Work Text:
It was relatively quiet in Emmet’s office. Emmet’s office. Just his. Which kind of hurt to admit, but he kept going anyway.
Emmet found it hard to write with his new hand. Crystalized. It was a small price to pay for…
The lone Subway Master looked up from his paperwork, glancing at the crystal construct that was stuck wearing Ingo’s old coat and hat. He figured he had powered down for the night, which was fine by him.
He didn’t expect him to do any paperwork. If anything, he didn’t really know how to. So Emmet tried not to worry about it too much.
There was a knock at the door, making Emmet perk up slightly. “Come in.” He said, then looked back down at his work. So much work he had to do alone.
A familiar face opened the door and peered inside. Elesa, the Gym Leader of Nimbasa City. Also a dear friend.
“Um… Emmet? I haven’t seen you in a while, so I thought I’d check in.” She said, eyes wandering to the Construct. She frowned, then turned back to Emmet. “That’s a lot of work for one person to do alone. Do you take any breaks?”
Emmet just chuckled and shook his head. “I am fine, Elesa. Do not worry about me. I have a plan going. It took some time, but I think I can knock off a lot of this tonight if I work verrrrry hard. Besides…” He looked over his shoulder at… Ingo? “Ingo has been a big supporter, even if he just kind of stands there.”
Elesa winced, rubbing her arm awkwardly. “... Emmet, we need to talk about that… Construct-”
“Ingo.”
“Right… Ingo.” She repeated, leaving a bitter taste in her mouth. Then she continued. “You’ve really grown attached to it-”
Emmet raised an eyebrow.
“Sorry- Him. You’ve really grown attached to him, haven’t you? Almost like… You really think he will replace the real Ingo.” Elesa looked away as she said this.
Emmet stood up abruptly. “What is that supposed to mean?”
Elesa took a small step back. “I just don’t think this is right. He took your hand, he is a little too aggressive with challengers… And I think Ingo’s Pokemon are actually afraid of him. Doesn’t that say anything to you?”
Emmet began to look… Angry.
“You do not know anything, Elesa. Anything at all.” He grumbled. Then he walked back over to the Construct. “I could never replace the real Ingo but… I needed someone there. Someone to help me with battles when I cannot do them alone. Besides, this Ingo is surprisingly good at battles!”
Elesa didn’t really say anything, so Emmet continued.
“And I do not think his Pokemon are afraid of him. Look.” Emmet picked up a Pokeball and sent out Chandelure. The ghost Pokemon looked like it would be yawning before turning to look at Emmet. “Chandelure. Are you afraid of Ingo?”
The Pokemon looked oddly confused, then turned to the Construct and visibly flinched. It floated away towards Elesa quickly, hiding behind her.
Emmet looked shocked when Chandelure moved away as quickly as it did. Then his expression went sour and he threw his arms up in the air in exasperation. “Well, what does Chandelure know!? What does anyone know!? No one understands! Not the public, not his Pokemon, and not you.”
He pointed at Elesa, whose concerned look only deepened. She was absolutely starting to get frustrated with her friend.
“No. I don’t know. I can’t imagine the pain you’re going through. I miss him too, but this is just… Too much.” She gestured towards ‘Ingo’.
Emmet clasped his hands together behind his back and turned back to ‘Ingo’. “Pease leave.” He said.
Elesa and Chandelure both seemed to hesitate. “Emmet-”
“NOW.” Emmet raised his voice, but still didn’t bother to look at them. “I… We need to be alone.”
Elesa groaned in frustration. “You want me out? Fine. I’ll leave. Just… Take a break soon, okay?” She said, in a gentle tone despite her frustration. She then turned and left the room with Chandelure, closing the door gently behind her.
After a moment of silence, Emmet stepped closer to the Construct and tapped his face a few times.
Immediately the Construct seemed to whir to life. A small, gentle light appeared in the center of his body. He lifted his head up and he seemed to look directly through Emmet.
“I am… Sorry, Ingo.” Emmet said with a sad sigh. “I do not think they understand our situation.”
The Construct Ingo didn’t say anything. It didn’t even have a face for him to express any sort of emotion.
“It is okay, however! I am sure they will understand eventually. Everyone just needs to… Adjust. I think.” Emmet tried to put on a cheery facade.
Nothing. Ingo couldn’t say anything.
This made Emmet sigh. “I do not expect you to respond. It is okay to not talk. I mean, when we- The real Ingo and I were little, we would have speech loss in overwhelming situations. I am used to it.”
Except this was like a never-ending speech loss. Just nonverbality. Which was fine. It didn’t bother Emmet at all. He understood.
Emmet lifted up his crystalized hand, seeing his reflection in the glass-like substance. He had to give it up to summon the Construct. It was right hand, so it wasn’t a big problem for him.
They stood in silence for a moment before Emmet moved back to his desk. “I apologize for waking you up at this hour. I understand if you need to rest more. We have more battles to do tomorrow so you should get rest.”
The Construct tilted his head slightly. Emmet sighed. “Go to sleep.” He simply said.
The command seemed to work as the Construct’s head drooped and the light in his chest dimmed.
Emmet had to admit. This Ingo seemed to understand basic commands but… It doesn’t seem like it understands more complex emotions. He. Not an it. The Construct was a person to Emmet. Not a pile of rocks that moved on their own.
“I should not be thinking that sort of thing anyway.” Emmet mumbled to himself, then sighed sadly as he got back to work.