Chapter Text
It's been almost six years since the day Emmet died.
Well, he didn't actually die, but a piece of himself certainly did. The moment he found out his brother had gone missing — vanished, leaving behind only his Pokéballs in the tunnels… well, honestly, it was a miracle Emmet's heart didn't give out on him right then and there. Or perhaps that he didn't drown in the tears that just wouldn't stop pouring out of him after that.
Emmet cried for hours… days… months… no. Maybe the tears have never truly stopped. The gaps of time between each bout of sobs just got longer over the years. Even now, four days from the sixth anniversary of Emmet's death and his beloved brother's disappearance, he still feels like he's struggling to stay above the rolling waves of his sorrow. Like any moment he could burst into tears and cry so hard he'd flood this world in its entirety.
Even now — especially now — Emmet is an ocean.
And he suspects that maybe he always will be. No matter how hard he tries to lead some semblance of a normal life, Emmet will always somehow be reminded of what he's missing; he will always be weeping. Because a piece of himself, something he had never thought he'd need to part with, was ripped away. Gone without a word. That night in the tunnels, surrounded by Depot Agents and Police Officers, Emmet knew he would never ever be the same again; that he might as well just give in to the rush of his tides… but he couldn't. Can't.
Emmet can't do that to his family.
Not to the family that has stayed by his side, dragging him up from the murky depths of his own head time and time again. Not when they've tried so hard to get him back on track and keep him out of the water. And especially not when Emmet has seen how hard they've worked to create a new 'normal' despite drowning in their own oceans. It just wouldn't be fair to them.
So, he keeps fighting the riptide yanking him to and fro. He does his maintenance checks, and continues to go back to work, and talks to people. However damaged his engine may be, Emmet is still running on the railway of life.
He owes it to the people in his world to keep trying. And… Ingo wouldn't have wanted him to drown.
Emmet has to keep his head above water.
"Emmet?" A small hand lands on his forearm. The feeling of the warm touch on his skin yanks him out of his thoughts. Emmet blinks away the fuzziness in his brain, glancing around at his surroundings as he returns to reality. He's standing in front of the kitchen sink, a large white bowl clenched in his hands and a cold stream from the faucet pouring over them. The water splashes in the pool that has formed inside of the bowl Emmet was supposed to be washing. Right. He had a task to do. "Emmy? Can you hear me?" The hand on his arm squeezes a little tighter. Not to the point of pain, but it certainly gets his attention.
His eyes snap down to the person on his right — Iris. She's standing there in her bright pink Munna pajamas, looking up at him with eyes full of worry and a deep frown spread across her features. Emmet blinks at her for a moment, trying to get his mouth to work. "I… am Emmet. I'm fine now, thank you." With that, he sets the bowl in the sink and shuts off the faucet. Emmet isn't sure if he'd even gotten around to washing the bowl while lost in his thoughts, so he'll just leave it where it is for now.
His hands are still dripping when he pulls them away from the sink. He makes no move to grab the towel hanging on the oven handle nearby.
Iris' frown doesn't lighten upon hearing his words, but she does let her hand fall away from his arm. "If you're sure…" She turns and motions towards the doorway that leads back out into the living room. "Dad and Elesa managed to set the movie up. Why don't you go sit with them, okay? I can finish washing the popcorn bowl." He doesn't even get a chance to argue before she's taking his arm once more and pulling him away from the sink to take his place.
Part of him wants to argue. He's a grown man who can handle himself and doesn't need to be treated like a fragile object… Emmet lets her move him, stepping away from the counter and being pushed towards the doorway. He doesn't have the energy to argue tonight; hardly has the energy to do anything at all, actually. That was part of the reason why Emmet had agreed to come stay with his dad for the next couple days. Staying in his silent apartment back in Nimbasa… Emmet couldn't do it. Not alone. Not in the ringing, screeching, wailing quiet of the chasm in his home.
And despite all the eggshell walking his family has been doing since he arrived yesterday afternoon, Emmet knows he really is better off here. Spending this anniversary alone would have knocked him off course again. At least here, Emmet is distracted from the spiral.
"Emmet, you're not gonna convince me to let you stay," Iris says after a moment, once again pulling Emmet out of his head. He blinks away his thoughts as he refocuses on her. She's looking at him from over her shoulder now, a hint of playfulness having slipped into her expression. "Go on! Get! Or I'm gonna sick Destroyer on you and she'll drag you away!"
He scoffs he rolls his eyes, allowing her playful energy to wash over him too. Their dad's Druddigon is nothing but a big softy. Emmet knows she wouldn't dare do any roughhousing of the sort, nor would she drag him away as Iris is claiming she will. If anything, Destroyer will just give him Baby-doll eyes until he agrees to leave the kitchen on his own. Poor thing is so sensitive! Which is why Emmet can call her bluff easily. He can feel a smile growing on his face. "You and I know verrry well she wouldn't do that, yup."
That earns a huff from his sister as she turns back to the sink. "Fine! Then I'll get Furyfangs. He'll be a little more willing to drag you away." Well, now that's a more viable threat. That Salamence is not opposed to unleashing a well meaning Tailwind to get him moving!
Emmet holds his hands up. "Fine, fine. You win. Departing from the kitchen station now." With that, he spins on his heel and walks towards the doorway.
The living room isn't very far from the kitchen, so the moment he walks through the doorway, he's basically already standing in it. He turns to his right where the couch and tv stand are and he sees… well, it's an odd sight to say the least!
Emmet pauses a couple steps away from the couch when he spots his dad and Elesa huddled in front of the tv stand. There are a bunch of wires lying around the two of them and the tv screen is still dark — which means Iris must have been lying to get him to leave. Clearly the movie is not set up and they're still struggling to put together their dad's ancient tv! Honestly, he's never understood why Drayden won't just get a new tv after all these years. It's such a hassle to set it up every time they want to watch something! The thing is verrry broken, but Drayden won't admit it.
Which means Emmet will probably have to use his expertise in electrical engineering to help them get it working again.
Not that he really minds. A little bit of tinkering might do him some good.
Emmet steps around Sandslicer — who is curled up on the floor in front of the couch — and crosses the short distance between himself and the tv. Neither Elesa nor Drayden notice his presence. He leans over them, a sharp smile spreading across his face. "Need help?"
Elesa nearly jumps out of her skin, dropping the cables she'd been holding as her head snaps up. His dad is less fazed and only gives Emmet a glance before picking up the cables that had been dropped, going back to trying to sort them out. Meanwhile, Elesa's surprised expression morphs into a glare. She puts a hand over her chest, probably to slow her heartbeat down. "You asshole! Warn a girl before you pop out of nowhere like that!"
"He came from the kitchen, not nowhere. Didn't you hear the floorboards creaking?" Drayden says, turning the cable around in his hand. He clicks his tongue as he examines the frayed parts of one of the wires.
Elesa rolls her eyes as she looks back towards Drayden. "Of course I didn't hear him coming! I was too busy with these prehistoric cables! Seriously, you've got to get a new tv soon." The only response she gets is a grumble. She deflates little, but doesn't argue with him. Instead, Elesa sighs and rises from the floor, dusting herself off. Emmet takes a step away from her, letting her straighten herself out. She messes with her shirt for a moment, smoothing out the wrinkles, before looking back up at Emmet. "Anyway, I think I'm gonna leave this to you and your dad, Em. I'm covered in dust now! Super not fabulous!" She huffs with an eye roll. Then she pats his shoulder and steps past him towards the couch.
He can hear her flop down onto the cushions a moment later, followed by a low warble from his dad's Alteria. Emmet throws a glance over his shoulder — Elesa has been swallowed by Kisses' feathery wings and neither of them look like they're moving anytime soon. He raises an eyebrow at his friend when she looks at him, earning a middle finger back. Emmet laughs, finally looking away and turning his attention to his dad.
Drayden is still staring at the frayed black cable he'd picked up earlier. He's not sure what's going through his dad's mind right now, though if he's thinking about using that cable, Emmet is going to have to rip him a new one! That cable looks close to breaking! Verrry unsafe to use!
Emmet crouches down beside his dad, taking the cable out of his hand. "That is verrry unsafe. This is broken, yup-yup! If you try to use it, you will start an electrical fire." His dad's eyebrows furrow as he turns toward Emmet — which he would recognize anywhere as his dad's annoyed expression.
Drayden sighs. "I know that, Boy! I was trying to figure out what kind of cable it is so I could find a replacement." Oh. Well, that makes more sense. They do have a box of cables in the basement, so they more than likely do have at least one more cable that would work in the black one's place. Emmet probably should have assumed that was what Drayden was doing. His dad doesn't often make silly mistakes such as using a broken cable! Emmet opens his mouth to apologize, only for his dad to cut him off by taking the cable back. "Give me that," he huffs.
Emmet blinks a couple times when the cable is snatched out of his hand. Then he's laughing a little at Drayden's annoyance as his hand drops again. Watching his dad grumble like this reminds him of all the times he would go out of his way to annoy Drayden when he was younger. Which was quite often! He'd started doing it when he was little and didn't stop until he was leaving for college! Over the years, it had become a sort of game for him to see how annoying he could be before he got sent outside to play or — when he got old enough to start training Pokémon — to go train more with his dad's dragons. Ingo used to scold him all the time for it and… and…
And he doesn't want to think about that anymore, actually.
Emmet blinks back the sting that has abruptly built in his eyes, turning his attention instead to the cables that are still on the floor. He should just focus on helping his dad with the tv, then all of them can settle down for the evening. Right… right.
There aren't very many lying on the floor in front of him. Which makes sense because it really doesn't take that many cables to get a tv to work. Thankfully, that should make it easier for him to figure out which cable is which. Emmet decides to just grab a random one and go from there. He picks up the first one his eyes land on — a long light blue one — and stands up to start trying to figure out where it's supposed to go on the tv.
Emmet leans over the tv stand to look behind the tv, eyes scanning over the surface. It's hard to see without a light, but he thinks he can just feel it out. He reaches out, running his hand over the back of the tv to feel for any spaces where he might be able to plug in the cable.
A loud shattering sound rings out through the quiet, followed by a scream.
Emmet drops the cable like it burned him, snapping upright and whipping around to face the kitchen doorway. He can see Drayden shooting up from his crouch and Elesa struggling to untangle herself from Kisses. None of them move fast enough. Iris is bolting through the doorway before Emmet can even process the sight of her, followed by… a glowing golden ring? Emmet can't really tell what it is. Not that it matters. That ring is chasing and scaring his sister, which means it's a threat.
His hand darts down to his pocket where Captain and Lavender's Pokéballs are resting. "Stay back!" Emmet shouts at the ring and shockingly enough, it works. The ring freezes in the air just beyond the threshold of the living room. Which allows Iris to dash over to the coffee table and snatch her partner's Pokéball from its place in the Pokéball holder. He throws a glance at his sister, who has taken to crouching beside the coffee table with Berry's ball clenched tight in her hands, before turning his glare back to the strange ring. His hand wraps around Captain's Pokéball, ready to toss it out and fight. Emmet opens his mouth to demand the ring leaves. But the ring speaks first.
"Be not afraid, humans. I cometh not to harm thee. Only to offer thee a chance to regain what thou hast lost. Thou wilt be reunited once more, tis mine decree! Fear me not, mine creations. Soon thy ails wilt be forgotten. In mine name, thou art free of thy torment!"
What? Emmet can't even begin to make sense of what it said. The words it's using are… old, to say the least. And confusing as well. What they lost? What could that possibly mean? Emmet has no idea, nor does he care. He won't trust a word this thing says. Clearly, it's trying to trick them!
"What are you talking about?" Elesa speaks up. Emmet glances over at her. She's still sitting on the couch, Kisses protectively poised in front of her and hissing at the ring.
There's a whooshing sound, then the ring is glowing brighter. When Emmet looks back towards it, he has to squint just to see it through the glare.
"Worry not over what I hath said. Tis not important now. All thou must know is that thee wilt soon find thyself in a land called Hisui. Tis there that thee wilt find thy missing pieces and assist mine champion in completing mine task. Thou wilt thank me later."
Drayden scoffs. "Now wait a minute-"
The ring starts to let out a shrill ringing sound. "NO! There is no time left to wait! I… hath already waited long enough. Tis my duty to fix what I tore apart… So prepare thyselves for soon thou shalt arrive in Grand Hisui! Thy task is to find thy missing pieces, finish mine champion's mission, and then thou shalt return to thy proper place. Go now! To thy destiny!"
And that's the last thing it says before the room starts to shake and the light swallows everything. Emmet can't even scream as the floor disappears under him, casting him down into a world of starry darkness.
Drayden groans, slowly regaining consciousness. He keeps his eyes closed as he takes mental stock of himself.
His head is spinning and every inch of his body aches; both not great signs. He feels like he was just thrown off of one of his dragon's backs after a harsh round of wrestling! Though that can't be right, can it? Drayden doesn't think he'd been wrestling with any members of his team before… before whatever is happening! Or… happened? He doesn't know… Anyway, he doubts he was wrestling. If he had been and did get thrown, then his dragons would be worrying over him right now. He'd be at the mercy of insistent snouts or listening to their concerned growls and grumbles. The fact that he's not proves he wasn't wrestling.
Though that in and of itself is also concerning…
He can't hear the familiar sounds of his dragons — or the voices of any of his kids — anywhere. In fact, all he can hear through the quiet ringing in his ears is the buzzing of what must be bug types and loud croaking sounds. Neither of which are familiar or what he might expect to hear near Opelucid City.
The temperature and terrain of the area are off too. The air around him is much muggier than he's used to and the ground beneath him feels almost soggy and damp. It also reeks of sulfur and what Drayden assumes must be mud. Which means he has to be in a wetlands of some kind. It's definitely humid enough for that to be true… Drayden can feel sweat building under his clothes.
All of these factors make two things clear to Drayden.
One, he's no longer in Opelucid City and is probably not anywhere near it either. Two, he's alone.
Panic shoots through his system as those realizations snap into place in his head. If he's alone, that must mean his daughters and his son are alone somewhere too — he vaguely recalls that they were together before he woke up here, so they have to be in this place too. And if they're alone, then they could get hurt! Which means Drayden needs to find them as soon as he can. He'd never forgive himself if any of his children got hurt. Or… lost like his eldest son.
Drayden is not sure he will survive losing any more members of his family.
So, he needs to finds his kids now.
Drayden's eyes snap open and his head throbs. Still, he pushes through the wave of nausea that washes over him to force himself to sit up. The ground beneath him makes a squelching sound and he can feel the mud that's caked on his clothes soaking into his skin now that he's more aware. He grimaces. Gross… Drayden pushes his disgust to the back of his mind and blinks away the fuzziness in his eyes to look down at himself. He can't really see anything. It's too dark.
Ah. So it's nighttime.
He lifts his gaze to the starry night sky — being able to see so many of them so clearly is yet another sign he's nowhere near home. Seems like there's a new moon tonight, which means navigating through this foreign landscape is going to be difficult… Still, Drayden will figure it out in order to find his family. He just wishes that at least one of his Pokémon were with him to help him, but with a quick pat over the Pokéball spots on his belt, Drayden deduces that he's really on his own right now.
Biting back a sigh, he wipes his hands on the top of his shirt. He's going to hate every minute of moving through the mud.
Oh Mighty Dragons, have mercy on his soul.
Drayden grunts as he pushes himself up to his feet. His muscles are tense and uncomfortable, but he forces himself to keep moving. He scans the surrounding area, looking for some sort of landmark or location that he can try to get to. All he sees is an expanse of mud and hills and the occasional tree in the distance. Which is… odd. To see a land so scarcely settled… It's unheard of really in Unova. The least populated area of the region is Anville Town and even then, there would be the occasional house in between small stretches of distance! But here there's absolutely nothing for miles…
Just where in the world has he ended up?
Drayden is so lost in his thoughts that he almost doesn't notice lumbering footsteps coming from somewhere nearby. But as they get closer to him, it's hard to not hear them. There's something massive coming his way and he doesn't have any Pokémon with him to defend himself. Drayden will just have to wrestle if it comes down to it! His heart leaps into his throat as he whips around, almost slipping and falling in the mud. He manages to maintain his footing after sliding around for a moment. Then he lifts his head, eyes landing on…
A massive brown Pokémon with sleepy eyes is approaching him. Drayden has no idea what kind of Pokémon it is, though it looks like some kind of quadrupedal Ursaring! He's never seen anything like it before. And even more surprising is the fact that there's a small older lady riding on its back. The woman is holding an old looking oil lamp that illuminates the area around her and the woman herself. And the sight of her under the warm light of the lamp is jarring.
Drayden stares at her. She looks like something out of a historical textbook or maybe even an ancient painting! With a light purple tunic and a woven basket filled with herbs on her back and wooden jewelry. Drayden can hardly even process what he's looking at right now.
So, he stands frozen as the woman and her Pokémon come to a stop a couple feet away from him. Her eyes narrow as she regards him. "Well, look what we have here… we thought people like you would stop falling out of the sky when the rift closed. Looks like we were wrong," she says, a light laugh following her words.
The sound of her voice jump starts Drayden's own. "People like me?" Does that mean there have been others who somehow ended up in this place? Who are those people? And what happened to them? Drayden has so many questions- wait. None of those questions are important right now. What is important is locating his family. Maybe this woman knows what happened to them? He shakes his head and clears his throat, refocusing on the task at hand. "No, don't answer that. That question can wait. I want to know where my children are. Have you seen them?"
The amused look on the woman's face fades, replaced with an almost incredulous expression. "Your children? You… have you retained your memories? Of the space you come from?"
What does that mean? Drayden can feel his eyebrows furrow. "Why would I not? I know who I am and where I came from. I am Drayden, born of Unova, the land of the Twin Dragons… but is that really important right now? I need to find my daughters and my son. If they are here, I don't want them to be alone for long. What kind of father would I be if I didn't try to find them?" He makes no mention of the fact that he'd lost his eldest. Drayden will carry his shame in losing Ingo to his grave.
For a moment, the woman says nothing. Then she looks down at her Pokémon. "By Almighty Palkia… we must report this to the clans, Lord Ursaluna." Her Pokémon — Lord Ursaluna — grumbles and nods in response. Then both of them are looking at Drayden again. "Come with us to the Diamond Settlement. We'll help you find your children."
Drayden is not sure if he wants to trust this woman just yet… but he has no other choice but to accept her help for now. So, he nods and approaches Lord Ursaluna.
He hopes that the people at the 'Diamond Settlement' will actually help him, but only time will tell.
Heels and cliffs do not mix.
Elesa has learned this the hard way, unfortunately.
After landing with Kisses on the top of a mountain in her oversized black t-shirt — the one she'd stolen from Ingo's room before she drove Emmet to Drayden's house — jean shorts and black kitten heels, Elesa had no choice but to figure out how to climb in her clothes. And well… how to run too. She'd come face to face with the most massive and violent Luxray she'd ever seen in her life and promptly had to make for the hills, since Kisses was at a disadvantage. So… that was fun.
She's just thankful the two of them had managed to get away! That beast of a Pokémon almost took her out!
Now she's got an electrical burn on her left shin — ouch — and her heels in her right hand as she walks barefoot down a rocky slope, leaning into Kisses for support. It's not ideal, but at least they've made some decent progress! Elesa can tell that they're already halfway down the mountain now! Which is… well, honestly, she doesn't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing. Primarily because Elesa has no idea where she's going.
She'd figured out while running for her life from that Luxray that this place is not Unova — Twist Mountain is nothing like this mountain, so she'd assumed that if she wasn't there, she wasn't in Unova. Pokémon also aren't aggressive in Unova, but like, they're not supposed to be aggressive anywhere, so that didn't help her narrow down possibilities. It does kind of remind her of Sinnoh's Mount Coronet though!
It's been a very long time since Elesa has traveled back to her birth region, so she doesn't really trust her judgment on that. Plus, Mount Coronet has a bunch of walkways and ranger huts and lights on the trails to make it easier for humans to travel through. This place is nothing like that! So it's probably not Mount Coronet either…
Which means Elesa has no idea where she is or where she's supposed to go to get help. She's more lost than she's ever been in her entire life! And it really doesn't help that there seems to be absol-utely nobody around the area. One would think that she'd be able to see a city or maybe even a town from this elevation, but all she sees is a vast land in total darkness thanks to the lack of moon in the sky. Elesa is trying really hard not to panic and flip out, but it gets more difficult to do that with every step she takes.
Oh and worse yet, she still can't remember how she even got here in the first place! Elesa gets fuzzy flashes of events in her head, though nothing she sees really helps her out. So far all she's gathered is that she was in Opelucid at Drayden's house with Emmet and Iris, then something broke in and she was here! Waaait a minute…
If she was with her family, doesn't that mean they might also be here too? She didn't wake up with any of them around her, but they could have landed somewhere else in the land. So maybe that should be her goal? Elesa would very much like to be back with her family… or to text her girlfriend, but she's already tried that and she has no cell service, so family first!
Once she's back with her people, she's sure she can figure this whole mess out! Though maybe that's easier said than done if Elesa can't just call them.
Great…
Elesa throws her head back with a groan, earning a concerned chirp from Kisses. Why is this so fricken annoying? It's far too late for her to be all in her head about this! She should be tucked away in bed, sleeping the night away but she's not and it sucks. Kisses noses at Elesa's side, cooing at her. She looks down at the dragon, letting her shoulders relax a little. Elesa leans into the fluffy Pokémon. "Sorry, Kisses. This is just so annoying and stressful. I want to lie down and sleep it off, but if all the Pokémon here are mean like that Luxray was, I don't think it's safe."
Kisses' feathers deflate and she whines. She must feel guilty for not being able to defend them against the Luxray. All of Drayden's Pokémon always get so butthurt when they're not able to be strong. It breaks Elesa's heart to see Kisses beating herself up about it now.
So, she pauses in her tracks and pulls her arm away from Kisses. The dragon whines again, looping her neck under Elesa's arm to try to get her to lean on her again. Despite herself, Elesa laughs. "Okay, okay. I'll let you support me again in a sec! I just wanna say something real quick, okay?"
Kisses doesn't let up for a moment. Then she huffs and pulls her head back. Elesa smiles at her. "I'm not upset with you, okay? That Luxray was vicious! And you had a type disadvantage. I'm proud of you for managing to get both of us away from the danger and I think Drayden would be too. Okay?" Seriously, the only reason Elesa had gotten out of that battle after the Luxray hit her leg was because Kisses threw Elesa over her back and took off running until they were safe! She owes her life to Kisses.
Kisses perks up, feathers fluffing up as she croons. She leans forward and headbutts Elesa's stomach, allowing her to reach down and pet the dragon. Which Elesa does. She runs her hands through Kisses' downy feathers, her smile growing wider. "Oooh! Whose a good dragon? Are you a good dragon, Kisses?" She gets a shrill warble in response as Kisses shakes her feathers. "Oh yes you are! Yes you areee!" She laughs as Kisses gets more excited, allowing the moment to ease some of the tension within her. It feels nice to laugh after everything!
Unfortunately, it doesn't last very long…
Kisses abruptly pulls away with a sharp kiss, eyes focused on something behind Elesa. Which prompts Elesa to whip around, hands up and ready to fight if she has to. Both of them watch as something large climbs down from the cliff nearby, the sound of its claws in the stone sending chills down her spine. She holds her hand out in front of Kisses, signaling for her to hold her fire until the moving figure — that she assumes is a Pokémon — stops.
While she's waiting for it, Elesa drops her heels and uses her now freed hand to snatch her phone out of her pocket. She turns the flashlight on right as the Pokémon lands, illuminating the form of a massive purple… Sneasel of some sort? Maybe? It's been a while since Elesa last saw a Sneasel, but she knows for certain they're not supposed to look like that! Elesa can feel her jaw drop as the Sneasel thing turns around and winces under the light.
"Sssnease! Lrrr, snea?" The creature huffs, bringing one of its massive claws up to cover its eyes. And even though she can't understand Pokémon, Elesa is fairly certain that was a 'hey, what gives'. Which… honestly makes her laugh a little bit.
She shakes her head to snap herself out of it, turning her phone so the light is now pointing at the ground. "Sorry about that! You scared us!"
Now that the light is out of its eyes, the Sneasel thing lowers its claw. It looks up at her and blinks, confusion clear as day in its expression. Even though its expression is a little hard to read. Kind of like… Elesa shoves that thought away, instead focusing on the Pokémon as it eyes her. She feels almost scrutinized under its gaze. "Snee-lr?" That's a name. Whose, she doesn't know. Though Elesa can see that the Pokémon has deduced it's not hers. "Snnrrt…" A frown settles over its features as it takes a step towards her.
Kisses fluffs up and hisses. The strange Pokémon hisses back. Elesa shushes the dragon. "It's okay, Kisses. Maybe it's friendly?" Kisses doesn't look pleased by her words, but still backs down. And the second she does, the Sneasel thing is on her. Elesa jumps when she turns back around to find the strange Pokémon crouched before her, sniffing at her shirt. "Uuuh… hi?" It doesn't respond, still sniffing her. So Elesa shuts her mouth and lets it happen.
The sniffing lasts for a couple moments longer before the Pokémon whines and nuzzles against her stomach. Elesa… doesn't really know what to make of that. It seems really interested in the smell of her shirt. Maybe that was what lured it over to her? But that doesn't make sense. Why would it be attracted to the shirt? And why does it seem so sad about the smell of Ingo's-
Ingo’s.
This shirt is Ingo's! It's been lying untouched in his room all this time, so it probably still smells like him! And this Pokémon, though she has no idea what it is or how the connection that is forming in her brain could possibly be true, seems to recognize it! So much so that it's upset that the smell had led it to someone who isn't Ingo! Maybe she's just so tired and scared that she's making shit up in her brain, but honestly Elesa is so out of her mind right now that she might as well take a shot in the dark here!
"You- are you looking for Ingo?"
The second his name is out of her mouth, the Pokémon lifts its head with a happy "Snee-lr!" Ingo.
Tears flood Elesa's eyes before she can stop them and then she's dropping to her knees to hug the Pokémon. "Oh you know Ingo! Oh by the Dragons! By the Mighty Dragons!" Elesa sobs into the Pokémon's soft purple fur. "Can you take me to him? He's- he's my brother! I've missed him so much!"
How is this real? How can this be happening? All Elesa wanted to do was find Drayden, Emmet, and Iris, but… could it be possible to find Ingo here too? Could this place, wherever it is, be where Ingo had ended up?
Does that mean her brother is still alive?
The Pokémon shifts a little in Elesa's hold. Whether it's due to discomfort or something else, she's not sure. Though she should probably let go anyway. It would be rude to keep hanging on-
Elesa’s thoughts are cut off when the Pokémon scoops her into its arms and takes off running down the slope. Kisses squawks and gives chase, then all three of them are screaming as they descend the mountain.
Iris gasps for breath as she tears through the sand, darting around wild Pokémon and large stones and all the shrubs around the area. The stranger behind her is still shouting for her to stop running, his voice shrill and panicked for some reason. He's been chasing her for forever! That weird man with his weird blue shirt and his silly flute! Iris is terrified!
Since she woke up here on this beach, everything keeps attacking her or chasing her or trying to get her! She was lucky she still had Berry at her side, who defended her against the mean wild Pokémon until he passed out. Now he's unconscious in his Pokéball and Iris is on her own. Which means Iris can't stop moving until she gets somewhere safe! Her dad would be so upset if she ended up getting caught — he'd always said that during the Plasma Crisis back home. Iris really doesn't want to make him upset, so she won't stop until she reaches her destination!
Just like her big brothers tell her to do.
That's what she'd been trying to do earlier; find some place where she can hide away from all the things that are out to get her. She was also rummaging around the shrubs, looking for something to heal Berry with so that he could keep protecting her. Nothing around this area is anything she's familiar with though, so Iris couldn't find anything to use! And she doesn't want to admit it, but not being able to help her partner had made her sad, so she was sat by the water crying. It was very not champion-like… if her dad were to see her like that, Iris is sure she'd die of shame!
She still feels like she might because when she'd been hiccuping and wiping her tears on her sleeves, a stranger had come walking down the beach. Iris had messed up. She stayed still for too long and then he'd spotted her. He'd called out to her when he did and asked her who she was, but Iris knew better than to trust him! So she'd gotten up and started running away!
That's what she's been doing since… well she's not sure how long she's been running. She just knows that is been a long time! Iris is thankful she knows how to run long distances. Otherwise she might've gotten too tired quickly and then she would have been caught. Though… Iris can tell she's going to get tired eventually and it feels like it's going to happen soon.
She's scared. Her legs hurt and her lungs burn, but if she stops running she'll be in trouble. Iris isn't sure what to do. This place isn't Unova. It's not anything like her home! Which means she doesn't know how to get around anymore. She's stuck on the ground, trying to quickly think of some way to escape.
But she can't. Iris isn't smart enough for that. Not like her brothers or Elesa or her dad. She's not a grown up, even though she tries to present herself as one.
She's too little.
Iris can feel tears forming in her eyes, blurring her vision and making it even harder to see in the darkness around her. She's not going to be able to escape. Her legs are too small. Her lungs can't take in enough air. She doesn't know where she's going. Iris isn't good enough.
And she hates it. She's supposed to be Unova's mighty Champion. A dragon tamer! So why does she always fall short when it comes to grown up problems? Where is all her strength when she needs it? Maybe… maybe her strength isn't real at all.
Maybe she's been a little kid pretending to be brave this whole time.
"Young miss!" Comes the man's shouting voice. It yanks her out of her thoughts, reminding her that the world is still moving around her. Iris tries to pick up her pace. "Please! Please stop running! The Pokémon around here are dangerous! You're going to get hurt! I'm- I'm trying to help you!"
Those words rush over Iris like she's been splashed with cold water. Is he really trying to help her? Or is he just lying to get her to stop? Dad always says that strangers will try to trick her to get her to do what they want. So that has to be what the man is doing, right? But… he doesn't sound like he's lying. He sounds like he's worried about her!
Iris looks over her shoulder towards the man. It's hard to see anything in the dark, but she can tell he's getting tired too. He's also a lot further behind her than she'd thought. Yet he's still trying to reach her. Still shouting for her and trying to warn her. Would someone who's just trying to hurt her keep warning her about the dangerous things around the beach? She doesn't know…
Wham!
She runs face first into a wall of fluff that sends her flying down into the sand. Iris grunts when she hits the ground, but she doesn't let it distract her. Her head snaps up to face what she'd run into and she finds herself staring up at what looks like an Arcanine. Though it's nothing like any Arcanine she's ever seen before. Iris screams, scrambling back away from it. She doesn't want to get attacked! Arcanine can spit fire and getting burned is a horrible way to die!
The Arcanine doesn't move to attack her though, even as she scoots back. It does the opposite. She pauses her shuffling away to watch as it takes a step back from her to reveal a tall woman who must have been standing behind it. The woman puts her hand on the Pokémon. "Thank you, Lord Arcanine." The Arcanine bows his head, then settles in the sand. As he sits, the woman turns to face Iris. She crouches down and holds her hands out. "Hello there, young lady. I am Warden Palina and I assure you I mean you no harm. Can you tell me your name?"
Iris isn't sure if she can trust Palina… but she seems friendly enough. Maybe her dad won't be mad if Iris answers her? "I'm… Iris." Her eyes start to water. "H-have you seen my dad? Or my siblings? I think I'm lost."
Palina frowns, opening her mouth to answer her. She doesn't manage to get any words out before there are footsteps slowing to a stop behind Iris. Her head whips around just in time to watch the man who had been chasing her stop beside her. He puts his hands on his hips, gasping for breath. "Ah, thank you both… I was afraid I'd never catch her!"
"Are you alright, Iscan?"
The man — Iscan — nods. "I'm fine." He looks down at Iris, smiling at her. "But I'm more worried about you. Are you hurt?" Iris shakes her head. "Good. With all the g-ghost types out… I was worried!"
Palina hums, standing up and dusting sand off of her clothes. "Right, well if you're unharmed, Miss Iris, then we should probably get moving. Even with Lord Arcanine protecting us, we may still be attacked by the wild Pokémon around." She leans down and offers a hand to Iris. "Let's go to Iscan's hut and figure out how to find your family, okay?"
Iris glances between the two adults and the Arcanine. She doesn't really have much of a choice, does she?
With a sniffle, Iris takes Palina's hand. "Okay."
Emmet thinks he might be dying.
And he's not even being dramatic this time.
The cold around him is no doubt lethal and he is not wearing enough layers to handle this kind of weather. He's lucky he'd been wearing his Subway Boss uniform when he'd fell through the sky and landed in the snow. He'd only worn it to feel closer to his brother, but now it's serving some sort of purpose. It's certainly not warm enough, but at least the coat offers some protection from the bitter wind and his hat keeps the falling snow out of his eyes. If he'd been wearing his pajamas, Emmet is certain he'd be dead by now. Honestly, he's surprised he isn't yet even with his uniform.
Maybe it's his willpower pushing him through the dense layers of ice around him. Or perhaps Lavender's heat warming him where she's tucked under his coat is keeping him hot enough to move. Either way, Emmet is still fighting through the blizzard around him. He can't let himself die out here in the cold. Not until he figures out where the fuck he'd ended up and where his family is right now.
That damn ring didn't give them nearly enough information before tossing them all to wherever this place is. It should have told them more or maybe just left them alone entirely! Now he's lost in a foreign icy wasteland with no idea where to go and no help. Emmet really hopes that his dad and his sisters had better luck with where they landed. If they're stuck out in the snow — wearing clothes much thinner than he is — they're probably already dead. And if they are…
Emmet will hunt whoever is behind that golden ring down and burn them to the ground. He's already lost enough, hasn't he? Losing any more would be the end of him.
But maybe he shouldn't be thinking about that. Right now, he needs to focus on trying to survive himself before he can even consider what will happen in the future. He needs to find shelter from the wind — somewhere he can hunker down until the storm passes. Unfortunately, Emmet just isn't having any luck in that endeavor. The world around him is a white void, illuminated by Lavender's purple flames. There's nothing but snow and ice. He can't see a single cave or city or town anywhere around him. Which means he's probably miles away from any kind of civilization.
He's on his own.
Well and truly this time.
Emmet clings to Lavender a little tighter, earning a chime that rises over the howling of the wind. He doubts he can get his voice to go high enough for her to hear any sort of response from him, so he settles for patting her glass instead. Lavender coos again, then the heat of her flames raises. Emmet shudders as the new wave of warmth rolls over him. She must be working so hard to stay hot enough to keep him from freezing… When they get out of this — and they will because he refuses to entertain the thought that they might not — Emmet will make sure she gets so many treats. Treats for the rest of his life even!
"We're going to get through this, Lavs," he murmurs into the buttoned up collar of his coat, "full steam ahead."
A gust of wind rushes past him, threatening to knock his hat off of his head. Emmet's hand darts up to catch it and he shivers as some of the cold air slips in through the gap he'd created. He can feel Lavender's metal arm snag one of his buttons, using that grip to hold his coat closed for him. Emmet mentally thanks her as he drags in another mouthful of painfully cold air. He can feel his lungs really starting to burn now. They'd started hurting a little while ago, but Emmet can tell he's getting into the danger zone now. If he doesn't find shelter soon, he may end up with permanent damage.
Breathing problems would just be another shitty thing to add to his already bothersome life, so Emmet isn't keen on allowing it to get worse. But what is he supposed to do? He's been walking for what feels like hours and there's still nothing around him. Emmet had assumed he'd eventually come across a town or something when he'd first picked himself up from his landing zone and started walking, but clearly he was verrry wrong. Which means things are about to start getting ugly for him.
If only Ingo were here. His brother was always a quicker thinker than Emmet is. He's sure Ingo would have come up with a better plan and that they'd both be warm by now if he was here. But he's not. He hasn't been for years. And every time he's reminded of that, another piece of Emmet dies.
He thinks maybe… right here in the snow, the last piece of his soul has died.
Lost in the ice where it will never be found again.
What a fitting death that is.
CRACK!
Emmet is wrenched out of his thoughts when his next step is followed by the ice crumbling under him. He screams as he plummets down into a hole in the earth that he hadn't seen, landing hard on the frozen ground. His heart leaps into his throat as he lets go of Lavender, reaching down to feel his legs for any damage. Nothing feels broken, but he's probably so numb that he might not have even felt it if a bone had broken. Though, running his hands over his legs now, nothing seems out of place.
He breathes a sigh of relief, leaning back against the wall as Lavender drifts out of his coat. She twirls around in the air as she takes in the sight of the ice cave they've found themselves in. Once she's taken it all in, she chimes and turns back to Emmet. "Luuure!"
Despite himself, Emmet smiles. "Yeah. We found shelter. Bravo." He looks up through the hole he'd fallen into, staring at the dark sky above. It would probably be safer if he goes a little deeper into the cave before he settles down. Just far enough so that the wind from outside can't reach him. Emmet nods as he pushes himself back up to his feet. "C'mon Lavs. Let's get a little further in so the wind can't reach us."
"Chaan."
With that, Emmet plunges into the frigid cave. His footsteps echo in the silence and Lavender's light illuminates the darkness around them. It appears the cave is empty, as even when he gets to a larger chamber of it, there is nothing around. He figures this might be a good place to spend the night. It's probably the only shelter he'll be able to get anyway, so perhaps it's his only choice too.
Emmet walks over to another one of the walls, sliding down with a sigh. It's not the most comfortable place in the world, but beggars can't be choosers. Lavender swoops down when he's settled, pushing herself under his coat and relaxing against his chest. While she's doing that, Emmet's hand slips into his pocket to grab Captain's Pokéball. He pops his partner's ball open, releasing the Eelektross in a bright flash. Captain wiggles around in the air for a moment. Though when he processes the cold, he darts down and wraps himself around Emmet and Lavender.
Emmet laughs. "I am Emmet. It is verrry cold, yup-yup! Not pleasant. We should stay together so we do not freeze." He gets noises of agreement from both Pokémon. "Perfect. I'm glad you both agree." Emmet wraps his arms around them, hoping to warm them both with his own body heat too. He'd never forgive himself if he allowed either of them to freeze.
"Zzzor?"
Ah. So the cave isn't as unoccupied as he'd assumed.
A soft whine comes from somewhere on his left. Emmet nearly jumps out of his skin as his head snaps up, eyes landing on… the cutest Pokémon he's ever seen in his whole life — aside from his darling Joltik, of course.
Sitting a couple feet to his left is a small white fox Pokémon with big yellow eyes and a wispy tuft of red fur atop its head. The Pokémon is staring at him with those big eyes of theirs, head tilted. "Zor-zorua?"
Emmet can feel himself melting as he listens to its cries. So precious! "Aww, hello there. I am Emmet. Are you cold too?" He unravels one of his arms from his Pokémon, holding it out towards the little fox. "Do you want to be warm? You can join us if you'd like. It is verrry cold in here." He watches the fox tilt its head the other way and continue to stare at him. Then it slowly rises and starts making its way over.
Lavender and Captain shift a little to allow for the fox to climb into his lap. And when it gets close enough, it does. Emmet doesn't dare move as the tiny creature curls up and flops down on his lap. It doesn't offer him much warmth, but it's cute enough that he doesn't even care. He's also happy to be helping another Pokémon stay warm in the cold.
"Zorua!" The Pokémon yips. As soon as the sound starts to echo around the cave, four more tiny foxes come running at him from the darkness. Emmet swears he's the happiest man alive despite his situation as the foxes all pile in wherever they can fit. They're all so cute!
"Ah, welcome aboard, my friends. Let's all stay warm together then, yup-yup!"
With that, Emmet falls into a comfortable silence as he holds his group of Pokémon.