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 bandits. "I believe that will suffice, Warden Lian."
"Not if I have any say in it!" The young boy glared at the trio of fleeing women, crossing his arms. "I swear, they're getting' worse an' worse by the day!" He then turned to Ingo, swinging his pickaxe back over his shoulder. "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 unruly curls to obscure his face. Ingo was almost certain the younger warden was beaming.
While Ingo had not been enthused about his derailment from tracking down the elusive Lustrous Orb, he would admit that he did not have much to go off of. To him, a trip to the Alabaster Icelands would have been wasteful, not only because he had many duties to attend to at 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 the Old Verse she had discovered; it seemed as though people of certain statuses had been obstructing the tracks connecting the settlements and encampments while causing great trouble to merchants and foreigners alike. They were rumored to pilfer items, attack using wild pokémon, and even critically injure those who attempted to fight back. According to public notice, they were becoming an intolerable nuisance. And to Ingo's surprise, he had also received a Starly Note from Warden Lian requesting aid with the very same issue. He certainly seemed to have become popular since ever his actions involving Lord Kleavor's frenzy had transpired.
"You reckon we should track 'em down to their camp?" Lian muttered, nudging his Sligoo back with a muddy boot. "Teach 'em a lesson they won't soon forget," he growled. "Teach 'em to mess with me."
"That would be ill-advised," Ingo responded curtly. He saw sense in Lian's anger; the boy had been doing his best to move the people of the Oreburrow Settlement back into their homes with no thanks to the trio of bandits who had been stealing from the abandoned homes and ransoming their items for ludicrous prices. Even so, Ingo steered Lian back. "There is no sense in starting your engine without having tracks to guide you. No point in attacking your enemy when they are down."
"Well, they don' seem to care about all that," Lian argued. "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, then we may 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. S' too open out here. Dunno how Warden Mai can stand all this wind blowin'." The young boy then brightened. "I know! Let's go eat at Oreburrow! You ain't got nothing to do right now, do ya'?"
Ingo paused. Is it wise of me to stall even longer than I 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 but would always pay attention to the path, pointing out fascinating rocks or babbling about certain landmarks such as collapsed pokémon sets or crooks in trees. After a long while of talking and walking, Lian turned around to stare curiously at Ingo, shoving his hands in his pocket.
"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. "I'm not quite sure what you mean."
"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 that Baneful Fox do not have the tendency to migrate so far south."
"I know all that," Lian mumbled. "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 cut in. He slowed down to walk a pace ahead of Ingo, twiddling his thumbs and avoiding eye contact. "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 toward Deertrack Heights on two legs- when that distortion was goin' on over there. Too dangerous for other folks to go waltzin' up to it. Looked too tall to be a scout. Looked closer and I thought I saw somethin' white an' red walkin' real fast into the woods."
The gears in Ingo's mind began whirring. Are there any pokémon around the Obsidian Fieldlands that were white and red? Ingo felt the chill in his hands worsen when he realized he could think of none; especially one 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 had when we last ran into each other. She said she 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 quellin' 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 ta' do about it."
"… I see."
A Zoroark. A Zoroark following around Miss Jaku presumably. She does not know how much of a danger Zoroarks can be. The Diamond Clan does not suffer nearly as many attacks as the Pearl Clan does, Ingo thought with a twinge of apprehension. Ingo decided then to make a detour. While both of his fellow fallers were seemingly capable of defending themselves, neither would have experience with the dastardly 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 battered body ache as he followed the curve of the river east toward 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 Zoroark's. If what Warden Mai and Warden Lian had sighted had truly been a Baneful Fox, then the Diamond Clan could be in grave danger.
Zoroarks will always go where there is food. Where there is one, there are 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 are 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, ignoring the way his stomach churned with apprehension. He hoped he hadn't scared Warden Lian too much with his sudden outburst and departure. The boy will understand, Ingo assured himself.
Lady Irida had once told Ingo that he had a certain habit of scaring people off with his intimidating demeanor. A tiny part of his mind informed him that he had a comical track record of frightening children and other passengers with his booming voice, his sharp eyes, and his harrowing scowl. It had never been intentional. Just like how Emmet tended to smile too much and how his words were- Ingo's 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 temples. At least, I can remember Emmet and what my old home looked like. It saddened him deeply to know the name and 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.
Ingo still had yet to return to the highlands and accordingly, 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 Ingo made his way up into the grassy mountains, he stopped. Freight had exited its pokéball, its angular eyes focusing on a large shady tree beside a cracked boulder. Freight took off from Ingo's shoulder and landed deftly among the twisted roots, using its large, barbed tail to dig into the topsoil.
"Freight, whatever 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 that hung at his belt. Its golden and bright green surface glittered despite the gloomy sky. Freight looked mildly concerned, tapping the ball with one of its pincers. He could feel the warmth from Chandelure's pokéball grow warmer as if urging Ingo 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 Ingo once. Twice. Three times before finally landing back down before him with a loud thump, its thick talons digging into the turf.
"And who might you be?" Ingo muttered, taking a step back as the strange pokémon took a step toward him.
The pokémon was not at all familiar to Ingo. It stared down at him with its small beady eyes from a sturdy, hooked beak, its thickly-feathered head cocked as it gave Ingo little excited hop of sorts. Its long raptor-like talons clicked on the rocks as it approached, large enough to make Freight retreat back to his shoulder as well. Its massive wings were tipped with glittering, gold feathers. Mandibuzz. This is a Mandibuzz but… not the ones I know. It gave a happy squawk as Gliscor did a timid swoop around its body, turning this way and that to snap at the bat pokémon with its strange, tufted beak.
Ingo had a brief memory of seeing a regular Mandibuzz in some sort of busy house. It had been much smaller than the leering monster before him and the regular variety had a plumage with much darker browns and blacks. That and its small body was covered in bits and pieces of bones. Am I remembering correctly what a Mandibuzz is supposed to look like or are my muddled memories switching me off of my tracks?
It was then that Parlor materialized right in front of Ingo and carefully levitated a letter over to him; a letter stamped with the seal of the Pearl Clan. He carefully opened the letter and stared, his brows furrowed. His presence was needed in the Alabaster Icelands for an annual summoning of the wardens. Of course. The reminder. Just when he was starting to make progress along brighter tracks, he had to go and get derailed like he always did. 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 toward the Pearl Clan Settlement as his final stop.
Parlor and the strange Mandibuzz seemed to chat amongst one another as they followed along behind Warden Ingo, the Mandibuzz hemming and hawing as Parlor stayed mostly silent beside the creature. He had been surprised that the creature hadn't tried to attack or subdue him but then with a flash, he remembered- both he and Jaku had encountered pokémon from their pasts. Perhaps this is one of hers then?
Ingo had almost cried out in shock as the Mandibuzz slipped its long, feathered head between his neck before heaving him up onto its back with ease. The large bird turned its neck around to wink at him, jogging in place as it ruffled its wings. Before Ingo could so much as beg the question as to what the large pokémon was doing, it leaned forward and began sprinting with Ingo astride its back, 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. It only seemed to be delighted by his cries of terror, squawking as it took a sharp turn around a large boulder. The creature jerked forward and vaulted across yet another gap. It turned left and then right, a large drop advancing before them as the pokémon pressed forward.
Ingo was sure that the pokémon would eventually slow in its pace. That it was only teasing or playing with him as some pokémon species were prone to doing. The portly creature with its thin legs and portly body, didn't seem at all ready or capable of taking flight. And to his horror, he had been completely and utterly wrong in his presumption. The creature increased its pace at the sight of an upcoming cliff and upon running off of it, the Mandibuzz spread its wings and began alighted 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 could be lethal and to be at the mercy of a strange pokémon that he did not know.
"Freight! Please direct this unruly passenger back to the station with haste!"
Ingo's Gliscor darted to the Mandibuzz's side but stalled, almost seeming to relish the breeze. Parlor floated along at its other side and the three pokémon quickly fell into a jubilant conversation, Ingo going mostly ignored. After a moment, Freight turned back around and gave Into a happy chirp, pointing one pincer toward Mount Coronet.
"Is that where the Mandibuzz is taking us?" Ingo croaked, gritting his teeth at a sudden wave of turbulence. Freight nodded. Ingo blanched. We couldn't possibly make it that far!
But they had. Somehow, the Mandibuzz had managed to carry him far from the even fields of the Obsidian Fieldlands. The sun seemed to barely move in the sky before Ingo recognized the sea of reds, yellows, and vibrant greens that made up the festering swamps of the Crimson Mirelands. The Mandibuzz seemed to be taking Ingo's surprise and silence in stride as it swept 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 the pokémon he sat astride was not his. He could not control it, nor could he give it commands. But perhaps…? Parlor seemed to have guessed 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 had they landed on the craggy surface of Bolderoll Slope had curtains of rain begun to lash out at the bogs, drenching both Ingo and Sabi with rainwater. Ingo didn't think he had ever seen the usually collected younger warden as irritated as she had been then, her long braided hair dripping with rainwater.
"Warden Ingo!" Adaman bellowed, having been sitting on a stoop beside a water barrel 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.
Ingo nodded. "Ah! Clan Leader Adaman! I'm afraid you might be correct. These conditions are too dangerous for flying; let alone travelling."
"And there's gonna be a storm," Sabi chuckled. "M' gonna go and get dry!"
"You do that," Adaman acknowledged the girl.
"Okay. C'mon Braviary. Let's go get warm!" At Sabi's side, the young lord ruffled its wings and sauntered after its much younger charge, causing a few Diamond Clan scouts and rangers to hastily back away or lower their heads in respect.
Adaman only shook his head. "Should've asked for the two to separate. Anyhow, back to you, Warden Ingo. I've got a spare tent you can stay in until this storm passes over. I know you Pearl Clan folks aren't all that used to jungle storms." The man stood and beckoned for Ingo to follow.
"Are you quite sure?" Ingo stammered. "I wouldn't want to impose."
"You're not imposing. You're a warden. Regardless of what clan you come from, you have already garnered my respect." And as Adaman took up the space on Ingo's right side- perhaps a little too close for the warden's liking- he continued. "Besides. You've already done the clans a great service in helping quell Lord Kleavor. The least I can do is get you out of this downpour."
Ingo blinked. "But Lord Kleavor is a noble worshipped by the Pearl Clan!"
"And Lord Kleavor was also responsible for the deaths of a handful of Diamond Clan scouts," Adaman responded solemnly. "You were there. You helped when I and the majority of my clan could not." Adaman then narrowed his eyes. "Just accept the token of gratitude, will you? Unless you want to stand out in the rain all day."
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. It felt more… homely. More welcoming to him. "I… I accept your token of gratitude, Clan Leader Adaman. Thank you."
"Don't sweat it. And warden? It's just 'Adaman'. No need for this 'Clan Leader' business." He then winked. "It saves time."
Whenever Ingo passed by the Diamond Settlement- a spectacularly rare occasion- he always found himself taking in the quaint lakeside village. The rich, earthy smell of fallen rain and tangy herbs filled the air, the waves of the lake gently crashing against the shore as puddles splashed underfoot. Thick mangrove trees spread across the sides of the encampment alongside the tall, layered wooden pike boundary wall, bundled herbs and plants hanging from the branches and swaying in the wind. Thunder rolled overhead.
Small wooden houses, their lanterns lit and hanging in the windows- stood propped up on thick wooden scaffolding, some sitting on docks branching out in the water. Boats and canoes and wild aquatic pokémon bobbed on the choppy waves, fishermen still selling and chatting. Others sat on muddy hills, children running in ragtag groups as they laughed and played despite the treacherous weather. Colorful Magikarp splashed from pond to pond, their extravagant scales flashing at the lept past the children and into feeding pools were older women were scattering seeds.
As Ingo walked further, he felt his shoulders fall back and relax. Not a single Diamond Clan scout had turned and regarded him. They instead moved from house-to-house, chatting and spreading news and laughing. They passed a section of the settlement where the wet mud and clay had been flattened to make room for a field of crops, a handful of scouts trudging through ankle-high water to get at them. As Adaman passed, they stopped, waved, and then continued back to what they had been doing.
The atmosphere here is always so different than back at my home station, Ingo remarked. The Diamond Clan was still moving despite the weather. Unaffected. Uncaring. He stared out at the dark waters of Lake Valor and listened as a new wave of rain began to pound at the water's surface. Windchimes clanked noisily in the worsening storm. "If I may, Clan Leader-" Ingo paused. "Adaman?" Ingo began.
"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 about the Obsidian Fieldlands."
"An odd creature?" Adaman echoed. "And why would you bring that up to me? Is it near the Sandgem Encampment?"
"Not necessarily. When I was last speaking to him, Warden Lian mentioned that Warden Mai had reported a strange creature stalking Miss Jaku after her success at quelling Lord Wyrdeer. They believed that it could have taken the form of a person."
Adaman came to an abrupt stop on the path and whirled around to face him, his eyes glittering with apprehension. "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. Have you sighted such a thing? Do you remember this happening? Was Miss Jaku accompanied by somebody new when they returned to this station?"
"I- this may seem strange, so I'm asking you to hear me out."
Ingo narrowed his eyes. "What did you see, Adaman?"
The clan leader didn't so much as flinch in the obvious suspicion and anger in Ingo's voice, instead crossing his arms. "There's been a man that's been hanging around the settlement- his name's Emmet. He came in with Jaku and she vouched for him despite not knowing at all who he was." Adaman scratched at the back of his head. "I didn't think too good of him when he had first arrived because I thought it weird- somebody who looks exactly like you but with a few minor tweaks here and there. The man was wearing a Gingko Guild uniform, for some reason. But get this: that man- Emmet- he came in with a legendary pokémon. A time-travelling legendary pokémon." In a quieter tone, Adaman added, "He's a pokémon wielder, just like you. Just like Jaku and Young Akari. You types seem to arrive in droves, don't you?"
Ingo felt his blood freeze in his veins. His suspicions had been correct: a Zoroark bearing his face and his nightmares had latched onto Jaku and had apparently made an impression on Adaman. "What else can you tell me?" he gritted out through his teeth. "Were there any discrepancies between my and Emmet's appearances? Any strange happenings in the settlement? And what of this pokémon that he arrived with?"
Adaman took a step back, one hand resting on his chin. "Emmet… he's scrawnier than you- thinner- and he's got that weird Gingko Guild uniform on like I said. He's got a coat like yours, but it's white-and-red instead of black-and-red. Less dinged up than yours. Same eyes. Same face." Adaman took a long pause. "And he's always smiling."
Ingo grunted. "Have there been any strange happenings in the mirelands since this man appeared?"
"Not really," Adaman shrugged. "He doesn't tend to stay in the main camp, coming and going with the few pokémon he has. I've seen him with a Combee and an Electabuzz. He's got another, but only Jaku would know. Emmet tends to just follow her around whenever he comes through." Adaman then blinked. "I don't think they're friends, though. Seems like they're just acquaintances. The last time I followed up with Emmet, I know that he was asking as to your whereabouts, warden. I just don't think anybody has clued him in yet. Well, maybe Jaku but again, I would have to ask her."
"And where is Emmet now?"
"I'm not all too sure. As I said, Emmet doesn't really live here; he just stops in once or twice a week. He's out of camp most of the time doing sinnoh-knows-what."
Ingo regarded the clan leader with a glare of disdain, his skin beginning to crawl. "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. It would be stupid of me to not know." And then Adaman scowled. "I don't think that man's a Zoroark. I've talked to him a few times and I've gotten his background. According to Emmet, he came from the future with the help of his legendary pokémon assistant solely to find you. A little strange in the mind, sure, but definitely not a Zoroark."
Ingo dwelled on the man's words for a moment. The Diamond Clan wasn't familiar with how Zoroark attacks or kidnappings often went and while Ingo had an inkling that perhaps he was being a bit too dubious or scathing in his judgement of the situation, he was eager to put his mind at rest. "Can you escort me to Miss Jaku? I wish to get her opinion on this matter."
"Possibly if she's in camp," Adaman responded. "And where she is, there's a good chance that man is close behind. As I've said, they tend to gravitate toward one another when they're in close proximity."
"Then let's hurry."
They arrived at the northern neighborhood of the settlement where the mangroves tended to cluster the path and curve around what few houses sat within. Adaman then gestured to a small wooden hut leaning against a high-sitting mangrove tree, a Croagunk laying atop the docks adjacent. As they approached, the lax pokémon blinked open an eye and stared at him. It croaked, rose to its feet, and dove into the waters, disappearing out of view.
"I thought I told her to keep her pokémon contained, " Adaman grumbled. "Oh well. It's gone now." He approached the wooden door and knocked hard, stepping back. "This is Jaku's hut. I'm sure she's inside. If not, you have my permission to wait inside- part of my authority as the clan leader. Wouldn't want you to get sick."
"If you insist." Ingo watched as the clan leader stepped off and disappeared, leaving him fully alone beside his fellow faller's home. After a moment or two, he knocked himself and listened. He blinked, watching the wooden door silently creak open. Perhaps the Diamond Clan doesn't barricade their doors. Another luxury of living in a safe place, I suppose. But is it alright if I take a look inside?
"Miss Jaku?" Ingo called as he stepped inside. "Please pardon my intrusion but I must discuss something with you urgently." Ingo had only made it halfway into the hut before he had stopped, his eyes adjusting to the darkness within as he sighted a silhouette in the back corner.
A man hesitantly met his gaze, his clan garb soaked through-and-through with rainwater and he searched through a large storage box near the back end of the hut. "My apologies," the man muttered. "I was trying to grab the door but I'm kind of weighed down back here."
"And you are?"
"Akanti," the man introduced himself, struggling to his feet. "I deliver rations- no, I'm not breaking in," he had grumbled upon Ingo's skeptical expression. "The man then stared directly at him, his eyes narrowing. "You look awfully familiar."
"I am Warden Ingo," he introduced himself, tipping his hat. "I don't believe I've met you before so it is nice to be of your acquaintance. And, if possible, would you happen to know the whereabouts of Miss Jaku? She is a friend of mine whom I've come looking for. Would you happen to know her?"
The man adopted an almost sinister smile, his eyes crinkling as the anxiety in his stance faded completely. Ingo felt distinctly uncomfortable at the sudden change in the man's demeanor. "Jaku? You're friends with her?" The man paused. "Haven't seen her recently but I know she's around-"
Behind them, the door to the hut slammed open, rattling on its hinges as a shadow fell over the room. Something growled, heady and low.
"Who the fuck is in my house?" Ingo recognized his fellow faller as Jaku stomped into the domicile, her eyes furiously scanning the room before they landed on the man in the back. "Oh hell no. Get the hell out of my house!" Jaku lunged across the room, just barely managing to grab the taller man. The pokémon that had followed her in- a Luxray- charged after its trainer, its mane sticking up on end. "How dare you!"
"I'm leaving! I'm leaving!"
"Don't you ever come back in here, you vile man!"
"I'm delivering rations-"
"You are not allowed in here! Stop running, coward! Ghost, get his ass!"
Ingo could only watch in confusion and dismay as his fellow faller chased the man around her home with a broomstick before forcing him out and into the rain. She huffed, leaning against the doorframe for support as she dropped her weapon of choice. He then cleared his throat.
Immediately, Jaku was upon him, her eyes glinting with fury before calming. "...Emmet?" She called off her Luxray, still eyeing the broom. "Oh, no. You're Ingo. My bad. You're welcome in here," she added after a moment, shutting and barricading the door with a wooden slab.
"May I inquire as to what that was about?"
"No," Jaku shut him down immediately. "I don't like him. He's not allowed anywhere near me on account of him being revolting. Don't ask." She gestured for him to sit, pulling out a vase of water. "Adaman told me you were looking for me so I came here as soon as I could. Sorry if I scared you."
"I… will not inquire as to what just happened but yes, I am here to ask you a few questions. If that's alright with you, of course."
"I don't mind." She took a seat opposite him. With a shushing motion, she reached for a handful of pokéballs at her belt, releasing an Eevee, a Quilava, and a Croagunk. "These guys are with me. Don't tell Adaman. So what did you come here to ask me?"
"I am- you are-" Ingo felt the words of panic die out in his throat. Jaku looked completely unharmed. Soaked much like her compatriot, but relatively fine. "I must ask you about a particular person; one who you allegedly associate with frequently."
"Oookay. What's up?"
"Rumor has it that you have been talking to a person that looks almost exactly like me. Is this true?"
Jaku immediately brightened, smiling. "You mean Emmet?" she asked, rising to open the window as another bout of thunder rumbled overhead.
"Emmet?" Ingo echoed. "His name is Emmet? Can you tell me more about this man?"
Jaku nodded. "Absolutely. I ran into him ages ago back in Deertrack Woods right after I quelled Lord Wyrdeer. He just kind of stumbled out of the woods sputtering all this nonsense about how he knew me and how I must obviously know where you were. He's from the future allegedly. Don't know if I believe him, but his alibi is pretty solid."
Ingo leaned forward, clasping his hands together. "Adaman has told me that he was accompanied by a special pokémon. Is this true and if so, can you describe this pokémon?"
At that, Jaku chuckled. "I mean, you could use 'special' to describe her, alright. It's a little onion-shaped fairy thing," the ranger elaborated. "A tiny thing. Emmet said her name was 'Celebi' and that she created a passage for Emmet to come to Hisui. He's on some big quest looking solely for you; told me as much and seemed determined that I was keeping some big secret from him when he followed me back here."
Lightning flashed. Thunder rolled in the distance. "My doppelganger- he hasn't harmed you in any way, has he?"
"Who, Emmet? Nah. He actually saved my skin not too long ago so I owe him one. No, your doppelganger is certainly a bit eccentric and blunt." Jaku visibly relaxed, tapping one finger on the table. "And rude… and maybe a little kind? But no, he's never hurt me." She then dropped her smile. "Adaman told me that you think that guy is some kind of pokémon in disguise; I wouldn't bet on it."
Ingo only sighed. There was only so much he could accept at face value but then, his doppelganger had been solely sticking to the ranger's side. Only because it was looking for him. Another flash of lightning lit up the inside of the small hut. "Might I ask some preliminary questions?" Ingo queried. "Just to decommission any doubts I may or may not have?"
"Shoot."
"What color are his eyes?"
"Same as yours; silver… or gray. Some varying shade."
"Have you ever happened to see him get injured?"
That made the ranger laugh. "More times than I can count on one hand. He has a bad penchant for making the wildlife mad. Just the other week, he got poisoned by a gaggle of wild Croagunk."
That certainly made things a bit difficult. Zoroark illusions tended to fade if the caster became injured or incapacitated in any form. If Jaku had witnessed the man getting harmed and still not dropping the act, then it pointed fingers at Emmet being a real person; a theory that Ingo just couldn't bring himself to consider a reality. "Adaman mentioned that my doppelganger regularly visits this settlement," he asked. "I would quite like to… meet him if he's here. Would you happen to know when he might next arrive at this station?"
Jaku's expression plummeted, hunching away from the table as she avoided his gaze. She rose from her chair, gazing worriedly out at the settlement as the storm worsened. "Oh. Oh no. 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. To maybe ask Warden Melli since you two share the same region. I was actually showing him the route to get there after running my rounds in the bog yesterday. He should be well over by the Shrouded Ruins by now."
"… I see."
Jaku hurriedly continued. "Is this urgent? I can call Lilith- she's my Arcanine. She can get me out to the mountains in a heartbeat."
"Who-"
Ingo's Magnezone, Cable, suddenly appeared from its pokéball and 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, Freight running to hide under him. And then it was over in the blink of an eye.