Chapter Text
Arceus had a problem. The fabric of reality was being undone, and its own intervention would only make the situation worse. Unable to interfere directly, it found another solution.
Two humans. One to stop the destruction of the world. One to act as their guide.
Arceus’s children believed this plan to be cruel. They argued that it was unkind to remove these humans from their proper place in time and space.
So it was decided that they would be sent back to their rightful place once the quest was completed.
But the lake guardians believed this to be cruel as well. They argued that to remove them from this time and place after giving them time to become a part of it was no better than taking them from their rightful place to begin with.
So Arceus compromised. It decided that the humans would be allowed to stay after the quest was completed, for as long as they may live. Then, they would be returned to their proper place.
It believed this to be a good compromise. It believed this to be a kindness. The others did not agree but Arceus was done with arguments.
It was decided.
Warden Ingo watched the chaos around him with amusement. Although the snow fell thickly enough that he could barely see beyond the last tents, people were a flurry of motion around him.
He offered help where he could, holding one of the posts while they were secured or using his superior height to tie something off. For the most part, though, he just stood back and watched as a pavilion was constructed.
The Pearl Clan was having a festival tonight, and excitement was thick in the air. They held it every year in the middle of winter, and it was always quite enjoyable. Ingo had been looking forward to it for weeks.
Once the area was prepared, a dozen or so people headed out to gather fresh berries and herbs. Warden Ingo went with them, partly to help and partly to keep an eye on them.
Many years ago, he had come to the Pearl Clan as an outsider. A strange, wounded man with no memories. It had been controversial to allow him to join the clan, and even more so to appoint him as a Warden.
But in time he had proven a dedicated Warden and a valuable member of the clan. As months stretched into years stretched into decades, the Pearl Clan became his home, his family.
He still knew he had left another home and family behind, of course. But all the details were lost to his failed memory. He still dreamt of the man in white, but after so many years the face in his dreams no longer reflected his own. He found comfort in the youthful face, where he once only felt loss. He knew he would never see that man again, but at least he remembered some small part of him.
He kept a watchful eye over the people around him while he gathered herbs from under the thick blanket of fresh snow. They were still quite near the settlement, but with visibility so low it would be hard to watch for approaching Pokémon. They trusted him to keep them safe, and he took his duty to them very seriously.
When he spotted an approaching shape, he called out in warning. The people nearest to it ran back to him as the shape resolved itself.
Just a Piloswine. He sent out Machamp, who knocked the Pokémon out with ease. Before his victory could be celebrated, though, a scream tore through the air behind him.
He whipped around to see people running. And a much, much larger shape barreling toward them through the snow.
One figure stood frozen in its path, too seized with fear to move. A girl, young, maybe fourteen or fifteen years old. He rushed forward, calling out to Machamp.
He knew he wasn’t fast enough. The snow slowed him too much. He kept running.
He hit her hard, sending her tumbling away. The tusks slammed into his side a split second later. He flew through the air and landed hard despite the soft snow. He tried to push himself up but pain lanced through his body.
He could still see Machamp from where he lay, engaging with what he now saw was a Mamoswine. He tried to call out to his partner but all that came out was a strangled cough.
Someone was next to him. They said something he couldn’t understand. He couldn’t breathe. He coughed again and tasted blood in his mouth.
There were more people gathering. They looked upset. Machamp threw the Mamoswine to the ground. Good. Everyone was safe.
He tried to take another breath. Shadows crept at the edges of his vision. He reached out desperately and someone took his hand. His vision blurred, then went dark and his head fell back into the snow.
Warden Ingo lay still.
Thousands of miles and hundreds of years away, Subway Boss Ingo gasps. He clutches at his chest, at his throat.
He can’t breathe. He can feel blood choking his lungs. He feels fine. He’s dying. He can breathe. He can’t breathe.
He falls to his knees, aware distantly of the Depot Agent next to him shouting in surprise. He doesn’t know them. Her name is Jennifer.
His breathing is too fast. He can’t breathe. He clutches at his head instead. He doesn’t know where he is. He’s in the subway tunnels. He doesn’t know what a subway is.
Jennifer is speaking into something. A radio. She sounds afraid. He is afraid. This place is strange. It’s comforting. It’s too uniform. It’s perfectly engineered.
His chest hurts. His head hurts. He can taste blood. He can’t taste anything.
Jennifer is kneeling, placing a hand on his shoulder. He flinches away. Falls. Puts his back against the wall. He’s breathing too fast. How is he breathing at all? He wraps his arms around himself and digs his fingers into them. It hurts. He doesn’t care.
He died. He’s alive.
Footsteps are approaching. He wants to run away. He wants to cry out for help. He is afraid.
More people kneel next to him. They look strange. They are EMTs. They’re talking. He doesn’t understand. He does understand. They ask if he can speak. He tries.
“I can- not understand . I’m dying fine lost afraid dead .”
The unknown words tumble out of his mouth unbidden. He doesn’t know that language. He knows it. He knows both? Neither?
They exchange a look. Worried. Like his clan were. Who? They are safe at least. His breathing is still too fast, but he can breathe. His fingers dig deeper into his arms.
He doesn’t understand. He is afraid.
He tries again. “Where when what is happening? ”
The EMTs look even more concerned. One of them asks, “sir, can you tell me your name and position here?”
Shouldn’t they know that already? They’re trying to ground him. Ground him to what?
“Subway Warden Boss Ingo .”
“Right… ok. Do you know where you are?”
“ No yes no tunnels.”
He hears another set of footsteps. Familiar. Unfamiliar. Comforting. A man is here. Emmet. A man in white. Emmet. He is smiling nervously as he kneels. Emmet.
“Emmet.”
He releases his arms, ignoring the blood on his fingertips, and throws them around his brother. The man in white. His twin. His reflection. Emmet.
He holds as tight as he can. It has been so long. It has been less than an hour. It has been decades. He couldn’t remember. He never forgot. He loves his brother. He loves his brother more than anything.
Emmet is holding him. He is talking. He doesn’t understand the words. He does. They’re reassuring. They’re unfamiliar.
He squeezes his eyes shut and holds his brother tighter. They have been apart too long. They have never been apart at all.
Ingo is never leaving him again.