Work Text:
Ingo and Emmet’s backyard was a fun place. They had a big tree in the back with a tire swing on it and a play structure with a fort and a slide. They were starting to outgrow the structure, but they still fit now, so it didn’t matter yet. Other than the play structure and the tree, the backyard was close enough to the forest on the border of town to let wild Pokemon wander into it. Something that always excited Ingo and Emmet.
But two Pokemon in particular had captured the amazement of the twins recently.
“Emmet! Emmet, they’re back!” Ingo shouted, running off to find his brother.
Emmet poked his head out of his and Ingo’s room just as Ingo got to the top of the stairs. “Who?”
“The Klinks! In the living room window!”
Emmet shook his hands out excitedly, then ran down the stairs. Ingo followed quickly and hopped up onto the couch beside Emmet.
Ingo tapped the window, pointing out the pair of Klinks to Emmet. “See! There they are, by the tree.”
It took Emmet a moment to find them. When he did, he pressed his face close to the window and bounced on the couch.
The boys watched with their usual level of excitement as the Klinks came out from behind the tree and started playing with each other in the backyard. They floated around the play structure, finding the berries the twins had left for them the other day in the fort, and went down the slide. They spun around each other and fired a few sparks at the other, playing a game Ingo and Emmet could only guess the rules of.
Eventually, the Klinks noticed the boys pressing their faces against the window and bouncing on the couch. Everyone froze for a moment. Just as Ingo and Emmet thought that the Klinks were going to speed off like the usually did, they slowly approached the window.
“HELLO!” Ingo shouted, hoping the Klinks could hear him through the glass, as Emmet waved quickly.
The Klinks sped off to the tree again.
Emmet slumped against the windowsill. Ingo spun back to sit properly on the couch with a pout.
“I think we scared them,” Ingo mumbled. “I just wanted to say hi.”
Emmet started hitting the top of Ingo’s head.
“Hey! Stop it!” Ingo batted Emmet’s hands away. “You don’t have to hit me!”
Emmet stopped hitting him and tapped on the window just as quickly.
Ingo looked out the window to see the Klinks peaking out from behind the tree. They popped out and gave a quick rev, spinning their gears around.
Ingo gasped and waved along side Emmet.
The Klinks gave one more rev goodbye, then left the backyard.
“What are you two doing in here?” Dad asked from behind them. “I heard something about hitting.”
“Everything’s fine, dad,” Ingo said, turning to face him. “The Klinks came back and we were watching them.”
“That doesn’t explain the hitting.”
“It’s fine! Emmet was just getting me to see them say bye.”
“Okay, I'm glad you're not hurt,” Dad said, turning to Emmet, “but you should find a different way of getting your brother’s attention, Emmet.”
Emmet huffed, signing, “Fine.”
“Alright,” Dad said, ruffling the twins’ hair, “do you two want a snack?”
Emmet nodded as Ingo shouted, “Yes!” They ran off to the kitchen.
“Let’s see what we got,” Dad said, once he made it in. He opened one of the cupboards. “How do you boys feel about half a peanut better sandwich?”
Ingo thought it was a good idea. He looked at Emmet for his opinion.
“I want jam too,” Emmet signed.
“Ok!” Ingo said, “Emmet wants jam too and I want honey.”
“Couple of fancy boys here, huh?” Dad laughed, “Alright, go get what jam you want Emmet.”
A few minutes later, Ingo and Emmet were happily munching on their respective halves of their sandwich.
“You boys really like those two Klinks,” Dad said as he put everything away, “Any particular reason why?”
Ingo nodded. “It’s ‘cause they’re cool and funny and shiny. Their gears are cool and there are also gears on trains probably.” Ingo took another bite and kept talking through it. “And they spin super fast! Also, there are two of them and they are friends.”
“Like us!” Emmet said through his own mouthful of sandwich.
“I should have guessed as much,” Dad laughed “But please, don’t talk with your mouths full.”
Ingo swallowed. “Sorry.”
“It’s fine, I just don’t want you choking. But I wonder why they’re here.”
Both of their mouths full again, Ingo and Emmet tilted their heads in question.
Dad leaned against the counter. “I’ve heard that Klinks usually stay in Chargestone Cave. I know we’re close enough to get the occasional Tynamo and Eelektik in the lake, but I wouldn’t think Klinks would come up here.”
Ingo swallowed his bite. “Maybe they’re adventuring!”
Emmet shoved the rest of his sandwich into his mouth and signed, “I want a Tynamo.”
“I know Emmet. We’ve already talked about that,” Dad sighed, “Oh well, as long as they aren’t causing trouble, I’m sure they’re fine. I’m going to look it up on the computer anyway. I’m curious. Do you two want to come?”
Ingo and Emmet nodded and ran off to the computer room, excited to learn more about the Klinks and hoping they would return again soon.
-----
The Klinks showed up a handful of times over the next few months when Ingo and Emmet were inside. They stayed for a bit longer each time and even approached the window more. They got used to Ingo and Emmet’s waving and shouting, spinning excitedly along with them.
Ingo was convinced that it was only a matter of time before the Klinks showed up when they were outside. Then all four of them could play together! Maybe Litwick and Tynamo would want to play too! Ingo was glad he and Emmet got to keep them.
But it was only one Klink that showed up when Ingo and Emmet were playing outside one day.
The boys were in their fort when it arrived, hovering and spinning anxiously in the doorway.
“And then we can- oh, hello!” Ingo said when he spotted it, “Do you want to play with us? Where’s you friend?”
The Klink spun again and sped away.
“Maybe another day,” Ingo sighed.
“It looked upset,” Emmet said, poking his head out the fort. “It’s still here.”
Ingo poked his head out too. “It is?”
Sure enough, there the Klink was at the edge of the backyard. It floated back and forth, occasionally spinning its gears quickly. It looked back at Ingo and Emmet and revved again.
“I think it wants us to follow it,” Ingo said, “Should we?”
“Its frrrriend is missing,” Emmet said with a frown, “Maybe it needs help.”
“Then we should help it!” Ingo declared, “Good conductors help their passengers. Let’s go, Emmet!”
Ingo flung himself down the slide and ran over to the Klink, Emmet following close behind.
The Klink led them out of their backyard and down the street for a few minutes before it turned into the forest. Ingo and Emmet followed it the whole time.
It wasn’t until they were deep in the forest, the chirping and buzzing and chittering of wild Pokemon all around them, that Ingo realised something.
“Emmet,” Ingo whispered, moving closer to his brother.
“I am Emmet,” Emmet whispered back, grabbing Ingo’s hand.
“We left Litwick and Tynamo at home.”
Emmet hummed a worried yes.
“And we didn’t tell Ma and Dad where we were going.”
Emmet squished in closer.
They continued following Klink, who was doing a great job at making sure it stayed within eyeshot, pressed against each other and trying not to jump at every noise.
It wasn’t that they didn’t know these woods, they played in them a bunch. But that was with Scolipede or Orthworm and recently Litwick and Tynamo with them. Sometimes their parents would come with them too.
Now, they were all alone.
They entered a clearing and both brothers breathed a sigh of relief. The Klink sped off again, stopping across the clearing. Ingo and Emmet ran over.
On the ground was the other Klink. It was tangled in plants, slowly spinning for a few teeth, then jumping back to where it started.
“It’s stuck!” Ingo said.
“It’s hurrrrt,” Emmet pointed out.
Ingo took a closer look. The Klink did look a little scratched up. “Oh no! We have to help it.”
Emmet nodded and crept forward.
“You will be free in no time!” Ingo told the hurt Klink, “Emmet is super good at untangling things. Then maybe we can play! If you want to. It is okay if you don’t want to. Maybe we can play another day and you can meet our Pokemon! They are Litwick and Tynamo and they are super duper nice! I think you will like them.”
Ingo kept talking, hoping to help calm down the Klinks, as Emmet worked on untangling the stuck Klink.
“But Wugtrio mostly sleeps, so they’re kinda boring. But we still love them. Even if they are sleepy,” Ingo said.
“You arrrre sleepy,” Emmet chimed in.
“Am not.”
“Are too.”
“Am not!”
“Are too!”
Emmet ignored Ingo’s protests, instead saying, “I give up.”
“What? You can’t!”
“I give up on untangling,” Emmet clarified, “I have a new plan.”
“Which is?”
Emmet grabbed each of the tangled up Klink’s gears. “Don’t pinch me, please.”
“What are you-”
Emmet yanked on the Klink, pulling them free from the plants and sending the pair tumbling backwards. Emmet rolled over and landed on his back as he clutched the Klink to his chest.
“Oof,” Emmet said, letting go of the Klink, “You’rrrre frrrr- out now.”
The other Klink zipped over to the one still laying on Emmet’s chest. Ingo ran over too, helping pull Emmet upright. They watched as the Klinks buzzed at each other. The one on Emmet’s lap didn’t float up and was spinning very slowly, grass and leaves still stuck around its gears.
“We can help your friend,” Ingo said to the floating Klink, “We should have potions at home. You can come with us.”
Emmet nodded and looked down at the Klink in his lap. “Yup! I can hold you.”
The floating Klink gave another worried buzz, then zipped off to the edge of the clearing, pausing to wait for the boys and its friend.
Ingo and Emmet quickly followed the Klink back out of the forest, Emmet carefully carrying the injured one close. Once they made it out, they rushed back home.
“Ma!” Ingo cried, slamming the screen door open, “Ma! We need a potion!”
Ma came running into the back room. “Boys! Are you okay? Are you hurt? Don’t run off like that! Your dad and I have told you two time and time again not to wander off without one of our Pokemon. And you two have your own Pokemon now! Why didn’t you take them at least?”
“Sorry, Ma. But we had to go quickly!” Ingo explained, “One of the Klinks that visit the yard was hurt and stuck and its friend came to ask us for help. So we had to help it!”
“You still need to tell one of us before you leave the yard.”
“But Ma! It was an emerg-”
“Klink’s hurt!” Emmet called above them. They turned to look at him from where he was standing in the doorway. “They're h-hurrrrt…”
Ma’s eyes widened. “Okay, we can talk about this later. I think we still have a potion somewhere around here.”
Emmet sat on the couch, keeping his Klink on his lap. Ingo and his Klink ran around the house, trying to help find a potion.
“I can’t find any!” Ingo called from his bedroom floor after checking under his and Emmet’s beds, trying not to cry. “I- I can’t-”
Ma appeared in the doorway. “Hey, hey. It’s okay, Ingo. It’s going to be fine.”
“But we can’t- can’t find any potions!” Klink nuzzled in close.
“We can always get more.” Ma helped Ingo to his feet, rubbing circles on his back, “Come on, let’s see when the next train is. We’ll take it to the nearest Pokecenter. They can help the Klink there.”
Ingo took a breath and wiped his eyes. “Okay.”
Thankfully, they only had to wait at the station for five minutes for the train. Ingo was also happy that it wasn’t busy right now since they brought the wagon so Emmet could keep his Klink on his lap. He could have walked and carried it, but that wasn’t really comfortable for either of them.
When they reached the Pokecenter, the Nurse Joy at the desk took Emmet’s Klink to the back. Leaving Ingo, Emmet, and the remaining Klink to worry in the main room.
At one point, Nurse Joy had called them over. Klink rushed over too, but Ma made Ingo and Emmet stay in their seats.
“What-t if they arrrren’t okay?” Emmet asked quietly.
Ingo watched Ma call someone on her Xtrans, Dad if he had to guess. “I don’t know.”
“I hope they’rrrre ok-kay.”
“Me too.”
Ma hung up the call, said something to Nurse Joy, and walked back to Ingo and Emmet.
“Alright, boys,” she said, crouching in front of them “The Klink is going to be fine.”
The twins sighed, collapsing against each other.
“But there’s something else I want to talk to you two about,” Ma continued. “Nurse Joy asked me if these Klinks had a trainer or if they were wild.”
“They’re wild,” Ingo said.
“Yup, I told her that. But they seem to like you and I know you like them. So, I talked to your dad and-” Ma pulled two Pokeballs out of her pockets- “we agreed that you two can catch them. But only if they want to as well. You know that being Pokemon and Trainer goes both ways.”
Ingo and Emmet gingerly took the Pokeballs. They ran over to the front desk just as the Klinks were reunited. They spun around each other, then zoomed over to Ingo and Emmet when they saw them.
“Ma said you can come home with us if you wanna,” Ingo said to Klink. “Do you wanna? You can live in our house and meet our Pokemon and we will all be friends!”
Klink turned to their friend, who looked to have entered a staring match with Emmet. Emmet smiled and lifted his Pokeball. He pointed between the ball and his Klink and tilted his head.
The Klinks buzzed between themselves a for a little bit, then each tapped a Pokeball. It clicked shut a moment later and was quickly followed by a flash of light as they released themselves again.
“We’re all gonna be best friends!” Ingo said, hugging Klink.
Emmet clapped as his Klink spun excitedly.
“Alright boys,” Ma said, patting them on the back, “let’s get going. But first, what do you say to Nurse Joy?”
“THANK YOU!” Ingo shouted.
“Thank you!” Emmet signed.
“That means ‘thank you’ too,” Ingo told Nurse Joy.
Nurse Joy laughed, “Yes, I know. You’re welcome! Come back anytime.”
The boys waved bye and ran back outside, excited to properly introduce their Klinks to Litwick and Tynamo on their way to the station.