Ingo assuredly cannot put into words how he feels at this exact moment.
The stirred up emotions
The realisation
Of his loss.
The fact that he cannot remember you or his brother, or anything you have told him today.
But he still wants to believe all of it
From the bottom of his heart.
So why is it so hard for him to accept it? Why cannot he simply remember?
Why does it all sound so foreign to him?
But to you, he is still Ingo.
You have been living with the complete, intact memory of him.
And that memory will linger
Within you.
He understands how sad you must feel, because he feels profoundly sad too.
If he were in your shoes, he would feel helpless too.
You must be disappointed in him.
There is a light flickering, somewhere in his chest.
Like a very small candle, about to go out.
Its glow is so weak that he cannot see the pictures in his heart.
The picture of the man who looks like him, his twin brother, as you revealed.
The picture of a precious Pokémon, whose flames are magical and lambent.
There is also the picture of someone else. Another person he used to love as well.
He wonders if that person could be you.
Although he does not recall how close you were, he does have the sensation that you were important to him.
Your smile moves him like no other, and his throat dries out when you pronounce his name.
Because of it, he wants to believe that you, too, have had an impact on his life. Otherwise, his reaction would not make sense.
He wants to keep that small light burning,
Inside his heart
For his heart thumps when he sees you.
Something is banging at the door of his heart, begging Ingo to let it out.
A faint voice, desperately calling from within.
But Ingo stands motionless in front of that door, impassively listening to the faraway echoes.
Please, forgive me. I cannot help you.
I haven't got the key to that door.
I ignore where it is.
It probably fell
Somewhere too deep and dark for me to be able to recover it.
***
"Thank you for joining us, Ingo. Now please, Sir Gaeric, tell us what happened."
"Thanks, Irida! So yeah, Sabi and I were having a chat at the Icepeak Arena when we saw the rift opening in the sky and the distortion appearing out of the blue at the Avalanche Slopes. We ran in that direction as fast as we could and crossed path with Akari, who came flying. I'll get to the point, it was nastier than the one before!"
"Could you please provide us with further details?"
"I'm getting there! It lasted longer than usual, and the gust winds blowing inside the dome were particularly violent. At some point, the air had become a mixture of snow and soot, orbiting around us. Fortunately, Sabi had her Rhyperior and I had my Avalugg to guide us around. There were also Alpha Pokémon, among them many I had never seen before."
"What do you mean, Sir Gaeric?"
"Like, not from this region. But Akari didn't look impressed or surprised by them."
"I see. Sir, where are Sabi and Akari?"
"Sabi's left with the Noble Braviary and is probably making the same report to Adaman right now. Akari and some dude from the Ginkgo Guild stayed behind to sift the area..."
"Wait, what? Why was a Ginkgo Guild member over there? What was he doing with Akari?"
"Can't say for sure, I've just seen them hanging out together. That tall blonde-haired man..."
"Could you be talking about Mister Volo? I have met him once or twice, before."
"Could be, Ingo. Anyway, maybe he's bargained with Akari to collect some of the weird items that are sometimes left behind after the distortion has faded."
"Now that you mention it, I've also noticed that Akari was spending a lot of time in the company of that gentleman, lately... In any case, have you found anything of interest?"
"Actually, we did, but Sabi took it to show Adaman. She said she had a strike of clairvoyance or whatever vision's got into her, but she said it was an important clue of some sort..."
"A clue? What clue?"
"How should I know! Sabi's a strange lass... Like most of Adaman's folks! By the way, how is it going with the other one? That one who fell from the sky and was taken in by the Diamond Clan? Carnelia told me they're staying the night here after an accident happened this morning?"
"Ah, (Name). They're still feeling pretty lost, I think, but it's perfectly reasonable, given their situation...", explains Irida. "For your information, Ingo is currently looking after them and will take them back to the Mirelands tomorrow."
Gaeric snorts.
"Because two people who are just as lost as each other and who find themselves together, that cancels each other out and makes them suddenly lucid?"
"S-Sir Gaeric...", stammers Irida.
"No offence, Ingo!", the man gives him a friendly slap on the back. "But as your teacher, Irida, I have to tell you that you would have done better to send them away with Adaman, than having Ingo babysit them."
"It was their choice to stay.", firmly replies Irida.
Gaeric sighs. He knows his dear pupil's softness too well.
"Well, at least Ingo's an expert navigator, so none of them will get lost in the tundra!"
"I am sincerely grateful for your heartfelt compliment, Sir Gaeric."
"By the way, Sir Gaeric.", interrupts Irida. "Getting back to the topic at hand, what was the item that Sabi brought to Adaman?"
"Hmm, not sure. I'd describe it as a very thin steel plate. It looked a bit like the material of Ingo's Pokémon, the buzzing one."
"Ah, yes. Magnezone."
"If I recall, this Pokémon started appearing in the wild after the rift from which Akari came from opened up in the sky, right?"
"That is correct, Lady Irida."
The woman places a hand under her chin, pondering.
"I guess I'll have to ask Adaman about it.", she eventually says. "At least, it's a relief that these rifts are only temporary and open one at a time. Anything else, Sir Gaeric?"
"No, that's it! So if you'll be so kind, Irida, I'm going to head back to my training grounds by Avalugg's legacy!"
"Please, do. Thank you, Sir Gaeric."
"Sir Gaeric.", speaks out Ingo. "Please allow me to accompany you to the entrance of the settlement. There are some questions I wish to ask you."
"Uh? Sure thing! Let's go."
The two men wish Irida a good night and leave. Gaeric's Glalie and Froslass emerge from the shadow and follow their wielder until they all reach the stone bridge separating the riverbank where the village is located and the Icelands.
"It's rare you wanna talk to any of us, Ingo! What's up? Ah-ah! Have you decided to follow my bespoken training? I guarantee you that it'd do you good and build you up quite a bit!"
"I appreciate your concern for my physical health and I thank you for your effort, however, I must politely decline, as the subject of my query differs."
"Oh? What is it, then?"
"Would you... Would you be so kind as to recount me what happened exactly the day you found me wandering in the Highlands? If I remember correctly, you were part of the team scouting the area at that time."
Gaeric's eyes are wide open.
"... Fine. Let me think... When we found you, you were wandering around aimlessly, shaking like a leaf, and standing almost in a defensive posture. You were obviously in shock - you didn't know where you were, couldn't tell us where you came from, and the only information you gave us was that your name was Ingo. The rest was a total blackout."
"That seems accurate enough to me. Beforehand, did a space-time dimension rift appear in the sky? A loud bang, anything that might have signalled my presence?"
"Nothing. There was no crack in the sky. Something big like that, one of us would have definitely seen it. You just popped up out of thin air. So, no, you didn't fall from a rift, if that's your question."
"All right... Thank you for your honest answers, Sir Gaeric. Much appreciated."
The other warden crosses his arms.
"Wow, yeah, I didn't expect such question from you... After all, you've never really shown any interest in your origins."
"My perspective has changed."
"Because of the person rescued by Adaman that you took under your wing? I'm curious to know what's the deal between you two? I noticed that Irida was already in the loop. I could ask her about it but I'd rather hear it from the Ponyta's mouth."
Ingo looks slightly hesitant. He eventually nods and replies with honesty:
"(Name) and I are from the same world, they are my friend and have been looking for me all this time."
"Wait... That person figured out a way to cross space and time to find you?"
"Apparently so, however, they do not remember how they got here. Their memory is hazy regarding departure and arrival procedures."
"But they clearly fell from that rift that opened near the Diamond Settlement! Hmm, so both Akari and that person arrived to Hisui through this mean... Man, this is really weird! Well, at least your friend's coming to our world didn't affect again our Noble Pokémon! I'd have felt bad for Akari having to quell their frenzy one more time!"
Ingo remains silent, while Gaeric scratches the back of his head and exhales.
"Well, sorry if that wasn't the answer you wanted to hear. I sincerely have no idea how you showed up there in the mountains. Despite your visible uprooted state, it was evident you were fully aware when it was about Pokémon. We could quickly tell you weren't afraid of them and were actively looking for their company. And to be frank, at first we seriously thought you'd completely lost it and had a death wish. But maybe this sheer folly is what made Pokémon understand that you only had a genuine compassionate interest. Your skills in catching them and battling are a feat."
"Thank you very much, Sir Gaeric."
"Don't thank me, it's just a rock fact."
"And please, do not underestimate the valuable information you have provided me tonight. I am grateful for it, and feel indebted to you and the Pearl Clan for your unyielding support. After all, if I am a warden like you, it is because you put your trust in me."
Gaeric puts his hands on the hips and grins.
"Now then, fellow warden, if you're not planning on trying my special training, my partners and I'll take our leave. We'll catch up some time later, whenever you come back to the Icelands!"
"Of course, Sir. I bid you a good night."
Gaeric takes a long breath before striding off. Ingo stays until their entire beings eventually blend with the snow.
He sighs out of relief, but also because of a newborn apprehension.
You have not told him yet about what happened on the day he vanished.
Nor about your relationship to each other.
Perhaps your wound is still too fresh, and despite him wanting answers, he does not want to hurt you any more.
Or perhaps, he, himself, is not ready to hear what you have to say.
For how long will you stay in Hisui?
How long do you have left together?
That, he does not want to know.
He walks home with a heavy heart.
The voice inside him is quiet again.
Perhaps it got tired of beseeching
Crouched in front of that sealed door.
But as he approaches his tent, he realises that the inside is still lit up.
He stilly opens the doors, and his eyes immediately fall on the fire, still burning and filling up the room with warmth and a gentle light.
You have added more logs to the stove.
When he usually returns to his place in the middle of the night, the room has already turned dark and cold.
Thus, being welcomed this way
Touches him.
His gaze then turns to you, asleep in the bed above his.
Your back turned to him, comfortably wrapped into the blankets.
Sneasel, who was also sleeping next to you, wakes up after hearing Ingo. He straightens up slightly to look at him and mews to greet him. Ingo puts his index finger in front of his mouth to advise him not to make any noise.
Sneasel lies down again and purrs as you hold him close, the two of you snuggling down further in the bed.
Ingo approaches very slowly and gazes at the back of your head for an entire minute. In the silence of the night, he can hear your slow, calm breathing.
Your presence makes his heart race.
The voice within him is crying of joy.
Ebullience
Irradiating his whole face.
***
(26 May 2022)