Chapter Text
He thinks there might have been a train crash.
It must have been, right?
Even though that doesn’t make any sense.
But what else could it have been?
Even though the Nimbasa trains are completely automated.
Had the computer failed? No, no, the car would have still had a manual terminal. He would have been able to intervene. And even if he hadn’t, what about the sensors on the track? The rail staff at the terminal would have known something was wrong, they could have activated the emergency brakes!
Even though there hasn’t been a train crash since they took charge of the station.
(How else did he get here, then? What is this place?)
Even though the trains are physically incapable of reaching a derailing velocity without being overclocked.
Unless there’d been an electric type pokemon on board, but there hadn’t. (Had there?) He’d been on the old Single Train, one last loop before it headed back to the roundhouse in Anville Town. It was already running late, but there was a passenger on board, they needed to-
-to…
…he can’t recall.
There was a passenger. And the train was nowhere to be found, he- he’d gone up the mountain, hadn’t he? To try and get his bearings, see where the car could have derailed. It hadn’t done any good- the scenery wasn’t like anything in Nimbasa, let alone Unov…
Un…
…where did he just come from again?
All he remembers is that at the top of the mountain there was a lake, something moving out of the corner of his vision and he saw
bright
blinding eyes.
Why did he go climbing a mountain in the first place? Without his pokemon, no less? The sun is starting to set, why didn’t he think to bring Chande- Ch-
-his-
He feels like he’s forgetting something.
“My name is Ingo Tamadensha,” he mutters to himself. “I am- I am 30 years old. I’m the Subway Boss of Nimbasa City. I have a pokemon team with Chandelure, Klinklang, Excadrill, Boldore, and Haxorus. My Haxorus knows Earthquake and-” Ingo laughs lightly to himself. “My brother hates it.”
My brother.
“Emmet Tamadensha is my brother. My twin brother. My little brother. He’s the other Subway Boss. We’re a two-car train!”
His name is Ingo Tamadensha. There is a passenger missing. There’s been a train accident. He needs to find his brother.
“It’s fine,” Ingo whispers as he walks down the snowy slope. “I didn’t forget. It’s fine.”
He has an adopted niece. Just the one. From the dragon village in Johto, the one his mothers came from. She has a Haxorus, just like him, and she’s- she’s a Champion! A league Champion for two years and counting! Him and Emmet always laugh when they see-
-when they-
-he can’t remember what her name was.
He can’t even remember what she looks like.
Ingo takes a shuddering breath. He needs to get down from the mountain. He is… simply not operating in optimal conditions! He was in a train crash. His body is just going into shock.
He needs to find the passenger. He needs to find his brother.
But the mountain doesn’t seem to end. All he sees is more snow, more rocks, more slopes.
He needs to find his brother. He needs to remember how to find his brother.
“My name is Ingo Tamadensha, I’m 30 years old, I’m- I’m the-”
His train of thought stutters to a weak, rusted halt. He doesn’t know what he was trying to say.
He watches the sun sink into the jaws of the highlands, its dying light coaxing twisted shadows to leap from the sparse trees. His coat has long been weighed down by the frozen damp of snow- at this rate, keeping it close to his body will probably make him freeze even faster, and the rest of his clothes aren’t faring much better.
Ingo wraps his arms around himself and realizes, dimly, he’ll probably die before he remembers why he can’t stand to part with his coat.
He keeps walking.
His name is Ingo Tamadensha. Icy cold burns his breath, and frost clings at his eyelids as he fights to keep them open. He’s been derailed. He needs to find his two-car train.
His fingers shake when a gust of wind nearly blows off his hat.
He feels like he’s been walking for his entire life.
Something bumps into his leg. He looks down. A white Zorua with a cloudy, red-tinged mane stands on its hind legs, short claws sinking into his coat while it sniffs at his pockets. He lets his hands follow the baleful yellow eyes of his new companion, and finds a small bag of crackers.
“Oh, I- I see,” Ingo stammers, trying to keep his shivering voice in check. “You simply want-t-t-t to refuel. I d-don’t see why not.”
(At the rate he’s going, it’s not like he’ll be needing food much longer anyways.)
He kneels behind a rocky outcrop to shelter them both from the wind. The kit’s warm tongue scrapes for crumbs on his hand while he dares to scratch lightly at its soft ruff between its ears. As soon as it runs out of food to look for, it jumps up at his knees.
His shivering hands lightly wave the Zorua’s paws up and down. “These are very unsafe driving conditions for your class of vehicle. It would be much safer if you took public transport.”
The Zorua yips happily. He gently picks it up, resting its fluffy body inside the meager shelter of his coat.
“Thank you for riding the- the- the- the Nimbasa City Subway. Please stand clear of the automatic doors when they close, stow your luggage, and secure any pokemon passengers.” Ingo tips his hat. “All aboard.”
They should take temporary shelter somewhere before trying to continue to their destination. As much as it terrifies him to rest, the kit in his arms shouldn’t travel too far from its pack’s territory.
Ingo is the conductor. The Zorua is the passenger. Passenger safety is the number one priority.
He finds a tree. He curls around his passenger in the hollow of its wood, turning his coat towards the harsh winds.
Ingo is the conductor. He must ensure the safety of his passenger.
Ingo Tamadensha, he whispers to himself. My name is Ingo Tamadensha.
Ingo Tamade sha.
Ingotamadesha.
Ingotamade
Ingotama a
Ingo ta m a d
I ng o tttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttt-