Author's Note: There's a flashback-like thing that isn't really a flashback in this chapter. Don't love writing those because I feel like it's easy to get confused. I hate reading blocks of text in italics so I did a thing with bold dashes so heads up and keep an eye out.

Things got to normal after that, or as much as they could've.

Ingo still stayed in Lady Sneasler's den. His human tent didn't feel like his home anymore. He gladly opened its doors to Kleavor and Wyrdeer. The alphas wanted to remain with him instead of Ingo after being abandoned for so long but even after learning of their trainer's fate, they still weren't all that interested in being companion Pokémon. They were battlers through and through and Ingo was okay with that. He just had to add time into his schedule to sharpen Kleavor's blades, race with Wyrdeer, visit Basculegion at the lake, and seek out high level Pokémon for them all to fight. Ingo accepted the change gladly.

His Warden duties remained most of the same and Ingo was finally starting to feel like he was helping Lady Sneasler again. He'd been dependent on her for far too long. There was no shame in needing help but it was kind of embarrassing for a Warden to rely so heavily on his Noble. Lady Sneasler didn't need much, especially since she decided not to have a litter of kits this year, but making sure she had all her favorite snacks and her den remained up to snuff made Ingo feel right again.

There were a few clan and Warden meetings here and there. Ingo never loved those and they were a bit annoying now since he had to explain his reappearance to nearly everyone. He appreciated the worry, not having realized his peers cared for him that much, but it was tiring before he even began.

The dojo remained an escape, though it wasn't as much as it had once been and that was because of one particular Pokémon. Ingo knew he couldn't ignore Zoroark forever and one day, many months after his return, Ingo realized it was time.

"Miss Zisu…?"

"I've told you to quit calling me that. Call me Captain or just Zisu."

"You know I won't do that," Ingo responded good naturedly before growing serious. "Do you think I could talk to your Zoroark?"

Zisu looked confused. "Like, if it would bark back if you talked to it? Most Pokémon are pretty responsive. I thought you knew that."

Ingo wanted to sigh but withheld. "I meant if I could have a moment alone with it. I think I would benefit from…"

Ingo trailed off, not really knowing what to say. He wasn't even sure what he hoped to get out of talking to the Zoroark. He wasn't a Zoroark from Ingo's pack. It was the same as meeting any other Pokémon, yet it wasn't at the same time. There was something inexplicable there that Ingo didn't understand but needed answers to. At the very least, talking to Zoroark would hopefully give him some peace of mind.

Zisu gave Ingo an odd look. "This is some of that Warden nonsense, isn't it?"

"The bonds Wardens have with Pokémon aren't nonsense, Miss Zisu."

"You're the only Warden I really know and everything you do is nonsense." Zisu shook her head and reached to her belt to pull out a Pokéball. "Knock yourself out. Zoroark isn't exactly sweet but he won't bite or anything."

"Noted." Ingo accepted the Pokéball with a nod. He hadn't really been worried about the Zoroark but it was good to know the Pokémon was used to humans. Ingo didn't know what he'd do if he had to face a more wild one. Wordlessly, Ingo stepped away from the training grounds Zisu and Ingo had been practicing on and moved to the privacy behind the dojo. Once he felt he was secluded enough, Ingo opened up the Pokéball and released Zoroark onto the grass before him.

"Warden Zoroark." The Zoroark rumbled as if amused as his yellow eyes bore into Ingo. Up close like this, Ingo was able to get a better read on him. In his earlier panic, Ingo had seen his father, or at least something like his father, in this Zoroark but now he saw this Zoroark was nothing like him at all. He was big but not nearly as big as Alpha, though that was practically a given. More importantly, Ingo could tell he was young. Ingo had been expecting a Zoroark with a history, maybe a Zoroark too old and tired to remain in a pack but still spry enough to battle. Instead, he was Ingo's age, a bit older but not by much. Still, he was intimidating. Not as much as before but still enough to throw Ingo off.

"It's Ingo," Ingo corrected reflexively. "Warden Ingo."

"Ingo," the Zoroark repeated. "A human name? How unusual."

"My father called me Howler but I'm not who he thought I was." Ingo mentally slapped himself. Oversharing much? "What about you?"

"What about me?"

"What should I call you?"

The Zoroark shrugged. "Zoroark."

Ingo tried not to frown. "I mean your name. I know you have one. It's a tradition in every pack."

"I'm not part of a pack anymore," Zoroark pointed out, "so I don't have much need for a name. Outside of a pack, only Zoroark who don't know who they are cling to their names. I know who I am. It seems like you don't."

Ingo tried his hardest not to flinch and failed. That hurt more than he thought it would. "I have amnesia. I had it before I died. My name was all I could remember."

Zoroark blinked at him, looking like Ingo caught him a bit off guard. "I imagine that makes it harder for you to let go of your past life?"

Ingo didn't really want the conversation to go this direction but it was and he wasn't stopping it. "Everyone thought I'd let go of being Ingo and I didn't. I feel more like myself– my human self, that is– than a Zoroark."

Zoroark tapped his claws against Ingo's illusion, hitting the blank space that Ingo's illusion didn't cover but still held mass. Ingo tried to cover it up the best he could but his size was the hardest thing to mask nowadays. He was pretty sure he'd grown since he'd evolved. "I bet this doesn't help much."

"How can you see through my illusion?" Ingo asked, circling back to where he wanted to start off. "No one else has been able to."

"No one else should be able to but your ghost is screaming," Zoroark told him, retracting a paw and tucking in his haunches to take a seat.

"Screaming?"

Zoroark nodded. "Any Ghost-type will be able to sense it."

Ingo had no idea what he was talking about but he went along with it. "How do I get it to stop?"

Zoroark shrugged. "I just know that it's screaming, not why. Maybe it has something to do with what you left behind with your memories. Maybe something to do with the fact you're barely more than a pup and you're out here instead of with your pack."

"You're not with a pack either," Ingo responded. It was childish, he knew, but he didn't know what else to say.

Zoroark seemed unfazed. "I imagine my story is very different from yours. You still have a pack, yes? Zoroark are naturally solitary creatures but the circumstances that led to our current state make us clingy. Go visit your pack, Warden Zoroark. Maybe then your ghost will find some peace."

"Are you at peace?"

Zoroark once again looked caught off guard. "What?"

"I wanted to talk to you because you were the first Zoroark I've seen since leaving the pack. I'm certain the same goes for you. I imagine your journey here wasn't without obstacles. If you want another Zoroark's perspective…"

Zoroark huffed almost fondly. "Like you said, you're probably more human than Zoroark. I don't think you could help me much right now. Ask again after you've visited your pack."

Ingo frowned. "I don't see my tracks going that direction anytime soon."

Zoroark shrugged. "Think on it."

Ingo didn't want to think on it but it was inevitable. It'd be all he thought about every night until it got to be too much and Ingo had to admit defeat. He didn't want to but Zoroark had a point. He probably should check in with his pack. Sooner than later too.

Ingo slunk out of Lady Sneasler's den just as the sun began to kiss the horizon. He didn't bother waking any of his friends. He wasn't sneaking out. Ingo would've left at night if he was sneaking out. This was… This was one step down from sneaking out. He didn't want his Pokémon to know where he'd gone but he also didn't want to stomach the guilt of sneaking around behind their backs, even if he was literally using Shadow Sneak to go out the den behind their backs. It wasn't his fault Shadow Sneak was such a convenient method of travel. Fast too. Gave Ingo little time to back out.

Standing at the edge of Zoroark territory sent memories flooding back and not the ones Ingo wanted. He'd spent a long time here. Not long compared to his time as a Warden or his time before Hisui but still a long time. Ingo dropped his illusion and shook out his pelt. It was hard to believe he'd left this behind. Sure, he had his squabbles with his father but this had still been his home. He hadn't seen his brother or sister in months. Ingo felt sort of bad about that. With that thought in mind, Ingo stepped over the invisible border and began padding into Zoroark territory.

What had changed? Had his brother and sister evolved and chosen their names? Probably not. Ingo hadn't been gone that long. Had the seasons treated the pack well? Had they lost any members? Gained any? Probably not the latter. Again, as long as it felt, Ingo really hadn't been gone long enough for that type of change.

Ingo's ears twitched as a distant sound caught his attention. Ingo's head snapped up, scanning the trees for its source. In the blink of an eye, a Stantler came barreling out of the trees and right into Ingo's claws. He pounced without second thought and had it pinned in an instant. Baring his teeth, Ingo went in for the kill. Fresh meat was never a bad gift.

"Hey!" a voice complained. "You stole our catch!"

Ingo's head snapped up, finding himself face to face with two familiar Zorua and a massive Zoroark. Ingo tried to smile in greeting but, as usual, his face didn't let him and he just ended up grimacing. Instead, he ended up just flicking an ear in their direction. It felt rude but as far as Zoroark greetings went, it was pretty standard.

"Ingo!" Runt was bounding to Ingo's side in a heartbeat. Ingo hadn't seen him since he evolved and he abruptly realized how much bigger he was than his brother. Even as a Zorua, he'd been considerably larger but now he could probably fit Runt in his mouth if he really tried.

"Runt!" Ingo knew the joy in his voice was genuine. He bent over to lap Runt's forehead, earning a squawk out of him. "I missed you. You too, sis."

"I guess I can't be too mad about you stealing our catch," his sister grumbled, not sounding upset in the slightest as she pawed her way over to Ingo to butt her head against one of his legs. It was all she could reach.

"Don't pretend like you were going to catch that," Alpha commented, slinking forward a few steps. "You're lucky your brother was there to intercept it or you wouldn't be eating tonight. Help me carry this back to the camp, Howler?"

Ingo wanted to correct him but his mouth suddenly went dry. Slowly, he nodded and bent down to grab one of the Stantler's haunches in his jaws. On the other side, Alpha grabbed the prey by the back of the neck. Silently, Ingo was grateful having something in his mouth he didn't have to talk. That didn't stop his brother and sister though.

"I think I finally got my illusions down!" Runt told him, shifting into a Ninetales and then back into his usual form just to prove it. It was quick but Ingo could see the detail in it. Ninetales was a difficult Pokémon to mimic and Runt had done well. "Dad let us start hunting last month. Or, um, me. Sis has been hunting for awhile. Almost right after you evolved."

Ingo noted that he didn't say left but didn't comment on it. He hummed with interest and cast his gaze in his sister's direction. Taking the queue, she began talking. "I've been mostly hunting little stuff. Dad took me out of the territory a bit to practice with some Bidoof."

"Bidoof are good," Runt said, licking his lips. "You're being too humble though! She caught a Munchlax a few days ago! Now that was good."

Ingo blinked a couple times, impressed. Munchlax were small Pokémon but they were still quite a bit bigger than a Zorua, not to mention bulky. He'd never caught one himself but he imagined all that fatty muscle tasted amazing. He hoped Alpha let his sister get more than a few bites of that. She deserved it for such a good catch.

Ingo's brother and sister continued on, talking about their illusions and hunts. Runt had learned to use a Buneary illusion to get right up next to his prey, a trick he apparently learned from his sister. A skinny little Buneary wouldn't feed the pack but they made good practice and Ingo knew the successful catches had to be a solid confidence booster for his little brother. His littermates had done well in his absence.

Eventually, they reached the camp and Ingo could finally set down the prey. Straightening, Ingo flexed his jaw, providing the sore muscles some relief. "Was this your first Stantler?"

Both pups shook their heads. "We've helped the other hunters corner them but this was our first time chasing them."

"Enough about hunting," Runt said, tail wagging excitedly behind him. "What have you been doing? Anything fun?"

"I guess?" Ingo wouldn't consider most of his time 'fun' but he had been battling Zisu a lot more lately and that was plenty fun. "I've been visiting some of my old friends."

Alpha snorted. "You've been spending time with humans."

"Of course I have," Ingo snapped before he knew what he was doing. "I am human."

"You used to be a human," Alpha corrected, "before we got your ghost. You're one of us now."

Ingo did a double take. "What?"

Alpha looked genuinely surprised. "I thought your memories had come back."

"What are you talking about?"

"I guess your mother's illusions were stronger than I thought," Alpha mumbled, taking a step forward and raising a paw to his son's face. Ingo didn't flinch back, watching in confusion as Alpha placed a claw between Ingo's eyes. For a moment, there was nothing but then Ingo felt a pulse of illusionary power spread through him and suddenly, he was thrown into -

"I am Emmet."

That was the first thing Ingo heard when he found himself in… He wasn't sure where he was. It was some enclosed space but he sensed the walls surrounding him weren't wood or stone. Maybe something like the stuff Jubilife's construction crew used? Ingo couldn't tell. He wasn't looking at it. He just knew it was there. No, instead he was looking at another human. Specifically, his face.

It looked just like his. Most of the wear was gone, making the face look younger and healthier, but Ingo knew it was his face. He'd spent a long time mastering his illusion of it. He'd know it anywhere. Only, this version was smiling. Ingo didn't smile. No matter how much he tried, he could barely get the corners of his mouth to turn upward. Even his illusions couldn't smile. Yet, he was looking at his face smiling at him.

This smiling Ingo– or Emmet, as the voice had said– was wearing white in stark contrast to Ingo's own beloved coat. In the back of his mind, Ingo knew if he looked down he'd find his coat perfectly intact like it'd never been worn a day in his life. He didn't look down though and he knew it wasn't just because he was transfixed on this smiling face. He wasn't in control here. Maybe this white-clad, smiling version of him was another Zoroark. That would make sense. The coat matched a Zoroark's white fur and Zoroark loved their smiles and grins. It was what usually sold the illusion of a human.

Ingo wasn't sold though. He knew a lot of things about the scene before him without evidence to prove it and the fact that this Emmet character wasn't a Zoroark was one of them. This was a human. A real, honest to Sinnoh human that just happened to share his face. How strange.

"Try to have that report done by the time I get back," Ingo said, only it wasn't Ingo saying it. It was his voice but Ingo hadn't willed the words to leave his mouth. It felt like someone else had said them, yet Ingo knew it was him. This just kept getting stranger.

"More like you try to get back before I finish my report," Emmet responded good naturedly. Or, at least Ingo thought it was good natured. His voice was flat, not betraying an ounce of emotion, yet Ingo just knew it was lighthearted. "It's getting verrrrry late and I've got a date with my bed."

Ingo chuckled. "Well, I wouldn't want to keep you. Chandelure?"

"Chande chandelure!" a Pokémon cried, startling Ingo. It'd been some time since he'd heard a Pokémon cry instead of words. Why couldn't he understand this Pokémon? His 'self' seemed undisturbed though and waved for the Pokémon to follow him, stepping out of the odd room and wandering out into a stone-lined tunnel. This seemed more familiar yet it was totally foreign at the same time. Stone Ingo knew, of course, but he'd never seen it this smooth, nor had he seen it used as a building material like this. Where were they? A Steelix den? Or was this man-made?

The being that was and wasn't Ingo kept walking deeper and deeper into the tunnel, voice echoing as he spoke to the Chandelure. The conversation was largely unimportant to what he was doing but Ingo held onto every word. Every noise he made was a clue as to what exactly was happening to him. Some of the phrases Ingo recognized as things he said often, others sounded like total nonsense. Other people didn't talk like this, Ingo knew. Maybe that Emmet fellow did though.

Suddenly, Ingo wasn't in the tunnels anymore. He faintly could hear Chandelure screaming in distress, her flames roaring as she desperately tried to stop whatever was happening, but her noise was drowned out by the deep, reverberating echoing that was suddenly sinking into Ingo's bones. It wasn't unpleasant, not like a Screech or Metal Sound was, but Ingo didn't particularly like it. Some sensations just irked him, he knew. Like the Pokéball. This wasn't like that but the response felt similar.

Golden light washed over him and Ingo raised a hand to block it. It felt like it should sting his eyes but it didn't, just like how it felt like that echoing should be upsetting and it wasn't. This was very strange. Or as Emmet would say, verrrrry strange. Things were supposed to bother him. Ingo was glad these things weren't bothering him but it was suspicious that they weren't. Life was filled with unpleasantness and that was what made it what it was. To have all that unpleasantness sucked away somehow felt worse.

"Subway Boss Ingo." A voice spoke directly into Ingo's mind, tickling his brain in a way Ingo thought he shouldn't like but found he didn't mind all that much. Again, that knowledge that he should be bothered and wasn't made the sensation odd. There was something there in that light. Ingo just couldn't see it. He could hear it but he couldn't see it and that made him uneasy. "Welcome to my realm, located beyond both time and space. It is good that you are here. I am that which humans call Arceus."

Ingo sensed that meant something to his 'self' even if it meant nothing to him right now. Was this some sort of dream? Or vision? Wait, Arceus. He knew that name. He'd learned it after becoming a Pokémon, though he was certain he'd heard Melli mention the name somewhat recently. What was it? How did this other 'self' know what Arceus was? Was this another version of him? Some other Ingo in some other part of Lord Palkia's domain? That didn't explain why there were so many things Ingo knew and didn't know at the same time. Was this his future? That would make sense, except not really. Ingo was no Psychic Pokémon and nor was his father. Alpha didn't know Future Sight and even if he did, this wasn't how the move worked.

He'd mentioned his memories. Was this a memory? That made more sense than a vision into the future. Emmet's face was younger and, assuming it reflected Ingo's own, that meant Ingo was younger here too. This was his past, presumably his time before coming to Hisui. Ingo suddenly wished he'd spent more time back there. Maybe he would've gotten more clues about who he was.

"Soon you will find yourself in a world strange to you... A world inhabited by wondrous creatures that humans call Pokémon," Arceus went on, drawing Ingo's attention back to the scene playing out before him. "The moment in time you will land will be a turning point in human and Pokémon history but time and space are very unstable here. There is no guarantee the story will play out like I intended. Learn about Pokémon, foster your connection to them, and show humans and Pokémon alike the future they could have. When you succeed, seek me out once more."

Ingo felt his mouth open. This other 'self' had a thousand questions on his tongue. Why him? Was Chandelure okay? What about Emmet? What about the life he had here? What exactly were the conditions of success? Would Arceus send him home when he was done? Ingo didn't have the chance to ask though because he was then being thrown out of the golden glow and into the harsh Hisui tundra.

Ingo expected the memory to end there but it didn't. Instead, he found himself standing there in the cold, wind blowing right through his coat and sending visceral chills into his body. "Arceus?"

Ingo heard his own voice calling out, calling for Arceus and then just anyone who would listen once he realized Ingo wasn't answering. Ingo willed himself to be quiet. He wouldn't lose his voice, but not by a longshot, but any Hisuian knew not to shout in the Icelands. A ghostly wave washed over him and a dreadful feeling began creeping up on him as Ingo realized what was about to happen.

"Zoro…" a voice growled and Ingo's 'self' turned to see a hulking form looming over him from the nearest hills. His 'self' felt a flash of hope Ingo desperately wanted to squash down. A Zoroark in the Icelands was no savior.

"Hello there!" Ingo called out in a friendly one. "I've never seen a Zoroark like you before. I'd love to learn more about you but it seems I've become quite derailed. Do you think you could help me find my way back to my tracks?"

Zoroark growled deeply and Ingo abruptly realized that wasn't his father. Something slammed into him from behind, a heavy weight that could only be an Alpha pinning him down into the snow. Swift as a Liepard, the Zoroark from the hill slunk down and was standing over Ingo in a heartbeat. Ingo's 'self' tried to push himself up, to fight back or call for help, but the Zoroark's paw was on his head and a ghostly force was sinking into him a mere moment later.

"Zark, zoro ark," the Alpha growled, sounding pleased. He continued barking but the sound faded from Ingo's ears as his mind shattered and something else slipped in. Only, he didn't feel it. Oh, Ingo knew he'd felt it then but that part of the memory just wasn't playing out. He knew what happened here though. Lady Sneasler came in right about now, swooping in to carry him off to the Pearl Clan where Ingo would begin his long recovery from the Zoroark attack and later be appointed Lady Sneasler's Warden. Ingo would've liked to see that again but he didn't. Instead, the darkness faded into the snowy white of the Icelands forest, the very forest Ingo was currently supposed to be in.

Ingo knew this was still a memory. He didn't have control of his body like he did in real life. There was still more he had to see. Ingo didn't know what else there was to see. Alpha had attacked him the moment he ended up in Hisui and he and his mother had warped Ingo's memories. That was- wow. Ingo didn't even know where to begin tackling that. That apparently wasn't even the worst of it though.

It took Ingo a moment to figure out which memory he was in. He remembered this one. He just had a lot of memories here to filter through to pinpoint which exactly this one was. But once he did, it felt obvious. There was only one memory in this forest involving Zoroark that it could've been. This was the memory of the day he died.

Ingo didn't want to see that. He didn't remember dying all that clearly and he didn't want to. He wouldn't. He remembered it well enough. He wouldn't watch himself die. He wouldn't feel that pain all over again. Even if it was his father who had -

Ingo snapped back to the present as his father lowered his paw from his face. Ingo felt his lip peel back into a snarl. "You- you killed me!"

Alpha's red eyes met his, blinking almost innocently. "You know there are no Zorua left. It's difficult to convince the ghosts of the dead to come back to the living after finally getting relief from everything they've had to face. To maintain our numbers, we need to get strong ghosts from other sources. I picked you because-"

"You killed me!" Ingo howled, feeling the power of a Bitter Malice welling up in his claws. It'd do nothing against another Zoroark but something about letting all that anger pour into a move felt good. "You- you and Mom manipulated my memories so I'd make a good little Zorua! But I didn't! I remember!"

"Settle down, pup," Alpha soothed but Ingo wasn't having it. "That wasn't you. You're a Zoroark now. One of the pack."

"I had a pack before!" Ingo couldn't remember a thing about them but he knew they were there. "You took them from me and I built another one and then you took that from me too! But I got them back."

"You took the place of a human that no longer is," Alpha told him. Ingo had no idea how his voice was so gentle. It really felt like he believed the words spilling out of his muzzle. "You're not a human anymore, Howler."

"And I'm not Howler anymore. Maybe I was once," Ingo admitted, "but that was because you made me him but I'm not him. I've always been Ingo. And- and- I thought maybe you'd be able to see that. But you can't. You just want me to be your pup again."

"You are my pup," Alpha argued, voice finally betraying some anger.

Ingo shook his head, digging his claws into the ground as he spun around. "I'm not. And I never will be. I'm leaving."

"Ingo!" Alpha called after him but his father calling him by the right name wasn't enough to make him turn back.