June 18th, First Year
"And scram!"
Ingo's eyes crinkled slightly as he watched on, partially humored as his junior warden angrily shook his fist at the retreating figures. "I believe that will do, Warden Lian."
"Not if I have any say in it!" The young boy glared at the fleeing bandits. "I swear, they're getting' worse an' worse by the day!" He then turned to Ingo, his eyes trained on the forest floor. "Thanks, gramps. I'm sure I would've sent them packin' but- I do appreciate the help an' all."
Ingo smiled. "It is no trouble in the slightest," he paused, the corners of his mouth wavering, "Lian."
The boy immediately perked up, shoving his large hat onto his curls to obscure his face. Ingo was almost certain the boy was beaming.
While he wasn't enthused about his derailment from tracking down the Lustrous Orb, he would admit that he didn't have much to go off of. A trip to the Alabaster Icelands would be wasteful. Not only because he had many duties to fulfill to resume his post in the Highlands but also due to the nature of… travelling to the Highlands.
Warden Calaba had sent him a Starly Note not long after gifting him her Old Verse; it seemed that people of certain statuses were obstructing the tracks between the settlements and causing great trouble to merchants and foreigners alike. And to his surprise, he had received a Starly Note from Warden Lian requesting aid with the very same issue. He certainly seemed to have become popular since his actions involving Lord Kleavor's frenzy.
"You reckon we should track 'em down to their camp?" Lian poised, nudging his Sligoo back with a muddy boot. "Teach 'em a lesson they won't soon forget," he growled.
"That would be ill-advised," Ingo responded curtly. "There is no sense in starting your engine without tracks to guide you. No point in attacking your enemy when they are down."
"Well, they don' seem to care about all that. Robbin' the merchants an' hurtin' folks."
"And are we bandits?"
"…No."
"Bravo! Well done! We are indeed not bandits," Ingo praised him. "We will not stoop to their level nor shall we blow steam when we are not in motion. Perhaps, if they continue to be a hazard to others can we proceed with… teaching them a lesson."
"If you say so, pops. Let's get a move on. I don't wanna spend too long at the woods' edge. I know! Let's go eat at Oreburrow! You ain't got nothing to do right now, do ya'?"
Ingo paused. Was it wise of him to stall even longer than he intended to? I have not been given a scheduled arrival. I don't believe stalling for a bit longer would impact my arrival at my next station. Ingo nodded. "I don't. Lead the way."
"Great! Let's go!"
The two wardens set off through the tall, wooded trees, Lian taking the lead as Ingo followed along at a brisk pace. As they walked, Lian would occasionally shoot him odd, almost concerned glances.
"Is anything the matter?" Ingo asked after a while.
"Nah, gramps. I just- I was wonderin' if maybe you've seen any of them foul things nearby?"
"'Foul things'?" Ingo echoed.
"You know," Lian began hesitantly. Quietly. "Them baneful foxes."
Ingo froze. His hands clenched into fists. A cold shiver ran down his spine, replaced with a hot leaden weight pooling in his stomach. Baneful foxes. Zoroarks. Them… or perhaps Zoruas. "I do believe the Baneful Fox does not ever migrate so far south."
"I know all that. I was just wonderin-"
"Have you sighted one here?" Ingo demanded, his aggravation toward the foul creatures lacing his words with venom. To say that Ingo did not like those particular pokémon would be an understatement. He was not anywhere close to forgetting his first experience with those… creatures. To think that one could be so close to Jubilife Village- to Lian-
"Not the fox per say, no," Lian began. He slowed down to walk a pace ahead of Ingo. "I did see somethin' two months ago. Thought it was a trick of the light or somethin'. Back when Kleavor was still havin' that frenzy- after we went explorin' that first time- I could've sworn I saw someone go trekkin' up towards Deertrack Heights on two legs. Looked too tall to be a scout. Looked closer and I thought I saw somethin' white an' red walkin' into the woods."
The gears in Ingo's mind began whirring like incessant clockwork. Where there any pokémon around the Obsidian Fieldlands that were white and red? None that he could think of. None especially that walked on two legs. He could only think of one pokémon that might fit that description- he certainly didn't want to believe it.
"Did you happen to see this 'thing' depart from Deertrack Heights?" Ingo put forth shakily.
To his dismay, Warden Lian nodded. "Well, I didn't see it but Warden Mai said she did when we last ran into each other. Saw somethin' waltz into the woods when Lord Wyrdeer was frenzied too. She said she saw that other lady… what's her name again?" Lian shook his head. "What's-her-face. When she got back from quelling Lord Wyrdeer, that thing was apparently trailin' after her. Apparently, that thing has been followin' what's-her-face around since and Adaman don't know what to do about it."
"… I see."
A Zoroark. A Zoroark following around Miss Jaku presumably. She does not know how much of a danger they could be. The Diamond Clan does not suffer nearly as many attacks as the Pearl Clan does, Ingo thought with a twinge of apprehension.
He would make a detour. While both of his fellow fallers were seemingly capable of defending themselves, neither would have experience with the plights of dealing with Baneful Foxes. Ingo set his eyes forward on the path before him, trying to shake the sense of paranoia and dread from his shoulders.
June 19th, First Year
Rain was coming. Ingo was almost certain of it, feeling the scars along his shoulders ache as he followed the curve of the river east towards the Crimson Mirelands, ignoring the headache building in his skull. Despite Chandelure's best attempts, his sleep had been filled with tossing and turning, the visage of his own face twisting into that of a Zoroarks. If what Warden Mai and Warden Lian had sighted was truly a Baneful Fox, then the Diamond Clan was in grave danger.
Zoroarks will always go where there is food. Where there is one, there is many. The thoughts persisted. Zoroarks will latch onto people that they find weak. Ingo grimaced. A long time ago, one particular Zoroark, an alpha, had latched onto him. Baneful Foxes were anything but intermittent. They track and stalk their prey until either victory or death. Ingo had to learn that the hard way; the tooth marks on the back of his neck and shoulders were evidence enough of those horrible two weeks.
He picked his way over a fallen log. He hoped he hadn't scared Warden Lian with his sudden departure. The boy would understand, Ingo assured himself.
Lady Irida had told him he had a habit of scaring people off with his intimidating demeanor. A tiny part of his mind informed him that he had a track record of frightening children and other passengers with his booming voice, sharp eyes, and harrowing scowl. It was never intentional. Just like how Emmet tended to smile too much and how his words were-
His headache worsened. Thinking about Emmet or his past usually triggered them, and no pain medicine would alleviate the sensation of a vice being viciously squeezed around his head. At least he could remember Emmet and what his home looked like. It saddened him deeply to know the face of the man he'd been dreaming about but know next to nothing about him or why his heart ached when the pain forced him to focus on something else.
He still had yet to return to the Highlands and back to Lady Sneasler. Warden Melli had not sent him any letters detailing strange happenings, so Ingo was hopeful that his routine would not change in the slightest upon returning to his Lady's seat. Maybe once he was back in his familiar hut, he would drink some tea and confer with Chandelure about their steps to obtaining the Lustrous Orb.
As he made his way up into the grassy mountains, he stopped. Gliscor had exited his ball, his beady eyes focused on a large shady tree by a large boulder. It took off from his shoulder and landed among the twisted roots, using its large, barbed tail to dig into the topsoil.
"Gliscor, what ever is the matter?" Ingo found his answer in the form of a strange dinged-up pokéball landing in his palm, smooth and shiny and different than the rustic ones at his belt. Its golden and bright green surface glittered despite the gloomy sky. Gliscor looked mildly concerned, tapping the ball with one of its pincers. He could feel the warmth from Chandelure's ball grow warmer as if urging him to do something. He knew what he needed to do: he needed to open it.
With careful hands, Ingo pried apart the two halves and watched as a pokémon began to take shape before him. It shrieked to life like a banshee, brown and black feathers ruffling as it took to the skies. It wheeled around him once. Twice. Three times before finally landing back down before him with a loud thump.
"And who might you be?" Ingo muttered, taking a step back as the strange pokémon took a step forward.
This pokémon was not at all familiar to him. It stared at him with its small beady eyes, head cocked as it gave a little excited hop of sorts. Its long raptor-like talons clicked on the rocks as it approached, large enough to make Gliscor retreat as well. Its wings were tipped with gold feathers, but its bald white head stuck out like a sore thumb. Mandibuzz. This was a Mandibuzz but… not the ones he knew.
Ingo realized with a slight shudder that the Mandibuzz had been resting when he had released it. When it stood up fully, he met the pokémon eye-to-eye, its thick legs much longer and sturdier than he remembered the species having. It gave a happy squawk as Gliscor swooped around its body, turning this way and that to snap at the bat pokémon with a strange, serrated beak.
He had a brief memory of seeing a 'regular' Mandibuzz in some sort of busy house? It was much smaller than the monster in front of him and was a much darker brown. That and its small body was covered in bits and pieces of bones. Was he remembering correctly what a Mandibuzz was supposed to look like or were his muddled memories switching him off of his tracks?
It was then that Alakazam materialized right in front of Ingo and carefully handed him a letter; a letter stamped with the seal of the Pearl Clan. He ripped open the letter and stared, brows furrowed. His presence was needed in the Alabaster Icelands for an annual summoning of the wardens.
Of course. Just when he was starting to make progress along brighter tracks, he had to go and get derailed like he always was. Ingo shook his head and recalled his Gliscor. Warning the Diamond Clan took precedence. He would stop by, chase off the interloping fox, and then make his way towards the Pearl Clan Settlement as his final stop.
Alakazam and the strange Mandibuzz seemed to chat amongst each other as they followed along behind Warden Ingo. He was surprised that the creature hadn't tried to make a snack out of him but then with a flash, he remembered- both he and Miss Jaku had encountered pokémon from their pasts. Perhaps this was one of hers then?
He'd almost cried out in shock as the Mandibuzz heaved him up onto its back and began running with him, carrying him effortlessly across the steppe as though he weighed nothing more than a pebble. Ingo scrambled to get his arms around the raptor's neck as it sped up.
"Please stall your engines!" Ingo cried, holding on for dear life as the pokémon vaulted across the gap between the mountain they were on and the next, much steeper mountain. He could feel every footstep from the creature as it caught the edge of a cliff with one set of jagged talons before it raced on, the rushing wind mixing with the sound of blood rushing through his ears.
The creature jerked forward and vaulted across another gap. It turned left and then right, a large drop advancing before them as the raptor pressed forward. Ingo was sure that this pokémon would eventually slow in its pace; it didn't look like it was suited to flying.
To his horror, he had been wrong in his presumption. The creature increased its pace at the sight of the upcoming cliff and upon running off of it, the large bird-pokémon spread its wings and began gracefully alighting into the air.
Ingo was sure he was going to suffer a heart attack if he continued his post as a warden training pokémon, trying not to lose his composure as the scenery of the Obsidian Fieldlands fell away from him at a dizzying speed. It was one thing to avoid looking out at the view atop Chamberclaw Cliffs. It was another to be so high up that the fall would be lethal and to be at the mercy of a strange pokémon that he did not know.
"Gliscor! Please direct this unruly passenger back to the station with haste!"
Gliscor darted to the Mandibuzz's side but stalled, almost seeming to relish the breeze. Alakazam floated at its other side and the three pokémon quickly fell into a conversation, Ingo going mostly ignored. After a minute, Gliscor turned back and gave him a happy chirp, tail pointing towards Mount Coronet.
"Is that where the Mandibuzz is taking us?" Ingo croaked, gritting his teeth at a sudden wave of turbulence.
Gliscor nodded. They couldn't possibly make it that far atop the pokémon's back.
But they did. Somehow, the Mandibuzz managed to carry him far from the Obsidian Fieldlands. The sun seemed to barely move in the sky before Ingo recognized the sea of reds, yellows, and vibrant greens of the Crimson Mirelands. The Mandibuzz seemed to be taking his surprise in stride as it swooped along the mountains letting its horrible squawks ricochet off the cliffs.
"Warden Ingo!"
Another large bird pokémon followed up to his right and there, tiny, gloved hands fisted in the feathery scruff of her Lord, was Warden Sabi. The little girl waved cheerfully at him. "Warden Ingo! You didn't tell me you had a pokémon that could fly!" the little girl squealed.
"I don't!" Ingo yelled back.
"Oh, I know it doesn't belong to you! You should land, though! There's a storm coming in from the highlands! My clairvoyance says it's gonna be a real bad one!"
Ingo tipped his head and remembered that this pokémon was not his. He could not control it or give it commands. But perhaps…? Alakazam seemed to guess his intentions and before long, the Mandibuzz began to descend, Warden Sabi and Lord Braviary close behind.
As Sabi had predicted, a fierce storm had broken out. No sooner did they land on Bolderoll Slope did curtains of rain began to lash at the bogs, drenching both Ingo and Sabi with rainwater. Ingo didn't think he'd ever seen the younger warden as irritated as then.
"Warden Ingo!" Adaman greeted, having been sitting on a stoop when he and Sabi had entered the camp. His wet hair had been pulled back into a ponytail and he dismissed a group of rangers as he jumped down into the mud. "I don't suppose it was the storm that brought you in, was it?" the man remarked sarcastically.
"I'm afraid you might be correct."
Adaman gave Ingo a quick once-over before shrugging, a tired grin on his face. "No worries. It's not well enough to travel, especially for a warden. Come. I have a spare tent you can room in until the weather improves."
"Are you quite sure?"
"Absolutely," Adaman nodded. "Come on then. Let's get you out of this rain."
Ingo had always felt grateful to the Pearl Clan and Lady Irida for taking him in but there was something about being within the Diamond Settlement that made him feel much more comfortable than the latter.
For one, the camp was enclosed with thick wooden poles and situated in a large stone hollow shaded by trees. Pokémon attacks here were, according to rumor, very uncommon. Even here in the middle of the camp, he could hear running water and children laughing. Zisu had mentioned that he tended to look more at ease when wandering Jubilife Village too. Something about enclosed spaces.
"If I may, Clan Leader Adaman," Ingo began.
"Please. Just 'Adaman' will suffice," the man called over his shoulder. "What is it?"
Ingo cleared his throat, walking closer so that he did not have to shout over the driving rain. "It has come to my attention that both Warden Lian and Warden Mai have sighted an odd creature roaming the Obsidian Fieldlands."
"An odd creature?" Adaman echoed. "And why would you bring that up to me?"
"When I was last speaking to him, Warden Lian mentioned that Warden Mai reported this strange creature following Miss Jaku after her success at quelling Lord Wyrdeer. They believed that it could've took the form of a person."
Adaman came to an abrupt stop and whirled around to face him, his eyes glittering with fear. "The form of a person," he muttered. "But Baneful Foxes don't ever come this far south unless…"
"Unless an opportunity presents itself," Ingo finished for him. "You look as if you've seen a ghost."
"I- there's a man that's been hanging around the settlement. He came in with Jaku. He's been around the mirelands for close to two months. Don't know the guy as a matter of fact, but he looks almost exactly like you. Said his name was 'Emile' or 'Ernie'. Something like that."
Ingo felt his blood freeze in his veins. His suspicions had been correct: a Zoroark bearing his face and his nightmares had latched onto Miss Jaku. "Almost exactly?" he gritted out through his teeth.
"He… he's scrawnier and he's got that weird Gingko Guild uniform on. He's got a coat like yours, but it's white and red instead of black and red." Adaman took a long pause. "And he's always smiling. He was looking for you as a matter of fact."
"Where is it?"
Adaman took a nervous pace back. "I'm not sure. He's out of camp most of the time doing sinnoh-knows-what."
"You didn't think it a bit odd that-"
"Somebody with your face might be a Zoroark?" Adaman snorted, a low and hollow laugh escaping his throat. "Don't take me for a fool, warden. I'm the Clan Leader for a reason. And I don't think that man's a Zoroark. A little strange in the mind, sure, but not a Zoroark."
"Can you escort me to Miss Jaku?"
"Possibly if she's in camp. And where she is, there's a good chance that man is close behind."
"Then let's hurry."
They arrived at the center of the settlement where a large tent stood silhouetted against the dark trees of the hollow. Ingo stood and watched as Adaman called hasty orders. For the time being, Ingo was led to a spare tent near the walls of the hollow; a safe place to both dry off and to wait. The silence was almost unnerving.
A knock sounded at the tent door. "Warden Ingo? Are you inside?" came a quiet and deep voice. It wasn't his voice.
"I am! Come in, please."
A dark-skinned man hesitantly poked his head through the door, his clan garb soaked through-and-through with rainwater, but he didn't look at all disturbed by it. "I brought you some food from the pantry on behalf of Adaman." The man gently set the basket near the door, looking intrigued as Magnezone floated itself closer to him.
"Thank you very much, sir. Please give Adaman my warmest regards." Ingo blinked, glancing at the Mandibuzz. "And, if possible, would you happen to know the whereabouts of Miss Jaku?"
The man adopted an almost sinister smile, eyes crinkling as the anxiety in his stance faded completely. Ingo felt distinctly uncomfortable at the sudden change in the man's demeanor. "Jaku? What a coincidence. She just happened to return from her little trip." The man paused. "Wait a second. Adaman happened to mention that you're looking for her and that creep that's constantly tailing her."
"Is that thing- that person that's following her- are they here?"
"That man? No, He's not here at the moment. Don't know why a so-called merchant is helping with Jaku's errands but-"
"Akanti, who are you talking to? And why're you talking about me?" came an irritated voice. The folds of the tent were moved back as a person poked their head into the tent. "You better not be… oh. Hi, Ingo. What're you doing here?"
"I am- you are-" Ingo felt the words of panic die out in his throat. Miss Jaku looked completely unharmed. Soaked much like her compatriot, but well. "I must ask you about something if you have the time."
"Of course," she nodded, pulling her wet hair out of her face. She carefully tucked her sopping wet hair underneath her headscarf before moving completely inside of the tent. "What's up?"
"He's asking about that creep that's been stalking you for the past two months," Akanti cut in immediately.
Jaku immediately brightened, smiling. "You mean Emmet?"
"Emmet?" Ingo echoed. "His name is Emmet?"
Jaku nodded. "Apparently so. I ran into him ages ago back in Deertrack Woods." She shot a worried glance at Akanti before looking directly at him, her smile vanishing. "He's… interesting to say the least. There's more to it, but I'd have to tell you in private. He's been searching for you. It's almost obsessive if I'm being honest. Keeps missing you by a margin. I can grab him for you if you want."
"He's not with you?" Ingo asked. "I would quite like to… meet him if he's here."
Jaku's expression fell even further. "Oh fuck."
"Language," Ingo chided. "What is it?"
She looked sheepishly back at him. "You know how I said he's been looking for you?" She began in a quiet tone.
"Yes?"
"I may or may not have pointed him in the direction of the Coronet Highlands. I told him it would be a good place to start with him looking for you and all. I was actually showing him the route to get there after running my rounds in the bog. He should be well over by the Shrouded Ruins by now."
"… I see."
Jaku hurriedly continued. "Is this urgent? I can call Lilith. She can get me out to the mountains in a heartbeat."
"Who-"
Magnezone suddenly whirled up from the floor, magnets shivering and spinning out of control as it gave a worried cry. A sound like nothing Ingo had ever heard ripped through the clearing and made the earth under his tent shake like a leaf. He hurried to cover his ears, Gliscor running to hide under him. And then it was over in the blink of an eye.