Chapter Text
Location - Near Lostlorn Forest
Time - 5:53 pm
Small, silvery wings beat against the cutting wind as a Pidove darts through the sky, bursting through clouds and zipping around harsh gusts that threaten to knock it off course. Its golden eyes are set on the open airspace in front of it, keen and focused despite the sting of the wind lashing against them. They squint as the world gets darker, the sun in the sky above slowly starting to descend towards the horizon, vibrant oranges and light pinks blooming across the space where land meets the heavens. Normally, the Pidove may stop to admire the light it does not see often from its place in the grand hall amongst the stars, but it has no time to observe the mortal world. Not when it has a mission that it must complete for the greater good of this reality.
When the sun disappears for the moon to rise, the plan must be set into motion or else this land will fall into ruin. Time and space will collide as they did during the creation of the Distortion World, and all will be left in warped fragments of what once was. All life will die. And its already starting to happen — little pieces of the reality around it are already unraveling despite their best efforts to stop it… Rips and tears too small to cause serious harm yet are popping up all over this world, opening the door for harm to befall the humans and Pokémon living in a land far beyond the time of the Great Red Sky. If those tears are left much longer, this world may collapse in on itself and become one with the unstable world of Sinnoh's past — the original rift.
That instability is still churning and festering in Grand Hisui after the failure of the first champions, cast out of the human civilizations and far away from Arceus' mighty gaze. They have rebuked the Great Creator and now the Inverse and its chosen one are left unchecked. Their destruction of time and space has been getting much worse with nobody to stand against them. That's why the Pidove set out to find a new champion.
They have been searching since the night the twins of Sinnoh abandoned their duties, scouring the globe in search of a champion worthy of taking on their unfinished task. Through every decade beyond the time of Hisui, it has searched for a replacement to no avail. Not many bear the same sort of spark in their hearts like the humans that were originally chosen… but, after searching endlessly as it has, it believes that in the very same time those twins had been pulled from, it may have finally found another most worthy of the divine task. A man in the land of the Tao Dragons who has captured the eye of Truth itself. The Pidove has been watching that man and his twin soul — both are most worthy of the task, but the Pidove suspects it will be easier to appeal to the twin of Truth — and through the actions it has witnessed, he has proven himself capable. So tonight is the night it must call upon that man of white.
It will not be stopped! Though… it cannot accomplish its task on its own.
As of right now, the Pidove has set its course for a camp it knows is hidden deep within Lostlorn Forest — nestled amongst the towering trees and the thick underbrush are its targets. The Pidove cannot interact with the mortal world or mortals themselves without causing damage to their souls, thus it requires another being to intervene on its behalf. It could only think of one whom it could ask for assistance, though it knows this particular human will not be the easiest to convince. The Pidove has no other options.
So, it has made its way to the outskirts of the forest with a mission that it will not fail. It has to save this world, even if it is the last thing it ever does.
Angling its wings, the Pidove allows itself to stop fighting against the pull of gravity. The drag holding it up is released, its feathers being pulled closer to its body as it slices through the air. It keeps its gaze focused on the thick canopy below it as it dives, wind howling and screeching around it. Its eyes burn and its feathers get tossed about by the raging gust, but it doesn't stop. The Pidove isn't afraid. It just keeps sinking lower and lower until it’s shooting through the leaves and only then does it snap its wings back open to their full length to keep darting through the air.
Looping through the branches and vines hanging around them, the Pidove makes its way through the forest. Its darker beneath the canopy, as the leaves block out more of the light from the sinking sun. Still, the Pidove is undeterred. Their eyes see just fine despite the lighting. They take in glimpses of wild Pokémon going about their lives and the foliage around it, whipping around trees and under branches threatening to knock it out of the air. Nothing dares get in its way. Instead, any wild Pokémon hidden in the branches and blocking its path are quick to jump away when it gets near. The Pidove is glad that it faces no obstacles as it searches for the camp.
Veering away from the human-made trail in the middle of the forest, the Pidove cuts into the untamed parts of the wilderness. Where the bushes grow free and the branches are unmanaged, twisting and turning however they please. It know that the targets it's after do their best to hide away from humans. They stick to the wilds and the shadows where other humans dare not look — that is how they have been living for centuries, as they believe it also hides them from the Pidove's gaze.
It does not. Nothing may hide from the Pidove forever, no matter how hard it tries. And it is getting closer now; it can hear the heartbeats it has been searching for getting louder.
The Pidove flaps its wings faster, zipping around another tree and under a few more branches before a flat area appears up ahead; a small meadow covered in flowers with a stream trickling through the middle of it. On the other side of the stream sits two tents and a small circle of rocks with a fire inside of it. There is one human sitting beside it, but not the one the Pidove is looking for… still, it’s sure it can make use of this human. It darts under one final branch before flying over the meadow towards the human.
The silver-haired woman does not look up as the Pidove lands on the ground next to her. She just remains in her spot on an old, mossy log, hands pulling a needle and thread through the sleeve of a tattered, blue tunic. The Pidove watches the woman for a moment, then settles itself in the grass beside the fire. Its feathers fluff up and it tucks its wings against its sides with a coo. Warmth wafts over its tousled feathers and chases away the chill of the skies as it watches the orange flames flicker.
"… how long has it been?" Comes the woman's calm voice a couple moments later. The Pidove glances over at her to see her hands have paused, but her eyes have not left the tunic. "Decades? Centuries? I fear the passed time is lost on me."
"It hath been near four centuries now. As thou hast requested, I hath kept mine distance from thee." The Pidove replies. As much as they did not want to leave the man responsible for all of this chaos alone, they granted the wish of both that man and his kin after they proved their worthiness a few decades after the Red Sky. And so they had promised… Arceus is a being of their word, after all. Yet now they are here, breaking it. They do feel bad for that, but given the state of this world, they have little choice.
The woman's hands clench around the fabric. "Four hundred years… then what brings you to me now, Almighty One? Do you have use for me yet? Even after all this time?"
Arceus looks over to the two tents beside them. They can hear the heartbeat of another in the green one closer to the trees. That is the human they are looking for… they are sure this woman knows that too. "I require thine assistance. The destruction of the Red Sky hath bled into this world… I needst a new champion to fix Grand Hisui after the first ones abandoned mine task. I needst one who can interact with mortals to assist me in capturing another."
She hums, finally setting the tunic aside on the log. Then she turns to look at their form. "I remember now. That man who crafted the Red Chain… what was his name again? I can hardly picture his face after all these years…" She falls quiet for a moment as her eyes dart towards the fire, a light frown ghosting over her face. "It hardly matters, does it? Reality is quite a fragile thing… even the tiniest change can shift our future. Who's to say if I even recall the right champion? The right possibility? Perhaps even now, the past as I knew it has changed." The woman sighs, looking up towards the green tent. "You'll need his help, won't you?" Arceus nods and she smiles a joyless smile. "It will anger him, as I'm sure you know. He was the one who wanted your presence scarce."
Arceus shifts in their place in the grass, tucking the small legs this form has under their body. "I… am aware. But I hath no other options. We art out of time. This world is in danger… just as Grand Hisui wast. I must act now. I promise thee that this is the last time I shall have to seek thee out again. Just… assist me in saving mine creation, I beg thee."
There's a moment of pause. Then the woman dusts off the dark fabric of her long floral skirt and rises from her place on the log. She casts a glance down at Arceus' form before taking a couple steps around the fire, eyes finding the green tent a couple feet away. Then clears her throat and shouts. "Volo! Please come out here, we have much to discuss!" There's a clatter from inside the tent and a sharp curse sent to the cruel gods. The woman winces. More movement rings out from the tent before the flap is finally pulled back and out steps Arceus' target.
He wipes his hands on the fabric of his black shirt as he takes a step away from the tent, muttering something about spilled ink under his breath. Then he looks up at the woman with a frown on his face. "There's no need to shout, is there? You've pulled me out of my focus!" Volo lifts his hands, palms outward to show off the faded black splotches on his skin. "And you made me spill my ink!"
She pinches the bridge of her nose, sighing deeply. "Hush now, Child. You can finish drawing your maps later. We are in the presence of the Almighty and your endless complaining is surely making us seem incompetent."
"Incom-" he cuts himself off, eyes snapping to Arceus' form in the grass. His expression goes black. "What?" Volo takes a couple steps closer to the fire, dragging in a trembling breath. He blinks. Then he shakes his head, turning to the woman beside him. She gives him a look Arceus does not understand and motions for Volo to sit down on the log. He scoffs, turning back towards Arceus and pointing a finger at them. "You broke your promise." His tone is calm, but Arceus can hear the emotion simmering beneath it. And they understand. Truly, they do. This human does not want to see them… but they must do what they have to do to save their world. Unfortunately, Volo doesn't seem to care about that. His trembling only grows more prominent as the moments pass. "I'm not- go away. You promised if I didn't bother anyone you would leave me alone. You promised!" He drops his hand and clenches it a couple times, then he swipes his palm over his face. "You're a liar… dirty liar…"
"Volo-" the woman attempts to reach for him, but Volo grabs her wrist before she can touch him.
He turns to her, pointing frantically to Arceus with his free hand. "No it promised us! It promised! But here it is doing whatever it pleases, huh?! It lied to us- to me! Its… we have been fine! I didn't… didn't do anything. We didn't do anything!" Volo shakes his head, seemingly struggling to find more words now. His mouth opens and closes for a moment or two before he drops her arm and tries to step away. He doesn't get very far before the woman stops him. She takes his arm and guides him back to her side, putting her other hand on his shoulder.
"My boy… running from the Almighty will not mend the hurt within you. I understand you do not want to see it, but we must heed this call." He tries to struggle, but she just wraps her arm more fully around him. "This is about the Red Sky. It is important we fix the misdeeds we sowed if we ever wish to be truly free of them, yes? We've discussed this before, haven't we?"
Volo grits his teeth, staring at the ground now. "We did." He shakes his head as he leans into her side, one of his hands clenching in her deep blue sweater. Arceus can hear his heartbeat spike as he looks back up at them. "Fine… what do you want? After all this time, why bother me now, O' Almighty One?" Volo all but spits at them.
Arceus remains silent for a moment, watching the two humans before them. Then they sigh and look down at the grass. "I require thine assistance in capturing a new champion. I am sure thou remembers what thou hast done in the land of Hisui… thine actions hath led to this world being threatened. If I wish to save mine world and keep past and present from collapsing, I require a new champion. I cannot interact with mortals without causing damage… so I needst thee to catch a human for me."
Volo laughs, sharp and humorless. "It won't end there. It never ends there…" He rises back to his full height and then Arceus can feel him glaring daggers at them. "You're just going to keep asking us for more."
Arceus does not want to agree with Volo, but they know he is right. If more issues were to pop up here, then they would have to call upon Volo again. They cannot lie about that. "Perhaps… but the damage done to this world and the world of the past is still thine own fault. I promised thee I wouldst never see thee again once time and space were fixed. Now both art in ruin again… I hath not broken mine promise to thee."
A long stretch of silence passes, then the woman speaks up. "If we help you fix what happened on this side of time, then you will leave us alone once it is over for good?" Arceus looks up at her, meeting her grey eyes with curiosity in their gaze. They are not as familiar with this woman as they are with Volo, but even so she is willing to help them. A odd one this human is.
Still, Arceus will appreciate her help. They nod. "Yes."
She nods back. "Then where do you need us to go?" Before they can answer her, Volo tears himself away from her. He glances between the two of them, then shakes his head again.
"No. Don't… don't make yourself make up for my mistakes, Aunt Cogita… I'll…" Volo crosses his arms and looks back towards his tent. "I'll go myself. You stay here and guard our camp." He turns back to Cogita and the two of them stare at each other for a long time. Then Cogita sighs and drops her gaze to her feet.
"Very well." She turns and starts walking towards the black tent sitting next to Volo's.
Arceus watches her go for a moment, then looks up at Volo as they rise to their feet. "Thou shalt find me again in the City of Electricity. Thou must be at the building of grand vehicles before the sun sets."
Volo glances up towards the sky — they have maybe another hour left of sunlight. "Nimbasa City? Sure. Fine. See you there." With that, he turns on his heel and stalks over to the tents. Arceus does not see fit to stick around any longer, so they rise from their spot on the ground and take off back into the sky.
Location — Nimbasa Central Station
Time — 10:18 pm
He should have known better than to let Ingo catch him. Should have assumed that if he even looked slightly off in his twin's presence, he would be sent home. Yet somehow Ingo had managed to catch Emmet off guard after he finished his last run of the Super Doubles line — which should be impossible, given how loud Ingo normally is! He'd literally juststepped off the train after his last battle when Ingo had materialized on his platform. Then his twin took one look at him and told him to go home because apparently, Emmet was 'flushed and clearly still sick'!
In his humble opinion, his twin's deduction is wrong and verrry unfair. Sure he's still technically recovering from having a slight fever for the past couple days — a minor sickness that shouldn't have put him out of commission for as long as he was — but he'd been doing alright for his whole shift without so much as a bump in the tracks! He'd battled on the Doubles lines and helped guide passengers on the platforms and even gotten some paperwork done during his lunch break for Arceus' sake!
The only problem was that when Ingo saw him, he just so happened to have the sliiightest headache. Oh and he probably was flushed, since he does tend to get quite fired up when he's battling. But that's normal! Or, at the very least, nothing that he should be getting sent back to their apartment over. Alas, Ingo could not be reasoned with and he even pulled the 'you promised you would go home if I told you too' card… Emmet wishes he hadn't agreed to that demand now that he's thinking about it. He'd only said that so Ingo would let him go back to work early — his fever had been broken for over twenty-four hours, so that should have been fair game. Now that poor decision made in a desperate attempt to escape the apartment is coming back to bite him.
Of course it is! Emmet always makes bad choices when he's in a hurry to do something. That's what Ingo says, at least and evidently his brother is right about that; doesn't make this any less annoying.
Emmet fights off a sigh, shaking his head to rid himself of that thought. It doesn't matter if he's annoyed or not. His brother's mind won't be changed by arguments and Emmet is already on his way to the front entrance. Whatever he could have argued or wanted to say about his own feelings on the matter is moot now and his brother isn't even around to hear it anymore.
He'll just have to give Ingo an earful when he gets home himself. Until then, Emmet should let it go so he can focus on getting back to their apartment in one piece. Reshiram knows how dangerous it can be to be out and about in a city like Nimbasa without paying attention! Even without Team Plasma prowling around, there's always a chance he could get cornered into a battle or have to defend himself from strangers. And while that may not happen often, Emmet would prefer not to take his chances. It's always better to be safe than sorry!
Emmet is yanked out of his thoughts by the feeling of something cold landing on his shoulder, feet freezing in place.
He jolts as the cold thing — an arm — hooks around his neck, someone's weight being put on him in the next moment. The weight threatens to drag him down, but Emmet manages to shift his footing to a wider stance to keep himself upright. Then he throws a glance to where the presence is on his right and is met with the sight of one of the Depot Agents leaning on him. It's Jackie, who apparently doesn't understand the concept of personal space… but that's not really a new thing. Emmet opens his mouth to question Jackie, but they beat him to the punch.
"Good evening, boss! You seem down in the dumps today… something wrong, hmm?" There's a wide smile spread across the Depot Agent's face — an almost uncanny grin that never fails to have chills running down Emmet's spine, even if he knows Jackie isn't trying to make him uncomfortable. For some reason, they've just always been a little bit off. Though Emmet could never really place why that was… maybe it's the way their yellow eyes are staring up at him through the shaggy bangs of their black hair. Or perhaps it has more to do with the fact Jackie never seems to leave the station and has been working here since his mother was the station master.
Either way, Emmet has the heebie-jeebies! He clears his throat and looks away from Jackie to stare out at the front entrance… which is way closer than Emmet thought it was! The front entrance is only a few more steps ahead of him! Geez, Emmet really wasn't paying attention. But he's getting distracted with that train of thought. Reroute!
He blinks a couple times in an attempt to refocus, then glances at Jackie. "Hello, Agent Jackie. I'm fine… just a little annoyed with my brother right now." Emmet doesn't really want to explain why to them, so he'll just leave it at that.
Jackie hums, their smile faltering ever so slightly. "Yes. You may soon regret that." Before Emmet can even begin to unpack whatever that's supposed to mean, Jackie unhooks their arm and takes a step away from him. "Anyway, are you going home now?"
Emmet blinks. Then he nods. "Uuuh, yup. Going home now." This is perhaps the oddest conversation he's ever had with Jackie — and he's had some pretty weird discussions with them! Also, the fact that they're changing the subject like they didn't just say something so cryptic has the hair on the back of his neck raising. Emmet suddenly feels verrry uncomfortable. "Why?"
For a moment, Jackie doesn't answer him. They just turn and stare out the glass doors in front of them. Emmet tries to follow their gaze, but he can't see anything out of place outside. There are people passing by on the sidewalk and cars gliding down the street and Pokémon wandering around with their trainers. Nothing out of the ordinary, as far as he can tell!
"Be careful out there, Emmet. There are eyes on you."
Emmet's heart drops to his feet. "What?" He turns around, only to find the space where Jackie had been standing is empty. Well, the whole area near the front doors is void of people now, not just the spot where Jackie had been. It's so quiet and dark all of a sudden and… Emmet's heart leaps into his throat. He's not sure what Jackie was talking about or if they were just trying to scare him — it's working if that's the case — but Emmet is starting to feel verrry paranoid. What the fuck is 'there are eyes on you' supposed to mean! Should Emmet wait to go home or should he just be extra on guard when he steps out of the station?
He's not sure… but can he really delay going outside? Ingo will be mad at him if he doesn't go home and Emmet doesn't really want to upset his twin. He also has to feed his Pokémon and give them time to rest, since they're still unconscious from their last battle, and needs to go home to do that. How long can he really stand in the front entrance before he'll be forced to leave the building? And if there really are 'eyes on him', wouldn't sitting in one place just make him easier to find?
Of course it would! And Emmet doesn't want to be a sitting Ducklett! But… without his Pokémon, he can't defend himself if something jumps out at him. Emmet doesn't have any potions or berries on him and the Pokécenter is in the opposite direction of his apartment, so he'd have no other choice but to go it alone. Is he fast enough to outrun something or someone that's chasing him?
Maybe he can. Where Emmet lacks the strength to defend himself, he makes up for in speed. He's always been a fast runner — he's beaten records, even. So, it should be fine, right?
Well there's only one way to find out.
Emmet drags in a deep breath as he turns back to the doors in front of him. Everything still looks fine on the street. There are still people and Pokémon and cars… nothing out of the ordinary. He's going to be fine. Emmet swallows down his nerves and closes the distance between himself and the door, pushing it open when he reaches it. The second it's open, cold wind blasts Emmet in the face and kicks up the ends of his coat. He doesn't let that deter him, fighting down the shudder that rolls over him as he steps out onto the staircase that leads up to the station. The early spring chill slips under the gaps in his clothes, leaving goosebumps in its wake. Emmet is verrry cold.
But he's fine. Nothing jumps out at him or tries to attack him. Nobody even looks in his direction as they continue on their way across the city.
Emmet is just fine.
He lets the breath he'd been holding out, his shoulders relaxing as he finally lets go of the door. It squeaks as it swings shut behind him, but Emmet doesn't look back at it. He just takes a step closer to the next stair down.
Everything is going to be okay. Now that Emmet can see nothing is going to happen, he can let go of the anxiety that Jackie's words had caused. He's not sure why they felt the need to scare him like that tonight, but he's too relieved to really feel upset with them right now. When he gets home, Emmet will probably stew in his annoyance, but for right now he will focus on his journey to get there.
A smile spreads across Emmet's face as he starts down the steps. Thankfully his apartment is close to the station — only about five minutes away on foot. His trip shouldn't take him all that long and soon enough, Emmet can be sitting on the couch with his feet up on the coffee table. He knows that Ingo really doesn't like when he does that, but tonight he thinks he's entitled to some extra comfort! And besides, what Ingo doesn't know won't kill him. It's not like his brother has cameras in the house just to catch him doing things he's not supposed to, so Ingo won't even find out!
That's his plan, then! Emmet is going to go home, feed his Pokémon, and relax. Schedule set!
Emmet rushes down the last couple steps and grabs the handrail as he steps down onto the sidewalk. Then he turns to his right and goes to start moving down the block, only to pause when he feels a shiver run down his spine.
There's a tingling sensation burning into his back; a feeling Emmet gets quite often due to working in a public space. He feels it all the time while walking around platforms or conducting battles or even just out in the city due to his popularity as a battle facility head. After all his years of being a public figure, Emmet has gotten verrry familiar with the feeling of someone staring at him. And this tingling, fuzzy sensation is exactly that.
Emmet is being watched. Just like Jackie told him he was.
Damn it. Fuck! He throws a glance over his shoulder, eyes scanning the crowd. Nothing looks out of place, but Emmet knows better than to assume he's just being paranoid now. There's someone watching him and wherever they are, they're hiding pretty well. Emmet isn't going to be able to spot them easily. Which means in a crowded place like this, Emmet may never find them. It may be safer for him to stay in a crowded place too, as it's difficult for a dangerous person to make a move when there's so many people around, but Emmet doesn't want to live in fear of someone stalking him.
Which means he's going to have to draw them out — he has to go somewhere less crowded. The street right by his apartment is usually very deserted, so that might be his best bet. Once he gets there… well, he's not sure what he's going to do. He'll have to figure it out on the way.
This may be incredibly stupid, but Emmet is going to do it anyway! Full steam ahead!
Emmet turns around, dropping the handrail and taking off down the street. He rushes past people and Pokémon alike, shouts and curses being thrown at him, but he doesn't pay them any mind. Right now all that matters to him is getting as far away from the crowd as he can manage… oh, Ingo is going to kill him when he finds out Emmet has done something so reckless. He can imagine the lecture now! But maybe he shouldn't be focusing on that while he's running from a potential stalker.
Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, Emmet refocuses on his task. He can already see the corner coming up. The way to the secluded street is a lot shorter than the way to his apartment, as it's behind his building. So it shouldn't take him long at all to reach it. Emmet whips around the corner, turning right onto the next street. Behind him, he can hear the sound of footsteps chasing after him and he can still feel the eyes burning into the back of his head. He doesn't dare turn around though — he's seen enough horror movies to not be that stupid. The most he can do is pay attention to the sound of the footsteps.
His pursuer is close, but far enough away that Emmet can still outrun them. He should focus on keeping it that way!
The next block is coming up. It's across the street from where he is and he'll have to go through the crosswalk to get there. Right now the crosswalk sign is red, but Emmet can tell that it's about to switch. Though if it doesn't switch in time, he might be a little fucked. Emmet glances around the area in an attempt to find another path. If the crosswalk sign doesn't change in time, he could take a left and make his way to the public park. It's not a convenient destination because if he somehow gets backed into a corner there, he won't be able to get away as easily with the gates surrounding the area. But if that's his only option, Emmet will have to take it.
Emmet throws a silent prayer to the Dragons that the sign changes as he approaches the crosswalk… and it does.
He breathes a breath of relief as he sprints across the road onto the next block. The area around him now is already lacking the crowd that was closer to the station and it's getting darker too, since the city doesn't seem to like having streetlights in areas with less foot traffic. Which means he's only a few minutes away from the street he's after — Emmet can see his building in the distance. Once he gets there… he's still not sure what he's going to do. What he should do is battle his pursuer or maybe call the police for help, but Emmet isn't sure if he'll have time to do that before whoever is chasing him attacks. Maybe he didn't think his plan through as well as he should have…
Something white darts out in front of him from the alleyway on his right.
Emmet's heart leaps into his throat as he's forced to skid to a stop as a strange Pokémon puts itself between him and the path forward. Is that… an Absol? The white Pokémon before him certainly looks like an Absol, but he's never seen an Absol with glowing golden eyes before. Wait! He's getting distracted! He's still being chased!
One of his hands shoots down to grab Captain's Pokéball as he whips around, eyes locking on the figure slowly coming to a stop a couple feet behind him. The person is wearing all black clothes and has a hood over their head, but Emmet can see a braid of long, blonde hair hanging out of their hood. This person and the Absol must be working together. Shit!
Emmet glances between the two of them, trying to figure out how best to approach this situation. If he sends Captain out to attack the Absol, he might be able to get a few good hits in and escape during the fight… but that also leaves him open for attack from the person behind him.
Damn it, this isn't looking good! Maybe he can distract them? Though he's not sure how he would go about doing that.
"You-" His pursuer starts to speak, only to be cut off by a flash of orange light. Emmet jumps, eyes snapping up towards where the light came from. There he finds a pair of what looks like a pair of blue eyes staring down at him… he's not sure what kind of eyes those are, but they definitely aren't human! Emmet can feel his jaw drop as he stares at those eyes, any words he could have said drying up on his tongue.
The eyes narrow at Emmet. Then an echoing, somewhat feminine voice is speaking to him.
"Emmet. You are not safe here. Run! Run and don't stop running until you reach your home. You will only be safe once you reach it. I will buy you time. Go!"
So many things are happening all at once and Emmet can't even begin to process what the fuck is going on… but he understands a command well and doesn't need to be told twice. Emmet turns and sprints out onto the street and around the Absol as the strange blue eyes glow brighter. He can hear his pursuers shouting, but he can't make out any of the words as he runs. Not that he really cares what they're saying. His only focus is on getting home. Full steam ahead!
Location - Cottonee Meadow Apartments
Time - 11:12 pm
Emmet is out of the elevator the second the doors open again, heart pounding in his chest. That was the fastest he's ever ran in his entire life and he's definitely feeling it now. His legs ache and his chest feels tight, breath coming out in sharp pants. Every inch of him is going to be sore tomorrow, but at least Emmet made it. At least he's home now and safe from danger. He'd made a verrry stupid mistake in leading that person and their Pokémon to a place with less people, but thank the Dragons he'd made it out… and those strange blue eyes too. Emmet isn't sure what he would have done had the eyes not swooped in to help him. He doesn't even want to imagine it.
Fighting off a shudder, he jogs down the hallway towards his door. When he gets there, he digs his key out of his pocket and unlocks the door, then he yanks it open and nearly spills into his apartment. Emmet pulls it shut behind himself and he presses his back against it, letting himself slide down to the floor. His body is still tingly and he feels as if he can barely hold himself upright.
What in the world was that? Emmet is still processing everything that happened from the moment he left the station until just now. There was so much and… and Emmet is still lost. He's not sure why someone would be after him. Or why they would go to the extent of chasing him all the way to his apartment. And those eyes… that Absol. Both were unlike anything he'd ever seen before! So strange…
A sharp pang shoots through his head, forcing a shout out of him. Emmet curls in on himself, drawing his knees to his chest and wrapping his arms around his head in attempt to stop the pain. It doesn't stop.
He can taste soot on his tongue and feel the air buzzing around him as if he's sitting next to a sparking wire. And all of sudden, his head feels like it’s filled with fog and the room around him is spinning and Emmet can't breathe. He squeezes his eyes shut, trying to combat the wave of nausea that rolls over him. It doesn't help.
The sensation lasts for a minute, then the fog recedes and the nausea slowly dies down. Emmet opens his eyes and lifts his head, dragging in a deep breath.
What… what was Emmet just thinking about? He could have sworn that he knew just a second ago. Emmet was… he was… afraid of something, right? But… what? He remembers running and he can still feel the ache in his legs from that, though he doesn't know what he could have possibly been running from… was he running from something at all?
Hmm. Maybe Emmet was just paranoid. He tends to feel anxious when he’s alone in the dark, so maybe he'd stressed himself out and ended up running home. A good night’s sleep should make him feel better. Whatever frightened him won’t be able to harm him while he’s in his apartment anyway. Everything is fine.
He sits there for a moment longer before finally planting his hands on the ground and pushing himself up. His legs threaten to give out as he sways, but he manages to keep himself upright. Emmet can’t waste his time sitting around forever. Now that he’s home, he has to make sure everyone is fed before going to bed. Whatever caused that strange fear he’d just felt doesn't matter anymore, so there's no use dwelling on it.
Emmet sheds his coat, hanging it up on the coat rack by the door before slipping his shoes off and sliding them into their spot next to the rack. He then walks deeper into the apartment, sliding his gloves off and shoving them into his pocket. Emmet passes the light switch, not bothering to turn the lights on as he makes a beeline for the kitchen. He knows the layout of their apartment like the back of his hand, after all. No lights needed. Though Emmet also knows Ingo will just flip the switch on when he comes home. It’s become somewhat of a routine for them. Emmet leaves lights off and Ingo flips them on. That's simply how they've been doing it for years.
Once he’s in the kitchen, Emmet opens the cabinet with all the Pokémon food in it and grabs one of the bags — the unopened one that Ingo had just gone out and bought yesterday. It's a new brand that they've just started their Pokémon, but both of their teams seem to love it. Which makes Emmet happy, since it's cheaper than the brand they'd been using before, and the ingredients are much better for the Pokémon. Emmet tears the top off of the bag and pulls it open, then he turns and opens one of the drawers. He grabs a measuring cup from inside that drawer and gets to work.
Their Pokémon bowls are already lined up on the counter where Emmet had laid them out this morning, so all he has to do is scoop the food into the bowls in front of him.
Ingo has always found Emmet’s habit of washing the bowls and setting them out for later a little odd. His brother always says that it adds so much time to Emmet's morning routine, but it only adds about ten minutes and Emmet likes waking up earlier anyway. It's much more efficient to wash them in the morning because now he doesn't need to wash them before filling them! He's often too tired to do dishes after work, so this way works better for him. Ingo prefers to just do his dishes when he gets home. Being up late is more his twin's thing though, so it makes sense for Ingo's schedule. Emmet is not a night owl like his brother. In fact, Emmet already finds himself longing for his bed. Alas, he can’t let himself sleep until Ingo gets home and they’ve had dinner.
It takes a moment, but eventually Emmet has poured food into all of the bowls. Once that's done, he closes the bag and puts it back into the cabinet. Then he sets a couple dishes down on the floor, leaving a couple on the counters for the flying Pokémon. Finally, once all of that is done, Emmet reaches down to his belt and plucks off all the Pokéballs he has with him, tossing them up in the air.
His team appears in a flash of light, followed by happy chattering. Cavern, Ingo’s Excadrill, and Emmet’s Durant, Attitude, waste no time in racing to their food bowls. Archie is right behind them. The feathered Pokémon shoves his way to one of the bowls, drawing annoyed grumbles from his companions. Emmet just sighs at their antics. His Pokémon are always eager for food. They act like they’ve been starved all their lives! Emmet isn't sure how Ingo gets his to be so well behaved... well, most of them anyway. Cavern is just as rowdy as Emmet's team.
“Easy now. You’re going to make yourself verrry sick if you don’t slow down.” Emmet hardly gets a reaction from them. Though, he can hear Engine’s mechanical whirr beside him before they float over to their own food dish. “Well, at least one of you has sense.” There’s a hiss to his right and Captain smacks Emmet with his tail. The motion has little jolts of electricity running up Emmet’s spine and a smile spreading across his face. “Ah, I didn’t mean you of course. You have plenty of sense, Captain. Now go eat your food too. I’ve gotta feed the Joltik.” His partner huffs at him, but ultimately moves down to eat his food.
With that, Emmet snatches the last two bowls from the counter and heads over to the living room. There’s already a hoard of Joltik waiting for him on the coffee table, buzzing and chirping at him. Emmet’s grin widens upon seeing them. A new clutch of Joltik hatched not long ago and it seems they’re already strong enough to be venturing out of the den he’d made in the play room. “Goood evening, passengers. Our sincerest apologies for the wait. You’ve all been so patient. I thank you kindly for your cooperation. As Ingo would say: bravo!” He sets the bowl down and the Joltik are on it in an instant. Emmet reaches down to snatch a berry from the dish before turning towards the hallway.
He lifts his hat as he walks, fumbling a little due to both his hands being full. Emmet manages to get it off though and he offers the berry to Conductor, who almost never leaves Emmet's hat. The little Joltik buzzes at him, taking the fruit happily. Now there’s only one more stop on the dinner train.
Thunderfangs hasn’t left the play room turned den since she had her clutch. She usually doesn’t leave until at least a week after all her young are grown enough to start wandering around the apartment. Emmet knows she’s still got some Joltik in her nest, so she’s been rooted in the guest room for a while. Emmet pauses in front of the door, knocking twice. “Thunderfangs? I brought dinner. May I come in?” He waits patiently until he hears a soft buzz come from the other side. As soon as he has her acceptance, Emmet cracks the door open and slips inside.
The lights in the room are down low so the atmosphere is calm enough for the Galvantula and her Joltik. It's probably the calmest space in the whole apartment. Thunderfangs is curled up in her web in the corner, where she has been for the past couple days. Emmet smiles at her as she clicks her mandibles at him. “Good evening. Here you are,” Emmet says, placing the dish down near her web. “I added a little more to your dish today. Both for yourself and the little ones you’ve still got with you.” Thunderfangs chitters at him; an expression of her gratitude.
Emmet gives her a salute before leaving the room. He doesn't want to linger too long, since Thunderfangs gets kind of antsy if he overstays his welcome. She's still protective of her Joltik right now and Emmet can respect that.
As he steps out into the hallway, he pulls the play room door shut behind himself and just stands in the darkness for a moment. Emmet isn't sure why, but he can't shake this feeling of discomfort that has settled over him. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that he can't remember how he'd gotten home or what happened during that trip… or maybe it's because Emmet feels like he's… performing instead of just going about his night normally. That feels like an odd way to think about it but… something about tonight feels wrong. Emmet doesn't like not knowing why.
That strange might be a little easier to ignore if his brother was with him, but Ingo is still at the station… he's…
Emmet is hit with an intense wave of dread. His brother is still at the station, which means that… danger… something dangerous could still get him. Emmet doesn't remember and trying to push through the fog in his head to recall what happened on his way home sends a sharp pain through his temples, but he knows something dangerous was outside. Something… he needs to warn his brother.
His hand shoots down, slipping his phone out of his pocket. Emmet types his password in and opens his messages and… suddenly he feels verrry sleepy. He's having trouble keeping his eyes open as his fingers move across the keyboard and his body is starting to feel heavy. Still, Emmet can't let himself stop. He has to warn Ingo! He has to… Emmet gets through another word, fingers moving slower than they had before and why are the keys so fuzzy now? Why can't he… Emmet's legs give out under him and his phone slips from his hands as his body goes limp.
The last thing he sees before unconsciousness takes him is an unfinished message waiting to be sent.
Location - Outside Cottonee
Meadow Apartments
"So much for your plan, Almighty One."
"Hush now. Tis not mine fault Truth came to his aid… I hath been thwarted… now what am I to do? Whom can I call upon?" The Almighty's borrowed body — an Absol — looks down at the ground. It's been sitting on the sidewalk outside of the building their target had run into, muttering about nonsense for the past couple minutes. And now it looks just downright depressing…
Volo could almost laugh as he watches Arceus pout! What a sight it is to see the Great Creator so butt-hurt over its own creations betraying it — like it couldn't possibly fathom that not everything in this world wants to follow it blindly. He's sure it expected this plan to fall into place perfectly, as all things do for it… but everything went wrong. So very wrong. Laughably so!
Honestly, he didn't think it was possible for something to go this wrong for the Almighty Creator… it makes Volo feel something close to angry. No… bitter.
He can't help but feel bitter as he turns his gaze away from Arceus to the apartment building. Because how could a simple human like this ever escape Arceus' will? Without even having to fight the Great Creator no less! Whoever that man is… he's one lucky bastard. Volo is almost jealous that he was able to so easily slip past them. Oh and those eyes! A legendary Pokémon had come to stick its neck out for that simple human being! How did a man like that manage to gain the favor of such a Pokémon? How did he get it to acknowledge him to the point where it was willing to fight against its creator just to protect him? What is it that makes him so special…
Even now, years beyond his days of chasing legends and trying to claw his way to Arceus' hall… Volo has yet to taste even a fraction of that kind of power. That kind of devotion a legendary Pokémon has for its chosen! How is it possible that someone living an average live can be awarded that?
It's just not fair…
"Volo? Art thou alright?" Arceus' voice breaks through his thoughts, drawing his attention away from the apartment building. Volo doesn't look at them though. He just stares down at the street in front of him. Arceus doesn't need to know that answer and he won't tell it either.
"You need another champion, right?" Volo knows of one. His memories of Hisui are fuzzy now after all the years that have passed since, but he remembers the man who'd defeated him. Clear as day. A man in a black coat with a frown that never left his face. The man who gained Arceus' favor…
And oh what cruel irony is it that Volo should be the one to suggest the very man who had destroyed everything he worked for to the Almighty itself? That he's the one who brought his own ruin back then… Volo almost wants to laugh. But he won't. He turns to Arceus, whose form is now staring at him. Volo can feel a smile spreading across his face; something sharp and poisonous. "Why not take the man in black?"
Arceus flinches. "Thou knows of…" It shakes it head, then looks back towards the apartment building. "Very well. I shall erase this one's memory of what hath occurred on this night and his kin shall go in his place."
Volo wraps his arms around himself, looking down at his feet. "I'm not helping you catch him. You're on your own, Almighty One… you should take him by force. I'm sure you don't have time to ask nicely."
He can hear the Absol move, slowly rising from the ground. Volo doesn't dare look at it, hugging himself tighter. "I understand… until we should meet again, Volo. Know that it will be soon."
With that, there's a flash of golden light and then Volo is alone. It's done. A champion has been chosen and Volo will fall. Somehow, someway, he knows he will… that's how it will always happen with the man in black. He turns towards the now empty space, swallowing down the tightness in his throat. "I'm sorry, Ingo."
Hisui is a miserable place… and Volo knows he didn't deserve that. But what's done is done and the past cannot be changed.
He throws one last glance towards the apartment building, then he turns and starts walking back towards Lostlorn Forest.