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manchasama · 4 months

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Ooooh I am so pleased with this chapter. It is very fun. The submas server is such a joy to sprint with, I am actually writing!! :>

Hard to Swallow Part 3 (Part 1 Part 2 Part 4 Part 5)

Lunch with Elesa was rarely subdued. Today was no different, Elesa animated and practically sparkling as she regaled them with the antics of her latest challengers.

"So you know what they did?" she asked, mirth dancing in her eyes as she leaned across the table dramatically. "They just chucked the berry at their Herdier's face!"

"No!" Emmet said, a delighted grin on his face as he leaned into Elesa space.

"Egads!" Ingo echoed, biting his lip to keep his chuckles at bay.

"Yes!" she said, bopping Emmet on the nose and grinning when he wrinkled it at her. "I don't know who looked more surprised; the kid or the Herdier."

"With such a blunder, I imagine the rest of the battle was concluded in quick order?" Ingo asked, chewing on his straw as he rested his head on his hands, elbows propped on the table.

"You'd think that, wouldn't you?" Elesa cooed. "But no, our intrepid trainer didn't stop there. I thought for sure I'd be able to take out their Herdier with Sparkler before they could recover. My darling little Emolga was raring to go, but!" she shoved Emmet's face away as she straighten up, "I did not expect the Herdier to step on the berry and slip."

Ingo felt his eyebrows raise, and Emmet rocked backward with a laugh. "Another gaffe to be sure, but surely—"

"Ah ah ah!" Elesa said, wagging a finger at him. "That's what I thought. And sure, at first glance it looked like it. But you should have seen the look on the kid's face. I think they'd practiced that clown move! The Herdier slipped right under Sparkler's attack, and came back with an Ice Fang. Can you believe it? Poor Sparkler did his best, but he'd already taken too many hits." She sat back in her seat with a satisfied smile. "Honestly it was an electrifying battle!"

"I am Emmet, and I am so jealous!" Emmet cried, flinging his hands up as he rocked back in his chair. "They sound like a great battler. Did you tell them to come to the subway?"

Elesa gave him a coy look. "Weeeell..."

"Elesa!" Ingo boomed. "You cannot tease us with such an inspiring battle and not recommend them to come test their mettle against us!" He attempted to give her his most pitiful look. Judging by Emmet's smirk, it wasn't terribly effective. As if Emmet wasn't equally eager for such a challenger. Ingo went back to chewing on his straw, his drink long since finished.

She laughed at their perturbed faces. "Of course I did, you bidoofus," she said.

"No!" Emmet immediately protested. "Bad Elesa! You promised no puns at lunch!"

"I said no puns you didn't find funny," she protested with a pout. "You love that one!"

"In what world do I like being insulted. By my very best friend!"

"Every one," Ingo said, Elesa chiming in at the same time "All of them!"

"Betrayal. Both of you are awful," Emmet grumbled, picking up his sandwich to take a vicious bite out of it. It did nothing to hide his smile, full of good humor.

"It's part of our charm," Elesa said, reaching over to squish Ingo to her side. The straw remained clenched in his teeth, and he grumbled a bit as a few drops fell onto his pants. The good thing about wearing black at least. He felt the chair tilt under him briefly as his weight shifted, but she released him before he could decide if that was a problem, and he rocked back into place. "Anyway, it's not like you guys don't spend all day having the best of battles."

"That is because we are smart," Emmet said. "You have to be good before you get to us! No, the best! Unlike you, Elesa."

"But Elesa gets the privilege of seeing all the upcoming trainers every day," Ingo interjected. "How exciting, to be able to watch them grow, and know you were part of their journey!'

"Aw, you're giving me too much credit Ingo," Elesa said, shoving at his arm. "It is one of the perks of the job, but I hardly think one gym leader is going to leave that much of an impression on them."

Ingo immediately straightened, feeling outraged on his friend's behalf. "That is such hogwash! Elesa, what you and your fellow gym leaders do is nothing short of inspiring!" He hardly noticed the straw fall to the ground as he wound up. "No matter how great or little success you have, your pokemon journey is one of the most life changing experiences. And none of it is possible without the gym route. You remember when you took on uncle Drayden! How you spent an entire week after your first attempt, training with your Togetic for new and inventive battle strategies. And how sweet that victory was when you succeeded!

Or when Emmet and I fought Clay at Castelia City gym! Emmet was so confident when Eelektross had finally evolved, that we charged in without our safety checks. It took us over ten tries to even make it to their door, because we were so ill equipped to match against the myriad of ground types. It was a difficult lesson, but he and Eelektross overcame it. They would not be the two-car team they are today if Clay had not been there to challenge their ideals."

His hands were flat on the table now as he leaned over, nearly vibrating with the physical need to convince Elesa of his sincerity.

"Elesa, you may not know how many of them you touched, how many of them you inspired to become better trainers, better partners, better people! But none of them will ever forget you. They will hold you deep in their heart, and remember the talented and brilliant battler you are, and the greater heights they can reach with their partners at their side. Especially ones like your young trainer, who go above and beyond to achieve success, who never give up. Of course you will be remembered!"

Ingo realized he was now standing, nearly half over the table in his enthusiasm. Elesa's cheeks were a bit pink, though it was half hidden under her hands as she looked up at him. Emmet had his hands over his ears, but was grinning a smile full of warmth. As the silence around them grew, Ingo realized he had been...quite loud.

A flash interrupted his inner mortification, and all three looked over to where a man was hightailing it down the street, camera clutched to his chest as he ran.

"Oooh, wonder what their gonna post about you tomorrow~" Emmet sing-songed. He lowered his hands to rub them together gleefully. "I bet it's going to be another breakup headline! Yup! Elesa cheating on poor Ingo with his own darling little brother."

"Emmet!" Ingo gasped, affronted. He flopped back into his chair, sure he was flushed from embarrassment alone now.

"Nonsense, I'd never dump the sexiest man in Nimbasa," Elesa countered, batting her eyes at Ingo.

"Betrayal!" Emmet howled, launching forward to flop half on the table and only narrowly missing getting sauce stains on his white shirt. Ingo swore Emmet had some supernatural ability that was only good for keeping his whites white. "Being sexy is overrated. Battling is much better." Emmet had managed to snag one of Elesa's braids, giving it a firm tug. She smacked his hands away with a laugh.

"I do wish you would let that drop. Forever, preferably." Ingo sunk further down in his chair uncomfortably. "I cannot believe you both signed me up for that without me knowing." He reach out and snagged the rest of his sandwich, taking a morose bite out of it.

"I am Emmet, and I had to know the truth," his brother said, not looking sorry at all. "More people need to appreciate Ingo, yup!"

"Not like that," he groaned, taking a larger bite from his sandwich and chewing in frustration.

"Yes like that," Elesa countered. "Your thirsty public wanted to see your bare wrists! The scandal."

"So inappropriate," Emmet agreed with a sage nod. "Next Ingo will go around without his coat."

"We are not wearing our coats now Emmet," he protested.

Emmet reached with an exaggerated look of shock, clutching at Elesa's arm. "My own brother Elesa! A harlot!"

Elesa snorted a laugh, before dissolving into gales of mirth. Ingo sighed, but truly did not mind the teasing from his brother. It had been amusing to see the public's reactions in the magazine poll. Even better, participation in the battle subway had quadrupled for months afterwards. He pressed the last of his sandwich in his mouth, reaching out for his glass before remembering it was empty. No matter, he would remember to pick up a water bottle from the break room later.

He continued to chew, not paying his companions any mind as he mentally went over the paperwork left to do when they returned as well. It was to be the multi trains this afternoon, a double shift so the regular and super lines would run. Also—

Also he was still chewing the last of his sandwich, and he realized he really, really did not want to be. He let out a soft huff as he bit down and stopped the useless chewing. Would it be impolite to spit it into a napkin? The thought made his throat seize a little, and he knew it would end with him gagging for a bit. Not his favorite.

A glass was shoved into his hand, Emmet's half empty water glass. He shot Emmet a grateful look, and lifted it to his mouth to take a quick sip. As always, the act unfroze his throat, and he was able to swallow at last. He took another sip to rid himself of the feeling in his mouth, before sliding it back across the table to Emmet.

Elesa's voice caught his attention. "You okay Ingo?" Her mouth was pulled down in a slight frown as she studied his face.

"Ah, yes," he said, a bit embarrassed she had caught his little episode. "Merely a...small issue. It is nothing to be concerned about." He didn't want to give a false excuse for it.

She let out a little mou of displeasure at the dismissal. "Maybe so, but I'm your friend! Was the food not good? I'm sorry if you were forcing yourself—"

"No!" he said, voice louder than he intended. She jumped at the interruption, though she smiled at him afterward to show no harm was done. "No, the food was fine. Delicious even! It is a silly failing in myself."

"Ingooo," Emmet drawled. The corners of his smile were tight in displeasure. "It is not a failing! Do not belittle yourself for it." He turned to Elesa. "Sometimes Ingo cannot swallow. A drink will usually fix it. Simple! Nothing to be ashamed of."

"Of course not!" Elesa agreed readily. She gave into a disapproving look of her own. "What is silly is thinking it's a big deal! Okay, I'll keep that in mind for next time. We still have," she pulled out her xtransciever and gave it a cursory glance, "seven minutes before I have to skeddadle. That's enough time for you—" she reached across the table to tap the back of Ingo's nearest hand, "—to look over my next line up. I really think I need to switch it up to generate more energy on stage."

"What?" Emmet cried, affronted. "Why just Ingo? Why not me?"

"You are grounded from helping." Elesa tilted her head back to better look down her nose at Emmet. "Because of last time."

"I was verrrry helpful."

"You told me to wear a jacket made out of your Joltiks, so they could spring out at the last minute like a zappy bomb."

Emmet sat back in his chair with a satisfied look. "It's such a good idea. Your jacket looks like many Joltik. What could go wrong?"

Elesa threw up her hands and looked at Ingo. "Control your brother!"

Ingo nodded thoughtfully. "If they work as a unit, could it be considered one move under league rules?"

Elesa's shriek of outrage was worth being chased out of the restaurant by a raging super model. Ingo loved his little family.

(Later, when asked in an interview why she stared carrying around a waterbottle with her normal outfit, Elesa merely smiled and said, "Water you talking about? It's always helpful to have a drink to share.")

#fun times ahead #pokemon #submas #pokemon writing #hard to swallow #it's themb #the trioiest of trios #i love them your honor #and they love each other #found family forever #anyway they are all gremlins who deserve to be friends

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manchasama · 4 months

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Self-indulgently, this final chapter is nearly as long as the first four chapters combined. :> I am very proud to have finished this mini series! Now to work on those big stories! Here's hoping for mooore~

Hard to Swallow Part 5 (Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4)

Returning to his proper station had been one of the scariest things Ingo had done in recent memory. Not that his memory was to be trusted. That was the heart of the issue, after all. Akarei had come to him one balmy afternoon, and while he'd anticipated an exciting battle to be had, instead they had told him they had a way to send him home. If that wasn't shocking enough, apparently his home hadn't even been in that time.

It had explained a lot, of course. Why he never felt quite like he fit in with the others, no matter how much they opened their hearts to him. Why the pokemon never seemed correct to him, even though he had such an instinctual knowledge of how to handle them. Why he felt so alone.

Still, it had been a step into the dark, trusting that Akarei would guide his travels, that there was truth in what they said. Ingo had believed in them, and within a few short weeks, he'd not only learned of his true place in the world, but he'd been reunited with the missing piece of his heart.

Emmet, his beloved twin brother, had been overjoyed at Ingo's return. Part of Ingo had shied away at the knowledge he'd forgotten his own brother, a twin at that! How could Emmet be satisfied with the shell of the man he'd lost? Ingo hadn't magically regained his lost memories, though some of them were returning slowly with the familiar stimulus of Nimbasa city.

Despite that, despite his doubts and worries, Ingo couldn't deny the simple fact that he felt whole for the first time he could remember. Everywhere he turned, Emmet was there. The unasked for support was offered at every turn, and Emmet seemed to have a supernatural ability to sense what Ingo needed. That was, he supposed, because Emmet remembered the roots of habits Ingo had only by muscle memory. Small details that were obvious to him, that Ingo no longer had access to.

It made him hope that he provided even a fraction of that comfort to his brother. Emmet was adamant when he told Ingo that his return was more than he could have asked for, that nothing in the world made him happier. Ingo had to accept that as truth as well.

Today, Emmet and Elesa were on a mission to reintroduce Ingo to some of his favorite sites and tastes of Nimbasa.

"It's kind of neat, actually," Elesa was saying. "You get to experience your favorites like new all over again. There's a special zing to those kind of experiences!" At her side, her Zebstrika plodded along placidly. His back was overflowing with the packages they'd already purchased on their trip.

"Yes," Ingo agreed seriously. "And with you two as my conductors, I'm sure you won't drive me down the wrong tracks." He winced after he said that, aware it came across as rude to people who were only doing their best to help him. He hadn't intended it to be that way of course, but he knew if he did not watch his words, with his stiff face it would come across as criticism.

Before he could apologize, however, Emmet was leaning into his side with a delighted laugh that brought a lightness to Ingo's chest. "Do you believe we would feed you food we know you hate? I am Emmet and I am offended you would think so poorly of us!"

Elesa let out a dramatic gasp, leaning into Ingo's other side as she put the back of her hand against her forehead. "To think, here we are, out of the kindness of our hearts—"

"And the bottom of our wallets," Emmet interjected.

"--taking you out for a nice night on the town, and we are rewarded with such suspicion!"

And Ingo realized that he needn't have worried at all. These were his beloved friends, his family, and he didn't have to worry about being misunderstood here. A chime above him made him tilt his face up, and he was greeted by Chandelure pressing her glass against his forehead. He felt a swell of affection at that, his hand coming up to cradle her body. Chiming again, she backed off with a twirl, then resumed her floating from above. He rather thought she fashioned herself as their guiding light, despite the bright daylight around them.

"In fact," Emmet said, pulling away and striding toward one of the nearby food stations. Ingo watched him go, absently clutching Elesa tighter to his side as he resisted the urge to stop Emmet. He couldn't do anything about the need to keep Emmet in sight though, and he lifted slightly on his toes so he could continue to keep and eye on the white hat as the crowd moved around them.

He startled and looked down as Elesa's hand pressed against his chest. Habit kicked in and Ingo was quick to release his hold on her. Friend or not, it wouldn't do to make her uncomfortable. She didn't move away, however. Instead, she wrapped her arms around him in a hug, squishing her face against his shoulder as she rocked them in place. It...didn't seem like she did it for any reason other than she wanted to. That fact alone made warmth fill him from his head right to his toes. This time he didn't hesitate to wrap his arm around her back, relishing her grounding presence at his side.

"I expect a full apology," Emmet popped back up at their side, continuing as if he'd never left, "once you have tried this!" He thrust a pastry in Ingo's face, the golden crust poking out of the paper sleeve. One side of it was covered in a sauce of some sort, with little flecks of white and oddly enough pink on it. It didn't look like soy sauce, or anything of it's equivalent, but Ingo was having a hard time bringing to mind what it was.

He took the pastry gently from Emmet's hand, holding it up for a closer look. From here he could smell the sweetness. Oh, not soy sauce, but chocolate! The colorful bits were sprinkles! This was a dessert! Eagerly, Ingo took a bite out of it, and was immediately greeted by a burst of fruity sweetness on his tongue that blended smoothly with the chocolate and pastry. Eyes wide in the unexpected joy, he flapped his free hand at Emmet, grabbing at his coat and tugging it in excitement. It was pecha flavored!

Emmet's laugh was delighted as he squished in to the hug Elesa had not yet released Ingo from. "Is it bravo worthy?" he asked, looking at Ingo with a far too pleased-with-himself expression.

As soon as Ingo was able to clear his mouth, he bellowed, "Super bravo! Emmet, this is amazing! The crust is so flaky, and the chocolate is not bitter at all. The pecha jam is fresh and full of little chunks of fruit. I cannot remember the last time I had something so delicious!"

Ingo paused in his gushing at the odd look on Emmet's face. It wasn't a bad look, and Emmet was quick to quirk his mouth up in reassurance. Still.... "What is it Emmet?" He wanted to know. He didn't think Emmet would mind him asking.

"You're smiling," Emmet replied. And oh, oh. Ingo self-consciously raised a hand to touch the edge of his mouth. It had taken him so long to be able to do the bare minimum of the expression. Now that he knew what had caused the look, he could recognize the fond wonder in Emmet's eyes.

"I am happy," Ingo said simply. He let his smile widen, laughing a bit as Emmet's face lit up in response.

"And I am hungry," Elesa cut in. She was beaming at Ingo just as widely as Emmet was. "We still have at least five more places we need to hit up before we head back. Roller has been a champion in carrying around all our bags, but we shouldn't linger too long right?" Roller leaned over to nuzzle Elesa in agreement. The Zebstrika had been very patient in allowing them to pile their bags of foodstuffs across his back. He looked more like a pack pokemon than a battler at this point.

There was a scuffle at their feet, and Elesa pried herself away from Ingo's side to look down. Their adorable Durant had returned from his foray, a parcel tied securely to his back. He was tugging insistently at Elesa's pant leg until she crouched down. With a little wiggling and a few dexterous clicks of its mandible, the package was untied and Durant offered her one of the dumplings he'd brought.

Elesa's hand came up to her face as she cooed at the offering. "Oooh, thank you Ran-ran!" She bit into the dumpling with a happy hum, before offering the rest to him. Ran-ran took it delicately from her fingers, waving its antennae in thanks as it ate. Then Elesa reached out to gather the rest of the dumplings back up, wrapping it back into its packaging with a few deft folds. "Let's get the rest of that packed back up for home, okay?"

"Isn't this a bit excessive?" Ingo asked, somewhat rhetorically. He's asked the same question five stations ago. He took another bite of the pastry, eyes closing in pleasure as the taste burst over his tongue again. How marvelous!

Emmet added a bag full of more pastries Ingo hadn't noticed to the pile on Roller's back. "Nope!" he chirped. A sleepy echo of the sound announced one of Elesa's Emolga—Sparker, Ingo thought—waking up as Emmet nearly squashed him with the bag. Emmet gave it a quick face scratch of apology, and was seemingly unbothered by the small zaps of electricity the pokemon gave off. It quickly burrowed itself back under the pile and out of sight.

Elesa was a little more careful as she added her package to Roller's back. "Come on Ingo, let us have an excuse to celebrate," she cajoled. "There will be enough people there to eat all the food, and if not, at least you'll have leftovers!"

"I hardly think reminding me of what food I eat needs to be celebrated," Ingo stated with an eye roll. "But far be it for me to spoil your fun. What is our next destination?"

Emmet didn't answer verbally, just grabbed Ingo's hand and pulled him along down the busy road, expertly weaving between people in his single minded determination. Ingo quickly popped the rest of the pastry in his mouth and grabbed Elesa's hand before he could be pulled out of range, and the three of them made a merry train through the crowds.

Durant and Zebstrika followed more sedately. Chandelure was hovering above them, too far to be buffeted by the crowds, but close enough that her constant happy chimes echoed in Ingo's ears. Eelektross came winding his way from where he'd been off exploring, twisting happy spirals around Emmet without bothering where his and Ingo's hands were joined. Ingo marveled at the fact that not only was no one worried that the large pokemon were out in the open, but that people trusted they meant no harm, even without a pokemon trainer overseeing them. Just another wonderful thing about the future that he forgot he was missing.

It took them another hour for both Emmet and Elesa to be satisfied with their selection. Ingo had wondered briefly if they were going to come to blows over a taco stand. Elesa was insistent they needed a variety of entrees, while Emmet was equally insistent that the food was too messy, too crunchy, and too soft all at once. Elesa won when Ingo had admitted he wanted to try the little wraps of meat they were selling. Suddenly Emmet was all for ordering a little bit of everything from the menu. It was endearing, if a bit ridiculous.

By this point, Haxorus had come out of his pokeball to assist with carrying the packages to give Zebstrika a break. He was overjoyed at being included, his tail wagging in long sweeps across the road. Many people had avoided the happy dragon with indulgent looks, and a few children had followed them for a while, playing a skipping game over Haxorus' tail.

So it was with a light heart that Ingo and the absolute menagerie around him finally made it back to his and Emmet's house. Inside was already bustling. Drayden had arrived early in the morning to oversee this gathering. Furniture had been moved about to make space, some folding tables Ingo was unsure they even owned had appeared to line the walls, and soon enough Drayden had shoo'd them out the door so he could finish setting up. So Ingo had certainly expected to return to a fuller house, but he was still surprised by the tables already full of plates and dishes, and more people than he could actively remember were already milling about the large living room, spilling out through the open doors into the back yard.

"We return!" Emmet announced loudly as he pushed through the door past Ingo, flinging one hand wide as if to present Ingo to the room.

"We also brought the goods," Elesa sang out, Zebstrika and Haxorus proudly marching into the room behind her with their loot.

A slender body came sprinting across the room, as Iris threw her arms around Ingo's waist. He caught her with ease, marveling again at how free with affection his family was. "Welcome back!" she said, releasing him and spinning around with a laugh. "That means we can finally start eating, right?"

"Soon," Drayden rumbled as he approached. He reached out a hand to squeeze Ingo's shoulder, eyes crinkled up in a smile. "Welcome home, Ingo."

Ingo's throat tightened unexpectedly, and he had to clear it to be able to speak. "I'm home, Uncle Drayden." He would never get tired of that.

Drayden, never a man of many words, merely nodded and stepped back. "It's nice to see Haxorus looking so well these days."

"Yeah!" Iris cheered, raising a fist triumphantly. "I made sure we brought lots of Mago poffins for Zephyr! Hey, can I go play with him now?" She turned sparkling eyes on Drayden, who gestured her right back to Emmet and Ingo. "Pleeease?" she added, changing target.

Ingo was strong to many manipulations, but this was not one of them. "I don't see why—"

"Not until we have had a battle!" Emmet interrupted, apparently not moved by the wobbly expression on the girl's face. "I know you. You will talk with Zephyr to get our training secrets. We will not be thrown under the tracks by your tactics."

Iris stomped her foot, but didn't look too put out. "Aw, you're too good at this Emmet. If I promise not to ask about any battling, can I?"

Emmet leaned over to get right in her face. She stared back, unbothered by his closeness. Whatever Emmet saw there, he straightened up with a nod. "Very well. But I will be watching you."

"Not if you're watching Ingo the whole night!" she retorted gleefully.

Even as she skipped off to Haxorus' side, Emmet called after her, "I have an extra set of eyes just for your shenanigans!" He turned back to Ingo with a huff. "You are lucky she is being nice today. She missed you."

Ingo wasn't quite sure what 'being nice' meant in this situation, but took his brother's word for it. "I may not yet remember all our routes, but I am quite sure that I missed her as well. I will have to apologize later."

"None of that," Drayden chidded gently. Emmet nodded emphatically in agreement, lips pressed together tightly. "We don't care if you remember or not. You are family."

"I am Emmet. Why are you apologizing? She will be angry if you apologize."

Ingo regarded his brother, noting the unhappy lilt to his smile and the way his fists were clenched at his side. "Does it make you angry as well?" he wondered out loud.

"Yes," Emmet responded immediately. "You do not need to apologize for being Ingo. Memories or no memories."

Ingo hummed, but nodded hesitantly. "I see. I am...unsure of the route to take. I feel the distress caused by my absence needs reparation. Yet that very act may not bring the comfort I wish."

Drayden let out a loud huff, though his eyes were fond when Ingo looked to him. "Well, that has always been your ideals, I suppose. I will leave you to your brother to see if he can't hammer a bit of our truth into you."

"Full speed ahead!" Emmet said with a snappy salute. Drayden let out a soft laugh, before turning and following after where Iris was hanging off Haxorus' tail.

Three young men were also converging on Zebstrika and Haxorus, quickly taking over unloading the pokemon of the food they'd been carrying around. Ingo had been quite unsure of how to react when he'd been reintroduced to the triplets. Chilli and Cress had been pleasant and cordial, but Cilan had been beside himself in expressing his joy and relief at Ingo's return.

Emmet had been been very amused to inform Ingo of Cilan's hero worship after the fact. Despite that, though, Ingo found the three very fun to talk to. Cilan especially had an enthusiasm for trains and the rail system that he and Emmet had spent hours talking with him about. It wasn't hard to see why they had become friends.

"Ingo." Emmet's voice drew Ingo's attention back to his brother. "It is okay to be unsure. These are tracks in need of maintenance. But even if they end up at a different destination, we will travel that road together."

Ingo nodded. His time in Hisui had left it's mark on him. In his habits, in his posture, in his memory, and more. He needed to keep that in perspective. Emmet would remind him as many times as it took, he knew. "Thank you, Emmet," he replied, gratitude thick in his voice.

Emmet beamed, reaching out a hand toward Ingo. As easy as breathing and with as much thought, Ingo's hand was there, gripping his brother's hand tightly. They stepped further into the room as a unit, Emmet with his left leg, and Ingo mirroring with his right. He let out a little laugh as a memory bubbled up, of two boys sitting at a table in their backyard, swinging their legs together. Emmet turned his head inquisitively, but Ingo shook him away. He would tell him later.

"Ah, good, you got the Qualot berry sauce," Chilli was saying as they passed the little group. He slipped the bag holding that onto his shoulder. "I'll be able to finish the skewers now."

"Don't go changing the stuff we bought," Elesa warned. She rubbed Zebstrika's nose with a smile, before turning back to them. "Next time sure, but Ingo needs to try the original recipes first you know. I didn't just walk all over Nimbasa for nothing!"

"We won't!" Cilan protested. His arms were overflowing with bags, though he managed to look contrite despite that. "We just whipped up a few more dishes we thought he'd like to try."

"You can't object to good cooking," Emmet said, nudging Ingo's side with an elbow.

"I cannot imagine how you expect me to try even a fraction of this food," Ingo admitted, looking around. He paused as his eyes caught a plate full of white dumplings. A memory bubbled up, but not one of his forgotten past. He turned away, trying not to let his face show any of his chagrin. "Though I suppose it's a foolish endeavor to stop such a runaway train."

Emmet was looking right at him, and Ingo knew he'd seen his reaction. Part of him hoped that Emmet couldn't tell what it was for. Another part of him was sure that Emmet had not only seen it, but was now conspiring on how to keep the dumplings far away from Ingo that evening. It was written in the tightness of his smile and the narrowed determination in his eyes.

"You're no fool," Emmet agreed easily.

A yelp drew their attention as Cress snapped his hand back, shaking it as if it stung. Elesa's pair of Emolga had risen from their napping spot as it was disturbed. They chittered in annoyance at the triplets, before flitting into the air to glide to the corner where Galvantula had her web spun out. They landed on her back, snuggling in and disappearing from view as they decided to continue their interrupted nap. Glavantula barely flicked a mandible at their arrival, content to oversee the area. Some of the Joltik were strung about her like little ornaments, though Ingo knew many more were all around the house.

Elesa appeared out of nowhere, a plate piled high with many different kinds of food in hand. "Alright you two, I got us started! Let's head outside where's it's not so stuffy." She manhandled Ingo around and gave him a shove in the direction of the sliding glass door to the back yard. It was fully open to allow easy passage for even the largest of the pokemon, resident or visiting, so there was plenty of room for the pair of them to step through side by side, Elesa bringing up the rear.

Almost as soon as he'd stepped outside, a purple and white blur attached herself to his free side, and Ingo was greeted by Lady Sneasler's tongue swiping a deliberately annoying streak up the side of his face and into his hair, knocking his hat askew.

"Lady Sneasler!" he protested, staggering into Emmet's side. Emmet was too busy laughing at his brother's plight to offer any assistance, the ingrate.

"Snart!" she said, radiating smugness. "Snear laur"

"I offered you to accompany us," Ingo grumbled. "It does not serve me right for abandoning you, when you were invited!" He wiped at the wet saliva on his face, pulling his hat back into place and hoping it covered whatever atrocity she'd done to his hair. She just snickered at him behind one clawed hand.

"The girls are fiiighting~" Elesa crooned. She had the audacity to laugh at the annoyed look Ingo sent her. "Come on, come on. I wasn't lying when I said I was hungry! Are you going to join us, Lady?" The last part was directed at Sneasler, who shook her head.

"Sneas, snelaur ease," she chattered, gesturing across the yard. Clay was there, one hand tilting his hat back as he looked up the towering face of a rock wall. In his other hand, a notebook was held open. It was obvious he was referring to it as he examined the structure. Ingo could see Hilda and Hilbert's Emboar and Samurott lounging around the base of the mini mountain, though there was no other sign of the teenagers. They were probably already climbing around out of sight.

The twin's house had always had a lot of space, both inside and outside, for the myriad of large pokemon they owned and their needs. It wasn't the same as the vast wilds, but having a small portion of their home designed for their needs ensured all of their pokemon were comfortable at home. As such, Ingo and Emmet had insisted on having a rock formation built for Lady Sneasler, where she could climb and perch as her heart desired.

Clay had insisted on helping with the endeavor. However neither he nor Lady Sneasler ever seemed satisfied with the results, always adding and redesigning every chance they had together. Today was no exception.

"You spoil her so," Elesa said as Lady Sneasler sauntered off.

"Says the queen of treats!" Emmet protested.

"Hm, guilty!" She bumped her hip into Emmet to get them moving again toward a folding table that had been set up in the shade of a tree. "Time to treat ourselves!"

"It is hardly spoiling her. It is important to fulfill a pokemon's needs, especially if you have removed them from their home environment," Ingo said. They settled themselves at the table, Elesa putting the food in the center before passing around plates. "A responsible trainer must ensure that their pokemon have enough enrichment, along with having their food and training needs met. A pokemon in an unsuitable environment is just as bad as an over trained or underfed pokemon!"

A fork was pressed into his hand, a portion of something steaming and mildly green on the end of it. Ingo rather thought it was a spinach puff.

"Eat," Emmet insisted, a fork of his own waving around in emphasis.

Elesa placed a glass in front of him, full of something colorful and fruity. It was orange at the bottom, gradually lightening to yellow at the top of the glass. "Drink! And be merry!" she cheered. "Lemonade for the sourpuss," she added, putting another drink in front of Emmet. He wrinkled his nose at her in annoyance, but pulled it closer to him to take a sip, ignoring the straw in the glass.

Ingo did not ignore the straw, and used it to take a sip of the sunset concoction. Despite half-expecting it, there was no bitter alcoholic taste to the drink. Just a strong tangy taste of Sitrus berry, with a sweet aftertaste of Pecha. He took another, longer drink in delight. It was so refreshing!

"Eat," Emmet repeated. "You cannot survive on drinks alone, yup!"

"I can try," Ingo insisted, but dutifully popped the food he'd been provided into his mouth. He couldn't keep the hum of pleasure in, reaching out and gripping at Emmet's coat in his free hand. It was a flakey and savory as its appearance suggested, though he didn't think it was spinach as he'd first thought. He made a mental note to get the full rundown on what these dishes were later from Emmet.

"Ah, there you are!" A new voice, loud and boisterous startled Ingo into twisting around. Emmet turned with him. Somehow Ingo knew Emmet only did so because Ingo had moved, not because he wanted to see who was behind them. It was, he recalled, one of the things they'd do. Always mirroring their twin to move in unison.

Burgh gave a merry wave as he approached, coming around to the other side of the table to sit next to Elesa, across from Emmet.

"Nice to see you, Ingo, Elesa," he greeted. Then he set his elbows on the table and folded his hands, resting his chin on them as he grinned at Emmet. "So, I heard you are looking for a certain pair of pokemon, that I might be able to help you with."

Emmet's grin was all teeth. "That's right! Who better to ask than the gym leader who specializes in bugs, after all!"

Burgh leaned back, waving a hand dismissively. "Says the one who has filled his subway with adorable little Joltik. Rumor is you bred them yourself."

"Of course," Emmet agreed. "I would not be satisfied until I had the perfect partner. But I would never abandon all my little darlings along the way."

"Ah, so I can see why you didn't want to start another colony, and instead came to me," Burgh said in satisfaction.

"Yup!" Emmet agreed. "I want a Shelmet and Karrablast. I do not want already trained partners. It is something for me and Ingo to do. They must be good battle partners. I would prefer them as eggs, but if not, newly hatched is good too."

"A well-bred pokemon lineage is not cheap, you know," Burgh countered.

Emmet narrowed his eyes. "How much?"

Ingo caught Elesa's eye, and they both exchanged a grin as the two bug enthusiasts continued their discussion? Bartering? Whatever it was they were trying to accomplish. There was delicious food to consume, so Ingo was content to leave Emmet to his scheming.

He took another sip from his straw, and was surprised when he got a gurgle of air instead of the sweet tang of his drink. He clamped his teeth down on the straw in annoyance. He hadn't realized he'd already finished it. Chewing on the straw, he sighed, letting it go then pushing the empty glass away from him. Well, he'd get another one later. For now, he was content to enjoy the company of his brother and friends. Plus, there was still plenty of food on the table for them to get through before another round would be required.

His eyes swept over the offerings, and he settling on a slice of fruit, topped with a soft cheese and wrapped in some thinly sliced meat. It was a baffling combination, but somehow the flavors blended well into a tasty treat. He chewed slowly as his attention was dragged back to the conversation.

"You've participated in Elesa's modeling shows before! Why is that so different from posing for a portrait?"

"Elesa is my oldest friend. Who has many blackmail material."

Burgh's eyes gleamed. "If that's all it takes—"

"—Nope!" Emmet crossed both hands in front of him. "I will not give in to the dark side this time!"

It took a moment, but Ingo realized he'd stopped chewing. Once he'd noticed, he was suddenly uncomfortably aware of the food in his mouth, and the way his throat was rebelling against the thought of swallowing. No, not again. Not now. Everyone had gone through so much trouble for this gathering. Ingo was not going to ruin it—

A drink was pushed into his hand, the straw slipping to one side as the ice in it moved around. Ingo looked up at Emmet, who didn't even pause in his conversation with Burgh, just slid over on the bench to press his side into Ingo's. The grounding feeling of the pressure against him settled Ingo's nerves.

Hesitantly, he raised the cup up, managing to get the straw between his lips. A quick sip later, and it was like his brain fuzzed out for a moment. He no longer felt like his throat was going to rebel, no longer noticed the texture of the food in his mouth. It was so easy to swallow along with the drink.

"All good Ingo?" Elesa asked, drawing his attention. She didn't seem bothered. Had she not noticed?

"Yes," he said. "I apo—"

"Nope!" Elesa said, actually making a motion with her hand as if she were shutting his mouth. His teeth clicked together as he obeyed the demand.

"More?" Emmet asked, tilting his head at the fruit snack. "Or is it too much?"

Ingo looked down at his plate in consideration. The episode had been so brief, and other than the brief spike of panic, he didn't feel at all bad. The fact that Emmet had known exactly what to do warmed him at his core. That, and he was still hungry, and still wanted to try all the variety of food his friends had gotten for him.

Instead of answering, he took another piece of fruit and popped it in his mouth. There was no feeling of distress, no sensation of his throat closing up or his gag reflex being triggered. It was as delicious as the first bite, all the better for it not having to mix with the lemonade drink as he swallowed it down.

"Hm, bravo!" Emmet said, taking one for himself. He nudged the plate across so Burgh could take one as well.

"Yes indeed, an excellent choice," he gushed once he had taken a bite. "So Ingo, you'd be willing to be my muse for a new art piece, wouldn't you?"

"Do not try to finagle my brother into your schemes!" Emmet protested. He snagged his drink back from in front of Ingo, taking a sip before returning to a spot between them. He jabbed a finger accusingly at Burgh. "I know how you art people work. First it's 'oh it will only be a few pictures', then it turns into 'but Emmie, you must wear this outfit or the scene won't work!' Nope. I am onto you. I will pay money, time, services, but I will not pose for a picture!"

Ingo sighed wistfully. "A shame. I came to appreciate having a recorded record of my time in Hisui, since I could not trust my own memory. We will need to find another way to keep such memories."

"One picture for each bug!" Emmet said, once again pointing at Burgh. "And no weird costumes! Me and Ingo!"

"Done!" Burgh said, reaching over to shake Emmet's pointed hand gleefully. When his eye caught Ingo's, Ingo winked mischievously. Burgh let out a delighted laugh, but did release Emmet to flop back in his seat.

Emmet elbowed his side. "I know what you are doing, brother."

"Then don't fall for it, brother," Ingo retorted easily.

"Incoming!" A new voice interrupted their groups as Skyla came whirling in. She settled a tray on the table, then starting taking the plates of food off and distributing into the empty space. "And of course, a new drink for Ingie," she added as she took the sole drink off the tray and depositing it in front of Ingo.

"Ah, thank you." Ingo tried to sound appreciative and not as baffled as he felt. Skyla noticed though, and rolled her eyes good naturedly at him.

"You always finish your drink first. One of these days you'll remember to save some, or at least get a new drink before you chow down again," she teased. She leaned into Elesa side, batting her eyes up at the model. "Feed me," she demanded.

As Elesa (looking utterly besotted) catered to her girlfriend, as Emmet turned back to Burgh to continue working out the details of their trade, as all around them family and friends and pokemon mingled, Ingo realized something.

This gathering was so unlike those he'd attended in Hisui. There, they had been more festival-like, in celebration of some event, or a seasonal milestone. The Pearl clan's celebrations were more formal, quiet affairs. It was where people could make the more complex traditional foods, and where the bounty could be shared by all. The Galaxy Team festivals were loud, boisterous affairs, but very impersonal. Everyone would gather for the celebration, people would mingle, but it did not have the same sense of closeness that Ingo craved. He had avoided those more, because of that. He could deal with the quiet of the Pearl clan, but the noise of the Galaxy Team made him feel more alone afterwards.

Now he realized it was because he was missing both aspects. The house was full of people and pokemon, and it was such a loud and lively gathering. The people here, however, were people dear to him. People who had helped him on his journey in the past, who were here to be with him on his journey into the future as well. It was such a warm, welcoming feeling, so bright and full of joy.

It felt like home.

(Ingo had been driven to near tears from laughing when Emmet had intercepted someone offering him one of those buns, by lunging forward to eat the dumpling directly from their hand in one bite. The angry, muffled noises he'd made as he'd tried and failed to tell them off for the offense had been the source of teasing for many weeks to come. Ingo knew, for whatever and however he could, that Emmet would always be there for him.)

#fun times ahead #pokemon #submas #pokemon writing #hard to swallow #it's dooooone!#this is such a long chapter for such a simple concept #but i was having fun adding more people in #and im honestly quite satisfied #one reunion down #a bunch more to write!#i kept it akarei on purpose lol #hopefully people get some good feels from this

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