Chapter Text
“WHAT!?” everyone exclaims, looking down the table, at the man in black. The Subway Boss of the Single Line.
“L-Let me get this straight..” Cilan begins, nervously fidgeting with his bowtie. “Y-You, Ingo, w-want to-”
“This boy needs to be set back on the right tracks, and in turn, he needs a proper station to stay until then.” Ingo explains with a simple nod. “And so, I will say with confidence that the repairs of his behavior will lie with me, as both his conductor and parent.”
“But N.. He tried to separate us all from our Pokemon!” Burgh shouts, slamming both hands on the long meeting table. “Are you seriously considering taking care of such a horribly misguided child?!”
Ingo closes his eyes, and nods. After all, a long-standing debate has argued whether humans and Pokemon act based on their birth, or their environment, correct?
“He was brought up in the wrong station, by the wrong conductor to show him the way to go.” Ingo explains, his eyes still closed. “Are you saying that this boy should be denied the right to be free to enjoy this world, all because his parental figure was a horrible person?”
“As much as I hate to admit it, he’s right.” Lenora replies, shaking her head slowly. “Sins of the father, and all that. He shouldn’t be punished just because Ghetsis didn’t raise him right.”
“You can’t possibly agree with him!” Burgh cries out. “N’s subordinates robbed your museum!!”
“His subordinates were acting under Ghetsis’ orders!” Lenora scowls, slamming her own hands on the table this time, matching Burgh’s angry glare.
“Alright, alright, you two.” Brycen begins, crossing his arms with an annoyed scowl. “Ingo is already able to keep Emmet from burning down Nimbasa City, so who’s to say he’s not good enough to watch over another human being?”
“Exactly! He’s just one man!” Burgh exclaims. “How can he do all that and then have another person to watch over!?”
“Um, excuse ME!” Elesa scoffs. “I’m there too. You really think I wouldn’t help Ingo take care of his son?”
“For the last time, he shouldn’t be allowed to adopt N!” Burgh cries out, sitting down in his chair angrily.
“I agree with Burgh.” Clay grunts, finally speaking up. “Ghetsis was a real piece o’ work, an’ I don’t think he’d rest easy knowin’ his “son” is bein’ put on tha right path.”
“Oh, now the man with a fake accent is gonna preach to us.” Skyla scoffs. “Prove your beliefs on the battlefield, you old codger, and let’s see how strong you really are!”
“Is that a challenge, girlie?” Clay growls, pushing up the brim of his hat.
“Maybe it is, maybe it isn’t.” Skyla replies, sticking her tongue out at Clay with her arms crossed.
“SILENCE, PASSENGERS!” Ingo shouts, quieting everyone. “I believe our Champion has something to say?”
“Ex-Champion, Ingo, but I thank you for your assistance.” Alder explains, holding up a hand peacefully. “Let’s test this out. Let Ingo watch over N for a month, and see how it goes. If it goes well, we can continue with this idea. If not, then we will place N in custody under the same charges as Ghetsis. Does that sound fair?”
“A MONTH?” Burgh laughs. “I give it a week.”
“And if everything seems fine by the end of that week?” Ingo asks quizzically.
“Then we’ll go through with your foolish idea.” Burgh replies with a huff.
“Are you sure that you can help him learn more about right from wrong in a week, Ingo?” Alder asks. “If it gets to be too much, we can always-”
“I will go through with it. One week.” Ingo replies, standing up from the table. “Now then. Take me to N, where you have him as of right now.”
“Very well.” Alder nods.
~~~~~~
In the many years Grimsley had been alive, he had never expected someone over half his age to stage an uprising against the League and the region’s Government after awakening one of the dragons and then be locked up in a maximum security holding cell, and yet here he was. Guarding the kid’s cell.
“Hey, kid.” Grimsley begins, looking over to him with a sly smirk. “You up for a game of cards?” He asks, taking out a box of cards from his pocket. “It’s kinda boring here, after all. Why not make it exciting?”
“..no.” the green-haired teen replies. “I have no business with someone like you. Your Pokemon talk of games and gambling. Is that how you’d act around a kid, if you even had one? How would you feel if your father neglected you for days, all for some extra cash from a game based around thin sheets of paper?”
“Coulda just left it at no.” Grimsley sighs, putting the cards in his pocket again.
He looks around, and lets out a strangled cough. “This holding cell isn’t good for my lungs.. Maybe I should ask Marshal to take over for me for a little while..” he mumbles.
“That could be a sign of bad lung health.” the teen scoffs. “Gamblers often smoke. No wonder you have such bad lungs. Your lungs are as dark and evil as your soul, aren’t they?”
“No need to have such an attitude, kid.” Grimsley scowls, coughing some more. “What’s with that harsh tongue of yours, anyways? Last I heard, you were some soft-spoken little punk who could barely stand up to his Pops.”
“I don’t need to tell you anything. Father may have been using me, but my goal was the right path!” the boy shouts, sitting up against the wall of his cell.
Before Grimsley can respond, the door down the hall opens, and he sees Alder with one other person following him.
“Grimsley. Thank you for watching over him for so long.” Alder begins.
“Not a problem, o’ glorious boss man.” Grimsley replies, standing up and giving a bow. “You here to watch him instead for a while? That’d do wonders for my health, considering this cell and the hall aren’t doing me any favors.”
“Not here to watch him, no.” Alder explains, shaking his head. “Ingo here has offered to try and take care of N for a while.”
“Ingo adopting a kid, eh?” Grimsley snickers, looking past Alder to see Ingo standing perfectly still, a stone cold scowl carved onto his face. “Never thought he’d become a dad, that’s for sure.”
“He’s not going to be one, since that brat won’t be able to go a week without trying to overthrow everything again.” comes Burgh’s familiarly annoying voice from further down the hall.
“Burgh, why don’t you come in here?” Grimsley asks. “Haven’t seen you in ages!”
“Don’t feel like it, sorry!” Burgh shouts, his voice receding down the hallway.
“Grimsley, you have the key, right?” Alder asks.
“Right here, Alder.” the gambler nods, flicking it out of his pocket, and handing it to Alder. “Here ya go!”
“I’m going to unlock it, Ingo, and you can go in there to talk to him for a bit.” Alder explains.
“Understood.” Ingo replies with a quick nod.
Alder walks over to the cell, and unlocks it, opening it enough for Ingo to walk inside.
~~~~
Ingo steps inside, and sees a teen sitting on the ground, back to the wall, with hair covering his entire face. He looks both depressed and furious. Angry at the world he’s been lost in for so many years.
The Subway Boss looks around the cell, and notices the sparse decor. A toilet, a sink, a single low-frame bed with a mattress that strongly resembles a giant brick, and a single toy train lies near the bed, a wheel snapped off and broken in half. Beyond repair.
“Hello, young man. You are N, correct?” Ingo asks, turning to face the kid once again.
“Yes.” is the only reply.
“My name is Ingo. I am a Subway Boss from Nimbasa City.” Ingo explains. “I’m here to take care of you.”
With that, N looks up frantically, trying to back up further, like a cornered Zorua unable to form an illusion.
“They’re trying to just get rid of me!?” N cries out, shuffling his feet as if trying to push himself through the wall. “I thought they were sending me to prison like Father!”
“Pardon?” Ingo asks, confused, until it finally clicks. “OH!” he shouts, hurting even his own ears slightly.
“I apologize for the mistake, passengers. I misphrased our destination.” Ingo explains frantically. “I merely meant to say that I will be taking care of you as a parental figure as a rehabilitation program!”
N stays silent. His eyes narrow, as if trying to analyze Ingo.
His breathing slows.
He closes his eyes, and lets out a breath.
Finally, he opens his eyes again, and asks one word. “What.”