Chapter Text
Some people were calling it an explosion. Others, a freak snowstorm. Candice wasn’t sure how to define the strange experience that Snowpoint City had witnessed. One moment the sky was a crisp, clear blue, the next it was darkened by a swirling vortex of black clouds and lightning. There was an almighty crash of thunder as the storm seemingly exploded just as suddenly as it had appeared, the loud sound and wave of energy that accompanied it triggering an avalanche that buried half of the mountain. The residents of Snowpoint could only watch, many already making frantic calls to the Pokemon Rangers and Candice’s gym to organize a search and rescue for any hikers or skiers that might have been caught in the whirling crush of snow.
Her life quickly became a flurry of activity after that. Not that she wasn’t used to hard work and organizing lots of people into a singular task. She was a gym leader after all, and this was hardly the first avalanche she’d had to deal with, living this far into the frozen, snowy wastes of Sinnoh’s northern region. Still, what was with that storm? I’ve never seen something happen that fast. Not even a pokemon battle has ever done something like that.
She tightened the knot tying her hoodie around her waist, trying to fight the uneasy feeling that was growing in her stomach as she directed her gym trainers to their tasks, organizing supplies and prepping for the team of rangers that she would lead up the mountain once they arrived. I hate the waiting. It’s been hours already, and there could be people up there who need our help. Yes, she knew that a few hikers had already made it back to town with only minor injuries between them. But what if someone is hurt worse? They could be trapped, and I’m just sitting here waiting. She kicked the snow in frustration.
Movement caught the corner of her eye, and she turned to the edge of town and the trees that bordered it. There, she saw a pair of Sneasels watching the flurry of commotion. They seemed somewhat agitated. First the avalanche, and now all the activity around here, it’s no wonder the local pokemon are uneasy. She shrugged it off, distracted by the arrival of four rangers who specialized in mountain rescue landing and thanking the pokemon that had carried them. They had flown in from Mount Coronet in order to assist her, considering her usual group of rangers were currently dealing with blizzard relief far to the other side of Lake Acuity.
The lead ranger nodded to her. “Gym Leader Candice. I don’t believe we’ve ever had the pleasure to meet. I’m Ranger Avia, and this is my team.” She points to each of them in turn. “Adam.” A blue-haired young man grinned at Candice. “Ida.” A young woman with light brown hair framing her face and brushing her shoulders gave her a cheerful wave. “And Benny.” A slightly older man with a mustache and beard simply nodded with a pleasant smile. “We heard you had some kind of freak snowstorm?”
Candice shrugs. “I’m not sure what to call it. One minute it was clear skies, the next it was just…there. I’ve never seen a storm…burst like that, either. But the burst caused an avalanche, and I need your help to make sure nobody got…” She trailed off in confusion, looking over her shoulder and blinking as two of her gym trainers shouted in surprise. “Alicia? Sergio? What’s wrong?”
Both trainers looked startled, staring in surprise at their Sneasel, who were both out of their pokeballs for some reason. Alicia looked over at her in confusion. “Sorry, Miss Candice, they just jumped out.”
Candice frowned, taking in the clearly agitated pair of Sneasel and remembering the wild pair she’d seen at the edge of the woods earlier. Then her attention was diverted as both Sneasel began making a somewhat melodious and strangely familiar call, and one of the balls at her belt twitched. In a bright burst of energy, her Weavile broke free of its ball and landed gracefully in the snow. “Weavile?! What’s gotten into you all?”
Her pokemon looked up at her, seeming restless before it mimicked the same tune as the pair of Sneasels had earlier. “Wea!” Other calls from Sneasel and Weavile in the woods picked up the same tune, much to the shock and growing unease of the gathered trainers. Candice’s Weavile stepped forward and gently grabbed her hand delicately in her claws and tried to drag her towards the woods at the edge of town.
Candice looked at the group of rangers. “This is the direction the storm and avalanche were in. I think we should follow and see where Weavile is trying to take us.”
Avia nodded. “Let’s go see what has made them all so agitated. The fact that it only seems to be Sneasel and Weavile that are affected is most curious to me.”
Ranger Ida spoke up. “You know, it’s kind of funny. That tune they were all singing, it sounded a lot like something my grandmother used to hum when I was little.”
Her fellow Ranger, Adam, nodded in agreement. “Same here. I think it’s one of those folk tunes that pretty much everyone knows.”
Avia shook her head. “I don’t recognize it at all. Although, I grew up in Hoenn, so it might be a regional thing.”
Candice hummed in agreement as she followed the trail her Weavile was clearing for them. “It sounded familiar to me too, although I couldn’t place it until you two just said that. I wonder what made all of the Sneasel and Weavile start singing it.” And she did mean all of them. As they walked, she heard more and more pick up the call throughout the woods. She even saw flashes of movement, red and navy blue and the glint of sharp white claws, darting through the trees. All headed the same direction. Just like us. What on earth is going on?
The Rangers seemed to notice as well, Benny frowning. “Something spooked them. All of them. But why aren’t the other local pokemon affected?” The other Rangers shrugged, hands straying closer to their capture stylers, even as Candices own fingers inched warily closer to the pokeballs at her hip. I do have Weavile out already, but she isn’t behaving normally. If something happens, I need to be ready to send out some more pokemon to help.
The group lapsed into an alert silence after that, keeping their eyes peeled for any signs of either trapped people or whatever might have agitated the Sneasel and Weavile so badly. As they slowly climbed the mountain, her Weavile seemed to grow more and more restless. Occasionally she would call out to some of her wild brethren, or sniff the air as the wind gusted towards them and let out little huffs and grunts that Candice rarely heard from her.
The gym leader frowned. “Whatever is going on with them, they’re not upset.”
“What makes you say that?” All four Rangers looked curious.
She shrugged. “Weavile doesn’t sound like that when she’s angry or scared. Those are the sounds she makes when she’s happy. Excited. Whatever she wants to show us, she, at the very least, isn’t afraid of it.”
The Rangers relaxed slightly at the news, Adam smiling. “That’s good to hear, at least. I’d hate for there to be something seriously wrong.” Then he paused, frowning as he looked further up the mountain. “Are there caves in these mountains?”
Candice nodded. “A fair number. They’re not as popular as Mount Coronet, but there’s some hikers who occasionally brave the snow to go up and explore them. Why?”
Adam pointed. “I think I see one up there. And it looks like there are a few Sneasel heading for it.”
The rest of the group followed the direction of his finger. Sure enough, there was a dark mouth of a cave a ways up the mountain, and a few tiny pinpricks of dark blue fur were heading towards it through the snow. Candice frowned. “That’s odd. I’ve never known Sneasel to be particularly fond of caves. But it looks like that’s where Weavile is leading us.” Looking back, their path had been a straight shot up until this point, and the cave was dead ahead of them up the cliff.
The Rangers worked in tandem, pulling out the climbing gear they had brought and beginning to scale the cliff leading to the cave. Candice did her best to keep up, but she needed assistance from Weavile or one of them on more than one occasion before they reached the lip of rock that jutted out from the mouth of the cave. She huffed, as the temperatures grew cold enough for even her to shiver and pull her hoodie from its usual place around her waist and reluctantly put it on.
Avia squinted into the darkness of the cave as Benny pulled out flashlights and began distributing them. “Wonder what’s so exciting in there for them.”
Candice accepted the flashlight with a determined look as she felt Weavile again tugging at her hand, trying to lead her inside. “I guess we’re going to find out.” The Rangers nodded, turning on their lights and following her lead as she made her way inside the cave. Weavile scampered ahead of her, pausing every so often to glance back, as if urging her to hurry up. As they went deeper, the cave took a twisted path briefly, and all light from the entrance was lost. However, this also blocked the wind, and so the air was slightly warmer.
It was as they were rounding the last corner of the twist that she heard it again. That soft, melodious tune that the Sneasel and Weavile had reacted to. Only this time, it didn’t sound like a pokemon had made the cry. It sounded like a whistle. A human’s whistle. Shaky, faint, and breathy, but definitely there. At the sound, her Weavile perked up and raced ahead, darting around the corner. Candice and the Rangers exchanged worried glances before rounding the corner themselves.
The beams of their flashlights illuminated over a dozen pairs of red eyes. The Sneasel and Weavile seemed to have formed some kind of cuddle pile against the wall of the cave. Several tensed at the sudden appearance of four humans, teeth and claws being bared in their direction, before that same whistle came from within the depths of blue fur and red feathers. The pokemon all calmed at the sound, several purring and nuzzling the dark shape at the center.
“What’s got all your engines roaring?” A hoarse and frankly exhausted voice emanated quietly from within the midst of the cuddle pile.
Candice felt herself stiffen. “Hello? Are you alright?”
The pile twitched, and an odd metallic clink could be heard. The man’s voice called out, slightly louder this time. “Who’s there?”
“My name is Candice. I’m the gym leader of the Snowpoint City Gym. I’m here with a group of Rangers looking for anyone trapped or injured by the avalanche.”
“Avalanche? You make it sound like we’re in the Alabaster Icelands.” The man huffed, even as Candice felt her confusion growing. “Although that would explain why this destination is so cold. Would just be my luck. Managed to get out of being locked in the station and derailed on the wrong set of tracks. Now my cab isn’t even up to snuff.”
Confusion was growing into outright bewilderment. What on earth is this man talking about? One thing was sure, based on how weary and tight his voice was, he sounded like he needed medical attention. “We can get you back down the mountain. Do you think you can convince the Sneasel to get off of you and let us closer? I’d rather not have to fight them.”
There was a grunt, and the cuddle pile of Sneasel and Weavile shifted. “Maybe. Come on, you all, chug along. I’m not your station. Spin your wheels and let them through.” He let out that odd whistle again, and the pokemon reluctantly began to move.
As they cleared slowly out of the way, an odd, slightly sunbleached black hat came into view. It was covering what seemed to be long silver hair drawn up underneath the brim. Sharp silver sideburns went down either side of the man’s face, leading to a beard on his chin. His mouth was drawn into a frown, and there were tired bags under his eyes. More than that, one of his eyes was bruised and somewhat swollen shut. She could see another bruise on his cheek, even as his gaze finally met hers and he drew back in alarm. “Clover!”
She frowned in confusion before being forced to leap back as a furred body leapt at her with a snarl. Instantly her Weavile was in place between her and her attacker, which turned out to be a rather oddly colored Sneasel. Huh. Never heard of one that was white and purple before. Although I have heard stories about a pink one, so maybe it’s not that weird. She was more concerned by the fearful look on the strange man’s face when he saw her. “Hey, it’s ok. I’m not going to hurt you.” Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Ranger Benny sidling around towards the man, hoping to offer him help while she kept the strange Sneasel distracted. She shifted, trying to do just that and hoping to simultaneously calm the man down. “It’s alright. I don’t know who this Clover person is, but like I said, my name is Candice. I’m the local gym leader.”
The man eyed her distrustfully. Then Benny took a step closer and drew his attention as he reached out a hand to offer help. The man paled and actually flinched back, hands instinctively flying up, as if he expected the Ranger to try and hit him.
That metallic clink echoed through the cave again, and Candice could swear she felt her veins turn to ice as she stared at the thick manacles around the man’s wrists, a heavy chain hanging off of them and dangling down to a broken end. The manacles had rubbed his wrists raw and almost bloody, and she could see the discoloration on his skin where the cold metal had induced frostbite. Add that to the black eye and bruised cheek, along with just how wary he was of people, and Candace really didn’t like the picture that was being painted for her.
She heard Ida let out a horrified gasp behind her, and the man’s gaze snapped to the Ranger. “L-Lady Irida? You’re here?”
Candice gave Ida a confused glance. The Ranger shrugged, seeming unwilling to contradict the man when he seemingly relaxed a bit at mistaking her for this Irida woman. “These people are with me, we’re here to help you. Will you let us?”
The man looked dazed and confused. Now without the pile of pokemon keeping him warm, he had begun to shiver. His rather tattered black coat didn’t seem nearly thick enough to keep him warm. “I…My cab needs maintenance. If you know a handy mechanic that can right my rails.” He was nodding, exhaustion starting to drag his eyelids downwards.
Candice frowned. Maybe he’s delirious. Who knows how long he’s been here or what happened to him. He certainly sounded out of it, mistaking them for other people and rambling on about cabs and rails. Her Weavile stepped forward and caught the man as he slumped, finally passing out from what was likely a combination of pain and exhaustion. She looked over at the confused Rangers. “Alright. First thing’s first. We’re getting him to a hospital.” They all nodded in agreement, and Ida slowly stepped towards him, keeping one eye on the strangely colored Sneasel that still refused to let Candice or Benny close to the man.
The pokemon just eyed her carefully, keeping a ready stance but still stepping aside to let her through. She knelt at the man’s side and began gently checking him over, calling out her findings to the others. “His knee has been dislocated, and I think he has a few bruised ribs. And…a lot of scars too. That and the…the chains-” Her voice wavered with emotion.
Avia pulled out a splint, slowly passing it to her along with a thermal blanket. “Get him patched up enough to carry back down the mountain. We’ll let the hospital staff take good care of him.”
Ida nodded, gently guiding the splint around his knee to stabilize it. She wrapped the thermal blanket around him before Adam stepped forward, keeping a wary eye on the white Sneasel. “I can carry him down. Hook him up to my harness.” His fellow Ranger nodded again, and soon the man was secured and ready to be transported back down the mountain.
The group froze as the white Sneasel darted forward, deftly climbing up Adam’s harness and burrowing into the blanket wrapped around the man. Adam threw a questioning glance at Avia, who shrugged. “I’m not about to separate those two. We can figure it out later once the man has proper medical attention.” With that decided, Adam nodded and the group set off back towards Snowpoint City, even as questions whirled around Candice’s head.
*****
Elesa sighed to herself as she stepped inside Gear Station. Spotless as ever. Not that I’d expect anything else at this point. She made her way to the control office, over three years of habit making her not even register the sign marked on the door reading, “Do Not Enter: Authorized Personnel Only.” The station operator behind the desk barely glanced up when she came in. “Good evening, Miss Elesa.”
She hummed in acknowledgement, eyes scanning the map of the tunnels on the wall. “Where is he?”
The man pointed to one of the tunnels on the map. “The Singles Line was popular today. He’s right about here. Should arrive in about five minutes.”
Elesa fought the urge to grimace. Singles. Today wasn’t a very good day for him, then. Emmet had been running the Singles Line for nearly four years now. He was very, very good at it. But she knew how it must eat at him, having to run his brother’s old line as well as his own. It’s a good thing I came by today. He’ll need the company.
She was pulled out of her thoughts as she heard his train arriving. She nodded to the operator and stepped out onto the platform, watching as passengers disembarked into the station and out the doors leading to Nimbasa City. None of them lingered for very long, and soon enough it was just her and the workers in the station again. The door to the front car opened, and out stepped a familiar figure in a distinctive white coat and hat. Elesa raised a hand and waved, giving him a cheerful smile. “Emmet!”
Emmet looked over at her as a Chandelure followed him out of the train car. He had a smile on his face that broadened to more of a grin when he caught sight of her. He waved silently, even as the Chandelure let out a chiming sound of greeting. Undeterred, Elesa strode forward and hugged him, fighting the urge to grimace as she felt how thin and bony he was under his coat. He’s not eating enough again. She pulled back with a warm smile, still holding his hand. “Come on, let’s go get some food.”
Emmet nodded silently, returning her smile with one that never quite reached his eyes as he allowed her to lead him out of the station. She tugged him along, chattering to him about how her day went, which designers were being annoying to work with, how she was looking forward to a new challenger that might reach her gym soon. Anything to fill the silence and help distract Emmet from his day. Not just his day. The last three damn years.
Three years, ten months, eleven days, six hours, four minutes, and thirty two seconds. Emmet knew the number. He knew exactly how long it had been since his brother vanished without a trace. A shredded belt with his pokemon still attached to it in their balls, and a broken Xtransceiver on the ground. That was the only signs they’d found of where Ingo had vanished from.
Three years, ten months, eleven days, six hours, four minutes, and thirty two seconds since Emmet had last seen his twin.
Three years, ten months, eleven days, six hours, four minutes, and thirty two seconds since he had become the sole Subway Boss left running Gear Station.
Three years, ten months, eleven days, six hours, four minutes, and thirty two seconds since he had said a single word.
People these days called him the Silent Subway Boss. They whispered that his voice had vanished right along with his brother. Emmet knew this wasn’t true, and yet it was. He still had his voice. He knew he could make sounds. But words were always his brother’s specialty, not his. Emmet relied more on his expressive actions, preferring to script out his words before speaking them. But none of his scripts were right anymore. Even those words he’d said countless times before got caught and died in his throat.
Without Ingo, he felt like he was missing half of himself. A train uncoupled from half of its cars. He rubbed his beard absently, running gloved fingers through it. Elesa, Iris, even Uncle Drayden might think he’d grown it and his hair out because he wasn’t taking care of himself. That wasn’t true. No, Emmet had grown them out simply because he couldn’t stand to look in a mirror without them. He couldn’t stand the brief half second of joy thinking he was looking at his twin before realization settled in and he lost Ingo all over again.
Emmet was pulled out of his thoughts as Elesa gently pushed him down into a chair. He blinked. When did we get to a restaurant? The thought flitted by and was gone again as Elesa chattered away to him more, talking about some of the designs she was thinking about implementing in her old gym, adapting the roller coasters into a full theme park and adding actual puzzle features to her new gym instead. He felt his attention slowly get pulled away as she asked his opinions on things, never really expecting an answer. Roller coasters were almost like trains, after all, and he and Ingo had helped her design her old gym. If he closed his eyes and listened to her, he could almost pretend that Ingo was there too.