Chapter Text
Gravel crunches under two sets of footsteps as they sprint across the rocky pass. He can barely hear it over the pounding of his pulse in his ears and the rough gasp of his breath as he pants, but it's still loud enough for him to track where his lady is running behind him. Every inch of Ingo's body burns, yet he refuses to allow himself to stop moving. Not when his destination is just up ahead!
Around the rocky cliffside is a massive purple bubble. He can see it pulsing and sparking, the loud cracks of thunder scaring away any of the wild Pokémon outside of its clutches. Ingo had spotted it while making his way down towards the Lonely Spring to help some of the Galaxy team members there and quickly rerouted himself. This distortion is the first he's seen in nearly a month! Which means this is his only chance to get… something from it.
Ingo is not sure why, but he's always found himself drawn to distortions whenever they pop up. Even during the first years of his derailment when they began appearing around Hisui, he'd found himself longing to hunt them down. His clan had called him mad for wanting to put himself in harms way like that, but Ingo could never find it within himself to agree with them. He knows distortions are incredibly dangerous and have caused havoc for a very long time now… but had he not ventured into his first distortion over a year ago… he never would have learned what they can give him.
Ingo gets flashes. Little images in his head of things he assumes must be memories long forgotten or perhaps visions his imagination has supplied of a life he might've led before landing in Hisui. He sees glimpses of faces he knows in his heart he knew and hears voices that never fail to make his heart hurt. They're small, tiny little pieces, but they're all Ingo has. And so, he is unable to resist any distortion he comes across. Even if the fragments he finds within them are only whispers of a life long past, Ingo grasps desperately at their foggy remains.
It's been almost a month since the last time he was able to do that. And in the time that has passed, Ingo has gotten back some impressions of things from his previous station. He knows now that the man in white and his partner who wielded flames with mastery were not the only things he'd left behind. There were others… he cannot make them out as well as he can the man in white, but sometimes he can see them too — blurs of colors he felt they must have worn often for his brain to associate them with those colors.
There's a mix of purple and pink in the scent of herbal medicines and behind every dragon-type he comes across at the Training Grounds. There's bright, electric yellow in every zap of electricity from his Magnezone and drifting through the rows of fabrics at Miss Anthe's shop whenever he visits. There's another shade of white that's slightly darker than the man in white… its in every stern voice and loud, boisterous laugh he hears. And finally, there's a clear, sky blue in every gust of wind that kicks up the ends of his coat or ruffles his hair.
All of them together paint a picture he can no longer see, yet whose colors still plague his mind wherever he goes.
Ingo wants nothing more than to learn as much as he can about these colors. About these people whose faces have been stolen from him… maybe, if he's lucky or if the gods decide to grant him this small mercy, he may see more inside the distortion. Maybe he'll learn a new face or perhaps hear a new voice… maybe the colors won't be so formless anymore.
The only way he can know is if he makes it to the distortion before it closes.
He can tell that it's going to close soon. The way the edges of the bubble are sparking and hissing is clear sign of that. But, he knows he should be able to get a couple minutes inside of it if he's fast enough. A couple minutes is all he needs to soothe some of the ache in his heart — the one that only grows harsher the longer he is deprived of these pieces of his past self.
Ingo can't go another month without this. So, he picks up his speed. Behind him, Lady Sneasler makes a yipping sound that he recognizes as concern, but Ingo doesn't look back at her. He can't allow himself to be distracted right now!
Tearing around the corner in the rocks, Ingo slides closer to the distortion. He stumbles a little bit as his footing is thrown out of balance by the slide, but he doesn't let that stop him. Not when the walls of the bubble are so close he can reach out and touch them!
Holding his breath and squeezing his eyes closed, Ingo bursts through the warm and staticky barrier around the bubble. He can hear Lady Sneasler entering right behind him as he skids to a stop and snaps his eyes open again. His lungs ache as he gulps down the sulfury air inside the distortion, muscles burning after all the running he'd done to reach his destination. Ingo knows he's going to be so sore tomorrow, but it was worth it. Anything is worth regaining his lost history.
"Snnnrrt," Lady Sneasler huffs from her place behind him. It sounds closer than Ingo was anticipating — right in his ear — which has him nearly jumping out of his skin. Ingo whips around, finding his lady looking over his shoulder with a frown on her face. She looks displeased… probably because Ingo was running faster than he should have. Though maybe she's unhappy about being in the distortion in general.
Lady Sneasler does not like distortions. Which is understandable, considering the damage they cause. If she could help it, his lady would be running in the opposite direction of the distortion they've found themselves in now… but they made a deal.
For a long time, Lady Sneasler had kept Ingo away from distortions. No matter how he tried to beg her or reason with her, she refused to let up and would often drag him kicking and screaming away from them. It wasn't until she realized how desperately he needed the distortions that they struck a deal for her to accompany him instead of forcing him to stay away; caused by perhaps the most embarrassing breakdown he's ever had after she'd stopped him from entering four distortions in a row… Ingo is glad they've come to an agreement now. He'd prefer not to have to ugly cry like that ever again.
Lady Sneasler leans down a little. "Sneeeease. Snee-snarr!" She motions to the space around them. "Llleer!"
Pay attention. She's telling him to pay attention. Ingo shakes his head, blinking his train of thought away. Lady Sneasler is right! Getting lost in his head while in a distortion is not safe driving. Ingo turns back around, eyes scanning the area. There doesn't appear to be any Pokémon where they are now, but there is always a chance one could jump out at him when he least expects it. Ingo has his team on him, but if a wild Pokémon manages to catch him off guard, he might end up taking a hit while trying to free one of his Pokémon from their ball. So he should make sure to stay on his toes.
Ingo glances over his shoulder at Lady Sneasler, nodding his thanks. "You're right. Thank you for reminding me, my lady." He turns back around, taking a step into the wispy purple grass. "Not paying attention to one's surroundings in a distortion is very unsafe driving. I'd prefer not to be caught off guard by a stray attack." Ingo isn't quite sure what kind of Pokémon can appear in a distortion in the Highlands, as he is not often thinking about the Pokémon while inside one, but he knows that there are a lot of rock and grounds types in the area. He slips his hand into his pocket, grabbing his Gliscor's ball.
If something goes wrong, both his partner and Lady Sneasler will protect him.
His hold on the ball tightens as he strides forward, eyes sweeping over the area. Above him, Ingo can hear the crackling of the distortion bubble as the lightning strikes faster. He only has a few minutes left where he can stay in the distortion before he has to run. Which means he should find a place to let his mind wander that's closer to the walls… and preferably a space where his back is not exposed. That way he can escape the distortion faster before it closes with him inside of it.
Ingo eyes the area until he finds a spot near a cliff wall. If he leans against it, his back won't be exposed and he'll be close enough to the outside of the bubble that he should be able to escape when he needs to. He throws one more glance around the space, noting what looks like an Eevee curled up near the far corner of the area, before jogging towards the spot he'd seen. Lady Sneasler is right behind him again, her heavy footsteps ringing out through the almost eerie silence of the distortion.
It doesn't take him long to reach the cliff and when he does, Ingo turns on his heel and presses his back against it. Lady Sneasler puts herself on his left, turning to face the space in front of them — lookout mode, as Ingo likes to call it. He shoots her a grateful glance before leaning his head back and letting his eyes slide closed.
His mind is dark. As it always is.
For a long time, all Ingo can see is endless static. The darkness behind his eyelids is swirling and writhing in the lack of light, forming incomprehensible shapes and muddled patterns. It's senseless… then there are colors. Purple, pink, blue, yellow, white… they contort and bend in the shadows of his mind, remaining as fuzzy as they always do. At times he can see them twist into shapes that look vaguely human, but they never fully form. Instead they're undefined silhouettes… Ingo can feel his eyebrows furrow as he tries to force the images to become clearer.
A sharp pang shoots through his temple, but now Ingo can focus on the pink and purple. It's small… only a little over waist height… Ingo can see it morph into the form of what he assumes must be a little girl. A girl with a head of wild purple hair and a voice as bright and cheerful as a tolling bell. She runs through a world of rolling greens and browns, childish and gleeful laughter echoing around in his head. That laugh… he knew it well once. A sound he'd hear every time he crossed paths with the dragon girl… with… he can hear a voice whispering something. A soft, feminine voice telling him this girl's name… her name…
It keeps slipping past him. The whisper is too quiet, too far, not nearly enunciated enough for him to even pick apart the syllables… all he hears is the first sound.
I.
Iii…
Ingo's head is starting to spin — he's pushing himself too far. He should probably back down now. He's gotten more impressions about the dragon girl, which is what he wanted… but it's not enough. Ingo wants more. He wants all of it! He wants that name that keeps sliding through his grasp. And so, Ingo tries to listen. He strains himself to hear what exactly the voice is saying.
Iiirr… Iii…
"SNEASE!" Lady Sneasler's sharp yowl yanks Ingo out of his head. His eyes snap open, vision swimming as he takes in the sight before him. His lady is poised in front of him, hissing at a strange Pokémon. Ingo is having trouble seeing through the blurriness in his eyes, but he thinks what he's looking at is a very large Drapion.
An alpha.
Fuck! Ingo wasn't paying attention! He opens his mouth to try to give Lady Sneasler some kind of command, but he finds himself unable to form words. The noble glances back at him, then motions to the distortion walls. They're starting to fade now.
Out of time. He's out of time!
He's got to pull himself together if he wants to get out of this! Ingo shakes his head, fighting the sluggishness of his tongue to command Lady Sneasler. "Run! We- run!" His lady doesn't need to be told twice. She whips around and hooks an arm carefully around one of his, starting to drag him away from the battle and towards the world beyond the distortion. Behind them the alpha screeches, the sound booming in his chest and making him flinch. It turns and starts bounding after then. "Faster!"
Lady Sneasler's ears flick and she picks up her speed as the purple atmosphere around them starts to dissolve.
Something thuds right behind Ingo, then there's a flash of magenta. He barely has a moment to react before something sharp slices through his side and sends him flying out of Lady Sneasler's hold. Ingo's back hits the rock walls with such a force that the wind is knocked out of him, then he collapses to his knees on the ground. His lady shrieks, immediately slashing back at the Drapion before rushing towards Ingo.
The last thing he sees before a flash of white light envelopes his world is Lady Sneasler reaching out for him.
Then it's all gone.
Reality comes back to him in a rush as his eyes snap open. His ears are ringing and his heart is pounding and everything Ingo is seeing is wrong. He's no longer in the Highlands anymore. The world around him is not made of rocks and dirt. Instead there's lush green trees surrounding him and grass beneath his body, soft and damp with dew. It's so green here and… it smells like dirt and iron.
Like blood.
Ingo's eyes snap down to look at himself. He's draped over the ground, back pressed against a tree and limbs lying uselessly in the grass. His side is stained a deep, crimson red as more warmth bubbles up under the fabric of his tunic. Ingo's vision is spinning, but even so he can clearly make out the tear in his clothes and the gash that Drapion had created beneath them. Ingo is bleeding. And heavily, it seems. He needs medical attention as soon as possible, but…
He has no idea where he is or how far from help he might be.
Fighting down an undignified panicked whine, Ingo turns his attention away from himself. He needs to figure out to get himself help.
The first thing his eyes land on is the unconscious form of Lady Sneasler in the grass nearby. He can tell she's unharmed despite being knocked out, so he decides to address that later. Ingo tears his eyes away from the noble to instead search his surroundings. He's definitely in some kind of forest, given all the trees he sees around him… but, in the distance, there's something else. Ingo's gaze pauses on a large building a little ways away. It's a tall building unlike anything he'd ever seen in Hisui — though the Galaxy Building looks somewhat similar — and yet it's oh so familiar to him.
It's a house. But not just any house… Ingo has seen glimpses of this one in his dreams. This is the home of someone he used to know, he's certain. So if he can get the resident's attention, they can help him! He just has to remember who lives there.
Ingo searches his mind, trying to come up with a name he can call for. He sees… he sees white and a little girl with purple hair. Right! Right! This is where the dragon girl lives… what is her name? Ingo needs to remember her name.
He knows it starts with an I. Like his name! But it's not… what is her name? Ingo fights down a groan as he throws his head back against the tree. If he could just-
"Hello? Is someone there? I saw a flash of light, so I know something is out there! Show yourself! Or- or I'll have my dad come get you!" Comes a bright, feminine voice.
Iris. His little sister.
Ingo's heart leaps into his throat and tears spring up in his eyes, but he manages to shove down those emotions threatening to choke him. He turns his head in the direction Iris' voice had come from, dragging in a deep breath before shouting as loud as he can manage. "Iris! Iris, help! I- I'm injured! I need help!" Ingo feels really bad for likely scaring his sister, but right now that information is important. She can get him help, he's certain of it.
There's a sharp gasp, then footsteps come barreling through the grass. Ingo stares in that direction, eyes searching the darkness until he seems a light approaching. He can't fight off the sob that escapes him when Iris whips around a large tree and comes to a stop nearby. This sight… the image of Iris, no longer just a color or a silhouette, brings him to tears. His sister's hair is pulled up in a messy ponytail and she's clearly wearing her pajamas, her face red as she stares at him wide-eyed. She must have just gotten out of bed, given it appears to be the middle of the night where they are.
Her moment of pause shatters after a couple seconds. Then she wails as she sprints the rest of the way to his side, nearly throwing herself down beside him when she reaches him. Iris tosses what looks like a phone to the side, hands shooting out to grab at Ingo. "Where?! Where are you hurt?!" Iris answers her own question a moment later when she spots the blood on his side. She sobs, hands moving to press against the injury.
"Iris-" Ingo isn't sure what he was going to say, but it doesn't matter when Iris cuts him off.
"No, it's okay! It's okay! I'm gonna- you're gonna be fine!" She turns to scream over her shoulder. "Dad! Dad come quick!" There's a muffled voice in the distance that Ingo can't quite make out, but even so, Ingo starts to cry harder upon hearing it. Which also seems to freak Iris out, as she whips back around. "What? No, don't cry! It's okay, big brother! I- I don't…" Iris' eyes dart around the area, probably looking for something that can be of use to her. When she finds nothing, she groans and turns back around. This time, she screams louder. "DAD! Please, it's Ingo! He's bleeding! And it's really bad!"
Yet another set of loud thundering footsteps rings out through the forest as Iris turns back to him. "Okay! Okay, dad is coming, so it's okay!" She glances to their left and spots Lady Sneasler, jumping as she does. "What is that?! Is that what hurt you?"
Finally, Ingo finds his words. "No… she's mine. She was trying to help me." As if on cue, Lady Sneasler jolts awake. She sits up with a start, head whipping around until she finds Ingo and Iris. His lady spares Iris only a glance before shoving herself off the ground and coming to Ingo's other side, yowling mournfully at him when she sees the blood. Ingo just sighs, bringing his bloody hand up to pet her head. "It's- it's okay… 'mm fine… gonna be fine." Maybe the fact that it's getting both harder to breathe and to get words out probably isn't a good sign, but he won't tell Lady Sneasler that.
A twig snaps in the same direction Iris had come from, the sound drawing Ingo's attention away from the noble. His eyes land on a tall man with white hair and thick beard… white. Not the man in white, but the darker shade. His father. His dad is frozen just like Iris was a moment ago, yellow eyes wide as he stares at Ingo.
Despite himself, Ingo finds him reaching out for his dad. "D-dad… dad!" And that's all Ingo has to say before he's snapping out of his reverie. Drayden strides forward and falls to his knees beside Ingo and Iris. He takes one look at the injury, then motions for Iris to move her hands.
"Iris, call an ambulance and go get me towels from the house. I'll bring Ingo to the front yard so the paramedics can pick him up easier." His voice is as calm as it always is and for some reason, that makes Ingo want to wail. But he doesn't let himself. Instead, he uses his strength to force both of his arms to wrap around his dad's shoulders as he buries his face into the man's shirt. "Shh, it's going to be okay, Ingo. We're going to get you help." With that, he slides one of his arms under Ingo's legs while the other goes around Ingo's back. "Hurry, Iris!" His sister snaps into action, diving for her phone before taking off sprinting back the way she came.
Then Drayden slowly hoists Ingo into his arms and turns to start walking towards the front yard. Ingo can hear Lady Sneasler rise from where she'd been crouched beside him too, but he doesn't lift his head away from his dad to make sure. Instead, he buries his face deeper into Drayden's shoulder as he's carried out of the area. His dad smells of smoke and herbs… it's an odd combination, but one Ingo finds himself delighted by. It eases part of the ache in his soul that he has never been able to get rid of.
He doesn't know how much time passes before he's being set down in another patch of grass. By now the world is spinning and he can feel himself starting to get lightheaded. Ingo is sure neither of those things are good signs, but he can't bring himself to feel panicked anymore. Not while his dad is here… Ingo stares up at Drayden from where his head has been placed on the man's lap. His dad's expression is grim — somehow Ingo can tell despite the beard covering half of his face — and his eyes are fixed on the wound. Ingo can also feel his hand keeping pressure on the area, but it feels fuzzy at best.
That means he's probably going to lose consciousness soon… wait, but he can't do that! He needs his dad to know what's going on in his head. He needs to tell him!
Ingo’s mouth feels heavy, but eventually he forces it to work. "D… ad… gotta tell you…"
Drayden’s eyes flick up to meet his. "Tell me what?"
A whine bubbles out of him before he can stop it, another wave of tears spilling from his eyes. Ingo feels incredibly guilty for this, but he needs his dad to know that he can't remember. He has to say it! "H've… I… can't remember. Have… amnesia." Ingo sniffes. "… 'm sorry… soorry!"
He can see Drayden's eyes widen for only a moment before his expression softens into something almost fond. His free hand comes up to brush some of the hair out of Ingo's face before sliding down to just hold his cheek. Ingo finds himself leaning into the warmth almost subconsciously. "It's alright, son. Don't worry about that right now, okay? Everything will be fine. We can figure it out, I promise."
"Really?" Ingo squeaks out, his lip trembling. His dad's eyebrows furrow as his thumb swipes some of the tears out of his eyes.
"Of course. I love you no matter what and I'll always be here to help you."
The edges of Ingo's vision are starting to go dark. He's not sure he can keep himself awake any longer. So, Ingo makes himself get one last thing out before he succumbs to the darkness.
"Love y… too."
The beating of the heart monitor hooked up to his son is the only sound in the dark hospital room. Its constant, steady rhythm is equally as comforting as it is horrifying to Drayden as he sits in a hard plastic chair at his son's bedside. On one hand it's a reminder that Ingo, his eldest child who has been missing for nearly five years now, has miraculously returned home after being gone for half a decade. On the other… it's a nasty display of the fact that Ingo is injured and nearly bled to death in his front yard.
Ingo could have died out there. Bloody and alone and lost. Because apparently, Ingo has amnesia and can't remember… well, Drayden isn't sure how much his son has lost of his memory! Still, no matter the degree of his memory loss, Ingo could have bled out in the forest outside his home all alone.
Drayden will forever thank the mighty dragons that he and Iris had been awake that late. That he decided against enforcing Iris' bedtime to allow her to train with her team a little longer… that just before they were about to turn in for the night they had seen a flash of light and that his daughter demanded to check it out on her own to 'prove how brave she is'. If he'd said no or refused any of those things, then Ingo would not have made it. How fragile fate is…
He leans forward, putting his elbows on his knees and burying his face into his hands. Drayden fears he may be haunted by this 'what if' for a long time after this, if not forever. To know that if any of those small things had gone wrong, his son would be well and truly gone will never not drive him mad.
The sound of fabric rustling has Drayden lifting his head a bit. He lets his eyes find Iris where she's leaning over Ingo. She'd pulled her own chair up closer to her brother's face and has been making little braids in his hair for the past hour now. Drayden can see them sticking up in every direction, no particular rhyme or reason to their placement. The sight has a small huff of amusement escaping him. It's odd to see Ingo with hair long enough to reach his shoulders and to braid. His son used to vow that he'd be clean shaven and keep his hair well groomed forever… now he's nothing short of scruffy.
He's sure Emmet will endlessly poke fun at his brother…
Once Drayden works up the courage to call Emmet and tell him what happened.
He should have done that a while ago, he knows. His other son would never forgive him for keeping this information from him for any amount of time. But Drayden didn't want to call Emmet while Ingo was in the operating room. He didn't want to watch his son rush all the way to Opelucid City to see his brother if Ingo didn't… it would have destroyed Emmet more than he already has been by Ingo's absence alone. But then again, how could he take that Truth from Emmet? How could he take away that choice? Emmet has a right to know.
Drayden should tell him. But-
No. Allowing himself to get lost in these hypotheticals is taking even more time that Emmet could be spending with his brother. Even if he is afraid of what could happen, Drayden wants nothing more than to allow his son to get some closure. Which means he must shove down his own reservations and put both Ingo and Emmet's best interests first.
He knows his boys would want to be together. So together he will make sure they are.
Drayden sighs, rising from his chair. His back pops due to having sat in that chair more or less motionless for as long as he did, but he ignores the ache. He looks back at Iris and she's looking up at him, hands frozen in Ingo's hair. Drayden gives her his best smile. "I'm going to go call Emmet. Keep your brother company, alright?"
Iris nods, then turns back to Ingo. "Okay."
As her hands start braiding again, Drayden turns and makes his way to the door. He pulls it open and steps out into the silent hallway. Drayden doesn't want to close his son's door in case the doctors need to get in, so he settles for walking a little further away from the room to a bench pushed up against one of the walls. He sits down and fishes his Xtransciever out of his pocket — he'd never put it back on after taking it off to show Iris how to wrestle with her Haxorus. Then he turns it on and opens his contacts.
Emmet's is the first name to show up.
Drayden takes a deep breath and clicks on the number.
It rings… and rings... and rings until just as it's about to go to voicemail, the call is picked up. His screen is dark. Though he can see lights flashing occasionally and hear the sound of a bag rustling. "You're calling rather late, yup." Emmet's voice speaks a moment later. Then the xtrans is moved and his son's darkened face fills the screen. He watches Emmet open his mouth to say something, only to pause when he takes in Drayden's surroundings. "… where are you?"
Drayden looks away from his screen for a moment. This is what both of his sons would want. "We found Ingo in our backyard. He was injured, so we brought him to Opelucid Hospital… your brother is still unconscious, but he's out of surgery now and the doctors say he should recover."
Silence.
When Drayden looks back at his screen, there's a faraway look in Emmet's eyes. He blinks. Once. Twice. Then he bursts into tears and shoots up off of his couch. "Coming- I'm coming! Hold on, I'll be right there!" Emmet starts to rush around his their apartment, probably in search of his shoes.
"We'll be waiting for you here, okay? Stay on the line with me until you get here." Drayden knows his son will being throwing caution to the wind to get to his twin, so he wants to keep an eye on him if he can.
The sound of rustling takes over the call and all Drayden can see is the interior of Emmet's apartment in brief flashes as he swings his arm around, but eventually he hears what sounds like an 'okay' come through the noise.
Okay. Right… everything is going to be okay.
Drayden releases the breath he'd been holding as he rises from the bench. He should probably let the nurses know that Emmet will be arriving like a hurricane shortly.