“ Heeey Ingo-! Tell me what you see! "

" I already told you, Emmet, I will not. "

" Aarh-! No fairrr-! I want to know what you see! You never tell me-! "

" That's because-... It's a secret. You know that, and I've told you many times. "

" ... I do not like secrets, brother. Hate them. A lot-... "

" I thought you hated lies. "

" I hate those too! I hate secrets almost as much! Especially between us… "

" Hm. Well-... What bothers you so much about it? Secrets, even between twins, are natural. "

" I don't like it when you stare off at something I can't see… When you do it, mrrh-! Our connection gets blocked…! It's lonely. No good.  "

" Emmet, I understand you may not like it, and I’m sorry it bothers you, but this is something I wish to keep to myself. Please understand that. "

" Mh…. Alright brother… "

“Also, you should know, there nothing in this world that could undo the clasps that couples our cars— “

Staring up into the cloudy sky, he felt a wrongness within the air from the moment he opened his eyes. It was like the world around him was telling him, “ You're not supposed to be here. “ It hung as heavy in the air as the eerie familiarity that greeted him at every turn of the head. As he continued his walk through the forest that most certainly wasn’t of the home he knew, the feeling only grew thicker and thicker, like a dense smothering fog flooding his cab.

He knew this wasn’t right, but he pressed on, not seeing any other track to take. It wouldn’t be such a difficult course to chug a long had his mind been in a better state, but it certainly was not. [ “ I must trek to a higher vantage point to perform an accurate overview of this subway’s system… “ ] he told himself as he clutched his coat closer, holding onto his hat so the wind wouldn’t blow it away with the rough winds.

Sweeping the landscape, surveying his surroundings as he walked sent chills through his body as the view registered in his mind. The layout of the forest, the shape of the mountain he set as his destination, all added up into a familiarity that was far from comforting. He hoped he was wrong, as the air continued to grow colder, snow beginning to drift from the frozen area ahead.

The world around him was familiar like something he had seen in a dream, and an unpleasant dream at that. It was very little help that the unease and wrongness suffocated and distorted his senses, as though he was a radio that could only pick up static. [ “ I must perform proper maintenance when I find a better place to halt my engine- “ ]

[ “ Stop right where you are…. " ]

He nearly jumped at a voice that rumbled through the air, fueled by a hostile growl aimed at him. Turning slowly, to face where the command originated from, he was greeted by the towering figure loomed over him, casting a cold shadow as a pair of blazed red eyes glared fire down at him.

[ “ Trespasser… “ ] the other growled in a lower, but equally angered tone. [ “ I Shall Make. YOU. PAY. FOR YOUR TRANSGRESSION-! “ ] The thundering voice hit him like a gust of wind, but he stood tall and firm even when faced with glimmering barred fangs, holding tighter to his cap, eyes never breaking from the towering figures' attempt at intimidation.

Pale skin stretched into a deeper frown, vexation bubbling at being caught off guard. Forced to readjust his cap with pursed lips, only one word slipping past gritted teeth as he took on the new challenge.

[ “ B E T “ ]

The cold had begun to seep into his bones moments prior, but the mountain air’s chill had lost its grip on him as adrenalin burned like the coal of a steam engine in his veins. The battle started with a blare, his opponent choosing to assault him with 3 consecutive [ Shadow Ball ] attacks in a row, forcing the smaller pokemon to draw back, dodging each ball of [ DARK ] energy. The pure size of the offending pokemon was cause for concern, but for a Snorlax to have so much blind RAGE pumping  his pistons, was an outright Safety Hazard of the highest degree. Regardless, witnessing an Alpha Snorlax and the accent used only served to confirm his worried suspension.

On top of that, had his own engine been running in tip top shape before, he would have sensed the murderous intent radiating off the offending pokemon long before the Snorlax had a chance to attack. Rather than dwelling on it, he acted much more quickly in the present after he had gathered his psychic energy into using [ Calm Mind ] to keep his thoughts running on a steady track before proceeding at full speed through the battle. His heart still drummed in his ears as his body jumped out of the way, dodging the Snorlax’s [ MEGA PUNCH ] which collided with the earth, making the ground tremble from its might, leaving a small crater in its wake. [ “ THE FOOD ON THIS MOUNTAIN IS MINE!! YOU CAN'T HAVE IT!!! “ ] the giant beast roared once more, becoming more and more infuriated as the slender pokemon continued to dodge each attack, weaving among the trees with ease. [ “ You are quite the greedy passenger aren’t you, sir—!? “ ] the taunt boomed through noise as he jumped, tumbled, and slid out of the way of each attack. Whilst the Alpha had natural power and defense on its side, on land, the girth of the Snorlax’s cab could not match the speed of a much smaller model like him. The trees aided in slowing the large beast, stalling his cab despite the power it possessed, giving the smaller pokemon the advantage, as he switched tracks.

The psychic type scoffed as he jumped out of the way of another hit from those powerful fists, but rather than jumping away, he ascended closer, getting into the pokemon’s inner circle. [ “ It would seem even if you had not hindered my destination, “ ] putting strength into another jump, launching himself with both physical and psychic combined might, he flew into the Snorlax’s face like a freight train, startling the large pokemon by the suddenly closeness, [ “ I would have had to change my course to request that you CEASE AND DESIST–-! “ ] within his paws he had gathered a ball of brilliant white flame, sending a [ Will ‘o Wisp ] point blank into the rampaging beast’s face landing a critical hit.

The snorlax let loose yet another thundering roar, this time colored by his pain as his large body stumbled back to grab at his now burning face as the other pokemon made quick work to get a safe distance away to form another attack.

It would take a moment bought by the [ BRN ] for him to gather the energy of nature within his paws. To affect the Snorlax, he needed to gather and compress a larger amount of energy, in hope that it would knock him down. He just needed to focus.

As the glowing green energy began to form in his palms, he could feel it swirling and growing, slowly becoming larger and larger. He ignored the angered screams of the Snorlax, blinded by the burn and swinging wildly at the ground and empty air. As the energy grew and grew, it started to waver, the green ball of energy flickering in brightness, the shape distorting slightly as it pulsed, having passed his normal size limit. His brother often scolded him for being too soft in some battles, but would surely approve and applaud him for going as hard as he was. Not that he had any other choice.

Taking a deep breath, his paws feeling numb from withholding the energy from releasing too soon, he directed the destination to be set on the distracted pokemon, preparing his aim. His head was the target.

[ Energy B– ]

In an instant, his head whipped around as his [ Telepathy ] suddenly connected him to a second car. Upon losing his focus, the gathered energy burst from his palms, shooting off towards his original target, but rather than hitting the pokemons face once again, it instead hit him in his tank like stomach, dealing less damage than intended.

However the smaller pokemons attention was locked elsewhere. The figure ascended upon the battle area, a trigger of recognition to chill the adrenaline heating his blood chilling in an icy wave as they came closer and closer. Silver locking with gray, as his mouth stretched in a grimace, his breath nearly catching in his throat as the figure let out a booming voice.

“ Warden Ingo —! “

Turning slowly, to face where the cheer originated from, he was greeted by a warm, infectious smile as a small form made its way to him. The corner’s of his mouth twitched into a small smile as Ms. Akari halted her engine at his station, “Sorry to bother you like this,” she apologized, a little anxiously, asking for help wasn't her strong suit.“But I wasn’t sure if I could have handled this alone, and your the best trainer here so—”

“There is no need to apologize, Ms. Akari,” the warden smiled, tipping his hat, “It’s always better to proceed with your safety checks maintained.” the older man comforted as the teenage girl gave him a glowing smile, relieved. “Besides, this Snorlax issue could very well become a hazard to my Noble and her kits if his destination proceeds on this path, so no doubt I would have set a course to handle it regardless of your request. Better to fix the system's issue now, before the hazard can spread to other stations.” Akari nodded in agreement and whistled for Lord Wydeer before adjusting the straps of her bag, making sure they would handle the ride.

Ever the gentleman, the Warden aided his young passenger into the driver's seat, ensuring she was stable before hopping up behind her. With the safety checks in place, they descended towards their destination.

“- and supposedly, the last sighting of the Alpha Snorlax was in a grove that was rich with wild berry bushes, which have probably turned barren thanks to the giant glutton,” The survey girl explained, holding tight as the riding pokemon headed towards the directed area. “I read the report summary you sent to Irida,” the warden added, “Alpha Snorlax’s have calamity like appetites making them protective of their food, and if it’s at a high level it’ll make matters worse, we must proceed with caution." The Warden stroked his small beard thoughtfully, making a small humming sound,"Although-... I’ve heard you’re not known for your safety checks, seeing as you took on an Alpha Zoroark alone. Whether it was luck with the controls, or a well maintained engine, you always seem to make it down even the roughest of tracks. Let us hope we are blessed with both.” The man chided his young passenger, his tone light even while shouting over the wind that blared past them as the Noble pokemon kept his speed.

“Nothing the two best Trainers in the region can’t handle,” the girl smiled back at him over her shoulder and the Warden was relieved seeing the stress leave her face, even a bit. “We’ll chug, full speed ahead right into that Snorlax’s gut-! Or, whatever train lingo translates to-!” He knew their destination was set on a dangerous path, but he had seen what happened if gears were wound too tight. Akari was an amazing trainer, so most in the village assumed she could handle herself, but he still felt an odd twinge of protectiveness towards her at times. She was still only 16 after all… It made him wish she wasn’t on this mission to start. But as he learned, once Akari set herself on a track, she would see her journey through. It was like she still had more to prove.

Even though he had tried to help the young passenger with him avoid needless stress, the situation worried him. Snorlax's, even Alphas, did not normally speed across such reckless terrains. They ran along destructive track of their own design, of course, but not to the point of having a Gyarados level of rampage. A very concerning issue in the system indeed. But he could not let it derail him.

“ Full Speed Ahead-! ” his voice boomed through the cold winds, as the riding pokemon picked up speed.

It didn’t take them long before the unmistakable echoes of a pokemon battle in progress could be heard, even before it came into view.

Even from their vantage point, a battle firing on all cylinders could be heard, the loud thuds masking against the earth, causing it to tremble, trees toppling in the distance like wooden blocks, and the enraged roar of the Alpha they had been seeking. The noises shook the air, and vibrated through them.