Chapter Text
Distortions had been growing since they’d disappeared.
She looked out over the horizon, forcing herself not to look down. Not yet. Glacier sat at her side, eyes narrowed at the land in front of them. Twitching tail and ears were the only indication that something was wrong, something she herself couldn’t see. She reached down, idly pat his head, heard him chirrup into her palm.
It had been four weeks. The Lady of the Highlands hadn’t stopped howling in grief until a week ago. She herself hasn’t slept more than an hour a night for the whole month.
Irida let her knees falter, sinking into the snow next to Glacier. She stared out over the Icelands, eddies of snow and sleet obscuring her vision and keeping her from seeing beyond the edges of their territory.
Her pocket bulged awkwardly as she sat, but she couldn’t bring herself to remove the package. Not yet.
The monument in front of her seemed to mock her with every breath she took. Wood stained pecha-pink stuck out of the snow, a small mound of snow-covered rocks in front of it. She reached forward, brushed off the snow to reveal stones brought from Firespit Island, black gloss with speckles of white and silver without. It fit with her Warden’s jacket.
Small, dried flowers speckled the snow around the grave. Small offerings from the Survey Corps and the Pearl Clan- even Warden Melli had stopped by, set a large Razor Claw safely onto the ground. ‘So he can have a Lady Sneasler in Almighty S- Dialga’s domain’, the snooty man had huffed, and Irida had had to take an embarrassingly quick leave before he could see the tears freeze on her cheeks.
Set onto the rocks, the highest place of honor, was Akari’s offerings. Rei had shown up one night, eyes red and cheeks and nose flushed from the cold. He was holding a bundle, one Irida recognized as the same odd clothing as her Warden’s original shirt had been. He’d explained in a low voice that he had helped Akari gather these, they were intended as gifts.
Irida had watched, Glacier prowling the perimeter to protect their space. Had watched as Rei delicately placed offerings onto the stones, where Irida had instructed. Tangrowth vines, carefully preserved in a jar. The rock off a Probopass’ nose and the odd cord that turned Machoke into Machamp. The spoon of an Alakazam, a magnet off of the odd metal orb that Magnezone evolved from.
And, at the top of the memorial, the scale of a Gliscor, taken from Emit himself.
Irida couldn’t bring herself to talk. Just as she hadn’t been able to since she’d asked that the grave be built. She swallowed, a lump in her throat blocking the way and sending a shock of pain through her system.
Should… she talk to him? Did she deserve to?
Sinnoh- Palkia above, she felt guilty enough just sitting here, with his grave. He had chosen to share his space with them, chosen them over the Survey Corps even when they didn’t give him reason to. Even when she didn’t give him reason to. She could still hear the snapping of the Pokéball, ringing through her dreams and waking her in a cold sweat. Every action she’d taken was coursing through her head, trying to find if anything she’d done had driven her Warden from them.
She had realized why her Warden used Pokéballs, years too late to fix it, a month before he disappeared. Akari had explained it, shown that Pokéballs did not trap Pokémon, did not deny them the space to live. Her Samurott had demonstrated, easily breaking himself out of the ball, and then putting himself back in. The ball had been sitting six feet from Akari at the time.
Pokéballs weren’t stealing Pokémon from the space they lived in. It offered them something even more sacred; a place to call their own, a space just for them.
She reached into her pocket, palmed what she had bought. He had no use for it, but she… she owed him, for a wrongdoing years past.
She forced herself to go slowly, show the proper discretion for offering to the dead. Soft tone, slow movements.
She placed the Pokéball in the snow, just in front of the rocks marking his tomb.
Bowing her head, she felt hot tears trace down her cheeks as she settled on her heels, feeling the pleasant chill of the snow against her skin. She bent over, touching her forehead to the ground.
“May Almighty Palkia guide you to the space you’ve been craving. May you find green pastures and abundance of food, and may your team be with you in the life beyond.”
Her voice sounded horrible even to her. Cracked and breaking, choked with every word.
She sat up, reached out, gently laid her hand on top of the top stone.
“Warden Ingo… why did you have to leave?”
She sat there in silence as just a moment and forever spiraled around her, Glacier pressing into her side. The Glaceon wouldn’t show it, but he was as fond of her Warden as she was, and she was fairly sure he has- had a crush on the Alpha Tangrowth, decorated with berry flowers and sprigs of trees.
Irida’s legs were starting to fuzz, the haze of limbs falling asleep settling into her feet. She leaned on Glacier, pushed herself up on Stantler-wobbly legs, and looked back over the horizon.
The sun had set while she paid respect. Now the corals of sundown streaked the sky, sparkling brilliantly off the snow. She stared out over the horizon, and for the first time since she’d heard, tear-stained cheeks stretched into a small smile.
A familiar gong rang through the Icelands, cracking the air in half.
The emergency summons.
Irida was running before even Glacier could react, her Pearl capelet fluttering in the breeze behind her. The emergency summons haven’t rung since-
Since Ingo was found by Lady Sneasler.
The Pearl camp was an easy ten-minute trip from Ingo’s grave at a steady run, and Irida wasn’t even breaking a sweat by the time she got back to the camp. People were crowded together in the center of camp, where the snow was three men deep and colder than Gaeric's Froslass’ attitude, but it didn’t bother Irida. She easily broke the crowd, listening to the murmurs- a woman appearing in camp, with clothes unfit for the region, passed out in the snow. Below her, hidden in the snow, at least two other people.
And her heart hurt.
She shook it aside, inhaling.
“What is going on?”
The murmuring of the crowd silenced, and as one they backed away, spread out- space was precious, and if Pearl Clan was able to preserve their personal space, they did.
Irida walked through the pathway made for her, coming to a halt in front of the woman. True to word, she was pushed up above the snow, someone under her pressing her up. Long, long black braids sprawled against the snow, and the single puffiest coat Irida has ever seen lay limp and snow-clogged. The rest of her outfit showed enough skin to make even Irida blush, even as she realized how cold the woman would get out here.
Where had she come from? Where had they come from?
Someone cleared their throat, Warden Lian stepping forwards. He tipped his hat, staring at the people laying in the snow.
“Irida, they… it was what brought Akari here, but small. A rift opened and they fell out.” Irida nodded, filing that away. Freaking out wouldn’t help right now.
Something under the snow moved.
Around the circle, people reeled back, gasping and murmuring. Glacier growled next to her, fur on his back rising even as she reached down to soothe him. The lump kept moving, and then-
Something covered in yellow fluff burst through the snow. Shocked gasps ran their course through the camp as the long… thing extended through the snow, quickly smoothening out into blue…
It looked almost like what covered Emit. Chitin, had Ingo called it?
The limb (that’s what it had to be) waved around, finding root in the snow. It heaved, and the snow broke to show-
Almost against her will, Irida backpedaled. The… Pokémon shook itself off, knocking the snow off of itself and blinking at her with six eyes.
It shook itself again, and Irida was given time to appreciate just how… orb-like the Pokémon was. That same yellow fur covered its torso, dark gray stripes and fur spiking up at the ends of its tufty fur. It chittered at her, even as its fur seemed to gleam oddly in the lantern light.
It was a Pokémon Irida has never seen before. And that’s saying something, she had seen Akari’s pastures at the releasing.
It turned around, gently patted at the woman’s face with its… face arms.
She groaned.
Irida tensed up as the woman groaned again, pushing herself upright. She winced as her hand landed in the snow, but then her eyes popped open, staring directly at Irida.
Then…
“...Oh, Reshiram, it actually worked. Guys. Guys, we’re in a historical reenactment but it’s not a reenactment. Get up.”
She turned, revealing a flash of red fabric and-
Irida forced her eyes away from the black splash against the snow. It wasn’t him, no matter how similar the color was.
“Guys. Come on get up. Wait, Emmet, I-”
The woman turned, scanning her surroundings. Horror dawned on her as her shoulders slackened.
“Oh Tao Dawn fell off.”
Dawn leaned against Storm as she walked, hopping on the boot she’d been able to switch out for the cast, just before they’d left. The snow was cold and the night was colder, and she was just annoyed that Cream Cheese hadn’t been able to keep them all together.
The new band on her wrist rubbed soothingly against the skin, a soft warmth radiating from it. She looked down, rubbed the thumb of her other hand over Arceus’ carved face.
Storm leaned over and sniffed at the band, and she shot him a shaky grin. She pointed forward, copying Ingo’s familiar position.
“Onward, Storm! I think I see the lanterns in the distance!”