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teamconductors · 1 year

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Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Lost Tracks of Time, One Last Stop

Summary: Ingo and Emmet continue their adventures through present day Unova, past Hisui, and future Sinnoh.

Author’s Note: One year ago, on February 20th, I wrote and published the original PMD LTOT oneshot on my personal tumblr. It was inspired by @furiouskettle’s art of Ingo and Emmet as Sneasels in a PMD world. I never expected the fic to get as much attention as it did, but I’m glad it did. I got to tell a full story two funky dudes screwed over by Arceus that reunited, got a sister, saved a legendary pokemon, and now casually time travel between three times.

So I needed to make something for the anniversary, right?

(As always, bl*nkshippers DNI)

In a world with only pokemon, there was Eterna Town. Near the Pearl Guild and Eterna Forest, the town acted as a near-mandatory stop for rescue teams before they set out on missions. Among the teams that frequent the hub was Team Conductors. The co-leaders knew the importance of preparations, which was why they petitioned to have the town as a stop for their subway system.

The team visited all the shops to ask for permission to build a station, though many of the conversations consisted of Ingo explaining what a subway was and why they wanted to build one. The Kecleon brothers gladly accepted the idea of more business. Gimmighoul also jumped at the potential for more customers for their bank. Rampardos’ Apprisal and Kangaskhan gave their approval after an even longer explanation of trains from Ingo. Decidueye hesitated since he didn’t know how much space they would need and if it could interfere with his training dojo’s space, but he relented upon seeing everyone else’s signatures.

Lastly, there was Alcremie’s café and bakery. She was a nervous person, so the idea of her little shop getting more attention made her nervous. Ingo and Emmet decided to give her some time to think on it, and they ordered drinks for the team.

“Um…” Eelektross’ body barely fit inside the café, and he had to loop it along the walls to avoid running into other pokemon. He held his smoothie with his claws, trying to put just enough pinch pressure to hold and not break it. “I’ll… eat outside…” He left the building with Chandelure, who decided to stare at their trainer while floating next to their friend.

Ingo sighed as he sat down next to Emmet and across from Sneasler. The three sat in a corner of the cafe where they can talk more freely. His body visibly relaxed. “Bravo, everyone…”

“Your voice is rough,” Emmet said.

“You didn’t have to explain what subways were to everyone, Ingo. I think most the folk here would’ve said yes,” Sneasler said.

“But they deserve to know what the project is about!” Ingo said. “Getting permissions to make the Battle Subway didn’t make us this exhausted.”

“The train station was already there. We only had to worry about train cars strong enough for pokemon battles,” Emmet said.

“You have a good point, Emmet,” Ingo said. “For now, let us rest until Miss Alcremie makes her decision!”

“Uh, yeah. That’s why we’re still here,” Sneasler said.

“Also, Sneasler, did you want to hear about previous trips to the other stations?” Ingo asked.

“Sure. Anything good happen?” Sneasler asked. She sipped her smoothie.

“We told Elesa everything,” Emmet said.

Sneasler gasped while drinking, resulting in her breathing in liquid. She lurched forward and coughed to clear her throat.

“Are you alright?!” Ingo jumped to standing position to help Sneasler.

After a few more coughs and a brief pounding of her chest, Sneasler regained control of her breathing. “You WHAT?!”

“That was a joke… Sorry, Sneasler,” Emmet said, looking away from her due to guilt.

Ingo sighed. “Because we felt terrible for not being able to tell Elesa why we can turn into Sneasels, we decided to construct a plausible story to show her to almost the right destination of truth. It was tricky to craft something believable since we can’t tell her about the future, but we tried.”

Sneasler raised a brow. “And? How’d that go?”

***

In a café on the outskirts of Nimbasa City, thee pokemon trainers met for coffee. The sun had not yet peaked over the horizon, as the three wanted to meet before most people awakened for the day. The three chose a meeting time so early not only to avoid interference with their schedules but also to allow them to talk more openly without worry of anyone eavesdropping them. Wild Minccino swept the outdoor grounds of the café, avoiding the pokemon of the trainers eating breakfast at their trainer’s feet. Ingo and Emmet sat opposite to Elesa.

Elesa stared at her half-finished latte. “Let me see if I got this right. Ingo got sent to Hisui by Arceus itself to save the world, but either of you could’ve been taken.” She looked at Ingo. “You lost your memories while protecting the other trainer sent to save the world, and that’s what you were like when Emmet found you.”

“That is right,” Emmet said.

Elesa continued, “And then, after the world was saved, this Volo guy tried to get revenge on you two, and that’s why Giratina had you turn into Sneasels? To protect you?”

“I suppose that explanation streamlines the events well,” Ingo said.

Elesa took a sip of coffee. “You two need to get better at lying.”

“What… made you arrive at that conclusion?” Ingo asked.

“Call it a gut feeling,” Elesa said. “Plus I know you too well. You’re not the best liars. Well, something tells me you weren’t entirely lying. The first half sounded about right, but the second half… Some of the pieces don’t fit right.”

“Busted,” Emmet said. His grin grew wider.

Ingo sighed. “As always, your intuition is quite admirable. I am truly sorry, Elesa.”

“Don’t worry, I’m not gonna hold it against you. From the way Giratina talked about things, it sounds like I’m not supposed to know anyway, no matter how much I want to,” Elesa said.

“I am sorry,” Emmet said, his smile lowering enough for Elesa to notice. “I… wanted to clear your train of thought from worrying.” He wanted to put some of Elesa’s mind at ease after all the troubles he caused her and all she did to care for their pokemon in their absence.

Elesa smiled. “I appreciate it. But you two, promise me something.”

“Yes?” Ingo and Emmet said.

“As soon as you’re allowed to tell me what really happened, please do. Because it sounds like you had fun,” Elesa said. “Oh, speaking of…” “Elesa turned and checked around the area.

After staring in confusion, Ingo and Emmet realized what she was doing and scanned their surroundings.

“The station is all clear,” Ingo said. Emmet nodded in agreement.

“Well, I can trust it if you two do. So!” Elesa sat up, and her eyes brightened. “How’s your transformation training going? You said you’re working on it, right?”

“We made excellent progress!” Ingo said. “Emmet and I can carry out transformations on our own accord and complete them within 5 seconds!”

“They are weird to watch,” Emmet said. His gaze drifted away from Elesa and Ingo. “I am Emmet. I am still sorry you saw it.”

“What, am I the only one who’s seen it happen?” Elesa raised a brow at her friends.

“Unfortunately, this is correct,” Ingo said.

“Don’t forget about us,” Eelektross said as he placed his head on Emmet’s lap. Emmet smiled and petted Eelektross’ head.

“As if we could forget!” Ingo said as his Excadrill approached for pets as well. “I apologize to you as well, my pokemon.”

“One day they’ll stop apologizing,” Archeops said. Galvantula, Durant, and Crustle nodded in agreement.

“And what about the interpol? Are they off your backs yet?” Elesa asked.

Ingo sighed. “Despite us staying on course to deny any recollection of where and when we went, the people there are rather persistent in finding out the truth…”

“We are lucky they haven’t found our spike maul and rail spike yet,” Emmet said.

“I mean, you did disappear for a month and then jumped out of a window. Hard to get a flashier entrance than that!” Elesa said. “Maybe we can just tell them some Beheeyems abducted you or something?”

Ingo’s and Emmet’s hearts jumped at the mention of a Beheeyem. Of all the pokemon to mention…

“Changing our story’s track would draw more suspicions than we already have,” Ingo said, frowning deeply. “We will ensure that the international police arrive at a destination that will satisfy their curiosity.”

“I think you will. You guys are smart. Let’s just hope Arceus doesn’t get any funny ideas and try to kidnap anyone else!” Elesa laughed, but then she stopped at once. “Oh, wait, you said there was another trainer that went with you, Ingo. Never mind then.”

“We will figure it out,” Emmet said.

The sun peaked over the horizon and through the trees. Elesa held up a hand to cover her eyes. “That’s my cue! I’m gonna go for a jog before the chill morning air warms up. It just gives me an energizing jolt. Wanna come with?”

“Thank you for the offer, but Emmet and I should depart for the Battle Subway,” Ingo said. “Are all of our passengers ready?”

Ingo’s and Emmet’s pokemon all gave their trainers affirmations of readiness.

“Elesa, thank you for continuing to ride with us despite all of the mayhem we caused,” Ingo said. His frown changed to a smile long enough for Elesa to notice.

She smiled. “Thanks for trying to make me feel better.” Elesa recalled her pokemon to their balls, save for Zebstrika. “C’mon, Zebstrika! Race you to the gym!” She disposed of her empty coffee cup and jogged with her pokemon at her side.

***

Sneasler chuckled. “Kinda sucks you can’t say shit to her. I wanna meet her.”

“Sadly, Almighty Giratina and Mighty Dialga raised an excellent point. Knowing about the future can be dangerous, and I can only imagine how worrying it would be to find out that no living humans exist in the future, even if the destination is rather far,” Ingo said.

“Maybe we can find her reincarnation,” Emmet said, pointing a finger up.

Ingo’s eyes widened. “Emmet, is that a possible destination?”

Emmet shrugged. “Several humans from Hisui and our home time reincarnated. I do not see why it is not.”

“Hm… I think I would rather try and find an alternate path that would lead us to explaining more things to our Elesa. She can keep secrets, but I understand Mighty Dialga’s hesitation,” Ingo said.

“We can deal with that later. Anything else good happen that won’t make me choke on my drink?” Sneasler asked.

Ingo and Emmet proceeded to tell Sneasler about different battles from the Battle Subway, including a multi-battle against two regional champions. In truth, Sneasler could barely keep up with Ingo’s and Emmet’s excitement over giving an exact play-by-play of the battle. Battles with trainers were different than the battles she knew, but it made her wonder about what it’s like to trust someone that much for decisions in a fast-paced battle.

“Okay, that’s enough.” She worried that Ingo really would throw out his voice with his multiple infodumping sessions that day. “What about in Hisui? Anything good that I don’t remember yet?” Sneasler asked.

“I am getting better at being a warden,” Emmet said. “My pokemon are getting verrrry strong. I am almost ready to battle Ingo!”

“You are always welcome to train with me, Emmet, regardless of the strength of your team!” Ingo said.

“No. I meant in a serious battle.”

“Very well, then. Perhaps we can battle next time we arrive there!” Ingo hummed before continuing. “Oh! Emmet met all the other Wardens of the Pearl Guild!”

“It was strange,” Emmet said. “Knowing their reincarnations made it weird.”

“But they accepted Emmet with open arms!” Ingo said.

“Wait, before you continue, I need to know. Emmet, did you meet Melli yet?” Sneasler asked.

Emmet’s smile grew wider. “Yes. I do not like him.”

“Yeah, I figured. What was that like?” Sneasler asked.

“I have to say, Emmet did extremely well to maintain his duty as a Warden and restrain himself!” Ingo said with complete sincerity.

“He said he was better than us because his ward only needed him. He called Ingo a bad warden!” Emmet’s smile grew so wide that his face hurt.

Sneasler sighed. “Yeah, sounds about right. When I remembered him, I asked Electrode about that guy, and she said that the Lord Electrode from then really liked him. I don’t get it.”

“Warden Melli has his… faults, but he sincerely cares for his Ward and maintenance of the Coronet Highlands,” Ingo said. “Emmet challenged him to a battle for the comment, though.”

“I won. None of my pokemon fainted.” Emmet sipped his iced tea in satisfaction.

Sneasler laughed. “Nice. Anything else good happen?”

“Hm… Oh! We had an unusual mission right before we returned to this station!” Ingo said.

***

Several centuries in the past, there was the Coronet Highlands in the Hisui region. Toward the northern region of the area, two human-shaped people kept their watch over the area for the safety of both humans and pokemon.

Emmet pulled on the neckline of the Pearl Clan tunic. While glad to be accepted into the clan that accepted his brother, the tunic worked well to keep him warm. Too well. But he had to wear the uniform for his job, so he continued wearing it even if he was more comfortable in the cold.

Ingo looked at Emmet and fidgeted with his own coat. He felt his Arc Watch vibrate. He rolled up his sleeve slightly to see the screen. As long as other clan members weren’t around, he used the watch’s map to keep an eye on mass outbreaks and massive mass outbreaks of pokemon. The vibrating notification only occurred when a Space-Time Distortion formed.

Emmet sniffed the air and scanned around the highlands as much as he could. He saw a bubble of chaos in the distance near Fabled Spring. “There is a distortion. I am still curious. Why are there stable Space-Time Distortions in Hisui?”

“Well, seeing as Miss Akari has captured Mighty Dialga, Mighty Palkia, and Almighty Giratina at this point, perhaps this is their method of thanking her for saving the world,” Ingo said.

“That sounds weird.” Emmet stretched his arms and shoulders. “I want to visit the distortion. I want to battle strong pokemon.”

“…Emmet, I need you to confirm something for me.” Ingo swiped on the watch screen, turning the two-dimensional map into a projected three-dimensional one of the Coronet Highlands. A wide purple circle represented the distortion, which was expected. “Can you confirm what I see on this map?”

Ingo pointed at the irregularity, which was a single blue dot inside the circle.

“I see the dot,” Emmet said. Though he wore his familiar smile, he was not pleased. “I am Emmet. I am certain it is a passenger.”

“That is what I feared. The blue dots represent our clients for our rescues in the future, but to think we’d see that marker here… Emmet, we must depart for Fabled Spring!”

“Yes. FULL SPEED AHEAD! NO BRAKES!” Emmet began his run down the hill, his arms held straight behind him.

“Emmet, please be cautious as you traverse down a slope!” Ingo ran after his brother.

Emmet and Ingo ran down the Sacred Plaza along a well-trotted path. They passed the graveyard and entered Bolderoll Ravine.

“GET OVER HERE!” Three Graveler curled into balls and chased after the twins.

“This is not good,” Emmet said, glancing at Ingo to make sure his brother would be alright.

An alpha Golem roared, knocking Ingo and Emmet to the ground. He needed no other information than to destroy the humans that entered their territory. The alpha joined his Graveler friends and rolled to crush Ingo and Emmet.

Ingo grabbed his cap, which flew off when he fell. “EMMET! PULL NO BRAKES!” His extraordinarily loud shout made the Gravelers and Golem wince, buying him and his brother precious time to pick themselves up and continue running.

Ingo and Emmet approached the river that led to Fabled Spring. Because mountains and hills surround the spring, the only entry possible without the use of a climbing pokemon like Lady Sneasler was to follow the river. They approached a bridge that led to another part of the highlands.

When they stood on the bridge, Ingo and Emmet grabbed out one pokeball each. “Time to depart!” they both announced. They threw their pokeballs to the river. Out came Ingo’s Magnezone and Emmet’s Crobat. The pokemon turned and saw their humans chased by an avalanche of angry Golem and Gravelers and instantly knew what to do. The two wardens jumped with absolute confidence that their pokemon would catch them before they plummet into the water. Ingo flopped onto Magnezone while Emmet grabbed onto Crobat’s tail. Crobat squeaked from the weight, but he kept his human above the water.

Golem and his Gravelers screeched into a halt on the bridge before they could fall into the water. Though unsatisfied with the outcome, the humans left their territory. They turned to roll back to Bolderoll Ravine.

“Excellent! Bravo!” Ingo said to their pokemon.

“You’re… heavy…” Magnezone said with a strained but monotone voice. They were not used to their human riding on them.

“Oh, I apologize. We are close to our destination.” Ingo pointed forward to the distortion down the river. “Please bring us to the space-time distortion!”

“Are you serious?!” Crobat asked. Going to the distortion did not surprise him; Emmet beelined to a distortion whenever one appeared. He was just surprised since Emmet normally did not ask to carry him across long distances.

“I am Emmet, and he is Ingo. We are always serious,” Emmet said. “Thank you for your service.”

Magnezone and Crobat reluctantly flew toward the distorted Fabled Spring. On a typical day, the Fabled Springs was a flat area of the highlands defined by the sparkling spring that ran through it. Clefairy and other strange but beautiful pokemon gathered in the area, further lending to its graceful atmosphere. At that point, however, there was barely enough land next to the river that the pokemon can drop the Wardens off outside of the violet, swirling barrier. The fairy type pokemon were also absent, hiding from the distortion.

“Thank you, my pokemon! We shall provide you more treats once our mission is complete,” Ingo said as he recalled Magnezone into its pokeball.

“I will do the same,” Emmet said. Crobat nodded and returned to his pokeball as well.

“Once we return to the future, we need to reward Eelektross and Chandelure more for carrying us around places,” Ingo said. “Emmet! Are you ready for departure?”

“I am Emmet. I am ready.”

Ingo braced for impact as he passed through the distortion barrier. The difference in the air was immediate. The Coronet Highlands bared a sharp coldness only outdone by the icelands. Within the distortion, the air instead was warm and thick. Emmet pulled on the collar of his tunic to let out some heat. Instead of the graceful, flat fields the twins knew, the distortion warped the landscape into peaks and valleys. Items like evolution stones, colored slab shards, and even futuristic TMs were scattered around. Lightning sparked and stretched across the swirling violet sky that blocked out the sun.

“Ingo, where is our passenger?” Emmet asked. He began surveying the landscape like he intended to cross a street.

“They should be in the center of the distortion, but given the landscape changes…” Ingo looked up to confirm the map’s information. The map indicated an especially large shift in the center that resulted in a small mountain. Indeed, a grassed mound taller than the ruined pillars near Lord Electrode’s Seat protruded from the spring river.

“How do we get up there?” Emmet asked.

“Allow me to reach our passenger! And please watch my surroundings for me.” Ingo may not have claws while in his human-shape, but his experience climbing as a Sneasel made it easier to climb as a human as well. It helped that the mountain was not too steep to realistically need assistance from someone like Lady Sneasler. Within a minute or two, he reached the top to see who the rescuee was.

“Sir Rei!” Ingo picked up and held the teenager in his arms.

“The Pikachu?” Emmet asked.

“Well, you’re not wrong, but this is the original Rei. We need to transport him to one of the Galaxy Expedition Team’s camps. Thankfully, his injuries do not seem severe, save for his loss of consciousness.”

“Okay. Where is the nearest camp?” Emmet asked.

“That would be...” Ingo pulled up his watch map and focused on the lower section of the Coronet Highlands. “Hm. The summit camp is objectively the shortest distance, but the uphill incline may impact our method of travelling. There is another Galaxy camp near Lonely Spring, which has a more straightforward path but is also a longer distance. On saying that outloud, our path is clear. Let’s depart for the summit-!”

Emmet pulled Ingo backwards by the collar of his tunic. Where Ingo once stood, a Flamethrower blew and would have charred Ingo.

“Thank you, Emmet!” Ingo said. He and Emmet faced the pokemon that spawned from the air: a Magmortar, a Toxicroak, and an Alakazam. Alakazam manifested orbs of psychic energy and launched them to Ingo. He barely jumped out of the way in time. He turned to shield Rei from the dust and grass kicked up from the attack.

“Huh, this feels familiar,” Emmet said as he dodged another Flamethrower from Magmortar.

“Emmet, I cannot battle these pokemon while escorting Rei!” Ingo said while running away from Alakazam and Toxicroak.

“I am Emmet. I will assist you!” Emmet pulled out two pokeballs and threw them toward Ingo. His Garchomp and Porygon-Z popped out and took defensive positions between Ingo and the wild pokemon.

Toxicroak tried to Poison Jab Emmet, but his Garchomp rushed over and used Earth Power to break up the ground beneath them. The distorted area made chunks of ground float up, obscuring Toxicroak’s vision.

Meanwhile, Porygon-Z followed Ingo and used Shadow Ball on the Alakazam. Magmortar engulfed Porygon-Z with his Flamethrower. Porygon-Z shook off the remaining flames and continued shaking as it countered with Tri Attack, paralyzing the Magmortar. Toxicroak tried to butt into the battle with Rock Smash, but Garchomp used Outrage and charged into the Toxicroak as well as the Alakazam.

“We are approaching our destination!” Ingo said. He and Emmet were almost at the edge of the distortion, only diverting from their straight path when the ground shifted in an attempt to trip them.

“You did well!” Emmet said as Porygon-Z and Garchomp recalled themselves into their poke balls. He turned to check on their opponents, but the three hostile pokemon vanished, seemingly replaced by a Sheildon and a Rowlet. “Verrrry strange.”

The Wardens jumped through the violet barrier. The cold air hit their faces like an Icy Wind. The landscape was the same as when they last left it.

“Are you alright, Emmet?” Ingo asked.

“I am Emmet. I am okay, as is my team,” Emmet said.

“Excellent! And let me say bravo to your pokemon as well! ... Well, perhaps we should wait until Sir Rei gets proper medical attention.”

Emmet nodded. The two took off running north to the nearest Galaxy Expedition Team camp. Upon arrival, the Survey Corps members retrieved Rei and had him rest at their tent. They prepared medicine to aid Rei’s healing process. Ingo and Emmet sat on a fallen marble pillar.

“Ingo, I had a thought. Do you know what the distortions remind me of?” Emmet asked.

“Hm? I might know, but please tell me!” Ingo’s eyes widened.

“They are like mystery dungeons.”

“Huh. Could you explain the connection?”

“Guildmaster Irida said that mystery dungeons came without warning. They are dangerous and changed the land. Items and hostile pokemon appear randomly, too.”

“…Huh, what an interesting connection! Now that I think of it, Mighty Palkia mentioned stabilizing the mystery dungeons from the Distortion World merger. Hm… do you think we could arrange a meeting with Mighty Palkia about this?”

“Hm… If we do, could we ask them to not form any mystery dungeons in our subway system?”

“Oh! Emmet, that is brilliant! Sneasler said that there shouldn’t be any risk of a dungeon forming, but a meeting would likely ensure it! Let’s embark on that journey after we finish today’s work here!”

***

“In sum, we applied our experiences in the mystery dungeons to distortions in Hisui, and we even rescued a passenger! Isn’t it astounding?” Ingo asked.

“I love how casual you guys are about meeting legendary pokemon,” Sneasler said. She took a bite of her salted puffs she purchased during the story.

“Were you listening, Sneasler?” Emmet asked.

“Of course I was! I’m glad you got to apply your knowledge and shit.” Sneasler paused. “…Wait, you guys came straight here after that rescue?”

“Yes, but only after Sir Rei regained consciousness and his team was healed,” Ingo said.

“…Have you guys taken a break? Or gone on vacation or something?” Sneasler asked.

Ingo frowned further. “We have not. Since we can travel between our duties, it has been easier to-“

“The time travel crap should mean you have more time to take a vacation!” Sneasler pointed to Ingo.

Ingo closed his eyes to think about what Sneasler said.

“A vacation is a good idea,” Emmet said. “A change of scenery would be nice.”

“Great!” Sneasler clapped her hands once. “So I was thinking-“

“I have a better idea.” Emmet’s smile grew wider. “Sneasler, battle us.”

“…What?” Sneasler asked.

“Sneasler, battle me and Ingo. If you win, we all go on vacation,” Emmet said.

Sneasler blinked. “Or… you know… we can just go on vacation without a battle.”

“Battle us, Sneasler.” Emmet leaned in closer toward Sneasler.

Ingo hummed. “I would feel bad about temporarily abandoning our duties so soon after we began planning construction of the subway. But if it was part of an agreement based on the outcome of a battle, how can I argue against it?”

Sneasler groaned loud enough to attract some head-turns from other customers. “You two are ridiculous… Didn’t we already battle once or twice?!”

“I want a battle where you are not trying to kill us,” Emmet said.

“Emmet, that was rude,” Ingo said.

“Guys, I’m still a lot stronger than you.” Sneasler crossed her arms.

“We fought Arceus and won,” Emmet said.

Sneasler opened her mouth to retort, but she found no argument to beat Emmet’s. If they managed to beat Arceus, then maybe a battle against them both wouldn’t be as one-sided as she feared. “…Okay. So I beat you and we all go on vacation. Dare I ask what you want if you two win?”

Ingo and Emmet shared a look and began thinking. Ingo spoke. “Then we immediately contact Almgihty Giratina and Mighty Dialga to see if we can tell Elesa more than we can now and ask Mighty Palkia our questions about where mystery dungeons originate from!”

“I like that idea,” Emmet said.

“I regret asking,” Sneasler said. “But that’s on me. Alright, alright, alright! Fine! You two will get your battle.”

“Excellent! Let us depart for an appropriate battlefield!” Ingo finished the rest of his drink in one gulp. Emmet did the same.

“Oh, I have a good place in mind,” Sneasler said.

***

In Eterna Forest, there was a grand tree that was cutdown, leaving behind a massive stump. The Noble pokemon used the stump as a meeting table for official business, but there was a clearing next to the area.

“You know, this is kinda a meeting place for the Nobles,” Sneasler said while taking off her basket. She flipped the basket over, letting the two Sneasels tumble out. “Kleavor’s Seat is near, too.”

“Oh! Is our battle going to interrupt his business?” Ingo asked.

“Nah. He’s out doing Noble pokemon stuff,” Sneasler said.

“Maybe we should clean up after…?” Eelektross said.

“Eh, it’s fine. It’s not the first a battle was here. Remember the whole frenzying thing from the past? This was where that Akari girl battled the Kleavor from back then.” Sneasler pointed to the ground.

“Appropriate,” Emmet said.

“Alright, you two. Let’s do this, I guess.” She took off her basket and coat and gave them to Eelektross and Chandelure. Remembering that Anthe the Tailor modified her gray conductor’s cap to reduce damage taken from psychic-type attacks and knowing Emmet would want to use Psycho Cut against her, she began taking it off.

“Pull the brakes! Wear your uniform during a battle!” Emmet said, pointing at Sneasler’s cap.

“What, the hat? I’m already stronger than you. I don’t need to wear this for our fight,” Sneasler said.

“Sneasler, when Emmet and I battle others, we operate at our best because that is what our opponents deserve,” Ingo said.

“This is a serious battle. If a battle is not serious, it is not fun,” Emmet said.

“Just listen to them… please…” Eelektross said. He had curled into a coil on top of the giant tree stump, and Chandelure rested on top of his body. Though they wanted to battle, too, they decided to leave this one to their trainers.

Sneasler rolled her eyes and groaned. “On my ancestors… Fine!” Sneasler slapped her cap back on. She spread her feet and held her claws up in a battle stance. “Serious battle it is. Now do your thing.”

Ingo nodded. “This will be a two-against-one battle. Will Emmet and I cover each other’s weaknesses? Or will your strength overwhelm us? I look forward to finding out!” He pointed to Sneasler and the ground.

Emmet stood and mirrored Ingo’s pose. “Follow the rules and drive safely! We’re headed for victory!”

“ALL ABOARD!” The three said.

Ingo Bulked Up while Emmet Honed his Claws. Sneasler noted their buffs and took the time to get a running start. Poison seeped her claws. She yelled as she charged the Sneasels. Ingo Quick Attacked into Emmet to get his brother out of the way of the Dire Claw.

Sneasler hit the ground where they once stood, her claws digging in slightly. “Shoulda seen that coming.” She pulled her hand out and collected herself. Ingo and Emmet ran at her with Quick Attack and Psycho Cut, respectively. She took Ingo’s attack to her stomach and held her arm up to tank Emmet’s. Her feet slid, leaving a trail of dirt in the ground, but she did not topple. With her other hand, she swung and used a single Aerial Ace on them both.

“She truly isn’t holding back! Bravo!” Ingo said after he recovered from the supereffective attack. He jumped backwards for space and ran around Sneasler. He prepared a Drain Punch but waited for an opening.

“The hell are you doing?” Sneasler asked Ingo. Despite the distraction, she kept her eye on Emmet, who got back up and jumped above her. Sneasler held her arms up to block his Psycho Cut. Emmet landed the attack, then a whistle manifested from nowhere into his hand. The whistle fweeted, which made Sneasler realize he used Beat Up. She turned to see Ingo teleport due to Emmet’s summoning attack. She hit Ingo’s Drain Punch with her Dire Claw. Though Ingo managed to regain some health from Sneasler, an unnatural drowsiness loomed over him.

Emmet saw his brother struggling to stay standing. He knew the attack wasn’t enough to make Ingo faint, so he deduced that Sneasler’s Dire Claw inflicted Ingo with drowsiness. Emmet needed to give his brother space to recover from the status condition. He Ice Beamed Sneasler in the chest. She crushed the ice crystals with a few strikes of her claws. Emmet used another Ice Beam, this time aiming at her feet. Ice covered Sneasler’s feet.

“Shit!” It was much harder for Sneasler to break ice that low while also keeping her eye on Emmet. She struck the ice once and then looked up. Emmet used Ice Beam again. Ice frosted her legs and chest, limiting her movement even more. She wasn’t fully frozen, but it was enough to cause some worry when Emmet ran at her with another Psycho Cut. Unfortunately for Emmet, though, her arms were still free. Sneasler Drain Punched Emmet in the face, making him fly and hit a tree.

With one final head shake, Ingo broke through the drowsiness. Emmet was in dire straits from that direct Drain Punch. He needed to get an opening for them to have any chance at defeating Sneasler. They played defensively due to the difference in strength, but that needed to change if they wanted to win. Emmet used Hone Claws again, and Ingo used Bulk Up. Ingo then charged to Sneasler with Quick Attack. Emmet did the same with Psycho Cut.

The next minute was absolute chaos for Sneasler. She knew they overwhelmed Arceus by attacking with no time to breathe, but to see it in action against her was something else. Ingo switched between Quick Attacks and Drain Punches, darting front to back, left to right. Emmet switched between Psycho Cut and Ice Beam, narrowly dodging Ingo to strike her. Whenever Sneasler hit one twin with an Aerial Ace or Dire Claw, the other would attack her right back. Worse still, Emmet’s Ice Beams kept repairing the ice anchoring her to the ground.

Their flurry of attacks dented Sneasler’s health, but her endurance and noble strength kept her upright. After one last Drain Punch, Ingo took a deep breath to prepare his secret weapon for powerful opponents. It was Emmet’s suggestion, where he made a comment of shame for not thinking of it sooner.

Ingo Screeched. His yell echoed through Eterna Forest, causing several bird pokemon to fly out in surprise.

“HOLY SHIT!” Sneasler, who had broken off the ice from her legs, covered her ears. Ingo’s voice ringed in her ears. With Sneasler caught off-guard, Ingo and Emmet used Drain Punch and Psycho Cut on Sneasler, breaking her free from the ice cementing her to the ground but also making her tumble. To her surprise, she struggled to get back to her feet. It seemed that the twins were winning, but on closer inspection of them, their legs shook, and their breathing was labored.

All three of them were close to fainting.

Ingo and Emmet needed one more push. Emmet ran ahead while Ingo stayed put to Screech. He saw Sneasler’s body tense from the noise, but she continued running to Emmet. Sneasler’s claws glowed white, and she swiped at Emmet, who jumped to hit her in the head. Her attack landed, stopping Emmet’s momentum. She continued running to Ingo, her claws still glowing white. Ingo Quick Attacked into her body. She swung and struck him right on impact.

Sneasler fell to one knee and allowed herself to breathe with her full body. Meanwhile, Ingo and Emmet bounced along the ground from the force. The edges of both their visions were dark, but instead of the darkness overwhelming them, it retreated.

“That was… False Swipe!” Ingo said as he helped Emmet to his feet. He didn’t consciously pause in the middle of his sentence to take a breath, but he did.

“Alright, that’s enough. We’re done here,” Sneasler said.

“This is… an… early… stop!” Emmet said between breaths.

“None of us… fainted!” Ingo said.

“Are you serious??” Sneasler asked. “You’re both barely standing…! I don’t wanna make you faint!”

“But…” Emmet wanted to refute Sneasler’s argument.

Ingo placed a hand on Emmet’s shoulder. “I understand, Sneasler. We went full speed ahead in our battle, and that’s more than enough.” In truth, Ingo wanted to keep battling until it could officially end. But for the sake of their teammates, he needed to put their health first this time. “Thank you for fighting at full strength with us!”

Emmet nodded. “That was a verrrry fun battle! Let’s fight again sometime!”

“Yeah, yeah… Just eat up please…” Eelektross approached the exhausted pokemon with several oran berries in hand. Chandelure followed behind with Sneasler’s basket hooked around their arms, the basket itself dangling and avoiding any spillage of contents thanks to its cover. They also held Sneasler’s coat on the other arm.

Sneasler consumed her oran berry in two bites and took her basket and coat from Chandelure. “Also, Ingo… Never use Screech again, holy shit. You’re loud enough as is. I saw those two recoiling.” She pointed to the other two members of Team Conductors.

“Oh! Is that true?” Ingo asked Chandelure and Eelektross.

“Well…” Eelektross twiddled his claws. “It was sorta like when you made announcements on the speakers for the first time… It’s been years since I last heard you at that volume…”

“I apologize for hurting you!” Ingo bowed. “I will be more careful about using that attack in the future!”

Chandelure shrugged. Ingo began learning the flame language they used to communicate to Eelektross and told their trainer that they were fine.

“It may have been “fine”, but I still want to ensure that our passengers are not harmed,” Ingo said.

Emmet finished nibbling his oran berry. “I still like the move to lower an opponent’s defense.”

“Yeah yeah yeah…” Sneasler rubbed her ears.

“So… since the battle reached an early stop, who won?” Emmet asked.

“I did.” Sneasler picked up the twins by scruffs of their necks and held one under each arm.

“Sneasler, what is the meaning of this?!” Ingo flailed to try and escape.

Sneasler tossed the Sneasels up. Chandelure tossed to Sneasler her basket. “We’re going on vacation now, got it?” She slapped the cover off her recently-emptied basket just in time for Ingo and Emmet to fall straight in.

“Bravo! That was an excellent throw!” Ingo said as he shuffled to a more comfortable position in the basket. He grazed his claws across the woven grass, and a bump underneath the bottom indicated it still held the Toxic Plate.

“We have been kidnapped,” Emmet said. He and Ingo felt the basket rumble as Sneasler put her basket on.

“Do you know a… good vacation spot…?” Eelektross flew to walk beside Sneasler. Chandelure followed closely behind him.

“Hm, not really… Maybe I can ask Electrode or Arcanine or something,” Sneasler said.

Eelektross sighed. “Anyplace that’s a change of scenery should work…”

As Sneasler and Eelektross tried to figure where to go, Ingo and Emmet quietly enjoyed the feeling of the basket’s shakes as Sneasler walked. Ingo preferred taking train rides for his vacations, and Sneasler’s basket replicating the repetitive motion with ease. Emmet preferred changes of scenery, so he listened attentively to his family’s conversation. Most importantly, however, Ingo and Emmet had peace.

#pmd lost tracks of time #pmd au #submas #pokemon ingo #pokemon emmet #pokemon mystery dungeon #pokemon legends arceus spoilers #pokemon legends arceus #surprise!#i was gonna do art but then a thing happened where i was travelling for two weeks and didnt bring my tablet #so writing it is!

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