June 19th, First Year

Ingo didn't think he would ever get used to flying places, especially atop such a loud and vivacious pokémon. The Mandibuzz escorting him gave a hearty squawk as an unsettling turbulence descended upon them, Ingo tightening his grip in the ruff of the pokémon's feathers as they glided through the fog. Curtains of snow raced past them, the mid-afternoon chill settling its clawed fingers into Ingo's skin. He breathed deeply and narrowed his eyes as the waves of fog before them parted. The cold, he was used to. The fog? Not so much.

This was not usual weather for the Coronet Highlands in the middle of summer. It was the reason that Ingo was ever so grateful to have this particular Mandibuzz as his so-called "ride pokémon".

"Take him," Jaku had spoken dazedly, her unfocused eyes trailing something Ingo couldn't quite make out as they walked side-by-side along the boardwalks. "He could use the chance to stretch his wings."

"So I was right in presuming that this pokémon belongs to you?"

Silence. Miss Jaku had not responded to his simple question. Her head had snapped up at something Ingo couldn't hear and within the moment, she was racing out of the camp without so much as a backwards glance at him.

Ingo was grateful, yes, but also confused. He would be lying if he said that he didn't desire to be closer with his fellow fallers. He'd be lying if he said he wasn't curious about what kinds of tasks the others were given… And he'd be lying if he said that he wasn't all too thrilled to follow his predestined tracks to the Alabaster Icelands. There, in the cold, frozen steppes, was the object that his unknown guardian had sent him after: the Lustrous Orb.

Why do I need that? What is a Lustrous Orb? A tingling sensation burned at the base of his neck. Ingo scrunched his hands deeper into the Mandibuzz's feathers. I should know that item! It's almost on the tip of my tongue what it does! What it's for! Ingo paused. What pokémon it's for.

Whatever this item's purpose was, Ingo was just satisfied that his journey to and from the icelands would be relatively short due to his newly accrued conductor. Any other time he was summoned back to the Pearl Settlement, it would take a whole week accounting for both inclement weather, wild pokémon, sudden landslides and the like. Flying atop Mandibuzz let him relax and take in the view, albeit with a renewed fear of heights.

Like a visage, the clouds parted overhead and the great rocky expanse of the Coronet Highlands came to light. From up here, Ingo could not tell where the highlands started nor stopped. The snow-covered mountains gleamed coldly in the weak sunlight, snow spinning lazily in the sky as they weaved in and out of oncoming clouds.

Ingo pulled up on Mandibuzz's ruff. The large pokémon gave a terrible croaking sound before dipping gracefully towards the closest cliff, extending its large talons as it carefully landed. Ingo had grown used to the jerky gait of the bird-pokémon as it tore across the land kicking up showers of pebbles as it slowly came to a stop.

"Aauurk!"

"Indeed." Ingo carefully hoisted himself off and stood, letting the freezing winds tussle with his coat and haori. He had missed this. The silence. The whistling winds. The solitude. He turned to the Mandibuzz. "I believe it is best that we rest our engines for the cold flight ahead. You wouldn't mind too terribly, would you?"

"Auk."

"Of course. Machamp, all aboard! Please help escort us to our home station if you will!"

Ingo's routes along the highlands were never quite the same in a given week. Some days, the tracks were covered in snow or mud. Some days, different pokémon would show up and either stall his progress on his surveys or they would follow behind him like a caboose… What is a caboose? A silly, but enjoyable word, he mused to himself.

That day, he had sighted something odd on the Sonorous Path. Something blue and white and yellow meandering around the lower valley just barely hidden by the trees. Ingo had stopped to take a closer look.

It was a person. A very tall person. Most likely a merchant from what they were wearing and from the large rucksack they carried on them. They limped along a beaten trail near the riverbank, occasionally turning back to stare at two pokémon that followed behind them. One, Ingo recognized as a Vespiqueen and a startlingly large one at that. The other was a pink-and-green pokémon Ingo had never seen before in his time in Hisui.

He had paused, his hand hovering over his carved flute. He should have called Lady Sneasler to better assist the merchant in arriving at their destination... But he hadn't. He had watched, transfixed, as a gust of wind reached into the valley nearly knocking over the merchant. A white cap had been snatched from the person's head; a hat eerily similar to his. The merchant turned, ruffling their messy silver head before reaffixing their cap, readjusting what looked to be a white and red jacket tied around their waist.

White and red? A man that looked closely like him? Miss Jaku said that she had sent the "man" toward the Coronet Highlands. Had it arrived so soon? He balled his fists and quickly shoved the Celestican Flute back into the pockets of his trousers. No. I will host no sympathy for that creature. He turned away from the cliff. He would not fall for that trick again. Not ever.

He didn't see that the Zoroark had sighted him too.

The steady sounds of metal striking stone echoed throughout the Chamberclaw Cliffs. Ingo reached one foot down and then the other, letting one ungloved hand carefully strike the side of the cliff to test the holding wall. He hooked his pickaxe back onto his belt and gracefully slid down a section of the cliff. The wind had quieted to the point that Ingo could hear the quiet inquisitive squeaks of Sneaslets as they peered out of their dens to stare at him.

"Oh, it's you."

Ingo stiffened. He craned his neck around, catching a glimpse of lavender-hair from his peripheral vision. "Warden Melli," he responded curtly, taking care to keep his voice low. "To what do I owe the honor?"

"Oh, it is an honor! And it's about time too! I was wondering when you were going to return and do your damned job!" The Diamond Clan Warden was glaring, his face swathed by the fur-lined ruff of his tunic. He leaned against a gangly fir tree, his arms crossed and his hands fiddled with the precise embroidering on his tunic sleeves.

"A pleasure to see you as well. Though, it is quite odd for you to make your way down the cliffs. How did you come to get down here?"

"By boat." Melli jerked a sharp finger at a spindly-looking canoe. "It's bad enough having to maintain the highlands by myself. Of course, I could and can easily manage these mountains on my own!" the man declared with a flourish of his hands- "but to think I had to paddle all the way here in a rinky-dink canoe of all things just to tell you to get back to work! It's utter nonsense, truly!"

"… You remember where I keep my tent?" Ingo muttered half in disbelief.

Melli quickly shut his mouth. "You- uh- I meant to say- that is- I just have a- a fantastic memory is all! Yes! That's what I meant to say! The Great Melli would easily remember the landmarks of the Coronet Highlands! It is my job to know the territory!"

"My tent is a landmark?" Ingo quipped in an innocent tone. "Truly? Is it marked on a map? On your map, perhaps?"

"Ye- no! No it is not!" Melli grimaced, his face flushing red with embarrassment.

"Ah. You must remember its location from the less-than-fortunate event where you-"

"Yes, yes, yes, I know what you're talking about, warden. You don't need to retell it," Melli shushed him quickly. "I'd rather not remember that, if you'd be so kind."

"Of course." There was a long pause. Ingo knew how to play Melli's games. He could appreciate a little word play every now and then and let a ghost of a smile play on his lips as Melli huffed from across from him.

"You are the most ridiculous man I have ever met," Melli growled after breaking eye contact with the older warden.

"So you admit that I am of importance to you then?" Ingo smiled.

"Stop twisting my words, old man!"


June 20th, First Year

Ingo and his now beloved aerial conductor were now alighting over the Alabaster Icelands, Ingo hunkering down into Mandibuzz's warm feathers as he pulled the collar of his jacket tighter around him. Not even his specially tailored fur-lined haori would spare him from the bone-chilling cold of his clan's homeland.

The barren expanse of ice and snow shone like a glittering white blanket, forcing Ingo to pull down the visor of his cap as he turned his head away. He would consider himself lucky if he managed to leave without encountering some kind of incident involving snow or ice… or Zoroarks. They were especially bad in the icelands.

Lady Irida had once again called for a summoning of the wardens. Ironically enough, flying there would most likely be the first time he was ever on time for a meeting without getting injured in the process.

With a gentle tug on its neck from Ingo, Mandibuzz began to descend through the snow, its head swiveling this way and that way as though it had never seen snow before. It gently landed near Avalugg's Legacy and began sprinting along the snow at top speed until Ingo reared it in just before they hit the edge of the Pearl Clan Settlement.

"Easy now," he murmured, ruffling the pokémon's feathers.

Mandibuzz lowered itself so that Ingo could slide down its side and gave him a cheeky nod as he recalled it back into its proper ball. He found himself wishing that he could replicate these shinier, smoother versions of the capsules than the ones the Galaxy Team had taught him to make. They felt so right in his hands. Maybe he would ask Rei next time he saw the boy.

"Warden Ingo! Greetings." The two clansmen at the edge of the settlement bowed as he approached, holding their spears at a distance. "You are here for the meeting, correct?"

"That is correct, gentlemen. May I pass through?"

"Of course."

The Pearl Clan Settlement had no walls or gates. It was wide open, a mix of separate tents or tent clusters hunched around the center ledge, all of them white to blend in with the snow. The whole village was situated on an incline with the clan leader's tent being at the very top. Ingo had noted, dully, that the incline led to a dead end next to a cliff. Anybody at the very bottom of the incline was immediate cannon fodder for the wild pokémon that showed up in the night.

Ingo didn't remember exactly what 'cannon fodder' meant, but he knew it was a bad thing because, like clockwork, wild pokémon always showed up in the middle of the night. That or a snowslide would pull up tents and crush belongings. That would never change.

He had arrived too early. He knew it the moment he saw children playing a game of snow tag by the fallen tree. Children were never allowed outside when the wardens were having a meeting.

"Ah! Warden Ingo! You're here spectacularly early!"

"Lady Irida." Ingo reflexively took off his hat and bowed as Irida approached, looking confused and somewhat impressed. "I believe I am too early for the meeting of the wardens, is that correct?"

"Yes, definitely. And you don't have to bow," she added quietly, shooting him an amused look. "I thought I told you to stop doing that years ago."

"My apologies, Lady Irida-"

"Just Irida," the girl emphasized, crossing her arms as she tried and failed miserably to look authoritarian. "You're too tall. Anyway, we're still waiting another three days for Calaba and Lian to make it up here. Especially Lian since he hasn't recovered from all of his injuries just yet."

"I see," Ingo hummed. He would have to pass time for another three days before he could rendezvous with the other wardens and leave. He never did like the meetings. They were all terribly boring and full of nonsense information that he already knew. "Should I reappear in three days then?"

"Well, yes. Absolutely. But it's a good thing you're here." Irida gave him a small wave; a signal to follow her. "There's been more wild pokémon appearing near the edge of the village recently."

"Nothing too serious, I hope?"

Irida shook her head. "Mostly Swinubs and Bibarels. Nothing too dangerous or scary for the matter. I just- you never quite know what pokémon are capable of. I'd rather be safe than sorry. Would you be able to check around? See if anything has made a nest nearby? Voxl has been pestering me about the villagers being frightened by wild pokémon and none of the guards are brave enough to keep watch and chase them off."

Ingo was not looking forward to trudging around in the snow all day but resigned to his fate and nodded. "Of course. It would be no trouble at all," he lied. Only for Irida. Where the rest of the Pearl Clan was cold and excessively ruthless in their nitpicking of him, Irida was nothing apart from accepting. She was like a niece to him. A niece that had a particularly high standing in the clan and determined his standing in the clan.

In less than a few minutes, Ingo had realized that Irida had led them to where his tent was situated.

"Here you are. I won't need you to check until tomorrow, so you get some rest." Irida turned to leave but paused, adopting a look of worry that Ingo found unsuitable for a clan leader as young as her. "Also, Rani wanted me to mention that there's been sightings of a strange Zoroark creeping around at night. Black like coal with vicious blue eyes. That's all he knows about it."

Ingo stiffened, not bothering to hide his look of displeasure. Ingo… Ingo really did not like Zoroarks. First, it was the white and red one that'd been following him around like a shadow. Now, a creature unlike its brethren. Perhaps it was a special variant. Same creature, different colors. Same terrible disposition.

There was one thing that Ingo would always agree upon with the Pearl Clan, despite the numerous discrepancies between them; baneful foxes. Particularly, their shared hatred for the vile creatures. It made Ingo a little nauseous to feel so strongly against an entire race of pokémon… but his feelings were not entirely without cause.

He'd made a simple mistake a long time ago approaching an injured Zorua that had nearly frozen to death. It had been nearly buried in a landslide, almost hidden entirely under thick snowy pine needles and thorny undergrowth. For two days, Ingo had suffered numerous bites and nightmares trying to take care of the poor mite.

Once it was good as new and well-fed, Ingo had tried reintroducing it to an older Zoroark that was nearby. He had thought that the Zorua would finally leave him be with his fingers intact and that he might get on to wherever his destination was supposed to be. The key word is 'tried'.

He did not forget the savage claws of the creature as it tore apart his left arm, its fangs reaching for his neck as it tossed him back into the snow. It was all he could see at the time: snow and ice and the terrible gleam of golden eyes. Ingo could not remember the entirety of the mauling, having passed out somewhere in the middle of it. Had it not been for a Blissey in passing, Ingo knew he would've died, or he would've lived but with gruesome injuries.

Ingo did remember the almost-human look of vicious satisfaction in the creature's eyes. A mocking look. A self-satisfied grin as it tore at his chest, leaving him uneaten to freeze to death in the tundra. He would've forgiven the creatures if not for… if not for what they did to him afterwards.

After that terrible incident, one of the Zoroarks in the pack had apparently peered past the fog in his mind and had used a terrible vision to confuse him whenever he went scavenging. He would see visions of himself in the foliage, cloaked in white and smiling. An outstretched pair of arms. A quiet soothing voice calling for him, so familiar and so calming that Ingo would always stray closer without thinking too much about it.

At first, the image of the man who looked like him had made his heart race with excitement and longing. Whoever that person was, Ingo knew him! Ingo knew that man from the past! His past! That man was safe! That man was from Ingo's past! That man-

The multiple scars across his arms and torso were marks of lost battles trying to ignore those incidents. He'd gotten better at ignoring them. It was one of the reasons he'd been so eager to become Lady Sneasler's warden: getting away from those foul creatures. The smiling man- Emmet, Ingo remembered- his terrible visage occasionally resurfaced in Ingo's dreams but not nearly as much as before. The scars still ached, though.

Ingo made himself comfortable in his dust-covered hut, lighting a fire in the hearth as he kicked off his shoes, hung up his coat, and wrapped himself in a thick fur blanket. That black Zoroark that Rami saw was probably just a variant of the creature. Alakazam and Chandelure would make quick work of the beast.


June 23rd, First Year

In three days'time, the wardens were finally scheduled to meet. Ingo was more inclined to focus on locating the Lustrous Orb. The strange device on his wrist had provided an expansive map of the icelands, a black marker on a section of woods to the west of the Pearl Clan Settlement. He would need to conduct his search there, but that would unfortunately have to wait.

He calmly made his way along the incline, noting with satisfaction that there were no children milling about. Wardens often discussed things that were not suitable for the ears of children. Let the adults worry about that, he supposed. No need in exposing them to the horrors that waited beyond the docile tent city.

He'd been the first to arrive at the leader's tent, taking a seat before a large hearth to wait as the other wardens filed in. As soon as all of the wardens were seated, Irida stood and began the meeting.

"Thank you all for your attendance," Irida started. "I apologize for my sudden summoning, but it is urgent that we discuss this so that we are better prepared in the future."

"I take it, we're discussing either the catastrophe in the Crimson Mirelands or the issues with the nobles becoming frenzied," Calaba rasped, folding her hands on the low table.

"We are not getting involved with Lady Lilligant," Gaeric interrupted, crossing his arms. "That issue belongs to the Diamond Clan. They already allowed an outsider to calm one of their nobles. We should not bear a similar shame."

Ingo stiffened at the title. 'Outsider'. It was a similar title given to him when he'd shown up. As a matter of fact, Gaeric had been, by far, the most hostile toward him when he'd arrived but it had mellowed out to a mutual dislike of one another. If the meeting had been called to persuade anybody, it would be Gaeric.

"So I suppose if Lord Avalugg started killing people by triggering avalanches and landslides, you would sit by and do nothing?" Calaba retorted. "We of the Pearl Clan are prideful, but we are also not blithering idiots."

"It wasn't my first choice either," Lian admitted. "I thought it was a good thing at first; Lord Kleavor gainin' even more power from Almighty Sinnoh." The boy shook his head, taking off his well-worn hat. "But that wasn't power. That was pain."

"I couldn't imagine having that much energy," Palina spoke. "So much energy that you go mad and start culling your own children and then innocent travelers. So much energy that you even hurt your own warden."

"But Lord Avalugg is stationary. He does not move-"

"We're not talking about Lord Avalugg!" Irida snapped impatiently. "We're talking about all the nobles, Warden Gaeric. Lord Kleavor and Lord Wyrdeer gave us a good look at what's to come if the nobles keep becoming frenzied; more people die."

"Warden Ingo." Gaeric found his eyes across the table, lips turned down in a nasty scowl. "You were first to witness Lord Kleavor's frenzy. Do you believe it to be righteous, quelling a gift given from Almighty Sinnoh?"

There was a lot Ingo could fault Gaeric for. Being short-minded was one of them, something he had little patience for. "I would not call 'harming innocent bystanders, culling descendants, and harming the warden that cares for you' a gift." His voice was sharpened with a cold anger, causing Gaeric to lean back in his seat. "You are essentially stating that the death of many does not matter until it is your Lord that becomes the cause of it."

"I did not-"

"I implore you to travel to the Mirelands," Ingo cut in, drawing out each word slowly as he glared at the man across the table. "A noble does not need to kill to cause unspeakable damage."

Calaba clicked her tongue in approval. "The water is no longer safe to drink, contaminated with spores and dead pokémon carcasses. The land is no longer safe to harvest from. The berries and trees and crops are all damaged from sinkholes or are rotted by fungal spores. I am not Lady Lilligant's warden, but I hear her frenzied cries at every hour of the day and night. While her frenzy does not kill, it poisons and it withers away at anything it touches."

"I have already sent out the message to all of you that we are doubling our trades with the Diamond Clan and that in case of an emergency, that they are welcome to share our spaces," Irida replied.

"Without any input from us," Gaeric muttered under his breath.

"Speak louder Gaeric so that the whole table might hear you," Palina threatened. The tall warden straightened in her seat, her hands folded in her lap. "The Cobalt Coastlands are full of habitable land. We will be ready and waiting for any who come."

"Thank you, Warden Palina," Irida nodded. "It seems that the nobles can only be quelled by exhausting their power and by throwing calming balms at them. Warden Ingo? Might I ask you to elaborate on these findings? I'm aware that Warden Lian was the one to relay a message of de-escalating tensions-"

"Then why don't you ask him?" Gaeric cut in rudely.

"-But I would appreciate how your experience of the situation might tie in to the report," Irida finished, her scowl deepening as she ignored the man to her right.

"That much is correct. Battling Lord Kleavor was just as dangerous of a task as I expected it to be. It took myself and Miss Akari of the Galaxy Expedition Team to bring him down and that was with both of us getting injured in the process. It seems that exhausting it first is key. I have also spoken to the wielder who quelled Lord Wyrdeer's frenzy-"

"That Diamond Clan ranger?" Lian piped up. "What's-her-face? The one who you were talkin' to in Jubilife Village? Hey, did you ever figure out what was goin' on with her and that… thing?"

"Correct," Ingo nodded. "And yes, I have, Warden Lian. I have spoken to her about her methods she used whilst calming Lord Wyrdeer. I was told that she did not use any balms, instead relying on the strength of her allied pokémon. It was also brought to my attention that certain environmental effects were in play during both Lord Kleavor and Lord Wyrdeer's frenzies. Warden Lian, do you remember the behavior of the bug-type pokémon in and around The Heartwood?"

Lian shivered. "I do as a matter o' fact, an' I'd rather soon forget it. Why do you ask, gra- Warden Ingo?"

"The Diamond Clan ranger reported that a similar status effect took place during their battle in Deertrack Heights. They reported various effects such as confusion, nausea, sudden headaches, and in dire cases, internal bleeding. I believe these phenomena have something to do with the nobles' typings."

"Wait a minute," Lian began. "You mean- nah, that would make sense. Kleavor used to be a bug so it would make sense that the bug pokémon in the area would act weird, what with all the buzzin' an' stuff. An' I know Lord Wyrdeer is some kind of psychic. You think it was doin' somethin' funny to what's-her-face?"

"That would be my current guess, but I have yet to prove evidence of these phenomena resulting from the pokémon's typing."

"Rarely do I forget that you come from elsewhere, but I question what type of world you're from where you think so much and know so much about pokémon." From Ingo's side, Palina had turned her sharp gaze on him, her pale eyes resting on the dark jacket nestled around his shoulders. "Must we really raise a hand against our nobles?" she murmured. "Is battling really the only way to calm our nobles? And how do we prevent the frenzies in the first place?"

"We can't," Calaba tutted. "The frenzies are being caused by Almighty Sinnoh so they can't be predicted or prevented. All we can do is try to prepare for them. We need to get stronger."

"I hope you're not proposing what I think you're proposing," Irida groaned. "We are not taming more pokémon to fight our nobles." She turned to the table. "Pokémon are still banned within the village." She then turned to him. "Only Warden Ingo is familiar with wielding them in battle."

"I don't feel comfortable asking my friends to fight a noble," Gaeric declared. "Pokémon are much more powerful than us. It's not natural, nor is it right-"

"I did not expect you to, either way," Irida retorted. "In any case, Warden Ingo's help calming Lord Kleavor was greatly appreciated. I feel that your help may be needed to calm Lady Lilligant again. Warden Calaba, how is Lord Ursaluna?"

The older warden shook her head. "Lord Ursaluna avoids the mirelands now, but he is unaffected. He roams the mountains between the fieldlands and the mirelands. I am keeping a watchful eye on him."

After checking that all of the remaining nobles were in good standing, the meeting was finally dismissed. Ingo hurried to leave, not wanting to catch Gaeric who looked like he had some unflattering words to toss his way.

Rami hadn't been too far off. Ingo remained stiff a ways away from the edge of the settlement, eyes narrowed against the fierce winds of the coming snowstorm. He would have to perform more safety checks than usual. Zoroarks were notorious for blending in with the snow. Tricky little creatures, they were.

It didn't try to camouflage itself at all. A lanky black shape wandered through the snow, its sharp snout sniffing at the air as it slowly approached the settlement. It was covered in long, tangled black and red fur, its pelt studded with blue stones. It howled every now and then, its whines increasing in volume as it crawled toward the village on all fours.

Ingo had been expecting it to change form. To snarl and run at him. Alakazam and Chandelure hovered behind him, ready to defend if something went wrong. But that's not what happened.

The Zoroark perked up immediately when Ingo made himself known. Its sharp ears shot up. The creature's brilliant blue eyes widened before it gave a loud boisterous bark. It grinned, Ingo catching the reflection of the waning sunlight off of the beast's fanged smile. Drool dribbled down its chin. It gave another excited bark before it began bounding toward him like a train barreling down its tracks.

Ingo acted nigh instantaneously. "Alakazam, Sunny Day. Chandelure, Overheat."