There were certain senses that came with being a Pokémon, especially a young Ghost-type. Ingo had been a sensitive human, or so he'd been told, but Zorua experienced the sensations of the world on an whole new level. It wasn't just that the sounds were that much sharper, that scents were that much more powerful, or that his eyes noticed movement that much quicker. Ingo could feel those around him in a way he just couldn't explain.

He could tell when Lady Sneasler came and went, even when he was asleep. He felt safe when she was near and empty when she was gone. Gliscor was similar, his beloved companion and eternal protector. Ingo felt his absence deeply. Machamp too had a strong physical presence but he was even more worldly than Sneasler and Gliscor, if that was even possibly for Pokémon already grounded to this plane. Machamp was just so physical.

Tangrowth similarly dabbled in the physical but her presence stretched beyond into something else, something Ingo couldn't quite make sense of but he had no doubts Grass Pokémon knew better than the sun in their leaves. Alakzam's presence existed nearly entirely in that something else, not the same something else as Tangrowth but still something Ingo wasn't quite connected to. Hers made a bit more sense though. The realm of the mind wasn't too far from the soul.

Both Tangrowth and Alakazam felt inexplicably alive though. Probopass and Magnezone did not. They weren't dead, not like Ingo, but they weren't alive in the way he'd once been either. Steel, magnetism, and electricity defined them and that was not of the natural world. Their presence rubbed against Ingo's new senses in a way that should not have worked but somehow that metallic quality brought him a great comfort. They reminded him of trains, he realized, even if he didn't remember quite exactly what a train was.

They were all different from Ghosts though. Maybe that was why Ingo became so aware of exactly how they all felt. Ghosts were what he knew best and it didn't feel like that was only because he was a Ghost-type now. Still, Ingo had spent the beginning of this new life surrounded by ghosts. He knew them well. And that was how he knew his father had come looking for him at Lady Sneasler's den.

It was late in the night during Zoroark hunting hours. Ingo should've expected that but he didn't. Just because he didn't feel like part of the pack anymore didn't mean the pack felt the same way. They would forgo hunting if it meant retrieving their lost pup. That was noble of them, Ingo knew, but that didn't stop the spike of fear that jolted up through his belly and woke him up the moment the Alpha stepped paw into the Highlands.

"Lady Sneasler! Lady Sneasler!" Ingo prodded her shoulder sharply with one paw. Lady Sneasler groaned and rolled over a bit but otherwise didn't react. Ingo frowned. Normally, Ingo was impressed by his Lady's ability to sleep through all her young Sneaslings crawling all over her but right now, it was more distressing than anything. He tried again, jabbing his paw harder this time. She hadn't had any kits in months. Shouldn't she be back to normal by now? Though he supposed a mother really never stopped being a mother. "Lady Sneasler! There's an Alpha Zoroark approaching!"

That got her awake. Sneasler's eyes were open and she was sitting up in a heartbeat. "What?"

Ingo's tail curled between his legs. "My father– this body's father– is looking for me. He's in the Highlands. I can feel him. He's the strongest hunter in the pack. He'll be able to track our scents right here."

Lady Sneasler didn't seem to hear much of what he was saying. Instead, she pawed him a bit, as if measuring his height. "Your sire's an Alpha? You are big for a pup your age, though I don't know if it's enough to say you're in Alpha…"

Ingo's tail uncurled itself and began thrashing. The fear was still there but it was fading, penetrated by a thick burst of annoyance. "Lady Sneasler! This is of the utmost concern!"

Lady Sneasler grinned toothily and patted Ingo's head, just like she did when he was a human. "You talk funny."

"Lady Sneasler!"

"I'll handle it," she soothed, raising to her feet. She had to climb over Machamp to reach the mouth of the cave but she remained perfectly balanced as she did so. "You get some rest, pup."

"I'm not just a little pup," Ingo argued, pouncing after her. He couldn't quite clear Machamp's shoulders though and that really wasn't helping his case but he wiggled up determinedly to follow his Lady. "I'm still your Warden. Everyone in the Pearl Clan knows how dangerous that Alpha is. I can't just let you go alone!"

Lady Sneasler raised a brow. "If you didn't want me to fight him, then why did you wake me up?"

"...Because I'm a little pup," Ingo grumbled but he didn't let himself sound defeated. "That's my father! Don't I-?"

"Stay here," Sneasler told him firmly, voice taking the same growl it did when she really needed one of her kits to do something, "and don't even think of sneaking after me."

Ingo let his ears and tail droop in defeat. He knew she really meant it. He also knew he couldn't get down out of the den without help from one of his Pokémon or by using Shadow Sneak but both were bad ideas for various reasons. Giving in, Ingo sat down heavily and looked up at Lady Sneasler with his best puppy eyes. He understood why he shouldn't go but he wanted her to know exactly how unhappy he was. "Be safe."

"Call for us if you need help," Magnezone added, startling Ingo. He hadn't realized Magnezone was guarding the entrance. It did often, even as a Magnemite, but Ingo was too wired to have given it a moment of thought. "Machamp has been working on some Dark-type moves and my Thunder Wave could keep him down long enough for you to get a good hit on him."

Lady Sneasler met its offer with a single nod and took off. It was a nice exchange, Ingo observed. He hadn't realized his Pokémon and Lady Sneasler had such a bond. It was more professional than friendly but these were still the Pokémon Lady Sneasler allowed to sleep in her den, litter present or not, and it was clear that bond was there. Ingo had always sort of assumed Lady Sneasler just tolerated his Pokémon but it seemed there was some real respect there. That was something to be proud of, or it would be if he was still really a trainer. Ingo had very different things to worry about right now.

"You took my pup," the Alpha snarled and it really was a Snarl. Ingo was too far to sense the Dark-type energy but he could see glimmers of it as the wave erupted from the Alpha's maw.

"You took my Warden!" Lady Sneasler yowled back and sprang off the cliffside, dodging the attack and sending her own Snarl right back. She landed heavily in front of him and swiped, forcing Zoroark back with poison-tipped claws. He opened his mouth and then closed it. Poison moves wouldn't be very effective against a Ghost Pokémon but calling out to Lady Sneasler right now wouldn't help anyone but Zoroark.

Magnezone was suddenly in front of him, blocking the opening of the den and Ingo's view. "You shouldn't watch this."

"I've seen Pokémon battles before."

"This is your Lady and your sire," Magnezone reminded. "I don't really understand what that means to you but I don't think Lady Sneasler would like to see her fighting your own kin."

"He's no kin of mine," Ingo grumbled but Magnezone seemed unimpressed. It rotated a bit, shifting to an angle where it could easily keep an eye on both Ingo and the battle. "Will you at least tell me if Lady Sneasler takes any super-effective or critical hits?"

"I will tell you when it's over," Magnezone answered mildly.

"I need more than that."

"Alpha Zoroark used Foul Play after Lady Sneasler used Hone Claws," Magnezone told him, eye remaining trained on the battle. "Normally Foul Play does more damage after a move like that."

"It's a Dark-type move," Ingo explained before he knew he'd done it. The words spilled out of his mouth without a moment's hesitation. Facts like these were practically instinct. "Lady Sneasler resists it."

"I can't understand how you remember all these things."

"I'm impressed you remembered how Foul Play works."

"Thank you. That's nice to near." Magnezone's body hummed a low, deep noise. It was pleased to hear the praise. Magnezone always was. "Compliments aren't going to get me to give in though."

Ingo pretended to pout. He hadn't been hoping to sway Magnezone with his words but he still would've been happy if it worked. "Who's winning now?"

Magnezone's eye slid back in the direction of the battle. "They- uh, oh. It looks like they're just talking now."

"Talking?"

"The Alpha just took a swipe at Lady Sneasler. She dodged it but neither of them are resuming the battle. I think they're really just talking. Or, arguing, actually."

Ingo's tail swished behind him, feeling a bit unsure. He didn't know if he liked that or not. On one paw, he did want Lady Sneasler to drive his sire away from the Highlands. On the other paw, Ingo hated battles for survival and didn't want to see his Lady get hurt. Talking meant less of a chance of Zoroark leaving the territory but a higher chance of Lady Sneasler remaining safe. It was difficult to complain about that.

Ingo heard shuffling through the den and Gliscor was soon at his side, curled over him. He didn't say anything and Ingo appreciated that. Gliscor knew he wouldn't be able to calm down so he didn't ask, merely offering his presence for Ingo to lean into. Ingo accepted the offer gladly, resting his head against one of Gliscor's large claws. Gliscor chittered sleepily, distracting his ears from trying to listen in on whatever Alpha and Lady Sneasler were talking about outside. Eventually, Magnezone hummed, interrupting Gliscor's efforts to soothe Ingo, and announced, "She's waving for her to bring you down."

Gliscor scooped up Ingo in his claws and deposited him on Magnezone's head. "You have a good grip?"

Ingo sat up, wrapped his forepaws around Magnezone's antenna, and nodded. He'd done this many times as a human before he'd caught Pokémon easier to ride. It was a bit harder with a smaller body and without hands to grasp with but he managed. "I do."

Gliscor nodded and Magnezone rose slowly, flying out of the cave with Gliscor close behind. It was still late in the night so there was no sunlight lighting up the scene below but Ingo's new Zorua eyes could see perfectly well. Or, he would be able to see perfectly well if he wasn't so focused on trying not to slide off Magnezone's head. Gliscor would undoubtedly flip out if Ingo dared teeter to the edge to try to crane his neck down to get a glimpse at Lady Sneasler and Alpha Zoroark down on the ground.

The moment Magnezone dropped low enough, Zoroark lunged. Ingo flinched back, expecting pain, but was instead met with rapid, concerned licking over the side of his face. "Pup! Never do that again! Do you have any idea how much you worried the pack?"

"I'm sorry," Ingo mumbled on instinct. His father kept fussing over him before grabbing him by the scruff and pulling him off Magnezone. Ingo squirmed, unhappy being carried like this. He didn't mind before but now he had his memories and it was embarrassing. At least Lady Sneasler and his Pokémon weren't laughing but Ingo could tell Gliscor wanted to.

"You're lucky these nice Pokémon were kind enough to take you in. Zoroark and Zorua aren't welcome in the Highlands. Thank Arceus the humans didn't snatch you up."

Arceus? That was strange. The clans and the Galaxy Team had only learned of Arceus a few months ago, if Ingo's memory served correctly. Had Pokémon already known Almighty Sinnoh's true name? Ingo shook out his pelt. That didn't matter now. Arceus and his children were a world away. Right now, he needed to focus on the Zoroark before him. "They're not just 'nice Pokémon.' They're my Pokémon."

"They're not your Pokémon."

"Yes they are!" Ingo argued even though he knew he shouldn't. The knowledge that Gliscor and the rest were his was something he couldn't deny. He couldn't quite understand it, even as a human. He didn't known them yet they were his and he was theirs.

Ingo doubted his father could understand that but that didn't seem to be the issue here anyway. Gently, he reminded him, "You're a Zorua, my little Howler. We're ghosts and sometimes you may remember times from your life before but that's not who you are anymore. You must shake away those memories and focus on who you are now."

"But I'm…" Ingo trailed off. Ingo knew he was right but Alpha had a point too. He wasn't exactly Ingo the Pearl Clan Warden anymore. Then again, he'd once been Ingo the Subway Master. He hadn't stopped being a Subway Master when he became a Warden. Except, he had but that was only because he forgot. It was different now. Why couldn't he be Ingo the Subway Master, Ingo the Pearl Clan Warden, and Ingo the Zorua?

Ingo's head throbbed. All this thinking was making his head hurt.

"We decided to come to an agreement to help you ease into your new life," Lady Sneasler spoke up, though there was a note of doubt in her voice that told Ingo she didn't believe her words for a second. "You're still quite young, Warden. Even if your mind is not, your body still needs to be with its mother and if you're going to be a Zorua, you need to learn how a Zorua behaves alongside your siblings. Your sire and I have agreed you'll stay in your nest a bit longer. Once you've matured enough to start casting illusions, your sire has agreed to let you come by my den. Assuming you still want to, that is."

Ingo nodded. He would still want to, he was sure of it. He wouldn't forget this time. He wouldn't let himself forget. "Will you get to come see me?"

"I don't think that's for the best," Zoroark said. Ingo tried not to let his tail droop but it did. Those were agreeable terms, he supposed, but he still didn't like it and it was clear Gliscor and Magnezone didn't either.

"Can he spend the rest of the night here?" Gliscor asked hopefully.

Zoroark shook his head. "We should be getting back to the pack. As I said, they've been worried."

"Can he at least say goodbye?" Magnezone requested, tipping its head respectfully.

Zoroark paused before agreeing. "I suppose. As long as my pup stays in sight."

Magnezone tipped its head again. "I'll go get them."

"We can't really be thinking of letting that Alpha have Ingo," Gliscor hissed quietly, though not nearly quietly enough to miss Zorua and Zoroark ears, as he trailed after Magnezone up toward the cave. Ingo didn't hear Magnezone's response but it sounded like it was refuting Gliscor's statement. The word custody arrangement rang in Ingo's head, though he was certain that was not a phrase Magnezone would know. He wasn't even sure where he'd gotten it from.

Soon, the pair was back with Machamp, Alakazam, Probopass, and Tangrowth in tow, all fully awake and looking very unhappy. "Ingo!"

Machamp scooped Ingo up so they could all cluster around him, Tangrowth on the ground and Alakazam and Probopass hovering around him. Machamp was blubbering a bit incoherently, almost as distressed at the thought of Ingo leaving as Gliscor; Tangrowth was poking Ingo with her vines, silently telling him how brave and strong he was; Alakazam put a spoon by Ingo's paw, wordlessly whispering comforting thoughts into his mind; and Probopass merely blinked at him, quiet as usual but thick emotion shining in his eyes. They'd miss him, Ingo knew. This time, however, he'd be sure to come back.

Ingo kept making the same mistake and he knew it. He was a Zorua born into a pack, not a human hiding among Pokémon. His family missed him, just like he missed his team and those faded faces he couldn't quite remember from his life before Hisui. With his human memories returning, it was getting harder and harder to get that thought through his skull. There were so few Zoroark and Zorua left in Hisui. A loss of a single pup was devastating to the pack. That knowledge alone was why he didn't complain when all the Zoroark of the pack spent the next couple days fussing and fretting over him. He was fine, he promised. That didn't stop them though.

It was some time before Ingo got a moment to himself. Pups had next to no time to themselves though and Ingo's littermates inserted themselves into Ingo's space the moment their mother left him alone long enough to breathe. Ingo wasn't usually the one sandwiched in the middle of a cuddle pile but for once, he didn't find it too suffocating. He could feel his brother and sister's pelts shaking against his own. How could he turn them away knowing that?

"I was so scared you weren't coming back," his brother murmured so quietly Ingo almost didn't catch it. Ingo's heart cracked just a little at that. He hadn't felt guilty before, not truly, but those little words made a storm surge up in his belly.

"I'm sorry," Ingo told him and he meant it.

"Dad said you remembered being alive a little bit," his sister piped up, voice a bit more steady than her younger brother's. It was curious. Ingo could handle curious.

Ingo nodded. "More than a little."

"What were you?"

"A human."

His sister giggled. "Weird."

Ingo lashed his tail, though he wasn't actually all that upset. "Well, what were you?"

She paused thoughtfully, taking a moment to search her mind for the answer. "I think… I think I was a Bunelby. Or a Lopunny. Or maybe just something that ate them. Like a Luxray. Electric sounds right to me. I don't really remember though. I've just been getting bits and pieces once in awhile."

Ingo hummed, settling a bit more comfortably against her. "That's probably good. Dad would freak out if you remembered all at once and ran away like I did."

"Yeah, probably."

"You guys are lucky," his little brother complained, letting his paws slide forward and flopping down onto the floor of their nest. "I don't remember anything."

"Nothing at all?"

"Maybe you were a Zorua," his sister suggested, "like how Mom and Dad were Zoroark and then they died and their spirits came back as ghosts. Zorua die all the time."

"Maybe," his little brother agreed but he didn't sound convinced. "It'd be neat to be a new ghost though. You guys think you'll remember moves from before you died?"

"I don't think that's how it works."

"Humans don't learn moves," his sister argued.

"I could yell real loud when I was a human," Ingo told her, unable to keep the pride out of his voice. The Pearl Clan didn't appreciate his yelling all that much but he had the sense his volume had been considered impressive for some reason or another wherever he'd come from. "I can still get pretty loud now."

"Howl's a move, right?" his little brother asked. "You think you're using Howl?"

"Zorua can't learn Howl, snow for brains," his sister teased, reaching her tail over Ingo to smack their brother lightly.

He scowled. "I know that! But maybe big brother can because he was a loud human."

"Maybe," Ingo told him even though he didn't really think that was the case. Howling never really felt like it did when he used Shadow Sneak. Then again, they were very different moves. Maybe he'd ask Lady Sneasler. She knew Hone Claws, afterall. That had to feel pretty similar. His father probably knew Nasty Plot though. He'd probably know as well.

Speaking of his father, Ingo could hear pawsteps nearing the nest. A moment later, Alpha Zoroark poked his head in. "Are you ready for your lessons?"

"Lessons?" Ingo's siblings echoed, their confusion palpable, but Ingo ignored the question, hopping to his paws with his tail wagging excitedly. He was pretty sure he accidentally hit his brother and sister in the face but he didn't even care.

"Already?" Ingo asked, bounding up to his father's paws, excitement warding off his recent wariness around him. "I thought you'd want to wait longer."

Alpha raised a brow and started to turn away. "We can wait if you don't think you're ready-"

"No!" Ingo yelped, bouncing forward to get under his father's paws. He couldn't stop him from leaving if he wanted to but he'd trip if he wasn't paying enough attention. It wouldn't happen, he knew, but it was the message it sent more than anything. "I'm ready. I was just surprised."

"I knew you'd just ask another Zoroark if I waited too long. I wanted to be the one to start your lessons," Alpha told him, poking him back a bit with his nose. "She-pup, Runt, line up with your brother. I'm going to start teaching you how to disguise yourselves. It's important for every Zorua and Zoroark to know. It's our greatest pride and our greatest shame. Do you know why?"

"Illusions keep us safe and let us get close to prey," Ingo's sister recited before Ingo could even open his mouth, "but it's also why humans and other Pokémon hate us so much."

"That's right," Zoroark praised with a nod. "It's an unfortunate exchange but it is our way of life. You'll need to know how to hide properly if you're even going to think about stepping paw outside the camp."

That last part was directed at Ingo more than the others. Ingo swallowed and nodded seriously. He'd wanted to learn because his father had said he'd be able to leave if he learned but he hadn't really thought about why Alpha wanted him to know how to properly utilize his ability. Illusions meant safety. Ingo wouldn't always be able to rely on Lady Sneasler, Gliscor, and the rest to protect him. He was a Pokémon now. He had to know how to do it himself.

"You already have the knowledge. Illusions are second nature to our kind. I've seen you start to tug on your illusions when you play," Alpha explained. "You must practice though. It is easy to manipulate what a pair of eyes sees but you need to trick the mind as well. You need to craft an illusion strong enough that your predator or prey won't be able to see through it."

"How though?" Ingo's sister asked. Through the corner of his eye, he could see her playing with her own image, twisting it at the corners and distorting it to try to get a feel for what their father was describing. "We're hiding ourselves, not changing."

"You need to mask your presence with another stimulus," Zoroark explained and Ingo felt something click in his mind. Masking, masking… That sounded familiar. "You will still be there but you need to balance what is there with the imagery you're creating so the eye sees what you want it to see, not what is actually there."

Ingo tried shifting his appearance, just like his sister had before. There was an idea in his head but it wasn't quite complete yet. He knew it would come to him eventually though. For now, he just needed to get a grip on how to manipulate his illusionary powers. He could feel them there. Now, the challenge was just getting them to do what he wanted them to.

"You've all got the right idea," Alpha praised, glancing between them. "Start by just trying to change the color of your fur, like your living Zorua ancestors. No shape yet. Just practice one thing at a time."

Ingo got to work immediately. Black instead of white made sense. His coat was black, he knew, perfectly contrasting the man in white. With that in mind, Ingo let the illusion flow over him, bleeding into his existing appearance and making something new.

"Well done," Alpha told them, sounding proud. Ingo glanced down at himself, expecting to see black but instead merely finding a big gray spot on his forepaw. It was more gray than white but there was still a fair bit of white, which was a bit disappointing. A glance at his siblings, however, told Ingo he'd done pretty well. His sister had managed to get most of her body gray but it was lighter than Ingo's. Their brother only managed to get a few patches. He hadn't been perfect but this was his first try and Ingo was getting the sense he had a knack for this.

Determined, Ingo squared his shoulders, dropped the illusion, and threw up another one. He'd get this, he just knew it.