Ingo would be unable to express his present feelings
When you hold him so tight with honest passion
"I'm so happy! You have no idea how happy I am!"
The relief on your face
Your smile
It is the first time he has met you, but why does he feel as if he has always known you?
And having you so close to him feels as if it is what he has always wished for.
Who are you?
He is ill-at-ease.
He cannot pretend that he knows you, for it would be a lie.
No matter how much he wants to delude himself.
Do I know you?
That dispirited look on your face
He wishes he could backtrack and pretend that he does in fact remember you.
"It's me, (Name)! You must remember me, right?"
(Name)?
Yes, Lady Irida informed me about you.
Such a beautiful name...
However, can I even pronounce these words out loud?
He is still in a daze when you grasp him by the coat, prompting his Lady Sneasler to attack you
Jolting him out of his reverie.
He steps in.
You must not be hurt
Especially because of him.
"Lady Sneasler, please quiet yourself! I am unharmed! Please, lay your eyes on me and hear what I say! I will acknowledge the fact that you were only willing to spare me from any damages. Please, Lady Sneasler, allow yourself to cooldown... "
His and Adaman's words seem to calm down the proud and protective Lady Sneasler.
"We need to talk. Right now. Irida, let's go inside. And call your warden in."
"I-Ingo, come in too!"
Lady Sneasler places a big paw on his shoulder and shakes her head.
"Sneee!", she is unwilling to let him go.
"I shall do as Lady Irida commands, my Lady. I will return apace."
Lady Sneasler growls but accepts.
He needs to know how you both are related to each other.
He wants to.
"(Name), we trust you will answer the following questions with honesty - do you know Ingo here?"
"Yes, I do."
"Where have you two met before?"
"At Gear Station, in Nimbasa City. Unova."
"What's your relationship to each other?"
"Ingo is... He... He... He's the friend I was looking for so desperately."
"Unbelievable."
"What happened to Ingo when you were still in your original world?"
"W-we... we don't know! T-there was an accident at the station..."
The more this conversation progresses, the more unsettling it becomes.
Who on earth are you?
What does it mean?
How do you know about all of this?
"How could you forget about Emmet!? Your brother! Your own twin brother!"
The man who looks like him and says I like winning more than anything else!
The recurring dreams he has been having for many cycles
The fleeting feelings he has been reining in.
"Chandelure?"
"Yes! Your very first Pokémon!... She wields flames as well as psychic powers."
You undeniably know him.
You have been looking for him.
You came out of your way for him.
Across space and time.
"Please, let's find a way to go home, together! That is all I ever wanted!"
It should be crystal clear, so why does he feel so out of place instead?
He has derailed.
"That won't be feasible."
Yes, he knows, deep within his chest, that he belongs elsewhere.
So maybe he is just making up lazy excuses because he feels lost and confused
Inside a comfortable cocoon, where cosy memories are locked away
Indebted to the people who saved him and took care of him for many cycles
His new human and Pokémon friends.
"Your voice was loud and clear..."
Sometimes he finds himself saying things without knowing where the words come from.
Yet, these words seem to fill him with power.
It is all true.
"I'm not lying!"
You, being his ticket home,
It is only a shadow, an illusion
A fiction.
"Ingo, please, say something! I know it's you! I would recognise you anywhere! I know you're still in there, somewhere!"
You are sane, you are sane, he wants to reassure you.
You have known each other before, it is an evidence
It should be as simple as that
So why cannot he remember you?
"Please Ingo, remember me! Otherwise, everything that I've done is worth nothing..."
Your crooked body
Your broken mind
All twisted by torment
He understands it all too well.
It should have been a happy reunion.
You were so happy until a few moments ago.
Why is it that your reunion is so sad? Why are you so hurt?
How could he forget the people he loved?
Of course you are in pain.
He has been cruel.
It is a cruel twist of fate.
"How could you forget about our time together? Our date?"
That pleading hand in front of him
He wants to take it into his, hold you and promise you the world
The promise that he will never forget you again.
"We were so happy..."
"... O-our time?..."
His hand is about to brush against yours when you suddenly get up and run away.
"I won't be long."
And one more time, just like that
Like a short-lived dream
It is over as soon as you shut the door behind you.
"That was something I didn't expect at all", Adaman shakes his head.
Irida lowers her eyes, visibly having mixed feelings about it.
"I-Ingo, I'm very sorry about what happened today. That must have been hard for you! I-it's all so confusing... Adaman and I were sure that they were doing better..."
Ingo, in a state of stupor until now, eventually speaks up:
"Please, do not concern yourself with it, Lady Irida. I know perfectly well that you both meant well out of benevolence towards me and... and (Name)."
Why does his heart aches when he thinks of you now? He feels as if saying your name used to procure him joy.
"What was that all about, anyway? Did it make any sense to you, Ingo?"
The warden remains silent for a few seconds before answering, "It does not need to make sense, does it?"
"Well... frankly, I personally find it disturbing. They're completely delusional, right?"
"Oh, I beg to differ, my Lord. They could not be more sane."
"... Come again?"
"What I am getting at is that I believe every single word they said. Everything is true."
Both leaders look at him in amazement.
"Wooow, wow. WOW. Ingo, you must clarify that statement for us. So (Name) does know you!?"
"Certainly, and very intimately."
Adaman seems to have run out of lines and is struggling to form a proper sentence. Troubled, Irida intervenes.
"A-are you referring to that last part?! How close were you to each other?!"
"That, I honestly would be unable to gauge. I do not recall our degree of intimacy, but their knowledge of my innermost soul was as accurate as a railroad switch, and to such an extent that it could not have been a privacy breach."
She seems outraged.
"T-then why didn't you say so earlier?! Why didn't you go after them?!"
"Because... Because at the time, it all seemed too surreal to process with clarity.", he admits.
Yet, everything you told him made perfect sense on the moment.
"It derailed my train of thought, so when I saw them departing so quickly, I did not know how to react."
"Lord Palkia, give me patience...", Irida laments.
"What about the discrepancy in the timing of your disappearance and arrival to Hisui? Time is not a linear thing... or so they said, I believe? That's odd..."
"Unfortunately, I could not say."
Ingo also would like to obtain some clarifications about that cryptic declaration, but he is also aware that Pokémon hold mysterious powers. Moreover, he does not know the legend surrouding Jirachi or Celebi or their purpose.
Adaman sighs and slowly stands up.
"Irida, Warden Ingo. I'm sincerely sorry for what happened, and for angering our Noble Lady Sneasler. I do hope you will not hold it against the Diamond Clan."
"What do you mean, Adaman? It has nothing to do with your clan.", Irida objects.
"It does. We have taken (Name) under our wing, so from now on, they're part of our clan. At least, for now, that is."
"Ah, I see. For a second, I thought you were making it all about yourself..."
He titters, then glances at Ingo. His expression looks suddenly very serious.
"Warden Ingo, in all due respect, I have to say that your attitude earlier has disappointed me greatly. Our guest, presently a member of the Diamond Clan, has left behind their loved ones, including their Pokémon partners, as well as their homeland to travel through time and space to find you. They've literally risked their life coming to Hisui for you. If that's not the ultimate proof of their affection for you, then I don't know what is! If it wouldn't be too much to ask, I think you owe them a thank you. Neither you nor they deserve to be alone in Hisui. At least pay them some attention. You may not remember them, but they do remember you. Start over. Get to know them, befriend them. You owe them that much!"
Ingo, who has listened to Adaman's admonitions with considerable attention from the beginning to the end, humbly nods and tilts his hat to acknowledge his words.
"Understood, Lord Adaman. I have no objection to your comprehensive and insightful report, which is much appreciated. I fully agree with your assessment of the situation, and must admit that my behaviour was unacceptable. I will endeavour to correct it to the best of my capacity."
"You don't need to take it that far, but I'm glad you're open to critics..."
"I am but a passenger on the road to improvement, my Lord. I will treat your honourable guest with utmost respect."
Life may be a dream
But even in dreams, a good action is never lost.
He wonders if he will ever wake up.
"Let's go and look for (Name).", Irida suggests, obviously pleased by how it has turned out.
All of them exit and search around.
"(Name)?", Irida calls, growing more and more anxious. "Jasper! Have you seen (Name), from the Diamond Clan?"
"The one that was carrying Sand Radishes the whole morning? Garnet reported seeing them heading towards Heart's Crag."
She lets out a loud groan.
"I swear to everything that is sacred and holy that when we find them, I'm going to haul them over the Firespit Island coals!"
"You don't strictly mean that, do you? Surely Palina won't allow it..."
"Shut up, Adaman."
"Lady Irida, please allow me to appeal for Lady Sneasler's assistance."
"If Lady Sneasler would be so kind to lend a paw, then by all means, we'd be more than grateful."
Ingo plays the flute and after talking to her, she eventually accepts, though reluctantly.
Upon reaching the spring, Leafeon and Glaceon's ears twitch and the group is alerted by the cries of a panicked Hisuian Sneasel, dashing towards the Noble Sneasler. The tall Pokémon frowns.
"What is it, Lady Sneasler?", Ingo asks.
While Sneasel runs back in the opposite direction, Sneasler screeches assertively before pointing at that same location.
The white, frozen desert ahead.
Ingo lets Gliscor and Magnezone out of their Poké Balls and prepares himself.
"Ingo, what's going on?"
"(Name)'s in danger.", he tells.
***
(17 May 2022)