Chapter Text
When Akari offered Ingo a chance to go back to where he came from, he expected to return almost entirely by himself.
He decided to leave most of the Pokémon he’d trained in Zisu’s care. The journey he was about to undergo could be long and arduous, and while having a full team of six would be beneficial for self-defense, he wasn’t sure if he could properly care for all of them. Any personal benefits were not worth putting them through such potential hardships. After explaining the situation to his team and consulting with them (taking extra care to properly interpret their individual body language), a decision was reached that they all agreed on.
Gliscor was the only Pokémon that Ingo would bring with him. Out of the entire team, he was by far the most resistant to being traded, probably because he had been with Ingo practically ever since he came to Hisui. And while Ingo tried not to play favorites, as every Pokémon was an important asset to the team, Gliscor was clearly determined to be the strongest and set himself above the rest; Ingo had to admire that.
And sure, his fang-filled smile should have been off-putting or downright terrifying, but Ingo found it oddly comforting. He couldn’t explain it, even if he wanted to. There was something about it, a wide smile from a creature that so clearly wanted to win every battle it fought, that simply struck a chord with him.
Zisu was more than happy to care for the rest of his team in his stead. They were already familiar with each other, and she was a more than capable trainer in her own right, so transferring them to her care was a smooth process. Ingo would be sad to leave them, but he knew they were in safe hands.
In addition to finding his team new care, Ingo resigned from his position as a Warden of the Pearl Clan. There would be no way for him to resume his duties when he left Hisui, after all. Lady Irida agreed with this, though she was clearly sad to see him go. Sneasler herself had also accepted his resignation, albeit only after dragging him back to her den for some last-minute babysitting duties. He couldn’t complain, though. It gave him a chance to say goodbye to the Sneasel kits he was helping to raise, and ensure they were all in good health for the new Warden to take over… when the time came to appoint a new one, that is.
Preparing for the journey itself beyond that was mostly a matter of packing supplies. Between him and Akari, they prepared food, medicine, and sleeping arrangements for themselves and their Pokémon. Simple enough. Actually setting out on their journey, though, was a different story.
Punching even a tiny hole in space-time wouldn’t be safe to do in such a heavily-populated area, so once they had said their goodbyes, they decided to head out from Jubilife on their own. Akari suggested heading to the Coronet Highlands; there weren't any major settlements around, and Ingo was already familiar enough with the area to guide them to where it was safest. He agreed, already forming a mental map of potential exit points.
He expected Lady Sneasler might come and see them off. In the nearly three years he spent in Hisui, he spent over two of them serving as her Warden. On top of that, evidence showed that she could be clingy if she wanted to be. Though she did eventually accept his resignation with the grace to be expected of a Pokémon Noble, he wouldn’t put it past her to say one last goodbye… or drag him back to her den one last time.
What he did not expect was Sneasler showing up with Lady Irida and a Sneasel with her.
"Good thing we caught you!" Irida said, slightly out of breath as she ran up to him. She had a small pouch attached to her belt that she didn’t normally carry with her.
“Is something the matter?” Ingo asked, his ever-present frown deepening with worry.
Irida smiled in response and gestured to the two Pokémon. “It seems that they have one last request of their Warden, before you leave.”
Sneasler patted the little Sneasel’s head, and nodded down at him. Sneasel in return squeaked happily, ran up to Ingo, and attached himself to the man’s pant leg. He stared up at him with a wide smile and a hopeful gaze.
Ingo recognized this Sneasel. This was one of Lady Sneasler’s own offspring, and he had helped raise this one and his siblings as part of his duties as Warden. This Sneasel was just about the age where the kits would leave their mother’s den and begin to live on their own, though this one hadn’t quite gotten that far. It seemed that he was especially clingy, wanting just one more goodbye--
“He wants to go with you,” Irida explained.
Ah. That changes things.
“I -- L-Lady Irida, are you sure…?” Ingo asked, looking up at her with utter bewilderment. “Is it alright to take the son of a Noble away from Hisui?”
Irida nodded. “Lady Sneasler gives her blessing, as do I. Another one of her offspring will surely be able to take her place when the time comes. And, forgive me for being selfish, but... it’s a comfort to me knowing that you’ll always have a piece of Hisui with you, even if you might not be a Warden anymore.”
Another tug at his leg made him look down again. Sneasel was still staring, squeaking gently. Those eyes were pleading with him, tugging at some distant nostalgia in the back of his mind for reasons he couldn’t explain.
What was he supposed to do, say no?
With a small sigh and an even smaller smile (too small for just about anyone to see, really), Ingo picked up the Sneasel and settled him in his arms. Sneasel in turn squeaked and threw its arms around his neck. Beside him, Akari was cooing out of the objective cuteness of the scene.
"Oh! Here, I have this too," Irida removed the pouch from her belt and passed it over to Akari. "It's some extra rations for the Young Lord. It should be good for at least a week's worth of travel… I'm not sure how long your journey will be, but I hope it will be sufficient."
"Anything helps, thank you!" Akari beamed. She took the pouch from Irida and started rummaging around in her bag to make everything fit.
“Hey, Ingo…” Irida said quietly as she stepped forward, Sneasler at her side. “I know we’ve already said our goodbyes, but, well…" She drew herself to her full height and continued with far more confidence, "In the short time you’ve spent with our Clan, you’ve really made an impact on us. I can't thank you enough for your service as a Warden, and the inspiration you've given us as a trainer of Pokémon. Time and space may separate us and our homes, but I pray that you'll never forget us. And should fate ever bring you back to Hisui, for whatever reason, the Pearl Clan will always assist you no matter what!” Her eyes shone with determination, and Sneasler added her own chirp of affirmation to punctuate the statement.
Ingo's small smile ticked upwards, just enough for the young woman to see. “My memories of you and Hisui will always remain in my heart, I’m sure of it. From the bottom of my heart, thank you, both of you, for everything."
Irida gave him one last hug, careful of Sneasel hanging onto him. Sneasler reached over and ruffled his hair, nearly knocking his hat off of his head. Not wanting an incomplete goodbye, Irida ran over and gave Akari a hug as well, which was returned gladly.
With one more smile from both of the Ladies, they departed.
Akari gently nudged Ingo’s shoulder. “We should get going, I think,” She said. "The sooner we start, you know…"
In her hand was a Pokéball. Ingo knew that it contained the Pokémon that had brought her here in the first place, and had the power to send them both to the worlds they came from. They had no guarantees it would work, but they had to at least try.
“...Agreed.” Ingo nodded, adjusting the Sneasel in his arms so that he could point to the path ahead of them. “Full steam ahead, Miss Akari! All aboard!”