waving a folding fan in one hand, and holding Typhlosion’s Pokeball in the other. Typhlosion was standing up next to her, having his usual passive look on his face.

“It looks great!” Ingo declared, “what’s this here?”

Dawn laughed, “Typhlosion signed it too. It’s his handprint.”

“That is unquestionably adorable,” Emmet stated, “too bad your ace doesn't have hands, so we can’t do that, too.”

“Speaking of hands, where did your cast go?” Ingo said, seeing that she was still wearing it now, even though she was holding a Pokeball in the picture.

“The editors took it out. I wasn't actually holding anything during the shoot.”

“Wow, they did a good job,” Emmet leaned in to see the editing up close.

“We will hang it up in a place of honor.” Ingo nodded, and then stopped, “Where would that be, Emmet?”

“Next to Elesa’s poster on the fridge,” Emmet chuckled.

Dawn bit her lip, “I suppose you’ll be heading back soon, won’t you?”

Emmet nodded sadly, “I have to go back to work, too. You are free to visit whenever, of course.”

Dawn shook her head, “I won't be able to during the League season, but the moment promotions are done I will try. Do you have an idea of when you might be leaving?”

“I have a doctor’s appointment next week, so probably a couple days after that, if they clear me to fly.” Ingo said. “I’m sorry I’ll be leaving you.”

“It’s all right. I have my family and friends here, and you do, too, in Unova. I’m used to living with a foot in two regions.” Dawn walked over to give him a side hug, “I’ll miss you, though.”

“So will I, but we’re not leaving yet!” Ingo said, “Emmet and I also thought of an idea, if you are able to take a couple days off.”

“I’m sure Cynthia will allow it,” Dawn said, “What is the idea?”

“Climbing Mount Coronet one last time.”

“It might be very different than what you’re expecting,” Dawn warned, “There’s a lot of trails that have been made. It’s much safer, especially with all the rangers around.”

“What are rangers?” Ingo asked.

“Kinda like what you did in Hisui. They patrol around, making sure there are no hazards. They help make sure the wild Pokemon are safe and healthy.”

“So, like modern day Wardens?”

“Kinda,” Dawn agreed. “But they don’t have a ward to take care of, unless you could every single Pokemon and trainer on the mountain.”

“Neat. Maybe we’ll meet one while we climb.”

“We will not be climbing. We will be walking the trails. I don’t think you ever learned how to climb one handed, and I never learned how to in the first place.”

“Wait, you can climb mountains now?” Emmet cut in.

“Like an Aipom!” Dawn laughed. “I was floored the first time I saw it. I thought you guys were sticks, to be honest.”

“I am Emmet, I am a stick. Ingo, what the heck?”

“It was the fastest mode of transportation!” He defended himself, but then added, “But by the time I recover, I will probably be back to pre-hisui stickness, then.”

—-

“I’m sorry, I need to get back to my classes,” Lucas explained.

“I…” Dawn started, “That makes sense. I hope you didn’t fall too far behind.”

“No more than you have!” Cynthia cut in. “You are also behind on your credits!”

“This isn’t about me!” Dawn called back. “I’ll catch up on them…at some point. Let’s talk about Lucas.”

“I’ve been in communication with my professors. They’ve been pretty cool about it. I’m taking an incomplete for this semester, and I’ll finish everything during the break between semesters.” Lucas reassured her, “And to be honest, I’d do it again even if I had to retake the whole semester.

Dawn tried to fight back her emotions, “You are too kind, Lucas.”

“It was the least I could do, Dawn. You would have done the same.”

“I don’t think I’ve ever thanked you. You and Barry really brought everyone together.” Dawn had previously asked how the team had been formed in the first place.

Emmet also spoke up, “I’m…sorry I doubted you at the beginning. I thought you were messing with me, as a joke. I should’ve believed you at the start.”

Lucas shook his head, “Honestly, I expected more push back. It was fantastic to be able to meet all of you. I’m glad it all worked out. I just wish we could have done more.”

Dawn snorted, “I can not express how much more bearable Hisui became after we could talk with you all.”

“That’s true,” Ingo nodded, “I was so happy to be given the chance to talk to you guys. You guys did more than you could imagine.”

Lucas smiled sadly, “Thank you. It was an honor to work with all of you. I think I’m going to continue to specialize in Hisuian history. Thank you again for the Pokemon and the pictures. I’ll work with my professors to shine a bigger light on that time period.”

Dawn wished him luck and told him she was always welcome to help with his schoolwork if he needed a first person account, and he bid them all farewell.

—-

Barry was helping her hang up the pride flag Elesa had gotten her in her dorm.

“You know, you are welcome to keep your dorm room here,” Dawn told him. “You can always crash at the League. I should have offered the same thing to Lucas, but he’d probably want to stay at his own dorm at his school.”

“Don’t worry, you won’t get rid of me that easily!” Barry said, jumping off the stepstool. “I’ve been talking to my dad, and I might start working at the Battle Tower soon.”

“Oh?” Dawn said, “What would you be doing?”

“The goal would be to eventually work doubles with my Dad.”

“That’s great!” Dawn exclaimed, “That’s what you’ve been wanting to do, right?”

Barry nodded, “It is. But I am nervous.”

“About what?” Dawn sat on her bed, and gestured for Barry to join her.

“What if I’m not good enough to be his doubles partner?”

Dawn sighed. Barry had always been worried that he was never a talented enough trainer. She knew part of it was her fault, having not only grown up in the shadow of his father, but his sister as well. “Your father does not say or do things he does not mean. If he lets you do it, then he must think you are capable of it.”

“I guess,” Barry shrugged. “I will have to go through the training first.”

“If you’re going to specialize in doubles, you can always ask Emmet for advice. I would do it soon, since I think they will be heading back next week.”

Barry frowned, “Do you think he would help?”

“Are you kidding? He’ll use any excuse to battle, especially now that he can multi battle with Ingo again.”

“True…I should ask him. You gotta come with me, though.”

“Why?” Dawn cocked her head, “I mean, I will, but why do you need me to be there?”

“Well, I’ll need my multi partner, too!”

“Oh, duh. Of course. You can count on me!”

Chapter Text

Dawn was guiltily staring at the package she had received from Adaman. She hadn’t opened it yet. At first, everything was happening so quickly that she didn’t have the time. But now that things had settled down, it was still laid abandoned on her desk. Opening it felt so final. It was the last thing she would ever receive from the people she had left behind in Hisui.

But that was stupid, wasn't it? It wasn’t as if Adaman and Irida were more or less dead whether she had opened the package or not. Taking a deep breath, she grabbed the thick paper and tore into it.

At first, Dawn thought that a Warden’s bracelet fell out. She panicked for a moment, thinking that she opened a package that was actually meant to go to Ingo. But then another fell out, and she spotted a piece of paper that was tied to it.

The wooden bracelet was similar in design to Ingo’s, but it didn't have the Sneasler motif, nor even the Pearl clan symbol. Instead, there was the kanji for gold encased inside an oval. Dawn stared at it, before realizing that it was part of the Diamond Clan symbol inside the outside part of the Pearl Clan’s. Inside, carved in small characters were the words, “May Diamonds and Pearls forever shine together as Platinum.”

Dawn set the bracelet down on her desk. There were two. One for her and Ingo. He should also be here. She quickly shoved everything back into the paper bag and left her room. She figured she knew where he would be at.

And she was right. Him and Emmet were at the same arena they all went to when they first arrived at the League. They both had all of their Pokemon released from their balls, and were putting them all through their paces.

“Ingo!” she called, and then added, “Sorry!” when she saw him jump. He must have been too focused to realize her approach.

“What is it, Dawn?” He turned to her, and Emmet also waved and made his way towards her.

“Do you remember the package Lord Adaman gave me before we left?”

“I had forgotten, but I remember it now.” He answered.

“Who’s Lord Adaman?” Emmet asked.

“The Clan Leader of the Diamond Clan. Supposedly our rivals.” Ingo filled him in.

“Right. Well, I think this was meant to be for the both of us, so before I got too far into opening it…” Dawn shoved the precariously put-together package towards him.

Ingo looked at it, confused, before digging in and grabbing one of the bracelets. He looked at it, and Dawn could see his shifting emotions as he clocked the new symbol, and the inscription inside.

“There’s two of them in here,” Dawn explained, “And a letter it looks like, as well.”

Ingo nodded before putting the bracelet on over his warden bracelet and his xTrans. He untied the ribbon on the paper, and handed it to Dawn to read aloud, still not confident reading Kantonian:

Dearest Warden Ingo and Akari, Savior of Hisui,

You will find enclosed, no doubt, a surprise. With recent events and religious upheavals, the lines between the two clans have been quickly blurring. We have deliberated a long time with ourselves, each other, and the clans to formalize a union between Diamond and Pearl. This is signified with a combination of our symbols – we will never forget our history as two separate peoples, but we will not allow it to cloud our futures together as Platinum Clan.

These two bracelets are to be taken as your official inauguration into Platinum Clan. Both of your names will be written in the Annals and your stories will be told to our descendants. We know that you will continue our legacy in your own time and space. Live for all of us in the future!

Irida and Adaman
Leaders of the Platinum Clan

P.S. We’re getting married!!!

P.P.S This was supposed to be a formal letter, but Adaman ruined it. Yes, we are.

Ingo raised his eyebrow, “I believe that’s what people call a power couple.”

Dawn laughed, “I wonder how many ‘totally new’ couples are going to pop up after all of this. I doubt Paulina and Iscan were the only ones.”

“Guess we could always find those Annals.”

Dawn’s smile fell, “I have never heard of the Platinum Clan before.”

“Why does that…” Emmet started, “Oh. What happened to them? I didn’t read anything about them either.”

Dawn frowned, “I don’t know…I don’t know if I want to find out.”

—-

“I’ve never done this before, I’m nervous.” Dawn was fidgeting with her hands.

“I’ve seen you punch God in the face and you’re afraid to ask her a simple question?”

“She punched God in the face?” Emmet whipped his head around.

Dawn gave him a sheepish look and raised her cast, “Yeah, yeah. They deserved it, though.”

“We’ve gotten derailed, but do not think I’m forgetting this.” Emmet pointed at both his eyes and then at her, “Have you seriously never asked for a day off before?”

“No.”

“You’re worse than us!” Emmet exclaimed. “Actually that’s a lie. I took all my available leave. Anyway, you just go in, and request the day off.”

“Okay, but how?” Dawn was very stressed.

“Walk up to her, say ‘I’d like to take this Monday off’, and then fist fight her if she says no.” Emmet nodded.

“Fine, fine,” Dawn waved her hands, and walked into her office.

Cynthia looked up from behind her papers, “Hello, child.”

“Hi.” She stayed still.

Cynthia set her papers down, and gave her full attention to Dawn, “Is something wrong?”

“No.”

“Okay…” Cynthia said, “Is there something I can help you with?”

“Feel free to say no, because I mean I just got back to work, and I know you must have been taking the brunt of work while I was gone, and paperwork must have been piling up when you were in Canalave, and if it’s going to put a big burden on you I’d prefer you’d just tell me no…”

Cynthia’s eyebrows had raised nearly to her hairline, “...are you asking for a day off?”

“If that’s okay, then I wouldn’t mind if I could take this Monday off…”

“Okay.” Cynthia said, “Done.”

“Really?”

“Yes. What did you think I would say?” Cynthia went back to her paperwork, “I always want you to take more time off.”

“Right.”

“Have fun mountain climbing.”

“You already knew and let me torture myself anyway?” Dawn yelled.

“Being able to ask for a day off is a good skill to have.” Cynthia shrugged. “Have fun, child. You deserve it.”

Chapter Text

It was a funny thing, Dawn thought, when someone rested their head on her shoulder. Ever since Barry – not at all used to waking at the crack of dawn – flopped his head over, snoring softly, she hadn't moved an inch. She even regulated her breathing in order to not disturb him. But what was the point? If Barry could sleep over the sound of Ingo’s booming voice talking to Emmet about something or other, her breathing certainly wasn't going to wake him.

The four of them had woken up early in order to make it to Mount Coronet before midmorning. It would have been faster to fly, but Ingo and Dawn were still injured, and none of them minded taking the League Abras to Eterna, even if it meant a car ride to the trailhead.

It wasn't even a long car ride, which made Barry’s immediate slumber a bit concerning. It wasn't a good start to a three-day mountain trek.

“I've noticed the snow line looks much lower in this time.” Ingo nearly had his face pressed up against the window. “It used to just be the very top that was covered, but I’m seeing much more now.”

“Perhaps that's why Sneasels shifted to being Ice types,” Emmet suggested. “The climate must have gotten colder.”

“Maybe,” Ingo said quietly.

Dawn listened to the conversation with concern. When Ingo conducted her through the Highlands, she had recognized nothing. She hadn't thought much of it, assuming the mountain had changed within 200 years. For her, it was an inconvenience. For Ingo, it could be devastating.

She knew vaguely that Ingo was doing this as a sort of closure. All he had ever known was protecting this mountain, his ward by his side. But Dawn wasn't sure what he would really find. His ward was long gone – not only her, but her entire species as well. Rangers had even built trails that travelers weren't supposed to stray from. This trip might end with them all fined by a frustrated ranger wondering where they were even trying to go.

Dawn looked out the window to see that they were pulling into the trailhead parking lot. “Oh, this is it,” Dawn announced. “Barry, you big Komala, get off me.”

“Noooo,” Barry protested.

“Come on, we want to get an early start,” she urged, shrugging him off.

“It's all right, I can handle this,” Ingo cleared his throat. “All aboard!” He boomed, causing everyone to jump.

“Gah!” Barry said, startling. “I didn't need an alarm clock.”

“Well, it worked.” Ingo defended himself with a grin.

Emmet hummed, “That could be a merch idea. Alarm clocks.”

“I don't think that would work,” Dawn laughed, “For the same reason you're not supposed to use your favorite song as your alarm. You start to hate it.”

“Ahh,” Emmet said, tapping his hat. “Verrrry smart. Your niece is very smart, Ingo.”

“I am very smart, thank you very much,” Dawn flicked her hair. ”Now that sleepy is up, let's hit the trail.”

—-

Dawn raced ahead, “This should look familiar to you, Uncle Ingo!” She presented the mouth of a cave with both hands.

Ingo squinted, and then gave a contented sigh, “Wayward cave.” He looked over to Emmet, “I safely conducted passengers through this cave for years.”

“That’s actually how we met!” Dawn beamed. “I needed the help of Lady Sneasler, his ward, in order to quell Lord Electrode.”

“Technically, we first met when I woke you up outside of your dorm.” Ingo corrected.

“Why were you sleeping outside?” Barry asked Dawn.

“No, Ingo was outside.” Dawn laughed. “You literally addressed me as ‘good ma'am from the sky’!”

“Well I didn't realize the person that had been quelling the nobles was a child,” Ingo huffed.

“I’m adding ‘from the sky’ to your title list.” Barry cut in.

Dawn rolled her eyes at Barry. “How about Ingo just conducts us all through this cave?”

Ingo nodded, “Then follow me! Take care to not become uncoupled. All aboard!”

–

Ingo's first thought was that the cave was very bright. Dawn must have thought so too, as she said, “You don't need your precious partner now, do you?”

“What?” Emmet said.

“When I conducted Dawn through this cave for the first time, I started to recall more in our journey than I had in the previous months.” Ingo explained. “The other warden in the Highlands, Melli, had a habit of removing the torches I had set up for safety. The sudden darkness made me think of Chandelure. Not that I knew that, at the time.”

“And then there was the largest Crobat in the world that blocked our path.”

“Yes, alpha Pokemon were a sight to behold, especially when one snuck up on you.” Ingo shuddered. “Anyway, that's when Dawn wiped my whole team in a battle and then showed me that photo card.”

Dawn groaned, “I tried to act so cool, but I just adopted you and made you cry instead.”

They all laughed at that, and Ingo kept guiding them through, before he stopped abruptly. “Oh. There must have been a rockfall.” He said, “No matter, we can reroute.”

In fact, the layout of the cave had become quite different. Used to navigating through caves, he didn't panic, simply following the (more permanent than torches) lights to the end of the tunnel. That didn't change the fact that he had no idea where he was going. This was not the route he had forged through the mountain.

When they exited, he was similarly confused. Where there should have been the entrance to the quarry, there was a gently sloping path. He frowned. Had the exit of the cave been moved to somewhere else?

“The quarry is a bit east,” Dawn explained. “But it's dangerous, and blocked off.”

“Dangerous?” Ingo echoed. “How so?”

“That old quarry?” Barry clarified. “It's been off limits for years. I don't really know why. Was it in use back then?”

“No,” Ingo shook his head. “It was ancient even in our time. But I did use it as a path to the top of the mountain.”

Dawn grimaced. The Temple and the area around it hadn't changed much, but they were still a long ways from there, and she didn't know how Ingo would react before they got to that spot. She risked a glance at his face, but his expression was unreadable.

Hearing footsteps behind her, she turned to see another hiker.

“Hello!” the hiker greeted them. She seemed a bit overdressed for the weather, with an oversized hat that nearly obscured her eyes. She waved a gloved hand at them as they stepped aside so that she could pass.

Before she had completely passed by, she lifted the brim of her hat with her glove. Her eyes grew wide, and Dawn registered the camera around her neck just as she opened her mouth to say, “Wait! You're –!”

But Dawn had already hustled everyone along. She was already going to have to deal with one crisis. No need to add paparazzi into the mix. She looked backwards, against her better judgement. The woman was still standing there, looking perplexed.

She hadn't even touched her camera. She wasn't a very good paparazzo, Dawn thought.

—

“I never thought about offering campsites,” Ingo said, dropping his bag at the pre-made campsite they had reserved. “I should have created safe places for travelers to camp if they got caught out.”

Dawn shrugged, “I doubt it would have been safe, anyway. With all the alphas roaming around.”

“Still,” Ingo said. “I prided myself on conducting passengers safely through the Highlands. I should have thought of something similar.”

“You came back alive,” Emmet said forcefully. “That was enough.”

Ingo looked away. “Right.”

Dawn moved towards the woodpile, planning on starting the fire, when she heard footsteps again. Hoping it was just a ranger checking on the campsite, she stood up. “Hello?” she called.

“Don’t run away!” came the familiar voice. “I just want to talk to you guys!”

Ah. Not a paparazzi. Just a very eager fan.

“I’m sorry, but we are vacationing. We will not be answering questions.” Ingo came over to back Dawn up.

The woman's eyes lit up. “It’s you too! I'm glad y'all stuck together!”

“Yes, we are a packaged deal.” Ingo's mouth was in a thin line.

“Warden Ingo and Akari, Savior of Hisui! It's great to finally meet you!” The woman either did not notice how uncomfortable they were or did not care.

Dawn started. “I…go by Dawn.”

“I know! That made it much harder to track you down! I've been searching for both of you for years! Who would have thought I would have met you here!” the woman beamed, having to move her hat out of her eyes, knocking it down in excitement.

Ingo glanced at Dawn, and saw that she was looking very uncomfortable, playing with her fingers.

“It was nice to meet you, Miss. But, we must set up camp for the night, you understand. If you’ll excuse us.” Ingo put his hand on Dawn’s shoulder and steered her towards the center of the campsite.

The woman frowned at the obvious dismissal. “Oh. I see. Well, I’m on a pilgrimage to the Temple, so…I’ll see you around.”

Ingo gave her a nod in response. They walked back to the fire pit, and he laughed when he saw Emmet fighting with the tent. “Do you need help?”

“I am Emmet, and I can pitch a tent,” he grumbled, immediately undermined by one of the poles slipping out of a grommet, and Ingo had to grab it before it smacked him in the face. They shared a look, and Emmet defended himself, saying, “It's been decades since I’ve went on a journey! Decades!”

“We could also just make bivy sacks instead,” Ingo suggested.

“No! We are at least going to have a tent!”

Dawn snickered from the open door of her and Barry’s tent.

“Do not laugh! One day this will be you too!” Emmet pointed at her.

Dawn snorted,“ That's not a guarantee for me.”

Then, she sighed. Surely lightning would not strike the same place thrice. Right?

—-

Ingo was staring at the fire, trying to stay still. Dawn had fallen asleep laying on his left side. He put an arm around her to prevent her from falling off the log. Emmet had tried to lay his head on Ingo’s broken shoulder, which did not go well.

“Sorry! Forgot!” Emmet grimaced when Ingo hissed in pain.

Barry had looked up at the commotion, on the opposite side with his Infernape. Barry was confused why Dawn had tried to start a fire with two sticks, and told her to use a Pokemon.

“Oh, right,” She had said. “I forgot people do that now.”

“Didn't they before?” Barry asked.

“No,” Dawn had said, and then immediately went to sleep.

—-

“I…don't know where we are,” Ingo declared softly. “I don't think this is my mountain,” he turned to Emmet.

Emmet looked at him. He looked lost, and not only physically. “That's all right,” Emmet said.

“Is this what it’s like to remember?” Ingo said. “To remember something that no longer exists?”

Emmet walked over to him, “It’s…not a curse or a blessing. It just is.”

“I am your mountain.” Ingo said quietly.

—-

The rest of the trip to the Temple was silent. Ingo didn't even try to look around, to recognize anything around him. He just stuck to the trail, putting one foot in front of the other.

When they arrived at the temple, they spotted the woman from before crouched down near the edge. Dawn realized she was standing nearly where Volo had been that one morning. The woman, however, looked to be in prayer, so they hung back.

Arceus, seemingly realizing they were at their temple (and getting prayers to boot!) released themselves from their Pokeball.

The sound made the woman look up from her crouch. She had removed her hat for her prayer, and there was a shock of blue hair instead. Dawn frantically tapped Ingo.

“Look!” she whispered. “Doesn't she look familiar?”

“We’ve been seeing her?” Ingo answered.

“Hi again, guys,” the woman stood, replacing her oversized hat. “I’m done, go ahead. Greetings, Almighty Sinnoh,” She bowed to Arceus.

Dawn raised an eyebrow. “That’s…”

“I like this one,” Arceus declared. “No one prays to me anymore.”

“Ah, well.” the woman said. “My family tries to make it out here as often as we can. But it's pretty far.”

“Why not move closer?” Arceus asked.

“Uhh,” the woman started. “It's not that easy.”

“Why not?”

“Sorry!” Dawn cut in. “They're still learning about humans!”

“It’s all right, Akari-Dawn. It has been an honor to meet you. All of you. My name is Perrin, by the way.” Perrin started to walk down the steps, away from them. Then, the unmistakable sound of a Pokemon getting released came from her bag.

A Growlithe wriggled out, and ran between everyone’s legs.

“Growlithe!” Perrin exclaimed. “Get back in your ball!”

“That's an odd looking Growlithe,” Emmet squinted, while Dawn and Ingo stood in shock.

Shaking her head, Dawn immediately crouched in order to pet the Pokemon. “What are you doing here, buddy?” She asked him. “I’m glad to see you’re still around.”

Ingo crouched beside her, “How…how did you get this Pokemon?” He asked.

“Hmm? Oh, it's a Heritage breed. My mother’s line are Wardens of them. Not like the Wardens you guys would know. More like breeders.”

Dawn’s head snapped up, “You…your mother's line. When did that start?”

“Well, my great great – I don't remember how many greats – aunt was the last true Warden of these kind of Arcanines. Warden Palina, was her name.” Perrin said, “Then, breeding these little guys has been passed through the generations.”

Dawn was doing some very quick mental calculations, “Wait. Wait. Who are your great great grandparents then?”

Perrin smiled widely, “Why, Lord Adaman and Lady Irida. Who else?”

Dawn grabbed Ingo’s arm in surprise. “It's Platinum Clan! You're Platinum Clan! We're Platinum Clan too!”

Perrin laughed, “I know. I've read all the annals.”

Chapter Text

“Wow, I’ve never seen wooden ones in such good condition,” Perrin peered around their outstretched arms. “Mine is made of plastic, see?” she lifted her wrist, showing her Platinum Clan bracelet.

“It still looks like wood,” Dawn replied, returning her errant God into their Pokeball.

Perrin nodded, “Yes, they look the same. But mine doesn’t have a type weakness to water.”

“If I may ask,” Emmet cut in. “What’s with the camera?”

Perrin answered easily, “I’m a photographer.”

Emmet narrowed his eyes, “What kind of photographer?”

She frowned, “Take it easy, bud. I don’t photograph people without asking first.” she turned to Ingo and Dawn, “Actually, you might find this interesting. I heard rumors of a Bloodmoon Beast south of here, which turned out to be a variant of an Ursaluna. Just got back from there.”

“Turned out to be?” Dawn echoed. “So, you saw it?”

“Saw it, and took pictures of it!” Perrin placed a hand on her hip.

“Can we see the pictures?” Dawn asked, eyes shining.

“...No.” Perrin responded. “They didn’t come out very well. They didn’t come out at all, actually. Listen, it was a very big, very scary beast.”

Dawn looked both amused and disappointed, “How did you even find it? Where is it now?”

“I got help from this kiddo from Paldea. She ended up catching it and added it to her team.”

“You let a kid do that?” Ingo asked, horrified.

Perrin shrugged, “She was more than capable. Surely, you are used to capable children? Anyway, she was also a Champion.”

“A champion from Paldea?” Dawn tried to remember her old Paldean lessons. “They have multiple champions, don’t they? If you beat the champion you become a champion, but not the champion?”

“I certainly don’t know. Name was Juliana, if you know her?”

“I know Geeta is the champion of Paldea, but no one else.” Dawn shook her head.

“Either way, we thought the Ursaluna line had died out due to climate changes that rendered the necessary peat extinct. Same with Kleavors. But it looks like, at least, some branch of Ursalunas have survived.”

“What do you know,” Ingo started. “About the Sneasler line?”

“Oh, they still exist as a heritage breed,” Perrin explained. “But there’s no dedicated breeding program for them, like the Growlithes. They didn’t respond well to it. The Sneaslers are still as picky as ever.”

“They…still exist?” Ingo looked hopeful. “Where?”

“A small island, south of here. It’s where the rest of the Platinum Clan are, too. It’s a small population.” Perrin said.

“Why did you guys all move?” Dawn asked.

Perrin looked at her for a long time. “Time was not kind to us.”

Dawn looked confused, but Perrin didn’t offer anything else. “Okay.” she added lamely. “Can we…visit?”

“You are Platinum Clan, so of course you are welcome.” Perrin nodded.

“I can not go now,” Dawn sighed. “I have to wait until the end of the League season.”

“I…also can not right now,” Ingo looked at Emmet, who nodded.

“We have flights booked and appointments with Interpol scheduled.” Emmet agreed.

“But when the season is over, maybe we could all plan a trip there?” Dawn pleaded.

“Take your time, kiddo,” Perrin waved her hand. “I’m not even going back home for a while. I plan on touring around, taking pictures.”

“So, then it’s settled?” Dawn looked at Ingo. “You’ll come back from Unova? And we’ll go after the League season?”

Ingo looked down, giving her a small smile, “Of course.”

—-

Dawn was dreading the hike down the mountain. Not because it was difficult – in fact, with all the paths laid out, it was an easy walk. But each step back to the trailhead meant that her family – the one she had handpicked and made – were going to be scattering. Ingo had one last appointment to clear him for flying before him, Emmet, and Elesa were going back to their homes in Unova.

She tried to act happy as they bid Perrin farewell, letting her stay the night in their reserved campsite. They promised to stay in contact and followed each other’s social media. She tried to chat with Barry as she always did, but she found it hard to train her expression into a smile. For the past year and a half, despite everything, she had one constant in her life; her Uncle. Dawn knew she was very capable and independent, thank you very much, but she was still worried.

It wasn’t until Barry was looking at her expectantly that she realized she had completely zoned out of their conversation, “Sorry,” she said. “What did you ask?”

“I was wondering how close we were to the trailhead, since it was getting dark,” Barry said. “Are you all right, Dawn?”

“Yup!” Dawn answered. “I think we’re close. Shouldn’t be long.”

“Aren’t you tired?” Barry asked her. “I feel like my feet are going to fall off.”

Dawn laughed, “No? This was an easy trip, really.”

Barry grumbled, “Whatever. I’m sleeping in the car.”

Dawn laughed, “What else is new?”

—-

Dawn was again in her shared office, pouring over spreadsheets of Gym win rates. It was a complicated document, having historical win rates, overall win rates, plus win rates depending on how many badges the challengers had, and various other variables that made her eyes cross. The Elite Four were also listed, but no one had actually made it that far yet (which made Dawn have a 100% win rate, ha!). Most challengers had gotten around three to four badges, with a few obtaining more.

“See anything unusual?” Cynthia asked.

Dawn shook her head, “Everything seems around baseline. Volkner has only had two challengers so far, however. Gardenia has had nearly a hundred, for comparison.”

“Hmm,” Cynthia hummed. “I assume he won both?”

“Yes,” Dawn nodded. “Do you think we need to talk to him about adjusting the difficulty?”

“Hard to say,” Cynthia looked deep in thought. “On one hand, it is good for the nearest Gym Leader to the League to be difficult. Also, two people is not enough of a sample size. On the other, his reputation may be causing challengers to not even try.”

“Should we just give it a month, and then reassess?”

“Probably,” Cynthia agreed. “The season just started, and because he is so isolated on the coast, people probably haven’t even got to him yet. We’ll give it some time.”

“All right. To the “do later” pile with you!” Dawn threw the spreadsheet into a tray.

“You have an interview tomorrow, correct?” Cynthia said, tapping on a desk calendar. “Which one is it, again?”

“The one for StaryuTube,” Dawn answered. “The “ask 100 questions” one, you know?”

“Right, now I do. Have you studied their questions?” Cynthia asked.

“Read them all and got my answers approved by PR, assuming I don’t forget them.”

Cynthia smirked, “Try not to. I’m sure you don’t want to make their jobs harder. Now, when is your doctor’s appointment? I’m trying to schedule an interview for you with PokeTimes but I don’t want to schedule it at the same time.”

“Oh, I’m getting my cast off Tuesday, around noon.”

“Okay,” Cynthia wrote it down on the calendar. “It’s time for lunch, I think. Are you wanting Kalosian?”

“Nah,” Dawn answered.

“You’re turning down Kalosian?” Cynthia was shocked. “What are you thinking you want?”

Dawn sighed, “I have been craving potato mochi. Don’t ask.”

Chapter Text

Selfishly, Dawn wanted Ingo to be too sick to leave. She wanted his doctors to say his shattered shoulder, held together by pins, was too fragile for a thirteen hour long flight.

But that was not the case. Dawn tried not to cry at the airport. She was a teenager for Arceus’s sake, almost an adult. And if she could handle being thrown into the past by herself, certainly she could deal with her Uncle finally going back home to the place he had so missed.

Despite herself, after bidding Elesa, Emmet, and Ingo a very calm, very cool, and collected farewell, she burst into tears.

“Oh, my sweet,” her mom reached out to her. But she had already gone, grabbing Ingo’s sleeve with both her hands. She pulled him into a hug, and Ingo set down his bags to return it with his good arm. Dawn stifled her sobs, knowing that this was being recorded and posted to social media at this very moment.

“I’ll miss you,” she hiccuped, “Thank you for everything.”

Ingo’s own voice wavered, “I will miss you too, Dawn. I should be the one thanking you for everything.”

They stayed like that for some time, until Dawn had quieted and pulled away, “I don’t want you to miss your flight. It won’t be long, right? Until I see you again?”

“No, just until the end of the League season. You’ll be so busy, it’ll go by so fast,” he patted her head. “I do have to go. But call or text me anytime, time zones be damned, all right?”

Dawn giggled, “Language!”

She took a few more steps back, until her mother wrapped her arms around her shoulders. She watched as the three of them walked away, falling into step with each other. She would just have to stay very busy for the next three months.

—-

Emmet side eyed Ingo as they sat down by their gate, “You gonna let it out?”

Ingo looked back at him, frown deepening until his face crumbled entirely.

“There it is,” Emmet said, wrapping his arms around Ingo’s head, pulling him into his chest. It provided comfort, sure, but it also hid his face from the not-so-subtle phone cameras that had been trained on them for a while.

Ingo felt a small hand pat his back. “She’ll be all right,” Elesa soothed. “She’s got a great support system.”

“What if she gets taken away again?” Ingo mumbled, “What if I get taken away again?”

Emmet looked at Elesa sadly, “That’s something we’re all struggling with. We’ll have to get through it together,” he patted his back. “Come on, they’re calling for us to board.”

—-

Dawn threw herself into her school work. She planned to make most of it up during the off season, but she needed to stay busy. She was two years behind schedule, and planned to cram as much as she could into the next three months.

Cynthia, ever worried yet supportive, hired her teachers and tutors that didn’t mind teaching through the phone when she was between interviews, or late at night. She worked in the car in between her promotional rounds. She worked when she couldn't sleep at night, plagued by the same nightmares she has had for years.

If she worked, she would be fine. She would be too exhausted not to be.

Her therapist didn’t agree, but what did she know?

—-

Chapter Text

Ingo instantly recoiled when he saw the crowd at the airport. Emmet muttered something about needing security that Ingo didn’t quite catch. Eventually, they were helped along by the airport’s own security. The subway ride back to the apartment was a blur to Ingo. He knew he had to sit down at some point, getting knocked around as the tube stopped and started suddenly. He didn’t necessarily come to until he heard Elesa make a disgusted noise and said, “Ugh. It’s so stuffy here. Emmet, let’s open some windows.”

On autopilot, Ingo set down his luggage and began walking slowly to the left, down a hallway. He stopped briefly in front of a door, then opened it. He took a deep breath. Let it out. It was stuffy, but under that…

”I’m the oldest, so I get first pick!” Ingo sat in the middle of the floor, “This one is mine!”

“I am Emmet. I am younger than you by seven minutes. In the cosmic scale of things, that means nothing,” Emmet pouted, “I don’t see how that should affect room allocation.”

“You’ll understand when you’re older.”

“Hello, Ingo? Can you hear me?” Emmet materialized by his side.

Ingo jumped back, “Ah! Sorry! I just…”

“Is everything all right?”

“Yes!” Ingo shouted, “Sorry. I just…a memory has returned to its station.”

Emmet looked delighted, “You did? Which one?”

“When we had just moved in and were claiming rooms,” Ingo looked thoughtful, “We were so excited, weren’t we?”

Emmet smiled, “We were. We had just become Subway Bosses. Everything was falling into place for us.”

Ingo sighed, “I…we had a whole life, didn’t we, Emmet?”

Tilting his head, Emmet asked, “We did. And we do. But what’s on your mind?”

“It’s just…when we were in Sinnoh, and all three of us were displaced, then I was fine moving forward. But seeing all of this…made me realize how much I am missing. Of you, of me, of Elesa.” Ingo walked into his room, willing the contents to yield any more information. Yet, just like in Hisui, holding his brother’s photo, it gave him nothing but pain. He added, “This was supposed to be happy, I’m sorry. I’ve ruined it.”

“You haven’t ruined anything!” Emmet insisted, “I’m sorry, I didn’t even think about how this might affect you.”

“It isn’t your fault,” Ingo heaved another breath, “I just wish I could remember more.”

“Well,” Emmet began, “You did just have one memory come back! That is verrrrrry encouraging! As time goes by, more will probably arrive.”

“I guess I can only be patient,” Ingo frowned, “but I do not like it.”

“Boys! Help me strip the beds! The sheets are so dusty.” Elesa called to them. They heard a small sneeze afterwards.

Emmet groaned, “Welcome home, time to do chores.”

—-

Ingo was not back to work yet, because he was still legally dead until he finished a lot of paperwork. Emmet had dropped him off at the Interpol Headquarters in Nimbasa before heading into the Subway, promising to pick him back up during lunch. But if this bureaucracy didn’t get a move on, Ingo wouldn’t even be done by the end of Emmet’s shift.

“What day I went missing?” Ingo chewed anxiously on his pen. “I didn’t even know what day I was born until a month ago.”

The clerk seemed unfazed, “We can look up newspaper articles or police reports.”

“How long would that take?”

The clerk shrugged, “Until the departments find them.”

“Right. Wait, I texted Emmet right before I went missing. Will the timestamp work?” Ingo pulled out his xTrans and began scrolling up Emmet’s thread.

“Honey, just your word itself would work. Have you found it?”

“Yes, yes.” Ingo showed her.

“Okay, so what day did you return?”

Ingo rubbed at his face, “I don’t know,” he almost whined. “I think there were articles in Sinnoh about meteorites hitting Mount Coronet, which was us. But, ugh, time zones. I don’t know if it would be considered the day before or after.”

“We’re going to need an exact date,” the clerk popped her gum.

“Look! I’m alive! Please just give me my permanent ID,” Ingo begged.

The clerk looked at him over her glasses, lips pursed. “I’ll see what I can do,” she finally relented.

—

Emmet was surprised, yet pleased, to see Elesa standing in his office when he arrived at the station, “Elesa! Did you come to see me off on my first day back? I’ll be fine, I assure you.”

“In a sense,” Elesa was fidgeting with her hands, a sure sign that she was stressed.

Emmet grabbed her twitching hands, “What’s worrying you?”

She bit her lip, “You have to promise not to yell.”

Emmet furrowed her brow, “Elesa, what happened? Do you need help? Is someone following you again?”

“No, nothing like that,” Elesa shook her head, “It’s just, for the next three years, we’re going to be coworkers.”

Emmet tried to parse her meaning, “What? How are we coworkers?”

“I signed a contract with Gear Station.”

“...to do what?” Emmet was still confused.

“To exclusively model for them.”

Emmet balked, “What about your old agency?”

“I broke my contract.”

“That’s verrrrrrry expensive Elesa. Why did you do that?”

“You did too,” Elesa huffed.

“That was a bit different,” Emmet shot back, “Why are you now contracted through Gear Station?”

“I did it as part of a deal.”

Emmet went stony-faced, “Elesa,” he gritted his teeth, “Don’t make me keep asking. What did you do?”

“In exchange for your time off, and the guarantee that you and Ingo would have jobs waiting for you when we got back, I would exclusively model and promote with Gear Station for three years,” Elesa looked like she was trying to act defiantly, but failing.

“When did you do this?” Emmet asked.

“Right before we went to Sinnoh.”

“Elesa, there is no way Gear Station is paying you what you’re worth! And we didn’t even know if Ingo was coming back at the time,” Emmet looked devastated, “Why? We always agreed to keep our work separate from our personal lives.”

“Emmet, you have to have known how close they were to firing you.” Elesa spoke slowly, as if urging Emmet to stay calm.

“Of course I do!” Emmet shouted, “How could I have not? And if they did, they did! There was no reason for you to throw your career away!”

“I can make my own decisions for my career. I won’t ask for thanks. But I did what I thought needed to be done,” Elesa started walking to the door, “I’ll see you around, Emmet.”

“You won’t get any thanks!” Emmet cried after her, “I didn’t ask you to do this!”

—-

Emmet found Ingo laying on a couch in the lobby of the Interpol Headquarters.

“Did you get everything sorted?” Emmet asked, poking him in the side.

Ingo groaned, “Yes, finally. I’ve begged to a God before, but I’ve never felt so helpless than when faced with bureaucratic red tape.”

Emmet hummed, “Which God?”

“Arceus.”

“Hmm. Do I want to know why?”

“He’s a jerk. Was gonna kill Dawn.” Ingo rubbed his face. “What’s next on the agenda?”

“Have you set up your therapist appointment yet?”

Ingo sat up, “Ugh, no. I forgot.”

“You can do it at the station. Are you ready for your job shadowing?” Emmet asked, genuinely worried that he may not be up to it.

But Ingo hopped up from the couch quickly, “Full steam ahead, Emmet! I’m excited to learn what exactly it is we do.”

“All right, don’t forget your paperwork,” Emmet nodded at the manila folder, still on the couch, “it would be a pain to replace.”

“Tell me about it,” Ingo grumbled.

—-

Unfortunately, the day was very boring. Emmet, having been gone for a time, was catching up on paperwork. Ingo mostly just paced around his office, pointing at things and asking questions. He was particularly happy when he saw that Elesa was visiting, and ecstatic when he found out that they would be working together. Emmet looked troubled, but he figured his brother hated paperwork. If the paperwork at Interpol was anything to go by, he could understand.

Occasionally, Depot Agents in their green uniforms would stop by Emmet’s office to ask a question, only to stop and stare at Ingo, before leaving without getting an answer. The third time this happened, Emmet just placed a “do not disturb” sign on his office door.

“I don’t see a desk for me,” Ingo observed.

“Yes, your office is down the hall,” Emmet stopped, “Well, it was. They made me remove all your personal effects from it once you were declared dead. The name on the door, strangely, has stayed. I assume you could go in if you wanted, but it would be much the same as this one.”

Ingo figured he might as well. He assured Emmet that he would not get lost walking down the hallway, and found the door that was inscribed with “Subway Boss Ingo”. He opened the door. It was very bare. A bookshelf in the corner with reference books, a chair, and an empty desk. He sat in the chair.

“Parts of what?”

“Oh please, the part where I had to sell my body and soul to be exploited for other people’s money!” Ingo stood up.

“We both did-” Emmet tried to cut in.

“Did we?!” Ingo asked, “did we?! Sign up for the same thing?”

“We are doing it together,” Emmet said, quietly.

“We sure as hell are not,” Ingo huffed, “why is it always me? Why am I the bad one? The one that messes up, the one that gets all the negative consequences out of this? You get to stroll around and just act stupid, it’s what the people love. Elesa does this all day, every day. Hell, my damn Chandelure is enjoying this much more than I ever could, or will!”

“Absolutely do not talk about her that way! She has done nothing wrong.”

“You don’t know what it’s like. I’ve been sexualized to the distortion and back, demonized just as much, been called a weirdo at a frequency I've not had for two decades, and for what?”

“You are not the only one who has had negative consequences!” Emmet bit back, “the interviews, the unscripted live! Do you know how worried I was, how much I laid awake at night thinking about them?”

“And every mistake you made made the entire audience love you even more!” Ingo slammed a fist on his desk.

“Because they infantilized me as much as they sexualized you!” Emmet yelled back, “I am a grown adult man, and these people think I’m so incompetent, so useless that I deserve a pat on the head for answering a damn question. And as for Elesa, she told us about how people stalk her, about how sometimes she doesn’t feel safe. And you dare think only you can have it hard?”

“You enjoy this!” Ingo hissed, “you have since the very beginning. Do not act put upon now! I am done. Do this by yourself.”

“Do what, exactly, by myself?” Emmet asked.

Ingo looked sharply back, “You aren’t taking my real job, don’t act so shocked. You can play at being a celebrity on your own. I’m out. I’m done.”

Ingo gasped. That’s what Emmet had mentioned before. The fight the night before he went missing. It was about…fame? Their celebrity? That’s why Emmet thought he had left on purpose. Tears sprang to his eyes. This was what he was able to remember?

He didn’t realize how long he had stayed, numb and sobbing, until Emmet opened the door, and found him again, in his chair, nearly four years later.

Chapter Text

“Did you hate me?” Ingo whispered, his eyes closed.

Emmet furrowed his brows, “Never. What do you mean?”

“You should have. I said such terrible things, threatened to leave, and then I did,” Ingo said.

Emmet froze, “You…remember what happened the night before, then?”

Ingo nodded wordlessly.

“You…didn’t mean to leave. I was never mad. Just sad. I was fully prepared to give you the space you needed, as long as I knew you were okay.” Emmet said.

“You are too good,” Ingo sighed, “why was I so angry? I only remember part of it.”

“There were photos that you didn’t want released that got leaked,” Emmet said, “But I don’t think that was all of it. Everything was happening very quickly and we didn’t talk to each other about it. We both just bared it until it became too much.”

“Do they still infantilize you?” Ingo asked.

“No, they don’t,” Emmet looked like he wanted to say something else.

“What else? Let’s not repeat our mistakes,” Ingo shook his head, “What else?”

Emmet took in a breath, “They don’t infantilize me anymore because they think I’m a sort of…manipulating mastermind.”

Ingo narrowed his eyes, “A manipulator? Why?”

“I’ve told you before that people were convinced I killed you. I…would publically beg you to still be alive, to reach out. People thought it was media play.” Emmet rubbed his face, “I couldn’t go to work. They made a little memorial for you, but there were a number of signs that said “FUCK EMMET” that needed to be removed every morning. I couldn’t deal with it.”

“That’s so terrible. I’m sorry you had to deal with that…that I put you through that.”

“You didn’t put me through it. The media did,” Emmet insisted, “I was never mad at you. I was grieving, and I still am, in a way. And…I made it back to work. You made it back, too. This is more than I had hoped for.”

“Why did you go back to work?” Ingo asked.

“I was very close to being fired. Gear Station was already actively looking for a replacement before I agreed to come back full time,” Emmet added quietly, “I was afraid that if I lost you and the Battle Subway, I wouldn’t know who I was. And that if I lost the Battle Subway, you would never come back.”

“I would try to come back even if you did murder me,” Ingo grabbed Emmet’s hands, “Let alone if you quit the Subway.”

Emmet laughed a little through his tears, “Also, I was out of money. I did use some of yours to feed the teams and pay bills.”

Ingo shrugged, “I lived four years without any money. You can have it all. You deserve it, I think.”

“I’m not taking your money,” Emmet swatted at his hands, “and anyway. I don’t mind if you don’t come back to the Subway. I mean, I would love to battle side by side with you again. But only if you want to. You’ve seen a little about what fame can do, like when they accused you of having whatever with Dawn.”

Ingo looked sad at that, “Yes. That was terrible. For her, especially. But I think…I want to come back to the Subway. With you, if you also want to stay. I just think we need to lay some ground rules going forward.”

“I think that’s a good idea,” Emmet agreed, “what were you thinking?”

“One,” Ingo raised a finger, “I’m not doing any sexy concepts. Ever.”

Emmet snorted, “Okay. Sounds good. How about we also only promote in our uniforms? So we aren’t recognized when we’re out so much?”

Ingo nodded, and raised three fingers, “Three. We check in with each other at least every week. If something is bothering us, we will talk to each other.”

Emmet nodded sagely, “Honestly, I should also go to therapy. We both need it, to be frank.”

“Good. Hmmm,” Ingo thought, before holding up his whole hand, “Five. We push back as a united front when Gear Station does something stupid again.”

Emmet laughed at that, “We will need to do that often, I think. Are there any more?”

Ingo tapped his chin, “Not that I can think of. But we can add more as we go.”

Emmet inched closer, “You good with a hug?” he asked.

Ingo nodded, and returned the embrace, “I do love you, Emmet. I’m sorry for everything you went through.”

“I am Emmet. I love you too. I am also sorry for everything you went through.”

—-

Emmet was tapping his foot anxiously as he listened to his xTrans dial out. He was nearly certain that Elesa wouldn't pick up, until he saw her face appear on the screen.

“Emmet. What do you need?” she answered, looking wary.

Emmet let out a loud breath, “I just wanted to say I’m sorry. For getting upset with you.”

Elesa released her own sigh, “I figured you would be upset with me. I knew I shouldn’t have gone behind your back, especially when it came to your employer. I’m sorry too. But I don’t regret it, I guess.”

Swallowing thickly, Emmet continued, “Ingo just remembered the fight we had the night before he left. And it got me thinking…why not talk things out? We never know what the future holds and I don’t want us to be mad at each other.”

“...are you actually sorry, or are you just scared that you’ll feel bad if I somehow suddenly go missing?” Elesa narrowed her eyes.

“I…no, that’s not it,” Emmet searched for the right words, “maybe it is, I don’t know. I wanted to be able to do anything to help. I’m sure you felt that way too. So, I understand why you did it. I’m not mad. I think I was just thinking about how helpless I was during the whole situation.”

“There was very little anyone could do. That’s why I did this. I’m not…mad either. I’m just worried about what you think.” Elesa was fidgeting with her hands again.

“I think what you did was so self-sacrificial it borders on stupidity,” Emmet said bluntly, and Elesa flinched, “but what an honor it is to have a friend that would do that for us. I’ve learned what a problem actually is, in the grand scheme of things. This is not one. We’ll be coworkers. Maybe we might even enjoy it. Ingo seems excited enough.”

“If he continues recovering his memories, he’s going to be very confused when we all agreed to keep personal life and career separate,” Elesa warned.

“Ah, well. I think he also has bigger problems to deal with,” Emmet replied, “I don't want to keep you, though. I just wanted to talk. I’m sorry. I'll see you at the station tomorrow.”

—-

The League had decided to celebrate Dawn's birthday by giving her more work. Or at least, that was what Dawn proclaimed and Cynthia asked her to not say it quite so loudly.

She was to do a livestream birthday celebration. There would be decorations, cake, presents, and also however many thousands of people watching.

She was pacing in her white and red dress. Celebratory colors. This was the first time she was performing live that wasn't a battle or appeal show. Sure, there had been brief interviews after those, but all she ever did was thank the competition and laude her Pokemon. That's all she had to do.

This, however, was stressing her out. She hadn't needed to script for years now, long before she had been sent to Hisui. But now she was afraid not to. So she ran through possible questions and talking points as the set was decorated.

“You doing all right, Dawn?” Cynthia asked, tapping on her phone. No doubt trying to figure out Dawn’s hectic schedule.

“Yes. Ask me practice questions.” Dawn shook out her arms.

“What's your favorite gift?”

“My fans.”

Cynthia snorted, “Yeah, you’ll be fine. Come on, it's about to start.”

Dawn was ushered onto a couch in front of a camera as the countdown began. When the person behind the camera counted to zero, Dawn had to fight to keep from freezing.

“Hi everyone!” she ended up biting out, “It’s my birthday today, so I’d like to celebrate it with all of you!”

—-

Dawn groaned as she was woken by her blaring ArcPhone. She saw Ingo’s name flash across the top, so she scrambled to answer it.

“...hello?” she mumbled, “Is everything good?”

“Oh my God, Dawn! I'm sorry! I forgot about the timezones!” Dawn could see him grimacing, “I’m sorry, it must be around 3am, isn't it?”

“No idea,” Dawn said, “Is something wrong?”

“Yes,” Ingo huffed, which made Dawn’s eyes snap open, “you didn't tell me it was your birthday! I had to find out through a news article! About the birthday of my own niece!”

“Oh,” Dawn slumped back down, “sorry. I was very busy today. They made me do a birthday live stream.”

“I don't think I quite remember what that is, but it seems exhausting,” Ingo thought, putting a hand to his chin, “but anyway, happy birthday! I'm sending your gift through the mail, but…it might take awhile to get there from here.”

“Aw, you didn't need to,” Dawn said, and then yawned widely.

Ingo chuckled, “well, I can't let you miss out on any more beauty sleep. Happy birthday again, and have a good night, Dawn.”

Dawn smiled, “You too, Uncle Ingo. Wait, no. Not happy birthday. Have a good day? Yes, have a good day. Ugh, sorry, I’m tired.”

“It's quite alright. Goodbye, Dawn.”

“Goodbye.”

—-

Ingo was getting slowly reintegrated into the subway ecosystem. He was still working on his certifications to actually drive the trains, but he needed no such qualifications for the Subway Boss part of the job. He had been shadowing Emmet for months now, and his shoulder cast had just been removed. It was time for Gear Station to get ready to promote his reappearance.

Which meant a photoshoot with the three of them.

“Our depot agents do not wear skirts,” Emmet said to Elesa.

“Well, I didn't choose it,” Elesa pulled at the modified green depot uniform.

“I have arrived with my new uniform!” Ingo held up a garment bag.

“Oh, good!” Emmet clapped, “I’m glad it came in. They'll want you to change right away.”

“Full steam ahead!” Ingo pointed, and then ran into a dressing room.

Elesa raised an eyebrow, “He’s certainly excited.”

“I mean, are you surprised?”

Ingo came running out shortly, holding up a blue tie, “A clip on? Isn't that a bit tacky?”

“You’ve forgotten your safety checks, ingo,” Emmet admonished, “it's so you don't get stuck in a door.”

Ingo frowned, “oh. Of course. How could I have forgotten?” he shrugged on his new jacket, “Look!”

“Very nice,” Elesa agreed.

“I assume that means you've also forgotten about this,” Emmet went to the side of Ingo and yanked on the bottom of the coat.

With a gasp, Ingo heard multiple snapping noises as the coat sloughed off of him, “What?” he yelled, a bit too loudly, “You broke my new coat, Emmet!”

Laughing heartily, Emmet said, “No, I didn’t! The coats are also snapped together so they don't get stuck! They are quite long, after all.”

Ingo grabbed the fallen coat, looking at it incredulously, “Is that new?”

“Hmm? No, they've always been like that.”

“How did I not notice that in Hisui? You saw my old coat! How did it not break apart?” Ingo was looking at the tiny multiple snaps. They were small enough he must have looked over them, but that didn't explain how the coat stayed together after it had sustained so much damage.

“From what I saw of your coat,” Emmet started, “I think it was more sliced than pulled.”

Elesa rolled her eyes, “Come on, let's get your hatched coat put back together, or the shoot will run late.”

—-

Ingo thought himself quite lucky that the biggest problem he seemed to be having on the lines is difficulty doing his signature pose. His shoulder just didn't want to work that way anymore. So, while on the Multi-line, he and Emmet were brainstorming something new.

The challengers found this very exciting, as they not only received a fancy photocard from a new series, they also got to see the Subway Bosses bumbling through different versions of a point and call routine.

Ingo laughed and clapped at the ones that egregiously failed, and felt a contentment he had not experienced in a very long time. Finally, after years of not knowing, he knew where he wanted to – and did – belong.

Chapter Text

“Right, so it’s time to start discussing this year’s Charity Exhibition match,” the head of the League Foundation was standing at the front of a conference room. Dawn tried to remember her name – Akane, was it? It had been a couple years since she’d participated, considering her unscheduled jaunt in Hisui.

“Attendance for the past couple years have been dropping, and sponsors have been steadily withdrawing. Obviously, that was because we did not have the full line up available,” Akane switched to a slide with graphs showing a downwards trend, “The main draw of these matches is, of course, being able to see the Champion go all out. Despite Cynthia being popular, ‘Regent Champion’ does not seem to fulfill what the audience is looking for.”

That seemed rude. Dawn looked over at Cynthia, who didn’t look ruffled at all, “That makes sense,” Cynthia agreed, “if Dawn had been older when she challenged me, I wouldn’t even be here anyway.”

“Right,” Akane began, “so that means the audience is looking for fresh faces doing something that’s never been done before!”

“Are they not just looking for a match that includes both champions?” Dawn asked.

Akane nodded, “Indeed, they are. But we need to offer more! We need to regain the sponsorships we’ve lost, in order to meet the necessary tax write off for the donation.”

“Necessary?” Dawn asked, “is the League having financial issues?”

Akane waved her hand, “No, no. It’s nothing to worry about. But we won’t be able to top last year’s revenue unless we can meet that marker.”

Dawn narrowed her eyes as Cynthia spoke up, “What exactly are you planning?”

With a clap and a switch of the slide, Akane pointed to a flow chart, “The exhibition matches have always been a choreographed performance. However, they have always been at their heart a Pokemon battle. What if we take the performance aspect to its logical conclusion – a spectacular show of Pokemon and Trainer working together?”

“How is that literally any different than a battle?” Flint raised an eyebrow.

“Maybe like a contest battle?” Dawn answered him.

Aaron cut in, “That’s basically what an exhibition battle has always been.”

“You are correct!” Akane nodded, “we have been in talks to host an exhibition show rather than an exhibition match.”

“Meaning that we’re not going to battle at all?” Flint protested, “That’s…ridiculous! We’re the League! Battling is what we do!”

“Battling is what people expect us to do,” corrected Akane, “which means we need to play with the audience's expectations.” She directed everyone’s attention to the flow chart, “Here are some elements that we have brainstormed to include in the performance.”

Dawn looked over to the chart. She had barely digested anything before she heard Bertha speak up for the first time, “A dance sequence? These old bones are not dancing.”

“Don’t misunderstand! This slide only contains elements being currently considered for Dawn,” Akane assured, which Dawn did not find reassuring, “She’s going to have to be our little star for this to work.”

“I have never sang anything in my life,” Dawn protested, as she looked down the list, “A sword fight?”

“It will allude to your time in Hisui.”

“No one carried a sword in Hisui!”

“Swords were not historically used in Sinnoh at all,” Cynthia helpfully added.

“It’s not about historical accuracy,” Akane shook her head, “it’s about the feelings it elicits. It’s all right, we can come back to that. Let’s take a look at what our stylists have drafted.

Dawn let out a sigh of relief. Her last dress had been specially designed and also gorgeous, so at least she had that to look forward to. That is, until she looked at the screen.

“No,” Dawn said, “you want me to dance around in that dress?”

“You had specified to our stylists that you preferred dresses for these performances,” Akane said.

“Right. Like ball gowns. Not mini dresses, and especially not if I’m expected to move around more than I would in a battle or contest?”

“I don’t think that’s appropriate either,” Cynthia said, pulling out the regent card, “It either needs to be redesigned or Dawn needs to be given pants.”

Akane gave a strained smile, “I will talk with the stylists. Anyway, here are some ideas for the rest of you. We’ve been discussing the prospect of having aerial battles between all of you. In short, battling on the same Pokemon that you would be flying on.”

Lucian and Flint looked at each other, “We don’t have flying types,” Lucian took off his glasses and sighed.

“Also,” Bertha piped up, “that seems very dangerous. What if we fall?”

“We will have ample security and safety measures, I assure you,” Akane said, “and as for you two, we will provide flyers with the appropriate typings.”

“Umm,” Flint protested, “isn’t this supposed to show off our teams?”

“In Charity Matches, sure. But we need to be forward thinking. This is supposed to be a performance! In a performance, everything can be fake, as long as it is entertaining. Don’t you want to be able to make money for charity.”

“I don’t agree,” Flint protested again.

“We can put a pin in that for now, then,” Akane smiled, “here are the mock ups for the rest of the outfits.”

—-

“Did they not provide you with the pants?” Cynthia asked, as Dawn was hiding in her dressing room. The promotional photoshoot was meant to start soon.

“No. It’s the same dress. They didn’t change it at all,” Dawn squeaked in the corner.

“Right, I’ll go talk with them. Hopefully, for their sake, they just forgot to hand them to you,” Cynthia shut the door behind her and talked with the stylist.

“Pants?” the stylist blinked in confusion, “I’m sorry, there were never any pants mentioned. Is the dress not long enough? I can pin some layers in the skirt, if you’d like. We can tier it down so it looks like it was meant to be like that.”

“Hmm. Maybe,” Cynthia said, “Can you excuse me for a moment?”

She pulled out her phone and tapped Akane’s contact. It rang twice before Akane answered, “Cynthia! How nice to hear from you! What do you need?”

“You know what I need, Akane. I need the other half of Dawn’s outfit. Get down here.”

“Oh, did the pants not come in on time?” Akane gasped, “We ordered them right after the meeting. Shame.”

“I talked to the stylist. She said you didn’t even mention pants to her.”

“Ah, we were getting them from another source.”

“Well, since they aren’t here, the stylist is going to alter the dress so it’s longer,” Cynthia said.

“Now, don’t be rash. Just wait a moment. I’ll be down there in just a minute.”

Cynthia didn’t bother to reply, just hung up. She gave the stylist the go ahead for the alterations. The photoshoot would be delayed, but was it really a photoshoot anyway if it wasn’t? She went back to Dawn, who had changed into a robe as the stylist worked on the dress.

“Sorry for holding everything up,” Dawn mumbled.

“No, you should hold everything up. You set a boundary and they crossed it. For what – a tax break?” Cynthia rolled her eyes, “Have you had your solo practice sessions yet?”

Dawn looked away, “Yeah. They’re terrible.”

“They are pretty tough,” Cynthia agreed, “Togekiss and I are exhausted from all the flying target practice. Think we were at it for three hours last night.”

“I haven’t even started my flying practice yet.” Dawn grumbled.

“No? What have they had you doing?” Cynthia asked.

“I had dance practice for six hours yesterday,” Dawn covered her face with her hands, “to be honest, everything hurts right now. I twisted my ankle in the stupid shoes they’re making me wear.”

“What?” Cynthia said, “what on earth do they have you doing? Are you okay?”

However, they were both interrupted by Akane arriving at the set, “I heard there was a bit of an issue with Dawn’s dress?” she greeted them.

“It’s being fixed,” Dawn replied, not making eye contact.

“I will go check on it, then,” Akane smiled.

“No, it’s all right, I will,” Cynthia stopped her, “No, you don’t have to come with me. I’m sure you’re very busy with things you’ll have to attend to.

Akane gave a strained smile, “If you insist.”

She turned to face Dawn, “I do hope you don’t make a habit to be this difficult to work with in the future. You’re so young, it would be a shame if something like this would stain your career. I do hope you remember who’s the hand that feeds you.”

—-

Dawn was crouched on the floor of the studio, wondering how much more she would be asked to do. Akane’s complaint that she was hard to work with was constantly echoing in her ears, making the same people pleasing that she had been working on rear its head again.

“Up, up!” the choreographer encouraged, “break time is over!”

Dawn could have burst into tears right then. It had only been two hours, and her ankle was throbbing. They refused to let her wear new shoes, even for this part of the performance. But she swallowed them down as the choreographer instructed, “Once more! From the top.”

Dawn was not a dancer, model, popstar, or whatever the League was trying to make her be. But she was TCC Dawn, Savior of Hisui. Surely, if she could face down Gods, she could do a routine for charity.

That was, until Dawn wobbled on her feet.

“Dawn!” the choreographer barked, “pay attention! The performance is in a week!”

“Sorry,” Dawn mumbled, and got up to do it again.

—-

A disguise of sunglasses, a mask, and a hat did wonders for letting Ingo and Emmet relax without being noticed. It didn’t work quite so well for Ingo, who had his mask down, constantly chewing on snacks he had picked up from different stalls, but it did enough.

“Oh, look!” Emmet pointed at a stall, “we should get those!”

Ingo squinted, “Are those…fans with Dawn’s face on them?”

“Yes, yes, you wave them around!” Emmet said, “Like at concerts. Here, you get a Dawn one, and I’ll get a Cynthia one.”

“Why are you getting a Cynthia one?”

“Well, we have to support both champions!” Emmet paid the stall owner.

Ingo was handed a fan, and he observed it, “Emmet,” he started, “I have recognized an issue.”

“Hmm, what is that?” Emmet asked.

“I am in disguise, holding a fan of a minor. I look like a creeper.”

Emmet laughed heartily, “You are fine, Ingo. Don’t make it weird.”

Ingo wasn’t convinced, but he said, “It’s getting late. We should take our seats. Which gate do we enter?”

“Gate four! Right next to the action!” Emmet said, “although, I’m sure if you had asked Dawn, she could have gotten us free tickets. You even bought meet and greet tickets?!”

Ingo swatted at him, “It’s for charity! And besides, I wanted to surprise her! Come on.”

—-

Ingo squinted onto the field. He wasn’t quite sure why an exhibition match needed backup dancers, nor why a champion would be at the head of the troop, but he waved his fan in support anyway.

“I didn’t know she was a dancer?” Emmet said, confused.

“...Neither did I?” Ingo responded.

“Oh, damn, I think she fell,” Emmet grimaced.

“Well, it’s no wonder. Look at those shoes. Why can’t they just let the girl be five feet tall?” Ingo fretted, “Is she okay?”

“Looks fine. Recovered quickly.” Emmet reported.

They both jumped as the arena filled with smoke. Ingo coughed a few times, and saw six silhouettes as the smoke cleared, “Is it finally battle time?” Ingo asked.

Watching as the six alighted onto flying Pokemon and began to weave around each other, Emmet gasped, “Oh my gods, they aren’t planning on fighting in the air, are they?”

Ingo held his head in both his hands, “I’m blaming my gray hair on this performance.”

“We have been gray since we were thirteen.”

“I’m getting more gray. I can feel it happening, Emmet,” Ingo said, gasping as Dawn barely dodged an X-Scissor from a Gliscor. The person on a Gliscor wasn’t so lucky, as they lost their grip and plummeted from the Pokemon. A Staraptor caught them before they hit the ground.

“Was that…meant to happen, do you think?” Emmet asked.

As the battle continued and everyone stayed on their steeds, only flying away when they were “defeated”, Emmet assumed that no, it was not planned. Thankfully, they didn’t have to grip their seats for too long, and Cynthia and Dawn alighted on the ground together. Rotom cameras swarmed them, broadcasting their faces on the large screen.

It only lasted for a split second, before it was quickly turned off, but Ingo saw Dawn’s face. Tears.

“Dawn doesn’t have a habit of crying when she’s happy, does she, Ingo?”

He shook his head, “It takes too much for her to cry.”

—-

Cynthia wrapped her in a hug after they had left the field, “Dawn, what’s wrong? Is it because of Bertha? She’s okay, look.”

“I’m not dead yet!” Bertha agreed.

“I’m so sorry Bertha!” Dawn wailed, “They focused so much on the performance practice I was only able to practice the flight choreography for three days.” She buried her face into her hands, not minding the makeup that she was likely ruining. Someone could touch her up before she had to appear for meet and greets.

“They only had you practice for three days?” Lucian echoed, “But it was so dangerous! Why didn’t they give you more time?”

Dawn was unable to answer, as Akane joined the group, “It went well!” she declared, “Pity about that mistake, Dawn. But I wish you hadn't cried. It ruined the film at the end.”

“A little bit of grace right now would be useful,” Cynthia snapped at her, “Please leave us.”

“Hmm, well. Dawn already has a line forming for her meet and greet. So I came to fetch her. As long as she gets herself composed, I mean.”

Dawn stood straight up, sniffing slightly, “I am ready. Let’s go.”

—

Dawn put on her best fake smile, shaking hands with complete strangers. She flinched back when she spotted an unfamiliar man with her face on his fan power walk towards her.

Seeing the fear in her eyes, the man stopped and turned to another that was similarly covered,
“I told you I look like a creeper!”

Dawn blinked in surprise, “...Uncle?”

“Hi Dawn!” he waved his fan.

Dawn shrieked and tackled him in a hug. Realizing that was probably weird for him and the people waiting in line, she walked meekly back to her seat.

“Are you limping?” Ingo furrowed his brows.

Dawn looked away, “It’s nothing. Just twisted my ankle from those stupid heels.”

“Ah, I’m sorry. I hope it didn’t hurt too much when you fell?”

“Oh, no. I’m used to that. I rolled it weeks ago at practice.”

“And they didn’t give you a break?”

Dawn shook her head, then fought back tears. She couldn’t cry now, when so many phone cameras were on her. She didn’t want to badmouth the League, to call them out on everything they had put them through where others could overhear.

But Ingo got the gist. He smiled sadly, “sorry to drop in on you like this,” Ingo said, “But since this is the end of the League season, we thought we’d surprise you!”

Dawn tried to smile too, “maybe I can ask Perrin if we can go to visit the Platinum Clan.” she frowned, “I could use a break.”

“I’ll look forward to it. Want to meet at the League tonight?” Ingo asked.

“Sure! Your dorms will still be waiting for you,” League staff starting shooing away the twins, their allotted time for the meet and greet finished, “I’ll see you guys!”

Chapter Text

“Do…you want to talk about what happened yesterday?” Ingo asked Dawn as he met her in the kitchens. Both of them had kept to their early morning schedules and were up before anyone else.

“Not really,” Dawn answered back, rifling around the fridge, “you want some yogurt?”

“Sure, thanks,” Ingo accepted a cup, “trust me, I understand the urge to bottle it up. But if you don’t let it out, you’ll explode.”

“I’ll be fine. It’s over,” Dawn shook her head.

“Until they ask you to do something else you aren’t comfortable with,” Ingo said, “because you weren’t, were you?”

Dawn shrugged, “It wasn’t up to me.”

Ingo sighed, “Look, I’m not going to force you to do anything – if I did, I would be any better than them. But believe me when I say that talking through what was bothering me back before Hisui happened would have saved a lot of heartbreak.”

“I’m fine. No need to bother anyone else.”

“Yes, that’s what I thought too. But what it actually did was hurt the person I was trying to spare in the first place,” Ingo added, “so…do you want to talk about what happened yesterday?”

Dawn gave a wry smile, “do I even have a choice?”

Very seriously, Ingo said, “you always have a choice, Dawn. Never forget that. I was just opening the dialogue if you wanted it.”

Dawn was quiet for a couple of seconds before sitting down at a table, “Well, okay. It started with this meeting…”

By the time she was finished telling her story, Ingo was staring, mouth agape, “And does Cynthia know about all this?”

Dawn said, “She knew about the dress debacle, because she had the stylist fix it. I…don’t think she knew about anything else, really.”

“Why didn’t you tell her about it?” Ingo asked gently, “obviously, she would fight to make you comfortable if she fixed the dress.”

Dawn shrugged again, “I’m Dawn, Savior of Hisui. Certainly I could handle a dance routine.”

“Yeah, and you saved Hisui without having to wear six inch heels. Tell your…whoever is in charge of that, that your height is fine.”

Dawn laughed, “I’ll see if I can convince them.”

“Don’t convince them, tell them.” Ingo said, “In the line of work you’re doing, people are going to keep pushing you and guilting you into doing stuff. You have to draw boundaries, and stick to them.”

Dawn grimaced, “I’d rather quell a Noble.”

Ingo chuckled humorlessly, “Now, I will be frank. Elesa has stated before that when she enforces her boundaries, people can get rude. I’m sure you are aware that when a man is authoritative he’s a boss, but when a woman is, she’s a bitch?”

“I have heard of the sentiment from Cynthia,” Dawn said.

“Just know that enforcing your boundaries is healthy, and people calling you names is their unhealthy reaction. It has nothing to do with you. Just keep on doing what you’re comfortable with.”

Dawn scraped a little yogurt out with a spoon, “You’ve recovered a lot of memories recently, haven’t you?”

Ingo rubbed his eyes, “So, so many. The good, the bad, everything in between.”

“Well,” Dawn sighed, “thanks for listening to my woes. I hope your memory keeps coming back, too. I’m going to see if I can call Perrin.”

—

Dawn contacted Perrin, who was currently staying in Hearthome City. Perrin had some more business in the city, but said she wouldn’t mind if they tagged along and went to visit Platinum Clans afterwards.

They all met up at the Pokemon Center, and then walked to the southern part of the city.

“Oh, are we going to the Gothic-looking building?” Emmet asked, “Cynthia was telling us about the Gothic Revival period.”

Perrin nodded, “Yes, it’s part of my pilgrimage. I’m supposed to take time to revel in the space granted to us. I’m sure that sounds familiar.”

“I’ve never actually been inside before,” Dawn said, “But it’s such a distinctive building.”

Ingo spotted a billboard with Dawn’s face on it, and pointed, “It’s you!”

Perrin laughed, “Her face is all over this town.”

“What’s the point of these sunglasses and masks if you’re going to announce it, Uncle!?”

“Oh!” Ingo grimaced, “sorry. But why are there so many Dawns? I feel like you’re staring at me.”

Dawn snorted, “Hearthome is the Contest Capital of Sinnoh. Despite not participating in a contest for, what, three years? My billboards are still up.”

“Okay, guys, quiet down. This is a place of worship,” Perrin snickered.

Ingo and Dawn froze as soon as they came through the doors. Emmet side eyed them, “You guys look like you’ve seen a ghost,” he whispered.

“It’s the rift,” Dawn whispered back, and then mindlessly started walking forward. She stopped behind Perrin, who was folded in prayer.

“It’s what caused…everything,” Ingo tried to explain. He looked around to the few people sitting in the pews. He wondered if they were also related to the clan.

Dawn felt a Pokeball on her belt twitch, “Absolutely not!” she hissed, clamping her hands down on the ball. It worked for a second, before it ripped open anyway.

Arceus had released itself. In the place of worship that seemed to worship Arceus. A gasp ripped through the pews, and the people immediately started chanting and prostrating.

“I like these people,” Arceus declared.

—-

After that history-breaking theological event, Perrin stated that it was time to go to Platinum land.

“How do we get there?” Dawn asked.

“The Pokecenter Abras will do fine.”

Dawn furrowed her brow, “I don’t remember seeing a connected center on the list.”

“Well, you have to ask directly. You can’t just select it off the list.”

—-

They materialized at an open-air center, the temperature suddenly warm. Dawn groaned, “Ugh, it’s hot. How south are we?”

“Just south of Hoenn,” Perrin said, checking in with Nurse Joy.

“Ugh, too hot,” Dawn fanned herself.

“You sound like Lady Irida,” Ingo laughed.

“No, she sounds like you,” Emmet turned to Ingo, “sixty-five degrees is not an appropriate temperature for an apartment.”

“Sixty-five degrees would literally kill someone,” Dawn raised her eyebrow.

“A bit dramatic, but yes, not good,” Emmet nodded.

“Not dramatic,” Dawn argued, but then added, “oooh, different temperature scales, got it. Can’t blame us. Ingo lived on a mountain. I lived…near the mountain.”

“What’s this about Irida?” Perrin looked interested.

“Oh, Irida was always sweltering, even in the Icelands.” Ingo explained.

“Interesting. That does explain why she always had her haori around her waist in photos,” Perrin laughed.

Dawn looked reluctant to ask, “Umm, about Lady Irida. How…I mean…did she live a good life?”

Perrin tilted her head, “I mean, it was full of trials. Considering we’re here instead of Sinnoh. But she lived a long life with Lord Adaman and had a whole herd of children. But anyway, I’m sure Ingo is itching to meet the Sneasels.”

“Yes, please!” Ingo perked up.

“All right, follow me. It’ll be a long walk, but I’m sure you all are used to that.”

Emmet groaned.

—-

“We currently only have one Sneasler that has a clutch right now. It isn’t a very big one, but we’re happy about it,” Perrin was explaining as she led them to some rocky outcroppings.

“Still as loud as ever,” Ingo smiled as he heard the cries of baby Sneasels play fighting. It dropped quickly as another wail sounded, louder than the rest. He anxiously walked up to the small group, before spotting the source.

It was a small Sneasel, obviously the runt of the litter. It was curled up in a ball, whining pitifully.

“Oh, little lady,” Ingo said, “did they play a little too roughly?” He bent down to scoop it up.

“Wait!” Perrin said, “don’t touch them – they're poisonous!”

Ingo turned around and gave her a look.

“...which, of course, you know all about. Nevermind.” Perrin added.

Ingo nodded, and returned his attention to the crying Sneasel, “Come on, little one,” he picked her up and started bouncing her on his hip, “It isn't so bad, right? Do you want an Oran berry?”

The Sneasel was looking up at him with big eyes, tears forgotten. It didn’t even pay any mind to the Oran berry Ingo had fished from his pockets. Ingo chuckled at it, “What’s wrong?”

Emmet watched as the crowd of Sneasels started to notice his presence, and used their claws to climb up his legs, “are you the Sneasel whisperer!?” he exclaimed, “no wonder your coat was in tatters.”

Ingo put on a haggard look, shooing one away from grabbing his warden bracelet, “I am the single father of,” he looked down to count them, “five.”

Perrin looked as though she couldn’t quite believe what she was seeing, “...these aren’t part of a breeding program or anything. These are wild Sneasel. I require a Pecha berry nearly every time I come across one.” she shook her head.

Finally, the Sneasels made enough of a ruckus that the mother Sneasler came to see what the fuss was about. It barked out a cry, and the Sneasels ran to her side. Every one except the one clinging to Ingo’s side. It instead took the berry from his hand, and nested on his hat.

The Sneasler stared at Ingo for a while, and then looked at her kit. Looking back at Ingo, she gave a small dip of her head. The Sneasler then turned around and ushered her kits back to the nest.

Perrin smiled, “I think she knew the little one wasn’t likely to survive in the wilds. I think they knew who you were.”

Ingo frowned, eyes brimming with emotion. He reached for the Pokemon on top of his hat, “You want to come with me?”

The Sneasel nodded.

“Then…I promise to take care of you. Like how I pledged to take care of your foremother.”

Perrin said softly, “Come on. I want you to meet my family.”

Chapter Text

“Mom!” Perrin called, “I’m home! And I found the lost ones!”

A blue haired woman came to greet them at the door, “Welcome home, my dear,” she nodded towards the three of them, “and we are glad to see you, as well. We’ve been waiting for this time.”

“We’re also very glad to be able to meet you,” Ingo gave a polite bow.

“You have a hitchhiker, it seems,” she nodded back, “I’m Gemma. You must be Akari-Dawn. And…one of you is Ingo. I assume the one with the Sneasel on his head.”

“I am Emmet. That would be correct,” Emmet awkwardly tried to bow to match the others.

“Why don’t you join us for dinner? My husband and I were just finishing up some stew. It’s an old family recipe.”

“Yes, please!” Dawn brightened.

Gemma laughed, “all right, give us just a moment to set up, all right?”

-

“You have a lovely house,” Ingo commented, “it reminds me of when I would visit the settlement.”

“Oh, thank you. We had to recreate a lot of the decor and artifacts when we moved here.” Gemma replied.

“Why did you move here?” Ingo asked.

Gemma was silent for a moment, before continuing, “It wasn’t all perfect after the unification of the clans. A majority agreed to unite, but that did not erase the rifts between the clans that have been brewing for decades. It was a tumultuous time, made even harder as Jubilife Village kept expanding, and they didn’t want to share space with the clans. Fights broke out often. Eventually, there was a new leader of the Galaxy Team, who thought the newcomers needed more space.”

“What did the Galaxy Team do?”

“What didn’t they do?” Perrin asked, “They would write treaties with us and then break them in the same breath. When we would fight back, they harnessed the forces of nature in a way that permanently changed Hisui’s climate. This is the reason why many of our Noble Pokemon perished, and the peat used for Ursaluna went extinct.

“When did this happen?” Dawn looked down.

“About 100 years after unification.”

“That’s when Cynthia said the League formed,” Ingo said, “So that means…the same people that founded the League were the ones that decimated the Platinum Clan?”

“I’m a part of the League,” Dawn gasped, “I’m…at the head of it.”

Dawn stood up, and started pacing, “I…my ancestors did this? My survey team? My current employer? How can I fix this?”

“Fix it? You can’t,” Gemma said, “but if you want to help, there are a few things you can do.”

“What are they?” Dawn asked, sitting down again.

“First, educate yourself about what happened to us. Many of my fellow clan members have written narratives about that time and its surrounding effects. After all, my generation all knew someone who went through it directly. The internet is a great resource.” Gemma said, “second, we are everywhere. Many of us were forced to assimilate into Hisui’s settlements. Open up dialogues with them.”

Dawn looked at Perrin, “like the people we saw in Hearthome?”

Perrin nodded.

“Third, the League was created to gather the strongest Pokemon trainers to protect the region. That was fine, until the League was ordered to “protect” Jubilife and the other settlements from us. Use your platform to instead uplift our voices.” Gemma finished, “and fourth, remember one thing – despite your title given to you, we don’t need a savior. We need someone that will stand with us.”

“Of course,” Dawn said, “I…will learn and reach out and…my platform will be the biggest during the League Season with all the interviews…” Dawn trailed off, “I’ll use the time in between to prepare…”

-

In the end, it was a nice dinner, full of laughter and old stories. Despite the silence that permeated the group after they had learned of the Platinum Clan’s fate, Perrin restarted the conversation by asking for personal narratives of their ancestors. They especially liked hearing about Iscan and Palina, realizing that their story wasn’t just romanticized – it was fully true!

They ended up with even more recipes to try out. They were offered to stay the night, but Ingo and Emmet had to decline, stating that they needed to catch a flight back to Unova soon. So instead, they all walked them back to the Pokecenter. Thankfully, the nurse there registered the Sneasel in Ingo’s name without any hassle, obviously used to dealing with Heritage breeds.

After a lengthy goodbye, they used the Abras to teleport back to the League.

—-

Ingo was feeling unnerved at the breakfast table, “Dawn, do you need something?”

“No,” Dawn said, a little too quickly.

“Okay. That wasn’t convincing,” Ingo said, “you want to say something. If you didn’t, you wouldn’t be staring at me trying to eat my yogurt.”

“When are you going back to Unova?” Dawn asked.

“Our flight leaves tomorrow,” Ingo said, feeding Sneasel a bite of yogurt. “I wish we could stay longer, but we have to get back to the Subway.”

“Uh huh,” Dawn said, looking at him expectantly.

“...are you wanting to come along?”

Dawn just smiled.

Ingo laughed, “I’ll have to ask Emmet first. But otherwise, I don’t see why not.”

“Is that okay?” Dawn asked.

“Is what okay?”

“That I kinda invited myself over?” Dawn said sheepishly.

“It’s perfectly fine,” Ingo said, “although, have you told anyone you might be leaving?”

“Well, no. But I doubt it will be a surprise. Cynthia is always wanting me to take time off, let alone with the League Committee in an upheaval because a certain head of the Foundation is getting removed.”

“Oooh tea,” Ingo said.

Dawn dropped her spoon, “where did you learn that?”

“Internet.”

—-

Dawn screamed as Barry slammed open her dorm door.

“Stop screaming, it's just me,” Barry said.

“I’m going to fine you,” Dawn said, catching her breath, “what if I was, like, dressing?”

“Didn’t think about that,” Barry said, “Should have locked your door. Anyway, I’m going to fine you first.”

“Why?”

“You’re leaving and you didn’t tell anyone!” Barry shouted.

“Those plans have not actually been finalized,” Dawn said, rubbing her ringing ears, “I haven’t asked Emmet yet.”

“Emmet said it was fine. I heard him and Ingo talking just now.”

“Oh!” Dawn said, “so, yeah, I am actually leaving, then.”

Dawn fished out her suitcase from underneath her bed, “I’m sorry to be leaving on such a short notice,” she said, “I don’t even know if I’ll be able to catch a seat on the same flight as them, even.”

“If that’s the case, why are you in a rush to leave?” Barry asked, moving to sit on her bed.

Dawn shrugged, “No time like the present, right? The League season is over. We would always vacation around this time anyway.”

“Yeah,” Barry agreed, “until we didn’t.”

Dawn stopped, “I’m sorry Barry. I should have asked if you could have come along.”

Barry frowned, “What? No, that’s not what I meant. I wouldn’t be able to anyway – I’m still trying to convince my dad I’m suitable to be a Tycoon,” he waved his hands dismissively, “I’m just…worried about you leaving. Last time we went on a vacation…”

“Oh, Barry,” Dawn said, wrapping him up in a hug, “I’m sorry. I’ll call and text you all the time. And if God tries to take me away, I’ll just punch it in the face again.”

Barry chuckled, “I still can’t believe you punched God in the face.”

“Someone’s gotta do it,” Dawn said, flatly.

—-

Dawn pulled away from her mother, before laughing as her mother pulled her in again, “I’m gonna miss you, my sweet,” she said, “but I hope you have fun. And call lots.”

“I will,” Dawn promised.

After her mother let her go for real, she turned to Cynthia, “Are you going to be all right here?”

“Of course, child,” Cynthia reassured her.

Dawn smiled, and they bowed at each other, “Take care! Have fun!” Cynthia called out to her.

“Ready to go?” Ingo asked, grabbing her suitcase from her.

“All aboard!” she yelled.

Chapter Text

Dawn had forgotten how exhausting air travel was, but at least there were no name debacles this time. Hopefully, there would be less time travel involved as well.

Dawn watched as both Ingo and Emmet removed their sunglasses once they got on the subway, “Don’t you keep those on?”

“Around Nimbasa?” Ingo asked, “Not usually. Disguises don’t seem to work while we’re at our home stations. However, we’re old enough news to the people around here that they mostly just leave us alone.”

“We only promote in our uniforms nowadays, which kinda tells people when we’re “on” so to speak, and that they can talk to us. Not everybody follows it – especially tourists – but it works well enough that we don’t have to sneak around our own city,” Emmet said.

“Yeah, like how you know to leave someone alone who has headphones on, people leave plain clothes Subway Bosses alone,” Ingo chuckled.

“Hmm, glad it seems to work for you. How many more stops?” Dawn asked around a yawn.

“Three more stops!” Emmet replied.

“Long enough for a nap,” Dawn flopped into the nearest available seat.

“That’s six minutes away,” Emmet said.

“Long enough for a nap,” Dawn insisted.

—-

“Here’s the guest bedroom – now your room for however long you want it. You might be sharing with Elesa occasionally,” Ingo opened the door, “feel free to get settled in. We didn’t set it up before we left, so let Emmet or I know if you need anything.”

Dawn sleepily gave him a hug, “It’s perfect, thanks. Aren’t you tired?”

“I slept on the plane. I’ll leave food in the fridge for you, if you’re hungry when you wake up. Sleep well.”

Dawn wandered into the room, and fell onto the bed. Ingo shook his head fondly, and flipped the light switch.

“She’s completely out,” Ingo declared, walking into the kitchen where Emmet was mixing Pokemon food.

“It is currently mid-afternoon. I have a feeling she’s going to be verrrrry jetlagged,” Emmet replied.

“Maybe,” Ingo agreed, “but unlike us, she is on vacation and does not have work on Monday.”

“Ugh,” Emmet said, “at least we have tomorrow off before we have to go in.”

“We still have plenty to do,” Ingo said, “You feed the teams, I’ll call Elesa to let her know we got back and go to the store to buy more Pokechow and an inordinate amount of yogurt.”

“Why yogurt?”

“The girl eats so much yogurt.”

—-

“I’m coming over,” Elesa said, as soon as she picked up her phone.

“Sure,” Ingo said, “I’m walking to the store right now, but Emmet’s home. Oh, and Dawn’s sleeping, so if you wouldn’t mind taking care not to wake her…”

Elesa gave him an odd look, “Dawn? Is in the apartment?”

“She came home with us,” Ingo nodded.

“Oooh!” Elesa said, “we should have a movie night or something, then.”

Ingo raised an eyebrow, “she is sleeping.”

Elesa huffed, “That’s why I said movie night, not movie day. She’ll wake up eventually.”

“Whatever you think is best,” Ingo shrugged, “see you soon, then.”

—-

Ingo arrived back at the apartment with as much food as he could carry, both for humans and Pokemon. Elesa had joined Emmet in the kitchen, at this point feeding Dawn’s team.

Elesa was particularly enraptured by her Luxray. He had already eaten, and was laying on his back, accepting belly rubs, “who’s a good boy? You are!” she cooed at him. Elesa giggled as she felt her hair start to stand up, having acquired a static charge.

“Elesa, that Pokemon is a Champion of Sinnoh.” Ingo said, starting to put the new groceries away.

“D’aww, that doesn’t mean he doesn’t like belly rubs, right?” Elesa asked the Pokemon, who yipped in excitement, “See? Fluffy, fluffy boy.”

Emmet snorted, “Go ground yourself before you explode, and we can tell you about our trip.”

—-

It was dark out before Dawn woke up, having no recollection of how she got to this unfamiliar place. As she heard laughter from the other room, it came back to her. She still didn’t know what day it was, but that was currently unnecessary anyway. She walked out the door and through a hallway before seeing the three of them on the couch, laughing over a photo album.

“Oh, Dawn, sorry, did we wake you?” Elesa asked.

Dawn shook her head, “what are you doing?”

“Memory gathering sessions!” Elesa held up the photo album, “wanna see?”

Dawn walked behind the couch leaning on her elbows, “you guys look so young!” she exclaimed.

“That was…when we first started our Pokemon journey. We were fifteen. There was a huge storm that night and we all huddled together in my tent.” Ingo said, eyes narrowing in concentration.

“Yes!” Elesa said, “we didn’t sleep until it blew over in the morning.”

“And I forgot to stake down my tent before I abandoned it for yours,” Emmet grimaced, “so it was long gone by the time we woke up.”

Ingo tilted his head, “Right! Then you just used my tent until you saved up enough for another one.”

“It was verrrry cramped,” Emmet said, “I was happy to get another.”

“So you guys all traveled together? That’s nice.” Dawn said.

“Didn’t you travel with someone? Lucas or Barry?” Elesa asked.

Dawn shook her head, “Lucas was a professor’s assistant even then. We met up together occasionally but we never traveled together. And Barry and I went separately. We were taking the same route through the gyms though, so we crossed paths a lot.”

“If you were childhood friends, why didn’t you travel together?”

“I don’t know,” Dawn shrugged, “Barry was always running off, and I guess I had other ideas than just following him.”

“Ooh, what do you remember about this one?” Elesa asked.

Ingo squinted, “Hmm. Nothing.”

Emmet prompted him, “It was our first gym battle. It was against…?”

Ingo thought. “Something…grass?”

“Nope, not quite. We can come back to it.” Emmet said.

“Ah, I think I might be done for this session,” Ingo said, “I’ve remembered quite a bit, but my mind is growing weary.”

“Wow, spoken truly like an aging old man,” Elesa said.

“Ha ha,” Ingo deadpanned, “didn’t you want to have a movie night?”

“Oooh movie night?” Dawn said.

“You need to eat first, Dawn,” Ingo said, “you fell asleep without a meal.”

“Fiiine,” Dawn said, going to the kitchen.

—-

The movie night was, in the end, a bust. The four of them woke up the next morning on the couch, the menu screen of their selected movie still playing.

“Well,” Dawn said, “that’s one way to fix jet lag – just sleep a whole day.”

“I am getting too old for this,” Ingo said, trying to flatten the crick in his neck.

“Don’t say that, we’re the same age,” Emmet protested, even as he stretched.

“I’m older,” Ingo reminded him.

“Oh, please, I’m older than both of you,” Elesa said.

“By like two months!” Ingo groaned.

“Oh, but seven minutes is a huge gap?” Emmet shook his head.

“Yes,” Ingo said, standing up, “Let’s get some breakfast. I got yogurt for you, Dawn.”

“Yes!” Dawn popped up.

They ate silently but companionably at the breakfast table, until Elesa asked, “so, how long are you planning on staying in Unova?”

Dawn hummed, “until I get kicked out, I guess.”

“You are free to stay here however long you would like,” Emmet said, “but with your tourist visa you get the boot after ninety days. Not that you can’t apply for a trainer one, but you do have to show proof you’re doing the gym challenge.”

“Proof?” Dawn said, “like, the badges themselves? What if there’s a person who just can’t get any badges?”

“Then a note by a Gym Leader verifying that they have challenged that person, and that the person is seemingly making earnest progress towards being able to win a badge is needed,” Elesa answered.

“Have you ever had to do that?” Dawn asked.

“...yeah,” Elesa admitted.

“Less long term,” Ingo said, “what are you planning on doing tomorrow? You’re welcome to stay here, but you might get bored while Emmet and I are at work.”

“Oh. Hmm,” Dawn thought, “I didn’t actually think about what I’d do once I got here. I’m not sure. Maybe I’ll just wander the city?”

“We should go shopping!” Elesa exclaimed.

“That would be fun!” Dawn said, “but don’t you also have to work?”

“Not really,” Elesa shrugged, “our League is also out of season, so I’m by schedule-only, and I don’t have any jobs booked up, so I’m free.”

“Nice!” Dawn clapped her hands together, “I bet you know all the coolest boutiques!”

Elesa laughed, “It’s nice to have someone who’s excited to go shopping with me. The boys usually meet it with a kind of fear.”

“Okay, but we are in way over our heads when you take us shopping. You start talking about textile theory and the color wheel!” Emmet protested.

“Even better,” Dawn beamed.

—-

“These are perfect!” Dawn said, “it looks cute, it’s a skirt, but bam!” she kicked out her leg in a dramatic pose, “pants!”

Elesa, happily observing from outside the dressing room on a couch, called back, “you might also like jumpsuits, then?”

Dawn exited the dressing room, flapping the fabric around her legs, “what are jumpsuits?”

“Like a dress, but pants.”

“Amazing,” Dawn said, “I can so easily run away from my responsibilities.”

“You do have to, like, get completely undressed while going to the bathroom, though. Which is a very humbling experience.” Elesa warned.

“Not amazing,” Dawn corrected, “especially in public bathrooms.”

“We can stick to skirt pants then. Do you like this color or want to try another?”

“I like it, it matches my hair. What kind of top do you think would work?”

Elesa thought for a couple of seconds, and then said, “I’ll be right back. I have one in mind,” she returned with a fitted collared pink shirt, which Dawn immediately tried on.

“I love it,” Dawn announced, “I’m going to wear it out. That is something you can do, right?”

“As long as you pay for it, they won’t care,” Elesa laughed, “We’ll take the tags up to the counter, then.”

After paying, they stopped to buy some Casteliacones, window shopping as they ate.

“I’ve used this salon before,” Elesa said, crunching into her cone, “they’re really good. Since you’re updating your wardrobe, do you want to update your ‘do, too?”

“Ahh, that would be fun, but I’m not allowed to change my hair,” Dawn said regretfully.

Elesa looked confused, “what do you mean you’re not allowed to change your hair?”

“Oh, it’s in my contract,” Dawn explained.

“No offense, but why?” Elesa frowned, “you aren’t a model or anything.”

“Ahh, when you were in Sinnoh, did you happen to see a lot of girls my age with this hairstyle?”

Elesa shrugged, “I didn’t really think about it, but now that you’ve mentioned it, I guess I did see quite a few. I just figured it was a popular style.”

“It is,” Dawn agreed, then grimaced, “because that’s how I wore mine when I became champion.”

“Oh my gods!” Elesa said, “Dawn! You little trendsetter! You became champion years ago and it’s still so popular?”

Dawn flushed, “when I first started gaining attention, it was the weirdest thing for me. People were posting videos about how to do it. When I resigned all my contracts when I returned from Hisui, they added a clause about how I wasn’t able to change it.”

Elesa shook her head, “Well, okay. But they can’t stop you from wearing hats, can they? Let’s go look at fun ones!”

—-

They ended up staying out shopping long after Ingo and Emmet returned home from their shifts. When they finally made it back to the apartment, Emmet balked at the amount of bags that they were carrying.

“Look!” Dawn said, “it looks like I’m wearing a long skirt, right?”

Emmet and Ingo looked at each other, “...right?”

“Wrong! Pants!” Dawn kicked her leg out again.

The twins looked bewildered, “that’s…good?” Ingo laughed.

“And, I got stuff for you two, too,” Dawn said, rifling around the bags and taking out two small plushies with a flourish. She crossed her arms at the wrist when she realized she was holding the plushies backwards from their intended recipient.

“So. Cute.” Emmet gushed, and gently grabbed the tiny Eelecktross plush.

“Indeed, very cute!” Ingo held the tiny Chandelure in his palm.

“They’re from the sitting cuties collection!” Dawn said.

“Aw, thank you very much for thinking of us, Dawn,” Ingo wrapped her in a side hug, “I’m glad you and Elesa had fun.”

Dawn beamed, and hugged back, “it was so fun.”

Chapter Text

“So, Dawn, what are your plans for the future?” Elesa asked at the dinner table. Dawn wondered just how often she came over. Once the weekend started, she waltzed in the front door, and neither of the twins seemed surprised.

“My what?” Dawn asked, just a little terrified of the prospect of her future.

“Your…future?” Elesa asked, “you just turned seventeen, right? Isn’t it about the time people start making these decisions?”

“She already has a job,” Ingo said around his food.

“Uhh, yeah. I guess I just planned on being Champion. When I turn eighteen Cynthia will lose her Regent status and I’ll be at the head.” Dawn said, “Not that I’ll fire her or anything. She will still have a champion title.”

“That might not be sustainable,” Emmet said, “all you gotta do is lose once and you’re out of a job.”

“A bit blunt, my dear,” Elesa said to Emmet as Dawn choked on her food.

“Not technically,” Dawn defended, “if I get beat by another child prodigy, then I can be a Regent! And I can still substitute, if needed. Also, I am a Top Coordinator!”

“Outside of whether or not she was the champion, it is something to think about,” Ingo said, “not that you have to think about it right at this moment. But Cynthia did say you were two years behind school work –”

“I’m caught up,” Dawn gave a thumbs up.

“You did two years of school work in, what, four months?” Ingo said, incredulous.

“I have a very flexible curriculum.”

“Would your credits transfer if you wanted to further your education?”

“Oh, yeah, yeah. I passed the national exams so far. The League’s been tutoring me in subjects for years. Including stuff not on the national exams,” she rolled her eyes, “neither Paldean or Kalosian has been helpful yet ever.”

Ingo put his face in his hands, “how many languages do you know?”

“I mean, you know two now, which is more than either Emmet or I,” Elesa elbowed Ingo in the side.

“You’re good at languages, then,” Emmet said, “you can always do something with that.”

“Hey, why is a group of professional battlers telling me to have a backup plan?” Dawn frowned.

Ingo sighed, “because we all know we are very, very lucky. We worked hard, sure, but that’s not all it takes. We all had backup plans, too. It’s nice to have peace of mind. What if your team got sick and couldn’t battle anymore? It’s happened before to champions.”

“Well,” Dawn frowned, “what did you all do?”

“I did Textile Studies,” Elesa shrugged, “with a focus on cosmetology. We would put on student shows where we would model our projects, and that’s where I got scouted.”

“We got associates in Railroad Operations,” Emmet said, “plus all the qualifications needed to drive the trains in Unova. Qualifications that Ingo still needs to redo,” Emmet gave Ingo a look.

“Hey!” Ingo said, “this isn’t about my future, it’s about Dawn’s.”

“No, let’s talk about Uncle Ingo,” Dawn insisted.

“Nice try,” Elesa chuckled, “but Barry did a wonderful job translating for us. Maybe you could both do something like that!”

“Barry is busy becoming a Tower Tycoon,” Dawn said, “and I’m terrible at switching between languages.”

“A Tower Tycoon?” Emmet said, “That’s…a Battle Facility Head, isn’t it? I guess I forgot you both beat us on the subway. Kinda just thought he was a nerd.”

“Okay, okay. If not a translator, what else are you good at? Or that you like to do?” Elesa asked.

Dawn hummed, “I like clothes.”

“She does,”Ingo agreed, “she bought so many clothes in Hisui.”

“Again, handmade kimonos for that price? Of course I did.”

“Maybe you would also be interested in textiles!” Elesa exclaimed.

“Or you could be a model,” Emmet laughed.

“Absolutely not,” Dawn huffed, “and textiles don’t seem right either.”

“You did create most of the first ever Pokedex,” Ingo said, “you could go into history or research.”

“Yeah, research has gotten a bit more involved than ‘pretend you don’t know what type matchups are so you can say you studied them’,” Dawn sighed, “I’m just not sure what I want to do.”

Seeing her become stressed, Ingo said, “it’s just something to think about. You don’t have to decide, and a lot of people have a change of track in their life anyway.”

“But, in the meantime, there is the Blueberry Academy,” Emmet said.

Ingo narrowed his eyes, “I don’t think I remember that.”

“It’s a premier competitive battling school. They specialize in Double Battles! I’ve given some guest lectures there before. But, you can also enroll in other tracks.”

“Why would I do that rather than my studies at the League?” Dawn asked, confused.

“Well,” Emmet said, “you could have a more traditional schooling experience with other high-level battlers. And also, you could stay longer if you had a student visa.”

“...compelling argument,” Dawn said, “But it would be the third region I went to school in. I grew up in between two worlds, and I still am. I don’t know. I’ll think about it.”

—-

“Well, that isn’t the worst idea,” Cynthia mused, “it would be good for you to be with your peers again, anyway.”

“What do you mean? I’m perfectly well adjusted.”

Cynthia gave her a look through the PC they were using to communicate, “Uh huh.”

“Whatever,” Dawn laughed, “what do you know about the place, anyway?”

Cynthia thought for a moment, “it’s not a very old academy, but it is well-regarded, especially for double battling. They have a sister school in Paldea and has a robust exchange program with them.”

“How do you know all of this?” Dawn asked, bewildered.

“Oh, I’ve been invited to speak at a lot of schools.”

“...does that pay?”

Cynthia gave her a weird look, “yes, they pay you to do that. Why?”

“Are you going to be okay when you’re no longer regent?” Dawn looked away, feeling awkward that she was the reason Cynthia would soon be out of a job.

“As in, money wise?” Cynthia laughed, “yes, child. I’ve been the Champion for over a decade. I’ve invested plenty and can live comfortably off my savings.”

“Can you teach me how to do that?” Dawn asked, “they’re hounding me about my future plans over here and it’s freaking me out. Did you have a backup plan?”

“Of course I can. And yes, I was going to be a historian.” Cynthia said.

“You already are a historian.”

“A hobby historian. I would be laughed out of a room with professors,” Cynthia shook her head, “I’m sure you’ll land on your feet, no matter what happens. But they’re just asking because they care about you and your future.”

Dawn frowned, and thought, “so…you wouldn’t mind if I studied for a year here in Unova and then came back once I turned eighteen to steal your job?”

“You aren’t stealing my job,” Cynthia reminded her, “you earned it about five years ago. And I’ve had five years to prepare, so it would be my fault if I wasn’t ready. I’m excited to see you at the helm of the League, Dawn. Think about what you want to do, and then let me know. See ya later, child.”

“See ya, Cynthia. Thank you.”

Dawn sighed and stretched. She was good at living in the wilderness. Maybe she’d just run off and have no responsibilities.

But then she would miss running water.

Pity.

Chapter Text

“It’s getting crowded in here,” Emmet said, stepping over a sleeping Glaceon.

“I agree. It was a tight fit with my Hisuian team, let alone with two other people and their teams.” Ingo said, shooing away the Lucario and Emoglas that had teamed up to raid the kitchen cabinets.

“Too bad the person with the smallest team is the one that’s only here weekends,” Emmet laughed, rifling through the fridge.

“Maybe we should think about getting a new place,” Ingo said. “I doubt we ever meant to stay in this apartment forever.”

Emmet looked up, surprised, “You would want to? Haven’t you recovered a lot of memories just by being here?”

Ingo shrugged, “I suppose I have, but I’ve remembered a lot of our childhoods, and we certainly aren’t in our childhood home.”

“Dawn and Elesa will not be here forever,” Emmet said.

“I know,” Ingo said, “but I also want them to have a place to come back to, whenever they’d like. And, like I’ve said, it’s crowded with my Hisuian team, as well.”

“Every single one of your new team is huge,” Emmet shook his head, “how did that even happen?”

“I mean, I lived on the side of a mountain,” Ingo replied, “there was plenty of room.”

“Fair,” Emmet said, “but you are serious about finding a place?”

“I think it would be great. Maybe we could get somewhere with a huge yard – all of our Pokemon would be able to roam, and we could battle, and maybe even have a little garden.” Ingo mused, leaning his chin on his hand.

Emmet laughed, “you’ve been thinking about this for a while, haven’t you?”

Ingo looked away, “I’m not used to being cooped up, I guess,” he looked sharply at Emmet, “but if you’re happy here, I’m fine with that. We’ve been making do just fine.”

Emmet smiled wider, “no, I think it would work. I was just worried that you’d be sad to leave something you’d had before…it happened.”

“It will be sad, I think,” Ingo said, “but also exciting.”

—-

Dawn didn’t have a key for the apartment yet, so she knocked on the door. She was exhausted. She had finally received her student visa after a very scary interview and a mountain of paperwork. When Emmet opened the door, she waved the paperwork around, “I got it!” she announced.

“Verrrry good!” Emmet responded, “Ingo, come here! Dawn’s got her visa!”

“Bravo!” she heard the loud shout, “you’ll be full speed ahead from here, won’t you?”

“Yes, I’ve completed the enrollment paperwork. They should be sending my uniform and roommate questionnaire soon.”

“Ugh, roommates?” Emmet gave a disgusted grimace, “terrible.”

Ingo side eyed him, “Emmet, we are roommates.”

“Different,” Emmet said, “we share an apartment. Not a room. Why don’t you just stay here instead?” he turned to Dawn.

“I…” Dawn stopped, “I mean. It’s crowded here, and I’ll be here for a year. I don’t…”

“You do not have to if you don’t want to,” Ingo reassured her, “but we have been talking about getting a house. One with a big yard and extra rooms and a nice little garden.”

“Don’t do that just for me!” Dawn said, “I can just live in the dorms and I can get out of your hair.”

“We weren’t doing that just for you,” Emmet rebutted, “we are doing it because we want our teams to be able to spread out. Have you seen Ingo’s team? Huge.”

Dawn giggled, “It would be nice not to have to take my Garchomp on a walk because otherwise he’d break the ceiling.”

“Then we’re all on board!” Emmet said, “except for Elesa, who doesn’t actually live here.”

“Most aboard,” Dawn lazily point and called, “but since I’m saving money not living in the dorms, I can pay rent.”

Ingo and Emmet looked at each other briefly, before they both said, “Nope! No fare charge.”

Dawn could have cried.

—-

Sighing in frustration, Dawn set down her ArcPhone with a StaryuTube video pulled up on how to tie a tie. Remembering that Ingo wore one every day, she stepped out of the guest bedroom and found her Uncle, dozing lightly on the couch.

“Hmm?” he said as she approached.

“I need help with the tie,” Dawn grumbled.

“Aww, is that your new uniform? It looks good,” Ingo said, reaching out to grab the tie. He stared at it for a few seconds, before looking away sheepishly, “I don’t know how to tie it, either.”

“What do you mean?” Dawn exclaimed, “you wear one everyday!”

Ingo grimaced, “I wear a clip on. So does Emmet.”

“Tacky,” Dawn rebuked him.

“It's for safety!” Ingo defended, as if he hadn’t had the same reaction when he found out.

“Does anyone here know how to tie a tie?” Dawn sighed.

“Elesa probably does,” Ingo said.

“Can I call her? I don’t want to be late on the first day.”

“I assume she’d be up,” Ingo shrugged.

Elesa did, in fact, know how to tie a tie. Dawn thanked her, and hung up the xTrans, handing it back to Ingo, “thanks for letting me borrow that.”

“No problem. Are you nervous?”

“Am I nervous?” Dawn spluttered, “yes, I’m nervous! I haven’t been to a school since I was ten when I took my journey leave.”

“Eh, well, you’re a child prodigy. Certainly you’ll figure it out,” Ingo said, ruffling her hair.

Dawn frowned, “I’m not going to be a child much longer. Who am I going to be if not a child prodigy?” she was playing with her fingers, looking down.

Ingo sat up, “you’re still Dawn,” he said, looking up at her.

“What if I already peaked?” Dawn said, “I've heard jokes about people peaking in high school. What if I peaked in elementary school?”

“Well, you saved the whole world when you were high school aged, so no worries about the elementary school thing,” Ingo said, then realized that it wasn’t helpful. He had no clue how to help with this. So instead, he sighed, and took her fidgeting hands in his, “Dawn, you are so beloved. When you left for two years, your region didn’t move on. When we traveled around Sinnoh, I saw you everywhere.”

“That can change, though,” Dawn said. She knew fame was a fickle thing.

“Maybe for some. But not for me, or your mother or Cynthia or Lucas or Barry or Emmet or Elesa or–”

“Okay, I get it!” Dawn laughed, “you made your point.”

“Right,” Ingo said with a small smile, “so whatever you choose to do or not do, you’ll have a support system behind you, always.”

“All right, all right,” Dawn said, “I should get going. I don’t want to be late.”

Ingo saw her out the door, and then frowned.

“Is something wrong, Ingo?” Emmet came out of his room, already dressed for the subway.

Ingo sniffed a little, “she’s off to school. They grow up so fast, don’t they?”

Emmet gave him a weird look, “...she’s seventeen. She’s been going to school for years.”

That didn’t stop Ingo’s frown, so Emmet gave him a hug anyway, “do you think she’ll make friends?” Ingo asked, eyes wide.

Emmet tried to stifle a laugh, glad the hug was hiding his face, “yes, she’ll be fine. Come on, you have to get ready too.”

Chapter Text

“The subway to school is underwater and you didn’t tell me?” Dawn exclaimed into her ArcPhone, “I saw a Wailmer, a Wailmer. If I were into trains that would be in the top five things I wouldn’t shut up about.”

Dawn watched him mock offense, “Do you mean to say that you are not into trains?”

“No, I’m into girls. It was, like, a whole big thing. You were there.”

Ingo pinched his nose, “Ha ha, very funny. Wait. Are you insinuating- Nevermind. How was your first day at school? Where are you now?”

“I’m in the terrarium, having an impromptu beach holiday,” Dawn said, shifting her phone to show the crystal clear waters, “classes were fine. Learned a lot about Alolan Pokemon. Did you know Alolan Exeggutors look ridiculous?”

“I believe that Pokemon is banned on the subway,” Ingo said, trying to remember, “because it knocks itself out on the ceiling.”

It took a moment to hit before Dawn started giggling uncontrollably, “this happened?” she asked.

“I would imagine so. There’s a whole list of banned Pokemon. Mostly so someone doesn’t bring a God onto the subway and destroy the car and everyone in it, but also…because it's OHKO for the tall dudes,” he then changed tracks, “are you done for the day? Should we expect you for dinner?”

“I’m done with classes,” Dawn nodded, “but I’m required to join an extracurricular club. I just have no idea which one. There’s a mock league club, but…that kinda feels like cheating a bit.”

“I…could see how that could cause some friction with your peers,” Ingo agreed, “maybe there’s a train club.”

Dawn rolled her eyes, “no.”

“More seriously,” Ingo said, “there might be an International Student Club that might prove helpful to you.

Dawn tilted her head, “now that’s an idea. I’ll check it out, actually. Thanks, Uncle Ingo.”

—-

“This Club encompasses both students from other regions and our exchange students from the sister school in Paldea,” the Club President explained, walking her to the clubroom, “Blueberry is very much about student’s autonomy, so it’s entirely student-run. I myself am from Paldea.”

“Which school is that?” Dawn asked.

“Uva-Naranja Academy,” the President replied.

“Grape-Orange Academy?” Dawn laughed, “I’m sensing a theme with Academy names.”

“Oh, can you speak Paldean?” The president asked.

“Only a bit,” Dawn said, and then stopped suddenly.

“Here we are!” the president said, spreading her arms widely, “let me introduce you real quick. Here we have our Paldea squad! We have Champions Juliana and Florian – they’re twins. Arven, sandwich making extraordinaire, and Penny, who is originally from Galar!” she added this with such a hopeful insistence that Dawn couldn’t help being confused.

The President must have seen her confused expression, because she said, “you’re from Galar, aren’t you? I thought with the accent…”

Dawn shook her head, “No, I’m from Sinnoh.”

“Did you ask her anything about herself?” the one named Penny rolled her eyes.

“Of course!” the President insisted, “Her name is Dawn and she…is apparently from Sinnoh.”

“Did you just say Dawn from Sinnoh?” Penny shook her head.

“That’s me,” Dawn said, “nice to meet you all. Thank you for showing me around, Miss…President.”

Arven snorted, “Did you not introduce yourself?”

“Sorry! I was just so excited to have a new student!” The President turned to her, playing with her green bangs, “I’m Nemona, Champion ranked Trainer. I love battling! Do you like to battle? We should battle.”

“Three Champion ranked trainers in one cohort?” Dawn said, eyebrows raised, “quite the stacked lineup.”

“You did not just ask if Dawn from Sinnoh liked battling.” Penny said, “you’re seriously asking if one of the most decorated trainers of our generation likes to battle? Are you ever on the internet?”

“I, uhh, didn’t realize. Sorry, Dawn.” Nemona apologized, but Dawn waved it off.

“Trust me, not an issue.”

“I’m surprised with how much of a battle enthusiast you are you don’t know her.” Penny said.

“I don’t know her either,” Arven said.

“Yeah, but you’ve been busy with your tragic backstory. Nemona has no excuse.”

“I remember back when you were quiet,” Arven snapped.

Dawn’s smile became strained. This was going to be a lot and a half.

—-

“I’ve been asking my challengers today if anyone had a house for sale, and I think I found one that could work for us,” Emmet said, “I just sent you the link.”

“An odd method, but respectable,” Ingo said, feeling his wrist vibrate. He looked at the listing, “Emmet. This is huge. Five bedrooms? Five and a half baths?”

“Dawn and Elesa can have their own rooms, then. And the Pokemon can have one, too.”

Ingo mulled it over, “I do like the yard. I guess it can’t hurt to take a tour of it.”

“Yes!” Emmet pumped his fist, “I’ll call the realtor.”

—-

Before, dinner had always been an informal affair. But Ingo returned with a fairly good skill at cooking and an assumption that they ate together. Emmet had no reason to tell him that they usually just ordered something out and ate in their rooms. It was much cheaper in the long run, anyway, which was needed if they were planning on buying a house.

This was especially true when they had company. When Dawn was that company, Emmet felt a bit useless, watching them both operate in the kitchen to produce a stellar meal.

“Was it difficult to make the switch from a fire to a stovetop?” Dawn asked Ingo.

“I think it was a pretty easy switch,” Ingo mused, “the cooking is the same. I just don’t have to worry about the fire going out.”

“Makes sense,” Dawn nodded, “here’s the rest of the veggies.”

Emmet was sitting at the table, watching, “so, how was your first day? Did you make any friends?”

“Oh, yes, were you able to see if there was an International Student Club?”

“There was, and I joined,” Dawn nodded, “but it’s…odd. I think the members hate each other?”

“Hmm? What makes you say that?” Emmet said.

“The vibes were off,” Dawn nodded sagely, and Emmet pretended to know what that meant, “also, in just the Paldea cohort they have three champions.”

“Right. That was the region you said had multiple champions. We were talking about about an Ursaluna, right?”

“Oh my Gods,” she stopped stirring the pot, “Perrin said it was a champion by the name of Juliana that caught Ursaluna. I think Nemona said…”

“Said what?” Emmet prompted her.

“Huh,” Dawn said, “guess I might meet a weird Ursaluna tomorrow.”

“Tell me how it goes!” Ingo said.

Chapter Text

“If you don’t have an electric Pokemon on your team, feel free to observe how the chargestone crystals affect the native Joltik,” The professor clapped his hands together, “now please break off into pairs for this project.”

Dawn grimaced – she had been hoping that she would be spared the pain of trying to find a partner, but it was no such luck. She was friendly with plenty of people, especially the people in the International Student Club, but not friends with them. Dawn tried not to worry about it – it had only been a week, after all.

In the end, it was a member of the club who saved her, “Hey! Club buddy! You wanna be partners?” It was the boy named Arven.

Dawn smiled, “sure.”

“Thing is,” he said, “I don’t have an electric type. Are you fine with bugs, then?”

“Oh, I got you,” Dawn said, releasing her Luxray.

To her surprise, Arven got on his hands and knees to inspect the Luxray. The Luxray, however, preened under the attention. When he was finished with his observations, he stood up and gave a jaunty thumbs up, “your Luxray looks like it is in a very healthy condition! You must feed it well!”

Dawn laughed, taken aback, “He’s a good boy! He’s on the best pokechow money can buy!”

“Ah, someone who understands the importance of good food on the development of Pokemon!” the boy nodded sagely.

Dawn tentatively stated, “isn’t that…well known?” The League supplied her with Pokechow that she certainly couldn’t afford before she became champion, but there had always been ongoing debates about the best foods for certain Pokemon.

“You would think!” Arven boomed, then continued, “shall we start?”

“O-of course. How about we use that crystal over there?” Dawn pointed, “What does the first instruction say?”

“Have the Pokemon touch the crystal. Record its reaction.” Arven read off the clipboard.

Dawn shrugged, “all right. Luxray, dear, can you give it a poke?”

Luxray obliged, sticking its paw onto the surface. It cried in glee as blue electricity crackled around him. Dawn patted him, glad to see it made him happy.

“Woah!” Arven said, throwing his hands up, “your hair is sticking straight out!”

“Is it?” Dawn said, grabbing her own head, “generally that only happens after quite a bit of petting, not just a pat.”

“Definitely a lot of electrical charge, then,” Arven said, writing on the clipboard.

“But not, like, the kind that will kill you, like a third rail,” Dawn said, “wonder what about the charge makes the difference?”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about, club buddy,” Arven said, “but I’m writing it down because it sounds smart.”

Dawn laughed, and they continued working through the instructions. They chatted, and Dawn learned that Arven had decided to come to Blueberry after he found out they offered accelerated classes that would let him fit in as many credits as possible in a short amount of time.

“I’m trying to fit in as many as I can, too, before I turn eighteen and have to go back to my job,” Dawn said.

“Heh, I’m already eighteen. I should have graduated last year,” he said sheepishly, “but I had some things happen that…took my mind off school. But now I’m back on track!” he gave another jaunty thumbs up, “so everything is going great!”

After they were done and turned the paper in, Arven patted the Luxray on the head, yelping when he got a little zap, “It’s all right, zappy buddy,” Arven said as the Luxray looked guilty, “thank you for all your work today. Tell Dawn you deserve a picnic tonight!”

Dawn gave him an odd look, “a picnic?”

It was Arven’s turn to give an odd look, “haven’t you ever had a picnic?”

Dawn shook her head, “no, I don’t think so.”

Arven looked shocked and appalled, “Tonight. The Paldean crew is throwing you a true Paldean picnic, featuring sandwiches by yours truly. Be there.”

—-

Dawn wasn’t quite sure where they were supposed to meet up, “Coastal Biome” not being a detailed enough description to help. So she took to the air on Togekiss and followed the oddly-dense number of Pokemon that seemed concentrated in one area.

It proved to be the correct choice, as she landed and saw most of the Paldean squad, as well as few other club members. Arven waved at her, “right on time! I’m just finishing the sandwiches. Let your pokemon out! Go on, go on!”

Dawn sweated, “All of them?”

“Yeah!” Nemona said, “I want to meet them!”

“That’s just so you’ll know what you're up against when you inevitably force her into a battle.” Penny said.

Figuring she’d start slow, she tossed out Togekiss, Glaceon, Empoleon, and her Luxray. These were met with immediate affection, Glaceon especially as Penny threw herself to her. The fluffy Eevee bag and full team of Eeveelutions should have probably clued Dawn in that she liked the “vee-vees”.

“I see three more Pokeballs on your belt!” Nemona exclaimed, then thought, “wait, that’s seven!”

“I’m licensed! I’m licensed!” Dawn put her hands in front of her, “the last one doesn’t battle, anyway.”

Unfortunately, the seventh Pokemon decided it was a good time to introduce itself, and Dawn watched in horror as it escaped from its Pokeball and said, “that is because you do not battle with me.”

Everyone immediately went silent. It was awkward until she heard someone exclaim in a noticeable Sinnohan accent, “Is that God?”

Dawn looked over to see who had made the exclamation. She was immediately struck by a sense of familiarity, despite never seeing the boy before. She squinted a little bit, taking in his purple hair, an ancient Pokeball necklace, and the Platinum Clan bracelet. She immediately grabbed her wooden one, and asked, “who are you?”

“Name’s Rowan,” he sat back down on the blanket, looking exhausted from his previous surprise. A small Sneasel head popped out of his purple hair, “and this is Cherri. Lord Electrode’s off rolling somewhere.”

Dawn gawked for a moment, before saying, “...you don’t…happen to know if you have an ancestor named Melli, do you?”

“Oh please,” Rowan said, “let’s not waste time. You’ve got God and a Platinum Clan bracelet. You’re Akari, aren’t you?”

“...yeah,” Dawn said.

The awkward silence continued, until Dawn remembered she still had two rather neglected Pokemon on her belt, “Oh, right,” she said, and then released them.

She heard some gasps, and she figured it probably wasn’t because of her Typhlosion, who had circled back around to give her a hug.

“What are you feeding this thing?” she heard Arven exclaim, looking upwards at the Garchomp.

“He was born like that. He’s a sweetheart, I promise.” Dawn said. Thank goodness she had not brought the Zoroark.

“Sorry we’re late!” The twins, Juliana and Florian, were running up towards the picnic. Nemona waved excitedly at them.

“Not late at all!” Arven exclaimed, “I just finished making sandwiches for everyone. Gather ‘round!”

“Oh, good. Let me just get our Pokemon out,” one of the twins said. Dawn whipped her head back around as she saw the most beaten-down looking Ursaluna in her life. She stood up, and made its way over to him.

She crouched down, letting the Ursaluna stand on all fours to make eye contact. They stared at each other for a while, before the Ursaluna huffed and gave her hair a sniff. Did it recognize who she was?

“I think you might be a little like me,” Dawn said, reaching out, “what happened to you? Are you a bit adrift?”

—-

The sandwiches were, not surprisingly, very good. After they had all finished eating, they lingered, chatting on the picnic blanket.

“So…” Dawn ventured, “how do you guys know each other? Other than the club, I mean.”

“We four knew each other before we came to Blueberry, actually!” Nemona said, “Juliana’s my partner!”

Juliana looked like she was about to say something, before Arven chimed in, “And Florian’s my little buddy! He helped out my Mabostiff when it wasn’t feeling very well.”

And the girl named Penny looked away in embarrassment, “and they helped me regain my greatest treasure.”

Dawn stopped, “that’s…actually adorable, guys. I thought…I guess you’re all pretty close?”

The four of them looked at each other, then looked away, “I guess,” Arven said, “I mean, we…went through some stuff.”

“That we’ve been asked to keep under wraps,” Nemona warned.

Dawn laughed, “me too, guys. Me too.”

“Isn’t yours public knowledge?” Penny asked.

“Not all of it.”

“Wait, what’s public knowledge?” Arven asked.

“You still haven’t searched her on the internet?” Penny exclaimed.

“Anything she wants to tell us, she’ll tell,” Arven huffed.

“Yeah, I guess not everyone just drops their tragic backstory reveal on new friends,” Penny scoffed.

“You’re still on that?” Arven said.

Dawn watched them bicker, even more confused than before.

—-

Back home, Dawn was changing out of her uniform into pajamas, when she saw something flash at the corner of her eye. She looked to see a Joltik clinging on her shirt. Startled, she shouted and threw the shirt away from her.

Outside the door she heard rapid footsteps and a loud, “Dawn? Are you all right?” she panicked as the door handle turned.

“No! No!” she said, diving behind the bed.

“Is everything alright- where did you go?”

Ingo saw a small thumbs up come from behind the bed, “everything is good. Please leave.”

Ingo shut the door without another word.

“What’s going on?” Emmet said.

“No idea. Not sure I want to know.”

—-

When Dawn reappeared, she laid a Joltik on the table, “I had a passenger in my uniform,” she explained, “probably from my class work at Chargestone.”

“You went to Chargestone?” Emmet said, delighted, then was confused, “you mean there’s a Chargestone Cave at the school?”

“Yeah, in the Terrarium,” Dawn said, “hey buddy, I didn’t mean to shout at you. You just scared me. You’ve been clinging on me all day, haven’t you?”

“Congrats on the new friend,” Ingo said, watching the Joltik hop in place, “also, this weekend we’re going to look at a house. You want to join us?”

“Sure, why not?” Dawn said, handing the Joltik to the Garvantula that had taken an interest, “I’ll join you guys.”

Chapter Text

This one if you will, Machamp,” Ingo directed his Pokemon, “it’s all books, so tell me if it is too heavy.”

“Ingo, it is a Machamp. It is not heavy for him,” Emmet said, watching as the Machamp toddled out the door.

Elesa slung nearly Emmet’s entire closet worth of clothes across Zebstrika, “you still good?” she asked him. He replied with a happy neigh.

“I think that’s nearly everything, except for the desk,” Dawn said, coming back from her trip out to the truck.

“Dawn, can you take Zebstrika down while we empty out the desk?” Elesa asked.

“Sure,” Dawn said, reaching out to take the Pokemon from her. She led him down on a lead so the apartment complex wouldn’t complain about a loose Zebstrika. She slid the clothes off of his back and led him into the apartment again.

As Dawn reentered Emmet’s room – or, at least, what used to be Emmet’s room – she felt the awkwardness and stopped. Ingo, Elesa, and Emmet looked very upset. Ingo was holding what looked to be a stack of newspapers.

Finally, Ingo broke the silence, “why did you keep these? No, why did you collect them in the first place?”

Emmet mumbled, “I forgot about them.”

“Maybe so, but again, why did you get them all? You don’t have a paper subscription.” Elesa said, quietly.

Dawn looked between the three, and wondered if she should leave. It seemed like whatever was happening or whatever they found in Emmet’s desk was none of her business. She turned to leave when she heard Emmet say, “you know everyone thought I killed you. You know I believed I ran you off myself. Is it that much of a surprise?”

“But why torture yourself?” Ingo said, tossing the papers in the throw away pile.

“I thought I deserved the torture,” Emmet said, looking away, “come on, let’s not dwell on it. Forget it happened.”

“Uh, no, sir,” Elesa said, “we are not going to brush past this. We only have the truck for today, so maybe we don’t have time to address it now, but we will soon.”

“Great,” Emmet said, thickly.

—-

The rest of the packing went by fairly quietly. It wasn’t until they all packed into the truck and made it to the new house that everyone perked back up.

“It’s still huge” Ingo said, shaking his head, “I can’t believe we own all of this.”

“I’m just surprised you own a house, instead of turning a train tunnel or something into one,” Elesa smirked.

“Hmm,” Ingo said, “was that an option?”

“No!” Elesa said.

“There is a lot of room. What are you going to do when Elesa and I aren’t there?” Dawn asked.

Emmet mocked wiping his eyes, “wait for you guys to get back.”

“We should host a party!” Elesa said, “the gym leaders can come, and Dawn, you can invite your new friends over, too!”

“I…guess I could ask if they wanted to,” Dawn nodded.

“Perfect!” Elesa said, “now, let’s get moving unless you want late fees on the truck.”

—-

Dawn was happily settling in her room, her school, and her place in life. With a pang, she realized that she had only so many more months left before her life would change drastically again. She sighed, wondering when she would be able to settle down.

Now that she had been able to think about it – Emmet was right. It only took one defeat for her to lose her job. And if that happened, what then? She would have to uproot herself. And it could happen at any time. Ten years from now, she might have to rethink her life goals.

Dawn knew one thing: she wanted to be content. But that just raised more questions of what she wanted, instead of answering them.

She shook herself out of her thoughts as she saw a familiar crowd arrive at the gate.

“Hey guys!” she waved them over, “come meet my uncle!”

“This is Nemona, the club president,” Dawn said, “and her girlfriend, Juliana, and Juliana’s twin, Florian-”

“Wait,” Nemona said, “Juliana is not my girlfriend?”

Dawn stared at her for a moment, “you said you were partners.”

Juliana put her face into her hands and said, “doubles partners.”

“Oh my gods,” Dawn said, “I thought you two were dating for the past two months.”

“I thought it was obvious I was talking about battling?” Nemona said.

Arven scoffed, “not everyone has battle on the brain!”

Dawn sighed deeply, “this is Ingo, my uncle. This is Emmet, his twin brother. That over there is Elesa, their sister. Maybe you all should introduce yourselves instead.”

“Wouldn’t your uncle's brother be your uncle?” Penny asked.

“I…guess it would,” Dawn said, looking awkwardly at Emmet. Emmet looked awkwardly back, even more stiff than usual.

She was saved by having to say anything else by Arven shouting, “Damn, that’s your aunt? Y’all have some good genes.”

They all stared at him, thinking about the implications of that statement.

Dawn said, “none of us are related by blood.”

Ingo and Emmet found this particularly funny, and threw up their hands in a shrug, “I just found this guy on the side of a road one day,” Emmet said.

“Okay, except for them.” Dawn sighed, “this is going horribly.”

“Honestly, I think it’s going very well. Three of the world’s top-most ranking trainers and Nemona hasn’t thrown down once,” Penny said.

“What? Where?” Nemona said, grabbing a Pokeball.

“Nooo,” the group rushed to stop her.

—-

“I’m so sorry,” Dawn said, once she had cornered Ingo, getting food from the table, “that was, I’m sure, very awkward.”

Ingo laughed, “it was fine. Actually quite funny, to be honest. One question, though,” he said, twirling the fork in his hands, “do they not know who you are?”

Dawn looked away, “Penny does. She lives on the internet. But she hasn’t really revealed anything to the rest of them. The rest of them just kinda…know something is up but they don’t ask.”

Ingo gave her a disappointed look, “you did the same thing with me, you know,” he said, “I understand why you did it, but this isn’t a life or death situation anymore. These are your friends, and you’ll never get closer if you hide who you are from them.”

Dawn frowned, “it’s just nice to be a normal student, you know?”

“And I understand that. You don’t have to tell everyone. Just the people that trust you. How did our friendship change when you told me?”

“It didn’t,” Dawn mumbled.

“Exactly. Because I don’t care who other people think you are,” he ruffled the top of her head, “I would be proud to call you my niece even if you didn’t have so many acronyms around your name.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Dawn patted her hair down, “thanks, Uncle Ingo.”

“No problem,” Ingo replied, “but I think your friend just challenged Emmet to a battle.”

Dawn turned around, “yeah, she does that. She was challenging the gym leaders earlier, too.”

“Is she any good?”

“Oh, yeah, she is. She’s a Champion in Paldea. So are the twins, actually,” Dawn said.

“Emmet will be ecstatic, then,” Ingo chuckled.

—-

The friends all stared at each other after they all shared their stories.

“We all need therapy,” Dawn concluded.

“But could a depressed person do this?” Arven asked, smiling and giving his usual jaunty thumbs up.

“Yes,” they all replied.

Chapter Text

The whole thing rather confused Dawn, but Ingo had assured her that it was a normal graduation ceremony, at least in Unova. She had to fight to prevent herself from batting at the tassel that hung from her hat. She was wearing a rather unflattering gown – blue, of course – over a dress that Elesa had helped her pick out. In a rebellious streak, she wasn’t wearing any heels at all.

The League had wanted to send a hair and makeup team for a graduation photoshoot, but Dawn had refused. Her mom and Elesa helped her get ready instead, and she just took family pictures at her Uncle’s house. They may not have been professionally done, but she loved them, already making one her ArcPhone background.

Hopefully Arceus would not ask why they got rid of the picture of them that they had ever so helpfully stuck on there.

More importantly, she was graduating alongside her peers. Nemona and Arven were somewhere else in the rows, but she knew they were there. She searched the stands, knowing that her mother would be there with Ingo, Emmet, and Elesa. She smiled and waved as she spotted them all in the crowd.

She almost succumbed to a fit of giggles when she was announced to go grab her diploma (by her Government name, bleh) and she heard a blistering cry of, “Bravo!” She didn’t need to look to see who had yelled.

—

“Well, I guess I’ll beg La Primera for a job at the League. If that doesn’t work, then maybe I’ll work at my parent’s company,” Nemona said, “what about you, Arven?”

“I’ve been accepted into Culinary School in Kalos!” Arven announced.

“Congratulations!” Nemona cheered, “and you, Dawn, I assume you’ll go back to being the Champion?”

“Something like that,” Dawn said, giving a small smile. For whatever reason, she didn’t feel excited to be going back to the League. She wasn’t nervous, either. No, it was almost like…she was dreading it. It had been a luxury, to do something to better herself – go to school, make friends (that weren’t conspiring to kill her), be a kid.

Sure, she wasn’t going to be a kid any longer, but more than that – she had been able to be her own person. That hadn’t happened since she was…nine? She went on her Pokemon journey, immediately got embroiled in stopping a terrorist organization (looking back, she had no idea how, at ten years old, anyone let her do that), then became the youngest Champion in Sinnohan history, taking classes on etiquette and languages. She then was kidnapped to the past by an uncaring God, where she had to fight tooth and nail to make it out alive, let alone to home.

And here she was, getting ready to return to the place that would dictate who she was, and where and what she was doing. It might have been fine before, but the taste of autonomy was too sweet to not sour the life she had chosen.

Chosen as an eleven year old.

Well, it was her fault, in the end.

Dawn was snapped out of her thoughts by Nemona, blessedly always oblivious of the room, saying she needed to go find her family, as they had flown over to see her. Dawn waved goodbye, and said she should probably do the same.

“Wait,” Dawn said, before Nemona and Arven were turning to leave.

“What’s up, Club Buddy?” Arven said, still hanging on to the nickname from months ago.

Dawn felt a little awkward, already emotional from her earlier reverie, “...just, thanks. For being my friends. It means a lot.” She bowed deeply to them, knowing that the gesture may be lost in cultural translation, but wanting to give it to them anyway.

Instead, she was bundled up in a group hug.

—-

Johanna did not like the haunted look in her daughter’s eyes. Ingo noticed it too, sharply looking at her when Dawn had found her way through the crowd to meet them.

“Hi, guys! Thanks for coming,” she said, obviously forced.

Elesa and Emmet did not seem to notice, however, and Elesa handed her a carnation, “Congratulations!”

“We are verrrrrry impressed with you, yup,” Emmet nodded in agreement.

“Thank you,” Dawn said, stomping all her emotions down again, “It was fun! I didn’t expect everyone to throw their hats everywhere, though!”

“Ah, yes, yes. Very common tradition. I guess that isn’t the same in Sinnoh?” Emmet asked.

“No, we don’t wear the caps and gowns, either. Just our uniforms.”

“And how does it feel to be graduated?” Ingo spoke up for the first time.

Dawn looked at him, and smiled, “great!”

She didn’t miss how his mouth spread into a thin line.

—-

Dawn knew that Ingo would be in the kitchen. Dawn also knew that he knew that she was very unhappy yesterday. Dawn further knew that she was craving her breakfast yogurt.

It was going to have to be a sneaky operation.

She tiptoed to the fridge, slowly opened the cutlery drawer and started booking it back upstairs, before she was started by a low, “Dawn.”

She whipped back around to see Ingo, who looked like he had been watching her from the living room the whole time.

“Whatcha need?” Dawn said, too brightly, “want some yogurt? I can get you some.”

“I need you to talk to your mother or me about what happened yesterday,” Ingo said, as casually as if he was commenting about the weather.

“Hmm, I’d rather bottle it up,” Dawn said, trying to make the conversation lighter, “just some teen angst, you know how it is.”

She gave him double finger guns and tried to go back upstairs, but he said, “we can also listen to teen angst, too, you know.”

“Teen angst is embarrassing for all parties involved,” Dawn argued.

“What’s the teen angst, then? Have a crush?” he rested his chin on his hand, “is it Nemona? I bet it’s Nemona. Sad to be going your separate ways now?”

Ingo didn’t really think that was the issue, but he wanted to prod her a little bit, see if he could help get something off her shoulders. What he did not expect was for her to burst into tears.

“Oh. Oh dear,” Ingo said, reeling, “I mean, you can still message each other, and, there’s still time if you need to tell her-”

“No,” Dawn snorted, covering her face, “no, that is not it.”

“Oh,” Ingo fell back on his heels, “then, um. What is it?”

Dawn looked steadily at the floor, “did I ever tell you how I originally became known to the public?”

“I assume it was when you first used the Gods?”

“Yes…and no,” Dawn said, “there was this man. Named Cyrus. He was the leader of Team Galactic. What the…survey corps eventually became. They were a terrorist organization.”

“The Galaxy Team became a terrorist organization?” Ingo asked, shocked.

Dawn nodded, “Cyrus…was like Volo. He thought the world should be destroyed and remade into a perfect one. He needed power, so he bombed one of the lakes of the Lake Guardians. I was there. It was…horrible. For years, every time I closed my eyes, I would see the poor Magikarp that had gotten in the crossfire. They were all writhing and screaming,” Dawn sobbed, “I didn't know Magikarp could scream.”

Ingo led her over to the couch, letting her get comfortable, “this was before you were champion? How old were you?”

“I was ten,” Dawn answered.

Ingo sucked in a deep breath, “And so you became known because…”

“Because I overthrew the organization. I defeated Cyrus. I was Sinnoh’s little hero. But I…couldn't deal with everything that happened. I couldn't keep still, so I kept moving. I became Champion to stay busy. Isn’t that a terrible reason? I didn't have plans to improve the region or anything. But it wasn't enough. In the off season, I did contest circuits. And then, when I was fifteen…” Dawn trailed off, “you know what happened.”

“Yes,” Ingo said thickly.

“And then we came back, but then it was right back to being told who I was and how I should act,” Dawn shuddered, thinking of the disastrous exhibition match, “coming here has been the best thing in my life for almost a decade. I was a real person, with my own life and my own self. And now, I have to go back. And this time, it's just me. There's no Cynthia.”

Ingo was quiet for a second, seemingly gathering his thoughts, “I think you'll do a great job, even without Cynthia, but I don't think that's the issue. I think…you hadn't allowed yourself to stop. To fully process everything that's happened. And now that you're stepping back, looking at this juncture of your life, it's catching up.”

“Probably,” Dawn sniffed, “my therapist always said I had a habit of running. But now I've run too far, and…everything I've ever done in my life…what was it for? Who was it for? I want to be me, but ‘me’ is a construct. A perfectly molded person by a team of PR representatives.”

“I…can't imagine how you feel. I was older when I was told who to be, so I knew the boundary. I…can't imagine how it would be to grow up like that.” Ingo wrapped an arm around her shoulder.

“I don't want a title or acronyms or respect,” Dawn said, tucking her face into his side, “I just want to be content. How do I do that? Please, please, just tell me how I can be happy.”

“I don't have an answer for that, Dawn. I'm so sorry. I’m so, so sorry.”

Chapter Text

Dawn flew home with her mother by her side. Her presence was as comforting as always, but it still didn’t purge the bitter taste in her mouth. She could tell her mother wanted to ask, but was afraid to. That was fine with Dawn. She had nothing left to say. All she had to do was do: Prepare for the televised coronation.

But first, blessedly, she was able to meet up with two people she had sorely missed: Barry and Lucas. They took her to a small restaurant – the only restaurant – in Sandgem City, where her presence only prompted a short, “welcome home”, rather than any fanfare.

“Congrats on graduating!” Lucas said, after they had finally got situated in a booth, “I also just finished my bachelor’s. I got accepted directly into a PhD program!”

“That’s awesome!” Dawn exclaimed, “are you still studying history?”

Lucas nodded, “I’m still focusing on the Hisuian period. The Pokemon you gave me have been helping loads. The department is turning into quite the hub for all things Hisuian. My first assignment is to try to get a grant for a little mini-museum.”

“That would be cool! I probably have some extra things just laying around that I can donate,” Dawn said, “I know I’m just a layman, but if you ever need anything, I don’t mind.”

Lucas smiled, “thank you.”

Barry also had news to share: “My dad has officially hired me as a Tower Tycoon!”

“I knew you could do it!” Dawn said, “have you already started?”

“Kind of…” Barry said, “I’m still technically ‘training’, but I start facing real people next week.”

Lucas laughed, “we all have things to celebrate then! I got accepted into my program, Barry became a Tycoon, and Dawn’s going to be a full-rank champion!”

“Yeah!” Barry agreed, “Move over, Nimbasa Trio. We’re the…what would we be called? We’re not in the same town.”

“Sinnoh trio?” Lucas tilted his head.

“I think that’s the Gods. That might be blasphemy, and they might fine us,” Barry shook his head, “what do you think, Dawn?”

Dawn shook herself, “how about The Trio? Like how you used to call me The Dawn.”

“That works. And I still wish the media picked up The Dawn rather than Top Coordinator Champion Dawn. Such a mouthful,” Barry nodded to the waiter as their food arrived, “thank you.”

“I could always get rid of a title,” Dawn suggested.

Barry looked at her, “well, Top Coordinators are Top Coordinators for life, so the only one you could lose is Champion.”

“I mean, one day I will lose it,” Dawn shrugged.

“Won’t your official title be ex-champion, then?” Lucas asked.

Dawn groaned, “that’s even longer.”

“But why are you thinking about that, anyway?” Barry waved his hands, “you’re just getting ready to get started.”

Dawn hummed, “yeah. Just planning for the future. You guys seem to have that on lock.”

“I guess,” Barry tilted his head, “my father always told me to have a backup, so I thought about becoming a translator, but I don’t have any training for it.”

“Ugh,” Dawn sighed, “the previously mentioned Nimbasa Trio have also told me to have a backup plan, but I don’t have one. I mean, what do I actually want to do for the rest of my life?”

“Not sure, but I’m sure you’ll figure it out. I doubt anyone will be coming for your champion title for a long time, yet.”

And yet, wasn’t that the problem?

—-

She bid her friends goodbye, and used the Pokecenter Abras to return back to the League. Feeling hungry because they had lingered long after they had finished eating, she dropped off her stuff at the dorm and went to the kitchen. Cynthia was eating her dinner, and Dawn perked up at the sight of her, “Hi, Cynthia!”

“Hey, child,” Cynthia greeted, “congratulations on graduating. How was Blueberry?”

“Blueberry was great – I’ll miss it.” Dawn said.

She was worried about revealing too much, but Cynthia just gave an empathetic smile, “yes, I’m sure because the time was so short, it was a very bittersweet ending.”

“Yeah,” Dawn said, “but now I’m back!”

“That you are!” Cynthia answered, “we’ll have a lot of work to do, but you should probably just take a few days to rest. We can get started at the beginning of next week.”

“What exactly needs to be done?” Dawn asked, fearing the answer.

“We’ve been planning the coronation for months, but we haven’t been promoting it – because, well, the main attraction was in school. So we definitely should get started on photoshoots and variety show slots first thing,” Cynthia tapped her chin, “then, of course, we have to choreograph a battle and whatnot. You’ll get to beat me this time, instead of us winning together.”

And, Dawn thought, none of things were bad – not really even difficult. It was all things she had done many times before. She loved the photoshoots, the hair and makeup team working with her to help bring out wardrobe’s vision. They let her wear such gorgeous outfits and sometimes, if she asked, even let her keep them!

So why couldn’t she muster up the enthusiasm for it?

Cynthia seemed to notice she looked worried, “I mean, we won’t start now. I’m sure you’ll want to rest after such a long flight.”

“Yeah, that would be good,” Dawn bit her lip, “what are you going to do? After the coronation?”

“Is that why you’re upset?” Cynthia asked, “not too much will change, probably. At least for a bit. I’ll still have to come in to sign off on a few last things and make sure the transition goes smoothly. Other than that, I don’t know. Maybe go to my Villa?”

“What would happen if someone challenged me before the coronation and I lost? Would they battle you and then if you won would you become the Champion again?” Dawn asked.

Cynthia narrowed her eyes, seemingly in thought, “I…would have to check the League Rules on that. Why do you ask?”

Dawn shrugged, “I don’t know. Just a hypothetical.”

“Are you going to ask me if I’d still be your regent even if you were a Wurmple next?” Cynthia teased.

“Would you?” Dawn asked, using baby-doll eyes.

Cynthia threw her head back to laugh, “yes. Yes, I would be regent to a Wurmple.

—-

Dawn threw more hypotheticals at Cynthia during the coronation practices, to the point that Cynthia was wondering if she had picked up a new habit or Dawn was working through something.

“You know, Champions rise and fall. No one blinks an eye at it. Whether you get beaten a day from now to decades from now, you will have been an exemplary Champion, Dawn. No one could ask more from you.”

Dawn smiled, and it didn’t reach her eyes, “thanks, Cynthia,” she said.

And as the days marched on, and the coronation drew ever closer, the guilt began eating away at Dawn. This was an honored position, one that kids – and even adults, really, from all regions would aspire to attain. She was so privileged to be able to be supported by an organization that housed, fed, and taught her.

Plus, she was afraid she’d regret it. Maybe she was just having a teen angst moment, and when the dust settled, she’d be so upset with herself for quitting just because the going got tough.

After all, wasn’t that the issue? She didn’t know herself, the real Dawn. She knew what TCC Dawn would do, and she even knew what Akari would do. But when she wasn’t putting on an act, who was she? What did she want? To be happy?

Was forcing herself to be a has-been and leaving her well-respected and well-paying job a way to make herself happy? Her heart told her yes, but her brain told her no.

—-

Dawn sighed, and snuck a glance at the clock. As much as she was glad not to be going over Coronation timetables and etiquette, this was proving to be no better. The new contract the legal team had just handed her was substantially larger than her previous one. She was so weary, she was about to sign it without reading it, despite knowing this was supposed to be a negotiation.

Her third-party lawyer started marking their own copy down, recording the changes from the last contract. Dawn started to peruse, even though she often had issues parsing the meaning out of the convoluted phrasing.

So far, she could see that she would get a pretty hefty pay raise. Other than that, it was largely the same until she got to the third page.

“What on Earth is a purity clause?” Dawn said out loud, reading what was under it.

Her lawyer flipped to the page, and said, “no drinking, partying, cursing, drugs, or dating.”

Dawn looked at the League legal team, “I’m not even old enough to drink! What’s this all about?”

One of the PR representatives spoke up, “You are not old enough to drink now, but you will be before this contract expires.”

“What does it matter if I drink?” she looked over to her lawyer, “Cecilia, are they allowed to write this?”

Cecilia said nothing, just gave a sharp nod.

“We wish for you to abstain from vices while you are Champion,” the PR representative explained.

“You haven’t included these clauses before,” Dawn argued.

“We had not anticipated the impact of you stepping outside of the “Sinnoh’s Sweetheart” archetype that we have curated.”

“When did I possibly do that? I’m so squeaky clean I’m boring,” she said, skipping over the “threatened a man with a God twice” incidents.

“Ah, your little…’coming out’ outburst made people realize that you weren’t a little kid anymore…and audiences didn’t like it.”

“That’s their problem,” Dawn scoffed, “did they think I’d just stay a little kid forever?”

“Yes, and the longer we continue that assumption, the more popular you will be,” the representative stated.

“I’d rather just be less popular,” Dawn said, “seriously, drugs? Partying? I've never done any of that.”

“And it would be best if you kept it that way. Are there any relationships, past or present, that we should know of?”

“You don't need to know any of that!” Dawn exclaimed, “how does dating have anything to do with my duties as Champion?”

“I’m sure you are aware that one of your duties is to support the League. This is one way you can achieve that.” the representative talked slowly, as if Dawn didn't understand something very easy.

“No, I want this part renegotiated,” Dawn turned to her lawyer, who nodded and put a large circle around that specific clause.

“Perhaps we could be lenient, if you promised not to go public with any relationships going forward.”

Dawn gasped, “yeah, ask the gay woman to hide their relationship. You don’t see anything wrong with that?”

The representative flattened their lips in a straight line, “now, don’t willfully misrepresent what’s written.”

“Seriously?” Dawn said, then shook her head. She would read the rest of the contract, and then leave the negotiating to the lawyers. Most she could do is whip out God, which might be considered intimidation.

Or she could just rip it up, and walk out. Surely that would be acceptable, she thought, as she continued to just sit and read it anyway.

—-

Dawn looked gorgeous, and she hated it. She hated the heels they put her in. Hated the tight-fitting mermaid gown that probably cost more than a working class family made in a year.

So much for a purity clause. Her dress didn't even have a back to it! Dressing her up like a doll was fine, but when it came to her autonomy as a person, that crossed the line?

Ever since she had turned eighteen, in a small party with just her mother and friends, she felt part child, part object. She had refused to do a livestream this year, just making a social media post instead. The comments were vile. Sure, she may now be ‘legal’, but she's still a person.

But a person with a duty. Sinnoh had come or tuned in to watch her become Champion. Heck, Ingo even took off work to fly here for support.

She hated that too. He kept saying that she should quit, that she could have a choice.

But after all of this, what other choice did she have?

So she picked up the too-tight skirt and made her way carefully up the stairs. Cynthia was waiting for her, in the middle of the stadium, standing by an ornate chair.

Before, in official pictures, Cynthia would be the one sitting. It was usually done to make their height difference look less obvious. But now, Dawn would sit in the chair to symbolize the change of power.

Or something. It felt like such frivolous pageantry.

Every step forward felt like she was sealing her fate. Cynthia smiled at her as she walked. She tried to smile back, but she just felt her face twitch in response. Cynthia narrowed her eyes, tilting her head ever so slightly.

A question. One so subtle the camera wouldn't pick up on it.

Dawn shook her head, and walked forward. She got to Cynthia, but she didn't sit. Instead, she reached back behind her to find her mic pack, thankfully made accessible by the low back of her dress.

Cynthia, being a figurehead for most of the ceremony, wasn't mic'd up, “what is it?” she still whispered.

Panic sliced through Dawn. There were murmurs in the crowd. Suddenly, she felt stupid for waiting until this moment to tell Cynthia.

“IcantdothisIcantbecomechampion,” Dawn said.

Cynthia shook her head, “sorry, what? Can't hear you.”

Deciding actions would speak louder than the words she couldn't get out, she turned and started to walk back where she had entered. The crowd got louder, and in her haste, her tall heels caught on her dress's tail. She slammed to the ground, skinning her palms. She let out a frustrated sob, and heard someone crouch beside her.

She looked over to see Cynthia, “Dawn, what are you doing? What's wrong?”

“I can't do this, Cynthia. I can't be Champion,” Dawn whispered.

“Dawn, you’ll do fine. You’ve done all the clerical and hands on duties very well for years,” Cynthia said, “I know this coronation is pompous and formal, but you'll barely notice a difference after it's all done. Come on, it’s almost over.”

Dawn looked at the proffered hand, but did not take it, “no, I know I can do it. But I shouldn't. You told me that once, to think about why I was doing something and if I should do it. Well, I have.”

She heard someone else approach. She saw it was Ingo, and snorted. He must have pushed through a lot of bodyguards to get on stage like this. But he was unhurried as he gently lifted her to her feet and guided her off the stage.

“Ingo, what are you doing here!?” Cynthia exclaimed.

But Ingo didn't respond, just throwing his arm over Dawn's shoulder as she tried to hide her face with his suit jacket. The crowd at this point was roaring. In confusion, bafflement, anger, Dawn wasn't sure. She wondered if the broadcast had been cut off or it was still running.

Mercifully, she made it backstage, where her mother was also waiting, “what happened, Dawn? Are you all right?”

“Mom,” Dawn started, and then took a few breaths to make it come out slower this time, “I’m…not going to be the Champion. I can't do it anymore. I haven't been able to for a while now, and I just can't.”

“Okay,” her mom said, wrapping her arms around her, “okay. What do we do now, then?”

Dawn jumped as she heard Cynthia speak from behind her. She wasn't aware that she had followed them back.

“Well, I’ll have some contract stuff to deal with, but since we didn't officially change titles or anything, I’m still regent. So I can step in anytime you are incapacitated. Which is now, I think.” Cynthia said, “are you sure you want to do this? Once you step down, you'll lose your title. You'll be an ex-champion.”

Dawn stopped, then nodded, “yes. I'm sure. Besides, if I change my mind, I can always just beat you again.”

Cynthia smirked, “I guess that's true.” Then, she sighed, “why didn't you tell me before? I would have helped you.”

Dawn looked away, “I’m sorry, Cynthia. But I tried. I really did.”

Cynthia sighed again, “all right. Well, don't worry, I won't make you go back out there. I'll have to give the audience a coronation. It will just be, uh, me. That gets crowned.”

“What's the protocol for that?” Dawn asked.

“No idea!” Cynthia said, “but I'll figure it out. Go get changed, and I'll meet you at the League tonight.”

“But I'm not employed at the League anymore.” Dawn protested.

“Technically you are until some papers are signed, but as the full-ranked Champion, I’ll give you leave to stay. All your stuff is still in the dorm, after all.”

“Thank you, Cynthia,” Dawn blinked a little harshly, “and…I’m sorry.”

“It's all right, child. Now go, I have to get back out there.” Cynthia stopped, “wait, give me your mic pack. I'm gonna need it.”

The speakers were so loud that even in her dressing room, she could hear Cynthia being crowned. She smiled.

She was glad it wasn't her.

Chapter Text

“Miss Dawn! Miss Dawn!” a student shouted as the train doors opened, “we did it! We got to the final car!”

“Congratulations! That’s good work! How was the battle?”

“They stomped us,” said the other student, but instead of seeming put out about it, they looked like they were vibrating with excitement.

“It was a good match,” a figure in a white coat stepped out behind the children, “you guys are verrrrry promising trainers.”

“Your whole class is!” said another person in black, “I can see now why you are all enrolled in Advanced Battle Studies. Bravo, everyone! I hope you enjoyed your school trip to Gear Station!”

“We did! Thank you Subway Boss Emmet and Subway Boss Ingo,” the students responded. It was a cacophony of voices, but the appreciation was received nonetheless.

“Too bad no one won today, though,” one of the younger students pouted.

Dawn ruffled her hair, “you’re a student! It isn’t about wins or losses – it’s about what you learn!”

“Can you beat the Battle Subway?” one of her students asked, wide-eyed.

Ingo laughed, “she has many times!”

Emmet nodded, “Your teacher is a verrrry good trainer. You should listen to what she says.”

Dawn smiled as her students gaped at her, “wow! Really? Then why are you just a teacher?”

“It’s not being just a teacher. It's called being a teacher! And it's because I love it!” Dawn said, her usual answer when asked that question. The real reason is because she knew how difficult being a young talented trainer can get. And she wanted to be there for the next generation of too-young trainers thrown into the professional battling industry.

“Now, let’s all get back to the school. Everyone say thank you to the nice Subway Bosses for hosting us today!”

“Come visit us for dinner tonight!” Emmet called out to her as her herd left, “it’s been too long!”

Dawn looked back, “Okay, Uncle Emmet. I’ll be there. Invite Aunt Elesa and Skyla, too. I haven’t seen them since their wedding.”

“Sure. Now go, before you lose your kids!” Ingo said.

Dawn looked back and yelped, “Ah! Everyone, stop! Count off!”

—-

Thankfully, Emmet and Ingo tended to host very late dinners. She was running from her therapist’s office to her tiny apartment to change. After too many years, she was systematically working through the issues that presented in her childhood. She stopped running, and found a place to land.

Sinnoh had proved to be too much, especially in the wake of her dramatic exit from the League. So, she decided to pursue college overseas, and had carved out a place at Blueberry Academy.

Still, she missed her friends in Sinnoh. Barry was still working as a Tower Tycoon, and Lucas was well-known within the historian community as an authoritative figure of the Hisuian time period. They often were in contact with each other and the Platinum Clan in order to help create laws to protect Platinum Clan land and customs.

Her mom, however, had also moved to Unova. With her daughter gone, she had nothing left in Sinnoh.

Dawn smiled as she threw on new clothes. It was something she had bought last time the girls had all gone shopping together. Her mom picked it out, Elesa had it tailored, and Sklya gave it her approval. Dawn chuckled. It had been a group effort.

Looking at the time, she threw on her coat and grabbed her Pokemon, hoping to catch the next train. She arrived at the big house in no time, letting herself inside the gate. Ingo’s Sneasler draped herself over her in greeting.

“Hey there,” Dawn said, “you want to come inside with me?”

Dawn laughed and let her Pokemon out to roam the yard. She let Arceus out, who immediately loafed and basked in the sun. The Sneasler followed as she made her way into the kitchen. Elesa and Skyla had already arrived, and Emmet was pulling something out of the oven.

“Hi, Dawn!” Everyone made their greetings and sat down. Dawn handed over the bottle of champagne she had brought to Ingo, who started pulling glasses out of a cupboard.

They settled in, eating and chatting as if no time had passed at all. As Dawn got older, it was harder to stay in contact with her family and friends, but she always made it a priority.

She never regretted giving up being the Champion. She never regretted returning back to a private life – even if doing so wasn't completely possible. But she also didn't mind when people approached her for a chat or an autograph. It happened so rarely these days that its original charm had started to return.

More than anything, she was content.

“What are you smiling about, Dawn?” Ingo said, with a slight chuckle as he watched her.

“I’m just…I don't know. I’m happy. I love the life and family I chose. I can't believe I was so scared to go after what I wanted before.”

“Amen to that,” Ingo said, “I thought I'd have to drag you off that stage at one point.”

Dawn laughed, “hey! That heel and dress combo was tough.”

“But anyway,” Ingo said, “I’m glad you finally found what you were looking for. And I’m glad we make it better.”

“Yes, my legion of aunts and uncles. I love you all.”

“We love you too, Dawn.”