Ingo kept going on their tracks without a need to stall, except for the instance where the memories, faded, kept him alert for a brief second. He could not know what he had been doing, or if he braved the mountains in his previous, faded life as well, but walking on difficult terrain and even racing someone came to him naturally.
Excellent. This new revelation was a rare relief, affirming his path as a warden was clear to proceed.
He only wished he had pen and paper ready to dabble in cartography while they were touring the mighty mountain, to preserve the knowledge passed onto him to the best of his abilities. He could recall, faintly, that someone would have taken a photograph of their surroundings mentally and could retrieve it on a whim. However, Ingo could not, and only had to rely on his human memory, which already proved to be unreliable.
Well, at least now he knew what to invest in next time he visited the settlements or saw the traveling merchants.
Offering a relaxed frown, Ingo listened to his friend and the bittersweet story, not of hers but of many. Though it could be ignorant of him, he felt that he was going through a similar, eye-opening experience by finding himself in the wilderness, working on an unknown terrain to earn his keep. He had never related to the wild pokemons as he did in his most vulnerable state in this unfamiliar land. Thus, he decided to keep this train of thought to himself.
“I would love to meet them, Miss Ramble. I also would like to propose a plan to help out the wild pokemon in our vicinity through a carefully organized system with access to always replenishing food and water. Perhaps also putting efforts in shelters fitting for the various types of pokemon. If we could get an amateur railway built onto the mountain, we could ensure some ease for the passenger’s daily lives.” He offered a froggy smile, one where his usual frown only tugged upwards at the corners, since the normal smiles did not come naturally to him… Unlike someone… But who?
“I do not have the information on how or where I grow up, so I cannot contribute to our conversation at the moment. I hope, with time, I would become someone who would have… more anecdotes to share,” Ingo spoke softly, though sadness ran through him. How could it not, when he felt like he had been shattered and most of the shards were stolen from him? Could he even be considered a person worthy of an enjoyable conversation and a company to keep when he had no past and perhaps, no future? Where could he even go when his tracks had been buried under the snow in his mind? What was his purpose in life? If he had had dreams, what had they been like?
Just who Ingo used to be?
“Of course! I take pride in the work I do, and I shall give the excellent service to my Noble Pokemon as her warden!” Ingo’s froggy smile could not match the brightness of Ramble’s, but his eyes sparkled with his pride and excitement.
This time, I am really serious. Really serious. Because if a battle is not serious, it is not fun.
Memories were faint, but he could almost hear the voice, so similar to his own, ringing in his ears.
“I… I recall that being always serious about your work, whatever it may be, is the way to thank everyone for doing their best. A way to cherish the ones important to you. I am grateful for this opportunity and title as your Warden, and I want to thank you by being always serious about my work as your Warden.”
That’s why I’m always serious about battling—to thank everyone for doing their best!
Ingo nodded at the promise, slowly blinking in agreement. “Pearl Clan thinks I show a natural affinity for taming Pokémon. I think it is my nature to support others. Either way, my tracks lead me to solve any problems we may face, and we can only excel if we face them together. There is no need for concern for me as well, Miss Ramble. You can continue with your normal activities and I will be here to offer any plans and projects we can achieve together.” He could not comment much on the company aspect, both due to the insecurities taking root in his heart for being not even half of the person he used to be, but also… due to being shy when offered compliments. He took the brim of his hat and lowered it slightly to hide his expression.
Ingo nodded with a hum of agreement. “Bravo!! Yes, we shall roll onward! I look forward to learning about all these lovely places you mention! We can hold out conversation our way, of course!
“Please, show me the way!”
While the people that had lived in this region for generations, the Diamond and Pearl clans, knew the landscape like the back of their hand, that knowledge had yet to be committed to paper by the explorers and settlers that had made their way to Hisui’s shores in recent years.
Ramble and her kin, the packs of Sneasel and Sneasler that lived in the highlands leading up to Mount Coronet, had welcomed these newcomers with open arms, thanks in part to their good relationship with the Clans. Ramble’s distant ancestor had been bestowed with a Plate by the Almighty Sinnoh themself, after all, and these people also served them in their own way -- while the same might not be true for the newcomers and they’d brought some strange ideas, customs and inventions with them, the noble Pokémon just saw that as an opportunity to learn and sate her never-ending curiosity.
“Really?” Her mouth was left half open as she tapped her chin in thought, eyes looking somewhere up and far away before focusing again. “That sounds great! Winter here can be pretty harsh, so we could use some help. I’m just not sure about the railway thing. Whatever it is, it sounds like a big deal.”
As much as she would appreciate the help and extra resources, the region meant a lot to its inhabitants, and so to see the landscape change drastically might not be met with unanimous enthusiasm.
They made their way west down a narrow valley that ran parallel to the mountainside, until they crossed an ancient bridge and reached a ravine that allowed them to make their way up with relative ease. This path had been used countless times over the years, a way for humans and Pokémon alike to get close to the summit without having to worry about sheer cliffs, rockfalls or harsh climbs. Ramble was one of the few who didn’t need to rely on such easy terrain, but she wanted Ingo’s first tour to be as comfortable as possible. They could always try the harder, more daring paths some other time.
Her chipper demeanor had gradually made way for a more serious one, although her optimism never quite faded. Just hearing the way Ingo spoke of himself had her searching for any and all bits of light in his situation; sure, she could brush it off and pretend everything was fine and dandy, but wasn’t that what he was doing already?
“Sounds like you have something to be proud of! You’d be surprised how many humans have a hard time getting along with us,” she admitted. “I mean, I try my best to be nice, and I’m sure most of the others do too, but that doesn’t stop people from getting scared, you know?
“But I kind of get it. I mean, look at these.” Without so much as turning around, she held up one set of claws -- longer than knives, and visibly glistening with poison -- walking and talking all the while.
“I think that’s what wardens are for. It’s hard to put into words, but I think... humans and Pokémon kind of belong together? That’s what I see and hear from the Pearl Clan a lot too. We’re different, but we can help each other. If we just find ways to understand and get along. And we can set an example.”
Now she did look back at her warden, the smile on her face no longer big and radiant, but small and warm -- yet no less sincere.
“You know, I don’t need to know where you came from or what you did before you came here. I just need to use my eyes and ears and get to know this you. Does that make sense? I didn’t know everything about my old warden either, and we were still friends. He was like an uncle to me, almost.”
Meanwhile, Ingo was much closer to her own age, which lent itself to a different kind of friendship.
She had been so lost in thought and focused on her choice of words that, thanks to the easily navigated route she’d picked, they had already arrived at the first of the places she’d wanted to show him: worn stone columns lined the ridge to the east, disappearing off a sheer drop some ways ahead. This was the place humans called Celestica Ruins.
“Oh, look! We’re here!” she proclaimed as she finally came to a halt. “These are the ruins I was talking about.”
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