Chapter 2.
As the date of the ball drew near, Elesa's excitement reached a peak. Being a professional model with a deep love for fashion, she had arranged an outfit tryout for herself and the twins, determined that they all look their absolute best. Her modeling agency took care of her gown and jewelry, but with her charisma and persuasive talent, she also managed to secure sponsorship for the twins' attire. Elesa adored clothes and fashion, and she handpicked the tuxedo jackets, trousers, tuxedo shirts, waistcoats, shoes and bow ties for each of the brothers with the keen eye of a fashionista. Now, it was just a matter of trying on the outfits and making adjustments if needed. She was determined to make all of them look dazzling, and she couldn't wait to see them shine just as brilliantly as she would!
They agreed to meet at the Rondez-View Ferris Wheel. She hurried to make it on time, knowing her friends were always as punctual as a Togekiss in a Tailwind. She couldn't afford to be even a second late, or they'd be sure to tease her about it all day. As she approached the meeting point, she caught sight of the familiar silhouette of the twins—except there was just one of them.
A slight unease began to creep in, momentarily dimming her excitement. "Hey, Emmet!" she called out, trying to mask her concern with her usual enthusiasm.
"I am Emmet! You're late by exactly five minutes and thirty-four seconds…"
"Nitpicky. It wasn't that long." She retorted with a light laugh, but her eyes scanned the area, searching for Ingo. "Hey wait, where's Ingo? This isn't like him to just Skitty-out on a meet-up!"
Elesa was taken aback to see the twins separated, and of all people, Ingo missing from their meet-up was uncharacteristic and a bit concerning. Given Ingo's devotion to punctuality, she couldn't help but wonder what might have happened. Emmet, on the other hand, seemed unbothered by his brother's absence, which was rather disturbing to Elesa. These two were inseparable; they'd been a two-cart train ever since she met them. You would never see one without the other. Now, not only were they apart, but Ingo was also late. A flicker of worry sparked within her.
"Don't worry! Ingo's on his way! He had a big, important meeting that I wasn't too keen on." Emmet's casual tone and broad grin belied a hint of mischief, but something felt off. First Ingo missed a meet-up, and now Emmet was deliberately evading her question, avoiding eye contact in a way that only made her suspicion grow. She forced herself to stay calm, trusting Emmet's usual nonchalance, but something about his evasiveness unsettled her. Still, if Emmet wasn't worried, Ingo had to be okay…right? She bit back the urge to press further. She knew if she kept asking, Emmet might just Clamperl up; he got annoyed rather easily, though it was hard to tell since he was always smiling. But the question lingered in the back of her mind, a shadow over her excitement.
"The point here is," Emmet continued "you were late by exactly five minutes and thirty-four seconds."
She was about to retort when they heard a really loud call from behind them, causing both to jolt a bit. "HEEEEY!"
"Oh, that's Ingo alright," they said in unison. Ingo caught up to them, apparently having run all the way from Gear Station to the Rondez-View Ferris Wheel.
"Ingo! You're here! Elesa couldn't help but smile warmly, a silent wave of relief washing over her at the sight of Ingo. "It's so Oddish of you to miss the schedule! Emmet here, was already giving me a hard time just because I was late by five minutes."
"—and thirty-four seconds," Emmet chimed in, his smile widening. "A whole five minutes and thirty-four seconds! We were almost derailed!"
Elesa shot him a playful glare, then turned to Ingo, who was catching his breath.
"Ah, my apologies," Ingo said, still panting, "for the delay. We hit a minor signal snag." Elesa's concern eased a bit as she saw Ingo was fine.
"But now you're here, so let's stay on track and head to our next destination!" Emmet interjected with a grin, eager to keep the journey moving smoothly.
Elesa nodded in agreement, her excitement rekindled. 'Absol-utely!' Let's get rolling! The day's just beginning, and we have plenty of stops to make!' With that, the trio set off, their spirits as high as the tracks ahead.
As they made their way to the boutiques in downtown Nimbasa, Elesa attempted to broach the subject of Ingo's recent absences. In the weeks leading up to the ball, she had noticed a troubling pattern: Ingo had been conspicuously absent. From the moment she invited the twins to the party to the day of the outfit tryouts, his presence had been sporadic at best. He missed their lunches together, rarely answered his phone, and often failed to show up to their meet-ups after work—or, like today, arrived late.
"Hey, Ingo, can I ask you something?" Her voice broke the tranquil silence of their otherwise serene walk.
"Of course!" he replied, his tone as enthusiastic as ever.
"Um, maybe it's not my place to ask this—I mean, I don't want to intrude on your privacy or anything, but..." She paused, struggling to find the right words. She didn't want to sound too nosy. After all, her friends were fully grown adults who made their own decisions. She was just concerned and wanted to make sure Ingo was okay. Ingo noticed her distress, the way her normally confident expression was now tinged with hesitation.
"Ah, Elesa, kindly feel free to ask away!" Ingo's usual formality was softened by his reassuring warm tone and smiling eyes. "I assure you, your concern is as welcome as a green signal on a busy track!" he encouraged.
"Is, umm, is—is everything okay? Like, I'm only asking because I've noticed that you, um..." Elesa felt her cheeks burn. Suddenly, she felt silly for bringing the whole thing up. What if he was just busy? After all, rush hour is no joke in Nimbasa. Plus, Ingo's had a recent influx of challengers in the Single and Super Single lines. Add to that his workload—he and Emmet pretty much manage the entire Gear Station, coordinating not only the Battle Subway lines but also the regular bullet trains that transport people all across Unova. She should know what it's like to juggle work and personal life, herself, having to manage two overlapping careers. This is ridiculous. I'm just overthinking things. His lateness is a bit odd and uncharacteristic, sure, but let's be real: no matter how punctual and efficient you are, you're only human in the end! You're bound to slip up, make mistakes, be late every once in a while. I'm just being silly about this. Elesa's thoughts raced inside her head, and she hadn't noticed that she never finished her sentence.
Ingo tilted his head with curiosity, his bright silver eyes searching her face, trying to assess her puzzling question. Noticing her conflicted expression, he ventured a comforting answer as she fell silent, lost in thought. "Oh! I assure you, my dear friend, I am quite well! I appreciate your warm kindness." His voice came out a tad too loud, interrupting her train of thought.
"Oh! Uh—good! I'm glad then." For a moment, it seemed she wanted to say something else, but she chose not to. Elesa could feel her entire face flaring with embarrassment and hoped her blush wasn't noticeable.
Ingo looked at her, anxiety creeping over him as he noticed her uncharacteristic apprehension. Her face is a bit reddish; perhaps she needs to make a rest stop before continuing our journey? He was about to place his hand on her shoulder and ask her if she needed to stop when Emmet suddenly appeared behind the pair, interjecting not without noticing Elesa's flushed face.
He sprawled his arms around his brother and their best friend, joyfully remarking, "Well, a little Pidove told me a certain fashionista had picked out our outfits. We better look cool like we do in our Subway Boss uniforms!" His upbeat tone and ever-present smile effectively broke the tension. Elesa mentally thanked Emmet for his timely interjection, seizing the opportunity to gather herself.
"You heard right, sweetie! I can't wait to see you two strike a shining pose in your dazzling tuxedos!" she chimed in, her usual confidence returning.
"I like my Subway Boss uniform. I don't want to look like a stuck-up Empoleon in a tux," Emmet quipped.
"Hey!" Elesa retorted playfully as the two friends bantered back and forth. Seeing her renewed enthusiasm, Ingo let out a quiet sigh of relief. She seemed back to her normal, chipper, outgoing self.
Ingo slowed his pace slightly, letting Emmet and Elesa walk ahead. He allowed himself a small yawn, confident the other two were too distracted by their playful teasing to notice. At first, he thought Elesa wouldn't pick up on anything being amiss—though he knew it was impossible to hide things from Emmet, who lived, worked, and battled with him daily. He had believed he could juggle everything at once, but the truth was starting to show. The strain, the sleepless nights—it was all catching up to him.
He yawned again, his gaze naturally drifting to Elesa's nimble frame as she laughed, just being unapologetically herself. Though his expression remained as stoic and serious as ever, a tiny smile tugged at his lips. 'It will be all worth it in the end. I intend to keep my promise.'