The web site of blazichu

Chapter 1:

Luna3003: Watching Emmet being effectively the reader of the first fic is going to be interesting <3 The signil landed and the message went through! Its a shame that they are a couple hundred years too late to send any reply :)
Dargon: I was wondering when Emmet would get these messages. I think it would cause problems if he figured things out too early as he is an unstoppable force. So 2 years after disappearance. And Emmet is going to be having an emotional rollercoaster of a ride in the coming days or weeks.
digitalpen: Ooooohhhh! I’m squeaking internally, because I’m so happy to see this sequel. Interesting how emmet does get the messages, but not quite in the same times that they were sent. I suppose that Ingo’s voicemails and texts got sped up when they were released to Emmet. Darn Arceus and its terrible data coverage. This does leave me with questions, though. Like, is Ingo back in the present when Emmet gets the messages, or is he still in the past…

Blazichu: I hope it's not odd to say, but hearing that you were looking forward to this piece helped me feel better re: some very silly anxieties-- I just wanted to say thank you for that!
The idea that one of Arceus's wrongdoings is providing a weak cell signal is hilarious; "Almighty Sinnoh" can't even support a conversation without dropping the call.
...I initially wrote that as a joke, but then I remembered that the one time it answered, it said its piece and then hung up. Huh. xD
Those are some very key questions! We'll just have to wait and see!

digitalpen: Happy to help assuage your fears. Lord knows I’ve been there. I’m just caught up in thinking of what will happen next!
And the change in format this time works pretty well, I think. It’s like the two fics are counterparts. This fic of Emmet’s perspective, and a log of all the messages in full. Makes it easy to refer back to Memory if readers want to know what exactly emmet is listening to.

Klui: YEEEEEEESSSSS LET'S GO

I had thought about this scenario when Memory was being released, I'm so glad we get to see it come intro fruition, it's such a fun (well, not for everybody in the story) idea, slowly the messages, the images, the voice calls, everything making its way to the future, I love it. Great first chapter, seeing the first few messages, ohhhhh this is gonna be so so so good.
Thank you for your work, will happily wait for the next entries 🙏

pointvee: \o/ im so excited to see how this all plays out!!

im quite partial to the whole "gets yoinked while investigating something in the subway tunnels" but something about him dying in a subway battle related accident and getting dropped in hisui after really tickles my brain

SecretWings: lovely. i've been looking forward to emmet's reaction to ingo's log / recordings<3 <3 <3
MadredHattie: The way I gasped and said YEESSSSSSS when I saw this pop up-

Oh I'm so looking forward to seeing how this goes and how Emmet reacts to the messages!

CuzReasons: Eating this up eating this up yum yum yum
Amkgal: I just through this and the prvious fic and lack words about how amazing it all is.

Please settle for a keysmash: agdggrhfwgjltwfhuewfhutwguyrf

Lupanari: I’m so excited for this. I’ve been busy with school so my fanfiction updates have been being pushed down in my email, so I’m really glad I caught this one.

Emmet is in for a ride over the night. If he work the next day he may be better off calling in sick and continuing with research. Interesting that the timestamp kept in sync with Ingo’s actual time in space. That’ll mess with Emmet’s head for a bit until Ingo makes that connection as well.
Looking forward to the next chapter!

the-digital-pen [tumblr]: Oh? Oh?!?
hehe-hoho-ohno [tumblr tags]: #!!!!!
theright2quack [tumblr tags]: #aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa im excited!
roaringdargon [tumblr tags]: #the companion piece!#im so excited!
sampo [tumblr tags]: #screams and does a little spin. MHIMH SEQUEL LET'S FUCKING GOOO #god I fucking love that fic. and the summary for this one is really promising too #going to read now 👍 I am so fucking excited

Chapter 2:

Luna3003: Denial is the first stage of grief. Emmet is starting to get over it it seems! (Not that the stages of grief are actually a order I think I read something about them a while ago that disproved that but noted that it was more points than a roadmap )

I hope Emmet gets comfortable with all the Love Ingo sends his way :) I thought it very sweet and I still think It is, but I also think it will be gut wrenching to hear from a person you love who is missing. Over and over. Again and again.

Dargon: Emmet is a smart guy and also has technology on his side. He has kept pace with the information revealed by his brother and is realistic about what it entails. It will be fun to find out just how much made it to their time intact. He is strapped in and is taking this information as well as he could be really. I still see his determination to see this through despite the implications. Much like his brother, he is also very strong and while the confirmations are scary he will continue to discover the truth and have hope.

For your question: History is written by the powerful and connected and while Laventon seems to site his sources somewhat, it would not be surprising if much of the accomplishments of Ingo and the rest of the clans were later attributed to the Galaxy Team or just forgotten. It lines up with how little is known about the Celestica in the future and by the clans themselves. It wouldn't surprise me if they had a similar deterioration of history. Both Diamond and Pearl clans were very traditional. Ingo likely recorded so much forgotten and/or misremembered history.

Klui: Oh man oh man oh man, this is gonna be fun. The puzzle pieces slowly falling into place, the remains of hisui's civilization making its way through time, and a singular figure so key to everything he couldn't be forgotten to time or history. This is great.

I personally think, especially because team galaxy seems to be the type of organization that keeps records of everything, that they got some very clear chunks of maybe a bit embellished details about the events that transpired, at least for the Jubilife side of things (with some details about the clans showing through their collaborations).
The clans on the other hand I feel it's gotta be more of passed down stories, with some written records, but nothing as detailed as Jubilife.

flameMail: He's on the wild ride now...

I liked seeing the cross-game references as signs for preservation of the time, like the photos in SV's history class and Perrin's story which we may see more of, the Sea's Legend being a recent discovery in BDSP and not explicitly naming Overqwil, and the prerelease found footage of Hisuian Zorua also attributed to the Canalave Library. Compared to other regions, AZ and the ultimate weapon were still well known enough to be researched 3000 years later, while the Draconids have a lot of history with Rayquaza and mega evolution that was mostly isolated to them, so I could see the more clan-specific traditions falling to the same way as generations passed.

pointvee: i think it depends on how far in the past PLA is 🤔 I think the records must be pretty well preserved, but i think the better question is if sending ingo and the pkayer back retroactively split or changed the time line
digitalpen: The “You have already left kudos here” message mocks me with its indifference. I’m really sinking my teeth into this one. The scene where Emmet picks up on the recorded message as it arrives was the most emotional to me. They’re so close, close enough that Emmet can answer in the silences that Ingo left. They even came to the same conclusion at (sort of) the same time. But they couldn’t be farther apart. I think I mentioned something like that in the previous fic, and it’s as heart wrenching as I imagined.

And further than the emotions, this chapter does raise some interesting questions about research, surviving sources, and verifying old information. I think the Pokémon games may be pointing a rosy picture of historical preservation. You can see notes about Laventon half a world away and centuries after in Paldean history texts, but would he really be that well known in a more realistic setting? And besides Laventon, the “great man” of that story, how much attention do the “side characters” get? My first instinct is to say, “not very much.” I suppose I’ll see what you have in mind as I continue to read.

ConfidentialConversations: Ooough, the implications of what bitter, angry, grieving messages Emmet left on Ingo's voice mail... the parallels of them both leaving messages they don't think the other will ever see...
theright2quack [tumblr tags]: #its been fun trying to predict how emmet might react to certain calls and texts
lemonhoneypastry [tumblr]: YESSSSSSSS!! I only just realized this was out and I literally screamed lol- I absolutely love seeing this from Emmets POV now!!!! 🤷‍♀️❤️❤️❤️👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

Chapter 3:

Luna3003: This is going to make me scream :)

Emmet is having so many emotions and Its making me have emotions.
I like how conflicted Emmet is about telling the rest of his family. I think it might be cruel to keep it from them but I can see the reasoning behind it and I do get his point.

Sucy_Manbavaran: I don't leave comments often, but i think you deserve one even if i can't really think of anything to say

i've been enjoying this series, and its nice getting to see Emmets side of thing, good work!

pointvee: > It's a really bad joke, but the line "there was no wheezing, coughing or hoarseness" makes me giggle because, depending on how you spell those,

thats because the horse put him there! badum tshhhh
honestly i never battled submas in bw, hopefully i can in the remakes

themichaelvan: custom survey answer: i honestly rlly like both of them... i do enjoy the concept of a bonded pair of klinklangs becoming attached to the brothers a lot though ehehehe
digitalpen: This was a great thing to get to read at the end of a hard day. I don’t have a ton to say but something about the somber tone at the end is a bit soothing, or maybe I’m just projecting what I want to hear. At least Emmet is spared the terror of listening to the attack itself, and he just gets the aftermath.
Lupanari: At least Emmet has found a good balance between life and messages. And he did that quickly too, so that’s good. But hold onto your hat, Emmet, that Rapidash is not the worst thing that happens…

Definitely 2 separate Kinklangs. I’m pretty sure there’s evidence for that in their pokemon selection where the rest of their pokemon will have the same nature and moves, implying the sharing of pokemon as needed, but the Klinklangs are the only ones that are different.

koidefender: i dont remember if ive said it yet but i stayed up WAY too late rereading the original fic after the second chapter of this, and im loving this equally as much. agony (compliment)

also im 10000% in the two-klinklang camp because theyre the only pokemon that are different when used by each twin -- all their pokemon's abilities are randomized every time, but everything else stays the same between the single and double lines, except for the klinklangs! ingo's holds an occa berry, has an adamant nature, EVs in attack and speed, and the moveset shift gear/gear grind/volt switch/giga impact, and emmet's holds a steel gem, has a modest nature, EVs in special attack and speed, and the moveset flash cannon/thunderbolt/protect/toxic :] and the klinklang ingo uses on the multi line is the same as he uses on the single lines! sorry if thats way too much information, i get excited about competitive builds and have Way overthought their whole teams bbfkshdksdjs
greatly enjoying this fic!! have a nice day :]

StarsShiningAbyss: Custom survey awnser: at first I was casually in the one klingklang camp, for simplicitys sake in my WIPs, but then my sibling raised the idea of two klingklangs named Gear and Station respectively. So now I am hard in the two of them camp. I also think Emmet finds great comedy in saying 'Station and Gear' when talking about them, much to Ingos despair.
Dargon: The steady delivery of information probably suggests that something is allowing Emmet to know about this information now. Who it could be is still up for debate. It could be a something like Arceus.

These boys are just sitting there yearning and it's so somber. Emmet's dilemma of debating what to share with people is also very real. How do you explain this situation and not seem crazy? People might think he is being pranked. Also these conversations, while one-sided, are still very personal. These messages are for Emmet and no one else.
For your question. I think any pokemon interpretation is valid, but the two klinklangs is a fun way to explain the two different EV built klinklangs. Another funny option is that they are constantly changing their EVs 😭 which is costly.

Klui: Emmet's search for kinship by causing himself shortness pf breath, hm, definitely not something to worry about, totally healthy, nothing to look at here :^)

God, I love Ingo's narration so much, I need to reread MHIMH, great stuff!!

Wordlet: This is so fun to read!!! The pieces you decide to share from ingo's messages and where Emmett decides to take every bit of information is so interesting and well balance. Im so curious as to what will happen next. Thanks for writing this!
thesilverdreamer: Definitely two Klinklangs, both cause thematically appropriate and because if you look close, there's a difference: Ingo's is specced as a physical attacker, Emmet's as a special attacker. It's actually really interesting, three of Emmet's Pokémon are opposite what you'd normally expect. Both Eelektross and Klinklang have higher base atk vs base sp.atk, but Emmet's have sp atk boosting natures, special moves, and sp atk EVs. Meanwhile Galvantula has the opposite, higher base sp atk than atk, but she's got physical attacks, atk boosting natures, and atk EVs. I just think it's neat.

I read through all of MHIMH tonight and this is the first comment I bother to leave I am so sorry

themichaelvan [tumblr tags]: #explodes.
lemonhoneypastry [tumblr]: 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 #no words to explain how much I love this #like genuinely this series is top 5 in my favorite fics #you don’t understand #my itch for Submas is scratched #perfection

Chapter 4:

themichaelvan: yes! the confrontation! proud of them.
SecretWings: lovely <3 <3 <3
pointvee: the smoliv branch lolol

uhhhh the question i always have for reunion fics is did sneasler (or at least one of her kits) follow ingo back to the present
...is ingo back yet??? or are these messages just being beamed into the future with no recourse

Dargon: Emmet is really having a rough time with multiple dilemmas coming to a head this chapter. Each time he listens to his brother's messages he is experiencing Ingo's second hand pain that simultaneously reopens his own old wounds. He is going through this all alone too which is difficult. He doesn't want to burden this on his family. He comes to terms that even though it hurts he needs to be a part of these messages.

I think what may be bothering you this chapter is that it's just one thing after the other that Emmet has to deal with. It's hard but necessary. We are empathetic to his struggles and he is having to make a lot of big decisions that are anxiety inducing. Facing grief that has been given a new dimension after he thought he went through the worst of it. Not knowing what exactly to do with this new information. He is barely holding on and the looming threat of having to explain this to his family. The guilt of keeping it from them. The guilt of considering keeping it from himself and leaving his brother's story unacknowledged to some degree. Much of it came to a head this chapter for Emmet and we feel that same anxiety. Edit: Also a lot of these anxieties are still building.
For the custom survey question: I think, while there are a lot of emotion filled messages for Emmet to go through, he might have more to say or think about on these new and fascinating pokemon that his brother learns of. It can be a distraction. Maybe a way to cope is to dig into their typings and possible combination potential. It's probably not one-shot worthy right now, but it can be a fun post reunion topic they can discuss later.

Klui: ELESA WOOOOO, I've been waiting for this to happen. I think both sides have valid points, but ultimately Elesa's anger and reclaims are justified, especially cause it wasn't just her, but their family as a whole. That reunion coming is gonna be messy, hope things go well for Emmet 🙏

For the question, honestly just getting glances at the more mundane things Ingo did would be nice, always loved seeing him grow closer with the people of Hisui!

Chapter 5:

pointvee: alleos is a really cool name! perhaps a foreshadow for zekrom and reshiram having once been one dragon...? idk

what kind of unova stuff in the DLC :eyes: I also haven't bought the dlcs, though I have the base game lol

digitalpen: Nice chapter, I can see the plot taking shape here. Motivation’s updating with new information. I’m interested to see what plans will be made with more than just Emmet on the case. Beyond that, ough, Ingo’s messages begging for an answer. That’s a bit of a blow to Emmet and to me, reading everything.

And it’s unrelated, but “Kyurem’s advocate” really threw me for a loop on the best way. What a cute turn of phrase. I’m not certain how deep the parallel can be between Kyurem and the devil, but it’s clever nevertheless.

koidefender: slowly getting everyone in the loop! communicating. we love to see it. but also im remembering ingos perspective from that set of messages and. Ouch!!!!! (<- compliment)

+ ive got too much beef with nintendo to even buy sc/vi so im just trawling bulbapedia to look at pages as they get updated 😔 but weve got confirmation that clay has a daughter and drayden has a grandson, and i imagine we'll be picking up a good bit of unovan trivia along the way (even if the game takes place in a big underwater terrarium instead of. yknow. in the region itself). but also the return of double battles <3 severely underrated. theyre so much fun. if emmet shows up i will simply die.

Blaiddsumu: idk if I've left a comment on this fic yet??? it feels like every time i finish reading a chapter something happens that distracts me orz

ANYWAY. ohhhhh i am enjoying this fic. tormenting emmet he's just. suddenly getting All That. at least it finally got to the Intended Recipient? and then this chapter. houughghhhhhh

Dargon: I like the way Emmet deals with this. He is pretty thorough and it shows how he combats his anxiety of sharing by preparing for all manner of questions. This extends to boundaries. He is not alone anymore, which is nice, but he also addresses that he is uncomfortable with sharing all the content and why. Nice!

My heart wrenches as Emmet keeps trying to reach back. We already know it doesn't go through then, but it still hurts.
I did not know the beta name for Unova before now!
For the question: I did get the dlc! It's laggy and still lacking many pokemon I was hoping for, but it's pretty alright. I am here to challenge myself with harder battles and explore. I haven't gotten too much into the lore yet, but I like the characters so far and am interested to see what is going on at the academy.

Lupanari: Good to see Emmet sharing information. He can’t keep doing this alone, but keeping the messages to himself is at least a good choice. Too private to share for sure.

Ingo’s worry - I can’t remember completely, but maybe a zoroark encounter? I’m peetty sure I remember that they played Emmett and made Ingo think he’d died in that blizzard.
I do have the ScVi DLC. Having fun with it, and there’s a lot of Unova info for sure. The build up to a remake that’s clearly being made is strong, so looking forward to that.

theright2quack [tumblr tags]: #i was wondering how the zoroark situation from mhimh would come across to emmet #verrrry interesting

Chapter 6:

digitalpen: Okay, this one brought tears to my eyes. No joke. Entirely literal. The way Ingo sounds so different to Emmet, and the way Emmet fears the worst. It was heart wrenching. Very close to home for both this reader and for Emmet. Ouch.

Your survey question at the end went along quite nicely with something I had already been pondering: how close is the silly fanon relationship between Ingo and Sneasler supported by canon? From my own reading I suspect there’s a lot of support. Not 100%, or course, but from the worldbuilding and characterization of Sneasler herself, I feel the “they’re close, living and working in proximity, and also she’s the (somewhat affectionate) boss” idea has a lot of merit.
Other wardens place a lot of reverence on their charges: feeding them special foods and healing them when they’re sick, or even offering emotional support in the case of Palina and growlithe. That Ingo would act as a friend and occasional lackey is a natural way for him to go. And since he’s very familiar with partner pokemon, it makes sense that the religious reverence and standoffishness would be nonexistent with him and he would therefore become more familiar quickly.
It also gels nicely with their scant characterization: Ingo is a guy who works in a public facing position before Hisui, and his dialogue indicates an emphasis on propriety and serving others. Helping a Pokémon (almost as a butler would) wouldn’t be strange for him. Sneasler, meanwhile, has perhaps the strongest personality of any of the ride pokemon. Her animations very deliberately give the idea that she isn’t some dumb animal, nor that she is dependent on others or willing to compromise. She moves like an opinionated human woman. A girlboss, if you will. If Ingo is to be her warden, it’s easy to believe that she wanted it that way, and that she might be the dominant personality in their relationship. There’s less textual evidence to support a very close affection between the two, but I figure that Ingo is good enough with pokemon that he could make that happen.

pointvee: im not sure if i agree with it entirely but the analogy that popped into my head was that ingo is the meowth to sneaslers jessie and james? i just think its funny

(honestly i got as far as the entrance to mt coronet and then didnt progress any further... so idk! i love the idea that they were partners, if on more even footing than the average trainer pokemon bond. its an interesting comparison (and now that i think about it, exactly the kind of thing that proved N wrong, an equality between the pokemon and their trainers?) that i wish was a bit more explored in game. id love to see how being a trainer to a mon that outranks you culturally and spiritually works)

Luna3003: Emmet knowing the ending yet trying to piece together the journey that Ingo took is very interesting. Having the reassurance that Both The Diarys of Irada and Laventon knows that he survived and took a path home, yet he is still worries about Ingos physical health ( I think mental is a very justified worry bc No accounts talked about that Presumably. )

(Its kinda like Romeo and Juliet but not idk why my brain is throwing that at me)
(How hard would it be for Ingo to integrate his Hisuian team with his original you think? Ingo is worried but Emmet isnt, just sad that Ingo is guilty. Which is making me question if Ingo is blowing out of proportion or not)

Dargon: Emmet's mental jousting with what he learns from research and what he is experiencing is so interesting to watch. Even though he somewhat knows the ending there is still that fear that he got it all wrong and the person he is researching is someone different. Just like with movies and stories. Even if you know what happens they can still do a number on you.

Emmet's concern about Ingo losing hope was so sad to read, but I'm glad he was able to continue and view his brother's strength. His concern is one he would have as someone who cares deeply, but also it is kind of a projection and reliving of his own struggles in the beginning of Ingo's absence. As Emmet mentioned, Ingo too will make it through. The process will still be hard to listen to. He has to anyway for his brother.
For your question: I like to think that Ingo and Sneasler gel together well. When being introduced to the ride pokemon she had the most personality projected in the short cutscenes before you obtain her as a ride. Things like that are fun to speculate about. That "mean girl" attitude is hard to tame and for an outsider to be considered in such an important decision there had to have been a good relationship that develope imo. One interpretation I like is that Sneasler had a hard time finding someone who could really understand her. Perhaps she was a brat or simply rambunctious. Another good one is where she is not really ready for her position and needs a guiding hand that works with her rather than thrusts expectations. She is fun to speculate about.

Klui: I could only read this until now but another great chapter, such a great way to re-experience MHIMH through another lenses, great stuff.

On the survey, I personally feel that in Canon they're close, but maybe that's just me imagining stuff for my own enjoyment, cause good god I love Ingo and Sneasler as a duo. I think the idea of this 7'8 bipedal cat adopting Ingo is the best thing ever, and her being a source for support and being the one that chose him is EVERYTHING, I prefer if they have a very deep connection, one that goes beyond a language barrier, and the little headcannons people have made are so good, like Ingo taking care of new litters of Sneasels, him sleeping in the den, her purring being calming for him, all that good stuff.

theright2quack [tumblr tags]: #oooooof #this part of ingos journey hits hard from both perspectives

Chapter 7:

Dargon: I guess we are now emphasizing that parallel of information Emmet knows and experiences. I was intrigued by the information history has recorded. Just like we discussed a few chapters ago, Ingo is not mentioned as part of the conflict. He is probably recorded under the "Clans" umbrella and, therefore, not focused on when recording history. At least that is the way I see it. It could just be that you only glossed over Emmet's findings. My point being that, once again, I doubt there will be as much recorded history of the Diamond and Pearl clans as the Galaxy Team so any prominent figures from that conflict would be like Laventon, Cyllene, and Kamado with mentions of the Clans as a collective. I hope we see more of the contrasts between Ingo's messages and recorded history.

For the survey question: I actually thought it was so fitting that the hero looks like Alder. For me, it signified early that the hero's journey from the past was staying in the past for the most part. What I mean by this is that when I played the Gen 5 games there was this air of unattainable history behind Alder in how he acted and appeared. Like his story already happened. He looks like a retired main character and really he is. His story happened and now he is passing the torch. Seeing the Hero of legend and hearing what was left of his story evoked those same feelings. It happened and now we are in a new era of heroes.

Lupanari: Ingo is going to be okay…eventually…after some bed rest in the med ward.

It is interesting to see Emmet fighting with himself about wanting to hunt down a time travel pokemon to find Ingo himself vs staying put for the moment Ingo comes home. (If they missed each other, that would be terrible and aggravating - admittedly in an interesting way for a reader).

pointvee: if he's related to alder... hey more unova ties! idk if youve read Myths of Unova (the nuzlocke comic) but i like the idea that alder and his family where once unovan nobles, and thus the connection increases? 🤔
lemonhoneypastry [tumblr]:Ahhhhhh I’m already anticipating the next chapter- it was interesting to see Emmet hold himself back from hearing more messages so he could actually sleep. Already some growth from the first chapter! Wonderful job!! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

Chapter 8:

Luna3003: Everything changes yet still remains the same ❤️ I for one can't wait for these two to learn how to live with each others.

Also for the subway legend bans, you know how in that conference in the show, A dude named Tobias rolled up with a latios and a darkrai? Yeah I like to think the Two made a preemptive ban just in case.

answrs: I find the idea of someone rocking up to the subway and just. sitting an egg in front of them to battle with. and left them so flabbergasted that they had to make a rule about it, and added the various legends and mythicals to the ban as well to cover the bases. the latter seem to be... certainly not common, but not completely unheard of, I think? I haven't really read most of the pokespe manga but that's the impression I've gotten from dashboard osmosis, lol.

blazichu: They never thought they'd have to say 'hey, maybe DON'T bring an egg to a Pokemon battle' but alas. To be fair... what's the egg's opponent going to do? Attack it? Of course not. Is the egg unable to battle from the outset? It's still healthy, but it can't use moves, so does that mean it's a valid participant, like a Pokemon reduced to struggle? It brings up a host of complex (and dare I say inane) questions.
Granted, they work with the public anyway, so they probably should have known to expect this kind of silliness. xD
I'm in the same boat-- only read a little PokeSpe, so I know legendaries crop up a fair amount, but not really in what capacity.

answrs: as someone that's worked an unfortunate amount of customer service, bringing an egg as a team member to a pokemon fight is honestly in the more mild insane things I can imagine them dealing with on a daily basis. :'o
I mean. magikarp know splash, which is just like. wiggling a bit and doing nothing. I could see them making an argument that "the wobble counts too!" and obviously none of the bosses or their parties are gonna hit an egg.
(imagine if chandelure's heat made it hatch though. this poor level 1 0IV lillipup opens their eyes for the first time to see this massive soul eating ghost looking down on it contemplating if this means she should attack it now, or...? (she wouldn't but like. technically it's an active pokemon in the battle now :p))

digitalpen: Yesssss. I really liked the part of this chapter where Emmet made plans and thought forward to Ingo’s return. Firstly because the reader is also thinking forward in much the same way (or at least I am), and so it really connects the audience to Emmet’s headspace very intimately. Secondly because it’s reassuring to know that Ingo will come home and everything will be okay, or at least to know that Emmet still has that optimism in him. Thought the fact that you’ve addressed these feelings so prematurely is slightly worrying to me. This may just be baseless anxiety, but now I’m worried that a reunion won’t happen as nicely as Emmet imagines. It would be just like you to add a nasty twist to Ingo’s return that renders all that planning fruitless. But I suppose I’ll find out when/if it comes, and not before.
pointvee: i mean first you gotta figure out how realistic it is to have legendaries in the hands of trainers in the first place... more probably there are size restrictions and most legends dont make the cut. mythicals on the other hand... i dont see why not, at least the first time
koidefender: i have Thoughts on the battle subway restrictions, because they have every legendary and mythical pokemon banned

meanwhile every other battle facility in the pokemon universe has *at least* one facility head that uses *at least* one legendary/mythical pokemon
(i do believe every battle facility has most if not all of them banned, i just think its funny that the battle subway is the only one where the facility heads also abide by the restrictions)
watsonian reasoning: DO NOT BRING A GOD TO A KNIFE FIGHT IN AN ENCLOSED SPACE
this fic continues to be a delight! im wiggling like a happy worm because i am so excited to see the storylines converge and im loving watching emmet agonize over listening to his brother struggle alone and being entirely unable to do anything to help. oigufghfvdbh. have a nice day :]

Lupanari: Such a good spot to end it on indeed. Merry Christmas to you, as well!

This is such an important chapter and one I was looking forward to. It was so important when Ingo made the acknowledgement that they would both be different, (prompted by Mesprit no doubt) and now Emmet has heard that message and is considering the same consequences. They absolutely need to have so many talks when they're reunited, and yes! Get Ingo some modern medical help!
For the question, as a pure story element, I don't think people are regularly coming up with legendaries in hand, but most likely, it's been one or two people who had them, were allowed to challenge, and caused major damage as a result. Then maybe videos of other competitions where competitors had legends and swept through *cough*Tobias*cough*. So they did a near full ban of regional lengendaries as a result (the leftovers are accidental oversight or considered strong, but not reality breaking strong).

Dargon: Despite this going over one of the most dangerous parts of Ingo's journey it was the sweetest chapter. Both are thinking about what will happen when they reunite. I love the play that Emmet and Ingo have with the other. Emmet only just confronting that he might have changed as well after hearing his bro's perspective. They really do compliment each other even when they are not directly interacting. LMAO and now Emmet's trying to figure out how he has changed at the end. Likewise I think Emmet's perspective will be super helpful with keeping Ingo grounded. Emmet is all about preparation so he will probably be looking up therapist recommendations pretty soon to have at the ready for when Ingo is also ready.

For the question: I don't ever really do battle towers or equivalent. I didn't even do more than the mandatory PWT so I have definitely never completed one. That being said, I remember someone said that the Battle Subway is unique( not sure how true it is?) In that it is a facility accessible way before post game. If you want to transform that into lore, it is open to trainers of all ages and skill levels to learn and grow where most others are an Elite goal after you have accomplished something noteworthy like becoming champion. When you want to make a challenge more accessible it is important to keep certain pokemon out of the equation. I have seen that other facilities and frontiers will have elite trainers with like Articuno and Raikou probably to provide a challenge to the protagonist with a fucking Kyogre or something. So imagine a little 7 year old prodigy who is starting to get the hang of strategy and EV training getting bodied by a large, electric, dog-cat deity. The battle subway is for all commuters!

Madredhattie: I love a storyline that addresses that yes, Emmet and Ingo both will have been changed by this separation - but it's not necessarily a terrible thing, and I believe they can together get through anything! It's a really nice note to end this chapter on for the holidays, and I'm avidly keeping up with this story with each update.

As for the survey question: realistically it's probably a 'gameplay and story segregation' thing but the funny answer (and what I actually want to be real) is that the twins didn't really think anyone was going to show up with a legendary at first until someone rolled through the super multi line with some literal gods and utterly trashed their train cars, resulting in bans. Ingo and Emmet still managed to end that win streak so the inevitable claims of them being sore losers wouldn't carry any weight, but man, the clean up afterwards was a budget nightmare.

lemonhoneypastry: 🎉🎉🎉 wooooooo my favorite fic has once again updated- like always I dropped everything I read as soon as I got the notification. Loving this chapter!!!

Chapter 9:

pointvee: well ingo obviously made it back...? or at least out of hisui (sequel plot hook????) what time frame that happened is unknown though, so who knows (except you the author lok) how much linger he stayed in hisui.

the real twist would be if ingo got amnesia upon returning to unova lmao

Dargon: This chapter is Emmet and his attempted hit on poke-god. He is, understandably, not in agreement with Ingo's reasoning that he must have been picked for a reason others couldn't have. I def think others could have solved the issue, but Arceus seems to like things done a certain way and they will pick and choose to match that. Like were the frenzy's really necessary? Probably not, but it was how it wanted to test strength and build up to the final act. Or maybe there is a completely different reason things played out how they did. Part of this chapter was coming to terms that Arceus was an unknowable being with unknowable goals. His research this chapter seemed to not bring any new information in, but it did let him blow off steam (and find some more obvious-in-hindsight evidence of Ingo's involvement with Laventon which was cool to see). Don't worry, Emmet, maybe you can fight Arceus later. For now, let's be ready for your brother's potential homecoming.

I am really excited to see Ingo come home. Emmet has been given the rundown which means that there are no need for any immediate info dumping or explanations and I think that's great. I just want them to get to rest.
Something else that I doubt would be touched upon too much here in this piece is musings on what has been recorded from history. Like it or not that was a huge event in Ingo's life and while he wants to go home and live the life he left behind I don't think he'd want to completely remove himself from association with Hisui. He will (hopefully) still have his team and his love for his clan and other friends.

Lupanari: I don’t know if I want Emmet to go after Arceus to battle for his brother back or not. It would be an epic fight, but a dangerous route regardless. Cool that he found a translated version of Laventon’s Pokédex though.

Ahhhh, the end approaches! Simultaneously looking forward to it and also sad because good story coming to an end.

SeCrFiDr: "...doing his best impersonation of a steam engine: he blew a breath out and moved on." im....literally in love with this line. it says so much so succinctly. the vibes are immaculate
theright2quack [tumblr tags]: #hmmm #i wonder if emmets xtrans will get pinged of ingos location when ingo gets back #like how sneasler knew where to find him in mhimh #assuming ingo lands in unova #and did he battle arceus like in canon? #hmmmmmm

Chapter 10:

digitalpen: I never beat arceus, myself (didn’t evolve my cranidos, oh well), though I did look up some scraps of info about the very very late game challenges. With those details, my current theory is that Ingo has become trapped in the eternal battle reverie. Arceus likes him so much that it decided to keep him in some sort of suspended animation/pocket dimension/dream state where they can fight til the end of time. That’s just my theory, of course. I have the feeling that the “message” Emmet received from Ingo’s bag was not intended by the one that sent it, but I can’t deny that I would want to do the same if given those particular tools.
Sucy_Manbavaran: LETS GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO THE REUNION IS ALMOST HERE!!!
Dargon: For as much satisfaction Emmet probably gained watching Arceus get their butt handed to them. I think he wants a piece of this action. Not as much as he wants Ingo home for sure, but enough that I'm sure there is a bit of him that is hoping he gets his chance to throw a metaphorical right hook and then some. One thing is for certain. He is getting his brother back. If he gets to beat up god it is just a bonus. The hit is back on, baby! This time we have a time and place for the rumble.

In this possible turn of events above it kind of looks like Emmet meeting halfway was a part of the plan almost like the anchor for Ingo to come home. I could also be way off base. on the note of going home, I have said before that, while I get the concept of an endgame, I hate the lack of closure that your character gets by not having the option to return home in pla. They could have just made it another credits point or a cutscenes then rewound time to before that so you can do whatever. I have seen this lack of going home interpreted as the protag is now trapped there so that could be something fun to play with.
I did get Arceus in pla and it was pretty tough. It was the first time I threw in pokemon to battle during those arena boss fights so that was nice to experience. Not because of a challenge or anything, but because I don't read the screen when fighting bosses (I was mentally in boss mode :( ) and didn't know you could. I felt like an idiot when I learned after I neared the end of the main game. Electrode was hell for me because of this.

Luna3003: :0 that was so cool!!!!! I didn't expect Arceus (maybe.) to just bring over the rotom and all his polemon! It had the audacity to drop off Ingos luggage and not him. Emmet takes this pretty well I think. Now lets go smack down a god again!!

(I think Ingos fight with arceus would cause several historians to lose their mind bc that is proof that it exists, Mythic no longer and legend it would be ny this world's standards)

Cinn_namon: Oh this is hype >:3
Lupanari: Aaaahhhhh, epic Arceus battle, we finally got to see it! No surprise that Ingo ended up having fun with that battle - Gonna take Emmet a bit to get used to probably if that surprised him.

Clearly *someone* is painting a clear path, so if Arceus is wanting a second beat down by a pissed off younger brother, that's exactly what he's going to get.
So excited to see what happens next!

pointvee: 👀 i half expected emmet to play it right there and meet arceus in his nimbasa apartment
Genesisfreak: Two things; Emmet can now gloat to all that his twin fought God and won. Also, even with his memories Ingo has become a feral menace whose sense of normal is probably screwed to hell and back. I’m curious if you are being the series here or if you will be continuing with another series featuring Ingo’s attempt at readapting to modern times
theright2quack [tumblr tags]: #oh #oh my #not where i expected this to go #but im excited to see what 'bonkers' entails #happy new year op!

Chapter 11:

Luna3003: ARCEUS???!?!? WHHHHAAAAAATTTTTTTTTTTTTT?????? Holy!! I DIDNT expect that at ALL. but J am SO excited to see where this is taken!
pointvee: the god of the world is now a god of trains. unruly commuters beware XD

where did the og arceus go though?

Dargon: This was definitely not on my bingo! Ingo is the Big Man now! Evil team leaders HATE him. Click Here to find out how this subway worker became god.

He thought he was just a temporary errand boy, but little did he know it was a dubious job application.
Arceus @Ingo: Congratulations. You got the job
Ingo: ????????? I didn't apply??
Arceus: Your interview was exceptional. Is it okay that you start today? I'll be leaving it to you then. Bye.
It's cute he still has the soul of his friend sneasler to watch his back! Finally Emmet gets to fight god who is also his brother. His mission, surprisingly, hasn't changed as he still must win to bring his brother home! On another note: How do you even begin to explain this to your family?
I am all for weird twists like this. This story seemed pretty grounded in the mortal realm of AUs and speculation so I definitely didn't expect it at all. Still just as fun for me. Will we get to learn a bit more about Ingo's new job as the replacement being of creation? Does he just sit there all day? Something like that has to change a person mentally, too otherwise how else can you comprehend all of existence? It's super interesting. Also will we get to see anything on the conversation between Arceus and Ingo?
Edit: I was just thinking about things Arceus does to interact with the player and you know what? I think Emmet would LOVE the Eternal Battle Reverie or something similar. It could be a new sleepytime bonding activity to have like once a week.
Edit 2: This gives us so much new opportunities for tomfoolery!
Emmet gets pranked: I am Emmet. My brother have mercy on your soul because I will not. (them: ????lol???)
Emmet @ a pile of paperwork Ingo drops on his desk: god is cruel and does not love me. (He gets noogied in response.)

digitalpen: I can truthfully say that I wasn’t expecting apotheosis! Though it’s definitely not a bad outcome. This twist has interesting implications on the world of the game—if the player character was in place as in canon, do you think they’d get the same offer? I can’t say it would work as well without Ingo to take over as arceus. It’s certainly neater and more final than the way the game ends, though that’s surely a consequence of it being a game, with endgame challenges that the player needs to be able to access. For a work of written fiction, this is much nicer. I’m going to spend some time imagining Ingo’s centuries getting used to things. And maybe how the other, lower level managers might react to his promotion, lol.
Lupanari: Just bonkers enough I’d say. But wow did not expect that. Definitely clued into it when you mentioned the “dark form” of Arceus though. (One of these days, I’ll reread MHIMH and eagerly try to find that foreshadowing…) Original Arceus definitely needs some better communication skills if this was the end goal.

But hey! Ingo and Emmet have finally reunited and had their hug! Yay! And Ingo has a way to turn himself (somewhat) human again, so he can go back to Unova with Emmet after their battle. The frustration over getting the appearance just right, with celestial ring troubles included was funny to see.
Looking forward to that battle one shot once it’s out, as well as the final chapter of this one.

SeCrFiDr: YEAHHHH HELL YEAH THIS IS EPIC !! i love how unique this is - normal reunions are Awesome and Good but this is Fucking Insane (in a good way) !!!!
TwilightSketch: ingo: you went out of your way to find the azure flute, so i obviously had to answer

emmet: you spawned it like five feet to my left
ingo: irrelevant!

Blaiddsumu: oooOOOOHOOHHOHOOHOOHOHOHOOHO 🫵 CREATURE GUY

guess I'm gonna have to reread the first fic huh!
QUESTION. WHY did arceus wanna leave. and another question. what kinda things did ingo do to contact emmet initially? i am. curious.
having all that be a sorta job interview to Become God is kinda funny ngl. hey bud i know it sucked and all but did you have fun? yeah? do you wanna become god? 💖
man. going insane over this actually

Madredhattie: it's the godbrother.....

I definitely did not see that twist coming, but I'm also not good at picking up on foreshadowing, so clearly I have to reread MHIMH (which was gonna happen anyway)! Aaah I love the mental image of Ingoceus just nuzzling Emmet because damn it has been centuries for him at this point, he's just gotta hold his brother in the only way he knows he can at that point. I wonder what sorts of powers Ingo has now - he's clearly bound by some universal laws (constraints put in by the OG Arceus?) but he's also someone who wouldn't ever abuse them, so tbh Arceus made a good choice in successor even if it caused a lot of anguish. Loving the idea of pokemon god just working in the new york subway system, haha!
And Emmet. Of course he couldn't resist poking fun at Ingo technically being banned from the Battle Subway! And that little jab and Ingo's response being what really made it all sink in for Emmet, that this is real and he's finally got his twin back, was so touching. This has been such a great read and a fantastic series! I'm sad to see this story wrap up, but I'm definitely eager to see how it all concludes (can't wait to see Iris, Drayden, and Elesa's reactions to Ingo's new status!)
...this comment got long. In conclusion, love it!

meow meow (Guest): i had been enjoying reading this fic first and experiencing things with emmet and then WOW you pulled the rug out from the both of us

i was upset at first but if they get to go home together, thats all that matters to me :'3
.... they DO get to go home, right? 👀 *reaches for my pokeballs*

Genesisfreak: Feral Ingo has evolved into a god. Forget trying to get used to society as a wild mountain man. He now has to get used to a society after being isolated a hundred years in a non human form when he could smite someone with a blink. I wonder how he’ll handle the issue that his twin is…. Human
theright2quack [tumblr tags]: #to avoid spoiling in tags #all im gonna say is #bonkers indeed
lemonhoneypastry [tumblr]: Those whole chapter could only be represented by this emoji- 😱

AHHHHHH this was so goooddddd!!! And that twist???? Would not have expected that from last chapter. So sad it’s almost over 😭😭😭😭🥲

Chapter 12:

Luna3003: ❤ He's Home.
digitalpen: Bravo on the ending! I like how you addressed those fears that seemed so central earlier in the piece: that Ingo and Emmet had changed too much in their time away that they would not longer fit together. It’s so nice, so relieving to hear that Ingo’s new incarnation is still comfortable to Emmet, and that he knows exactly how to handle his brother, still. Your characterization has a lot of depth, even within certain obvious details. Yes, Ingo is loud and effusive, which is why it’s so like him to speak aloud about the little Pokémon and inconsequential details they encounter. Hope to see more from you someday, even if it isn’t this world.
koidefender: AARGHHHHH FIC IS GOOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

agjdhakdhskdhs. cant do words. this was a very good ending. very sweet. old man yells at train (affectionately). rotating this au in my brain so much you have no idea
lookin forward to seeing what else you have in store, for this au and in general! have a nice day :]

Dargon: This ending is just so perfect for how this series has been going. Like MHIMH, the emotional conflicts and arcs aren't solved by any means, but instead laid bare to show how far the characters have come and also highlight the hope that they will continue to persevere.

My heart was crooning for how ecstatic Ingo was about seeing even a small bit of the home he remembers. It was just so Ingo to run up and admire the spirit of two mienfoo training together. He is such a positive and loving person. The wrenching realization that he has lived longer in the Hall of Origin than home many times over. That is something he hasn't full dealt with and probably won't for a while. He and Emmet should take a month or two to just go around and explore the region all over again. I think it would help them both out a lot for healing and easing Ingo back into society. This is only the beginning.
Lol at the potty mouth Altaria. That is a new normal! I wonder how many more of their pokemon are little bastards. I hope you know that ever since the great reveal last chapter you have ingnited my brain. You didn't just open a can of worms, you cracked open my skull and dumped them directly into my brain. Like you mentioned. Mystical in the mundane is so interesting and fun to explore. It's one of if not my favorite thing about stories and especially fanfiction. We get to have these crazy things happen and explore them in as nuanced of a fashion as we want. I will be thinking about this universe for a while and will be eager to engage with you about it when you post or discuss.
The series has quickly become one of my favorites since you started posting it. This has been a heartwarming and wild ride and I have loved every second once again. Thanks for sharing it!

Lupanari: So much joy in this return. Ingo’s excitement is both heartwarming and heartbreaking because it’s clear he hasn’t been in the - material? mortal? - realm in an extremely long time. That might need some additional therapy, though good luck to any therapist they may get. That they took the “long way” to Opelucid worked out so well for that and I’m happy they did it.

Altaria is hilarious and I love that they’re a foul-mouthed cuddle bug whose first reaction to Ingo was to pounce for cuddles, even Ashe was scolding them for their language. And then later demand treats from Emmet for letting them in.
Overall such a good ending, and I look forward to seeing more from the series.

pointvee: ❤️❤️❤️❤️
meow meow (Guest): 🥺😭💗 ohhhh

i love all the little sibling™ bits, that were long overdue from their time apart. ingos constant 🥺-ing back got me
and every time they comfort the other when hes emotional 😭

Madredhattie: I adore Ingo's enthusiasm at seeing Unova again after such a long time - what he is has changed, but not who he is! Not at his core, and the excitement over seeing one of his beloved subway trains again after all those years! I almost expected him to keep pace with the train through pokemon god powers, heh.

Altaria you potty mouth. Ingo can understand Pokemon now, then? I can foresee this resulting in him having to translate for their combined teams when they want to tell Emmet something - not that Emmet needs it, but the exact words can come through now! And Iris being absolutely ready to throw down with an intruder; love her fight!
I'm so glad there's more to this series. It's such a fascinating AU you've woven! Stories with cool concepts do tend to grow beyond their original scope, and I for one am so glad MHIMH is one of them!

SeCrFiDr: this is so...its sparks so much joy in me. amazing work :)
Kokora: Reading these two fics has been a wonderful experience. I'm absolutely blown away by both of them. Thank you very much for sharing these with us.
LadyDes: This is such a cool idea. I love it.

I also love that Sneasler is still around! Keeping arceus-ingo company? I'd love to know how that happened.

theright2quack [tumblr tags]: #i love all the little details in this chapter #blink and you miss it in some sentences #now to reread from mhimh!

Updated 3/23/24