#still working on how to write Ingo

[aceghosts]

Soft hand touches with a light comforting squeeze that instantly assures you they’re there. - Riley and Ingo

Thank you for this one! I think I captured the spirit of the prompt. Also, tagging @sstewyhosseini!

[Prompt List]

Summary: Ingo and Riley feel overwhelmed after returning to Modern-day Unova from Hisui.

Words: 854 words.

Content Warnings: References to amnesia, general trauma, and panic. Frankly, Riley and Ingo are just overwhelmed from time-travel and maybe a little codependent. Let me know if there is anything else I need to tag for.

AO3

Ingo inhales a deep breath, uneasiness settling over him. Even though it must have been only a few hours, it feels like an eternity since Riley had Arceus take them back to Modern day Unova from the distant past of Hisui. Everything is starting to get to Ingo, who feels like his life is rapidly speeding off the rails. The constant hum of the technology in the background drills into his head, leaving him with a dull pain. He shifts in the hospital bed, feeling truly alone for the first time in a long time. Even in Hisui, he had Sneasler, Irida, Laventon, and other friends. He had Riley. Ingo knows he should be happy, ecstatic even. And he is, especially after seeing Emmet, his twin brother, again. (Even if he still can’t remember Emmet fully.) But everything is so overwhelming, panic starting to rise in his chest.

He wishes Riley were here. Riley. Ingo and Riley had been uncoupled from each other, after being found in the Nimbasa Subway tunnels during a power outage. Doctors and Nurses fussed over Ingo, while Police Officers questioned him. He could only assume that Riley was subjected to the same procedure.

“Hey.” Riley stands in the doorway of his room, shooting him a soft smile. Ingo sits up, the panic starting to subside at the sight of a familiar face. They close the door gently behind them, wheeling their IV stand over to his bedside. Riley casually plops down in the chair beside him, kicking their feet up on the edge of his bed. “They keep you overnight, too?” They pause as they look around, confusion apparent on their face. “Where’s Emmet? I thought he would have stayed.”

Ingo nods. “Emmet tried to,” He remembers the scene earlier of Emmet arguing loudly with the Doctors, “but they threatened to revoke his visitation privileges.” Ingo pauses for a moment, a thought coming to him. “I…think he will find some way to stay. If not tonight, tomorrow,” He adds, his tone hesitant.

“Yeah,” Riley lets out a quiet laugh, “That’s Emmet. Wouldn’t be surprised if he found some way to get in here without the doctors or nurses noticing.”

He laughs, trying to keep his laughter soft. “I think I agree I with you. How are you feeling?”

“Fine,” Riley shrugs casually, “Thought I was going to have to fight that Snubbull of a nurse to get to you, but I managed to sneak by.” Ingo gives them a pointed look, knowing that they’re likely hiding what they really feel. “Okay, Okay. I’m not fine. Truth is, I didn’t want to be alone. I just wanted to be around you.”

“I did not want to be alone. I hoped that we would be reunited.” Riley takes his hand in their hand, rubbing the back of his hand with their thumb.

“Me too,” They let out a low chuckle, “I’m starting to feel like life in Hisui was simpler.” Ingo nods, comforted by the presence of Riley’s hand in his. Things in Hisui did seem simpler. A comfortable silence falls over between the two as they find comfort in the presence of the other. In the darkness of the room, Ingo observes Riley’s face in the shadow of the hallway lights, streaming through the blinds. He notes the dark circles under their eyes, their normally laidback smile not quite reaching their tired eyes. Their shoulders are slumped as if they’re finally feeling the burden placed upon them. For the first time since Ingo met Riley in Hisui, Riley looks exhausted, truly, utterly exhausted.

Ingo scoots over on the bed, gently tugging Riley’s hand. “Come, lay down in bed with me.”

Riley raises a red eyebrow. “It’ll be a tight squeeze.”

“You and I have been in tighter spots.”

“Both literally and metaphorically,” They quietly laugh, releasing his hand. Ingo tries not to panic, already missing the comforting feel of their hand in his. Getting out of the chair, Riley climbs into the bed with him. It is a tight squeeze, but Ingo feels steady like he’s back on track with Riley next to him. The pair lay down next to each other, Riley’s head resting on his shoulder. Their fingers gently graze his hand, the movement soft and slow. Ingo takes their hand in his, noting the soft red on Riley’s freckled cheeks. “Just feel better holding your hand.”

“Please no not apologize. I feel better holding your hand too; I feel that we will not be pulled apart so easily.”

“Me too.” Ingo feels Riley shift slightly beside him, their voice trembling as they ask, “I know this is silly, but promise me you’ll be here in the morning.”

“I promise.” He gently squeezes their hand as Riley lets out a relieved sigh. The pair are a two-car train that cannot be separated from one another. At least, for the moment. “I promise I will not leave you. Will you still be here in the morning?”

“Trust me,” Riley squeezes his hand in return, a warm feeling rising in his chest, “You’re my best friend; I’m never leaving you.”                    

[critterbitter]

Do you have an ao3/plan on uploading your work there?

(Does a lil jig) I have no work on ao3 but I have been drabbling together some stuff! It’s a long term project though haha, and I’m not likely to post because I’m still job hunting. (Shakes my little hat) but i can be convinced! Some stray dollars for lunch mmmight motivate me. Ehe.

For people curious what I WANT to write, if i have time:

Hisui Horizon Event — (alternate version of Canon but flavored with my war crimes.)

Ingo is sent to Hisui with no name and no memories. He copes.

Without her anchor, Chandelure fades. (Elesa and Emmet, mourning the loss of their third, will not let her slip gently into the grave.)

Salvaging the Ship of Theseus — (definitely canon divergence because, well.)

Emmet and Eelektross fall into Hisui seventeen months after Ingo’s disappearance and a month before PLA.

May I introduce: Shitty merchant Emmet, who’s definitely not fluent in Hisui flavored Kantonese. One concerned Eelektross, who’s about to change the landscape of pokemon-human relations forever. Warden Ingo, who is attempting to retire wardenship to go looking at the rift bubbles. Lady Sneasler, who’s using Ingo as a babysitter for her three rascally sneaslets.

And a very angry Elesa, armed with an extra pissed Chandelure, as they hunt down Sinnohian legends to get their favorite muppets back.

(HERE’S A DRABBLE. I have a lot of thoughts for Salvaging the Ship of Theseus. So many thoughts. Help. HELP.)

(Sigh. I have so many outline ideas. But writing is hard so yall. Art or fics, I’m not powerful enough to do both.)

But also interest check? Intwest chweck? WAH (gets swatted at with a broom))

[cuz-reasons]

Summary: Emmet and Akari ride the Rondez-View. Ingo cooks dinner for his family.

The end!

[roses-in-the-shade]

Excerpt: Behind That Delicate Hand

[A short sneak peak into my current work.]

After a pair of strong challengers give them the fight of their lives, Emmet twines his arm around Ingo's own and rests against his side, matching Ingo's movements as he rocks forward and back slightly in his excitement. Emmet listens, nods, and hums along affirmatives enthusiastically as Ingo sings the challengers' praises and invites them back to battle again and again. Yes, please be sure to ride with us again! The match was exhilarating, quite worth a repeat!

All the while, the younger also quietly wonders how anyone couldn't see the way sincerity flows off in waves from his older twin, always so kind and strong.

With the next pair of challengers entering their car, Ingo's demeanor changes in a snap.

As Ingo separates from him, exclaiming his welcomes with a small wave and a guarding hand, Emmet evaluates their new opponents sharply. He does, incidentally, recognize one of them as a regular on his Doubles line. A 3:5 win/loss ratio, Emmet remembers as he returns their chipper smile and wave. The other, Emmet does not recall ever having the pleasure of meeting, but Ingo certainly seems to have, with how he's avoiding eye contact as the mysterious other passenger stares at Ingo, who is hunching into himself slightly, almost imperceptibly, with well veiled disdain.

But not well veiled enough. Not to Emmet.

[cardinal-crossing]

Another edition to the flower series!! I had a lot of fun once again, and I think this one took even longer, at just shy of 7 hours. I am so happy that I'm graduating in a few days so I can do more stuff like this. It really does make me very happy to just sit down and paint for a few hours. This piece is a companion piece to the Emmet One, I did a few days ago.

Again, the flower meanings will be under the cut, but read at your discretion because it makes the piece sad.

Alright so flower meanings! Again most of the flowers mean grief in some aspect, but it's also related to memory (or the loss of) Rosemary Flowers (top left in the hat): Rosemary flowers usually represent love and remembrance. In this case, they represent Ingo's love for his missing person but the pain that comes with not being able to remember.

Asphodel Flowers (On the left near Ingo's face): The Asphodel flowers mean, "My regrets follow you to the grave," but it can also mean, "I will remember you beyond the tomb." The second meaning is the one that I am referencing, as Ingo will likely never see Emmet again, but he remembers that he misses someone, and regrets that he never got to meet them again.

White Camellia (over the eye): This flower means a few different things, but the one that I am referencing is the meaning "longing for you." I believe the camellia is akin to the rose, where its more familiar meaning is romance or heartbreak. Still, the meaning I am deriving from is one of the Victorian languages of flowers (there is a fantastic book I will reference at the very end of it is incredible and I love it dearly) Anyway, this flower is self-explanatory in the way that Ingo longs for the person he never remembers and likely will never see again, but he wishes he could. Forget-Me-Nots (on the right by Ingo's face): I reused this flower from the other piece to connect the two pieces, but I'll reuse the meaning here, as I am using it in the same context. Forget-me-nots represent true love; this flower means love and respect towards the person it is gifted to, and the person will never be forgotten in your thoughts. I am slightly alluding to maybe Ingo being gifted this flower by Emmet before he departed, as a reminder that someone respects and loves him very much, but Ingo cannot remember who. However, I haven't decided yet. Lily of the Valley (Very bottom in the bouquet): The lily of the valley's lesser-known meaning, the pain, and loss that comes with death, is the one I'm using. Representing Ingo's minimal memory of Emmet and Emmet essentially dying within Ingo's mind as Ingo makes a new home for himself in Hisui. However, despite all the sadness and loss, Ingo hasn't forgotten entirely. Willow Tree Leaves (on the right side in the hat band): I reused these as well, as I really like the shape of the leaves and how I worked it into the piece, I'll also reuse the same explanation of the meaning. While not technically a flower, the willow tree has its own meaning. A willow tree often represents sorrow and loss, as well as mourning. OKAY! Here is my rant about flowers. Also, the book I referenced is Florigrophy by Jessica Roux. I love all the illustrations, and the writing and explanations are wonderful. I am working on getting a copy of my own, as I have been borrowing the one from my school library, but it is wonderful. I would recommend it. Thank you so much for reading this! I love flowers, and painting them is one of my favorite things.

[a-land-lacking-sleep]

A brief thought on the parallels of the Subway Bosses, The Tao Trio, and Warden Ingo's place

@waywardstation just made an amazing post on her thoughts of Warden Ingo's parallels to Kyurem. Nothing in the game directly connects the two, just like nothing in the game connects the Subway Bosses to the Dragons in Generation V. But the connections are still there regardless, because Game Freak made sure to fill Unova with so much symbolism.

These are the basic thoughts that connect each Man to their Dragon.

Subway Boss Ingo - Ideals; Aspire to greatness, never give up in your journey

Subway Boss Emmet - Truth; You are who you are, there is no need for a mask

Warden Ingo - Void; What is there when you lose who you are? No drive for greatness, nothing to mask. Ideals, Truths, nothing matters except the ground beneath your feet.

In each game that they appear, Ingo and Emmet are relatively flat characters. In Gen 5, they have enough personality to stick in your mind, and nothing past. And in PLA, Ingo's whole personality is "I lost my memory and am depressed, but have hope". Instead, we end up looking at word choice, and in the Subway Bosses cases, other media.

Subway Boss Ingo, across most media, embodies Ideals. He has his eyes to the future, always pushing himself and others to continue onwards. He frames battling and training as a journey ("What can I see after winning, winning, and winning? Where is my destination?"; "Your talent has brought you to the destination called Victory!"; "There is no terminal called End in your life!"), most often when he is victorious. He seeks to create his Ideal self, and wants to push others to do the same.

This comes up in Pokemon Masters EX as well, where the "no terminal" line returns (in an appropriately spooky tone), he also spends time in the Day With Ingo story event talking about how he seeks to better himself and "break through the mold of [his] past self". This event is also the first time he mentions the phrase "greater heights", which appears another 6 times in various snippets in Masters. And finally, we have a triple whammy of travel metaphors for growth in his level up lines.

For Subway Boss Emmet, his connection to Truth is admittedly a bit more tenuous. He doesn't have any tendency for truth-seeking or investigations (outside of the famous behavior in the manga where he likes to eavesdrop on drama, which gossip isn't exactly truthful), but what he has is a strong showing of being truthful, even if he ends up being blunt or disrespectful.

As a consequence of his writing in Japanese giving him a very casual way of speaking, the English translation has him speak in shorter clips, just the bare essentials. The naked truths of his thoughts. He doesn't seek the Truth, or give a Universal Truth; Emmet is True to himself and to those around him. (As a side note, I love when people give power to other usages of the word True through Reshiram. I did it in my fic with a turn of phrase, but I've seen it done beautifully in other works too).

In Pokemon Special, Emmet doesn't hide the truth of why they asked White to train on the Battle Subway ("We're studying you as an example of a Trainer who gets overwhelmed and loses every battle!" "That's not nice, Emmet."), not because he is intending to be rude (Ok, a little bit), but because that *is* what they are using her for. In the games, he speaks of how Pokemon battles can be decided on luck ("I won against you. But I think I just got lucky."), because the Truth of the matter is, you can be highly trained and just have a bad day or get hit by a critical hit. But, most importantly, he believes that battles must be serious for them to be fun. Because what fun is there in putting up a fake fight, when you could just be True to yourself?

Now, to speak on the connection of Warden Ingo to Kyurem, we must first understand what Kyurem is to Zekrom and Reshiram. On a surface level, it is a Husk, a leftover revenant that can be reassembled into a simulacrum of the Original being. But looking into the actual symbolism of them all is where you find threads of connection to the Warden.

Reshiram, the Dragon of Yin, is representative of a more static element, receptive of change but passive in how it does so. It is a recursive existence that reaches out and pulls back towards itself - Everyone has an individual Truth, but that is still able to be changed by The Truth. However, one does not go out and change The Truth, only altering the perception of it while it passively exists. You cannot change what is already there, only create something new. In comparison, Emmet is never really shown to focus on the future, but rather on the present. He knows of the Truth in his life, and while it can be changed by present actions, he knows that he cannot go back to change it, so there is no need to try, or to hide it.

Zekrom, the Dragon of Yang, is active, ever expanding, and pushes up against those around it in it's search for Ideals. Ideals cause you to seek out a goal, to leave your home, your comfort zone, and push away from the past. To represent Ideals is to be in constant flux; Settling into a form makes you into a Truth, as an Ideal is a goal, something attainable, yet unreachable. We've gone over Ingo's future-forward gaze, constantly thinking about what is to come. Life is a journey, and every step you take in life is a step to self-improvement.

Kyurem is a Husk, a Shell. According to Bulbapedia, it is representative of Wuji ("Without a roof"), the absense of Yin and Yang, or "The Ultimate Nothingness". For this reason, I personally also attribute to it Mu, a concept of non-existence and negative space, specifically the lack of something normally there (modern Japanese actually uses "mu-" as a prefix the same way English has the suffix "-less"). Interestingly, the Japanese transliteration of Wuji is "Mukyoku" (lit. Non-polar, another translation of Wuji), connecting the two concepts neatly. In short, Kyurem represents Nothing and Everything.

Kyurem was supposedly the Original Dragon, the deity of Unova that represented Truths and Ideals in unison, a embodiment of Yin and Yang's harmony. In a sense, the Original Dragon was an embodiment of Everything, Unova's spirit of unity. Then, with the war between the Twin Princes (another pair also frequently compared to Ingo and Emmet, in case you think I forgot my boys), it was split into 2, but secretly 3, parts. This third secret part became Kyurem, a being lacking in its original qualities, leaving Nothing but the Husk.

Now, finally, we can get to everyone's favorite uncle, Warden Ingo. His connection to Kyurem is probably the least intentional of them all (which is saying something, because I'm honestly convinced that the Subway Bosses' own connections aren't intentional, but rather just a result of how Unova games were written with Truth vs. Ideal being ingrained heavily), but there still is one. As Wayward says in her fateful post, "Warden Ingo is an empty husk of who he once was ever since he was separated from his life, and from Emmet." Ingo as the Subway Boss may not have embodies the Everything that the Original Dragon has, but pairing with Emmet so closely still meant that Truth and Ideals mixed so cleanly that it might as well have been Everything.

However, the most important connection for Warden Ingo are the concepts of Wuji and Mu. To be "the Ultimate Nothingness" or "Non-Polar" means to be devoid of Everything, yet still have the capability to be far more than Nothing. The singular concept of Mu may mean that Warden Ingo is missing who he is and was, but that is not who we grow know in the game; We connect with a man who is slowly piecing together his sense of self, remembering facets of his past and growing happier with who he can be. Thus, the Mu transitions into Wuji, a void that isn't Empty so much as lacking.

The importance of distinction is that Mu is by nature Empty, while Wuji is Empty and Everything, limitless and confined. Similarly, Ingo is devoid of what made him him (His drive for self-improvement is impaired, even while he pushes the player to climb to greater heights), but becomes something new in the meta-narrative of the story. His actual, plot-related story ends when you quell Electrode and he becomes a challengeable NPC at the Training Grounds, but he becomes something of a kindred spirit in the greater plot of the game. He's like you, a Faller who has lost themselves, and also like you, an avid battler who pushes the system to it's limits (especially in the Path of Solitude).

In short, the connection between Kyurem and Warden Ingo isn't anything in the text, as Kyurem has no explicit in-game theming attached to it like Zekrom and Reshiram, and Warden Ingo doesn't have strong philosophical points that seeps out of the words he says to you. But when you look at the meta-theming for Kyurem, and subsequently Warden Ingo's meta-narrative, the connections become clearer.

Does some of this make no sense? Of course! A lot of this is extrapolating what was said in Wayward's post, and what came from my head as I thought of it. A lot of the connections of the twins to the Dragons has been discussed since 2010, but for all intents and purposes, Warden Ingo is a different character from Subway Boss Ingo. Narratively, he is the same person, hence why his appearance is a tragedy in Legends Arceus, one which we never get to solve. But on a meta level, he functions so differently, and lives so differently, that the themes he inhabits do not match up to the Subway Boss in any way. To end this on a sad note, Warden Ingo is exactly like Kyurem - Broken. He has lost what made him whole, and we've been shown that just reinserting Ideals isn't enough. Hopefully, if Game Freak decides to touch upon the Warden once more, we can find a way to reinsert his Truths as well.

[factual-fantasy]

29 asks! Thank you!! :)) 🐙

(Referencing this post)

They'd probably try to find some kind of orphanage to give the baby to. With Red as a family exception- the life of a pirate is no life for a child! :((

@glitchhayden418

I think this is a classic case of "two wrongs don't make a right" my friend <XDD

(Referencing this post)

That might work.. 😔 Thank you for the advice!

@sevenheven7011

I have heard of it! :0 Its a game I think..?

@kermit-ydafrog

I gotta write that down! XD

@depressoblueberryoflife

Not sure, and not surprised <XD 💀💔

@quillsinkwell

Oh hey!! Its those little critters from spirited away! I saw the movie a few weeks ago. I think they're adorable! :)) And I 100% see the resemblance to my sona XDD

(Referencing this post)

A Google doc sounds like it might be the best/only solution. Which is very unfortunate because I don't know how to make them, I don't want to learn how, and I just wish everything could stay on Tumblr.. 😔

Thank you for the advice though, much appreciated! :)

Exactly, all this and more I imagine.😔Trying so hard to be calm and stoic but its just eating him up inside that he doesn't know where his baby brother is. Blaming himself, beating himself up for it.. the works..

I have now! XDD

@nerdy-aroace (Referencing this post)

AAAA THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! IM SO GLAD YOU LIKE MY SLIME RANCHER AU STUFF!! :DDD

@ody-and-fanatu

:DDD Thank you!! I'm glad you like my Mario stuff! :))

There would be some plot holes if I wanted Grim to dynamax <XD though I had a comic draft where he mega evolved.. :00

@imaplantyay

Uhg. More stolen artwork..

Also that comic was never finished, nor do i I intend to ever finish it..

@wolfie-777

Something tells me that Luna would win because she has guns <XDD

Though if we don't include guns, mayyybe still Luna.? She has the intelligence of a person but the body of a werewolf. Maybe she'd win..? :0

@collisionofthestars-newblog

XDD Now I cant stop thinking about it!

@raven-bearden-the-interviewer42

Probably Seafoam, Octo, Spidercrab and Louis.

Seafoam because she loves him, Spidercrab because he's a medic, Louis to lighten the mood, and Octo because he'd actually know how to survive on an island XDD

Permission granted! :DD

@importantnightwerewolf

🥰Thank you!! :))

Thank you so much! :DD And I think adopting small headcanons like that here and there is alright :)) Thank you for asking! :}}}

@artistiemi

<XD No idea, I cant even remember when I changed it. Welcome back though! :))

(Link in post)

Ohh! I see, that was just the skeleton version of saying "your forehead is hot!" when someone has a fever <XD

@caronaro-flipaclip

🥺🥺🥺

Thank you..... I put a lot of effort and heart into them.. 🥺💞💞

They would FREAK OUT if they saw that <XDD Horrifying!

I'm still into FNAF SB! :00 And honestly I find that ending a little silly <XDD

(Referencing this post (?))

Ingo and Emmet are twin brothers :00 naturally their relationship is 100% platonic and brotherly 👍👍

I have not, but I've heard really good things about it! :000

[jumpingjoltiks]

I just got a new cat! Could you please write something about the submas twins partner getting new pokemon & how theyd react? (and maybe something with sugar daddy submas too if thats okay?)

Oh wow that’s so exciting! Congrats on your new kitty friend!! ≽^•⩊•^≼

Warnings: None. Just fluff :)

▲ Ingo ▲

Absolutely thrilled for you! Bravo!

Have you caught them already? He would like to meet them sometime (Or see pictures. Or battle. Please battle with him!)

You haven’t caught them yet… Would you like some help going to catch them? He’d be happy to brave the tall grass and go along with you!

Ingo packs up plenty of supplies & a picnic lunch and makes it a fun date with you.

You go out in the morning, searching high and low for the perfect partner. For a city guy, he knows the wilds really well. By noon, you’ve found them, and you and Ingo both spend lunch getting to know your new friend.

By the time you three head back in the evening, you’re all worn out, and collapse into a cuddly nap pile.

▽ Emmet ▽

Verrry excited to hear you’re expanding your team! This means new double battle pairings in the future.

Immediately starts considering how to best incorporate them into your living situation.

How big are they and do they evolve? How much space will they need, both for living and enrichment?

Don’t let the sunny smile fool you. Emmet is very much the practical twin.

Once your new teammate has been caught, he sets up a day for his team to meet with yours for introductions.

He can’t help but be a little nervous. When he and his brother were young, it took joltik nearly two months to stop being terrified of lampent. Ever since then, he’s been very mindful about how best to introduce new members to old ones.

When everything goes even better than expected, he breathes a sigh of relief… Welcome to the team!

▲ Both ▽

Scheming

Did you forget they were battle facility heads? They are running the numbers almost immediately.

Stats. Ideal EVs / IVs. Movesets and eggmoves. Abilities. Natures. Strategies. Held items. Team composition. How to counter you in battle. How to incorporate and work as a team with you.

Have you already considered all of this? By all means, lay out your plans and they will happily make suggestions and comments on everything. And I mean everything! Prepare yourself for at least an hour of going over every detail.

Some considerations are naturally moot if you’ve already caught them yourself (and they’d still happily welcome your new friend into the throng, no doubt!), but if you’re looking for a teammate that’s also been bred to be better for battle… they both have connections and can help you out.

Their own pokemon are also very excited to meet their new friend, but they’ll have to wait and do it properly. They both have fully stacked teams – it might be a little overwhelming if everyone goes at once!

Heaven help you if you get a team member that’s already on one of their teams. They’re practically scrambling over themselves to help in all the ways they know how.

▲ Sugar Daddy!Submas ▽

In addition to all of the above, they are putting together a welcome package for your new team member!

Fun toys, specially made treats, accessories and special items that are made for them, and so on

They present a handful of options for apartment additions or renovations – for a cat pokémon, cat trees or climbing shelves and perches – and let you choose your preference. It will be delivered and installed within the week, preferably while you’re out of the apartment and on a date with them.

They take very good care of their own teams, so they have a lot of experience with choosing special toys and items for ‘mon enrichment!

Send them pictures with your new friend! Whether it’s them snuggled up under some super soft blankets, playing with a new toy, or even wrestling or napping with one of your original teammates, they always want to hear from you.

[leggerefiore]

I've always wondered what it would be like if Pokemon Masters was a thing in the Pokemon world and how da boyz (Maybe Ingo, Emmet, Larry, and Cyrus) would react to their s/o's maxed out 5/5 EX units of them. Every alt, all theme skills maxed out, etc. Why do they tweet "honey come home" on social media with screenshots of the banners...? They come home to them everyday...

cw: short, mostly confused men

characters: Ingo, Emmet, Larry, Cyrus, Grimsley

▲Ingo▼

● He does not really think about the game. They asked for the right to use his likeness, and he had agreed. His brother and him had long since been Unovan icons, so this was something that he was very used to. You, however, were very into it. Ingo knew little of what was actually going on with it, but if you liked it, he supposed it must have been fine with what it did to him. Then, you finally showed him the model of him in the game. He was confused. Why was he red? The question was asked aloud, to which you explained that he was ex'd and more powerful. The older twin blink and felt aged by at least thirty years. What did that mean? Then, you showed him the butler costume. He supposed it was fine enough (he was not the biggest fan of the monocle), but in switching over, he noticed a little five out five. The explanation that followed related to that was long and bewildering. You had to “roll” for him? Was this gambling? He felt worried. Apparently, you had “maxed” him out at level 150 and fully upgraded him. He wished he understood.

● The tweets make him more confused. Come home? Had he been working too much that you were projecting onto the fictionalised version of himself?! He needed to get a day off soon and spend time with you. Before he could rush off, somehow, a younger Depot Agent noticed his panic and opted to check in on him, fearing something might have happened in the station. A quick explanation made their eyes go wide, and a chuckle left them. They had easily clarified that you were talking about getting him in your pulls in the game and not about his schedule in reality. Ingo felt lost. What did any of this mean? He was still going home early to ask you personally. This was all too much for the Subway Boss's mind to comprehend. He needed to write another train timetable to calm himself down.

▽Emmet△

○ He had heard of the app and agreed to let them use his likeness. Granted, since Ingo had agreed before him, he wondered if they technically already had that? Ingo looked exactly like him, after all… Putting that aside, it was not exactly something that he would enjoy. Yet, you, his darling, absolutely did. He saw you often grumbling about events and how they were “bleeding you dry,” at various different times. Emmet felt curious about if you had him at one point and finally asked. He had been entirely unprepared for what was to come. You eagerly gushed about how strong his unit was and showed him a green version of himself with apparently completed stats. He felt complimented on his strength yet also bewildered. Why was he green? The uniform did look nice, but… Before he questioned the colour anymore, you showed him the butler costume he had. Emmet blinked. It was also fully upgraded. He just nodded along as you continued to explain things. It seemed he was verrrry much beloved by you in many ways.

○ Elesa showed him the tweets, and he had felt mortified. Come home?! Had he been overworking unconsciously? He had been so careful with his schedule and felt like he had been coming home an appropriate amount of the time. Before he could pack his things and abandon Elesa at the café they were trying together, she grabbed his arm and kept him down. She rolled her eyes and explained that you were trying to get him in the game. He huffed. Well, the phrasing made him worry. He still wanted to at least call you. The model let him. Your laughter at his concern killed it, at least. You were talking about the butler costume, not him. He was now silently making plans for when he got home.

💼Larry🏢

🍙 When Geeta asked everyone in the Paldea league (alongside a few student trainers), if they would let their likenesses be used in some phone game, he had initially wanted to say no. Larry barely let the league itself use his face, much less some company who might do who knows what with him. Yet, you, his dear partner, got so excited when he mentioned it offhandedly that he was almost inspired to agree. Now, months later, you had come to sit next to him on the couch and eagerly show him the finished product of it. There he stood in your game, looking as exhausted as he did in real life and wandering around with his briefcase. Dudunsparce was the pokemon that they had decided on for him, it seemed. He blinked, registering himself again. Why was he in a pale green suit? Your explanation that this was his EX form got a nod from him, but he really did not understand. You also explained other things, but he truly did not understand. Yes, he was max level and five out of five'd. Of course. He simply was glad that you were happy with the results.

🍙 Rika had shown him the tweet with a chuckle. He stared at it. What did this mean? Were you so lonely that you were posting about the fake version of him in your phone game? He swallowed. Maybe it was time to ask if he could have some takes cut back or rescheduled because you clearly needed him more than he thought. Rika caught his shoulder before he could stagger off, though. She explained that you were simply trying to get more of him in Masters, not that you missed him currently. He nodded. Sure. That was possible, but… He still felt concerned. Rika set him free, and he went to ask Geeta to be let off early today. She said no. (You reassured him when he did get off that Rika had been correct but appreciated his effort and concern.)

🌌Cyrus🛰

☄️ Saturn had signed them up to get their message and plans across to a new audience. He felt odd about letting a company go wild with his likeness but ultimately trusted his second-in-command with the decision. He had not expected his partner to eagerly show him their phone one day and see himself. Apparently, you were a fan of the game Saturn had licensed out to. He gazed at the alternate version of himself. He wore a purple vest and had Palkia as his pokemon. That seemed good enough for him. But, you excitedly continued to show him all that you had done. Apparently, he was fully upgraded, whatever that meant, and you found his damage very adequate. He nodded along as he tried to understand what any of this meant. Internally, he made a note to ask Saturn about this later. You did complain that he was a free unit, so they did not make him too good, whatever that meant. Then you showed him the Darkrai alternate, and he had many questions. (And an interest in the clothing, actually.)

☄️ Mars had shown him a tweet you made, posting a picture of a screenshot from the game with that Darkrai alternate front and centre. “Come home, Cy😭,” it read. Come home… Had you become that lonely? Had he ignored your needs that badly? His posture tensed, but he attempted to keep the emotions from truly crossing his face. He felt mortified that he had failed to notice your condition. With a quick excuse, he found himself rushing away to call you and figure out what you needed. Your laughter through the phone as he explained the situation silenced him. You had been wanting to get another “pull” of him in Masters, was all. Cyrus was both relieved and annoyed. He ended the call politely and sat down at his desk. This is another reason he needed his new world, he believed.

♠️Grimsley❤️

♤ When he had been asked for permission to use his image in a game, he had not been so surprised. The ex-Elite Four member had been an icon of sorts in the gambling world and competitive battle scene, yet he found the game itself not overly befitting of him. They had used his younger self, especially, it seemed. Grimsley was not ignorant of gachas. In truth, he had found himself a little addicted as they fulfilled his thrill seeking behaviour in a pleasant, cheap way. You, however, seemed very much into Masters EX. You had leaned into his side one day to eagerly show him all your hard work. Apparently, he had a few forms now. His old suit that he used to be his staple outfit, a “Sygna suit” based off a Sharpedo's look (which got a proper grin out of him), and his current look. He listened closely as you explained that you worked so hard to fully upgrade him. How difficult it was to pull him since he rarely got spotlights and was all general pool. Despite the terminology not being exactly what he was used to, he really did understand. You got a genuine praise out of the gambler, who felt his ego swell at how much you clearly adored him.

♡ He was shown the tweet by Nanu, who had originally been shown it by Acerola. The Kahuna was fully ready to scold him for not paying enough attention to his partner that they were now turning to fictional versions of him to get their fill. Grimsley cocked a brow. Apparently, you were working to finish off his “kimono” variant and were getting desperate. The surfer shrugged off Nanu's concern with it being terminology that he just did not understand. The Kahuna narrowed his eyes but gave up quickly. The old man would instead go check with you personally. (You were fine – Grimsley spent most of his free time with you.)

[au-wannabe-the-very-best]

An AU that I admittedly daydream about from time to time, and I'm only now deciding to write down.

Akari and Ingo, both still without their memories, return to the present. They think that the more they interact with the world, the more memories will come through. And in Ingo's case, it does! He begins to remember his life, trains, his family and friends... He's eventually reunited with them, and it's a wonderful and happy reunion.

But Akari doesn't remember anything. Things are familiar every so often, but there's no memories to accompany that familiarity. Eventually Ingo helps her with contacting the police, hoping they can sort through some missing persons files and get a lead on where Akari is from.

No one in Unova fits Akari's description. They try Sinnoh, and no one fits her description there either.

They keep trying, of course. Ingo and his brother take Akari out to see the station, to the amusement park, to different restaurants. They watch TV shows together, some Unovan ones and Sinnohan ones, but nothing seems to click. They go through popular children's movies, things Akari is sure to have seen at least once in her life— But she's watching it like it's the first time. She doesn't remember any of it. She can't predict how any of the stories go, outside of logical deduction.

She's beginning to panic. Is she even a real person? Thinking about it, all she's ever known is her name, and the arc phone. And her "phone" isn't much of a phone, it's just a map and a journal. An indestructible one, granted, but still not a phone. Because she's seen phones now, and they're not... She doesn't know how to work it. She doesn't know what "apps" are. She didn't know calling people was a thing.

She assumed she was from the future like Ingo because of the amnesia, and the fact that he eventually recognized her phone. It had made sense to her. Now nothing makes sense to her.

She's scared. She doesn't belong here, and she doesn't know what to do about it. Ingo is starting to see just how panicked she is, and his reassurances don't seem to actually be getting through to her. He's worried.

Eventually, her DNA has a match. An identical match. To a miss Dawn Berlitz, the current champion of Sinnoh, who isn't, in fact, missing. Nor does she have a sister.

Akari is right, she realizes. She isn't a real person. She's just some clone of one. She doesn't have childhood memories, she doesn't have a family who raised her, she has no one who was waiting for her. Because she didn't exist.

She has a mental breakdown.

[subway-boss-jericho]

Queuing posts for most of my AUs! Check out this Masterpost! ᵈᶦˢᶜˡᵃᶦᵐᵉʳ ⁻ ᵖˡᵉᵃˢᵉ ᵈᵒⁿ'ᵗ ᶜᵒᵐᵐᵉⁿᵗ ᵃᵇᵒᵘᵗ ᵗʰᵉᶦʳ ᶦᶜᵒⁿᶦᶜ ᵏⁿᶦᶠᵉ ᵇᵃⁿᵍˢ! ᴵ ˡᵉᶠᵗ ᵗʰᵉᵐ ᵒᶠᶠ ᵒᶠ ᵗʰᶦˢ ʳᵉᶠᵉʳᵉⁿᶜᵉ ᵗᵒ ᵏᵉᵉᵖ ᵗʰᵉᶦʳ ᶠᵃᶜᵉˢ ᶠᵘˡˡʸ ᵛᶦˢᶦᵇˡᵉ.

Steady Tracks Do Not Waver

-Premise- On the return trip home from Hisui, Ingo does not return the same as he left. By some unknown cause, he has been transformed into a pokemon- 13ft tall, Steel, Ground, and very very out of his depth, he finds himself roaming the eerily familiar yet unfamiliar tunnels of Gear Station. Desperate to find a way to his "home" and remember who he is, that is when he encounters Subway Boss Emmet.

This story is not about Ingo. Or at least, not about his return. Ingo was taken out of the story many years ago, leaving Emmet behind to pick up the pieces of the life they always meant to spend together. The last several years he has walked without Ingo have forced him into an active, unavoidable struggle with grief and loss, until recent, when he finally began to come to terms with his solo-car life moving forward. However, now things are changing again. In the days leading up to their meeting, he hears rumors of a strange, powerful pokemon lurking in the subway. When Emmet finally stops in the right place at the right time to challenge it face to face- the face looking back is far too similar to the one he lost years before. It all bubbles back to the surface again; now, with an uncanny passenger in tow, he must keep moving forward down these uncertain tracks. Battling with grief once again, as he avoids pushing his old pains onto this new, familiar, face.

-Noteworthy Points- IF THIS AU INTERESTS YOU, please consider reading the prologue and chapter one on Ao3! Steady tracks! This is the one you probably know me for, if you know me at all. My poster boys!! My favoritest guys,, I want to include so many notes but I know most of the notes I want to write are all spoilers. Please poke me to keep writing <3 This AU is not even remotely dead I just have chronic burnout and it WILL continue please bother me about it whenever you want <3

This story is (and probably will continue to be) almost exclusively told from Emmet's point of view. It is a post-canon exploration of grief, change, and how to go on after everything you know is lost. THIS MEANS there is a LOT of discussion of death! NO ONE IS DEAD, but Emmet believes Ingo has died, and regularly experiences grief and/or talks about him as if he is dead. If that still bothers you, no problem! This is not going to be the fic for you. However, if it at all eases you to know that everyone is still alive, then have fun and maybe bring tissues because I really like writing people being upset (and also them getting better but, that involves them needing to be upset first.)

Also! New STIngo reference!! I have been working on updating the shape language of his design to look more like a pokemon and this is the most up-to-date version! If you want to draw him, reference this one! I swear I will get that side view done eventually, I fucking promise.

Enjoy <3 <3 I love this AU a lot.

-Links- Official Writing - Steady Tracks Do Not Waver Artwork - Fanart by Nyacat39 Artwork - Fanart by Dontmineit (1) Artwork - Fanart by Dontmineit (2) Discussion - The Luxury Ball Artwork and Trivia - Official Reference (Outdated) Artwork and Trivia - Updated Reference (Also Outdated) Discussion - "Awla Boah" Artwork - Fanart by Maelysgriffonne Artwork - Fanart by Dontmineit (3) Artwork - Big Nap (Durant <3) Artwork - CH1 Concept Sketches Artwork - STIngo Sprite

[critterbitter]

Hi there! I wanted to preface this by saying that your submas and Nimbasa trio art are awesome, and I adore the way you draw them and write their interactions ❤️ . Their expressions, the way they move and interact with each other and the world around them, it's great 👍.

There's something I wanted to ask regarding your comics, and I ask this with the utmost respect 🙏, because it's something I've been wondering: where are their parents? It's awesome that they do all this stuff together, but the parents are, like, never brought up. Not even Elesa's after her introduction to the twins. And Ik that in the Pokemon verse, you're free to do whatever at age 10, but I still wanted to ask in your comics, at least, since they're still so young, if there's going to be any mentions of them.

I don't want you to feel pressured to draw designs for their parents or anything like that! It's perfectly understandable if you've never thought of the subject, I just wanted to know if they're still in the picture or if, for drama effect, they're orphans adopted by uncle Drayden in your lore. (Ofc, if you believe in the uncle Drayden theory, that is).

And once again, thank you for all the work you do! You're awesome, and your art is awesome 👌. And I really hope this ask doesn't come off as mean or offensive, I'm just really curious about anything you'd be willing to give about submas parents. Thank you 😊 for everything once again. Your work is greatly appreciated 🙏.

:0!

Going to be honest, I didn’t really think about them parents much— pokemon treats most parent figures as non-entities, so… yeah. Feral teenagers running around.

If you want to hear my rambling though! (Note that this is all work in progress! Things are inclined to change.)

Worldbuilding for this iteration, I like to think it’s cultural that everybody has a pokemon starter/ ace that they grow with, but it depends on individuals to decide how close their lives intertwine. That in mind,

Ingo and emmet have two moms! Their ma’ is drayden’s twin sister— Kaita, haxorous ace, and a dragon specialist. And their mother, Lucielle, a stoutland ace, works as a full time trainer. The ladies are a bit absent from the twin’s life because they have their own business, but like to send Ingo and Emmet stuff from wherever they roam. (They tried their best when the kids were younger. But talking about having kids, and actually raising kids are two different topics in life.)

Drayden serves as an uncle figure for the twins, but he’s a bit bitter he got two patrats dumped on him.

((Does the lack of parent figures and a distant uncle have lasting effects on ingo and emmet? That’s up for your interpretation. Though it would explain latching onto each other and then later litwick and tynamo…))

As for the pachirisu child—

Elesa’s parents are separated. Her dad, Rin, works a full time desk job. He means the best, but he’s never home. He lost his staraptor a while back and is still dealing with the grieving process, and isn’t really equipped to look after a kid on top of all that. Elesa’s mom, Himawari, is still in Sinnoh and works as a ranger. Her ace is a solrock.

(Why are they separated? That’s for you guys to postulate! I am simply throwing ocs at the wall.)

Elesa was moved to unova partially due to her dad’s new job, and partially due to that Entire Nebulous Situation. She adapts fast, but it’s not a fun adaption.

Anyways, the twins and elesa in turn grew up very independent as a result.

And that’s the barebones!

[ratwithhands]

I made these guys earlier in the christmas break, anyways carnivorous plant alien submas AU :7. (Don't mind the simple doodle style, I was in a bit of an art block when I made this)

The race is called Sapioflora, and they're basically half flesh, half plant matter. There's a couple different types in terms of species, but generally most rely on photosynthesis and absorption through roots. The difference with these two is that they are carnivorous and rely less on sunlight and soil than others, hence why they're fine having more covering clothing. Their civilization has managed to develop to the point of spreading to other planets in the same star system, and running into other alien species. As of right now I'm debating between a few different versions of this concept to write about since there's:

one where the story focuses solely on the twins as conductors and no other characters from pokemon are present

one where other characters from pokemon are present as other Sapioflores

one where other characters from pokemon are present as other alien species

one where the twins work as bounty hunters (and may or may not run into other pokemon characters)

The last one is particularly funky since it delves into Sapiofloran colonies on other planets, interspecies relations/conflict between Sapioflores and other aliens, and how the twins use their abilities to their advantage.

Oh speaking of that, it was pretty fun to mess around with how their designs work! Emmet is a much more vibrant colour, and his body is much more soft and flexible due to him constantly regrowing his body and making new vines. He wears shorter sheer clothing to take advantage of the sunlight, and has a wide open panel on his back to leave room for him to sprout new vines in the event of battle or to just help with a task. He eats an absurd amount of food in order to get enough energy to make this constant growth and replacement possible.

As for Ingo, his body is much more woody and solid, so he tends to move slower but hit harder (and take hits better). He sprouts leaves when more sunlight is available, draining them dry and discarding them once he's had his fill. He tends to wear more thick clothing to protect from harsh temperatures/prevent moisture loss, though he has gaps and slits all over in order to allow him to sprout as needed. Here's a sketch:

There was more but I can't remember what it was, anyways here's some bonus doodles. Have a good night and let me know what you think :7

^ doodle of Emmet's vines. Emmet is mostly thorny, he's also able to make modified thorns into blades. This is more prevalent in the bounty hunter version concept, but he can still do this in the others (Ingo can do this too! Depending on the situation they'll either make blades or saws)

^ Emmet will use his vines when he doesn't want to do something directly, usually to do two things at once, but he'll sometimes use it when he's tired

^ Emmer :7 fun fact his teeth are just weirder thorns, so they have the same colour as them. (I still haven't decided whether Sapioflores have eyes, but they'd probably sit under the leaves on their faces)

[madd-nix]

Battling on the Train to Reunion

Ingo and Emmet finally reunite after Ingo has come home from Hisui. But before Ingo reveals himself to his brother, he decides that it would be more fun to challenge him to a battle first. My first time writing out pokemon battling!

Also, I didn't intend to post this on the 2nd anniversary of Legends Arceus' release, but hey! It worked out well! I just wanna say again how much I love this game cuz it brought back my love for Pokemon and it gave me more blorbos to love and get attached to. Amazing game, and I hope we get to see more games like it in the future!

Words: 3,592

Rating: PG (maybe like one or two swear words)

The battle continued for a while. Emmet's opponent had thrown out an Alakazam, which hit Garbodor pretty hard with Psychic. Luckily, she stayed standing, but the man's Magnezone finally managed to take out Archeops with Thunder. Emmet then sent out Galvantula, who made sure to quickly take out the Alakazam. The man sent out a Tangrowth, but he soon had to recall Magnezone when Garbodor took it out with a Focus Blast. He sent out a Probopass, then together with Tangrowth, they took out Garbodor after a few good hits. Emmet finally sent out Eelektross, his trusty partner. Now he had two pokemon out on the field and just one still waiting to be released.

Ingo healed up his pokemon one last time after defeating the last 20 depot agents. He knew the next car was the last one, where the lone Subway Boss was waiting for him.

Emmet, his twin brother. He was a little anxious about seeing him again, feeling a mix of nerves and excitement after having been gone for over five years. But now, here he was, back in modern Unova after being stuck in Hisui for so long.

With a sigh, he pocketed his pokeballs and adjusted the face mask he was wearing. He hadn't wanted to get recognized just yet, so he decided on wearing a mask to conceal the lower half of his face, a plain black squirtleneck shirt, black pants, brown boots, and a light gray trench coat. Meanwhile, his Subway Boss hat and coat were packed away safely, waiting to be worn again and probably repaired later. But for now, he just wanted to challenge the Doubles Line on the Battle Subway to surprise his brother.

After taking another moment to compose himself, Ingo stepped through the doorway to the final car. Emmet stood there, waiting patiently for him. His brother studied his appearance, but there was no sense of recognition in his eyes. Instead, he simply stood tall with a smile on his face and tipped his hat politely.

"I am Emmet. I am the Subway Boss. I like double battles. I like combinations of two pokemon. I like a challenge. You have come here verrry quickly. I am eager to see whether you will leave victorious or defeated. But I will not go easy on you. I like winning more than anything else. So, let's start a great battle in which every pokemon uses various moves."

Ingo nodded slowly, recognizing his brother's usual script. He had added in a few details, since apparently Ingo's battling proficiency had impressed Emmet enough to comment on it.

With that, Emmet threw out Archeops and Klinklang. Ingo took note, then took two pokeballs out of his pocket. He threw them and released Machamp and Magnezone. As soon as he caught and pocketed the now empty pokeballs, he positioned himself, ready to move.

"Archeops, use Aerial Ace on Machamp! Klinklang, Giga Impact on Magnezone!" Emmet called out.

"Both of you, dodge!" Ingo exclaimed.

Archeops flew up and then dove down towards Machamp, who luckily dodged the attack. Klinklang's Giga Impact was much harder to avoid, resulting in Magnezone taking the hit and forcing Ingo to dodge and roll out of the way.

"Sir, I must advise you to stay behind the yellow line," Emmet said as he watched Ingo.

"Ah, my apologies! I must have just grown used to battling more closely with my pokemon," Ingo replied. "I promise I am following the proper safety procedures." Emmet looked at him for a moment, but said nothing. Ingo had initially wondered if his voice would give him away, but his volume and vocal control had certainly changed while in Hisui. He could now keep better control of how loud he was, a skill that became necessary when needing to be quiet and hide from wild pokemon. This change must be what was preventing Emmet or any of the depot agents from recognizing him. That, and his change of appearance.

Finally, with a nod from Emmet, the former warden took his opportunity to attack.

"Machamp, Fire Punch agile style on Klinklang, followed by Close Combat! Magnezone, Flash Cannon on Archeops!" Ingo commanded.

Emmet opened his mouth, presumably to question what agile style was, or maybe to ask why he was giving Machamp two moves to use in one turn, but before he could, Machamp was already moving. Machamp swiftly punched Klinklang with a flaming fist, then immediately started using Close Combat and rapidly punched her opponent. Klinklang floated back, its gears rotating irritably.

As Machamp pulled back, Magnezone finally released the power it had been building up on Archeops. The poor fossil pokemon squawked as it took the hit, not fast enough to dodge.

"Verrrry interesting battle technique. I would like to know more about that later. But first," Emmet smirked as he pointed at his opponent, "Archeops, Rock Slide on Magnezone! Klinklang, Gear Grind on Machamp!"

Before Ingo could say anything, Emmet's pokemon flew in to attack. Archeops sent an avalanche of rocks at Magnezone, coming close enough to force Ingo to again dodge out of the way, and Klinklang sent two gears out to hit and grind against Machamp. Both of his pokemon took the hits, but they weren't down yet.

"Magnezone, Tri Attack strong style on Archeops!" Ingo exclaimed. "Machamp, another Fire Punch on Klinklang, strong style!"

Both pokemon prepared their attacks. Magnezone sent out three blasts of energy at Archeops while Machamp sent out another Fire Punch, now stronger than the last attack. Archeops managed to survive the hit, but unfortunately for Emmet, Klinklang fainted. He recalled his pokemon.

"Verrry good job, Klinklang. You did well," he said to the steel type in the pokeball. Emmet then pocketed Klinklang's pokeball and took out a new one. He released Garbodor, which Ingo recognized after a moment.

Garbodor had been one of his pokemon. She was incredibly sweet and could be shy at times, but she always gave it her all in battle. It was good to see that his brother was taking good care of his pokemon in his absence.

As much as he wanted to hug his old pokemon, Ingo had a battle to finish. And with his pokemon still recovering their energy from the last two strong style moves, Emmet was able to take his turn again.

"Archeops, use Protect! Garbodor, use Psychic on Machamp!"

Archeops put up an invisible barrier to protect himself, while Garbodor focused her energy on blasting Machamp. Machamp took the hit even as Ingo called out to dodge the attack. This ended up causing Machamp to faint. Ingo recalled her to her pokeball.

"Bravo, Machamp! You did wonderfully," he told her. He then pocketed the pokeball and got ready to toss out his next pokemon.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As the battle went on, Emmet couldn't help but study his opponent. His actions, his pokemon, even his voice and appearance. He was using some strange battle technique involving "strong" and "agile" style moves. From what Emmet could see, that meant that his pokemon either attacked with all their strength, forcing them to take a turn to regain their energy, or they were able to attack quickly with little strength to allow them to attack again right after. It was an interesting strategy, and Emmet hoped to ask him more about it after the battle.

He had also noticed that while the man appeared to be older - only based on his slouch, the bags under his eyes, and the receding hairline since he couldn't see the rest of his face - he was quite fit and agile. He kept close to his pokemon, which was something Emmet got tired of reminding him not to do, but every time an attack came his way, he was able to dodge it. It was pretty impressive and fascinating to watch.

However, even though he was incredibly different and a complete stranger, Emmet couldn't help but feel something familiar about the man. His voice wasn't terribly loud, except to call out attacks for his pokemon. But even then, he wasn't a booming loud like someone Emmet knew. His eyes were a bright gray, reminding Emmet of his own gray eyes, and even though the man's hair was pulled back into a long ponytail, the gray color was also familiar. Little details about the man's vocabulary and way of speaking also tipped Emmet off, but he had to remind himself that these could all be coincidences. He wouldn't get his hopes up now, especially after nothing had been found for over five years.

Eventually, Eelektross managed to take down Tangrowth, leaving the man to release his final pokemon. He tossed out his last pokeball - which Emmet had already noticed that all of his pokeballs looked old and handmade - releasing a Gliscor. A ground and flying dual type. Emmet nodded as he waited for the man to attack.

"Alright, that Galvantula should only take a few more hits," the man thought aloud. "Probopass, use Power Gem, and Gliscor, use Aerial Ace!"

Probopass powered up a sparkling blast, then shot it at Galvantula. Gliscor then followed by dive bombing the bug type from the air, hitting her and sending her flying back. Emmet turned as his pokemon hit the wall behind him. Galvantula was out. He recalled her to her pokeball.

"You did verrrry well, Galvantula. Get some rest," he told her. He pocketed her pokeball and took out the last pokemon he had.

"I see we are both down to our final two pokemon," Emmet said to his opponent. "You are putting up a verrrrry good fight. But like I said, I like winning more than anything else. We are not done yet."

He tossed out the pokeball and released Chandelure. She trilled excitedly, then looked at the man across the train car. She froze, her flames flared, and then she immediately moved to fly over to him. Emmet reached out to try and stop her, but she was too quick. She flew right into the man's chest, nuzzling her face against him. Now, normally, most people would be surprised or shocked or even startled by this. But once the man had seen what she was doing, he had welcomed her and wrapped his arms around her glass bowl. Emmet could faintly hear the man's voice, but he was speaking quietly to her, and with the distance between them and the clacking sound of the train moving, Emmet couldn't make out what he was saying. Chandelure just trilled happily, and after he pat her glass once more, she floated back to Emmet.

"I am verrry sorry for Chandelure," Emmet apologized with a tip of his hat. "She is not normally like this."

"It's alright, she meant no harm," the man said with a dismissive wave of his hand. "She is a very sweet pokemon, and I'm excited to see how she does in battle!"

Emmet nodded, adjusted his hat, then pointed towards his opponent.

"Chandelure, Will-O-Wisp on Probopass! Eelektross, Thunderbolt on Gliscor!"

Both pokemon sent out their attacks, with purple flames and electricity shooting across the train car. The man rolled back to avoid the hit, but his pokemon weren't so lucky. Probopass and Gliscor both took the hits, but they still stayed floating in the air. They were hurt, but ready to attack.

"Probopass, Earth Power on Eelektross, agile style! Then go for Flash Cannon! Gliscor, Stone Edge on Chandelure, strong style!" The man commanded as he pointed towards Emmet's team.

Probopass glowed as it created a crack in the flooring. Luckily, the cars of the Battle Subway were built to be reinforced, able to take attacks of any type without sustaining damage. This crack would simply need welded down later at best. The crack continued on towards Eelektross, then dirt and ground formed and shot up from the floor, hitting the eel pokemon. It didn't do much damage, but Probopass quickly changed tracks to shoot a powerful beam at Eelektross, sending Emmet's partner back a bit. He still stayed up though, and Emmet flashed a proud smile to his pokemon.

Meanwhile, Gliscor stabbed both of his claws into the floor, creating huge rocks. The rocks shot up all the way towards Chandelure, hitting her and sending her spinning. She quickly steadied herself, but it was clear that she had been badly hurt. She was still determined though.

"Okay, Chandelure, use Overheat on Probopass! Eelektross, use Discharge!"

Chandelure and Eelektross did as they were told. Chandelure sent a fiery blast at Probopass, dealing a good bit of damage. Eelektross then sent out an electric wave, hitting every pokemon in the car, and also causing the hairs on Emmet's neck and arms to stand up, as well as the man's ponytail to frizz out a bit. Gliscor and Probopass both took the hit, and while Chandelure was hit too, she at least shook it off fairly well.

"Gliscor, Aerial Ace on Eelektross! Probopass, Power Gem strong style on Chandelure!"

"Dodge it!"

Chandelure managed to dodge the blast from Probopass, but Gliscor's Aerial Ace unfortunately hit Eelektross. He was still able to fight, but Emmet knew it wouldn't be for too long. He had to end this.

"Eelektross, Thunderbolt again on Gliscor! Chandelure, another Will-O-Wisp on Probopass!"

"Dodge!"

Probopass was able to dodge the attack, but Gliscor wasn't so lucky. It seemed like all of their pokemon were getting close to fainting. This was going to be a close battle.

"Let's finish this!" The man exclaimed. "Gliscor, Earth Power strong style on Eelektross! Probopass, another Power Gem strong style on Chandelure!"

Both pokemon readied their attacks.

"Dodge it!"

But it was too late. The ground came up and hit Eelektross, and the sparkling blast flew across the train car to hit Chandelure. Emmet had to shield his eyes from the bright blast, but once he opened them, he saw both of his pokemon were fainted on the floor. He had lost.

He recalled Eelektross and Chandelure, then held their pokeballs close to himself.

"You both did great. We came verrrry close. You and the rest of the team have earned some treats tonight."

Emmet pocketed the pokeballs and turned to look at his opponent. The man had recalled his pokemon and was quietly talking to them, presumably to congratulate them on their win. Emmet walked across the car to face him.

"I am Emmet. I lost against you. Because you are the strongest trainer I've fought lately. Yup! You put up a verrrrry fun challenge. I hope you will ride the trains some more."

Emmet then stuck out his hand to properly congratulate his opponent. The man shook his hand, then chuckled a little.

"That was a great battle, Emmet! I forgot how fun it was to battle you! Now, remind me, how many wins is that for me now?"

Before Emmet could even think of a response, the man pulled down his face mask. Emmet's eyes widened as he looked back at a face that almost exactly mirrored his own. Ingo. His brother Ingo. His twin brother Ingo had just beaten him in a doubles battle and was now smiling back at him and shaking his hand.

"Ingo?!" Emmet immediately let go of his hand and pulled his brother into a hug. Ingo just laughed and hugged him back, harder than Emmet had ever thought was possible from his twin. There was a mix of laughing and crying from both of them as Emmet tried to make sense of what was happening.

"Ingo, i-is it... is it really you?" Emmet pulled away just enough to look at his brother.

He looked older, but that was mostly just around the eyes. Ingo had some wrinkles and eye bags, but it wasn't like Emmet could say that he himself didn't have the same wrinkles and heavy eye bags. After many sleepless nights and years spent worrying over his brother's whereabouts, he knew he had aged quite a bit. Along with that, Ingo's normal frown was pulled up a bit into a smile. It was a small, warm smile, but coming from Ingo, that was the biggest smile he had ever seen. His brother also had a short pointed goatee, which Emmet had to laugh at. It almost matched his own goatee, which was shorter and pointed more up towards his mouth. Even while separated, they still found ways to match. However, the receding hairline had certainly caught Emmet off guard, along with how long his brother's hair had grown. Sure, Emmet's hair was starting to thin, but not that drastically, and he still managed to keep his hair cut short. Where had his brother been, and what had he been up to?

"It's really me, Emmet, I promise," Ingo said, answering his earlier question. He sniffled, and even though he was crying with tears staining his cheeks, Ingo instead wiped at his brother's eyes. The affectionate gesture just brought more tears for Emmet.

"You... you're really home," Emmet cried. "You're alive and back home."

"Yeah, I'm alive and here," Ingo said. When had his voice become so quiet? "And I'm so incredibly happy to see you."

Emmet pulled Ingo into another tight squeeze. After a moment, he realized something and pulled away again.

"I am Emmet. You battled me before telling me you were here!" he exclaimed. "And what's with the mask and the disguise?"

Ingo laughed and patted his brother's shoulder.

"Haha, I wanted to see how you'd react!" Ingo said between laughs. "I thought it would be fun to surprise you!"

"You are so mean!" Emmet punched Ingo in the shoulder, but he wasn't actually mad. Sure, he was a little pissed off that Ingo had made him go through a whole battle without telling him who he was, but he also had to admit that it was a little funny. "You are so mean to me! My own brother! Battling me and beating me before telling me you are back! The worst brother ever!"

Ingo just laughed more, then raised a hand to his chest in mock hurt and shock as he gasped dramatically.

"Emmet! How could you say such a thing! My own brother!" His voice played up the mock hurt, but his eyes were upturned in the way that let Emmet know he was really smiling.

"Yup! I am deeply hurt, Ingo. Verrrry hurt! Disguising yourself from me."

"It was just a joke, brother! I meant no harm!"

"Verrrry mean to your poor, sweet twin brother. I am Emmet. I will never recover."

"Nooo!" Ingo lifted his arms dramatically, which just caused Emmet to laugh. They both fell into another laughing fit and hugged each other.

"...I am Emmet. I have missed this. I missed you verrrrrry much, Ingo. I am so glad you are back," Emmet said once they were calmed down. He rested his head on his brother's shoulder, and Ingo responded by gently rubbing Emmet's back.

"I missed you too, Emmet," Ingo said, his voice once again uncharacteristically soft. "Although, I must admit that my amnesia prevented me from fully remembering you for quite a while."

Emmet pulled away a little at that.

"Amnesia?"

"I'm okay, I promise," Ingo assured him. "But it's a long story. The short version is that I had sustained a head injury, resulting in amnesia. I couldn't remember much aside from my name. But I could eventually vaguely remember a man that looked like me. That was all I knew for a while, other than the fact that I knew he was someone close to me that I missed deeply. But I had some help, and I've been able to remember you and our home here in Unova, and our pokemon. I will need assistance remembering more, so, I hope you'll help conduct me back onto the right tracks."

"Of course," Emmet held his twin close. "Of course I will help you. I am Emmet. You are Ingo. We are a two car train again. I will help you in any way I can."

"Thank you, Emmet," Ingo said as he buried his face in Emmet's shoulder again. Emmet hugged him close for a while longer. If he could, he would just stay like this forever.

However, the train eventually had to pull back into Gear Station. Ingo pulled his mask back up, saying how he didn't want to cause a huge fuss with his reappearance just yet. Emmet understood that, and together, they stepped off of the train. Emmet then made a call over his radio to the depot agents, saying he would be taking the rest of the day off, citing that something with his family had come up. As they walked out of the station, Ingo suddenly perked up.

"Oh! There are two people that I'd like you to meet," he said excitedly as he pulled out a phone. He eagerly began sending a text to a group chat. Emmet peeked over at his brother's phone and saw the names Dawn and Johanna.

"Who are Dawn and Johanna?" he asked.

"The people I'd like you to meet!" Ingo explained excitedly. "Dawn is a wonderful young girl with incredible battling skills! She is actually the one who helped me get home. As for Johanna, she is Dawn's mother. She's an incredibly kind and strong woman, and she's actually a talented contest coordinator from Sinnoh! She is, um, also my girlfriend."

Even with the mask on, Emmet could tell that his brother was blushing. Emmet's jaw hung open slightly.

"You have a girlfriend?!"

[paper-bee-does-xrt]

Paranoia Cloud | Animation meme | Submas AU

✮ ⋆ ˚｡𖦹 ⋆｡°✩

Thanks for watching! The AU is still a W.I.P so ill give you a short summary :] (note: its pretty bad bc I just started writing xd)

--

Emmet became possessed by Darkrai while he was sleeping. The reason why Darkrai took over Emmets mind space is because, they were working for Garitina. Garitina wants revenge against Arceus due to how hellish and polluted their home world is and how they were banished there. In order to actually meet Arceus, they have to go inside Ingos mind space.

Garitina knows exactly when Ingo will go back in time, thanks to Darkrai's ability to teleport. Thus gained information on whats gonna happen in Hisui. (w.i.p)

(Present)

Ever since Ingo dissapeared, Emmet doesnt know what to do with his life anymore. Months and even years have past, and he almost gave up. That was until he was unexpectedly teleported In Hisui. There was a thunderstorm surounding him. In the distant he seen a silloette. When he got a little closer. It was Ingo.

Emmet tried to sprint towards his brother but he was brought back in Unova. He was so close. He finally knows what to do.

he needed Celebi.

..............

In the legends Arceus era, Arceus cannonly needs the main player to save it and create the Sinnoh region. So I decided to have possessed Ingo go against the player so Garitina will possess them and fight God themself.

[thecraftgremlin]

If I knew more about the source material I’d want to write a submas post-return-from-Hisui fic where it turns out Lady Sneasler is the best adjusted in the family to the new situation. Like Ingo’s memory is still recovering, Emmet’s trauma didn’t just go away when Ingo came home, and Akari’s struggling with going from having all these huge expectations put on her to being ostensibly a normal kid again. 

But Lady Sneasler’s just vibing. She doesn’t know what Ingo was so worried about when she decided to come with him, the future is great! Sure it’s noisy and smells weird but she doesn’t have to hunt or forage or anything, and Ingo brings her tasty new treats to try and takes her to the mountains to climb whenever she wants! And her Warden seems so much happier now with his family, and she quite likes being part of it. 

Honestly the only thing that bothers her is that she sees how the other pokemon in the house get treated. They get to go to work with Ingo and Emmet, to go out and do things. She’s not particularly interested in battling, but those beauty contest things she sees on tv sometimes look fun, or maybe she could do something to help at the train station! And how come the others get to have cute accessories and toys and nicknames? She knows she’s a Noble, a very special pokemon, but that doesn’t mean that she doesn’t want to get skritches and be told she’s a good girl. Isn’t it Ingo’s job as her Warden to keep her happy?

Meanwhile, Ingo is having a heart attack over whether having to treat his Noble Lady like any of his other pokemon is blasphemy. It’s not like he can ask someone in the clan if he’s allowed to take her to the vet or give her her own pokeball. He’s already had to register her as His pokemon (her official name is just Lady) which feels so wrong to him. He’s been trying to get in contact with historians and people with Pearl Clan lineage just to alleviate his guilt about taking cute pictures of Noble Lady Sneasler wearing a depot agent’s hat. In his panic Ingo has kind of forgotten that he is, in fact, a Good Pokemon Trainer who trains Very Happy Pokemon.

Meanwhile Lady Sneasler is lazing on Emmet and Ingo’s couch eating berries and generally having a good time.