Author's Note: Reminder that since the story is currently from Ingo's perspective, the reader can see both human and Pokémon's speech but humans cannot understand Pokémon when they speak. There is no italics or bold text to indicate when a Pokémon is speaking. It will be treated like any other line of dialogue so pay attention if you get confused by that sort of thing.

CW: anxiety attack

Ingo was glad to have reunited with Rei but he was not looking forward to reaching out to anyone else. Melli, Lady Irida, Zisu, and all the other people who'd grown to be his friends deserved to know but something inside Ingo absolutely dreaded it. It would be awkward, his mind told him. Not exactly the best reason but Ingo wasn't quite sure how he'd explain his absence and he wasn't looking forward to their reactions either.

To his luck, Ingo ended up not needing to seek out Melli. To his misfortune, he hadn't exactly been prepared. He had his illusion up at least but Ingo didn't think that counted for much when he was sitting on Magnezone's head flying dangerously high above the ground.

That wasn't an uncommon occurrence now. When he'd been fully human, Ingo would often accompany Magnezone on its patrols but he rarely rode atop its head. Maybe becoming a Zoroark gave him a new sense of balance, or maybe he just wanted to spend more time with his Pokémon like this. One-on-one time with his team felt a lot more meaningful when Ingo could actually understand what they were saying.

"You ever notice that your tail is on your head now?"

Okay, maybe meaningful wasn't the right word.

"It's not. That's my mane," Ingo told it as it curved in its path ever so slightly to circle back toward the mountain. "You thought that was a tail?"

"Wouldn't a mane wrap around your head more?"

"There's that part in the front."

"That's separate. That's not part of your tail."

"Mane."

"Whatever."

"Sometimes it feels like I still have a tail," Ingo admitted, loosening his grip on Magnezone's antenna to rub a hand over his neck. Through the illusion, he couldn't feel his mane at the moment but he knew it was there. "Leftover from when I was a Zorua, I mean. I still feel like I have human parts sometimes. I just assumed the mind couldn't adjust to sudden change all that well. Do you ever…?"

Ingo trailed off, not knowing how to finish the question, but Magnezone seemed to pick it up. "I think my first evolution was weirder. Normally, Magnemite link up to evolve but I didn't so I just kind of copied myself? Then I evolved into what I am now and it was sort of like going back to normal but it wasn't the same."

"That's close to how I feel about my illusion. It feels like I'm human again but it's not the same."

Magnezone nodded, careful not to jostle Ingo. "I bet it's stranger since my evolution-"

Mangezone was cut off by a shriek from below. Both Ingo and Magnezone craned their gazes downward to see a familiar human running after them with a Stunky close behind. "Ingo! Ingo, get down from there! Magnezone, bring him down!"

Ingo could feel Magnezone's surprise and, in its shock, did as it was told and began lowering toward the ground. A spike of anxiety shot up through Ingo's stomach and he quickly checked to make sure his illusion was up and working properly. Now wasn't the time to blow it. "Is something wrong?"

"I thought you were dead for a year and when I see you again, you're flying around on Magnezone like you're trying to die!" The moment Ingo's feet were on the ground, Melli was at his side, pulling him away from Magnezone like he was standing at the edge of a cliff. Ingo tried his hardest not to yank his arm away. Melli meant well and he supposed it was his own fault for worrying him. "What happened to safety checks?"

Ingo felt his Zoroark ears flatten against his head, letting the illusion translate it to a scowl on his face. Sinnoh above, this was harder when he wasn't prepared. Ingo hadn't had any problems with Rei but now it felt like Ingo was conducting every step of the illusion manually. This was Melli though. They were friends. Time apart, illusions or not, Ingo felt at ease around him. "I will never forget my safety checks."

"I wouldn't let Ingo ride me if I thought he'd fall off."

Ingo patted Magnezone on the head. "See? Magnezone wouldn't let anything happen to me."

"He can't understand me, Ingo."

Whoops. Ingo was really off his tracks today, wasn't he?

"Something did happen to you, didn't it?" Melli asked, voice unusually somber, and Ingo felt a stab of guilt. "I would've run over here the moment I heard you hollering but all your yelling made some of Lord Electrode's young explode."

"Um…" Oh, this was the part Ingo had been dreading. He had no idea what to say. Also, it hadn't occurred to him that others would be able to hear him when he was practicing his voice. He'd been told people could hear him from across the Highlands when he really started yelling. Ingo had no clue if they were exaggerating but there was a solid chance another clansman had heard his signature call. He'd have to speed up his plans to visit the Pearl Settlement.

Magnezone bumped its magnet against Ingo's hip. "Remember what we practiced."

Right. Silently, Ingo thanked Magnezone. "I was hurt. Alpha. My memory was derailed. Lady Sneasler didn't let me leave her den until I got better."

Internally, Ingo cringed. That could've gone better but Melli's expression was softening and that was what mattered. "You know you could've gone to me, right? I would've helped."

"Rei said the same thing." Ingo shrugged. "Lady Sneasler was pretty strict about my travel and my Pokémon were too worried to leave my side to get help."

"Way to throw us under the bus." Magnezone rolled its eyes and it took everything Ingo had not to ask what a bus was. It sounded familiar, tingling some memory in the back of his mind, but now wasn't the time.

Melli humphed and bent over to look Magnezone in the eye. "Next time, you come right to me, you hear?"

"Hopefully there isn't a next time," Ingo mumbled but Melli was ignoring him.

"I said next time you come to me, got it?"

"Fine."

"Good." Melli straightened and turned to Ingo. "Now, let me catch you up on everything that's been happening with the clans. No Highlands Warden is going to be caught dead on clangrounds without the latest gossip."

Ingo tried not to flinch at the poor word choice and nodded, slipping easily into familiar conversation. Obvious worry aside, Melli would always be Melli and what they had came easy. That'd never change, no matter how long they'd spent apart.

The talk with Melli should've been a big enough motivator to finally visit the Pearl Settlement but it wasn't. It had been at first but then Ingo remembered what happened last time he tried visiting the Pearl Settlement and Lady Sneasler ended up carrying him home, throwing him over her shoulder and instructing Probopass to sit on him until he calmed down. He hadn't gone into a rage like he had when he evolved but Ingo appreciated the effort and the weight on his back did wonders to ground him.

The next day, Ingo climbed onto Magnezone's head and let Gliscor guide them over the forestops. Anything to avoid running into the pack or worse, the spot Ingo had found his body so long ago.

The clansmen saw Ingo before he saw them and he was greeted by the sight of clansmen gathering at the settlement's edge. He considered calling out to them but he hadn't been around to know the status of the nearby snowbanks. If his voice had made Lord Electrode's Voltorb explode from across the Highlands, surely he could cause an avalanche from this close. Instead, Ingo just waved and let Magnezone carry him deeper into the settlement until he saw a familiar face.

"Warden Gaeric!"

Gaeric's head snapped up, usually confident expression slipping into shock. "W-Warden Ingo!"

Ingo sensed that Gaeric was about to shout for him to get down, much like Melli had, and softly tapped Magnezone's head to signal it to begin lowering. Gliscor, tired of flying, took the initiative and swooped down much more quickly, nearly plowing into the figure stepping out of the nearby tent at just the wrong moment. "Warden Gaeric, did you say- aah!"

"Woah!" Gliscor yelped and swerved suddenly, narrowly avoiding crashing into Irida and instead crashing face-first into the soft-material of the tent Iridia had just stepped out of. Ingo, much to his own surprise, recognized it. It was the meeting tent, the place where Pearl Clan Wardens gathered to discuss clan matters when the time came. If he hadn't died that fateful day, Ingo would've spent that afternoon in this very tent.

"Gliscor?" Irida took a step back as her loyal Glaceon stepped in front of her, wordlessly berating Gliscor with a few sharp barks. "You're Ingo's Gliscor, aren't you?"

"That's right!" Ingo called from above as Magnezone lowered enough for Ingo to slip off its head. The edge of his coat caught on Magnezone's antenna and Ingo took care not to tear it further. "Apologies on Gliscor's behalf, though I can't say it's his fault for not seeing you."

"Warden Ingo!" Irida's arms were suddenly around his shoulders, surprising Ingo but not as much as he expected. As much as the Pearl Clan valued space, Rei and Melli's greetings made Ingo a bit more prepared for his space to be invaded. "You- I- You're here!"

"I am," Ingo responded, not sure what else to say, and patted her back a bit awkwardly. Who knew returning from the dead would be such a big deal to his friends and loved ones? Ingo was really looking forward to this being over and things returning back to normal.

"You were gone a long time," Gaeric commented, stepping close but not quite coming into Ingo's space. His brow creased with an emotion Ingo couldn't read. Expressions were never his strong suit. That was someone else's job. His voice betrayed his worry though, and his relief. "You were supposed to come to a meeting a year ago."

Ingo, now free from Irida's grip, fiddled with the brim of his cap. "Um…"

"If you say something about getting off schedule, I'm telling Glaceon to freeze your hat," Irida threatened, putting her hands on her hips. "Do you have any idea how worried we were? Warden Ingo, it's been nearly a whole year! Where were you?"

"I was attacked by an alpha on my way to that meeting," Ingo told her, reciting the story he'd gone over with his Pokémon.

"And that kept you away for a whole year?"

"It was a bad attack," Ingo told her quietly. As unskilled Ingo was with expressions, he could see the anger shift into guilt.

"Oh, Ingo…"

"Zoroark?" Gaeric asked and Ingo couldn't shake his head. He'd been unspecific intentionally but there was no use lying. Gaeric grimaced and clapped Ingo's shoulder. It was softer than it usually was but it was still firm and Ingo appreciated the gesture, even if he didn't especially like being touched as much as he was. His illusion was solid but Ingo still didn't fully trust his ability to hide his fur. "You're a brave man. I don't know if even I would be able to make the trek you did."

"It was all Magnezone and Gliscor. If it were only me, I would've stayed with Lady Sneasler and sent Rei or Melli to speak with you."

Gaeric laughed even though Ingo wasn't kidding and turned to rub Magnezone and Gliscor's head in appreciation. "Thank you for taking care of your human friend. I don't think the Pearl Clan's ready to try to find another Warden for Lady Sneasler. You know how picky she is!"

Magnezone and Gliscor wordlessly voiced their agreement. They hadn't been around to witness it but Melli mentioned it more than once over the years and that meant something.

"We care about you for more than just your Wardenship, Warden Ingo," Irida told him, offering a smile. "I'm happy to have you back with the clan."

Ingo tried to match her smile, only succeeding in letting the edges of his frown soften with warmth. It wasn't close to what he was going for but it was close enough. "I'm happy to be back as well."

Zisu was the last stop and Ingo was actually looking forward to it. Rei, Melli, and Lady Irida and the rest of the Pearl Clan were important but what Ingo had with them was nothing like what he had with Zisu. Zisu was a world away. Jubilife Village wasn't Ingo's favorite place and the members of the Galaxy Team weren't Ingo's favorite people but things were different with them. At Jubilife, Ingo was just a visitor. He had no real responsibility and that gave him a great deal of freedom. Ingo and Zisu's relationship wasn't built on clanship, any shared commitment, or even survival. Their friendship was centered around one thing and one thing only.

"Battle me," Ingo demanded the moment he stepped foot into Zisu's dojo. Zisu turned at the sound of his voice, looking just as surprised as Ingo's other friends to see him, but didn't protest as she drew a Pokéball, enlarging it and tossing her Ambipom out.

"Not even a hello?" Zisu asked good naturedly as she stepped to her end of the battlefield. "No explanation? Not even going to ask about the Pokémon you left with me? Just battle right away?"

Ingo felt a stab of guilt but it felt like nothing compared to the mountain of thrill welling up inside him at the prospect of battling again. He probably should've asked about the Pokémon he'd left behind but Ingo had a one-track mind and it was set to battle right now. He'd worry about them later. "I've spent the past few days telling everyone I know I'm alive. I just want something to feel normal again. Now, do you understand Pokémon well? Can you hold on to your principle? Will you go on to victory or defeat? All aboard!"

"After all this time, you still do that?" Zisu snorted, sounding amused, as Ingo tossed out Probopass. "Big mistake. Ambipom, Rock Smash!"

Ingo felt his eyes widen. That was new. Or at least he thought it was. Zisu's Ambipom's moves seemed like a rather specific thing to remember and he wouldn't be surprised if it was among the many memories he'd lost. "Probopass, Iron Defense!"

Probopass gleamed in the midday sunlight as the silvery layer spread over his surface but Ambipom's blow still hit head on, making Probopass grunt in pain. Ambipom quickly followed up with another Rock Smash using its other tail, spurring Probopass to try to push her back with a Flash Canon. He succeeded but Ambipom was a nimble Pokémon and another couple rounds of that left Probopass defeated.

"Bravo on remembering your type-match ups!"

"Couldn't you be a sore loser for once?" Zisu complained. "I had Ambipom learn a Fighting move just to get through your Probopass's defenses! Let me enjoy this!"

Ingo was rather impressed and honored Zisu would go such lengths just to beat him in a battle but that was the fun of having a rival. Ingo didn't hold back though and sent out Machamp next, letting his Fighting-type friend pummel Ambipom into the ground with a Drain Punch, then barely managing to defeat Zisu's Drifblim with a combination of Ice and Thunder Punches. Drifblim was new, Ingo was certain of that. It packed a mean Extrasensory that Ingo knew he would remember if he'd seen it before. Still, Machamp came out on top. Battered enough that he had to be returned but still victorious.

"Luxray!"

"Magnezone!"

Electric against electric was a difficult match-up, especially since Luxray would resist Magnezone's Steel moves. Battles were more than type-matchups and Ingo managed to get the upper hand via Magnezone's aerial maneuvers and a lucky burn from a well-aimed Tri Attack. Rapidash came next, another new Pokémon, and made quick work of Magnezone, prompting Ingo to send out Gliscor. From there, the tides were once again in Ingo's favor. Ingo usually liked to save Gliscor for last but Gliscor made clean work of Rapidash and then, after a bit more of a struggle, managed to take down Zisu's Honchkrow, bringing her down to her last Pokémon.

"You know, I started training this guy to fight your Machamp but I think he'll do just fine against your Gliscor," Zisu said, sliding her feet as she tossed out her last Pokéball. "Had to go all the way to the Icelands to catch him. Come on, boy, make your captain proud!"

Ingo watched eagerly for the appearance of another new member of Zisu's team. The Pokéball arced in the air and popped open, white light raining down on the battlefield as the Pokémon was released. The light died down in an instant and Ingo found himself face to face with- with- with…

"I see you," the Zoroark said, piercing eyes meeting Ingo's and then Ingo's world went blurry.

"Ingo?" Gliscor was at his side. Ingo blinked at him, trying to lock his gaze on Gliscor's trademark grin but the Pokémon was frowning with concern. That wasn't right. "Ingo, can you hear me?"

Ingo opened his mouth to respond but no words came out. Instead, he jerkily nodded. He heard footsteps and Ingo glanced up to see two figures nearing, one clad in red and the other white. "Ingo? Are you alright?"

The voice was distorted, like Ingo was hearing it from underwater, but Ingo shook his head and forced himself to answer. "I'm fine."

"You don't look fine," Zisu said, voice flat but Ingo could sense the worry. Ingo wanted to swat it away. He was tired of people worrying for him. He was fine! He'd died, sure, but his human friends didn't know that and he'd gotten better. No need to worry over him anymore. He just wanted to get his life back on track and for things to feel normal again. "Do you need to sit down?"

Ingo shook his head. Zoroark was still staring at him. "I assure you, Captain Zisu, I'm quite alright."

"Look, I didn't want to press but you were hurt, right? Rei didn't give me details but he mentioned it," Zisu told him but Ingo's vision was swimming too much to deny it. His chest felt tight. Did it always feel like that? He wasn't breathing all that well, was he? "I don't need to know all your business but it'd give me some peace of mind if you went over to Pesselle and-"

Yeah, no. Ingo wasn't doing that. Before he could even think about what he was saying, Ingo burst out, "It was a Zoroark!"

Ingo didn't need to be looking at Zisu to tell she was putting two and two together. In the blink of an eye, Zisu recalled Zoroark to his Pokéball. Ingo felt a bit bad– afterall, Zoroark hadn't done anything wrong– but Ingo couldn't deny Zoroark's disappearance made it feel like a weight had been lifted off his body. Within moments, Ingo felt his vision fade back to normal and his breathing fall back into its usual rhythm.

Zisu stared at him a moment and Ingo's mind began scrambling for the answers to the questions that would inevitably come. They didn't though and Ingo found himself with three new Pokéballs in his hands. "You want to see your old teams? Or team, I guess. I've been training your Path of Solitude Pokémon but your Alpha team refused to listen to me. Didn't think you were all that close with them."

Ingo felt the corners of his mouth switch as he accepted the Pokéballs, the feeling that had seized his body fading. Zisu knew just how to make things feel normal. "I think it's more an issue of pride. You haven't been able to defeat them in battle, afterall."

Zisu's expression soured. "Not for lack of trying! Come on, I've been training. I've still got three more new Pokémon actually! You up for some Path of Solitude action?"

"I think you just mean three one-on-one battles. The Path of Solitude specifically-"

"Infernape, let's go! You better not send out Basculegion!"

Ingo chuckled and drew his Alpha Stantler's Pokéball. "That'd be no fun. I look forward to seeing how well you fight. All aboard!"

Ingo knew the words to the script he couldn't remember weren't quite right but he was battling again and that was Ingo's element. Things weren't quite back to normal but they were starting to feel like it. Facing Zisu's Zoroark was a problem for another day. Right now, Ingo just wanted to battle!