Tiny pawsteps thrummed the surface of the snow.

"Ingo! Ingo! Ingo!"

"What?" Ingo snarled, whipping around and startling his little brother into skidding to a halt. Runt let out a little whimper and Ingo immediately felt bad. Calling upon his powers, Ingo let his Zoroark form fade and replaced it with his human one. It wasn't more comforting to his brother, Ingo knew, but it made himself better. Ingo the human had control. He wasn't wild like Ingo the Zoroark was. He didn't put his mind in a half-illusion like he usually did though. Even the thought sent shivers up his spine after what he just experienced. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap. I'm not mad at you."

"But you are mad," Runt pressed and Ingo felt his expression sour.

"Didn't you hear what I said? Dad killed me. He and Mom messed with my memories. That's- that's- I forgot everything. They took everything from me and when I got it all back, they took it from me all over again."

"You didn't lose everything though. You have us."

"Only because Mom and Dad tricked me into forgetting I was human."

"You're not human," Runt pointed out. "And you still call them Mom and Dad."

Ingo felt a growl rumbling in his throat but he swallowed it. Ingo the human didn't growl and he didn't want to scare Runt any more than he already had. "What do you want? And don't say you want me to come back to the pack. I'm not doing that."

He'd thought about it. Zisu's Zoroark's words meant something to him. Now, the notion felt silly. Returning to the pack sounded like the worst possible thing right now, and that was saying something considering all Ingo had gone through.

"I know you don't want that." Runt's tail drooped. "I just- I miss you. I want my brother back."

Ingo felt his heart soften. "I miss you too. I don't know if I know how to be the brother you remember though."

"That's okay," Runt told him and it felt real. "I'll take whatever brother I can get as long as it's you."

Ingo crouched down to run a hand over Runt's head. Through the illusion, it felt like human fingers. "You deserve better."

"Maybe but I'm stuck with you," Runt replied cheekily before sobering. "What… What are you going to do now?"

Ingo felt his frown deepen. "I… I guess you didn't see what memory Dad unlocked for me? I think I know where I'm from."

"The humans? The, uh, Pearl Clan, right?"

Ingo shook his head. "I'm not from there. They took me in after Mom and Dad took my memories. No, I was originally from somewhere else."

Runt sat up a bit, eyes wide. "Where?"

"Somewhere different in Lord Palkia's domain. Lord Dialga's too," Ingo told him, hearing his own voice go distant. Arceus had said he was sending him back in time, hadn't he? And Ingo knew he wasn't from the future of Hisui. "I want to go back there."

"Go back?" Runt echoed. "How?"

"Time-space distortion," Ingo answered without second thought. "They'll… They'll probably do it?"

"Probably doesn't make me feel very confident."

"I'll ask Rei. He knows more about them than me."

"Who's Rei?"

"My pup," Ingo answered automatically, not even thinking about the implications of telling that to his brother until he saw the shock on Runt's face. "Human pup! Adopted! Well, not really. He told me he thinks of me as a father but he didn't know he was telling me that. It's a long story. I think he may be from the same time as me though."

That sounded right. Ingo didn't know how he would've known that but his memories became even more scattered when he'd died. Actually, come to think of it, Rei had a mission from Arceus, didn't he?

…That meant Ingo had failed his mission, didn't it? Arceus had seen what he'd done in Hisui, decided his efforts weren't good enough, and sent a child after him. It wasn't Ingo's fault, not really, but immense guilt began bubbling up inside him. Hisui was a harsh place for anyone and Rei had faced things no man should, let alone a child. Ingo could've prevented that… No, he couldn't let himself get caught up in those thoughts. He could make things right now.

"I want to meet him," Runt told him, tail curling behind him. "Can I come?"

"Where? He lives in Jubilife and I don't think you'll like it much there."

Runt shook his head. "To your home. The one in a different time and space."

Ingo felt his face drop with shock. "Runt… I don't belong here. You do. You can't just… leave."

"I can't or shouldn't?" Runt responded with a surprising amount of sass. How long had Ingo been gone? Runt had always been a meek pup. Where was this attitude coming from? "I'll figure out some way to come back if I want to. Right now, I just want to spend time around my brother."

Ingo knew he should say no but some selfish part of him was desperately clinging to this notion of family. He had family, both his Pokémon in Hisui and whoever he'd left behind before Arceus had snatched him from his home, and maybe the pack was only family because someone literally put that idea in his head but Ingo didn't want to lose any more. If Runt was his last tie to what he'd gained with the pack, Ingo wasn't going to turn him away.

"Rei!"

Ingo knew his voice was panicked. As much as he tried to calm himself, he couldn't shake this feeling without the help of his illusions. It was fine though. Runt was here and Ingo could keep himself together for him.

Rei was standing just outside the gates of Jubilife Village. The Mr. Mime that liked to hang around there was present, miming away as it often did. Rei looked up at the sound of his name, face lighting up at the sound of his name. "Ingo! What are you doing here? I didn't think you had a shift at the dojo today."

The dojo. Right. Maybe he should've brought his Pokémon over for a battle first. Battling always got him back in the right headspace. But alas, Ingo's team was still back at home with Lady Sneasler. "Not today. Actually, I'm here to ask you something."

"Really?" Rei looked curious. "What about?"

"Time-space distortions."

"Trying to catch a friend for Magnezone?"

"Not quite." How did he phrase this delicately? "I think I'm from the future."

Rei's jaw dropped. Ingo did not phrase that delicately. Runt, who had been hiding behind Ingo's pant leg until this point, scooted out from behind him and pawed Rei's foot. "Are you okay?"

Rei snapped back to reality at the contact and looked down at the Pokémon by his feet. "Who's this?"

"Runt," Ingo answered. "I caught him on the way here."

Rei's expression soured, though Ingo could tell he wasn't really upset. "You can't call him that!"

"Why not?"

"It's mean!" Rei bent down and picked up Runt, making the little Pokémon yelp in surprise and squirm in his grip. Rei held him up with extended arms, getting a good look at his face. "Oh, what a cutie you are. You are little, geez. More of a Tiny than a Runt, I think."

"He's the runt of his litter. Zoroark use placeholder names before they evolve. Runt is a fully appropriate name for a Zorua of his size," Ingo replied, exasperated. This was not what he came here to talk about. "You're avoiding the subject, Rei."

"Sorry," Rei apologized, "I'm just surprised. See, I kind of already knew you were from the future?"

"Really?" That was a shocker, especially considering Ingo had only just figured it out for himself.

"Your coat and hat are modern. Modern to my era, I mean. You have future technology too, or at least you used to. I think one of Lady Sneasler's kits broke your watch," Rei explained, counting on his fingers as he rattled off the list. "You use modern lingo too. I mean, you talk about trains all the time."

"Trains?" Ingo blinked. "Like, training? I think that's pretty customary for someone who battles with their Pokémon."

"Trains. Not training. Though you are way too skilled with Pokémon, even by modern standards. I bet you were a professional battler, or at least a serious hobbyist. It's probably pretty hard to be a train guy and a battler at the same time. Because you are definitely a train guy. I know a lot of people who are into trains but you're way too into trains for it to be just a hobby."

Ingo frowned. "I still don't know what a train is."

Rei waved a hand. "I'll show you when we go back to the future."

Ingo brightened. "So you do know how the time-space distortions work?"

"Yeah. Well, no. We're not using time-space distortions." Rei held up his Arc-Phone. Ingo had seen it before but it never failed to hold his attention. It was so strange compared to everything around them. Nothing was that white in Hisui, save the snow and Ingo's memories of Emmet's coat. "You know how Arceus sent me on a mission? Well, I finished the Pokédex awhile ago. He said once I was done, I just had to go see him and he'd send me home."

Ingo knew he wasn't hiding his surprise well. "And you haven't taken up his offer yet?"

Rei shifted his weight from one foot to the other. "Well, um, I was going to but… I knew you were from my time and I didn't want to go without you and then you disappeared…"

Ingo tried to shove down the stab of guilt in his belly. He was feeling guilty way too often for his liking these days. Pulling on his leftover anger, he tried to drown it out but didn't succeed. That wasn't fair. It was Alpha's fault he died, not his. Sinnoh, it was Alpha's fault Rei was here at all. "Well, I'm here now."

"Did you talk to Lady Irida? Or Lady Sneasler?"

The guilt welled back up. "No… You're right. I should."

"Yeah, don't disappear on everyone again," Rei snorted and that didn't help. "Meet me back here in a week? I was going to ask all my Pokémon if they want to come or not. You should probably do the same."

Unease twisted in Ingo's belly. That was a good idea but Ingo couldn't bear the thought of leaving any of his friends behind. Still, he nodded. "I will. And I'll talk to the Pearl Clan."

"Cool. See you in a week?"

Ingo nodded. "See you in a week."

Ingo was greeted by a full body tackle from above. He hadn't seen it coming. One moment he'd been walking up to the base of Lady Sneasler's den and the next he was lying on his back in the dirt, fully pinned under Gliscor's weight. "Ingo! Where have you been? And who is that?"

Gliscor lifted his head to look in Runt's direction, giving Ingo to wiggle out from under him, or at least as much as he could. He was strong enough to shove Gliscor off of him but that felt cruel. Instead, he just snaked his upper half out and propped himself up on his elbows so he was face to face with Gliscor. "That's my brother Runt. Could you call everyone else over? I have news."

Gliscor's face fell a bit but he nodded and flew off. Within moments, everyone was assembled. And that really meant everyone. Ingo hadn't realized how many friends he'd accumulated. He was going to have to introduce Runt to everyone, wasn't he?

"What's up, Boss?" Machamp asked, leaning on Gliscor's head. He wasn't putting his full weight into it but it was enough to get Gliscor to swat at him. Ingo felt his lips twitch in amusement. Bless those two for lightening the mood. Ingo needed it.

"So-" Ingo cut himself off immediately. Where was he supposed to start? "Well, first, I'm fine. I went out this morning to visit the Zoroark pack."

"We could tell," Lady Sneasler responded, flicking a claw in Runt's direction. "Care to explain?"

"In a moment," Ingo promised. Looking down at his brother, Ingo told him, "Runt, this is my Noble, Lady Sneasler. That there's Machamp, and you've met Gliscor. That's Alakazam, Tangrowth, Magnezone, and Probopass. Kleavor and Wyrdeer are the ones pretending they're not listening. And that's Basculegion. Normally he stays in the water but he's a Ghost-type like us so he can float on land."

Ingo gestured to each of the Pokémon as he listed them off, each one making a noise of greeting as Ingo said their names. Runt watched with bright eyes and wagged his tail excitedly when Ingo finished. "Hi there! I'm Runt, Ingo's little brother. He's letting me follow him around for awhile. Put me in one of those ball things and everything."

Several of Ingo's Pokémon looked at him in questioning, as if silently asking if he really thought that was a good idea. Ingo ignored them. "I got some of my memory back. Or rather, Alpha let me see some of my memories again."

Alakazam caught on before anyone else. "He was the one who locked them from you?"

Ingo nodded. "He and my mother. Or, this body's mother. Apparently, since Zorua are born from spirits, it's pretty hard to make a Zorua egg hatch. Sometimes the spirits don't want to come back to the world of the living so Zoroark have to find them somewhere else. Alpha thought I'd make a good one so he and my mother tried stealing me but Lady Sneasler stopped them before they could do much more than wipe my memory."

"Oh, Ingo," Tangrowth said sadly, reaching out a vine. Ingo accepted it, holding it like a child would hold their parent's hand for comfort. "And they killed you?"

Ingo nodded. "Yes. I didn't remember but yes. But that's not important right now."

"Someone killed you and you don't think it's important?" Wyrdeer huffed, raising a brow. "We should show that Zoroark what's what for messing with our trainer."

"I appreciate it, Wyrdeer, but I mean it. I was able to remember something from before I came from Hisui." Ingo took a deep breath. "I'm from the future. And another region. The important thing here is that I am from the future though. Arceus sent me back in time to show humans and Pokémon that we could live in peace. I guess I succeeded considering we're having this conversation right now but I don't know if this is really what Arceus meant. When I forgot my mission, Arceus sent Rei after me and Rei did complete his mission. Rei thinks he can get us home. The both of us. And- and I want to go. I don't want to leave you all though. So I'm asking you…"

Ingo trailed off, not knowing how to phrase it. His Pokémon understood though.

Gliscor shot forward, not quite tackling Ingo but still plastering himself to his front. "I can't believe you'd even ask that!"

Machamp plucked Gliscor from Ingo's body and gave a thumbs up with another hand. "Of course we're going with you, boss."

"Thank you," Ingo told them genuinely and turned to his other Pokémon. "What about you guys?"

"You can count us in," Basculegion said, gesturing to Wyrdeer and Kleavor with his fins. "We let you catch us because battles follow you. If the humans of the future are anything like you, I'm sure even greater battles await."

"I'm from the future too," Magnezone reminded, magnets spinning in excitement. "I'd like to see it again."

Probopass grunted wordlessly and Ingo knew what he meant without having to say it. Probopass wanted to stay with him.

"I'm a bit nervous to leave Hisui," Tangrowth admitted. Ingo still held one of her limbs but she ran the other over the ground as if feeling Hisui itself. "We Grass-types have a unique connection to the land and I don't know if I want to leave it. I don't want to leave you either."

"You have time to think," Ingo told her even though the mere idea of leaving her behind broke his heart.

"Do you think you're ever coming back?"

Ingo opened his mouth to answer but Lady Sneasler beat him to it. "He is."

"I can't promise that, my Lady."

"You are," Lady Sneasler told him, voice full of confidence. "You're coming back because I'm not going with you yet."

Ingo felt his heart squeeze before his mind caught up with what exactly Lady Sneasler said. "Yet?"

"You're my Warden. You can't just abandon me," Lady Sneasler snorted. "I have a duty to the Pearl Clan and I'm not picking another Warden. I want you to find your home, Ingo, but this is your home too. This isn't goodbye. You'll be back and I'll be here when you come back."

Ingo felt his eyes water for the first time in… He wasn't sure how long. Ingo wasn't a crier. He wasn't even sure if he'd cried since coming to Hisui. "Lady Sneasler…"

Lady Sneasler put a paw on his shoulder and leaned forward, pressing her forehead to his. She didn't say anything but that was the bond between Warden and Noble. Ingo knew exactly how much she cared for him because he knew exactly how much he cared for her. Time and space couldn't break that bond, no matter how far apart they were.

The discussions with Lady Irida, Melli, and Zisu were a lot harder. It felt like the revelation Ingo was alive all over again, except this was goodbye instead of hello. Lady Sneasler's confidence that he'd be back softened the blow a bit but Ingo still had to leave behind a lot of his friends. Hisui was all that he knew and Ingo had to admit he had some doubts about leaving it. He had exactly one memory about his life before. It felt like he was grasping at nothing, sacrificing all that he loved for a chance.

But Hisui had become tainted in his mind. He loved it but he hated it too. Here, he'd died. Now that he knew the circumstances of his death, Ingo wanted to get as far from it as possible.

"Are you ready to go?" Rei asked. Ingo nodded, answering wordlessly, and scooped up Runt to carry on his shoulder as Rei brought him to the winding path leading up Mount Coronet and the temple that awaited at the top. The Temple of Sinnoh, Ingo's memory supplied in a voice that sounded like Lady Irida's. The Temple of Arceus, another part of Ingo's memory corrected in a voice that sounded like his mother's. Ingo shook his head, shaking the names away. He'd wondered why he knew the name Arceus. Now that he knew what happened to his mind, he didn't want to dwell on it.

"What do we need to-" Ingo started to ask when Rei suddenly pulled a massive stone slab out of his backpack. It was a pale purple and unnaturally smooth, telling Ingo it probably wasn't actually made of stone. Still, it looked far too heavy for Rei to be carrying around. "What is that?"

"The Toxic Plate," Rei told him as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "You've seen it before."

"I don't recall." Even with his unreliable memory, Ingo was fairly certain he'd never seen this before.

"It used to be Lady Sneasler's. Maybe she hid it from you?" Rei shrugged and held out the plate for Ingo to take. "There are eighteen of these things. Help me set them up? You can help too, Tiny."

Runt barked in wordless excitement as Rei handed him another slab. This one was a light tan, presumably the Normal-type plate. Mumbling around the plate in his mouth, Runt asked, "What should I do with this thing?"

"What are we doing with these?" Ingo voiced on his brother's behalf.

"Um, I was just going to lay them out in a circle and stick my Pokédex in the middle. Maybe play my flute?" Rei passed another plate out to both Ingo and Runt before pulling out another stack himself. "I don't really know how to summon him but this is all his stuff and he wanted me to seek out all Pokémon…"

"Why not text him?" Ingo suggested before pausing, not really understanding what he just said. Rei seemed to, if the facepalm was any indicator.

"Ugh! Of course! Why didn't I think of that?" Rei complained, setting down the plates with a loud clunk. "I'm still taking these things out though. They're heavy!"

"How long have you been carrying them around?"

"Since I got 'em. Um, bag magic doesn't make them heavy until I take them out."

Ingo didn't know what bag magic was but he just nodded along. He was about to time travel so he didn't want his headache to start early. He needed his mind to work as soundly as it could for what was going to come.

"'Hi Arceus, I'm done with the Pokédex,'" Rei read off his Arc-Phone. "'Can you come get me?'"

"Maybe something more formal?" Ingo suggested. "Or at least polite?"

"My original text was 'Hey Arceus, u up?'"

"Your text is fine," Ingo caved. It wasn't the best but it was an improvement and frankly Ingo was too eager to get going to waste time writing a message. Arceus probably didn't care anyway. "Something tells me that's amusing but I don't know why."

"I don't know how to explain it. I'll Smoogle it for you once we have internet again." Rei's finger hovered over his Arc-Phone's screen before coming down and pressing into the screen. "Okay, I sent it. How long do you think-"

Rei was interrupted by a spark of gold power exploding into existence right before them, answering Rei's question and forcing the trio to squint their eyes so they weren't blinded. Only, Ingo found his eyes didn't hurt. Recognition rang through his mind and Ingo knew he was about to see the being from that memory Alpha had unlocked from his mind days prior. They were going to get to see Arceus.

A long Stantler-like leg stepped out from the golden glow, followed by another and then a face. Ingo felt his expression go slack as he gazed up at the Pokémon before him. This was the true Almighty Sinnoh, a being even greater than Lord Palkia. This was a Pokémon not many got the pleasure of lying their eyes on. Only, it wasn't really a pleasure. Arceus had stolen him from his home. He wasn't the source of all Ingo's anguish but he still played a pretty hefty role in it. Ingo wasn't sure how he felt about that.

"My champions," Arceus rumbled as he stepped fully into the temple. He titled his head back, towering over the trio, and angled his eyes downward as if inspecting them. Ingo didn't feel inspected though. Inspected was too small of a word. No, it felt like Arceus was looking right through him, peering into everything that made him Ingo.

Arceus had called them champions. Plural. That thought snapped Ingo out of his discomfort of being looked at. He thought he'd failed his mission. That was why Arceus brought Rei to the past. Yet, Arceus still hailed him as a champion. Had he succeeded? Had he failed and Arceus just didn't notice?

"Rei," Arceus began, lowering his gaze without dipping his head to properly face the boy. "You did well to seek out all Pokémon. You have proven yourself through your actions and unflagging devotion to your goal. To see such truths proven anew, beyond the bounds of time and space… It brings me joy. I am glad that I chose you to call to this world. You will walk your own path now. For your journey forward, I bestow my blessing."

"Thank you," Rei whispered and he sounded very small. He was small, in a way, Ingo knew. It was easy to forget Rei was just a kid. Seventeen now, if Ingo's math was right, but still just a kid. Ingo would make sure he never had to face anything like he faced in Hisui if he had anything to say about it.

"Ingo," Arceus spoke, pulling Ingo from his thoughts.

"Lord Arceus," Ingo murmured and unconsciously scooped Runt off the floor, holding his brother close for comfort. "Did I…?"

Ingo trailed off, unsure how to complete the question, but Arceus had no problems understanding. "In a way. I recognize that you do not remember your mission but that was out of your control. Still, you did well considering the circumstances."

Ingo felt Rei's gaze fall on him, shock radiating through the temple. He hadn't mentioned his own mission, had he? It'd slipped his mind but Ingo wasn't sure how he'd explain if he could.

"Your mission is not complete," Arceus told them and Ingo's heart sank, "but you have done all you can in Hisui. The end of your mission is less tangible than young Rei's but there is an end. The tracks bringing you toward it await in the future."

Ingo felt hope swell up inside him. "You are sending us home?"

Arceus nodded once. "Yes, but I have one last request. Are you prepared for one last mission?"

Rei and Ingo glanced at each other before turning back to Arceus. "Yes."

Arceus rumbled, satisfied, and shifted into a wider stance. The plates on the floor shook before unseen power grabbed them and pulled them toward Arceus. The Pokémon's power flashes, the plates orbiting around his waist, and Arceus reared back. "Show us your might and your safe passage home will be granted!"

Rei grinned and the corners of Ingo's eyes tightened. They both knew what Arceus wanted and they'd deliver it happily.

"Probopass! Let's find our destination together! All aboard!"

"Lucario! Let's kick some more Legendary butt!"

Arceus roared and the battle was on.

About three hundred years in the future, a portal opened up over Jubilife City. About an hour later, a video of a Machamp running through traffic, two humans and a strange-looking Pokémon in tow, went viral and the internet exploded.

Author's Note (6/26/2023): This site doesn't like links so I can't link it but check out ultimate-submas-tournament on tumblr! It's a poll blog for different Submas AUs to compete and voting for Masking just began so I'd appreicate it if you went and gave it a vote!

This chapter isn't the last of Hisui but it is a pivotal point of the story. There have been a lot of comments on ao3 that made me realize I left quite a few loose ends so I'm rewriting the final chapter of the fic to touch on everything that wasn't addressed in the story, such as Ingo never really reconnecting with the Pearl Clan. If there's anything you can think of that I missed in Hisui, drop a comment. May make it into the fic, may just respond to it depending on what it is.