"How many times do I need to tell you?" Anise growled. "You need to relax for this procedure to work."
"M-my apologies." Ingo stammered, though the tension never left his shoulders. He knew the elderly Medical Corps woman was well known for her medicinal mixes and acupuncture, but he'd never heard anything about her knowledge of spinal manipulation.
Laying shirtless on a cold wooden table wasn't helping either.
Despite his energy returning after a few days of rest, his spine was a different matter. He'd gone through the rounds of acupuncture earlier in the week, and that hadn't helped his back issues at all.
This was the next step, and it hurt like hell.
She kept feeling around his exposed skin for who knows what, complaining about how out of alignment it all was, and did not spare him from a verbal berating.
"What in Sinnoh's name did you do to your neck?!" She gawked at one point. "No wonder your posture is so terrible, it's completely knocked out of place!"
"Well, it hasn't been the same since that fall a few years back-"
"Fall?! Did you not see anyone about this after you fell?!"
"I-I was out with Lady Sneasler! There wasn't a good way to reach-"
"That's no excuse!" The glint in her eyes made him shrink. He felt very small in this position. Far too vulnerable. "How have you survived this long? This has to be painful on its own!"
"I have… ways of coping…" he did not plan on elaborating. Even when she prompted, he stayed silent.
Begrudgingly she continued, pushing and shoving his spine and back muscles this way and that. He could hear and feel the vertebrae popping with the more extreme motions, forcing him to lock up entirely again.
To which he would once again get yelled at.
An endless loop with no points to disembark.
Now Anise was trying to do some violent alignment in his neck, and at this point he feared getting paralyzed from the head down more than his current aches and bad posture.
"Perhaps we should end this for now, yes? M-my lower back feels much better-"
"And it'll once again get twisted very easily if I don't fix it now." She tried a few more times, throwing her hands up when, once again, he couldn't force himself to relax.
"Am I interrupting anything?" Zisu stood in the doorway, snickering at Ingo's predicament.
"A stubborn patient that won't let me do my job is all. I may mix up some Stun Spore at this rate."
"Please don't." He gave the Captain a pleading look. He needed out of this!
"Hmmmm, give him a break for now. I did want to speak with Ingo about a few things." Zisu ushered Anise out of the room. The two were arguing in hushed voices, far too low for Ingo to understand. The Warden took his chance to sit up, surprised his lower back did feel considerably better.
Not perfect, but he could actually bend side to side for the first time all week.
His neck and spine between the shoulder blades was pure torture. He felt his head hanging lower than it ever had before, impossible to lift any higher without significantly more pain then he was used to.
Sinnoh almighty, he needed a smoke.
Maybe if he was sneaky, Ingo could grab his Tanglegrowth and find a closet in the basement-
"Sorry about that," Zisu came back into the room all by herself, shutting the door behind her. "It's been months since we've actually spoken, much less trained together. How have you been?"
"I've been better." Ingo croaked, his shoulders involuntarily shuddering when his muscles seized.
Damn that hurt.
"You shouldn't be standing. Here, just sit backwards on this." Zisu grabbed one of the wooden chairs by a desk. Ingo didn't have much choice, gingerly taking an awkward seat and leaning his arms and chin on the backrest.
That did feel a lot better.
"Thank you, Zisu." He tried reaching for his hat to tip it, only now remembering it was laying on one of the beds.
Along with his hoodie, undershirt and tattered coat.
"Did you 'lose a few more passengers?'" the Captain snickered, taking a seat next to him.
"It is sad to see them go," he already knew she was talking about his hair. He wasn't as insecure about it thinning as she seemed to think, but it was fun teasing each other. "Though, I think you may have gained a few passengers yourself."
"Are you saying I got bigger?" The Captain gasped in mock offense.
"I'll leave that up to your imagination." He gave the smallest smirk.
She let out a loud laugh, playfully hitting Ingo on the arm.
"Stars, I've needed this," Zisu smiled, pulling up another chair for herself. "Ever since Snowflake left, it's been so dead around here."
"Snowflake?" It took a moment to remember, but a bandaged face and bloody hair came to mind. "The third Skyfaller?"
"That's the one."
"I did notice his bed was empty," Ingo commented, glancing at the cot closest to the window. It's been a long time since he'd visited Jubilife. He did wish to see how the man had recovered, though if he was well enough to leave the medical ward, then he must be functioning at the very least. "I take it he didn't stay with the Galaxy Team?"
"No. He wanted to go with Adaman, and nothing would change his mind," she crossed her arms, frowning. "I really wanted to learn more from him. He taught his Sylveon a move called 'Wish.' I've never even heard of that before he showed up."
The Warden rubbed his goatee thoughtfully. 'Wish' sounded very familiar… Yes, that was a thing some Pokemon can learn. Though, now that he thought about it, he'd never encountered a Pokémon in Hisui that could use it.
"Bravo to him. Is he a Move Tutor?"
"Apparently not! At least, when I asked, he didn't have any clue what I was talking about," Leaning back in her seat, she glanced at the wood ceiling thoughtfully. "Is that something you can do?"
"Tutor a move?" He noticed her suddenly excited expression, like a child gifted with candy. "I must say, I don't think I've ever tried… not that I can remember at least…" he couldn't help pondering the idea of even attempting it. Of course, there was never any harm in trying something new. However, he had no idea where to even start. It would require a good deal of planning and practice.
He'd worked alongside Zisu long enough to at least know the basics of move tutoring at the very least. That was better than starting from scratch at the very least.
"I suppose I could give it a try, though I will promise nothing."
"If you do figure it out, tell me." She smiled even wider. "If we can create brand new techniques for our Pokémon to learn, who's to say what we could achieve? We could brainstorm all sorts of crazy attacks! If you remember any from your time, we could try teaching them those too."
"As I said, I make no promises." Ingo reiterated. Letting her down would be unfortunate, so he wouldn't promise what he may not be able to keep.
Her expression turned soft all of a sudden, standing up and stepping out of Ingo's line of sight.
"You know, I've missed seeing you around the training hall. The battles aren't nearly as exciting~" Zisu hummed. There was something behind her voice now.
Something that made Ingo's face heat up.
Why did she use that tone?
"I-I will confess, watching all of those Pokémon battles was certainly thrilling." He reached for his hat, that STILL wasn't on his head.
"I've seen such intense battles before, but can't remember them… it's an odd feeling."
"You should visit more often. I miss our chats~" She continued, now rubbing his shoulders. It did feel nice, and the tension in his back finally melted away.
…
Okay, this was the greatest thing he'd experienced in ages. Far better than whatever that Anise woman was doing. He honestly hasn't been this relaxed since…
Wait.
What was he doing?!
"M-ma'am? This feels inappropri- AYYYYE!" Ingo let out a high pitch screech when she moved right for his head and snapped it left. The cracking sound was LOUD, bones in his neck popping into different positions with sharp spikes of pain and tingling.
"Gotcha," Zisu laughed, elbowing him hard in the arm. "I told Anise I'd get you to relax."
Ingo was in too much pain to register right away, until she finally leaned over with a sly grin.
It was all a trick. She did all of that just to fool him!
"S-since when did you-"
"My father practiced this type of medicine," the woman shrugged. "It wasn't my calling, but I do know quite a lot about aligning spines. Now, let me do the other side."
"N-no need! I am absolutely fine!" He struggled to stand up, now forced back down by far stronger hands.
"Stop being an old fart and let me help."
"You've done quite enough already!"
"I promise you'll feel better afterwards-"
"I feel even worse than I did before, and I don't care for further derailment!"
"That's because I've only done one side. I promise once I do your right, you'll be okay to move again."
He highly doubted that. And after that… whatever the hell she just did, he didn't trust her. Using her womanly wiles and pretty face to trick him into a false sense of security? How dare she!
Zisu's eyebrows quirked in confusion. "Ingo? Did I hurt your feelings or something?"
"I am perfectly fine." He turned his head away, not wanting to make eye contact after that betrayal.
A learning experience he will call this!
So what if she broke his trust? He'd know never to let her that close again.
"Awww, I'm sorry." She leaned in close for a reassuring pat. He shrugged his shoulders to get her off.
"Don't touch me."
"I can't help it. You're cute when you're cranky~" There she was with that weird tone again. Another ruse of course.
He wouldn't fall for it a second time.
"A-am I interrupting something?" Laventon questioned, peering inside from the hallway door.
"Professor!" Ingo attempted to stand up again, but was still being held down by Zisu. "You aren't interrupting anything! Please come in!"
"Oh good! Because this is very important!" The Professor quickly scuttled inside, holding a thin leather bound book in his hands.
"Your Pokémon is from the New World!"
"The New World?" Zisu blinked. "You don't mean the… what are they called? Kalosian Settlements?"
"Galarian Colonies of Unova, though they are independent from Galar now." He corrected, finding the marked page in his book and shoving it in Ingo's face.
"Does it really make that much of a difference?" Zisu shrugged. "It's basically on the other side of the world."
"Precisely! This Pokémon was transported alongside Ingo through the rift, all the way from the other side of the globe! It's astounding!" He grabbed a smaller notebook from his coat pocket, flipping through the pages. "I was foolish for not even considering how far you may have traveled, and based on the little observation I managed while he was here, I believe Snowflake may have been from the same area. Possibly the same time period!"
"Really?" Ingo's heart skipped a beat. He did his best to keep his expectations low, but Laventon seemed really sure about this. "How can you tell?"
"First off, out of the three Skyfallers in Hisui, you and Snowflake are the only ones that spoke exclusively Galarian, while Akari is bilingual. Not only that, you both seem to have a preference towards split facial hair. Could you tell me what the style is again?"
"Uh… mutton chops?"
Yes! That's it!" He scribbled down the word in his notebook, flipping to another page. "You both use similar phrases as well, which is a good indication that you were at least close to the same region around the same time period. Given how words and phrases go in and out of use with time."
"I… I suppose that makes sense…"
"Hey, his jacket is a similar style to yours," Zisu added. "Long coat with a big collar. I bet that was trending wherever you came from!"
"That's an astute observation!" Laventon babbled while note taking. "Unfortunately, our sample size is very small, but based on the observations I just presented, it's likely you and Snowflake have more in common than either of you do with Akari."
Ingo nearly dropped the book in his hands.
Processing all of this information was taking everything he had. Snowflake and him may be from the same area and time period.
This was incredible news!
If only he could remember more from his past, perhaps he'd be able to track the man down and find out for himself.
Perhaps Snowflake made hand gestures too?
Well, that was likely just a weird habit of Ingo's, but there was no harm in asking.
He would need to find Snowflake… when he wasn't being held captive at least.
"Enough about theories though, let's get back to what we know," Laventon brought attention to his leather bound book. "I am not sure if Pokédex research has occurred in the region since I obtained this six years ago, but the illustrations look strikingly similar to your mystery Pokemon. Unfortunately, it's very difficult getting letters and books between here and Unova."
It took him a moment to realize this was the absolute barebones of a Pokédex… well, more so a Pokémon illustration book. The arachnid sketched on the page did look identical to his, with the exception of the markings on its back being slightly different.
Six extremities, a large abdomen, mandibles, and a lot of hair.
It was the same Pokémon.
"Galvantula…" that was the only thing written, everything else being drawings of the specimen from different angles.
"Does that sound familiar?" Laventon's mouth was set in a hard line.
Ingo tried to remember. He really tried, but nothing was coming to mind.
Even with all the news about these other Skyfallers, and the book right under his nose, his mind remained blank.
His shoulders fell with a defeated sigh.
"… no. I'm sorr-AYYYYE!" His head twisted violently to the right, both ears covered by strong hands that did the deed. Laventon jumped back in shock while Zisu stood very proud of herself.
Ingo sank hard onto the backrest, comically large tears in his eyes.
Ouch.
"W-WHATS GOING ON?!" The man stammered, clutching the book to his chest like it would protect him from Zisu.
"Thanks for the distraction! It was very much needed!" She gave Ingo a final pat on the back, softer this time. "Try sitting up already. Take it slow, and try holding your neck up."
"E-easy for you t-to say…" his voice was hoarse and shaky, still trying to recover from her second sneak attack of the day.
Sinnoh almighty. It stung and tingled… but also… wasn't as painful?
He waited for the odd sensation to dissipate, slowly sitting straighter in his chair. Ingo hadn't been able to hold his head this high in years.
Granted, he wasn't able to lift it all the way up, resulting in a more subtle slouch than before.
"I-I don't believe it…"
"See? I told you," The Captain's smugness was suffocating. "Your spinal alignment still isn't great. You'll need several more sessions. Anise was saying you'd benefit from stopping in multiple times a year for realignment-"
"I will thank you for your efforts! However, I do believe I am quite alright now." He finally managed to stand without her interference and pulled on his undershirt, facing away from the other two.
Ingo had no idea if his expression showed how embarrassed he actually felt, but he definitely wasn't willing to risk either of them seeing. He pulled the rest of his clothes on, situating his hat low over his eyes.
It was still weird having his back feel semi decent, without anything to ease or eliminate the ache.
What kind of witchcraft did she use???
"W-well then, perhaps I should get back to checking on… Galvantula! Yes, I'll just be going!"
"Wait!" Ingo managed to stop his retreat. "Have you made any progress on that Pokeball?"
Laventon blinked.
"… Pokeball?"
"You know, the one I gave you last week? You said you'd free it from the damaged Pokeball."
Now that he wasn't as panicked over Zisu, Ingo took in the man's overall state. Slouching low, a sickly complexion with blue veins visible under his skin. His breathing even sounded strained.
The Warden couldn't help but feel concerned. Perhaps he was overworking himself?
"… Oh no! I completely forgot!" Laventon quickly turned distressed, nearly dropping his notes. "I can't believe I forgot!"
"You look like you could use a rest at your home station," Ingo debated escorting the man to his quarters. "You look like you need a rest stop."
"I am quite already- I MEAN ALRIGHT! I promise." The man waved him off. "I've just been rather forgetful this week."
"That can be a sign of overwork." Zisu added. "Perhaps pass the Pokeball off to the blacksmith and get some rest-"
"I am going to work on it right now! Do not fret!" Now where did I put that thing…" Laventon was gone before Zisu could force him into bed.
"Why are all the men in my life so stubborn?" The woman shook her head.
"You're not far off yourself." Ingo added.
"Are you asking me to snap your neck back in place again?" She gave him the side eye, Ingo unable to hold back a gulp.
"N-no, thank you." He was already sweating, dreading going through THAT experience ever again.
"That's what I thought."
Damn these scary Galaxy women.
XxxxxxxxxxxxX
"Galvantula… Galvantula…" Ingo mumbled over and over, the large arachnid currently sitting partway on his lap seeking affection.
He was visiting her in the temporary closet prison, sitting on the floor running the word through his head over and over again.
'Galvantula'
… Why did it make him think about 'butter?' The culinary stick made of Pokémon milk. It was a similar colour to this Pokémon, but definitely not related.
It's great he managed to remember what the dairy product was, and how much he missed it, but anything else regarding his memories remained locked away.
"This is getting me nowhere…" Ingo groaned into his hands. Why was this still so difficult?
Gliscor hovered down from his spot on the ceiling, for some reason his new favorite spot since they were detained in Galaxy Hall. He had no clue why his Gliscor was so attached to Galvantula, but he was dedicated to watching over her.
"Groar?" Gliscor head butted his chin gently.
"Sorry, Snickers. This is just frustrating." He gave his Pokémon a few strong scritches along the jawline, Snickers leaning into the touch.
He was a funny creature, with a smile that reminded him of someone, but he couldn't place a name or face.
That's why Ingo started calling him Snickers. He was always grinning ear to ear, an oddly comforting expression to see.
Even in times like this, when he was clearly stir crazy.
He could tell all of his Pokémon were anxious to stretch their legs, but that wasn't happening while they were being held indoors.
In truth, it wasn't much of a detainment. He had free roam of the building.
He just couldn't go outside. If he did then they'd actually put him in a cell, which was even less appealing.
Just another layer of annoyance to an already stressful situation.
Galvantula clicked with fresh concern.
"I'm fine, really. Just, please don't tackle me again."
She nuzzled into his chest, very carefully, doing that weird thing with her mandibles to his hand. It felt comforting, like something familiar from a previous life.
It was putting him to sleep.
Drifting off didn't sound too bad at the moment.
Snickers joined them too, the Gliscor getting comfortable on his other side.
At some point the quiet was broken by running and panicked voices in the hallway.
Several familiar voices.
A young man sobbing.
He tried to stir. This sounded very important…
…
… Well, if it pertained to him, someone would surely track him down…
…
…
…
"Warden Ingo!" A loud pounding at the door made him jolt. One of the Security Corps members was shouting his name. "Cyllene has summoned you to her office. You are needed immediately."
"O-of course!" Ingo quickly tried standing, realizing both Pokémon had fallen asleep draped over his legs.
Just how long were they out?
Galvantula and Snickers both awoke when he moved, looking rather annoyed.
"S-sorry. It appears I am needed elsewhere." He staggered to his feet, wiping his chin with a sleeve. A lot of wet and dry drool coated the side of his face, and his back was sticky with webbing. It had saved him from a nap on the hard floor, but it didn't want to come off. He had to work at it, Galvantula stepping in and assisting.
"You two stay. I shall return." He slowly stretched his neck muscles once freed, shuffling to the door and opening it. The light in the hallway window was orange from the setting sun.
When he visited his Pokémon, it was noon…
"Warden Ingo. She asked that you please hurry."
"My apologies. Please lead the way." He followed the young man, hearing someone crying in the Medical Ward. The doors were shut tight. Either they were treating a severely injured person, or someone wanted privacy.
By how mournful the crying was, he assumed the latter.
Cyllene stood at her desk, face grimmer than usual. She wasn't even looking at him with that killing intent she had the entire week since he brought Galvantula here.
That couldn't be good at all.
"Warden Ingo. You have been ordered to return to Pearl Clan immediately."
"Return to Pearl Clan?" He blinked. "My apologies, ma'am, but I thought I was being detained?"
"Unfortunately, the situation has changed." She closed her eyes, taking in a long breath. It was then he noticed the katana attached to her hip.
He'd never seen her wear it before.
"A Galaxy Team member has been killed in the Crimson Mirelands. The remains showed injuries in line with a Luxray attack."
Ingo's gut sank at the words.
After all these months of nothing, why now?
Why does it show itself now?!
"Man Eater?"
"We don't know for certain this time, but a decision has been reached between the Galaxy Team and Pearl Clan." She looked almost disgusted, Ingo not eager to hear what she was thinking.
"There will be a mass Luxray hunt." Irida stated, standing in the doorway with a very somber Zisu.
"A mass hunt? But if it's one Pokémon, why would we-"
"We cannot confirm if this attack was caused by Man Eater this time," Zisu interrupted. "For all we know, the attack in Jubilife several months back may not have been Man Eater either. It was just assumed given the timing."
"With this development, it has been determined multiple Luxrays could be the culprits behind these attacks, not just one."
"That could be true. However, Melli said we should look for one Luxray in particular-"
"And where has that gotten us?" Cyllene interrupted. "Nothing. No sightings, leads, not even a trace of activity until another death. How many more humans must die before we change our approach?"
Ingo couldn't come up with a response. She had a point. Their searches had ended in failure, and even with more guards and search parties active all over Hisui, someone else ended up dead.
"I am starting to question Warden Melli's account too," Cyllene added.
"Are you calling Warden Melli a liar?" That didn't sit well. Melli was many things, but a liar wasn't one of them.
"We know Melli seemed convinced as to what he saw," Irida interrupted. "But he had that previous incident with the former Pearl Warden's death. It's possible he mistook the Pokemon's identity…" The girl seemed as uncertain as Ingo felt, but she had her mind made up. "To start, ten Luxrays in each region are to be hunted down and either captured in Pokeballs or killed on sight. The locations they aren't typically found shall also be searched."
"And what happens to the ones on the Pokeballs?" Ingo questioned. Irida didn't answer.
"If the attacks cease, we will know one or more of the ones captured or killed were responsible." Cyllene continued. "Their destruction would be best for the overall safety of the region."
Ingo wanted to vomit. This couldn't be right. "We can't kill all of those Pokémon just because of one bad cog in the machine!"
"Ingo, please. I know this is hard," Irida wiped her eyes, trying to remain strong. "But if we don't assist, it's going to be an outright slaughter by Galaxy Team. I desperately need you to lead the hunting parties in the Highlands."
He glanced down at the floor, covering his eyes with his hat.
How did it get to this?
A mass slaughter of Luxrays.
"… if the killings continue after we capture all of these Luxrays, can they be released?"
"That is something needing further discussion," Cyllene put it simply. "A secondary hunt will then take place, fifteen more Luxrays from each territory will be hunted. If the killings continue, the process shall be repeated."
It was madness. How would taking out all of these Luxrays affect the ecosystem? They were the top predators in many areas.
How would the prey populations be affected?
Will this set a precedent for other Pokémon species that have killed humans before?
"Ingo, we'll talk more about it on the way. Please…" Irida begged.
She was clearly desperate.
Letting out a long sigh, he set his hat low.
"Very well," He said quietly. "I just need to explain to Galvantua what is happening."
Thankfully he was given a chance to see her one last time. Galvantula wasn't happy to learn he was leaving, but Ingo promised he would be back as soon as he could. He couldn't take her away from her eggs, and she knew she couldn't leave them behind to join him. Ingo also needed Snickers help, so his Gliscor begrudgingly said goodbye to his new friend.
It almost looked like a relationship was forming, though he wasn't jumping to conclusions yet.
Laventon promised to keep working on freeing his Pokémon, though he looked a little worse then Ingo remembered.
Hopefully Zisu or Cyllene would force him to get seen by the doctor. The Captain also said she'd give him a couple more days before taking the Pokémon to the blacksmith herself.
It had already been trapped for so long. If the thing was dead, a few more days wouldn't make a difference.
As he walked through the village gates with Irida, he took the chance to bombard her with questions.
"I find it hard to believe you agreed to this. What does Adaman think?"
"Adaman wasn't part of the discussion," the young leader sighed. "From what I've been told, he's fallen ill. Too ill to make the journey here."
Ingo's eyes widened in surprise.
Illness could strike anyone, Ingo knew that. Still, Adaman had always seemed so strong and healthy, not to mention young.
Unshakable.
"You know how Komodo is about protecting his people. It was… very difficult just to get this limit on Luxray numbers put in place."
The Warden believed that much. He'd heard rumors that something terrible happened to Komodo's former home and family. His reaction wasn't unexpected, but to anyone else, it was extreme.
"I'll be stopping by the Diamond Settlement later and discussing the matter further with him. As of right now, their Clan is in disarray with Adaman sick, so I'm not sure how much help we will have from their Wardens in this hunt either."
"I can't believe they are planning this without the Diamond Clan."
"The people of Jubilife are scared and furious," she shook her head. "They're going to go through with it whether we help or not."
She stopped walking, turning to Ingo. Her stance was strong, expressions serious.
This wouldn't be a request, but an order.
"Ingo. I know how good you are with Pokémon. Though I am not a supporter of using Pokeballs, please capture as many as you can, before they are slaughtered. I need Adaman's help here to save them, and for that I need more time."
"I promise you, I'll capture as many as I can. We are going to stop this madness," He nodded firmly, pointing towards the Coronet Highlands. "I shall set my destination for the mountains and capture as many Luxrays as I can."
"Thank you, Ingo. I'll be sure another clan member accompanies you, just in case."
"Safety first, of course." He nodded in agreement.
This was going to take a lot of time and work. He just hoped Irida could get more support in talking the Galaxy Team out of this.
Perhaps Akari and Rei would offer assistance as well.
XxxxxxxxxxxxX
Over half the homes in Diamond Settlement were badly damaged due to flooding. Thankfully they were made primarily of fabric, so raising them back up hadn't taken too long. Most of the furniture had been washed away with the waters or ruined. Melli and Snowflake's hut was no exception. All they had left was the bunk bed with a ruined lower mattress and the stove. It took a while to scrub the mud from the floorboards, but with the two of them working they managed within a day.
The rebuilding efforts were going smoothly. Everyone seemed convinced the worst of the season was behind them.
Snowflake did what he could. He wanted to help more, though there was only so much he could do with one hand. It was sad seeing how excited he was to try building new furniture. Apparently he had no clue how to nail wooden planks together without nearly taking his own fingers off.
Melli still had no clue how he managed to create the abomination in front of them, everyone else unsure what to say about the jumble of wood and nails.
It was supposedly a shelf.
The universal decision was made. Its only use now was as fire word.
Snowflake had been sad initially, but quickly found a new distraction.
Instead of moping. he started hanging around Calaba while Melli and the rest of the Diamond Clan members stayed busy with repairs.
He wasn't sure exactly how the two met, or when. Snowflake just shouted at Melli one day that Calaba was going to show him some things, then disappeared for several hours.
As long as it kept him busy and out of trouble, Melli didn't care. He just wasn't expecting to find the little old lady inside his still disheveled tent giving Snowflake cooking lessons.
"Always face the knife blade away from you. Poor tool use is the easiest way for accidents to happen." The woman corrected his vegetable chopping.
"Safety first! I like the way you think!" Snowflake smiled, doing as she instructed.
"Once all the leaks are chopped, we can add them to the broth."
"Will it need more bone marrow?"
"No need. This is perfect. Now add some rock salt for flavouring."
"Okay!"
Melli just watched the two work for several long minutes, unsure if he should say something, or just find a rock outside to sleep under for the night.
Skuntank made the choice for him, leaving his cuddle pile with Coal and waddling over to greet him.
Snowflake finally noticed Skuntank's movement, turning around and offering Melli a wide smile in greeting.
"Melli! Calaba is verrry nice! And has the best stories! We should hang out with her more!"
Caboose chortled in agreement, rubbing up against her leg while the woman's Bibarel sat on top of a snarling Buggy.
Cooper was standing in the corner of the tent watching the action, though giving Calaba the side eye.
"Snowflake," Melli breathed. "Why is Calaba here?"
"He's been a huge help to me cleaning up flood damages," the woman shrugged. "He asked if I could show him some recipes, and I didn't see why not."
"She makes all sorts of medicines I've never even heard of! I'm learning so much!" Snowflake added. The old woman rolled her eyes with a small grin.
"Just keep stirring the soup until it thickens. I'll prepare some herbs to add."
"Alright, I can do that!"
The old Warden grabbed her pestle and slowly walked over to Melli, motioning for him to join her outside.
Taking a seat on the front step, Calaba threw some Bugwart into her bowl and began crushing the plants. Melli sat on a felled log close by, unsure what she wanted.
"Why are you-"
"Your friend is an interesting fellow," Calaba began, voice hushed. "Not all there in the head, but very eager to lend a hand."
"And that's why you're doing all this?" Melli wasn't convinced.
"Does everything I do need a reason behind it?"
"I know how you are. You don't waste your time on things without purpose. So, why are you here?" Melli wasn't letting this go. He had a sneaking suspicion something was up, he wouldn't let her harm Snowflake if that's what she wanted to do.
Calaba breathed, putting the pestle aside for a moment.
"He reminds me of someone I once found suspicious, but now consider a close friend," she looked at him critically. "Surely you have noticed the similarities, unless you are more foolish then I first thought."
Melli tensed. This woman was too observant. He thought madness set in when he first noticed the similarities between Snowflake and Ingo.
Appearance wise at least.
But if the two Skyfallers were actually related somehow, what would that mean for Melli?
Snowflake would leave. He'd never see him again.
Forgotten for someone better.
"So you have noticed it." Calaba read his silence. Melli shook his head.
"Just thinking it over. I don't see the resemblance."
She didn't look convinced.
"So you are foolish then," She grabbed the pestle and went back to grinding her herbs. "Lying to yourself and him will only lead to hurt. He talks very highly of you."
Melli stayed quiet. He didn't want to discuss this anymore.
"… regardless, given his preference to follow you around, he should be given a Celestial Flute in case he ever gets lost. I can introduce him to Lord Ursaluna in case he gets lost-"
"That's a bad idea." Melli interrupted. Calaba gave him an odd look. "He freaks out around large Pokémon with big teeth and claws. Seeing Lady Sneasler for the first time nearly sent him into a mad panic. Lord Ursaluna is even bigger."
"Living in the wilds of Hisui is a dangerous existence. If you want to baby him, you should lock him away in Jubilife."
"I know that! He just refuses to go…"
Calaba finished crushing her herbs, standing back up. "Take it from a woman with many more years than you. If he doesn't face his fears, he won't last long out here. You need to force him if he won't try himself."
"That's not what he needs!"
"Then he won't survive." Calaba said simply, standing back up and walking inside. Snowflake was still stirring the soup, eager to greet her and hear the next step.
Melli hated that woman so much.
What right did she have? Telling him how to handle his friendships.
Even if the stew was amazing, he was happy to see her go.
He didn't want to think of her words. There was no way any of her words held value. She was just a crazy old woman.
They just needed to continue as they have been and everything would work out fine.
XxxxxxxxxxxxX
Someone was killed in the Mirelands. Just a day after Calaba made soup with Snowflake.
It shocked the entire settlement, given how active both Arezu and Calaba had been in their patrols.
Nobody saw it coming.
Melli tried to hide the news from Snowflake, but of course Arezu couldn't keep her big mouth shut for even a day.
The man was sent into a spiraling panic, pacing around the tent or sitting by the stove surrounded by his Pokémon and just shutting down. Thankfully his team provided enough support to keep him somewhat together. Melli tried to reassure him too, that they would be safe inside the settlement.
He really thought they were going to be okay. Adaman would give them new orders and bring everything back to peace.
No one expected their leader's collapse.
The Clan was in a state of shock. Despite the medicine woman saying he'd survive with rest and some of her remedies, nobody was sure what to do int the meantime.
The elders took charge for now, declining a summons from Galaxy Team to Jubilife regarding the recent attack.
It made sense. They were still trying to recover from record flooding leaving their homes in such a state with their ill.
The Diamond Clan was in no state to help in this.
Adaman had recently called a meeting of his Wardens in the medical hut. Irida visited earlier and discussed the situation with him. It must be serious, given how quickly this meeting was ordered.
Melli was worried for him. It was impossible not to be. He wanted to help and impress Adaman, even if the guy never acknowledged the hard work he did.
"Are you leaving?" Snowflake asked, turning away from the stew he was attempting to make. His culinary interests were expanding thanks to Calaba, which was fine with Melli.
It meant less time cooking on his part.
Buggy was pacing around Snowflake's legs, drooling all over the floorboards and whimpering whenever he wouldn't get a scrap. He'd lost his sling privileges for trying to lunge at the hot pot and drooling all over the veggies. Caboose had the seat of honor on his shoulders, taking the large spoon to help him with stirring when his arm got too tired. Coal was laying on the lower bunk, which only had a bedroll as a mattress for the time being. The lack of a mattress was the only reason he fit without hitting the top bed.
Cooper had been put in her Pokeball, having tried to steal one too many leaks from the pot.
Everything here was always so lively now.
"Yes," He stated, pulling on his boots. "It's only a meeting with Adaman and the other Wardens."
"Don't stay out too long. It's going to storm soon." He rubbed his shoulder with a tight grin.
"Let's hope there won't be another evacuation." Especially with Man Eater in the area, though he wouldn't say that out loud in front of Snowflake.
The last thing he wanted to deal with was another crying fit, and Melli still wasn't sure what exactly all his triggers were.
They waved eachother off, Skuntank accompanying Melli in his walk towards the medical hut. The sky looked dark, heavy clouds hanging above the camp ready to release more rain.
He was so sick of the rain.
The Settlement was quiet, more guards than usual watching the borders. It wasn't a surprise given the current situation, though it did leave Melli wondering.
He'd never seen a Luxray in the Mirelands before, so where had this one come from? Perhaps Akari and her weird research could shed some light on the situation. He'd have to ask her the next time they met.
Approaching the hut, Melli entered. Adaman was seated on a mat surrounded by the other Wardens, his Leafeon laying flush with his legs. The man appeared pale and tired, but overall not dead at least.
"Good. You are finally here," Adaman's voice was hoarse, but he continued like nothing was wrong. "We have a lot to talk about."
XxxxxxxxxxxxX
I'm sorry I forgot to actually post this chapter over here!
But I have art to share!!! Hey me and other people!!!!!
LOOK AT HOW COOL THIS VERSION OF MAN EATER LOOKS! @Creaturecave_C on Twitter did amazing art of an exceptionally evil, conniving Man Eater and the small mane just adds to the look.
ART! EVERYONE ADMIRE AkaKosai AND HOW FABULOUS THEY MADE THE NEW PONYTA!!! THAT MANE IS FLAWLESS /creaturecave_c/status/1525834283511795713?s=21t=G0Y-twIfxOmCL24BDLVV5g
Also a couple pieces from Deerbydesign on Tumblr. Their art is so cute please check out their stuff! It brings me great joy!
https/homestar1812./post/684619627599364096/guys-its-so-cute-im-crying-thank-you-for%E2%80%9D%20rel=" rel="nofollow"An adorable comfort comic between Snowflake and Caboose!
https/deerbydesign./post/684379628966690816/behind-schedule-so-here-is-rough-sketch-for-the
Finally some sketches by me.
https/homestar1812./post/684428848744611840/some-more-sketches-form-my-fic-friends-from-odd