Chapter Text
Once upon a time, there were two princes. Twins born on the same day in a small kingdom. One was born in the dawning light of the morning, and the other born in the waning light of the evening.
The princes had been inseparable. Always found to be doing everything together. Where one went, the other would follow. Even their meals and clothing were the same.
One would not have been able to tell one apart from the other. Except for one friend of theirs. A mighty dragon who moved the sky and molded the earth. One who commanded the forces of nature and fought off beasts greater than most.
Truly, it was a terrifying dragon.
But neither twin looked at it as such. To them, that dragon had been their best friend. Because even though the beast was powerful, it was lonely. And despite having everything and each other, the princes were lonely too.
So all three of them bonded together but as they grew, the people of the land became fractured. And fear began to grip their hearts.
“Our people's blood has been spilt over which of us will take the throne.” Said the older.
“I do not wish for my people to fight.” Said the younger.
“Oh, our friend, do you have a solution?” They had asked.
Their dragon friend gave them a nod. “I know of a way for their fighting to cease. Lead your people together and unify them just as you have unified yourselves.”
And so they did.
They brought the warring people together with the help of their dragon friend and gave their kingdom a new name. Unova. The land of peace and unity.
But alas, even that unity had a flaw.
You see, the older twin sought out the truth of everything. And the younger sought the ideals.
Their disagreements had been small at first. But as time continued to march ever onwards, disagreements turned into arguments and arguments turned to fights. Until eventually…
Their friend split apart.
Fire had burst forth and consumed everything in its wake, its smoke and ash gathered to form beautiful white plumes of feathers until a dragon stood in its place.
Reshiram, it had called itself and stood behind the older twin, preaching its truths.
Lightning had also burst forth and scorched everything in its wake, its soot and scorch marks gathered to form beautiful dark scales until a dragon stood in its place.
Zekrom, it had called itself and stood behind the younger twin, preaching its ideals.
And then the titans clashed, the two dragons who had been one fought. But they weren't alone, for people had chosen a side, and the fighting began once again.
Blood was spilt and lives were lost.
In the end, neither won but neither lost either. Their dragons, being created from the same friend, had not been able to best the other.
And so they ended the conflict, deciding to build two major cities where one twin ruled.
And for decades it had been peaceful. Life was restored to the land.
But then their sons had burned down what little bridges they had managed to salvage. Ultimately destroying the dragons in the process of their fighting, as they could not best one another, leaving behind little trace of their existence but two stones.
Oh, but if only that had been the only loss.
Unova had been completely destroyed. Forever scarred by the fire and lightning that danced throughout the land. Many were lost, and many more injured- both human and pokemon alike.
And so, the twins took it upon themselves to seal away the stones so that no more destruction could happen, and to let their friends rest.
—
“I am Emmet. That story is completely fabricated.”
Subway boss Emmet had always been odd. His manner of speech, his ever present smile, the way his eyes would glow briefly blue when he would be stressed, the trail of feathers he would leave behind sometimes, and even the faint smell of smoke that clung to him despite not being a smoker. Those were all facts that every Nimbasan knew and chose to ignore.
It wasn't as though the Subway boss in white breathed fire. Nope. Absolutely. He did not do that just to make a kid giggle.
Furze did not question it.
“Oh, is Agent Furze reading the history of Unova?”
Subway boss Ingo was similarly as odd as his younger twin. His manner of speech, his ever present frown, the way his eyes would glow briefly red when stressed, the trail of black scales he leaves behind sometimes, and even the faint smell of ozone that clung to him despite not having a single electric type on his personal team.
It wasn't as though the Subway boss in black shorts circuits the breaker every time he sneezes. Nope. Absolutely. He did not cause a massive electrical malfunction when he sneezed a Thunderbolt at the control panel last week.
Furze did not question it.
“Haha, it just seems like an interesting read...” Furze had chuckled.
“Verrrry interesting indeed. But it is filled with creative liberties. Yup.” Boss Emmet had commented.
Boss Ingo rolled his eyes and heaved out a sigh. “What Emmet means to say is that if you wish to learn more accurate facts about the twin dragons, mayhaps it is preferable to ask Drayden, the current lorekeeper.”
“I am Emmet. Drayden has the more accurate account. Yup.”
“Um… sure I guess?” Furze reluctantly agreed. Furze was never a believer, so he was honestly satisfied with the modern story books.
“Wonderful! Now, Agent Furze, your last shift is on the B line, yes?”
“Ah, yeah, that's in 10 minutes though.” Furze admitted, rubbing the back of his head.
“Perfect, yup. I am Emmet. We have a request for you.”
“Oh um sure, what is it, boss?”
“Drayden is wanting to send us something, but seeing as how busy we are, we can't just leave the station.” boss Ingo had folded his arms behind his back, his twin mirroring the motion.
“I am Emmet, Drayden is the mayor and is also verrry busy.”
“So the ideal way to get the package is to send someone to retrieve it from Opelucid for us.”
“You are still new here. Yup. But you have shown great skill and trustworthiness. That's the truth.” boss Emmet’s smile seemed to soften slightly at the edges. “Plus it gives you the opportunity to learn more than in the story book. Yup!”
“o-oh, um gee, thanks bosses! I won't let you down!” Furze's face was bright red at that point but he still gave them a salute.
“Excellent! Bravo! We will contact Drayden to expect you then.” Boss Ingo nodded, his eyes crinkling with that odd smile of his before turning on his heels and walking off with boss Emmet following suit.
He briefly wondered what the Opelucid mayor wanted to give the twins and their relationship with each other.
Though he supposed that the Subway bosses were religious, it could be that they just knew each other from going to church? Considering they mostly wore black and white as is common in religious families to dress their twins in the colors. Furze did wonder why boss Ingo wore black instead of boss Emmet. Furze has never seen either twin act particularly religious though.
Then again, he did kind of want to learn more about the dragons. It would be cool to just have some trivia.
A little detour trip to opelucid would be interesting, he thought.
—
The train ride to Opelucid was mostly quiet and peaceful as expected of the subway. It's been running more efficiently since the appointment of the subway bosses only a few years ago and Furze felt exceptionally proud when he got hired as a Depot agent.
Now though, he stood in front of Opelucid’s city hall. And honestly? He had expected it to look imposing. And it was. He just didn't expect it to feel lived in.
The mayor's office was busy with clerks hurrying between rooms, stacks of paperwork balanced in their arms while greeting people by name. It honestly felt less like a government building and more like an enormous family home. A bit like the subway. Just a bit, when he had witnessed the first time everyone had to do training modules.
A receptionist had smiled at him. “Ah! A depot agent!”
“Yup. Agent Furze, here to pick up a package for subway bosses Ingo and Subway boss Emmet!”
The receptionist laughed gently at his stiffness. “Yes, Drayden is expecting you. Please follow me.”
Of course he was. Boss Ingo did say he would be contacting the Mayor. Probably did it the moment Furze stepped foot onto the B line.
Furze found himself guided through several hallways until the secretary knocked on a wooden door with the name “Drayden Valestorm” written across a plaque right by it.
“Drayden, the depot agent is here.”
“Send him in, Marie.”
Furze took a deep breath and fixed his hat hoping he looked presentable enough before walking in.
Dragons, he would be lying if he said he wasn't nervous.
Drayden sat at the desk, working through some paperwork. He looked exactly like every photograph ever taken of him.
Tall, broad-shouldered, silver haired, and stern yellow eyes. The spartan Mayor of Opelucid and the toughest Gym leader.
And then he looked at Furze, and Furze saw the gentleness in his gaze. “Ah, Agent Furze, then?”
“A-ah, yes sir…” he managed to squeak out.
“No need to be nervous,” Drayden chuckled lightly. “My sons tell me you're one of their hardest workers after all.”
“...sons, sir?”
“hm?” Drayden leaned back and stroked his beard. “right, I forget they don't speak about family during work hours. Yes, my sons. The subway bosses.”
Drayden moved to stand carrying over a neatly wrapped cloth bundle. “I do believe these belong to Ingo and Emmet.”
Furze blinked as he held the bundle. “...Lunch boxes?”
“Yes, unfortunately, I know my boys far too well.” Drayden let out a weary sigh. “Elesa called earlier, telling me about their nightshift. Knowing them, they surely have forgotten to pack food for that time and by 2 in the morning they would have convinced themselves that coffee is a suitable substitute.”
“...oh… that… that actually sounds like something they would do…”
“They’re good men,” Drayden shook his head and headed to sit down at the couch just in front of his desk. “Come, have some tea with me. Your train back isn’t due for another 30 minutes.”
Furze tried to stutter out some sort of excuse but ultimately he had agreed and took a seat opposite to the Mayor of Opelucid.
Drayden poured some tea for the both of them. Furze held the cup in his hands awkwardly. What exactly was he supposed to say or do in this situation?
Luckily, Drayden had unknowingly saved him from the awkwardness of his own tongue. “So, I heard from my boys that you were curious about the history of the dragons. I'm more than happy to answer any questions you have if you wish.”
Furze nearly burnt his tongue on the tea and carefully lowered his cup to stare at Drayden. It was definitely an opportunity he couldn't miss, right?
Plus he had so many questions.
“I, um, yeah… I mean, I'm not really religious or anything, but um, I've been thinking about the stories of the dragons…”
“I see, though history books and story books don't really come close to the actual accounts.” Drayden hummed and crossed his arms over his chest in thought. “Hm, there isn't much time to go over the full story, so is there anything in particular you are interested in?”
“Well um… firstly, I guess I wanted to know how much of the true history is preserved by the modern retelling?” Furze asked, nervously tapping a finger on the side of the teacup.
“How much of it do you believe is true?”
“Huh? O-oh, um, just that Reshiram and Zekrom are real pokemon…? The stories are just a little too much for me to believe it happened only like two-ish thousand years ago.”
“Good answer. And you are, partially, correct.” Drayden took a sip of his tea and looked at Furze with a stern gaze.
It made Furze want to hide away, really. Mayor Drayden felt like a Druddigon watching its prey right now and it slightly unnerved him.
Though Furze's curiosity was piqued by Drayden’s answer. “...what do you mean?”
“Unova had been around for far longer than two thousand years, though back then, its name was something else.” He paused to assess that Furze was paying attention before continuing. “Longer before Unova was Unova, and perhaps even longer still, when civilization was still settling, that is when the story of the dragons happened. Yes, there were two heroes but they were not quite princes. And their fighting did not cease. There was no second pair of heroes.”
“...and the stones?”
“They exist, though it is not where the dragons rest.”
“Oh… I see.” Furze swallowed hard, flashes of white feathers and fire and black scales and static following around the Subway bosses crossed his mind. “May I… ask one more thing?”
Drayden nodded.
“U-um… I don't really know how to word this, but uh… is it… is it possible for new heroes to appear, like in the stories? Because, uh… um… I think Boss Ingo and Boss Emmet might be…” Furze let his words trail off, his voice growing ever quieter.
“Yes. Heroes can be chosen again. But it's neither of my sons.”
“But-”
“Understand that heroes have an end goal that is world changingly grand,” Drayden interrupted. “So let me ask you this; do my boys seem the type to have that kind of vision?”
“...no.”
“So then what makes you so sure that they are heroes?”
“...” Furze thought about it for a moment. “I'm… I'm not. But they are… strange…”
“And does that disturb you?”
“No.” The answer came unbidden and without thought. “It doesn't.”
“So why does it matter to you if they are strange?”
Furze had to pause at that and think. Why did it matter to him why the Bosses were weird? His mind supplied him with an answer.
There was really only one reason he was looking into the story of the dragons. A subconscious part of him already figured it out. Especially with the news of the team plasma activity in their area.
“Because I'm worried they'll get hurt, and I don't want to see them hurt. I… I want to be able to help where I can in any way I can.”
Drayden didn't answer for a moment before his gaze softened. Drayden gave Furze a small nod.
“Good, you already have your answer.” Drayden stood up with a small sigh. “Your train is arriving in 10 minutes. Best you get going.”
The announcement of the time made Furze jolt up and out of the couch. “Ah! R-right! Thank you sir! I'll be going now and I'll make sure the bosses get their dinner!”
“Of course, safe travels.”
Just before Furze exited the office room, lunchboxes in hand, Drayden called one last time. “Agent Furze.”
Furze paused by the door to give the Mayor a glance over. “Um, yes?”
“You're a good man. Please, take care of my boys.”
Furze had come to a realization, sitting and talking with Drayden. But the realization had clouded his memories ever so slightly. Seeing the Mayor of Opelucid- seeing Drayden- asking him to care of his sons made him remember.
Boss Ingo was loud and vocally expressive, openly supportive, and with wonderful visions for the future of the subway. Boss Emmet was clipped and quiet compared to his twin, but just as supportive, and has a protective streak. Furze could see them as the legendary dragons with ease.
But…
He also remembers them for the dorks that they truly were.
Ingo the ever loud, train loving man whose facial expression never changes. Who buys everyone a coffee when they have a long day. Who constantly has a need to keep things perfect. Who cries over spilled casteliacones.
Emmet the quiet, train loving man whose voice never seems to change out of a monotone. Who constantly complains about being bored when there's nothing to do. Who joins in on gossip whenever he can. Who keeps bringing in more joltik into the tunnels than they can count.
Furze realised then that Drayden wasn't asking him to take care of legendary dragon gods. He was asking him to take care of the silly men he calls his bosses.
And honestly, Furze can see why no one really acknowledges the oddities of the twins. Because if they did then people would suspect something was going on.
The dragons can fend for themselves, but the Subway Bosses of Nimbasa City has a theoretical network of sleeper cells ready to defend them if needs must.
And Furze is more than happy to join them
“...of course I will, sir! You can count on me!”