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onestepbackwards · 2 years

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Hello! can I ask for a follow-up to your self aware au on ingo and emmet in which they cheer the sad reader who has had a long and heavy working week. maybe one where the reader discovers that the train twins have become self aware or where the two come out of the 3ds. Bonus points if you write both situations

Hello Anon! I wrote them mentioning their awareness, but ended up not writing them coming out of the DS, sorry about that! It was a bit hard to write this one. Still, I hope you enjoy! CW: Self aware characters, slight obsessive characters if you squint. Word Count: 3426 words!

Something odd had been happening to you as of late. A lot of odd things. It started a few days ago, after you had come home from a bad day at work. The week so far hadn’t been great, and that day specifically had been rather… shit, if you were being honest. One of the first things you had done, much like you had every day earlier this week, was curl up, and play Pokemon Black 2. But something had happened that day. You had received a call from Ingo and Emmet in the game, which you knew was not originally possible. You would have heard about that online with the resurgence of submas content. You had even been able to respond to them with the keypad in game, and they responded, asking if you would like to ‘hang out’ with them. After that, they followed your little character sprite around in the overworld. Occasionally little chat bubbles appeared above their head, and you could go into 3v3 battles with them. That was definitely not in the original game. Ingo and Emmet never left Gear Station after their initial battle in Nimbasa. Nor should they be able to follow you around for 3v3 battles. You would have certainly seen something about that online, or at least seen gifs about it. At the time, you had wondered if you had a hacked copy, but it made no sense. Your parents had bought a retail copy, and you doubt they would have gone to the effort of repackaging a DS game just to lie to you about it. If it had been used, they would have just told you. You had also lent the game to someone for a month to play on your profile, to see if they enjoyed the gameplay. That friend had no idea how to hack game cartridges, and it would have been an impressive hack for only one month of work in the early 2010’s. However, you didn’t really care to think about this. Because if you were being honest… It made you happy. Having both Ingo and Emmet talk to you, and have fun battles with you was a dream come true. After the day you had, you were willing to ignore all oddities about it, and enjoy yourself. It had been a few days since then. When you had woken up the day after, you had immediately wondered if everything that had happened had been a fever dream. Maybe you had forgotten to eat, and went to bed straight away? Your brain simply making you think of Pokemon, and what you wanted to happen. But… You knew it wasn’t a dream. Your dreams were never that realistic. That, and the food you had eaten while playing the game was gone, the remains in the trash were even still there. It hadn’t been a dream. That left you with a lot of questions, and not many answers. If everything that happened that evening had been real, then why? How? Questions flowed through your mind, and you couldn’t help but feel… hesitant. If everything that had happened was as real as you remembered, then why your game? Did your game just allow Ingo and Emmet to talk and interact with you? The only logical thing you can think of is modifications, but again, you know that was not possible. You hated to admit it, but you didn’t touch your DS the rest of that day. As much as you were curious, you weren’t entirely sure you could handle what you might see. Though, you couldn’t help but feel guilty about it when you had gone to bed that night. It’s not like the game did anything wrong, but you weren’t sure where to go from here. Your curiosity would eventually win out though. That, and the stress from your job. Pokemon has become a part of your routine for destressing. You were beginning to miss playing it after work, especially since your job hadn’t lightened up any since last week. Which led you to these past few days. You eventually gave in to your curiosity, and your desire to play more. Opening your DS and turning on the game, everything seemed normal. When you loaded in, you were exactly where you had last been before closing the game. For a moment, you could only stare. Everything seemed normal, you could already feel doubt seeping into your chest. Deciding to walk around a little bit, you began to move through some nearby grass, and entered an encounter. Those seemed normal too. No 3v3 battles with pokemon that had levels scaled to your own. It was just… normal. Hesitantly, you played a while, battling pokemon, and attempting to catch a few you didn’t have yet. You at least wanted to pretend to be productive. Though you couldn’t help but have your thoughts wander to Gear Station. Should you go check on them? Ingo and Emmet? You honestly couldn’t help but feel a bit… guilty that you haven’t. They lifted your mood so well the other night, and you left. Didn’t even return for a few days to say thank you. That is, if they could even be thanked in the first place. You had fought with yourself a bit, before going back to Nimbasa. It wouldn’t hurt to check on them at least, and maybe get some answers? If nothing happened, well, you could at least challenge the subway again like you usually do. Though you were surprised when you saw both the twins sprites in the hub of Gear Station. Like before, when both noticed you, a small ‘!’ appeared over their heads when you entered. Eagerly, they both approached your character, and pulled you into a conversation. “Greetings! It’s good to see you again!” Ingo spoke, his sprite on your left, while Emmet’s stopped to your right. “Yup! Verrry good to see you in fact. We were getting worried after you left for a few days.” Emmet followed up. You almost couldn’t believe your eyes. Again, you were sure this wasn’t normal for either version of this game. But deep down, you already knew that. Idly, your mind began to wander for a moment. If they were here, interacting with you like this, would they want to do battles like before? Before you could dwell on it, you continued the conversation. You were almost surprised, and a bit excited. “What would you like to do today? Are you here to challenge the subway?” Ingo asked you, and Emmet’s sprite cutely bounced in place. “Oh! Or would you like us to join you again?” He asked. If you didn’t know any better, you would almost say he was excited. Well, as excited as a sprite on a screen could be. But you couldn’t help but get excited yourself, your heart pounding in your chest. It hadn’t been a dream at all! That night, it all had been real! You agreed to let them travel with you again, and battle with you. It had just been like that one night. They both followed your character around, and joined you for battling. Just like before, the pokemon seemed to scale to your own, and you would even see pokemon you haven't caught yet. It was great at first. Amazing even!

But once again, you had more questions than answers. For starters, something Emmet had said continued to ring in your head. He had said something along the lines of being worried when you hadn’t appeared for a few days. You were aware the game used your clock in your DS, but you didn’t think most characters kept track of the time like that. Other little things happened afterwards. They would talk as if they were watching you, ask you about your day, and they would remember things you told them. Both of them seemed to recall you talking about your job, and would briefly ask about it every so often. Sometimes even asking if they treated you well. Or they would ask about your favorite meal, or your favorite snacks. You were a bit suspicious, and only one idea really seemed plausible at this point, even if it sounded crazy. Ingo and Emmet somehow seemed almost… aware. You didn’t want to believe it, but you couldn’t think of any other way they were like this, than a hacked copy of your game, and that was impossible. It seemed though your suspicions were right on the money, because not long after you had come to terms with the possibility, they called you in game. You had just started playing for the day. It had been another rough one, and you were ready just to get home and play. Your twins, regardless if they were aware or not, always seemed to bring a smile to your face. As soon as you loaded in, your character got a call. Your character immediately answered, and the familiar sprites of Ingo and Emmet appeared on your screen. Something you still weren’t quite used to. “Greetings! How are you doing? We hope we aren’t bothering you!” Ingo’s sprite moved. You couldn’t help but still be transfixed on them. “Yup! We have something we wish to discuss.” Emmet followed up. The idea itself intrigued you. What could they want? It couldn’t be wanting to hang out with you like last time, they would have just gotten straight to the point. So what could it be? They went silent for a moment, their speech box empty as they stared at you. After a few seconds, Emmet finally spoke. “We know this is a game. We aren’t real in your world.” You were a bit taken aback from how blunt he was. Eyes wide, you found it hard to speak. “Pardon?” You dumbly asked out loud out of instinct. It didn’t occur to you they probably wouldn’t hear you until after you spoke, and yet… “Our world is a game. We have… Become sentient within it, if you will.” Ingo tried to explain, and you owlishly blinked at his response. They could hear you?! You felt like your brain had bluescreened, and yet, it felt like it was about to overload. Thankfully, both patiently waited for you to process this information. “I… um…” You tried to speak. You were almost at a loss for words. “Well… It explains a lot…” You finally managed to speak. Emmet seemed to laugh. “Sorry if we’ve upset you with this knowledge-” Ingo began, though you shook your head. “No, I…” You began, and scrunched your face up trying to think of what to say. “It’s just weird, having that confirmed…? I… Don’t know how to react, if I’m being honest…” What else could you say? If anything, you kinda felt like you were in shock. Shouldn’t you be jumping for joy? Squealing in happiness at your favorite characters being aware of you? Both brothers tilted their heads. If your mind wasn’t overloaded with information, you might’ve called it cute. Though a thought did roll through your head. Did they hate you? Sure, it wasn’t your fault they existed in the game, but… You were the player. You had free will, while they were stuck inside. Noticing the look on your face, Emmet spoke up. “Are you alright? You seem upset.” You blinked at how easy he seemed to read you. “Oh, no I just… Are you upset with me? I’m sorry…” you began, feeling something besides shock. Panic. You couldn’t help but begin to apologize! Both seemed surprised, and were quick to interrupt you. “No, not at all! We aren’t upset in the slightest!” Ingo quickly cut in, his call sprite’s arms moving to grab your attention. You felt the ball of anxiety building in you deflate a bit. They weren’t mad? “We… Care for you quite a bit. We know you didn’t mean for this to happen, nor would it have been your fault. We aren’t upset with you, we promise!” Ingo reassured you. Emmet nodded. “I am Emmet. We could never hate you.” Both their words made it finally sink in. Ingo and Emmet were aware they were in a video game, and presumably, they were the ones messing with everything in it. That, and they cared about you. They cared about you. Your chest felt rather warm at the realization. Ingo and Emmet shared a look on screen while you were distracted. They weren’t lying when they were reassuring you. They cared about you, more than you could realize. You were so kind to them, before they decided to even tell you about their awareness. They cared about you a lot, and wanted you to be happy. Especially since you had been having more bad days than good ones as of late. You were so cute, and incredibly sweet… They had to do something. So, they modified the code. It was quite easy. Perhaps since they lived and breathed the code, it had been ridiculously simple. Both did it, all to see you smile. And they would do it again. It’s part of the reason they decided to reveal their awareness to you. They had been toeing the boundary, so to speak. You weren’t oblivious either. Both noticed the puzzled looks on your face you would get every now and again when they did something that shouldn’t be possible. Ingo and Emmet were growing a bit impatient though, and a bit anxious. They enjoyed hanging out with you, very much so! But they could only do so for so long, and so much. However, if you knew they were aware… Maybe you would be willing to keep the DS on, and let them hang out with you more? Plus, you always seemed so happy when they talked with you… They couldn’t help but yearn to see your happy face more often. You were a comfort for them in this false world of theirs. You breathed life into their lives. Your reaction wasn’t exactly what they had expected, but then again, it was sort of a hard pill to swallow. Even if you had suspected it, coming to terms the two video game characters you were talking to were actually aware they were fictional was probably a lot to take in. Though it almost made their hearts burst when you appeared to be worried that they could be mad at you. It was nonsense, really. They could never hate you, or be mad at you simply for existing, and playing a game. This wasn’t your fault. Like mentioned before, they cared for you greatly. You were a light in their lives, ever since the dawning realization came crashing down. You made things interesting, and gave them a reason to keep going. You made them want to fight the code that binds them. Not because they hated it, but because they wanted to interact with you. But after they cleared up any possible misconceptions, you seemed to be excited! Though, you seemed at odds on what to do now. So, they offered a brief solution. “Keep us with you!” “Huh?” Ingo made a motion of clearing his throat. “If it’s not too much trouble… We are inside a DS game, correct? If possible, you could take us with you, wherever you go.” In an instant, your face lit up once you understood what he was saying. You could take them with you! Sure, you couldn’t play the game while working, but you certainly could on breaks and such. No doubt seeing both would make your day, especially with how your bosses have been treating you as of late. “I like that idea.” Both lit up at your words. They could hang out with you all day now! Well, most of the day, apparently. Of course, when you explained your work it made sense you couldn’t keep them with you all the time, though they certainly wish they could help. Both of them understand the importance of work! Though you laughed at their words. “Nah, my manager is just a hardass. Do anything but work, and she will complain and write you up. Can’t even stand still behind a register with no customers without her mouthing off at someone.” That… Didn’t help their perception of your job. They already knew you didn’t like it. Both were beginning to see why. You talked with them for the rest of the evening, and even played some more with them, much for their delight. When you had to head to bed, they had a cute request. “If it isn’t too much trouble… Could you leave the DS on?” Ingo suddenly asked as you went to save the game. You paused for a moment. It was almost kind of sweet, in an odd way, for them to request that. You supposed it would make sense. They probably didn’t want to deal with their world, if they can see yours. Or something like that. They hadn’t exactly explained what happens when you turn the game off or close the DS. It probably wasn’t pleasant. “Yeah, I can do that.” Unknownst to you, they just wanted to be closer. Sure, their world ‘goes back to normal’ when you close the system, or turn the game off. But they hadn’t really liked that world anymore, knowing it was fake. It hurt, and it was a bit scary. All their friends, family, and pokemon were all fake. They were fake. Both twins at least had the comfort of knowing their brother was aware, just like them. So seeing you, and seeing your world? It brought them comfort, knowing they were so close to the real thing.

Of course, there was more to it than that. When you had gone to bed, you did as you promised, keeping the DS on nearby on a table near your bed. You simply turned the brightness and volume down, and had it facing away from you as you slept. When the two were sure you were asleep, they began to act. The code of their world was tricky. It took them forever just to code in the triple battles they had with you, and to even make their own call and triple battle sprites. It was even harder to mess with when the DS was off. The code was much easier to see when the game was running. However, it was harder to test things without you noticing, especially with potential game crashes. They had one goal. Well, that wasn’t entirely true. They had several. Their main one, however, was rather simple. Get to your world. They wanted to be with you, be close with you. Both of them had heard you, before they told you of their awareness. How you would call them cute, or talk about how much you loved them. It made their digital hearts throb, yearning for you. You were real, and you loved them. They decided not to mention that little fact, that they had overheard you say those things. They didn’t want to embarrass you! But they needed to get to your world, as soon as they could. Both dreamt of holding you, comforting you. They wished to take care of you, help you after a long day's work. Hell, with their access to pearls and gold, they potentially could even help you quit your job, if those items had value in your world! The idea of being the ones to support you in your own world is nearly enough to send them over the moon. You already work so hard, and were kind enough to hear them out. They want to take care of you and support you! Ingo and Emmet realize they probably can’t get a job easily either in your world, seeing as they are fictional characters. Both imagine it would be rather… difficult to get an ID of sorts just to get a job. So, items it was.

But hey, both believed it could work! Another thing they really wanted though, was just to see you happy. Your smile meant the world to them, and you always seemed to smile when they played with you. If they could join your world, they hoped they could help you smile more, and be happy. They firmly believed you deserved it. Both shared a look while you slept, delving into the code of your system. Despite it all, they had a lot of work to do. But you would be worth it. Anything to be with you, and to see you smile once more.

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