Lost and Found

Thou must go to Gear Station and thou shall find the answers that thee seek

Those words echoed in both Lilium and Ingo’s mind as the stepped out of a rift into a park in Nimbasa; though neither knew what a park or Nimbasa was. 

Nervous silver and blue eyes darted around their surroundings, taking in the large buildings of the city, all the people and pokemon…it was a lot. Ingo felt a twinge of familiarity upon being in the city he had grown up in, but for Lilium she was at a loss. 

“It’s so loud!” She squeaked, gripping Ingo’s arm anxiously through his coat. “Is-is this where you came from? Originally, I mean?” 

Ingo furrowed his eyebrows, thinking. He leaned into Lilium’s grip hoping the closeness would calm her. “…Yes, though I’m not recalling much. Those memories still haven’t arrived back to the station yet, it seems.” 

“Ah.” She replied. There were so many people all staring at her and Ingo. This made sense though, they were wearing clothes similar to what she had been told Saika had been wearing when she originally fell from the rift. “Do you know where or what a Gear Station is?” 

“I’m afraid not. I wish Arceus gave us a little more to go off of than that.” Ingo fretted, the stares beginning to make him uncomfortable as well. “Perhaps there are signs that will lead us to our destination?”

“Will you be able to read them?” Lilium questioned as the two finally began to walk towards the ends of the park. “I know we just passed one; I think it was one? But I couldn’t read it.” 

Ingo turned to look at the sign and read ‘Cherry Grovea Park’ out loud. “Oh you can read it!” Lilium hummed impressed. He grip on his arm loosened a little bit. 

Ingo scanned the signs as the two walked, and he didn’t see anything that said or pointed to whatever or wherever Gear Station was. It was loud, and all the ambient noise was like a comforting him for Ingo. He couldn’t put his finger on why, but the more and more he walked and looked around, the more he found himself relaxing. He felt like he was home. 

Lilium, on the other hand, was quite the opposite. The ambient noise was like a cacophony to her, having grown up in the mountains it was too much. She squeezed Ingo’s arm again, nervously, her anxiety growing with each passing minute. There were so many people, more than the clans and Jubilife combined! And there were so many pokemon, and they all seemed tame. Not to mention the buildings that stretched up to the sky, like claws. There were strange boxes? (Were they boxes?) that had people and sometimes pokemon inside them, and they were loud. 

“Are you alright?” Ingo asked. Having noticed her grip on his arm had tightened more. “We can rest for a moment. Your cabs well?” 

“I’m fine.” She sighed. “It’s…it’s just a lot. It’s so loud and there’s so many people and pokemon!“ Lilium fingered Sunny’s pokeball with her free hand anxiously. To make the trip, Saika had recommended getting her pokemon into balls. Which they were less than pleased about. Ingo had helped her carve them, and showed them how they worked. It was confusing at first, and she had a few knicks on her fingers but it was worth it. It was worth the trouble and the memories she and Ingo made. 

“Alright,” He nodded, though she noticed his eyebrows furrowed in a way that they did when he was worried. “Let’s stop for a moment.” 

Lilium didn’t fight him on it, and found she was relieved when the two sat down on a bench. She kept close to Ingo, his scent calming. She had expected to be a little overwhelmed, but not this much. 

“Are you feeling a little bit better?” Ingo asked. Lilium nodded, though she still felt overwhelmed. 

“We should ask for directions.” She offered after a few more minutes of silence. 

“I agree, I think that is a good idea. I feel that we are quite off track here.” He responded with a sigh. 

The two stood up from the bench and set off once more. They walked searching For someone that didn’t look so…well, skeptical of them. They did look odd compared to the others walking about, and they were very aware of this. 

“Oh, what about her?” Lilium asked pointing towards a woman who was skating. She wore a comfortable looking white top, a flowing blue skirt and skates that were black with hot pink accents. She was skating slowly, enjoying the nice weather; her pulled back hair shone a blue hue in the sunlight. 

“Miss!” Ingo called, the two approaching her. She didn’t acknowledge them, perhaps she didn’t hear? “Excuse me, miss! The girl in the shoes with wheels?” That made her stop.

She turned, and the two could see she had two different colored eyes; the right blue and left green. She stopped and started at the two, as if she’d seen a ghost. Before either Ingo or Lilium had a moment to realize what was happening, the woman had skated up to Ingo and thrown her arms around him, crying. 

“Uh. Um, miss?” Ingo asked confused and worried. “Is everything alright?” 

“Ingo!” She sobbed, releasing him from her grip and leaning back. “Ingo where have you been all these years? I’ve been worried sick, Emmet and Frei have been worried sick! And your parents, goodness! I’m so glad you’re alright!” 

Ingo frowned and looked down at Lilium confused who looked up at Ingo confused. “Miss, I’m sorry but…do I know you?” 

The woman looked up at him wide eyed in shock and disbelief. “Ingo, that’s not a funny joke.” 

“Um…it’s not miss! He has amnesia, and he has since he arrived in Hisui four years ago.” Lilium spoke up. 

“…Amnesia…” the woman frowned and let her arms fall to her sides. “That explains it then, at least a little bit. You’d never have just up and left. But to answer your earlier question, my name is Aurora Beaumont. I’ve known you for a few years now, six I think? I married your brother, actually.” 

"I have a brother...?" Ingo said softly, gears turning in his head as he connected the dots. "The man in white?"

"That's Emmet!" Aurora grinned. 

"Does that mean that you can take us to 'Gear Starion'?" Lilium questioned. "Lord Arceus told us that was where we needed to go." 

"I can do you one better," Aurora said as she skated ahead a few inches. "Follow me and I can take you home."