#i just like ingo getting more family members

[madd-nix]

Not me thinking about Clay having an uncle-like relationship with Ingo and Emmet, alongside Drayden, their actual uncle. Then once Ingo gets eebied to Hisui, he meets Lian and feels this weird sense of familiarity, like has he seen that hat before? And Ingo acts like an uncle to Lian, similar to how Clay was for him. He gives Lian advice, hangs out with him, listens as Lian talks all about rocks and ores. And I think Lian tries to act more grown up than he really is, trying to prove himself as a worthy warden amongst the adults. But when he's alone with Ingo, he feels comfortable enough with him and Ingo insists that he gets to play and act like a child. Lian knows Ingo would never tell anyone if he ever acted a bit more goofy and silly, or if he cried or got upset. And Ingo wants Lian to act like the child he is. Sure, their duties as wardens to the Pearl Clan are important, but a kid is still a kid.

Anyway, just feeling feelings about Ingo and these rock collecting cowboys that are his family.

[pigdemonart]

Battle Subway Depot Agents (by pig-demon)

When I made designs for these guys last year I didn’t really think they needed colored references/master post, but since then I’ve drawn them a lot! Also people have added them to their fanfics and drawn fanart! So I figured it was time I made a post for easy ref. :]

These designs are obviously free to use, just give credit (and link me your work if you're comfortable, because it makes me happy to see!) All I request is to stay respectful to their pronouns and skin colors, ya knooow… 👍 note: The pokemon on their cards are all companions, not the ones they use on the Battle Subway. Except Jackie...the litwicks are just there to fill space/give them company.

More info under cut:

Edit: Important disclaimer:

These are again my designs/interpretations for the agents. Please don’t treat them as canon or as the only, quintessential designs for these literal background npcs. Many people have done takes on them before and after me, even back in 2010. It feels silly to ask, but due to past experience, I ask that you please DONT hunt down anyone that does a different take on the depot agents!! 👍

Tags:

I'm gonna start tagging them individually, but for now all Depot Agent comics and art on this blog are tagged under Depot Agents.

Height chart:

I’m not too strict about heights, so I don’t really care about actual measurements. Here’s an approximation of what I tend to visualize though:

Sexualities/Gender Identities: I don't have official labels for each and every agent because I like keeping things fluid for characters to develop these traits on their own. However, as a queer person, I enjoy designing characters who are also queer, therefore I can safely say none of these characters are straight. The ones who are set in stone are Ramses (gay man), Cloud (lesbian woman,) Jackie (non-binary.) Furze uses he/they pronouns but their gender is undetermined. I also welcome anyone giving the agents a different gender identity to suit them (as long as it's done respectfully.)

Notes about each agent...

Cameron:

- Cameron dyes parts of his hair blonde and keeps other parts in black. This is because he is a big fan of Elesa and her fashion choices.  - Though there have been a few occasions to meet his idol, he is always way too nervous to approach her, feeling deep down that he'll mess up somehow. - He practices modeling poses in secret. He loves flourishes and flare, but is simply too insecure to put it on display. - Of his coworkers, he gets along the best with Furze. He's the easiest to talk to because Furze will do most of the talking. - Cameron is easily intimidated — even mean Pokémon can make him nervous. Though, his two worst fears are being left in a room alone with Jackie, and being left alone in a room with Isadore. - He takes advantage of his height to sometimes hide behind some of his coworkers. - Cameron is much better at Pokémon battles than he gives himself credit for. Emmet and Ingo were pleasantly surprised by this, since Cameron was promoted to fit a temporary role on the Battle Subway. They happily made him a permanent member when he proved himself capable. - His Dwebble (Pebby) is secretly very strong, and rushes to protect Cameron when it can. Cam sometimes thinks Pebby helps him feel more confident in himself too.  - If he stumbled into any of his coworkers outside of work, he would simply explode of embarrassment. - He is the youngest child and only son of his family. He lives in his own apartment in Nimbasa.

Cloud:

- Cloud (like Ramses) knew the twins when they were very young. - She used to be an ace trainer in her youth, even going so far to compete in the Pokémon league. Winning and becoming the champ was the most important part of her journey, but something happened along the way that changed that outlook. - It seems with age, her competitiveness has mellowed out. However, she maintains an intense energy when battling.  - Her favorite types are Psychic and Flying types. Swoobat (Sweetie) is her ace.  - Her favorite hobby is baking, and she often bakes sweets for the crew. She knows all their favorite flavors by now! - She prioritizes keeping a friendly relationship with all her coworkers and thinks of them fondly. She considers Ramses family after all the years of working together!  - She is a big fan of Brycen's movies and can recite the lines. - She lives with her wife in Anville. - Cloud loves doing maintenance work both at home and in Gear Station. She enjoys bringing her own tools and industrial flashlight.

Furze:

- Furze only has one volume setting (mid loud,) but he finds himself feeling right at home when talking to either one of the twins. - Furze has ADHD, and this is reflected in some of his habits, most visibly is his fidgeting when sitting still for too long. - He rides a bike to work every day. When he is late, Cloud clocks in for him so he doesn't get in trouble. - This is a kind of a guy that sits crouched gargoyle style on chairs. Only outside of work, of course. Bad posture could get him in trouble. - While working on the Battle Subway, there will be times Furze feels sorry for his opponents and offers to quietly let them pass anyways. This...has also gotten him in trouble. :[ - He went to the same elementary school as Isadore in Castelia. Though Isadore seems to have forgotten their short-lived acquaintance, Furze has not. This is part of the reason Furze claims they are in fact good friends!!! - Furze is the middle child of a big family. He lives with his mom and takes care of her, along with his many Darumakas and Darmanitan. All of his Pokemon have famous trains names. - He collects model trains. Naturally.

Isadore

- Isadore had plans to become the station master the moment he was hired as a depot agent, but alas... (sad trumpet sound.) - As a youth, he was more interested in science and engineering over Pokemon battles. He enjoys the strategizing aspect, at most. Not so much the competitiveness. - In addition, his Pokemon are all rescues and not used for battling. He's had his Watchog (Winston) since he was in his late teens. - His Electrode (Gregor) and Voltorb (Leonard) were rescued from the likes of Team Plasma. - Isadore admits he understands Pokemon better than humans. This has been apparent his whole life. - In spite of acting like a sitcom villain, Isadore cares about the management of Gear Station and the safety of the passengers to an incredible degree. He sees it as a personal life goal to assist in the management of Gear Station, as well as the success of the Battle Subway. - Though it pained him to become a subordinate to the twins, he begrudgingly accepts it for the greater good. - His almost militant efficiency certainly made up for his years of antagonizing the twins before they became the bosses. Ingo and Emmet understand this better than anyone. - Isadore keeps tabs on all of the staff members. So he very well knows all their birthdays and makes it a point to celebrate it. This is by no means a -happy- or -festive- event. It's just customary. - Like Furze, he was originally from Castelia, but now resides in Nimbasa. Isadore's only family is his mom and she lives in his childhood home with their Stoutland. - Isadore would have probably been voiced by every glasses guy ever J. Michael Tatum had he not already been cast as dear Emmet lmao

Jackie

- Jackie is a mystery and they like keeping it that way. When they talk, it's practically impossible to determine what is a lie or truth, especially if the subject is themselves or their background. - They love scaring Cameron the most and will ask to be paired with him whenever possible. They claim Cameron is their "favorite coworker," while Isadore is the least favorite. - It's plain to see why -- Jackie is the only one that doesn't passively tolerate Isadore's tirades. - Though my comics sometimes may allude to Jackie being a ghost/supernatural, this is not confirmed nor canon. I just personally enjoy toying with the concept. : ) That being said...

- Item #: SCP 7453

- Object Class: Euclid

- Special Containment Procedures: The ████ ██████ is ██████ within ████-██████. - Ingo and Emmet choose to not question anything about Jackie, since it's clear they're one of the more efficient workers. However it can be a safety concern... - Cloud and Ramses have worked with Jackie for a long time, though they've forgotten somehow. They believe Jackie is a new hire since they appear to be young. - Anyone trying to make sense of Jackie's employee records simply can't bring themselves to any conclusions. It's better to ignore the inconsistencies. - Jackie has never been seen to leave Gear Station. Jackie has never been seen in anything but their uniform. Jackie has never been confirmed to eat, drink or blink. Jackie knows your secrets. Jackie thinks it's... amusing.

Ramses

- Ramses sometimes misses having a full head of hair, but he thinks his signs of age make him look distinguished. (he is correct.) - Ramses is sort of the "mom friend," making sure everyone's concerns are heard, as well as trying to keep the peace whenever a conflict might arise. - If another coworker is feeling low, Ramses will try to cheer them up with a lighthearted joke or offer advice if they'd like it. - When the twins were promoted to bosses of the Battle Subway, Ramses cried because he felt so proud. - In most circumstances, he is a very simple and logical man. He is quick to find solutions and tries not to fret over the little stuff. It's not good for his heart after all. - His ace is his Pikachu (Musa,) though the mouse is more of a lap pet now. At home, he also has an Audino (Sara) and a Manectric (Nubi) who keep Ramses' husband company. His Klinklang (Moli) is the only one of his personal pokemon that accompany him to work nowadays. - Ramses considers Cloud family. They are best friends and love having family gatherings outside of work. They also gossip a lot, and don't mind when Jackie decides to join. - Ramses jokes about looking forward to retirement, but really doesn't want to leave until he is physically incapable of working anymore. Gear Station is like a second home to him.

In-Game Quotes

The most important reference of all are their in-game quotes, of course, so I'm adding it to the post. A lot of their personality traits can be extracted and interpreted from these few lines. And I personally love that about Pokemon NPCs -- there's a lot of room to explore and play with. Some appear very obvious. Cameron practically announces that he isn't ready for the battle that's about to ensue and seems genuinely surprised to win. Furze comes out the gate talking about the subject they actually care about, which is their job and their love for trains. The two of them are very easy to understand. Now, Ramses lines allude to a gentle and simple personality. He views himself with humility, and maybe even with a bit of humor comparing himself to a train and to his opponent to a station. If he loses he shows no signs of disappointment, he just accepts defeat with one last honest quip. It s also amusing to see the Depot Agents all use train metaphors to describe themselves since it falls in line with how Ingo and Emmet talk.

In comparison, Cloud does the same thing calling herself the terminal instead. Immediately, she is way more daring, though still keeping a sense of professionalism. To me, it's obvious she is competitive as she even admits she was expecting to win ("Ah...I didn't see it coming.") Jackie's lines are fun since it's up to interpretation if they are being literal or lying. It's almost like they are more interested in confusing/creeping out their opponent than actually beating them. To me, it gives off a mischievous vibe. Isadore's opener "There are only two roads in life." is a curious one because it almost feels like he is trying to be philosophical. Definitely a guy who views himself as an intellectual, regardless if that’s true or not. I like to think it's a saying he really believes in, and it applies to his life. The road he likes (long route) vs the road he hates (shortcut) -- fighting tooth and nail to become boss vs biting his tongue and accepting Ingo and Emmet as the Subway Masters.

Those are just my thoughts on how I write these characters. Please have fun playing with these lines too!

[hehe-hoho-ohno]

Submas canon vs fanon

The entire time I have been in the Submas fandom I have seen a lot of confusion about what is canonical and what is a wide-spread fanon. Both in the sense of people thinking things were canon when they were not, and (more rarely) people thinking things were fanon when they were not. So I thought it might be useful to put together a little guide.

Of course, there is nothing wrong with using fanon. I use most of these headcannons in my own fics because I like them and canon is dumb anyway. (Note: pokemon is a huge sprawling mass and tends to contradict itself, and there have been changes across the various games/manga/anime)

All quotations are taken from bulbapidia.

Nimbasa Trio - FANON

Elesa has no connection to Ingo and Emmet besides living in the same place. There is one interaction between them in Pokemon Masters, and while they are on friendly terms they don't appear to be particularly close. Similarly, the idea that Ingo likes bad puns/Emmet does not stemmed from their fanon friendship with her.

Uncle Drayden - FANON

The only confirmed family Ingo and Emmet have are each other.

Cilan is a huge fan - CANON

Cilan is a fanboy of both of them in the anime.

Ingo is the older twin - CANON

In the original Japanese Emmet calls Ingo "nii-san" which means older brother.

"Do you have any siblings? I have an older brother, Ingo."

- Emmet, pokemon masters

Emmet's joltik hoard - FANON

Emmet's galvantula knows the move cross poison. This is an "egg move" which can only be learnt through pokemon breeding. Since it would take several tries to get this move it probably would have left Emmet with a lot of Joltik. In theory. We don't see Emmet with joltiks in canon.

Ingo's kitty smile - CANON

He smiles like that in the manga. (Admittedly, it's not as exaggerated as the full on :3 people sometimes draw him with.) He also briefly smiles in PLA, but less cat-like.

Ingo's perpetual frown is unintentional - CANON

"<player>! Someone just told me something that troubled me deeply! They said that compared to Emmet, I'm too stiff! But that's just a misunderstanding! I know I smile when I'm having fun! I'd even say that I'm quite proud of how expressive I am when I speak! What? You say you've never seen me smile? I-is that so..."

- Ingo, Pokemon Masters

They are both autistic - FANON

They are related to the twin heros - FANON

They share similar themes and motifs to the twin heros/Zekrom/Reshiram but that's it. They have no canon relationship.

Both of them are heavily coded as autistic. However, it's never been directly stated in the games that they are autistic and (to my knowledge) nobody at Game Freak/Nintendo has confirmed anything.

Ingo has a receding hairline - (debatably) CANON

He is drawn with one in the art book. Does the art book count as canon? Until something in the main games says otherwise, probably. (Though there is some argument to be had that it might be an unflattering haircut instead.)

Ingo arrived in Hisui via wormhole - FANON

"For my part, I simply found myself one day here in Hisui, a region whose name I'd never heard... All I could remember was my own name. I was still standing there in bafflement when the Pearl Clan came to my aid."

- Ingo, PLA. (However, the art book depicts the pearl clan finding him facedown on the ground, so take his standing claim with a grain of salt)

We still don't know how he got there. Similarly, it is quite common to show Ingo arriving during a blizzard/freezing to death and generally in poor health/injured/unconsciousness. But the way he recounts it sounds much more peaceful.

It'a also common to have Sneasler be the one to find him. The art book (of dubious canon) shows a human pearl clan member finding him, and Ingo's quote seems to confirm that. It's possible Sneasler was involved but she isn't mentioned.

Ingo got amnesia from hitting his head - FANON

We don't know how he got amnesia.

Ingo remembers Emmet as "the man in white" - FANON

"I'm starting to recall a man who looked... like me. We'd battle and discuss Pokémon, I think... The words "I like winning more than anything else" flashed through my mind just now..."

- Ingo, PLA, about Emmet

He makes no mention of remembering Emmet wearing white or smiling.

Ingo calls her "Lady Sneasler" - FANON

Ingo only calls her Sneasler, no Lady. In fact, nobody calls her or any of the ride pokemon Lord or Lady because...

The ride pokemon are noble pokemon - FANON

There are 10 blessed pokemon descended from the heros of old, and these pokemon are revered by the clans and have wardens. The blessed pokemon are divided into two groups, the rides and the nobles.

The ride pokemon are not called noble pokemon, and they do not get titles. Mai talks about "the great Wyrdeer" but does not call him lord or noble.

"This suggests that even Pokémon that are not nobles can become frenzied..."

- Kamado, PLA, about the ride pokemon Ursaluna seemingly becoming frenzied

Ingo lives in Sneasler's cave - FANON

We don't know where he lives.

Ingo became a Warden because Sneasler liked him - FANON

"I showed a natural affinity for taming Pokémon, which is why I eventually became a warden. But still I wonder what my true purpose is here..."

- Ingo, PLA

There is no further information about his wardenship. There is no information on what his relationship with Sneasler was prior to him becoming her warden.

Ingo likes having photos because of the amnesia - CANON

"Ah, photographs. I appreciate having physical keepsakes—less ephemeral than memories. Would you do me the honor of posing for a photo with me, <player>?"

- Ingo, PLA, at the Photography Studio

Ingo has been in Hisui for XX years - CANON

The art book uses the placeholder XX for the amount of time Ingo has been in Hisui. Some have taken the double digits to mean 10+, however the first digit could easily be a 0. So, we still don't know. Net 0 information.

Emmet must be taking Ingo vanishing badly - FANON

We have not heard from Emmet.

***

That's all for now! I'm sure I've missed or forgotten something, feel free to add stuff in the reblogs! I might edit the list later to add more if needed.

[au-wannabe-the-very-best]

Misplaced Super Train is absolutely AMAZING and is for some reason scratching a bit of my brain so if you don't mind I had some possible thoughts that could maybe be incorperated for like. AU World Building, if that's alright

what if the Super Train "Clan" end up building their camp around the ruins of the battle train, both for the easy shelter it offers but also to keep any other people from poking around and finding Future Stuff

bouncing back and forth between teaching Ingo about who they are and where they came from but also stuff about Hisui and trying to differentiate the two so his "past" and "future" knowledge won't get muddled

the STC's giving the other Clan's/Galaxy Team a HEART ATTACK with just how calm and relaxed they are with their pokemon becuase they've all seen how strong they are

they do bond with Laventon tho since he's very interested in all these new, seemingly domesticated pokemon as well as how powerful they are

I was actually going on the assumption that their camp is where their totaled train is! I still don't know where exactly I'd want them to crash at, I don't want them in either Pearl or Diamond territory, and I don't want them near Jubilife Village. So it just leaves the coastlands and the highlands, I think. And, if Ingo still becomes Lady Sneasler's warden, it makes more sense for the train to have crashed in the highlands.

So I suppose they're, like, the new official Highlands Clan. On account of the fact that they can't live anywhere else. They don't know how to build tents. Have to stick with the train cars.

(Okay I guess I now know where I want them to crash at.)

As for teaching Ingo, he may be able to understand what these people are saying, but despite knowing he has a brother and a family and works with trains etc, he doesn't remember any of it. It becomes clear to the depot agents that telling him these things aren't actually helping his memory at all, just forcing him to feel pressured into remembering, so they stop trying altogether. They'll tell Ingo things if he asks, but otherwise, they're not going to try and force remembrance of certain things anymore.

Akari's own amnesia and the fact that she has no expectations of Ingo or knew him previously is actually part of the reason why Ingo is so comfortable with her, and why he finds it so much easier to remember things around her.

Anyways, I don't think the clans are all too alarmed by being close to Pokémon so much as the Galaxy Team are, honestly speaking. I mean, they all seem to have Pokémon partners? I think it's more normal for the clans than the Galaxy Team, but understandably EVERYONE is very wary of the fact that their Pokémon are just. So insanely strong in comparison to everyone else. Because these crazy people battle for FUN. Nobody else does that! Battling is for survival, judging someone's character, asserting authority, or proving a point. It is NOT for enjoyment!

Every time a Clan or Galaxy Team member passes by them while they're battling, they sort of just skirt the edge and stare wide-eyed at them like they're absolutely insane. Because by native standards, they are.

As for Laventon, he's literally the kind of guy to just run up to a stranger and start a conversation, so I imagine he does actually get along with the depot agents and Ingo quite well. Even if he does ask enough questions to remind them all of reporters.

[onestepbackwards]

Our Angel Pt. 2

Hello! Here’s part 2 of my Greaser Submas x reader series!

I hope you enjoy!

Summary: Emmet wakes up, and you are quite relieved. Though the man you saved seems insistent on calling you Angel, even when he was more clear of mind than when you found him. Meanwhile, Emmet fears Ingo’s reaction for when he gets home…

CW: Minor injury mention and description, mentions of getting jumped.

Word Count: 4386 Words!

First: Here

Next: Here

Like my content? Consider buying me a coffee! Link

-

-

-

Everything hurt.

That was the first thing that ran through Emmet’s head as he began to wake up.

His muscles throbbed, his head ached, even his ribs seemed to scream in agony with every breath he took.

What had happened?

With a groan, he forced his eyes to open. At the sound of his voice, he felt a weight on his chest shift.

He blinked, and as his eyes adjusted to the dimly lit room, he noticed his Galvantula worryingly clicking at him on his chest.

“Hey girl…” he rasped out, and shakily reached up to pet her. He winced as his muscles resisted him, but he still gently put a hand on her head, scritching her fur. She happily leaned into the touch, clicking contently.

“What happened…?” He asked, his mind struggling to catch up.

As he pet his beloved pokemon, his eyes caught his arm, noticing it was bare.

A hand flew to his chest, and he gasped when it landed on a bandaged wound.

“What…?”

Suddenly it hit him.

The alleys. The ambush. He was attacked, his Pokemon barely able to escape her ball after he was taken to the ground, injured-

He had been attacked by some sort of rival gang. His head was still foggy on the details. Which gang had attacked him? He struggled to remember…

No matter, it was one of the ones he had pissed off, no doubt. He could narrow it down later.

First he had to figure out what happened to after he had been jumped.

All he really remembered was the surprise, and the pain, before throwing his own fists.

Even if he was taken by surprise, he knows he landed some crucial blows. It was one of the reasons when his pokemon escaped her ball to help, they turned tail and ran.

But after that… he couldn’t move, it hurt too much.

However… a voice. A voice, and a face.

A beautiful face.

Quickly, he sat up, and immediately regretted it, hissing in pain, and gripping his side.

Breathing deep to ground himself, he looked around, and his face scrunched up in minor confusion.

The room was dimly lit, and he was barely able to make out a shower curtain.

“A tub…?”

He was in a bathtub? A bathroom?

He had several blankets and pillows in the tub, so he wasn’t left abandoned. His wounds were also seemingly wrapped and patched up.

Another memory came back to him. Arriving at a house…

And then you.

He remembered. Just barely, but you.

His guardian angel.

You found him, and took him back here, and apparently patched him up.

��And he fell into your tub.

But oh, you were so worried. Worried about him! A stranger!

Yes, Emmet thought. You were his guardian angel. You had to be.

No one had ever helped him before like this, besides his family and gang. You were a complete stranger.

In fact, you had to know he was a greaser, or a gang member of some sort. The jacket was a dead giveaway.

Most people would have left him there, like trash. ‘It’s what you get as a troublemaker,’ they’d say.

They’d have no desire to get dragged into whatever messy conflict he was no doubt a part of.

But you did.

You helped him, regardless of the consequences. He could be dangerous, for all you knew, and you still helped him.

…Well, he was dangerous, but not to random innocent strangers.

But you wouldn’t have known that, yet you still took that risk, out of the kindness of your heart.

He didn’t even remember your name, but he did know one thing.

Emmet was already in love with you. He had to make you his.

Goal set in mind, he slowly began to make his way out of the bathtub you had placed him in.

His heart pounded in his chest as blankets fell off him. Even in the tub, you at least wanted him to be comfortable, when you easily could have left him there with nothing, or just a pillow.

You were a stranger, but you were so caring to him. So considerate.

His angel was perfect, he could already tell.

He had to thank you. Had to find a way to properly thank you and make it up to you.

If you had not found him, he very well could have died. He owed you his life. He’d give you anything you’d ask for.

Carefully, Emmet pulled himself out of the tub, his Galvantula skittering on the floor next to him.

The bathroom wasn’t too big, but perfect for a single person.

Another thing he noticed was a night light plugged into the wall, and next to it on the counter, a sticky note with a bottle next to it. His eyes took a moment to adjust, but after a few seconds, he was able to make it out in the dim light.

‘Here are some pain meds for you when you wake up! And some water too!’

In an instant, his face melted into a dopey smile, and he held the sticky note close.

You cared so much for him! A stranger! Even making sure to give him painkillers for when he wakes up!

Oh, you were a keeper.

He carefully folds the note, and places it into his pocket, as if it were a treasure.

Then he grabbed the bottle of meds, and grabbed a few. He quickly took them, and swallowed them with the help of the bottle of water nearby.

Though he didn’t realize how thirsty he was… by the time he finished, he had drunk the whole bottle. His mouth had been so dry…

Emmet then got a glimpse of himself in the mirror, and winced.

He looked like he crawled right out of hell. He should count his lucky stars he probably* didn’t break anything.

No wonder he felt like shit though.

The greaser no doubt would have to cash in some favors to help finish patching you what you couldn’t finish.

That was fine though. You did a pretty decent job for a patch up in a bathroom.

Another reason he liked you. You did well with what you had.

If only he hadn’t been so out of it when you patched him up… Emmet could imagine flirting with you while you took care of his minor injuries, scolding him to be more careful.

He let out a dreamy sigh, and turned to the door, which was cracked open.

Quietly, he peeked through, and saw you at a desk, doing some sort of work.

You were just as gorgeous as he remembered.

Even though you seemed distracted, you were so beautiful. You took his breath away.

How did he get so lucky? A terror like him?

Slowly, he pulled the door open, and your head shot in his direction. He wasn’t prepared for the relieved look you gave him.

“Oh thank the stars you’re okay! I was beginning to worry!”

His heart was melting.

You looked over him, all while he gave you a love sick smile. His angel really was perfect.

“How are the wounds? Are you feeling okay?” You asked, trying not to sound frantic.

“I am Emmet, and I am fine, all thanks to you, Angel.”

The nickname slides off his tongue easily, and he enjoys how flustered you get from the nickname. Your face goes red, and you seem a bit taken off guard.

“Ah, you still remember that name I see.”

He held back from laughing.

“Of course! How could I forget my guardian angel?”

You shook your head, and waved your hands in front of you.

“N-No! I’m not-“

Emmet gently reached forward, and grabbed your chin, causing you to stop before you could really speak. He gave you a sweet smile.

“You saved my life. To me, you are my angel.”

Your face turned redder than a berry.

It was cute.

“I…”

He then ran his thumb over your lips, and you found yourself frozen.

His eyes really were beautiful.

“You still must have hit your head too hard…” you mumble, eyes looking away. Emmet felt his smile turn into a smirk.

“Say what you want. You are still my angel.”

He was awfully insistent, wasn't he?

The greaser began to lean in, keeping eye contact with you. You were mesmerized at first, though once your mind caught up, you lightly flinched back.

Emmet pouted, but stepped back. He wouldn’t force you to do anything you were uncomfortable with.

There would be plenty of time to try and woo you in the future, too.

You awkwardly cleared your throat, and walked to the closet behind you across the room. Pulling it open, you dug through it for a few moments, before letting out a cute ‘aha!’

Stepping back, you turned around, and pulled out his jacket and shirt, both clean, and surprisingly free of stains.

You shuffled over, and Emmet could only watch in wonder as you handed him his clothes.

“I had these cleaned for you. I’m sorry about the shirt though, the tears were too big to stitch together…” you said apologetically as he took the clothes.

But he barely heard you, in awe of the fact you cleaned his stuff for him. His jacket hadn’t been this* clean in months!

“This is amazing, Angel!”

You blinked.

“Huh?”

Confusion was written on your face, clear you didn’t get what he meant.

“You did a verrry amazing job, yup!” He praised, and quickly pulled you into a hug, causing you to squeak.

Hearing that, Emmet quickly let you go, a bashful smile on his face.

“Thank you, Angel. I appreciate this.” He spoke, softly thanking you.

You were blushing again.

“I-It was no issue! I’m just glad I could help.”

Quickly, Emmet threw the shirt over his head, and slipped his jacket on after.

It smelled like you. It took all his will power not to do something weird, like sniff his jacket in front of you.

There would be plenty of time for that later when he got home-

Emmet’s eyes widened.

Home. Ingo.

Quickly, Emmet patted down his pockets, and found his phone in his back one in his pants.

Pulling it out and turning it on, Emmet winced, and ran a hand through his hair.

37 missed calls, and 62 unread messages.

Oh, the assholes who jumped him may not have killed him, but Ingo was totally going to instead.

“Angel?” He asked, his voice quiet.

You had been quiet, watching him up until this point.

“Yes?”

“How long have I been asleep?” He asked, nerves creeping up his throat as he scrolled through the massive wall of notifications.

Thinking for a moment, you answered.

“Almost two days since we got here?” You answered, a bit unsure.

Emmet held back from cursing. No wonder Ingo was freaking out.

Emmet may be the reckless one, but he always told Ingo he was okay if his twin started to worry, even if they were fighting.

Yup! He was so dead when he got home later.

…That also explained why he was so hungry and thirsty.

“Um… are you okay?” You asked quietly, a cute worried look on your face. Emmet quickly smiled. He didn’t need you worrying about him.

“Nothing for you to worry your cute head over.” He assured you, putting a hand on your head and rubbing it affectionately. Before you could pull away, he pulled his hand back.

“I should go. I need to get home.” He spoke, and slipped his phone into his pocket, and began walking to your door.

As his hand wrapped around the knob, he almost jumped when your hands tightly gripped his arm.

His Galvantula, who had scuttled into the room, clicked curiously.

“Wait, you- you can’t go that way.” You spoke, your tone suddenly harsh and serious. Emmet was surprised by the change.

You seemed so meek and soft spoken, but now? You looked almost afraid.

His posture changed. What was frightening you?

“…Why?”

Your eyes flickered to the door, and the room was silent. Silent for everything except the sound of a tv downstairs, and the sound of footsteps somewhere else in the house.

Eyes glancing back at him, he felt the urge to hold you close. You were worried. Anxious. Scared…. About something.

“My… My parents don’t know you’re here…” you answered quietly.

Ah.

He felt a little bit of pride swell in his chest. Not only did you save his life and bring him here, but hid him from your parents? You may look soft and meek, but you were something else. There was definitely more to you than meets the eye.

A perfect angel for him, indeed.

You shook your head.

“If they… if they find out I snuck you here and didn’t tell them, especially a greaser… not to mention a boy… They’ll kill you, have you arrested.” You explained.

Emmet nearly flinched. Arrested? When you snuck him in? Healed his wounds? Someone who was injured?

He was beginning to get a feeling your parents were way more than just your typical ‘overprotective’ type.

That seemed extreme.

“And… they… they won’t… they won’t forgive me… I’ll never get to leave…” you spoke softly, looking away from him, your grip on his jacket loosening.

Oh. He was not liking what that implied.

Gently, you let go of his arm.

“Um… it’s evening. If you are willing to wait, we can sneak you out in the dead of night, when everyone is asleep. I can sneak you some food-“ you nervously offered, though went silent when Emmet held up a hand.

“I cannot stay. It’s important I get home.” He told you. If he kept Ingo waiting any longer, he knew he’d be in for it. Especially if his brother found out he decided to stay at his savior’s house after waking up.

He’d probably think Emmet was stabbing him in the back for a piece of ass. That was not true.

You were more than that. So much more. He’d want nothing more than to stay longer, but he couldn’t.

Emmet cared for his brother, and didn't want him worrying any more than he was.

He could call, but his phone was low on battery. It’d probably die mid explanation, worrying Ingo more.

Emmet also didn’t want you to see Ingo yell at him. You’d be able to hear everything, even if Ingo wasn’t on speaker.

This was all personal, no need to have you worry about him more.

It would also be easier to explain if he was in person, so Ingo could see his injuries, and not think he was making shit up.

Plus, he didn’t want you getting the wrong impression of his twin brother.

Ingo may be loud, scary, and intimidating at first glance, but he was just a big softie. A big softie who cared a lot about family, and got worried about him verrry easily.

Not a surprise with how much trouble Emmet constantly found himself in. Even though his twin was no saint either, Emmet was more well known to find trouble.

Emme glanced around your room for a moment, and saw your window near the opposite wall.

“What about that window? I’ll crawl through it.” He said, gesturing to said window with a tilt of his head.

You shook your head in response.

“We’re on the second story. I don’t want you jumping with those injuries.” You said, your concern evident on your face.

He may have said he felt fine, but how could you be so sure? Especially since you saw the wounds first hand.

Emmet reached out, and cupped your face.

“Silly Angel, who said anything about jumping?” He asked, giving you a wink.

“…Huh?”

A few moments later, he had successfully pried your window open, and his Galvantula hopped onto the window still with a happy click.

“Um…”

“Don’t sweat it, Angel! Galvantula is stronger than she looks. She’ll lower me down with some webbing, and crawl down the wall after me.”

You weren’t too sure about this, but you were no expert on pokemon. Were you really one to argue with a guy who had them presumably his whole life?

“Will… Will you be okay?” You asked a bit more quietly this time, still worried for the strange greaser. He was still injured, and you didn’t want him hurting himself even further scaling a wall.

He gave you a dazzling smile, and started to climb through the window.

“I am Emmet, and I will be fine! I have done worse with worse injuries!”

Somehow that both did and did not reassure you. Just how often did he get hurt for this to not be a problem?

Carefully, his Galvantula began to weave a string of webbing, and Emmet grabbed it with ease.

Slowly, he began to walk down the side of your wall, his pokemon producing enough webbing to act as a rope as he moved.

You were kinda impressed and amazed. Pokemon were so incredible!

Eventually, he reached the ground, and dropped the remaining way, wincing as he did so.

His pokemon rolled her web back up, and… ate it? You weren’t sure, but you assumed it was saving it for later.

The Galvantula turned to you, and waved its tiny… arms? It waved at you, looking at you expectantly.

Curiously, your hand carefully reached over, and hesitantly landed in the spider’s head. The pokemon let out a happy set of clicks, leaning into the pet.

It was kinda cute.

You let go after a moment, and with another set of clicks, the pokemon turned around, and began to crawl down the side of the wall.

When she reached the bottom, she jumped onto her owner’s shoulders.

Leaning out of your window, you looked down at the strange, smiling man.

“Bye, Angel! I’ll see you again soon!”

You weren’t so sure about that. Chances of you bumping into him again were pretty slim.

Though it was nice to think about. He was a little odd, and you think* he was flirting with you, but he seemed fairly kind despite it all.

With a final wave, he turned around, and marched off down your street. You were kinda surprised. He walked as if he had no injuries.

If you hadn’t seen his injuries yourself, you would’ve never guessed he was injured in the first place from behind.

You couldn’t help but watch him walk away, watching until he was finally out of your sight.

With a deep sigh, you leaned back into your bedroom, and shut the window.

He had been nice. You hoped you would see him again, but you knew it probably wouldn’t happen.

At least you’d have a fun story to tell in the future, once you were finally free from your parent’s iron grasp over your life.

It was a fun adventure while it lasted. You were happy you were able to help.

Quietly, you walked back over to your desk, and returned to your notes.

Back to studying for you.

-

Emmet walked with a spring in his step, ignoring how his wounds screamed in pain at him for doing so.

He just couldn’t help it! Despite the beating he had, he couldn’t hide his happiness.

Getting ambushed had been a blessing in disguise! If he hadn’t gotten jumped in that alley, he never would have met you! His own angel!

Even Galvantula liked you! She didn’t like anyone* but himself and his family!

He knew you had to be the one, especially if his pokemon liked you. She didn’t even like his past partners! But she likes you!

It was impossible to tear the grin from his face. Even as his stomach ached, and body hurt, he was too happy to care.

It took a bit of a walk to make it back to his home, but he persevered. His spirits were too high to let a long walk deter him.

Though when he was actually in front of his home he shared with his brother, he couldn’t help but feel his mood falter just a little. No doubt Ingo was waiting inside to throttle him.

Emmet took a deep breath before pushing open the house.

Immediately he heard some dishes clank from the kitchen, as if they were being dropped, and footsteps running in his direction.

Ingo quickly spun around the corner, gripping it with a hand to steady himself.

He took Emmet in, noticing the very painful looking black eye, and bruises on his face.

Slowly, Ingo walked over to Emmet, his voice dangerously low and even.

“What. Happened.” He asked, his steely gray eyes trained on Emmet.

Emmet sighed.

“I was jumped in an alley by 5th street and main. Around 5 of ‘em waiting for me behind dumpsters and a corner.”

Ingo straightened up, nodding at his brother.

“Go on.”

“They took me by surprise, but I managed to get a few good hits in. I was outnumbered though, so I did not last as long as I could have. It was not until Galvantula broke free from her ball that they backed off. I was on the floor at that point. Everything is kind of fuzzy.”

Ingo stepped over, and grabbed Emmet’s face, and began looking him over.

“How did you get patched up? Did you call someone? It sounds like you were out of it if you can’t remember much.”

Ingo’s voice was unnaturally quiet. He was pissed, though Emmet could at least take relief in knowing it wasn’t completely at him.

Emmet’s face went from serious, to lovey-dovey in a second.

“My guardian angel saved me.”

Ingo’s hands dropped to his side.

“Your what?”

Emmet slid his jacket off, and quickly pulled the shirt off of him as well, letting Ingo see the different patched up wounds.

Ingo sucked in a breath, clearly taken aback by the bruises and patched up places.

“My Angel found me in the alley, and took me to their home. Me! A complete stranger! Bleeding out in an alley!”

Ingo looked even more taken aback, a lot of his cold fury replaced by pure confusion.

“A stranger saw you bleeding out in an alley, and * took you to their house? Do you realize just how dangerous-“ Ingo began, only for Emmet to slide past, cutting him off as he walked towards his room.

“They snuck me into their home, and patched me up, all by themselves! Though I passed out for about two days.”

Ingo cut him off this time, using his arm to block him off.

“Wait, wait wait wait- they snuck you into their house, and you slept there for the past few days? That’s it? And you snuck out, I assume?” He asked.

Emmet hummed, and Galvantula clicked.

“Yup yup! Their parents are verrry strict. I don’t like it. They seem… bad, from what little I gathered.”

Ingo pinched the bridge of his nose.

“So, a stranger found you in an alley-“

“Yup!”

“Took you to their house and snuck you inside, presumably while you are still critically injured-“

“Yes!”

“And they patched you up, and you passed out there for several days, and that’s where you have been?”

“Mhm!”

Ingo let out a sigh, and ran a hand down his face.

“And you just woke up, and walked here? Why didn’t you just call me?”

Emmet moved around Ingo, and pushed into his room, tossing his jacket and shirt onto the bed before heading to his closet. He pulled out a first aid kit, and Ingo walked over and took it from him with practiced ease.

Emmet then took out his now dead phone, and showed it to Ingo.

“It was almost dead when I woke up.”

Ingo balled his hand into a fist, before relaxing it.

Emmet would admit, he was surprised by the lack of yelling.

But he supposed finding out Emmet had been critically injured, and unconscious for these past few days made him give some leeway.

Ingo carefully looked over Emmet’s wounds, checking over them. He seemed impressed with how clean they were.

“Who was this person that saved you, anyway?”

Emmet sighed wistfully, and began to describe you, and just how beautiful you were. How kind you were. How you didn’t care he was possibly some trouble maker.

“Even Galvantula likes them! She doesn’t like anyone!”

Ingo listened, slightly surprised with how much Emmet had to say. It was as if his twin couldn’t stop talking about you.

And the comment about his pokemon caught his interest. It was true, their pokemon were fairly picky with who they liked.

Whoever you were, Ingo could tell you were different than any other old flame Ingo or Emmet have ever had. Something that he couldn’t help but be curious about.

As Emmet droned on, Ingo made a mental note to himself.

It seems he would have to pay his brother’s Guardian Angel a visit. You saved his twin’s life.

He had to thank his brother’s savior after all.

Though Ingo couldn't help but be curious over what you were like. Ingo and Emmet had similar tastes in partners, so he couldn’t help but wonder if he would be as lovestruck by you as well. Or was Emmet just lovesick because you saved him?

Regardless, he had other reasons to see you, even if he found he didn’t like you personally.

Ingo owed you. The whole gang owed you. If it was as bad as he thought, there was a good chance Emmet might not have survived the night if his wounds weren’t treated.

It gets cold in Nimbasa City at night this time of year, after all. His wounds probably would have gotten infected, and the cold would have made it worse. His twin could have been too weak to survive that night if you had not found him.

So he had to find a way to properly thank you.

…After he dealt with the assholes who dared to attack his brother, of course.

Ingo was going to have a busy week, it seemed.

He was brought out of his thoughts however, when Emmet let out a cry, causing Ingo to freeze.

“Emmet! What is-“

“I didn’t get their number!”

[mynamesaplant]

What Lurks in the Dark

Posting here, but also posting here on AO3 in case reading on Tumblr's not your thing!

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Summary:

Dawn finds herself stuck in her mer form. What's worse is that she's been having nightmares.

Content Warnings:

This fic contains blood, violence against children, and PTSD.

Notes:

Thanks once again to all the inspiration from monsoon-of-art on Tumblr and their PLA Mer AU. They are forever a font of knowledge and inspiration.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dawn never realized just how dark the ocean got at night. She was usually back on land with man made light banishing the dark back to its dark corners. The sea has no such luxury. Since being stuck as a mer, her dark vision has gotten a lot better so seeing isn’t really the problem. Her swimming and internal navigation was leagues better than before, but neither clan fully trusted her to be on her own just yet. Still so small and inexperienced to what lurks in the ocean. At least one clan member was with her at any given time, trying to prevent her from scratching at the patchy fur.

“Just be patient.”

Calaba’s chiding did not stop Dawn from trying to steal away and dig her sharpening claws into the uncomfortable, and frankly unsightly, adult coat disrupting her previously pristine white fur. She knew everyone was secretly excited, and she was too, she loved to spend time with her mer family… But this felt like one more little taunt from Arceus.

One day with Ingo at the shoreline, he commented that her coat looked longer than usual and a little darker in some spots. Dawn couldn’t say she noticed, but he scooped her up and set her on the rocky outcrop, withdrawing her flute from her bag. The song sounded… wrong though. Even Ingo’s face quirked in confusion, leaning down to look while Dawn twirled the flute in her hands.

“Your flute looks different.”

It looked very different from his. It looked more like a shell and as blue as the sea. He had never seen anything quite like it.

“Why am I not changing back?”

The minor note of panic was not lost on Ingo. Dawn was peering into the holes to see if something was stuck or if it was damaged in some way, but she didn’t see anything that would prevent her from playing and the magic from working to change her back into her human form. He extended his hand out.

“May I see it?”

She placed the flute down and Ingo brought it closer, squinting to look for the same things she had. He picked it up with delicate fingers and turned it over.

“Why don’t we take it to Warden Arezu? I’ve been told she has dexterous hands, so she might be able to do more than I would.”

Dawn had found that agreeable at the time, but they went to the Diamond clan’s settlement the following day and Arezu found nothing amiss. Adaman also took a crack at it but was about as successful as the previous three. Now bordering on hysterics, Dawn went to all the wardens to seek any assistance and the only ones who provided her with any real insight were Calaba and Sabi.

Calaba was a little more straightforward but cynical. The old warden remarked that if the gods that power the flute’s magic did not want her to return to her human form, there was nothing to be done but wait or accept the inevitable. The idea that she would never go back to being human made Dawn shudder. She enjoyed being a mer sometimes, but she preferred having legs and eating cooked food.

Sabi was more cryptic but provided a glimmer of hope. Dawn did her best to wade through what the youngest warden said to get to the crux of the matter, not that Sabi made it remotely easy. What she got from their exchange was that she should go to the drop off and just ask for a straightforward answer. As if Arceus would really just answer her questions without being as cryptic as the Diamond clan warden.

Ingo had planned to accompany her, but Adaman and Irida ended up being her escorts, the area bearing more spiritual significance now since the events of rising tides and the attack of the many-armed serpent.

Unlike all the times she had tried playing to revert back to her human form, the flute played perfectly, and a voice rose from the depths, booming and alien, but somehow also familiar, to the ears of the mers.

You summoned us, chosen?

Dawn felt the clan leaders press closer to each of her sides. Irida’s upper lip curled back to reveal sharp canines and blue eyes hooded by her furrowed brow, ear pressed flat to her head. Adaman’s tail restlessly stirred up the water, his ears twitching which made the scales shimmer and flash in the dim light, and his gills flared and flushed a dark red.

Dawn knew both of these reactions were signs of aggression and warning. The girl took a deep breath and said as loudly as she could into the dark expanse of sea below her.

“Why is my flute not working?”

There was a long pause before the voice responded.

What do you mean? You just played the song to garner our attention.

“You’re right, I did.” Dawn was trying not to sound frantic, trying so hard to be patient to get the answer she needed. “When I play the song that turns me back into normal, it doesn’t work. It sounds wrong.”

Another pause – even longer this time. She half expected the voice to ask her to play, which she was fully willing to do (regardless of the consequences of being so deep and being a poor swimmer).

Observe your coat, chosen, and tell us what you see.

Dawn twisted herself around and looked down at her tail. She took in the little splotches of gray staining the fur. She ran her fingers through it and felt that it was somehow uneven, just as Ingo had observed. The two clan leaders also took a closer look, about as unsure as Dawn as to why a god couldn’t just be forthcoming about an issue for once.

“Oh… Oh Dawn! Your molting!”

“I’m what?”

She barely had time to say as Irida wrenched her around, fingers nimbly working through her uneven fur and producing a tuff of fur between her claws. Adaman scowled and helped Dawn into a more upright position, the suddenness of being jerked around had given her sort of a head rush and she appreciated the Diamond clan leader for righting her.

“You’re getting your adult coat!”

Lady Irida is correct. The flute will not work until you have gone through your molts, chosen.

And thus, it went. Dawn was stuck in her mer form. Her fur slowly – almost painfully so – dappling with dark gray flecks as the snowy fur turned more of a smoky gray with the passage of time.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Stuck in the water with not a lot of options, she swam up the river that led to Jubilife and hollered at one of the guards to get the professor. Laventon might not be able to help, but he might be able to offer advice.

“My word,” he exclaimed, kneeling by the water as about half of the village was held back by the Security Corp. “Dear girl, why haven’t you played your flute yet?”

She explained morosely what was happening and Laventon’s brow furrowed. He agreed that it was a conundrum but, as predicted, had no solutions for her. His recommendation was that she remain in the water because trying to stay on land would be far too complicated for her in her current condition.

“How am I going to eat? I always ate here.”

“Well, I suppose you could keep swimming back here and someone can fetch you something, but I imagine that might grow wearisome depending on how long this lasts.”

Dawn tried to keep up with it for a while, returning to Jubilife twice a day, but the trip became exhausting within the first few weeks. The clans were coaxing her to stay closer by, she was burning so many calories trying to get back when they could feed her just as well as Galaxy Team could. Eventually, she agreed with them. She did not realize she would be stuck there for the next few months.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dawn hadn’t always been afraid of the dark. The key word there being always. She had been afraid of the dark as a little girl. She remembered her mother putting a nightlight in her room, a little rotating light that displayed the stars across the ceiling of her room, but that had mostly subsided when she got older. Now she had entirely different reasons for being afraid.

She didn’t realize it at first – that this fear was gripping her so tightly once again. Not until she was out near dusk and Gaeric had tried to insist they do a little bit of hunting with him and Ingo.

“Gotta pull your own weight you two. Now, come on. You can set up and check yesterday’s traps.”

At first, she wasn’t opposed to the idea. She took it as an opportunity to get used to swimming with low levels of light and to trust the way the water feels against her body, like Iscan and Mai had tried to explain to her.

“You can feel the current. Sometimes it’s warmer or cooler, but they’re like invisible guides. There is so much you can learn just from the feel of the water.”

Although neither warden was too far away and the task at hand wasn’t particularly difficult, as night began to blacken the water, Dawn felt something inside her constrict. Suddenly everything felt harder to see and she froze, muscles screaming in pain because of how immediately they locked up. She didn’t understand! Maybe… Maybe something venomous stung her?

“Dawn!”

It was not Ingo’s voice she heard first, but Gaeric’s. The mer barreling towards her and quickly assessing the situation. All he could tell was that she was struggling for some unknown reason. Maybe not enough air? Her pupils had shrunk to a fraction of their normal size, her head wiping around wildly. Gaeric scooped her up and moved for the surface, Ingo not far behind.

Her body was rigid – cold like a sheet of ice – and Gaeric was surprised when he felt her shaking against his palm. Ingo was trying to talk to her, trying to figure out what happened, but all they could hear was her teeth chattering. She was gingerly pried away, leaving bloodied scratches in Gaeric’s palm, and Ingo took her back to the settlement to let a medic look her over, but nothing was wrong.

“It seems as though she experienced a shock of some sort.”

That was all they could conclude unless Dawn had something to add, which she didn’t. The girl was actually rather embarrassed by the whole affair, her time with Galaxy Team shining through in her assurances that she would not be a burden to the clans. Well, now she felt like a burden. Ingo swiftly silences those worries. These were unusual circumstances and completely out of her control. She had accepted his half scolding, half reassuring speech, and tried to put the incident out of mind. A few weeks later, that’s when the nightmares started.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dawn felt the darkness pressing on her eyes, her heart pounding so fast and loud that she was positive that he could hear it from her hiding spot. This area wasn’t even that deep. In the back of her head, she heard an unhelpful Laventon monologue about cephalopod ink and how it was used as a defense mechanism. Not this time though. This time it was meant to confuse and disorientate.

The eerie silence of the water only severed to make her trembling worse, forced to wait until he made a move. Her only defense seemed to be her small size and the flute clutched tightly in her hands. She could not stop the scream that was wrenched from her throat as long, clawed fingers probed the crevasse, and a burning amber eye illuminated her hiding spot.

“Come now, chosen one.”

The words came across bitter, but also a touch playful. He was going to enjoy toying with her for having what he never could – for being the exact thing he mocked, which he craved to be. All his prayers. All his devotion. All his effort. Yet, the Almighty picked this puny, insignificant, blaspheming child? Volo was going to mince her and offer Arceus’ favored up as a sacrifice to the many-armed serpent – Giratina would enjoy that. Volo all but assured her of her inevitable demise.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dawn sat bolt upright, swallowing a scream that had been part way out of her throat. The sleeping pups and adults around her were not roused, she was still nestled safely beside Ingo’s flank, and there were a few smoldering fires around the space that provided a warm glow that reminded her of a sunset.

“Red skies in the morning, sailors take warning. Red skies at night, sailors delight.”

Laventon had playfully told her. Dawn pressed herself closer to Ingo, gripping the fabric of his parka tightly in her fingers, and forced her eyes shut.

“Go back to sleep.” She mumbled to herself, trying to keep the shake out of her voice. “Go back to sleep. Just go back to sleep.”

She did eventually, but her mind was still plagued by vague nightmares of sheer cold and oppressive darkness. Thoughts filled with slime and decay, sharp mouthfuls of teeth and suckers hiding deadly hooks cutting into her with ominous laughter filling her dreams.

This fitful sleep did not go unnoticed.

Ingo was a little too direct about it, asking her if she was alright and if she slept well when they both knew she didn’t. He couldn’t help it. It was in his nature to get to the heart of the matter and try to be as helpful as he could. To his surprise and dismay, she lied to his face.

“I slept great! Now, what’s on tap for today?”

At first, it was only occasional. Ingo had trained himself to be attuned to the subtle changes in her sleep and would draw the girl a little closer when her dreams were tipping into nightmares. Even if the knowledge made his skin crawl, he had to accept that Dawn just didn’t feel comfortable divulging her thoughts just yet. He could understand in a way. They were similar in that regard. It was hard for him to place his reliance on others, even if that was against his better judgement. Especially since his clan already found behavior like that weird, as they had always had one another to lean on, Dawn’s experience was entirely unique to her.

All mers had growing pains, he knew he must have even if he couldn’t remember precisely, but she probably did not have the words to describe it. The language was her biggest barrier. Everyone tried to be understanding, but sometimes it did not come across that way. So, Ingo relied on patience and the knowledge that Dawn was a smart girl – impulsive at times, but smart – and she would come to him when she truly needed him.

He wasn’t the only one to notice, however.

Calaba and Palina noticed the dark circles under her eyes, but did not know how to properly address it, especially since Dawn wouldn’t even talk to Ingo about it.

Calaba offered her some remedies. Tinctures and oils that had helped growing pups in the past through their growing pains, those growth spurts often accompanied by sleepless nights.

Palina made an effort to make more food that she liked to help her feel a little better. Who couldn’t have a good night’s sleep with a full stomach of your favorite foods? Dawn accepted them, but the restlessness continued.

Gaeric’s solution was the same as Mai’s, just stuff as many activities into a day to exhaust her and she should sleep soundly. It worked at first, the girl instantly passing out when it was time to rest for the evening, but even though Dawn was thoroughly exhausted, it did not stop.

Lian, Arezu, and Sabi were all of the same mind that what she needed was a good distraction because she was homesick, so the younger wardens spent hours playing with her.

Arezu, always fond of grooming sessions, chattered endlessly as Dawn dozed, half listening to what she had to say but mostly finding brief interludes of sleep between Arezu’s stories. Both methods, like all the previous ones, had been temporary. Adaman personally found all these tactics to be a waste of time.

“Give her to Melli,” he had jokingly told Iscan when he had made a suggestion to have her lay out in the sun. “He can sound like the droning of bees and cicadas, that’s sure to put her to sleep.”

The problem was that nobody knew how to broach the topic, not with Dawn immediately withdrawing into her shell by denying there was a problem anyhow. Irida had learned that firsthand. Dawn flinched at the question and stammered out that she slept just fine. The girl wouldn’t look her in the eyes.

If it was so obvious, then Dawn needed to do something about it. She stole away and returned to Jubilife to ask the professor for his advice. Everyone would scold her later for vanishing without a word, but she needed some time alone to think and seek advice from someone she trusted even more than Ingo.

“Restlessness? Hm, I usually find a nice cup of warm tea usually sends me into a nice sleep. I can try to get you a cannister of tea leaves, a cup… a pot to brew it. Do they have fires at these settlements?”

“Yes, I cook all the fish I catch over them.”

Dawn had to admit though, it was becoming more and more tempting not to wait until she returned to the settlement to have a meal. The idea still grossed her out enough not to, but sometimes she watched Gaeric eating something he had just caught with such vigor, that she had brief moments of morbid curiosity.

“Fascinating! I will have Rei gather up all the necessary supplies. I must ask, are you still filling out your research book?”

She nodded and withdrew a notebook from the standard waterproof bag provided to every Survey corp member. He beamed when she handed it over, thumbing over the worn pages, wrinkled from drips of sea water and bleached almost as thoroughly as her warden friend’s coat. Her illustrations were always exquisite, her notes not nearly as detailed as Rei’s, but Laventon appreciated them anyway.

“Professor, has… Has anyone seen or heard anything about Volo?”

Laventon tore his gaze from the book and looked down at the girl. She was not looking at him, tapping a finger on a rock and taking great interest in her patchy tail, attempting to appear uninterested.

“No, unfortunately. The commander had the team scouring the lands and, per our agreement with the clans, they would keep an eye out for him in the waters.”

“Okay.” Her voice was strange. “Just curious.”

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

A frigid limb, colder than all the water in icelands, coiled around her. Tighter and tighter until all the air was crushed out of her, a stream of bubbles escaped her and rushed away, showing her the way to go. She could not follow. Sharp teeth dug into her. Cutting her. Making her bleed. She couldn’t even scream.

“Look at me now, chosen one.”

Dawn was jerked through the water, placed eye to eye with a man she had confided in, she had trusted him – how could she not? He had been so kind. She met a sinister grin and two unblinking yellow eyes. A pair of suns filled with nothing but malice as Volo’s grip tightened around her. There was a horrible crunch.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dawn woke abruptly with such a fear and pain gripping her chest that she was completely unable to stop the scream from escaping her. She was still disorientated from her nightmare to realize the hand curling around her was not the one she thought it was. She screamed again, sharp claws slashing into the palm, and, when that didn’t stop it, she lunged forward and sank her teeth into flesh.

“Dawn! Dawn – You must relax. It’s me.”

Although the person cringed, they scooped up her body with her other hand. She could feel the bitter tang of iron on her tongue, a growl reverberating through her throat when she was plunged into darkness. She didn’t want to be in the dark! She needed light! In her utter panic, she did not recognize the familiar scent and the warmth and gentleness in the touch. Just blood and dark and salt and a tension that was more than bone deep, something woven right into every fiber and nerve. She couldn’t even form intelligible words, just sobbing and screaming. The enclosed space smelt so much like blood. When that smell hung so heavy in the air, death was approaching. Nothing could survive without its blood.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Her tail has been stained pink, the water swirling with blood that sure to draw sharks. The threat was gone. The many-armed serpent (what had Volo called it? Giratina?) lifted her to the surface as one last act of penance before sinking back into the depths. She wasn’t even sure what happened. She didn’t know what she had done to defeat Volo and the ancient serpent. It was the same for the other gods of the deep. All she knew for sure was that she was alone.

She turned onto her side and coughed up water and blood, the mix burning her throat. Hot tears stung her face as she wailed into the hands, the dim light of her namesake began to stain the inky sky from black to blue… The same colors her bruises were sure to have. Every move hurt. Each breath felt like someone jabbing a knife between her ribs. She lay there, bleeding out and condemning herself for ever trusting him.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Dawn!”

A deep rumble shattered through her memory. That… That was a familiar voice. She remembered where she was. Who she was with. Her tail was still itching like crazy because she was molting, and she was stuck in this form.

She lowered her shaking hands, red painting the tips of her fingers, a fresh wave of tears coming to her eyes as she realized just who she had hurt.

“Ingo… I didn’t… I’m sorry!” He heard her stifle a sob and gingerly brought her closer, telling her it was okay. It was just a bad dream. “B-But it wasn’t!”

What did that mean? At times, he wished he could be smaller, just to hold her close and tell her everything was alright. Why did she have to be so small? Now that she wasn’t trying to claw her way to freedom, Ingo’s grip loosened a bit and he bowed his head to look down at the poor, distraught child in his hands. She was openly weeping, fumbling at the marks she had made and repeating the same apologies over and over.

He kept his back to his clan mates, trying to give her a bit of privacy. Although he knew their stares and murmurs were not malicious, he could still feel a deep instinct to protect Dawn swelling in his chest, practically hunching over when he felt them pressing against his back and sides. A growl not too dissimilar to Gaeric’s rumbled from his throat, warning them to back off now.

What had gone wrong? The evening had been pleasant enough. Irida had kindly invited the surveyor to join them for an evening chat that had evolved into some pleasant communal time. Grooming, chatting, eating, drinking, and, finally, sleeping – Irida had quietly insisted he and Dawn stay because they could use a little bit of “group time,” as his leader had so delicately put it. It had been relaxing. Even Ingo had to admit it was nice to just rest with his clan mates, knowing everyone was full and safe and at ease.

Now that relaxing atmosphere had turned tense. They all knew she was experiencing her own difficulties, but never had they resulted in such an intense reaction.

“Ingo,” Irida said over his shoulder, a hand coming to rest on his elbow, and he almost jerked his arm away from him. “We’re here to help you… and Dawn. We just want to help.”

The warden swallowed thickly, the growl dying back as he forced a breath. Throwing a glance to his leader from the corner of his eyes and then back to Dawn, who had buried herself in his parka, gripping, ripping, and staining the pale fabric with each fresh wave of sobs. This was not something he was going to be able to resolve on his own. All their attempts separately hadn’t been fruitful – their young friend was not alright. Something had shaken her down to the very core and she didn’t know how to tell them.

Dawn flinched when his thumb flicked over her back, the motion meant to be comforting but her nightmare, her memories, of facing off against Volo and Giratina… She didn’t feel safe here. Not anywhere in the ocean. At least on land she felt like she was in control. She knew her body and mind on solid ground, but not here.

“I-I’m sorry - I hu-hurt you!”

It wasn’t her fault, he tried to assure her. She had been in the throes of a terrible nightmare and terrified out of her wits, so he harbored no resentment or anger toward her, but he did need to know why. He needed to know so he could help her. All this child had ever done and accomplished had been on her own and now, even with a support system ready and able, Dawn did not know how to share her burdens.

“What were you dreaming?”

“Ingo-”

“Dawn – please, what were you dreaming?”

She was sinking lower and lower, trying to avoid his gaze when he raised her up to his eye level. No more beating around the bush. He needed to know. He needed to help her. Dawn flattened herself against his open palms, covering her head and cowering under his scrutiny, a sharp keening sound peeling through the space which made everyone’s hair stand on end. That was what pushed Irida and the other wardens to surge forward, offering comfort and gentle appeals to tell them what had her so petrified.

Lian and Calaba were far too small (by comparison) to get close enough to comfort, but that didn’t stop either of them. The younger warden scrambled up Ingo’s back, not that the orca mer even notice with all this focus on Dawn, and clambered up to his shoulder, balancing there rather precariously before scooching himself down Ingo’s arm to wrap Dawn in a tight hug from behind. He was not usually so touchy-feely, in fact he usually hated to infringe upon other people’s space and vice versa, but there was something so awful about seeing his friend crying.

Calaba barked at Gaeric to pick her up, she could offer some herbs to help settle her nerves, then maybe they could get some answers. Although his palm was crowded, the elderly warden insisted she be put down next to Dawn. Once she was safely situated, she removed her pack and began to rummage through it for a few things for her to chew on. Willow bark and some wolfsbane for pain. Ginkgo leaves for clarity of mind. Lavender and chamomile for anxiety. Lord Ursaluna had been so kind as to gather these things for his warden and her clan to keep them healthy, this would be a good opportunity for Calaba to flex her medical muscles, so to speak.

That left Palina, Gaeric, and Irida; all anxious and keenly aware that they could not solve the problem, at least, not any better than Ingo could. Their speech all overlapped, which ended up being more disorientating than anything else, the largest warden shooting them a withering glare that silenced them all. This was Ingo’s pup.

It took nearly forty minutes to coax and answer out of her and it had only been a single word – a name. Volo. There was a chorus of growls, a collective of hackles raised from the mere mention of the man who tried to ruin everything. Dawn had not spoken a word to anyone in the clans about the incident. The one called Laventon had taken it upon himself to meet the clan leaders and explain that something had happened to Dawn. It hadn’t been his place to get into the nitty gritty, but he warned them about a man, Volo, who had been the source of all the unrest in the region.

“He allied himself with a creature, Dawn thinks its name is Giratina, and riled up your gods. He got an artifact similar to Dawn’s to transform…”

Irida and Adaman glanced at each other, the latter’s scarred eyebrows quirked with concern and the former’s arms crossed tight over her chest. They could tell this was serious since the professor was not asking them such unusual questions. Last time they had come near shore, Laventon had impulsively started asking about diet and social habits, grabbing their fingers to compare and contrast the webbing between their fingers.

Nothing.

His eyes looked tired, his cheeks particularly pallid and gaunt, like he had not been taking proper care of himself. The humans were still dealing with the ramifications of the flooding, the clans had taken it upon themselves to offer what food aid they could while the water continued to recede from the lands. This was serious.

“He’s dangerous and at large.”

Laventon warned them, his tone grave and his fingers nervously fiddling with the cuff of his sleeve. They were asked to keep an eye out for him, the professor giving a description, practically spitting out like venom.

Ingo wanted to ask her to explain, but he could already predict the results. He wanted desperately to know more, he still held a gut-wrenching pain in him from his inaction when Dawn voluntarily revealed her secret and now, he was finding that Dawn was dealing with some lingering trauma.

“I w-want to go ho-home.”

Her sob echoed through the cavern, her request plaintive and wobbly, and the Pearl clan exchanged looks. Dawn couldn’t go back to Jubilife, not yet anyhow. With no legs, she would find living on land particularly difficult, and the humans would not know how to help her. Ingo would have to deny her request, at least temporarily.

“Not tonight.”

He said, trying to be gentle as he denied her, and everyone flinched when she wailed. She was just a scared pup, she needed reassurance – she needed their presence and comfort. All it took was a quick glance at each of his clanmates and they all wordlessly slumped to the ground.

Gaeric took the base of the pile without hesitation, resting his head on Palina’s flank when Ingo settled to the ground with his hands clasping the three mers carefully. With Palina on one side and Irida, who was draped over Gaeric’s tail, on the other, Ingo leaned back against Lord Avalugg’s warden, just as sturdy as his lord. Setting Calaba, Lian, and Dawn down on his chest, the eldest warden asked to be placed between Gaeric and Palina, Ingo setting her down just as Palina rested her head on Ingo’s tail and Irida on his side.

“Don’t lay on your dorsal fin. It’s already bent.”

Calaba growled, so Ingo manipulated himself in such a way as to not crush the fin in question. Lian refused to budge, holding Dawn tightly, and nobody tried to separate them.

“You’re safe here.” Ingo rumbled, placing a hand over the two kids to keep them from moving around too much. “I promise, you’re safe here.”

The surveyor knew he meant it. With him and Gaeric here, this was by far the safest place in the world, but it was hard to dispel the fear and the tears still dripping from her eyes. She listened to the reassuring beat of Ingo’s heart, so much louder than she thought possible in her ears, but it did help her focus and drown out all the other noises.

“If you have any more bad dreams about Vo- … That guy, I guess I’ll just have to remind you that I’d take on a chump like him any day.” She heard Gaeric’s voice distantly, not catching him say under his breath. “Anything for you, kiddo.”

“We would never let anything happen to you.”

Palina echoed his sentiment, casting her eyes toward the mer she treated like a little brother, and he pointedly wouldn’t look at her. A feeling of pride bubbling in her chest because Gaeric was trying to reach out to an outsider.

“Like Ingo might say, safety is a top priority. Especially for pups.”

Dawn shut her eyes tight when Calaba said that, feeling another sob catch in her chest. Lian was mumbling something into her back, the words might have been muffled, but the sentiment was there.

“You’ll always have a place here, Dawn. We will all do our part to keep you safe.”

With that final assurance from the clan leader herself, Dawn finally felt the panic in her chest loosen and a wave of fatigue roll over her. Slumped against Ingo’s chest, her exhaustion finally catching up to her. Dawn had a blessedly dreamless sleep.

[blaiddraws]

*ahem* so like if I go is the fatherly type here, Akari is still considered to him likely a family member, and she’s always on these dangerous paths. What exactly would’ve been ingo’s point of view when she gets hurt and betrayed so mildly by volo?

I'm gonna take this as in fulcrum au context since that's dad ingo, and this was sent after I'd posted a fulcrum au drawing.

SO.... he's... conflicted. But definitely not Happy about it. Protective dragon dad instincts, but also he can sense volo's Ideals, and they've always been really strong ones. (It's just that, it was only until much more recently that they began to grow corrupted and malign)

But... that doesn't stop what volo did from being terrible.

He definitely has a very negative view of volo, after that. (it's a good thing Volo went into hiding before Ingo could find him.)

[ciderwitch]

Because I'm falling into Submas hell after finally playing Arceus and I've just discovered the Butler outfits from Pokemas, I bring you SFW + NSFW Royal!Reader x Submas Butler Twins HCS.

Yeah, this is long, whoopsie.

Also a forewarning, both bros interact in this!

SFW ⛅

You and Elesa are members of the royal court. She is the princess and you are her noble-in-waiting.

You grew up together with her and the Butler brothers but had to leave for several years for schooling. When you returned home, Elesa practically demanded your family let you join her in the castle.

The two boys you used to play with had grown into fine and capable young men. Emmet had grown even more affable and mischievous, while Ingo remained as quietly charming and clever as always.

Emmet is the most likely to get in trouble for disrespecting or ignoring rude guests. He has a lot of pride in his work and firmly believes that those who look down on him simply don't deserve his time. If he wasn’t the best at his job, he might get in trouble.

Ingo has the same beliefs, but is better able to keep his composure. Whatever he must do to ensure peace for you and Elesa, he will.

You'd quickly fallen in love with the two brothers but knew that a lady of your station would never be allowed to court one of them.

Besides, they probably weren't interested in you, right? Surely they are this nice to everyone? (The twins were just as in love with you, but didn't want to ruin your reputation if you got caught with them.)

Elesa has to stop herself from smacking you all upside the head.

They always seem to be around you even though you know they have innumerable duties around the castle.

They take turns helping you get ready for the day before you have to assist Elesa. They personally see to your breakfast whenever they have the chance and spend a bit of the morning with you.

Emmet always saves some extra treats from the royal kitchen to share with you throughout the day

Ingo makes sure your pokemon are well-taken care of and always well-groomed if you are busy.

Whenever the three of you have free time or days off, you spend time together in town, in the gardens, or the royal battle plaza

They beg for you to attend their battles so they can show off, always making you laugh with their poses and over-the-top maneuvers

The brothers fight for the chance to ride in or drive your carriage when you go on journeys with Elesa

Elesa purposefully sends the three of you out together on errands whenever she gets the chance

Her money is on Emmet making the first move. (Skyla is betting on Ingo)

Only those suitors who manage to defeat him and Emmet in battle are allowed to court you or Elesa. No one has won yet.

NSFW 🔞

When Emmet (of course it's Emmet first) finally snaps, better prepare to be fucked within an inch of your life.

He'd fought off a particularly amorous suitor whose family had come to schmooze up to you and Elesa and the idiot had almost beaten him with a critical hit

After the battle, Emmet went to your chamber to complain and pine as he usually did when he found you half-dressed and trying to get into new evening gown.Normally one of the ladies assisted you, but they were occupied with the suitor and his family in the guest wing.

He noticed the light blush dusting your cheeks as he undid your corset and dress. He’d helped you before but now, on the tail end of that jerk and thinking about what might have happened if he lost, he just wanted to hold you, to take you for him and Ingo and run away so he never had to worry about you being stolen away.

You shivered as his gloved hand brushed against your back, looking back at him when he suddenly paused behind you.

It was the way you looked at him, flushed and hopeful, that had him suddenly crowding you against the wall and fixing you with the most serious look you’d ever seen him have

You kissed him first, but he didn’t make you wait. He was a force of need and desire, insistently pressing closer as he kissed you hard and messy, tasting your mouth and groaning at the whimper that escaped your lips

Ingo came into the room looking for Emmet and froze when he saw you both, gaping open-mouthed as a hundred things seemed to cross his mind at once. Before he could speak, Emmet broke from you, walked to Ingo, dragged him towards you and pushed him to his knees in front of you.

“What are you waiting for, brother? Our mistress requires your assistance.”

Soon you wind up with Emmet behind you, pressing kisses and sharp bites into your neck while his muscular arms wraps around your front to hold you in place as Ingo services you with his mouth, whimpering and whispering prayers and praise at how good you taste while he delves his tongue between your folds in hot, wet circles.

Emmet is able to compose himself enough to see the guests off to bed and request the next day off

Elesa demands that she gets to plan the wedding.

don’t mind me just getting absolutely carried away and wanting to write a multi chapter slowburn butler submas/pokeknight submas fic

[smallestapplin]

queengladiolus asked: May I request a NSFW headcannon of Ingo reuniting with his s/o after s/o was away for a long amount of time (business related, overseas, etc.). But upon ar-rival, all s/o wanted from Ingo was to fuck them cause they missed them dearly, emotionally and sexually? 🥺👀✨

(For some reason I could only see your ask on my laptop, but not on my phone, so I hope this is okay!)

🔞18+Only!🔞

-

-

-

⚫️Ingo⚫️

- When you told him you were leaving to visit family, he was excited! Until he remembered your family lives in a different region, one he’d have to take off work for.

- You told him it was just for a family members birthday, and you’d be back before he knew it.

- He tried asking off, but it’s the busiest time of the year, Emmet needs all the help he can get!

- You understood, but that didn’t stop Ingo from being sad, and seeing you off.

- You found it cute how he lingered, hoping to just kiss you more before you left.

- Ingo keeps himself preoccupied the second you’re out the door, he can’t help it! If he doesn’t he will sulk.

- He missed you, you two text as much as you two can, and call whenever you can.

- Your family loves Ingo, and you have to find a private place to call, lest they try to talk to him too.

- With the difference in time zones and you two being busy, you couldn’t speak as much as you two would’ve liked.

- Ingo cuddles up to your pillow at night, desperately want you to come back home.

- You lay in the guest bedroom of your parents home, wishing your husband could be there with you.

- You make sure to take pictures for him.

- But as you lay in bed, wide awake, you find yourself craving him.

- You miss Ingo, he’s hugs, his kisses, his cuddles, his loud laughter.

- You miss him kissing down your body, desperate to get a taste of you. You miss his whines, his loud moans, everything!

- You can’t wait to go home.

- Ingo is in the same boat. He misses you breathless sounds, your silent screams. He misses your thighs around his head, he misses your sweet kisses, and nails gently running down his back.

- He misses his beloved.

- He wants you home.

- The bed feels much too big without you

- But he doesn’t want to bother you, you might be busy!

- And you think the same.

- After nearly a week you give him an update, which has him squealing happily!

- The entirety of gear station cringing at the loud sound.

- But he doesn’t care! His beloved is coming home!

- He was there at the airport waiting for you. He’s practically vibrating in place, he’s missed you so much! And the second he sees you, he now understands Emmet’s energy.

- Ingo has never wanted to run so fast in his life, but seeing you there after a week? He booked it right towards you.

- You two crashed right into each other, holding each other tightly. You slam your lips against his, ingo melting against you.

- He’s missed your kisses more than he can put into words.

- You two held onto each other like the other would disappear, only parting for air. You rest your forehead against his, basking in his presence.

- “I missed you so much, I love you.”

- You heart skips a beat at his small shaky smile. “I love you too, dear. Please, let us return home.”

- You two held onto each other the entire way back home, your fingers locked with his, just wanting to hold him in some way.

- And he can’t fault you, for he is the same.

- The second you two were behind closed doors, you’re pulled and pressed against the door.

- Ingo just couldn’t help himself, he missed you!

- His lips pressed feverishly against yours, moaning at the flavor of you. Oh how he’s longed for this, for you to be back in his arms.

- You wrap your arms around his neck, pulling him closer to you. Your bodies pressed flushed against each other, greedily taking the other in.

- A strand of salvia connecting your lips when you pull away.

- “I need you, please.” He’s so breathless just from kissing you.

- “Yes! I’ve craving you since I left.”

- His face is dusted pink as you two stumble towards the bedroom, pausing to kiss and grind against your beloved.

- You two can’t help but grope each other, falling into the bed in a heat kiss.

You two had been at this for so long, but Ingo couldn’t help it, and neither could you. To be so long without the other, you couldn’t help but want to be as close as possible.

You lean your head back, mewling softly. Ingo rolls his hips slowly, thrusting his cock into you gently, taking his time with the build up.

His chest pressed against yours as he lays on top of you, leaning on his forearm not to fully crush you, while his other hand is holding yours.

Your finger intertwined as you held onto him.

“You feel so good.”

Ingo groans into your neck, loving just feeling so close and connected with you.

Your free hand on his shoulder, nails slightly digging into his skin,

“Ingo…mm! Please, a little more.”

His moan tickles your skin, his hips carefully speeding up.

You arch your back, crying out as his cock kisses your sweet spot.

“O-oh fuck! Ah- I love you! Ingo!”

Ingo raises his head, slamming his lips against yours is a sloppy coupling.

Drool dripping down his chin as his tongue glides against yours.

He missed you, it’s like a dream having you like this again.

“Mmm.” He pulls away, panting before crying out.

You’re clenching him! His hips stutter for a moment.

“I love you! I love you so much! So perfect, oh my-! Haa!”

You’re so close! He can feel it. He leans his forehead against yours, your watery eyes lock with his shimmering silver one.

You’re so sensitive from how he ate you out earlier.

“I-Ingo! M’gonna, gonna cum!”

“Please!” The hand locked with yours tightens “cum for me, my love!”

You break eye contact, tossing your head back, crying out. Your legs wrap around his hips, keeping him in place.

Ingo swears under his breath, pressing his lips against your neck, mumbling praise into your skin as he pumps his cum into you.

You cum with him, whining at the overwhelming pleasure.

Ingo lazily thrusts into you a few times, working you both from your highs. You sigh, running your fingers through his hair as you both bask in each others warmth, and presence.

“I love you.”

You smile at his words.

“I love you too, Ingo.”

You giggle softly as he kisses his way up your neck, to your cheek, and stopping at your lips once more.

He can’t get enough of you.

[kharmii]

It’s always entertaining to me when people constantly bring up Canon to certain topics in fandom but then they turn around and completely disregard the Canon and create a random headcanon that is canon "Because I say so."

Like transing up characters that are canonically normal. Or create ships with characters that have s/os canonically.

Honestly I’m someone that usually sticks with Canon unless it’s something that is not sitting right with me. Like Ingo‘s unsolved displacement. But I also don’t go around telling people what to do and how to treat the characters and canon.

Honestly if it’s built up properly I can get behind non canon stuff but I rarely see these. It’s usually just "they are that and do this because I say so"

Fandom can be fun but also a living nightmare depending on how you treat and interact with canon and the fans.

In the end everyone is free to do what they want, just don’t be a jerk to others about it. (And I���m sorry so many are a jerk to you for your opinions)

Thought of a couple of rants I haven't covered yet. How about when people take something canon from an anime from another country and interpret it in a (smarmy obnoxious fckn miserable left-wing Marxist) Western cultural kind of way? -Or because people won't let it go, they'll interpret the Himuras from My Hero Academia (family of Shoto's mom and Geten) as being incestuous based on one vague line in a manga? You try to explain the Himuras are Japanese and not Pakistani, so the idea of them marrying first cousins isn't that likely.

Side note: I enjoy being into My Hero Academia because I've encountered so many interesting analyses from people interested in and studying Japanese culture. I'm getting some of the context that we Westerners aren't getting, such as how Endeavor is looked upon more favorably in Asian countries and the context to why that is.

-Or another fandom fail that's mildly irritating is when people take people who are obviously villains and make them virtuous. I get it if you feel sorry for them, -like in the case of Dabi and Shigaraki- but the fact that they've mass murdered people makes them irredeemable in my opinion.

Okay, one last thing about Geten and I'll drop it for now. People say that ReDestro saaaaaaved him from a life where he'd be forced to marry his cousin, but last time I checked, he was facing either death row in Tartarus or a lifetime of misery in a tiny, cramped cell with both his arms and legs confined.

Worst case scenario....Geten is literally engaged to his first cousin in an arranged marriage. That's a thousand times better than being radicalized into a terrorist cult and ending up a mass murderer in prison. Srsly people......

As for Ingo, it used to bug the crap out of me that people would head canon he'd be brought to Hisui via Ultrabeast when the obvious reason was Volo's sky rift. It still annoyed me even when that concept art came out saying he was in Hisui 'XX' years, which a lot of people thought to mean twenty years. That would make Ultrabeast Theory make more sense if his arrival preceded Volo's rift, but then again, one of the clan members mentioned that a rift had opened up years before, and that could have been the one Ingo arrived from. I wish we'd get more lore on that whole deal.

Honestly if it’s built up properly, I can get behind non canon stuff, but I rarely see these. It’s usually just "they are that and do this because I say so"

I'm OCD enough to stick with canon, but since I'm into so many side characters with vague backstories, it gives me a lot of leeway to be creative. Again....why is it that people be all "incestuous relationships aren't in character for X character" but nobody ever says, "werewolf bullshit isn't in character either". In fact, everybody is overly respectful and permissive toward the grossest ass furry bs, like I've yet to see anybody but me take the piss when it comes to Omegaverse, even though it's the most obviously exploitable fetish for comedy and trolling. Seriously, males have wombs routed into their asses, but they have to get c-sections to give birth because semen can go in but babies cannot be shat out for some odd reason. Maybe because the size of an infant would cause a massive perforation of the colon?

Then again, a/b/o is trans coded, and those people take themselves so damn seriously. They want to sound edgy and cool with all this monster fucking, like get it? I'm the monster for being trans! I'm the werewolf! I'm the hunted persecuted dragon that everybody hates!

Not true. At best, the 'monster fuckers' are sad little Shigarakis who had evil adults exploiting them when they were young and impressionable, and the evil bastards did things to their bodies they had no business doing. Yep, they're like Shigarakis, except fat. -Fat and hairy. It's no wonder werewolves have to be in every damn thing. There should be a rule about it, like how Rule 34 is "If it exists, there is porn of it". There should be a Rule XX like "If it exists, there's a werewolf version of it".

Everybody is free to do what they want, and I'll try not to be a jerk about it, but incest arguments will always lead to the argument it should be socially acceptable to bag on every stupid fetish and trend on Tumblr. -And again, use that block button. I sure do. I block and report as spam every stupid 'evacuate the Palestinians' charity whether it's legit or not (so stop pm-ing me Mohammed Bot). We have people in serious trouble in this country. Why would I give money to help people from a culture that sees me as a second class citizen? Go pan handle around the college aged suckers.

[takadanobaba]

If you don't mind me making another long post, I'll talk about the current view I had for a part 2 and the what I thought of the characters first thought of the twins. Feel free to correct anything I miss interpretate, we currently don't have too much about the town's folks individual options on the twins and their Pokémon.

I sorted the town's folks into categories based on their opinion on Pokémon instead of the twins themselves but quite a few probably would be cut from the actual chapter unless I made a part 3

Likes Pokémon:

Jas, Vincent, Evelyn, George, Wizard

(George likes Pokémon but doesn't appear to, kinda like the dog owner who insults their dog but still gives it a treat. He might like their Pokémon but he doesn't like the twins because he doesn't want them to mess up the train station.)

Lukewarm about Pokémon:

Alex, Elliott, Harvey, Emily, Leah, Maru, Penny, Caroline, Clint, Gil, Gunther, Linus, Marlon, Marnie, Robin, Willy

(Alex, Elliott, Emily, Maru and Penny are all scared of Pokémon but think they're interest/cool but will observe from a safe distance. Penny is the most scared but also most intrigued)

(Harvey, Leah, Caroline, Linus, Marnie and Willy are scared of Pokémon but have more a neutral option of them and see they more like unprodicatable animals. Harvey favours Klinklang since its the least dangerous looking (and I like to think the Klink line is associated with anything with mechanics like the air force). Linus has mixed feelings about Garbodor, he feels a kinship since they're outcast but has a dislike since she might steal his dinner.)

(Clint, Gil, Gunther, Marlon and Robin are scared of Pokémon but aware that they can be tamed and are often used in their jobs outside of Stardew. Clint would like Boldore. Robin would like Gurdurr. Gunther is aware of fossil Pokémon.)

Plain fear of Pokémon:

Sam, Sebastian, Abigail, Hailey, Gus, Jodi, Lewis

(Sam, Sebastian and Lewis try not to show their fear but would run away if a Pokémon got too close.)

Hostility towards Pokémon:

Shane, Demetrius, Kent, Pam, Pierre

(All hostility mainly stems from parental overprotectiveness but witha small. Since Pam was the original bus driver, she possibly had seen some Pokémon battles outside of Stardew and seen how strong they could get. Kent is probably the only one to never fully like Pokémon.)

HI! Doctorsparkle here! Takadanobaba showed me your ask and well ... he is letting me take the stage on this main replay! I got to say tho Kraken! You are on the right tracks! I have to say you are amazing for paying attention to so many details and nuggets we have placed throughout various posts!

Your fanfic based on the mod is amazing as well and we are glad for all the ideas you have thrown at us. It really helps us when we are stumped.

Few things about some characters.

George - George’s relationship with Submas Twins is - Tolerating their presence.

Ingo and Emmet have a good relation with their wife, Evelyn, and they know that Evelyn adores Pokémon. (He knew she had one, as did he... when they where in their younger years before Stardew got rid of them. Evelyn had a Bellosom. While George problem had a a Crab-Related Pokemon. Like Krabby or Dwebble, really family Pokémon. They weren't trainers, just average folk.)

And since they have a good relation with the wife, well, you know the saying, happy wife. Happy life. As for his views on the train station.. he really doesn’t care… simply due to his age, him being wheelchair bound... and there has been dialogue related to him how he isn’t religious but since he is up there in age he preys to Yoba. (To which I can relate to, George and Evelyn as characters based on my own personal experiences with older family members.)

So really he doesn’t like the twins but as long as his wife is happy and the Pokémon are nice. He doesn’t care what they do… He's probably glad to have some form of company.

Harvey - Harvey is most definitely going to like Klinklang, however, he still views it as dangerous. Every Pokémon the Submas twins has is dangerous in their own way…. For Klinklang tho… well... giant spinning gears. And moving parts. If anyone who has worked with heavy equipment or machinery. Gears and sharp can be dangerous. Get your clothing stuck in there and well— RIP your arm or leg. Or your favorite outfit. He will still be wary and cautious about all moving parts on a Pokémon. Organic or Mechanical. Hence why he harps on the twins about their health more than anything. It's a hate-love relationship. Think of a nagging parent. He doesn’t outright dislike Pokémon but he just can’t turn off his doctor brain. Ya know?

Views on Job Related Pokemon

(Robin, Clint, etc) - LOVE THIS TO BITS! However, do keep in mind that Stardew Valley is isolated… it is a separate region. So, unless you're someone like Pam who travel across Stardew Valley. You're not going to see a Pokemon. Or a Pokemon Battle. I bet you no one even knows what a Pokemon Battle is.

I think they would learn about how Pokemon can help them with their own professions through casual talks with the Submas Twins when they have to say ask Robin for a commission or head down to Clint's to get some metal work done. The knowledge of Pokémon is lacking…. Which feeds into the fear and stigmatization of them. Knowledge is power. The government will most likely be censoring Pokémon related media... except for a few things that fall through the cracks like fashion magazines.

Which we’ll segway into… Hailey and Emily - They will most definitely fear Pokémon, however, we have some plans for the two with Elesa! They will know a little bit about Pokémon but only through fashion magazines. So think cute Pokémon like Happiny or Pachirisu. Anything bigger then a cat… forget it. They will be terrified of all of Submas Pokémon but over time it’ll dull down… they’ll still be jumpy but its not an outright dislike. Just... they prefer to see them from afar or in fashionable clothing in a book or magazine.

Gus - Definitely a fear of Pokemon... however! There are some exceptions. Joltik. And Garbador. Joltik I won’t go into details just yet, but one shows up in an event where Gus is. Garbador tho, think of Linus. Gus will most likely think of Garbador like Linus… so he isn’t scared of them. Plus. They keep the trash clean… so no raccoons or rats near the establishment. Lol. He'd be happy that no food/trash would go to waste and they make less of a mess than the other scavengers, so it's better to have it go to them.

Demetrius - Now he is a complicated one. I would say yes to hating Pokémon HOWEVER, there is definitely some character growth and development with him simply due to how Maru interacts with Pokémon and how much Stardew Valley is changing.

There is dialogue about Demetrius saying it's better that Stardew Valley- or this case the Ferngill Republic- is isolated. He could hate the Pokémon and dislike the twins at first because they are breaking the norm.

Maru, on the other hand, is absolutely fascinated about the changes. Scared and wary, but in awe of the Pokémon. The scientist in her is wanting to challenge the norm, while Demetrius is conservative and stuck in his ways… we’re also not a 100% concrete on this concept yet due to needing to double check dialogue and how his personality is in game but for Demetrius definitely a character development kinda guy.

As for how Stardew Valley relates globally with the Pokémon world stuff, I have been going off of the Setting article on this Wiki here

It shows a very pixel crude map of Ferngill Republic and Gotoro Empire. They are both continents or in this case regions.

You can’t drive to Ferngill Republic through Unova or any other Pokémon region. Only way to get there is by flight and then travel by bus. However when the train-station is up and running there will be Surfliner Routes, theoretical underwater train lines, or a giant bridge.

In Black and White and Black and White 2 there are the Wifi-Lines. I believe these to be international lines that connect to other regions. So, say for example, a train from Kalos deciding to go to Unova via this Wifi-Line or the Cyan Line. etc. etc. since Stardew Valley and Ferngill Republic has been isolated, banned on Pokémon etc. Passenger lines cannot travel on these train lines… also with the state of the station in Stardew, it probably isn't the best either.

The Ferngill Republic, however, conducts Agricultural and Economic trade with the other regions. Tomatos, meat, etc. due to possibly how taboo it is in some regions to kill and to eat Pokémon. Even though Magikarp and Slowpoke Tails might be a delicacy... the culture surrounding Pokémon as being our friends, family, partners in life... well you wouldn't want to murder Mr. Mittens now would you. That wouldn't sit right with some people.

So with the train station being rebuilt, expect a lot more economical benefits etc. and trade.

Hope this least clears up some things but also.. I just info-dumped like Ingo LOLOL. Aaaaaah…. Theres definitely a lot more I can write. Guess you can say… i’m like Lore Keeper Dani from Criticalrole. Anyway! Hope you enjoy this long reply to chew on!

[waywardstation]

Hi! I hope you’re doing well in life! I So tomorrow is April Fools day, and it got me thinking about Ingo and Akari celebrating April Fool’s in Hisui. Akari would be the one to remember it and tell Ingo about it and try to get Ingo to pull some pranks with her. Ingo is against it at first because it’s rude and probably wouldn’t go well for either of them if they decided to prank the clans or the people of Jubilife, but once Akari says the prank would be on Meli and that it would be a harmless one where he doesn’t get hurt, they just scare the shit out of him instead, Ingo is in. Or, Alternatively, I could see Ingo and Akari just pulling pranks on each other all day, then the clan members and jubilife get curious as to what they’re doing. Ingo and Akari explain it, and then it becomes an all out prank war between the diamond and pearl clans, and the galaxy expedition team to see which clan/village is the master of pranks and then it’s just absolute chaos. I’m not sure what actual pranks Ingo, Akari, and the others would pull, I’m not very good at pranking myself. The most I’ll do is put a fake spider on someone’s bed or shoulder or just wait behind the door when one of my family members comes in and yell “Boo!” In their face right as they walk in. But idk, what do you think Akari and Ingo would do for April fools, and what kind of pranks would they pull?

P.S. It might be past April Fool’s in real life by the time you read this, but regardless, I’d like to hear your thoughts. I hope you have a good day!

Oh Akari would love April Fool's day haha. I think you're right, Ingo would be a little more against it - he's not sure how something like that would go over with the clans. But then again, he'd probably err on the side of caution when it comes to pranks, regardless of the day.

The clans would probably take it well though; people usually enjoy pranks more often when they're harmless. I feel like Arezu and Lian would have a lot of fun with the concept of April Fool's Day, probably Sabi too - it would be impossible to prank her though, she'd see it coming every time!

Melli would claim to absolutely hate the holiday; he doesn't like people "tricking" him... but he seems to have no problem with it when he's the one who gets the better of someone else haha.

As for actual pranks, I'm not so sure about Ingo; he doesn't strike me as someone who would often do pranks on others (as said above, erring on the side of caution), but Akari would do SO MANY, and she'd probably have modern-day items stockpiled from distortions to help her. Sticking 'kick me' signs on peoples' backs, putting saran wrap outside Kamado's office, handing out jubilife muffins that she sprinkled with salt rather than sugar... she could do so much. April Fool's Day is HER day.

Thanks for asking OP!! This was a fun question!! hope you have a good day too!

[au-wannabe-the-very-best]

For Wild Man and Wild Miss again.

Now I’m wondering how this au affects the relationship between the Pearl Clan and Jubilife. Like, I’m imagining the PC would warn them of anything they think is particularly dangerous, like Ingo and Akari and their pack in the icelands, but then Ingo just wanders in a day later, introduces himself, and tells them he’s happy to trade with them and also “please don’t catch any of the zorua or zoroark like you would normally. They’re scared of humans, and kidnapping their family even temporarily will not make them like you. Also have you met my lively daughter? Let me tell you how we met.” Does the PC know Ingo does trade with Jubilife? Do members ever see him and/or Akari there but they can’t do anything but leave because Jubilife is neutral territory and they’d be kicked out for starting a fight?

Also, more specifically, what if one day Gaeric tried to talk about that time he was defending a child against a zoroark when the Wild Man attacked and whisked the zoroark away. Rei hears this and puts two and two together.

Gaeric, in the games is a likable enough guy. I imagine nobody in the clan really dislikes him. Imagine his surprise when this Galaxy Team kid blows up at him and angrily tells him about how that experience looked from his perspective.

Jubilife is very firmly in neutral territory, so even if they don't agree with certain practices of the clans, they don't do anything about it, and it's generally agreed that they should make no comments on how the natives do things. Likewise, the Pearl and Diamond clans both agreed to not start anything within Jubilife. So, yes, while some Pearl Clan members recognize Ingo, they don't actually do anything about it other than trying to warn some of the people in Jubilife about him.

Of course, Jubilife is free to make their own opinions, and Ingo quickly proves himself to be a very friendly man. He's polite and would immediately drop what he's doing to help another person if they so request it, and he likes to brag about his little daughter to anyone who will listen.

It's hard to take anything the Pearl Clan says seriously when the guy they're trying to warn people of is some dude who shoves his daughter in everyone's faces and proudly announces that she can count to 20 all on her own, now, isn't she the smartest?

As for Gaeric, he definitely does keep that story up his sleeve to talk about sometimes, and he would absolutely get a nasty surprise when he tells it anywhere near Rei. The idea that there's anyone who's actually friends with The Wild Man is just absurd to a lot of the Pearl Clan. They didn't expect that there were people in Jubilife who actually likes him and his "daughter." They believed that Ingo is only ever there for purely business purposes.

Of course, Rei blowing up at Gaeric would be brushed off quickly. Gaeric will believe that Rei's just not that great at telling an illusion from reality, especially since Rei's just a kid. And the people of Jubilife would be forced to apologize for Rei's outburst because, again, this is neutral territory and nobody is supposed to aggravate the tentative relations they've built. Gaeric is a Warden, after all, which means he has high standing.

This isn't to say that the civilians of Jubilife would disagree with Rei's outrage. They've babysat Akari many times in the past. They remember her being brought through the gates, bloodied and crying and whimpering. Finding out the one responsible is someone deluding themselves into thinking they did an honorable thing over unfounded superstitions would put a sour taste in a lot of mouths. And that someone has political immunity. It just leaves a sense of tension, and there's nothing anyone can do about it. No one can speak up, no one is allowed to explain it.

On a different thought, I find it very funny that Ingo is just unintentionally a political time bomb. He's just going about trying to exist, take care of his daughter, etc, meanwhile he's somehow caused the most tension between the Pearl Clan and Jubilife without even doing anything. By being likable.

[alolanrain]

TA!Ash with a side of both DadIngo and Aurafangshipping?

this is more focused on dad!ingo then Ash bc I love him so much and I need more of him in the au.

\ he's the type of dad who gets really into his kids sports. So whenever Ash or Gary are showing off their skills, either during science conferences or on tv during Pokémon battles, Ingo is absolutely cheering for them with his whole chest. even if he's across the world from them in that moment.

\ also the type to brag though it takes a while for him to get to that point, it helps if he's not really sober to get the ball rolling or if he's super tired. somehow it switches from Ash and Gary talking to Rowan about their accomplishments or findings to Ingo gushing about the two.

\ Dawn and Raihan both come into Ingo's life almost full time, Post-Hisui of course, at the same moment. He doesn't interact with Raihan much and looks towards Rowan for support with talking and hanging out with Dawn since she's complelty knew to him.

\ Gary is an outlier in the whole situation because he doesn't give Ingo the chance to question him or himself and is clinging onto him like a Komala since Rowan isn't a fan of physical touch and Gary is craving desperately for it even if he wont admit it.

\ it's not until Ash invites him to stay in Alola for a week that he and Raihan really get to know each other because the gym leader is there since the Galar league is finally in their off months. While Ash is at work the two of them kinda just wander around the island without a guide, extremally dumb of them, and get into all kinds of shenanigans.

\ the kids don't leave Ash alone regardless if he has guests or not, their clinging onto him even more since the moment Raihan walked with him to the school a week ago. they adore Ingo and even though the man gets overstimulated easily by loud noise he adores them back.

\ "I remember when you were their age." "Shut your up fuck." "Now I would like to see that." "I said SHUT!"

\ Burnet requests Ash, and Raihan's help since he's a well known experience dragon type specialist, to come help with a group of abandoned Noibats that were found in a smuggling ring on a smaller island off the bigger four. leaving Ingo alone for the first time.

\ the kids stumble across him at some tacky gift shopping store and collectively decide that they'll be his guide in getting the perfects gifts for his family back home. they ask him all sorts of questions on what his family members like and dislike and Ingo gets the chance to gush about his 'two wonderful kids and amazing partner back home'.

\ the boys and the cool color duo thinks Ingo's partner is a girl but Lillie's seen the few polaroid pictures that Ash always keeps on hand, because he's a big softy for his family under all the stress and PTSD, and immediately remembers one particular photo. Ash had talked about it before, it was the first one he showed her too.

\the picture is almost like a family patriate. she remembers seeing Ingo in the back, tucked into the side of a slightly smaller but much thicker built man with a white beard. their holding coffee cups while the Gary Oak has a girl that looks almost like Ash without the scars and gray-ish blue eyes in a headlock. both look like they were yelling during the moment but smiling as well as Ash's face was almost pressed up close. like his head would pop out of the film kind of close. there's the tip of an Umbreons tail by his left ear, Pikachu's ass practically pressed into his face, and the tip of a Piplups beak nipping at his chin.

\ she and Ingo spend some quality time together after all the kids had been pulled away by prior obligations or daily responsibilities. Lillie also soon learns that Ash had been talking about her during the times he's calling Rowan and Gary over Kukui's tv and the lengthy letters he sends to Ingo detailing basically his day to day.

[mynamesaplant]

Do you have any headcanons for the wardens and/or the leaders?

Yes!

Pearl Clan, more so than Diamond Clan, experiences casualties from Pokemon and environment. I think there are a lot of families in Pearl Clan that have missing family members

Calaba is respected by both clans for space and time reasons (she was able to survive as a warden in Hisui for such a long time), even if she doesn't always reciprocate that respect

Pearl Clan ends up being more superstitious - which makes it all the wilder that they accepted Ingo in at all. Zorua and Zoroark are tricky beasties

Gaeric is gay (he is so unbelievably crushed to eventually find out that Iscan likes Palina)

I love Iscan and Palina, but I wish we had seen the relationship sort of reach its fruition when MC arrived. They already liked each other, but their prolonged interaction kinda made them both realize just how much that was

Speaking of them, I would have liked to see other clan members reactions to Iscan and Palina

None of the wardens take Adaman or Irida seriously (except Ingo) (actually, maybe Lian for Irida), and I think that reflects in their leading styles

There was a lot of alloparenting going on in the clans

Wardenships can have gaps, especially after a descendant of a Noble Pokemon has claimed their seat for a few years. For example: Lian and Sabi are as young as they are bc they have Nobles who are more seasoned. They're learning with their Nobles and young Nobles learn with more seasoned wardens

Warden positions are for life; wardens can only step down for a few reasons like life-threatening injury or illnesses or mental/physical deterioration from old age

I know this was a question and discussion a few months ago, but I can go either way on the Nobles and ride Pokemon being separate. I think the game does state (in some capacity) that they're different entities, but I personally didn't clock that on my play-through

Lian's arch nemesis is Melli

Pretty much everyone has beef with Melli, even his own clan, he's too pompous for his own good

Arezu and Ingo hang out a lot more than you'd think, they both feel a little isolated at times in the village, but they can relate to one another

Ingo freaks everyone out except for like Zisu and Cyllene, all the villagers eventually get used to him

Whew! That was a lot! It's not all of them, but it is the ones I can think of off the top of my head!

[randomwriteronline]

“Oh!”

Ingo raised his head to see Arezu treating him to a look oozing nothing short of pure disbelief: “Good morning,” he greeted without getting up from the bench outside of the dojo.

She pointed at the large, content, long-haired beast resting its front paws and head on his legs: “That’s Melli’s, isn’t it!”

“You are correct,” he nodded. “I’ve been entrusted him for a while as Warden Melli is off to the Coastlands to help Mr. Iscan with something he did not specify, though it might have to do with Miss Palina. If you could indulge my curiosity, how did you recognize him?”

“No Skuntank smells that good unless Melli has put his hands on it,” Arezu laughed. “All my lessons on hair care, and he uses them on him!”

Ingo’s hand flattened the tip of the enormous tail under her wide eyes: “He’s using them rather well if I may say so,” he noted: “I don’t think Skuntanks are normally this soft either. You’re a very lucky fellow, aren’t you,” he then continued as he spoke directly to the smug poisonous predator, “Getting this pampered all the time. You’re quite spoiled, you know. Truly quite spoiled.”

Skuntank made a rumbling ‘gneh’.

Lilligant’s warden shook her head, still flabbergasted: “How are you doing that?”

“Doing what?”

“That!” and she gestured to the area of Skuntank’s head.

The other checked puzzled for what she meant: “... Scratching him?”

“Yes! He never lets anyone except Melli so much as touch him!” Arezu told him. “When I would try to pet him he would turn around and bite me, even!”

Ingo blinked.

He grasped the chubby snout between both hands.

“Well that’s just rude,” he reprimanded Skuntank calmly, “Why would you do that? That seems counter-productive. You’re smart, you are aware that if you did not attack people who want to give you scritches, you would get more scritches. Why is it then that you’re so mean to everybody else, hm? Why do you allow me but not Miss Arezu? That’s awfully rude of you, she’s known you for much longer than me and she’s never gotten to enjoy petting you. And she says you’ve bitten her on top of that. For shame.”

The pokémon replied with purring gibberish, looking more smug than ever.

“Honestly I don’t believe you should take any advice from Melli on this topic. He’s quite terrible.”

An indignated protest.

“I know he is good at other things, of course! But this is not one of them.”

Arezu huffed, amused, and tilted her head: “You understand him?”

“I’m not fluent, but I manage,” Ingo shrugged lightly, pale nails digging vigurously behind a small ear. The poisonous creature’s hind paw thumped at the ground as he tried to join in and scratch that sweet spot as well.

The girl giggled.

“Maybe that’s why he doesn’t bite you,” she proposed.

“Because we converse?”

“Because you get him!”

“Ah! I suppose that would certainly help, yes. Though I’m not very sure - like his trainer he can be quite inscrutable when he wants to.”

“Melli, inscrutable? Are you sure?” Arezu laughed: “I’d say he likes to make himself obnoxiously clear!”

The other warden hummed thoughtfully: “Then you’ll figure out why he’s entrusted me his most favored Pokémon although he barely tollerates me,” he sighed in the end, “Because I find it quite strange.”

She twisted her mouth once or twice: “Well,” she concluded, “You’re probably the best person for the job, no? With how fond you are of all of them...”

“As well as a member of the Pearl Clan.”

“And the best wielder-”

“Trainer.”

“-That’s what I said, of all of Hisui - save maybe from the kid.”

“I do believe he would feel more comfortable knowing Skuntank is the hands of family than a coworker he’s not particularly fond of, don’t you think?”

Skuntank took the opportunity to interrupt them right then with a long purred sentence, making all sorts of raucous incomprehensible mewls and kneading it claws gently into Ingo’s leg.

The man stared for a moment at him, seemingly flabbergasted.

Then he lowered his head closer to the Pokémon’s to murmur: “I don’t think it’s very wise to divulge such information like that.”

Arezu’s eyebrows shot upwards like the ears of an intrigued Glameow.

“What did he say?” she demanded to know.

But Ingo shook his head solemnly: “I’m afraid I cannot repeat that.”

“Is it vulgar? I’ve heard more than enough crude gossip cutting and combing, I can handle that!”

“No, it’s not vulgar, and as I said I shall not repeat it.”

“Oh come on, please!”

“Warden Melli would kill for much less.”

A loud gasp, and as her eyes shined with mischief her whisper turned conspiratorial: “Is it dirt on Melli that I don’t know already?”

Ingo made the motion of shutting his mouth and closing it with three turns of an imaginary key; then, just as he was about to toss it away, he paused for a moment of thought and hid it instead deep within the dense luscious fur of Skuntank’s back.

“Not a word,” he sentenced triumphantly.

Arezu opened her mouth in a joking rage as if to protest before giving him an overly exaggerated pout.

Narrow gaze shifted onto the large predator, she lowered herself slightly towards the ground, hand raised incospicuously to creep closer and closer to the soft purple body, reaching for the invisible key’s hiding spot - and she yipped when those sharp teeth turned to snapped at her with a sharp clack! and a growl that sounded like a dark chuckle.

“That’s not fair!” she whined.

The older warden’s face twisted ever so slightly into a smug smile that strikingly resembled Skuntank’s and he buried his face in the clean-smelling purple tail, scritching the Pokémon’s side satisfied.