March 27th, First Year
Ingo was never a man for intentionally throwing himself into danger at a moment's notice. Not for the Pearl Clan even as much as he owed them and certainly not for the Galaxy Team. But as he crouched beneath Freight's outstretched wings, strips of grass and pebbles slicing his face and hands like shards of glass, he reminded himself after a new shock of adrenaline that his time waiting in the railyard as a decommissioned engine was finally ending.
At his command, Freight- Ingo's Gliscor- dug its pincers into the earth and showered the massive bug-type before them with sharp stones. Rei's Sneasel immediately seized the chance to leap onto the back of the alpha. It sank its long sickle-like claws under the wing flaps and made quick work of freeze-drying the elytra and underlying wings. The alpha Heracross wailed and with terrifying speed, caught the Sneasel by its belly and catapulted it back-first into a nearby cliff. While its back was turned, Freight tossed up another curtain of rocks, giving much needed cover as both Ingo and Warden Lian crept closer.
Rei's Buizel darted forward, spraying the battlefield with water as his Sneasel rose and froze the turf. The Heracross stumbled forward, one of its legs sinking into the slush-like snow. Once more, another shower of rocks bulldozed the battlefield and once more, Rei's Sneasel vehemently worked at freezing the alpha's exoskeleton to further slow it down and incapacitate it.
Ingo held the rope taut in his calloused hands, trading calculated glances with Warden Lian who gave him an affirmative nod. Together, they tossed the thick twine over the Heracross's neck, Ingo's Machamp- Coach- taking hold of the loose end as Lian and his partnered Goomy twisted the rope around the beast's remaining limbs. Coach tugged; the Heracross hadn't stood a chance. It was yanked backward into the mud with a satisfying snap, tattered wings flapping angrily as Freight raced forward to hold it down. Ingo covered his ears as the alpha gave another deafening screech. With a practiced speed, Chandelure emerged from her containing pokéball, enveloping the giant bug-type in towering, ghostly flames. Ingo had been keeping her for last; his beloved but forgotten partner whose nickname he couldn't remember.
"It's been burned!" Warden Lian cried triumphantly. "Go on, gramps! Get 'em!" the boy squealed.
Ingo surged forward, rolling a weighty black pokéball into his awaiting palm: a heavy ball, a special pokéball for an equally special occasion. He gritted his teeth and with a muscle-memory unbeknownst to him, wrought back his arm and launched the pokéball at the back of the lesser lord's head.
Ingo stilled when the ball whistled, encasing the Heracross in a brilliant white glow the second it had connected. That- that isn't supposed to happen! But then… he paused, the corners of his mouth curling upwards as his fingers clenched. Why do I feel overjoyed then? What did that strange noise mean? The ball plopped back into the snow and to Ingo's utter astonishment, it rocked only once before leaping upwards in a dazzling display of sparks. Lesser Lord Heracross had been caught. Silence. Ingo felt as though he were overheating, even moreso when Rei dropped his pen and notepad, his jaws open wide with sheer astonishment.
Warden Lian was the one to break the silence. "You did it gramps! I knew 'ya could!"
Ingo swallowed back a tough lump in his throat as Rei raced forward, grabbing at his coat with unrestrained excitement.
"How did you do that? You have to tell me how you did that! That's- how- you-!" Rei began to ramble, his hands never once losing their grip on Ingo's coat. "That's incredible! Why did it whistle? It whistled!" He paused. "I don't think pokéballs can explode. Hold on."
Ingo felt only the tiniest bit uncomfortable with Rei's proximity but then he reminded himself hastily that Rei was still growing and that the boy had only done so out of excitement. Ingo cleared his throat. "It is firmly contained, then?" He walked over and picked up the pokéball, inspecting the latch in case it had been just a hoax. He bit back his exhilaration at the fact that he had, in fact, managed to subdue a lesser lord and catch it… and that Lady Irida would not be pleased with him when news reached her.
March 28th, First Year
"Do ya' think it's still frenzied in there?" Warden Lian piped up from where he sat in the grass beside Ingo. He took a drink of his waterskin, hugging the fur-lined covering to his tunic a little tighter. "I still can't believe you managed ta' catch it- a Lesser Lord. Who woulda' thought, huh?"
Ingo carefully rolled the heavy ball around in his palms before clipping it back onto his belt. "I don't believe this would be a beneficial ordeal. Lesser lords do maintain their set of tracks to better benefit the other passengers within their domain, do they not?" At Lian's confused look, Ingo adjusted his speech. "Catching Lord Heracross- will that not damage the environment further?"
"Nah," Lian drawled, looking bored. "I think Lord Kleavor's frenzy already got a leg up on that."
Having returned back to the fieldlands encampment to report on their progress, the members of the Survey Corps almost immediately zoned in on him for not only catching a lesser lord such as Heracross, but for taking such meticulous notes alongside Rei.
"Do ya'… do ya' think we should let it out already?" Lian gave the approaching group a tired glance, absently stroking one hand along his Goomy's small shell.
There came a shuffling noise. Rei and Akari of the Survey Corps crept closer, Rei holding his pen and pad aloft, his eyes shining as the two scouts moved from the ball containing Heracross to Warden Ingo. Ah. That's correct.
"Warden Ingo," Rei began, his voice light. "Can we pleeeease take some notes on Lesser Lord Heracross? This is a once-in-a-lifetime chance. Please? We'll be careful."
"I will release the alpha," Ingo dictated, relishing the overjoyed expression on the two youths' faces- "but only at a safe distance. Please retreat behind the yellow line if and when I give the command. I want to ensure the safety of all of my passengers so it's of utmost importance that you treat Lesser Lord Heracross with caution and respect. Have I made myself understood?"
"Of course, of course," Akari replied all too quickly. "We promise, we'll follow the rules and stay safe."
Ingo had not forgotten that one of the Galaxy Team's main purposes was to study pokémon; he simply had not anticipated the eagerness of Rei who, unlike his frightened peers including Akari, eagerly awaited his turn of studying the goliath. It certainly reminded Ingo of someone, but he still couldn't place who.
It had also been Rei's opinion to attempt to look further into what the young man had dubbed as the "Bug Swarm", the phenomenon which was occurring all over the Obsidian Fieldlands. Ingo's arriving party still had yet to hear from their second adjacent party led by Warden Mai which had departed for Deertrack Heights some time ago.
Rei immediately descended upon the giant beetle once Ingo had released it and had sauntered forward with a confidence not even Ingo could quite match, flipping to a new page on his notepad as he began to scribble furiously. Unheard words tumbled from the young man's lips as Rei set down his bag and began pulling various instruments out. Piles upon piles of intricately labeled papers were set in various surfaces in the shelter of a pop-up tent nearby, Rei enlisting the help of two other Galaxy Scouts to gather information.
The Heracross hadn't reacted. If Ingo was any wiser, he would've thought that the minor lord had been enjoying the attention, its horn twitching every now and then. If Rei asked, the creature would spread its wings and drop down into the grass like a placated Bidoof. It lifted up its elytra, revealing the shiny, glittering wings underneath as it turned to-and-fro for each of Rei's gentle commands. At some point, the goliath pokémon had even crouched low to allow the young man to pet it.
"It don't look so angry anymore," Lian chuckled. "It don't even have that red glow in its eyes. I wonder what put him in that fit from earlier."
"Most likely the coalescing bug-type pokémon," Rei answered matter-of-factly. "Professor Laventon told me that bug-types are very social and often emulate the actions of their peers. Maybe there's some kind of aura coming from Lord Kleavor that's causing the bug-type pokémon to go crazy? The lord is a bug-type and so is Lesser Lord Heracross."
Lian excitedly got to his feet, clenching his hands into fists. "I knew something caused Lord Kleavor to get all frenzied! Trouble is, I never saw what. Just heard a loud boom and then I got a uh-" he stared blankly ahead, pulling down his large hat to shield his eyes- "…nevermind all that." He then fixed Rei with a look. "Now, I know ya'll are just trying to gather information to help out our lords, but do ya have to keep 'em locked up like that?"
Ingo blinked. Of course. He had momentarily forgotten the prejudice that the Pearl Clan held for Galaxy Team inventions. "My apologies, Warden Lian-"
"No, no. Not you, grampa."
Grampa? When did I become 'grandpa'? If his face wasn't already pink from the freezing cold, it would have become an embarrassing shade of red. Ingo opened his mouth to speak but Lian beat him to the punch.
"What kind of info are you gettin' anyway?" the boy demanded, stooping to watch as Rei made another series of notes.
Rei grinned, motioning for Lian to perch beside him. "Just basic things: height, weight, foot tracks, its general appearance- that kind of stuff. The professor also told me that pokémon have 'typings' and those are usually the worst part of the surveys." Rei paused, his eyebrows narrowed as he shivered to himself.
"Why's that?"
"Because you have to engage them in battle and look at what they toss your way. It's all fun and games until you figure out that the pokémon across from you is a water-type when they use Hydro Pump." Rei quirked up an eyebrow at the creature before him. "No doubt, Heracross is a bug-type. I think it's also a fighting-type but that has yet to be proven."
"Now hold on. It's just a pokémon. Why you gotta give it typings? Aren't they good enough on their own?" Lian questioned.
Ingo's head began to ache in a way unlike the many headaches and migraines he often endured. His mouth began to move of its own accord, the memories it brought bringing a smile to his face. "Knowing a pokémon's typing is crucial to allow for the best combination between a trainer and their partner. Some pokémon have only one typing while others have two. The moves that a pokémon knows are always categorized to a typing which can be either effective or non-effective depending on whom the target is."
Rei whipped his head around to stare gleefully at Ingo. "Yes, yes, yes! Keep talking, I'm gonna take notes! Hold on! Where's my extra pen?" Rei then turned back around. "Continue?"
Ingo gave a raspy sigh, chuckling. It wasn't often that people actually wanted to listen to him ramble. Am I really rambling or are these words from my mouth an echo of the tracks I once departed? He coughed, noticing the gathering crowd of scouts that were watching him. He felt something akin to pride and embarrassment flood through him. The man-in-white would probably find this humorous, Ingo mused to himself. He would think it out of sorts for me of all people to be teaching young trainers-to-be the basics of partnering with pokémon. Ingo paused in his thoughts. There was that word again: trainer. Am I a trainer?
Back when Ingo had first arrived at his station in the Alabaster Icelands, he had happened upon and was taken care of by a wild Machoke, now his dutiful partner Coach the Machamp, alongside a Blissey. Lady Irida and the rest of the Pearl Clan had deemed it odd that Coach had chosen to stick around and Ingo had subconsciously begun to train the newest addition to his team. It wasn't until Ingo had helped fight off a territorial Abomasnow with Coach and Freight did Lady Irida and the rest of his fellow Pearl Clan scouts and wardens start heralding him a 'pokémon wielder'. It was both a taboo and a status symbol, neither of which he had asked to have applied to him.
The title had felt inherently wrong. It hadn't sounded correct in his ears when had heard it used for the first time. His pokémon weren't tools to be wielded- and yet Ingo couldn't forget the particular way Warden Gaeric had looked fearful of him after the battle with the Abomasnow had ended. 'Pokémon trainer' felt to Ingo like the better term to use. He had assisted in escorting his pokémon partners to a higher destination and had trained them to better defend themselves or those they allied themselves with.
Warden Gaeric had asked Ingo once in the past what he received for "training up a monster from being weak to frighteningly powerful". Gaeric had gazed upon Ingo in the same way a gate guard would an approaching Zoroark; with evident anger and stringent fear. It had been the same expression most people gave him during their first initial meetings with him. It had been the look the guards gave him every time he approached the Pearl Clan Settlement. Did people ever look at me in such a manner in my elusive past? His subconscious immediately supplied an answer. Yes. Yes, they did.
"What're you thinkin' about over there, grampa?" Lian spoke up softly.
Ingo started forward. He breathed a sigh of relief upon noticing that the rest of the group had been busy studying the Heracross. He ran a hand through his coarse hair, grateful for the reflection time that the distraction has provided him. "My train merely rolled onto another track. I assure you, my cab is back on the tracks where it ought to be."
Warden Lian chuckled, smiling despite the numerous bandages peppering his body. "Good, because you're gonna wannna be present for this next part. Come on," he waved over his shoulder. "Looks like those scouts hatched a plan to get more info for fixin' the lord."
"Then lead the way, Warden Lian." He started forward before pausing, a mischievous smile finding its way onto his lips. "And if I may ask, when did I become 'grandpa'?" Ingo watched as his younger coworker blushed, a bashful grin splitting Lian's face as the boy became unable to form coherent words.
Lian said nothing, turning hastily on his heels and motioning Ingo to follow after him.
March 30th, First Year
"Rei, can't you just keep your hands to yourself?"
Ingo kept his eyes fixed on the calm waters of the bay, both of his hands grasping the wooden oars as he steered the three of them toward the Heartwood Cliffs. It did not help that his two passengers- as necessary as they were to the mission at hand- were rocking the boat in their squabble. Rei's Buizel shot Ingo an empathetic glance and with a squeak, helped adjust the boat back onto its previous course.
"I'm not doing anything!" Rei retorted, his hands full of Ingo's coat.
The large, forested cliffs loomed up before the three of them, sharp rocks reminiscent of fangs awaiting their boat as they sailed closer. It was thanks to the kind Diamond Clan members in the Sandgem Encampment that they had managed to borrow their rowboat. It could only fit three and as such, Ingo, Rei, and Akari had been chosen to take a short mission to observe just how far the Bug Swarm had spread.
Rei had been the first to speak, his grimace both self-righteous and rueful. "I was right: of course a forest would be a nesting ground for a bug frenzy. If there's anywhere Lord Kleavor would be, it's at the center of something like that."
Ingo was horrified at the sight before him. Where The Heartwood once grew bountiful had become hills of decayed tree stumps slimy with unknown residue. Not a single leaf fluttered in the wind. The snow had all been cleared by the beating of the frenzy's raucous wings, nothing but barren dirt and rock remaining. Where there should have been a pale blue sky were writhing masses of dark black bodies, their flights jerky and rough as they slammed head-first wave after wave into the cliff sides. The rocks were painted with their fluids. The mass, so dense and darkening, turned the skies around the once-illustrious forest green and black.
Rei's grasp on Ingo's coat tightened, possibly to hide behind the man's coat fringe as he bodily turned away from the scene. Akari made a haggard choking sound and retched over the side of the boat, gasping for air as she came up. Ingo could only watch as the miasma of frenzied bugs tore through yet another tree before wheeling back into the sky and regrouping around something far larger a few paces away from the cliff's edge.
The figure moved, two flat ax-like blades cutting through a part of the cliff to send the chunks splashing into the sea. The miasma trailed after the unknown pokémon like a personal entourage but then, Ingo had seen that familiar silhouette long, long ago.
"Lord Kleavor," he rasped. "That is the Lord of the Woods."