Chapter Text
"Listen, uh, Emmet? How about you do me a favor and slow down your Extremespeed there?" Bedlam puts their hands up, if only that could physically halt the excitement of their guest. As if the literal-and-metaphorical shocks they'd just gone through weren't enough for one day... "How the hell do you know who I am? And what's this Cedar-Ring title you're calling me?" Not even Ingo knew that one; the only person they'd told about their childhood dream of becoming Professor Cedar was Laventon.
"Your reputation precedes you." Emmet glances around the room as if seeking something out. He lowers his voice; "No one's listening in on us. I won't blow your cover."
Bedlam raises an eyebrow. "I think you're the only one playing at spycraft here, buddy. Anyway, you're Ingo's brother, right? He'll be happy to see you face-to-face. If he hasn't already heard I got carted here and started running over, I can lead you to his usual haunts. But before I do, I should warn you that he—"
"Lost his memory. I know. I was able to contact him with the help of a psychic type." Emmet's gaze narrows. "You should know me."
"I mean. I did get smacked with the amnesia stick too. I'm like, most of the way better, but not a hundred percent."
"Not what I mean. You look young. Younger than I've ever seen you. And..." His hands interlock with Bedlam's, pulling them closer and looking over their fingers. He isn't wearing gloves, and his claws are far more jagged than Ingo's. "You aren't wearing most of your rings."
"These are all the rings I've got? And what do you mean, youngest you've ever seen me? How in the world would you have met me earlier but older?"
"Your wedding ring isn't here."
"My what ?"
"Why are you..." Emmet's eyes go wide. He promptly releases Bedlam's hands. "Oh. You haven't married Ingo yet! You...this is your first trip, isn't it?" He tugs sheepishly on his hat, just like Ingo does when embarrassed. A displaced yellow fuzzball lands on his shoulder. "Your confusion tells me yes. I knew Ingo's memory was wrecked if he forgot me, but you as well? Never mind that. What do I say? You're always so good about not telling us about the future..."
"The future." Bedlam takes a deep breath. Counts to ten. Counts another ten just to be safe. Releases Kleo and holds tight. "You're telling me I get thrown through time more, when I'm older? And I meet you and Ingo when you're younger?"
"Yup yup. Time and space, to be precise. You always told us you struck a few deals to travel on your own terms. To ensure you'd find us whenever possible. But I do not otherwise know the nature of those agreements. That is between you and...oh, is that a spoiler to say? This is harder than expected! I'm not used to being the one who knows the travel itinerary ahead of time!"
As if on cue with the mention of his lord's domain, Adaman pokes his head into the tent, not bothering to waste time with knocking. "Oh good, you're awake Bedlam. And you seem more chipper...Emmet, right? Definitely not Ingo?"
"Correct! I am Emmet. But Ingo will be chipper too when we reunite. Have you heard word of him?"
"Yes, but it's...not good news." He's hesitating, and there's a tenseness in his normally easygoing pose. Can't be a good sign when even Adaman can't bring himself to get right down to business. "Arezu's got the details, if you want to...uhm, I mean. Do you need me to bring her in here?"
"One sec. Lemme give myself a once-over. Gimme' some space, unless you want to hurl your breakfast." Adaman has the decency to avert his eyes, while Emmet just tips his hat over his face. Bedlam rolls back the blankets, realizing that their socks and boots had already been removed for dry clothing sometime while they were unconscious. Someone's applied bandages, and by the looks of it Bedlam was in fact bleeding. To say nothing of how swollen their left ankle and foot looks. It hurts like hell, but their legs always do, so it's hard for them to say when they even picked up this particular injury.
"They look...far fresher than I've seen them," Emmet mutters.
"Got these shiners right before being sent back here." Bedlam almost asks if they were still afraid of lightning when Emmet met them, but it's maybe not a great idea to casually mention time travel around Adaman even if he is linked to Dialga. "Yeah, I shouldn't be walking anytime soon. Mind bringing Arezu in for now, and then we can put me on a mount later to get out of here?"
Adaman nods and hurries to grab his clanmate. Bedlam glances at their usual garments, damp and draped over nearby furniture, and resigns to covering back up with the blanket for the time being. "Alright, how bad do you think this news is gonna' be? I swear, if I have to go toe-to-toe with another legend, Arceus and I are gonna' have some stern words."
Emmet snorts. "You keep saying that. And yet."
"Taking it this habit doesn't die down anytime soon?" Of course, the answer is a shake of the head. "Welp. At least...I guess I can look forward to making a real complete Pokedex, huh?" Emmet's response is to snort, the same way Ingo does in his Selkie form when amused. Bedlam decides it's in their best interest not to ask what exactly is so funny.
Adaman returns, and it's not just the worried and flustered Arezu with him. It seems that along with Iscan being around from lugging Bedlam over, all the other Wardens have also come home to roost. Mai's normally serene face is pinched in the corners with worry, Melli is already griping up a storm, and Sabi holds onto Adaman's hand with a distant look in her eye.
"Figured it best to knock out two Starly with one stone, so we're all on the same page," Adaman says. His expression is amicable as always, but he winces at the candlelight as he enters; seems he's tackling a literal migraine on top of the metaphorical one that's just landed in his village. "Let's get settled while our new guest introduces himself. Emmet?"
The man in white nods, doffing his cap as he stands. "I am Emmet. I am Ingo's twin. We were separated. I was held up at another station for a verrry long time. But I have finally tracked him here. I wish to rejoin our trains together as soon as possible. Yup!"
Melli scoffs as he twirls his lavender hair between his fingers. "Almighty Sinnoh, there are two of them. Well, your timing is about as poor as it could get. Ingo has up and disappeared from his post, and Lady Sneasler won't stop yowling over it!"
"Oh, I know where he is. Just not how it happened." Arezu holds herself as if she still can't believe what she's seen. "Warden Ingo...he's turned into some sort of creature. Like one of those Spheal evolutions on the Coastlands, but in black and silver. How he turned into such a thing is beyond me, but the Commander and Beni are going on an absolute power trip about it right now."
Bedlam's stomach, already twisted into knots from recent events, devolves into an Escher painting of labyrinthine twists. Judging by how tight Emmet's smile grows, he feels much the same.
Surprising everyone, Iscan cuts in next. "That's normal for him. I mean, not that he does it often, but...I've seen him do it before. Something about that coat of his being a Selkie coat?" With all eyes on him, the Coastland Warden nervously sputters, "I don't know much about it, but Palina did! She said that Selkies are sacred to the Pearl clan, which is why they've looked out for Ingo so long?"
"Is that why they made him a Warden?!" Melli bites back. And then, turning so fast he nearly smacks himself in the face with his hair, "You're his twin, right? So you're one of these Selkies too?"
Emmet glances to Bedlam. Back to the Diamond clan. Seems to decide that trust is in fact the best way to go this time. "Yep yep. Ingo and I are Selkies. The crossroad between human and Pokemon. Both and neither. But Ingo shouldn't be captured so easily. He is strong. And smart. Even if he forgot who he is—yes, I heard about the amnesia—he could never forget how to survive."
Emmet's voice is far colder than his warm smile. The entire room seems to shudder at once.
Mai speaks up, calm and collected as always, "That's true. We all know your brother is a great fighter, and...aside from Iscan I guess, no one here knew what he was. But while he's a survivor, he's also a Warden. Protecting people is his job." She turns to Adaman. "A Pokemon none of us recognized appeared in the Fieldlands today. Looked like a giant orange man riding a cloud, and it caused the earth to quake. It left for Jubilife Village, so Lord Stantler and I teamed up with Arezu to help with the evacuations. But one person stayed behind to fight it and distract it from actually hurting anyone."
"There's another one of those bastards?" Bedlam cuts in. "Iscan and I just fought a blue one up in the Coastlands. It was a...zappy piece of work. Couldn't have gotten through it without Iscan."
"And there's a green one in the Icelands," Sabi adds, waving her hands as she speaks to remind everyone that she's present. "It was heading for the Pearl Clan Settlement. Gaeric told me not to worry, but...well, maybe I shouldn't, but maybe I should. It didn't feel right to just leave them alone. Lord Braviary agreed and brought me here!"
The tent erupts in a flurry of conversation as the Diamond Wardens try to piece together what happened and what to do. Adaman tries to contain them and steer the conversation, but the man can only do so much. Meanwhile, Bedlam tries to catch Emmet's attention, which takes a moment as he's clearly lost in thought. They settle for snapping their fingers in front of his face, figuring he wouldn't appreciate a tug on his sleeve when that's actually his pelt.
They ask in a low voice, "Hey. You recognize what those Pokemon are, just from the descriptions?"
"I do. Ingo and I always called them the Djinn quartet. There's normally a fourth one, though she doesn't always join in her brother's mischief. They like to cause trouble. But to openly attack like this...they aren't normally so bold. Not when there are stronger legends around. And I know Hisui has those in abundance."
Realization dawns upon Bedlam. "Except...three of the big ones just had a knock-out brawl. And Ingo got pretty battered after that one. Everyone did."
"Makes sense. They've done this before. Swoop in when locals are too battered and distracted to step in. Verrry rude!" Emmet punches into his palm, grin growing sharp. "I am Emmet. I am here now. And I am itching for a good battle. Especially if their antics led to Ingo's capture. But first we've got to rescue Ingo. He cannot stay trapped. He is hurt. Vulnerable."
"So...sneak into Jubilife to break him out of his cage?" Arezu asks. "Easier said than done. Commander Kamado's been super paranoid recently, and he's already got guards around Ingo's cage. I mean, I'm sure Ingo could fight back, but...I mean. We all know Ingo. He's too nice for his own good sometimes."
Emmet shakes his head furiously. "Breaking him out is not enough. We need to find his coat. As Iscan said, it is how we transform. Without it, we are stuck in our Pokemon form."
"There's also the trouble of staging a breakout on our own," Adaman says, arms crossed and foot tapping in agitation. "Even if we managed to sneak or fight our way through, we wouldn't have a leg to stand on to explain ourselves. Galaxy Team could easily retaliate, and much as I hate to admit it, they're getting stronger by the day."
The rest of the Diamond Clan goes quiet. Bedlam thinks back to their home timeline, and how they'd never heard of either Sinnoh Clan—but Team Galactic was a notorious force of superscience and villainy.
Bedlam says, planning out loud, "Pearl Clan could make the argument, though. Part of why they've wanted me to join up with them after I first got kicked out of the village. So that if anything happened to me, they'd have an excuse to step in and help without drawing as much fire from the Galaxy Team. Ingo's already a Warden, so the reasoning is there. Sounds like the issue is just that they're holed up in the Icelands while one of those Djinn runs loose, yeah? So we fight the Djinn..."
"...We clear the tracks for Pearl Clan to help us," Emmet finishes. His grin is wide and sharp
Adaman agrees, "If both clans are united, plus having Bedlam and Emmet as backup, that should be a strong enough force to keep the Galaxy Team from trying anything. Though we may still need to steal back the coat. If anyone could do some reconnaissance...?"
To Bedlam's surprise, it is Sabi who raises her hand. "I can do it! Leave it to me and Melli!" The violet-haired Warden briefly scoffs until Sabi says, "C'mon Mel-mel! Everyone's always so busy looking at you, they won't notice me at all! And if they do, they think I'm just a featherheaded Rufflet. We can do it!"
"...Fine. The Great Warden Melli will accept this task. Only because I need Ingo to look after his Lady and her kits before they bother Lord Electrode any further." Yet Melli seems pleased to be needed, and a cooperative Melli will certainly be easier to handle. Judging by Adaman's quiet smirk, he anticipated as much.
Plans are made, with Arezu escorting Melli and Sabi over to Jubilife while Iscan and Adaman head up to the Icelands with Emmet to deal with Tornadus. Which leaves a couple players out of commission. Bedlam asks, "Which team am I joining?"
Adaman's gaze flickers down to the blanket covering Bedlam's legs. "You get your own team of staying back and recovering. I mean, you know enough about healing to tell when someone's got to rest up, right? So rest up."
Bedlam crosses their arms. "I don't have time to rest up. Not if Ingo's in trouble."
Adaman laughs, though it doesn't reach his eyes. "If you weren't already slated for Pearl Clan, I'd call you a perfect fit for Diamond."
Mai, who is presumably staying behind to keep an eye on Bedlam, kneels next to them. "You've worked so hard to help all of us, even though we couldn't... wouldn't do the same. We all had our excuses why, but the truth is, we were still scared. Especially of trusting others, even after all you'd done."
Just outside the tent, there is a playful yelp. The Sneasel litter that Bedlam had been watching are wrestling with Mai's Munchlax pal and Adaman's Umbreon. Lord Ursaluna and Lady Lilligant watch the younglings play as a couple human children clamber up and down the great bear's back.
Mai says, "I think we're finally getting it, thanks to you. So let us prove it. Trust us, all of us, to help get this mess sorted out. We'll give Pearl Clan a hand while you gather your strength back up, and then we can all rescue Ingo together. Alright?"
To their credit, Bedlam manages not to break down in tears of relief and frustration, even though hot tears prick at the corners of their eyes. They merely nod, and are pretty sure they manage to say "thank you", and that feels like a damn big accomplishment given all they've been through in the past day. Week. Months. Years? With their memories now mostly returned, they'd have to admit that yeah, things have been rough for a good long while. Having other people to rely on, to see the burden on their shoulders and take some of it away, turns out to be a relatively new development. Having it now is a good thing, even if Bedlam wishes it didn't make them want to cry so much.
Adaman soon ushers the rest of his clan out so they can prepare "without bothering Hisui's Hero, before they get it in their heads to tag along anyway". The Wardens all tease and bicker as they depart like any close family would, and Adaman smiles as he follows even though his face is still pinched with the grip of a migraine. One of the Sneasels pounces on Melli, and he swears at it even though he lets it climb up his body to rest on his shoulders. The others all laugh.
For the moment, Emmet stays behind. "It gets easier."
"Not turning into an emotional wreck in front of others? Or working through the pain to get shit done?"
"Trusting others," Emmet says. He looks over Bedlam again, a deep appraising stare like when Bedlam first encountered Ingo as a Selkie on the beach. Curious. Fascinated.
"Something up?"
"Yes. You are young. I know you never lived as long as us in terms of literal years. But we've seen you our whole lives. Many times, you guided us. Other times our companion, an equal. A constant across the ages. We suspected we'd find your home station one day. Or in this case, the first time you fell through Time and Space. But it is another thing to see it." He smiles bashfully. "It is verrry strange."
"Believe me, it's strange on my end too." Have they seen Emmet and Ingo before, in their own time? Is there a memory yet hidden with black and white coats, perhaps looking even more surprised at how young Bedlam appears to be? Did they ever meet Bedlam under the name they were born with?
Well, they'll find out soon enough. Knowing they'll head back means they must move forward first, to meet with Arceus and make this deal. And the only way they'll dare do that is if Ingo is rescued and safe again in their arms. In a way, knowing this fate of theirs is a comfort. A reassurance that everything will be alright.
...At least, assuming a number of time travel theories to be true. Perhaps another time, Bedlam will ask. Not right now. They're a little sick of revelations for the time being.
"I should be joining the others to plan. Even though my purpose is clear. If Tornadus must be defeated to rescue Ingo's allies, I will tear it out of the sky by my own teeth if I must. Not that it's my only option." Emmet winks and doffs his cap, revealing a trio of tiny yellow fuzzballs. Joltiks, Bedlam's memory helpfully supplies. "But I must see to the safety and comfort of passengers first. Is there anything you require?"
Bedlam quickly looks around to make sure no one's snooping. They say in a low voice, "Depends. Can I be a little bit pathetic for a moment?" Emmet nods, seeming amused by the question. "Alright. Then uh, are your hugs as good as Ingo's?"
"You do always have a preference for Ingo's hugs. For obvious reasons. But I am Emmet, and I can hug just as well. Though...I may be out of practice. Forgive me."
Emmet's arms are strong, and when he hugs tightly, he hums a high-pitched note the same way Ingo does. It feels like all the fears and worries battering around Bedlam's head are crushed into nothing at all. They're sure their own hug feels pathetically light in comparison, but Emmet still sighs when they release.
"Thank you. I needed that too."
"Gotta practice for our reunion hug with Ingo, right?"
"Yes! Verrry much so!" Emmet points outside the tent. "Our destination is set, and the route ahead is clear! The next time we meet, we will team up to bring Ingo home! He and I will be a two car train again...and so will he and you! Especially once he proposes. Or is it you who does that...?"
Bedlam sighs. "One thing at a time, Emmet. One thing at a time."