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I did something like that once.

[Ingo looks faintly haunted at the recollection, and does not elaborate further!]

What is his name?

{Emmet will not prod on that one, simply because of the look Ingo is giving.]

Drayden. He is also a Mayor. He is verrry busy, he is our mom's big brother.

[Which was why people would be so surprised to find out the close relationship between the twins and Drayden, people would assume the same surname at least!]

[It's a bit odd, to hear this information and not...really feel much about it. That's probably because they aren't here. Family was always an idle hypothetical notion before. He'd been a little bit sad to think he might not have had any, but then he'd be a little bit sad to think he might have, and he'd abandoned them, and then he'd always set the whole matter aside as useless theorizing anyway.

It never seemed real enough to really worry about until he met Emmet. Even now, these other figures are distant. If he ever does meet them, though, Ingo knows he'll feel awful.]

Tell me about our parents?

Mom runs a preschool outside of town and Dad works in a Pokemon center in the back assisting Nurse Joy.

[Emmet, that's like four concepts he doesn't really recognize? But Ingo thinks he can glean what a "preschool" is, so...]

That is...somewhere for Pokemon care?

[He nods.] Yup, trainers and Pokemon hang out there a lot. You go there to get your Pokemon healed after battles.

[Emmet forgets things that are just so common place to him are now alien concepts to Ingo.]

Like the Galaxy medical wing! Though I do not know that many people hang out there.

[The nurses are nice enough, but Ingo's never felt much need to loiter about the place! He often tends to his own Pokemon in any case. He's used to doing that when he is on the mountain, just as Akari and the rest of the Survey Corps do at their base camps.

His ears shift further back for a quiet moment. But he must be more forthright with Emmet! Even if he worries that his thoughts and feelings on these matters might be painful for his brother to hear, it is worse to hide them. Emmet does seem to know when he isn't saying things.]

It is strange. I never felt certain whether or not I had any family, before. I feel...guilty, that I do not remember any of them.

[The fault isn't in Emmet's descriptions. Ironically, words alone have never seemed to trigger much for him.]

Don't feel guilty. [Emmet said easily, breaking off another bit of the white chocolate and eating it.] Because that means you did something wrong.

[Emmet appreciates how honest Ingo is being. But, it is a bit sad to think about, being forgotten.]

Besides, you had many irons in the fire, yup. And it is not like there was any proof of us being there to help you.

I suppose it is better to know for sure. I never did care for the option where I didn't have any.

[Sure, it would mean he left no one behind to worry for him! In a lot of ways, that might have been best for everyone, or at least it had seemed that way at the time. But it had always left him feeling rather lonely all the same.

Emmet always makes these things sound so simple. He has a point, though. Whatever did happen, Ingo's sure he didn't choose it, and tying himself up in knots over it never helps anyone. He idly takes a bite of his own white chocolate. At any rate, he did just remember something, even if it wasn't much. Maybe he should focus on that.]

The Normal-type gym leader...were they a woman?

I wouldn't like to think about that option either. [Family was important to Emmet. He couldn't imagine not being without one, it sounded...so lonely.] After all, where family is, you have a home, right? [Be it biological or found. Family is family.]

[Emmet nodded.]

Yup, so is the current one, Lenora.

Well...yes. I just never liked the idea of having left anyone behind, either! But there were no truly good options.

[No matter which was true, it meant that someone was alone where they shouldn't have been. Ingo often tried to convince himself that he'd rather it were him, but alone at night on the mountain, it grows difficult to be quite that selfless.

Though...when Ingo pauses for a second this time, what he's really thinking about is Gladion. Who has made his home with them, and not with his mother. Does Lusamine know that? What might she do if she ever finds out? She already knew Gladion was around, but she didn't breathe a word of it when Ingo met her. He can't imagine knowing a family member was in Ryslig and not dropping everything to find them. But that only makes him more resolute in his decision not to say a word to her about any of it. He and Emmet are looking out for Gladion now.]

I remember a woman laughing at us, after we won that battle and you tackled me. Not in an unkind way! Looking back, she must have been amused by our youthful antics!

[In the moment, Ingo's pretty sure he was embarrassed, if only briefly amid the joy of victory. But he's got a different perspective looking back now. He thinks he would probably get bored if his job were only teaching, but he has enjoyed seeing the people of Hisui build their battling skills!]

She was proud of us too, I bet! We learned a lot and we got our Basic Badge. Our first step as professionals!

There must be a great many professional battlers, if there are so many gyms!

[Of course he'd known professional battlers were a thing! That was their job! Or half of it, at least! But the potential scale of it is hitting him now. Anything beyond a handful seems like a lot to him!]

It must have been an important moment to me!

It was important to me. [Emmet grabs Ms. Noodles and sets it down between the two of them.] There are. But it is tough to do, yup. You really need to have a bond with your Pokemon.

Then I am glad to have remembered it! Though I would like to know more about how the battle went.

[Objectively, it probably wasn't that interesting by his current standards, but it must have been exciting indeed to his child self! He's intrigued by the entire notion of double battles anyway; it's something he's done once or twice in Hisui, but rarely.

Ingo picks up Ms. Noodles to study her idly. It isn't the first time he's seen her, but they haven't really spoken about it.]

What manner of Pokemon is this?

It is a Joltik. I breed them. Wanted to get cross-poison on a Galvantula.

They do best in groups because they are one of the smallest Pokemon.

Ah, breeding! That's quite rarely done in Hisui!

[Really, he can't say it's done at all, though Ingo at least has always had the possibility floating around in the back of his mind.]

Breeding Pokemon is fun. You can make sure they get good natures and everything when you are the one making sure they are the best they can be. Strong, full of energy, healthy, nice and fluffy. Also Egg Moves and good IVs.

[Because look at Joltiks, you know they are fuzzy feeling.]

I have thought about it. I believe I knew how to go about it, even if I did not remember the practice itself - but I was already keeping very busy! And I suspect the Galaxy Team would not appreciate it.

[Probably very few people would, if Ingo just started wildly increasing the population of any given Pokemon!]

They can deal, yup. And what kind were you thinking about breeding?

I do not believe I ever came that far in my planning. [...] Perhaps Sneasel. I know all of the strongest Sneasel in the area, and in theory that could be within my Warden's duties. Especially now that the Johtonian Sneasel population is increasing.

[Obviously Lady Sneasler would not be involved, but protecting her bloodline generally is also, theoretically, his responsibility! Also, creating a large wild population of incredibly powerful Hisuian Sneasel just appeals.]

Are they coming from the time distortions or just traveling up north? [a beat.]

I would like to see a Hisuian Sneasel.

Perhaps both. But the individuals I know certainly came from distortions.

[Akari caught one there! Though he could see them traveling north as well - they're ice-types, and Hisui's climate is hospitable to those.]

Their fur is similar to this. [He holds up one of his recently-furry hands.] Though they have purple markings on their shoulders and neck that I do not. And a Sneasel would not have yet grown such claws.

I am now imagining a purple Sneasel. Can they also evolve into Weavile?

No, only Sneasler. A Razor Claw is still needed, but they will not evolve at night!

[Being naturally interested in Sneasel, he's already learned plenty about the Johtonian ones! They're still rather rare in Hisui, but being friends with Akari has its benefits.]

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