It was Drayden who found Ingo and Alakazam sitting on the roof.

Ingo knew he shouldn't be surprised but it was. Only Drayden, the doctor, and maybe Anabel knew he'd left. It wasn't like Emmet or Rei would come after him, even if Rei had been the main one to do so in Hisui and Emmet had been at his side since his return. It wasn't that he didn't like Drayden either. He just didn't know how to make sense of him.

Ingo's only memory of a father figure was the father he shared with Runt and Ingo wasn't exactly keen on him at the moment. He'd done everything a father should do, sure, but Ingo really couldn't get past the whole killing and altering his memories part. If Hisui had been more kind to Zoroark and their tracks had intersected differently, Ingo wondered if Alpha would've been something more like Drayden. Only, Drayden was a stranger and Ingo really didn't know him well enough to say what a father like Drayden was.

Drayden sat beside Ingo and didn't say anything. Ingo appreciated it. He didn't know what he wanted to say, or even what he could've said. But, the silence left him stewing. Ingo didn't know how to explain himself. He was never one to run away but there wasn't much else he could do. An inspection of his physical form would ruin his chance for a life in Unova.

"You know, when you boys were kids, I never knew if you were afraid of going to the doctor. Most kids are," Drayden explained and that wasn't what Ingo was expecting. "Emmet certainly was. You never complained though, at least not more than any other kid. I never knew if you were actually alright or if you were just putting on a brave face for Emmet."

Ingo felt his frown deepen. "I don't remember."

"That's alright," Drayden told him neutrally. "I think all of us going to learn a lot of new things about you."

Ingo hummed. "I don't think I'm afraid of doctors. The doctor seemed nice. She just asked me questions."

"You seemed fine until she mentioned bloodwork. Is blood a problem for you?"

Ingo almost snorted. No, he certainly wasn't afraid of blood. Fear of blood was a death sentence in Hisui and Ingo had done well to survive. "No one in Hisui wanted to look at my blood. I don't know what the doctor's going to do with it. She said she'd be able to learn things from it but I don't know what."

"The people in Hisui were very wary, yes? You had to keep to yourself. Are you uncomfortable because the doctor's a stranger?"

Ingo started to shake his head and then paused. "I don't know. I don't think I'd want Emmet or Rei knowing whatever my blood says either."

Drayden nodded as if Ingo's words meant something. Maybe they did and Ingo was just lost again. "Who took care of you in Hisui? Medically, I mean."

Again, Ingo wasn't expecting the question. He paused for a moment to get his answers together. "It depended on what was wrong. Warden Calaba would usually make sure my cab was still in working order when I came to the village but I didn't see her often and I don't think she liked me. Sometimes Melli and I would help each other out but usually Lady Sneasler just gave me berries and Machamp took care of anything that required thumbs. If it was really bad, there was an Alpha Blissey in the Fieldlands who Lady Sneasler got along with."

Drayden hummed in thought, brow furrowed in concern but Ingo could tell his mind was working at something. "Would you be more comfortable with an Audino?"

"What?"

"Audino are the Unovan equivalent of Chansey. They usually attend medical school alongside their Nurse Joy partners but a lot of human doctors have them as well," Drayden explained. "I'd really prefer if you got properly checked out but I think we should wait. You're right. You have no idea what medical procedures they're performing. We can do some smoogling and come back another time. An Audino would just let us know if there was anything urgent."

And an Audino couldn't out him as a Pokémon, or at least Ingo was pretty sure it couldn't. So, he nodded. "That is acceptable."

Drayden looked relieved. "Good. Are you ready to come inside or do you want me to see if we can send an Audino up here?"

"Here," Ingo answered instantly. "I'd- I don't want anyone around."

Drayden nodded and Ingo was eternally grateful for his patience. "The doctor and Anabel would probably like to talk to you about your amnesia afterward. Brain injuries can be pretty serious and Interpol has a history with amnesia."

"It's not from an injury."

Drayden blinked. "You know the cause?"

"Yes."

"Are you going to tell us?"

"...No." Ingo swallowed. "Not yet at least."

Drayden's expression didn't change. "That's fine, son. I know there are things you're not telling us but we're not going to force anything out of you."

"...Thank you."

"Of course." Drayden put a hand on one of his knees and pushed himself to his feet. "I'll go ask about that Audino. This really isn't standard procedure so this might take awhile. Are you alright up here?"

Ingo nodded. "I have Alakazam."

Drayden gave Alakazam a nod of acknowledgement and retreated, leaving Ingo and Alakazam to themselves again.

"Arceus, you really lucked out there," Alakazam commented and Ingo had to agree.

"I was thinking Drayden's better at being a father than Alpha," Ingo said before he realized he was saying it. "He… listens."

Alakazam nodded. "You know that's how Rei sees you, right?"

Ingo froze and whipped around, tearing his gaze from the Nimbasa skyline to stare at his Pokémon. "We're not talking about this right now."

Alakazam shrugged. "Wasn't suggesting it. It's something you'll have to confront eventually."

Ingo's frown twisted. He didn't want to. He did yet he didn't at the same time. It was weird to think about. Thankfully, someone was pushing the door to the roof open and interrupting this track of conversation before it could really get going. "Hello?"

"We're over here," Ingo called, turning to see a bipedal cream and pink Pokémon approaching. He couldn't recall seeing one ever before. Drayden had said Nurse Joys worked with them but he didn't think the Nurse Joy that had come to the house had one. Then again, the Pokérus made Ingo pretty out of it and he couldn't recall those first few hours well at all. He hoped he didn't say anything revealing.

"Hello," the Audino greeted then turned to Alakazam. "Why is your human afraid of the other humans?"

"I'm not afraid of humans," Ingo answered. "I'm just not one.

The Audino's face furrowed with confusion. Still addressing Alakazam, she said, "My trainer was concerned about a potential brain injury."

"His brain isn't injured. Probably," Alakazam told her, faintly amused. "He's actually a Pokémon. He can understand you."

"That's right," Ingo answered, unsure if he should be uncomfortable or entertained by the look on Audino's face. "I'm a Ghost-type. This is just what I looked like when I was alive."

"I… see," Audino said faintly, wide eyes set on Ingo. "I've never heard of a Pokémon capable of something like that."

"I'm a Zoroark. I think my variant is extinct though." He grimaced. "Sorry to spring this on you. I don't want my family to know though and I'm pretty sure your trainer would tell them if she figured it out."

"Well!" Audino straightened herself. "That's not really a problem with me, now is it? It's still my duty to help anyone who needs it. So, what's been bothering you?"

Emmet was verrry concerned when he and Rei returned to a room without Ingo in it. When Drayden explained, Emmet was still verrry concerned. Just in a different way.

It worked out though. Drayden had a list of referrals to find a specialists to seek further help with and Alakazam had a list of… something. Emmet couldn't make heads or tails of the Audino's scrawls but Ingo had the utmost faith that his Pokémon knew how to take care of him. Emmet didn't exactly share that faith but Ingo was in a good mood and he really hadn't been expecting that after a doctor's visit so he knew better than to complain.

Everyone seemed to be in a good mood, actually. The initial excitement of Ingo's return had died down somewhat, the health scare had passed, and no one had to return to work quite yet. Emmet asked Elesa to bring over some of the foods the doctors and Audino suggested Ingo and Rei eat while adjusting to the modern era and now, there wasn't much to do but relax.

Well, mostly. Emmet, Drayden, and Elesa all had various gym and battle facility duties they could do remotely and as much as Emmet would love to just lie on the floor with his brother and their Pokémon, he had reports to look over. Elesa and Drayden too. But oh how nice it would be. Neither Ingo or Emmet had ever been particularly cuddly kids and their teams reflected that. Ingo's Hisui team did as well but his attitude toward contact seemed to have changed. Ingo's Unova team seemed happy with this development. Their corners and lack of soft edges did not deter any of them.

Both Ingo and Rei were laying on the floor, letting their Pokémon crawl over them as they pleased, but everyone seemed to have settled down by now. Rei's head was resting on Walrein's tail with Lucario at his side and Ingo's Zorua going after one of his feet. Emmet's Archeops, similarly, was trying to make herself a pillow but was far too wiggly and settled for just stealing Ingo's cap and curling up beside his head. Durant and Excadrill had taken to climbing on top of Ingo, Durant settling on his legs and Excadrill straddling his chest. Emmet did not think that looked very comfortable but Ingo was never one to say no to a Pokémon.

"If you're going to do that, at least sit up so you don't choke," Drayden said. He didn't look up from his paperwork but his words made Emmet glance over. Excadrill had a bowl of berries in her claws and was happily popping them into Ingo's mouth. Where she had got them, Emmet was not sure. Elesa, presumably. They were some of the berries Audino had suggested Ingo eat more of, at least.

"Drill!" Excadrill complained as Ingo sat himself up, making her slide off his chest and onto his lap. Durant hissed in displeasure as Excadrill fell on top of him and wiggled down to rest on Ingo's knee. Archeops too seemed unhappy at the development and shot Drayden a glare so serious that Emmet wished he caught it on camera. Prime reaction image right there, yup. Chatter would love it.

"Drayden is right," Ingo told his little group of unhappy Pokémon. "Safety checks must be followed."

Excadrill responded by plucking up another berry in her claws and shoving it into Ingo's mouth. She clicked her claws together, satisfied and looking a little amused. Ingo shut his mouth and chewed on the berry silently. A quick way to get Ingo quiet, not that Emmet would ever wish for such a thing. His home had been quiet for far too long.

Durant suddenly noticed the bowl of berries and began squabbling for a bite. Excadrill complained loudly and held the bowl up out of Durant's reach, prompting Durant to surge forward and knock them both out of Ingo's lap. The motion caught Zorua's attention and the little Pokémon abandoned his efforts to chew a hole through Rei's sock and pounced to join in the fun.

"Alakazam." Psychic powers saved the berries from spilling onto the floor as Alakzam drifted over to settle beside her trainer. She didn't offer him any, instead letting Ingo take one for himself if he so chose.

It was a nice scene. A dream, really. Ingo was back. Elesa and Drayden were there. Emmet was getting around to liking Rei, even if his relationship to his brother was still uncertain. All the Pokémon were happy. It was obvious something was missing though. Maybe not to anyone else but Emmet could tell. Ingo would if he remembered but he didn't and that meant it was Emmet's job to disrupt the peace.

"...Would you like to try meeting Chandelure again?"

Ingo's head snapped up. "What?"

Emmet tried not to squirm. "I know it did not go well last time. I do not know why. I know she missed you though. Now may be a good time to try again."

They were at home, for one thing. The strange village and the panicked urge to find Ingo had really set the mood last time. Drayden, Elesa, and Rei were here too and Emmet didn't know if that counted for anything but Emmet found their presence stabilizing. Nearly every Pokémon was present too, or at least within shouting distance. Chandelure would see that everything was fine. They couldn't slip right back into the old normal but in moments like these, it felt like it.

Slowly, Ingo nodded. "I missed her too."

Emmet didn't say anything as he got up to retrieve Chandelure's Pokéball. Eelekross trailed after him, fiddling its claws nervously. Emmet wished there was something he could say to assure everyone but no words came to mind. The last encounter had gone so poorly. He hadn't expected Chandelure to react that way upon seeing Ingo. He hadn't expected her to react with anything but joy. What was he supposed to do when she hadn't?

She'd wailed and let her flames roar behind her control. She was upset about something and no one knew what but her. Emmet had never seen her do that before. Maybe Ingo had but he doubted it. Ingo and Emmet were rarely apart. If he had, it didn't matter anyway. Ingo didn't remember. This was a new track for all of them.

Emmet sat back down where he'd been looking over reports. Would it be better to look relaxed? To show Chandelure she had nothing to worry about? Or should he be more active? To tell her everything was fine? Emmet didn't know. He didn't like not knowing. That was something he had to get used to though.

With a deep breath, Emmet opened the Pokéball and Chandelure burst into the room.

"Chandelure…" Chandelure moaned softly. She didn't scream. Her flames remained dim. She seemed lethargic, almost like she had when Ingo first disappeared. Emmet was unsure what to do with that information.

"Chandelure," Ingo called out and his eyes were bright. Zorua was on his lap and Emmet didn't know if that was the best idea but Chandelure was focused on Ingo, not the Pokémon. Ingo reached out slowly and Chandelure didn't pull back. His ungloved fingertips touched her glass and she seemed to sink into the touch. "Tell me what's wrong."

"Chande chandelure."

"I know."

"Lure…"

"I did," Ingo said like he was admitting a secret. Emmet had no idea why. "I'm back now though."

"Lure chandelure." A pause. "Chande chande chandelure?"

"I'm still me," Ingo told her, running a hand over her glass. "I'm different but I'm still Ingo. I promise."

"Chande! Chandelure!" Chandelure's flames brightened but they didn't flare like they had before. It was like the life in her had just roared back. She spun, crying out in joy, before pressing herself into Ingo's side. "Chandelure!"

Emmet felt the last ounce of tension in his body melt away as his brother smiled in that way he did without his mouth and finally embraced his beloved Pokémon. Everything would be alright now. Yup.

Ingo didn't like beds and he suspected that had a lot to do with his new body.

Humans slept on their backs. Their bodies remained stiff the whole night, head back and limbs at their sides. Zoroark did not sleep on their backs, not unless they were napping in a particularly nice sunbeam. They didn't sleep stiffly either. They curled up, tucking their body under their mane to keep warm. Oh, and they slept with their packmates. Ingo had slept alongside his Pokémon in Lady Sneasler's den every night he could since he became a Pokémon.

Now, he had plenty more packmates to sleep alongside but he couldn't. That first night on the floor gave them plenty of room but since Ingo got sick, his human family was insisting he sleep on the bed. Ingo tried to argue. As a human, his back had hurt so surely Drayden's did too. He deserved the bed. But no, he would take the couch. Probopass was too heavy. Not a good reason, apparently. Big and heavy Pokémon slept on the floor or in Pokémon beds. Only so many Pokémon could fit in a bed alongside their trainer.

Ingo faintly recalled having a smaller bed at some point in his life. A twin in his youth, if he remembered the words right. He wasn't sure which size bed this was but it was bigger. Still not enough to fit all of his Pokémon but it wasn't as small as it could be so Ingo tried not to complain. It was still cramped though. Sleeping beside Machamp and Gliscor was non-negotiable but the bed wasn't wide enough for all three of them so Machamp ended up leaning against the wall and Gliscor draped over his legs. Then there was Alakazam Runt, and Excadrill, plus Emmet's Archeops and Durant.

And now, Chandelure.

"You sleep in your illusion?" Chandelure asked, floating over the bed.

"Yes," Ingo answered and that was that. He liked being human. He'd stayed human since arriving in Unova. He didn't want to change that.

"You look uncomfortable."

"I think that has more to do with all the Steel, Rock, and Ground-types on the bed."

Chandelure scoffed. "Drop the illusion, Ingo. Let yourself be comfortable."

Ingo felt a streak of stubbornness bubble up. "No."

"Yes."

"No."

"You would be more comfortable if you didn't have to sleep like a human, boss," Machamp pointed out.

"I'm fine."

"Audino said some of your back pain carried over into this body," Alakazam pointed out. "Some of that has to be from trying to hold a human's posture."

"I'll do the exercises she recommended in the morning."

"Just drop the illusion, Ingo," Gliscor grumbled, rolling over. "It'll be a lot more comfortable for all of us if we can tell where your body actually is."

That… was a good point. Ingo always had a weak spot for Pokémon. That just brought up a new fear though. "What if someone sees me?"

"I'll keep an eye out. I'll alert you if anyone comes by," Chandelure promised. "Ghosts don't sleep."

"Then why are you all insisting I sleep?"

"Most ghosts sleep," Chandelure amended. "You're the exception."

"Does that mean I don't have to sleep?" Runt asked but immediately yawned. He wasn't fooling anyone. He was the sleepiest of them all.

"You're a young soul. You need your sleep too," Chandelure told him, bumping him a bit affectionately. She then looked up at Ingo. "See, Runt's not sleeping in an illusion. Set a good example for your little brother."

His Pokémon really knew all his weak points, didn't they? Mentally grumbling to himself, Ingo dropped the illusion and revealed his Zoroark form for the first time since returning home.

There was a freedom to it, Ingo supposed. He was lying on his back and there was something nice about letting himself feel his muscles stretch the way a Zoroark stretched. He rolled over, careful not to knock anyone off the bed, and onto his side. He could do this as a human, he knew, but now he didn't have to worry about which way his limbs bent. Sinnoh above, it really did feel good to move his body in the way it was supposed to. Maybe that Audino was right.

"Too hairy," Durant complained as he tried to find a new spot to get comfortable.

"I like hairy," Archeops said decisively as she settled into the mass of fur that was Ingo's mane. "Very soft."

"We should look into what sorts of modern products there are to wash Pokémon fur," Alakazam mused. Ingo batted her with a back paw, earning an eye roll. "One thing at a time. I get it."

Ingo didn't think he was ready to be a Zoroark again but lying here like this, surrounded by all his Pokémon, he had to admit it was sort of nice. Maybe being a Zoroark could become part of his new normal. At least just a little bit.

Author's Note: Iris was supposed to be in this chapter but she didn't want to show up.