Chapter Text
“Give me my brother back, you son of a bitch!” Emmet shouted down the empty tunnel. His voice echoed on the walls. The trains had been halted on this route, diverted for another course. A man, a very familiar man, ran down the tracks. Emmet recognized him, having seen the same twisted smile some time before, the day his brother was taken.
Ghostly hands had reached through the rift, pulling Ingo away from him. Through the rift gold streaks danced among bright reds and purples. Ingo screamed as his body fell through. The last bit of him, a hand turned outward, grasping, had fallen through. That smile, with sharp teeth and no emotion behind it, had taunted him above his brother’s head. Emmet ran toward the rift, pushing his legs to the edge, trying to get to his brother in time, yet to no avail, his brother had already disappeared, and the rift soon afterward.
This time, however, he would not be so slow. His feet pounded against the packed dirt beneath the rails. His lungs worked in tandem with every footfall. A turn quickly revealed itself farther up the tunnel as the blond man turned out of view. Emmet turned just as quickly. He was shocked. He had spent years in these tunnels, yet that turn was new to him.
Left, right, left, left, right again. New twists and turns made themselves apparent. Wherever Emmet was, he was no longer in Unova. This didn’t stop him. He continued to run. If Ingo wasn’t in Unova, Emmet was going the right way.
His lungs ached as he followed the blond man. White cloaks and coats billowed out behind the two. The tracks beneath Emmet’s feet disappeared, instead being replaced by dirt. Soon, sparse grass and brickwork were passed by as Emmet emerged from the tunnel.
The man in front of Emmet stopped. Emmet skidded on the worn ground. He was panting as he observed the other man. Loose, green pants donned his tall form, going down to his knees. He wore leather sandals that wound up his shins. A white tunic with gold accents draped itself across his shoulders. Decals like a certain legendary pokemon hung low on his hips. The other man spread his arms wide and turned to Emmet, laughing.
“The great wielder of Pokemon, Volo, at your service!” He laughed, turning his face up to the sky. “Welcome to the Distortion World!”
Wind whipped around Emmet’s coat and Volo’s hair. Their bright white clothing contrasted their dark surroundings. Muted red bricks made residence under their feet as they stood on a floating platform. Other platforms floated at other angles around them. Dark green vines connected them. No sounds besides the wind and the men made themselves known.
“I am Emmet, you have taken my brother from me.” It had been almost a year. Emmet had been a conductor to a two train car for almost a year. Elesa had temporarily filled in as a doubles battle partner, but it wasn’t the same. His hands tightened around his pokeballs. He didn’t want to bring them out in this world, yet, if all else failed…
“Taken? I wouldn’t say ‘taken’. It was more like…an accident,” Volo spoke, bringing his hands down to his neck. He tugged at the neckline of his shirt. “Truly I didn’t mean to take him , honestly, I would have rather taken you .”
Volo turned to the side and whispered, “It prefers truth to ideals anyway.”
Emmet tensed. Who did this man think he was? How was he a better choice than Ingo? “You made a veeeerrrryyy bad decision, now give me my brother back.”
“I don’t have your brother!” Volo snapped quickly. He composed himself, running his hands down his long hair, smoothing it. A deep breath, then he spoke again. “But, I can help you get him back. I know where, heh, sorry, when , he is and how to get to him.”
His smile curled upward, revealing rows of sharp white teeth. His golden hair that matched the metal decals on his pants billowed in the wind. Emmet tried to gather his thoughts, yet was interrupted by the other man.
“I just need you to do something for me!”
Emmet narrowed his eyes. The brim of his hat cast a shadow over his eyes. “What?”
“Welllllll,” Volo dragged on. “I can’t exactly leave this place and-”
“Then how did I see you in Gear Station? You are verrryyyy strange.”
“That wasn’t Gear Station,” Volo laughed. “I had lured you here!”
That did it for Emmet. He wouldn’t be baited like some Rattata to a trap! He lunged, but Volo side stepped him. Emmet stumbled, but caught himself. When he looked up, Volo was peering at him, upside down, having moved to another platform.
“I can get your brother back for you,” he reiterated, “but first , I need you to get a master ball-”
“What do you-”
“-and Arceus’s plates,” Volo finished. “Any questions?”
“Arceus?” Emmet said in disbelief. “How are you-what are you going to do?”
“Catch it, is it not obvious? With Arceus, I can get out of here, and you can get your brother back.”
Emmet looked into the gray eyes of the other man. What possible choices did he have besides trusting Volo? He had exhausted almost all other options. Celebi turned out to be a failure. Dialga was nowhere to be found. The Abra plan didn’t even work.
“I am Emmet. You have taken my brother and I want him back.” Emmet sneered. “But I have no choice. I will work with you,-”
The other man smiled gleefully.
“-on one condition.”
“Oh?” Volo seemed hopeful, tilting his head. “And what would that be?”
“You won’t take anyone else. Ever again.” Emmet stood tall, pushing his shoulders back. “And you won’t take Ingo again.”
“You won’t need to worry about that! Once we work together, I won’t have any need to!”
Volo jumped from the platform, landing in front of Emmet. He held out his hand. Emmet shook it, binding their deal. It was a bad idea to take the hand of a man living in the Distortion World, Emmet would later reflect. It was not worth the pain.
His breath hitched as he held back a scream. It burned. It tore at his throat and neck. His bones felt as if they had become white hot metal, cooking him from the insides. His eyes bulged as they threatened to burst. Sweat beaded on his skin. He stopped trying to stifle a scream as he collapsed to the ground, hands on his knees, breathing heavily. Volo crouched down in front of him and smiled.
“Thank you for doing business with the Ginkgo Guild!” Volo cheerfully said, before kicking him off the platform. Emmet’s coat whipped around him as he landed hard, winding himself, now back in the abandoned tunnel from before.