“The Solstice is coming up.”

“That it is.” Said the Warden in front of Akari.

At the clipped response,  she resumed kicking her feet, hands clenched around the top of the training grounds’ fence to keep herself balanced.

“Cyllene’s been collaborating with Calaba and Mai to host a festival, ‘cause it’s so important to the Clans.”

Ingo nodded, but it wasn’t an answer. That last battle must not have left its mark on the arena, then. Good. It meant he wouldn’t be distracted for the rest of this. He could be weird about the safety regulations that existed in his own mind, and any suggestion to leave the grounds in an imperfect state was met with legitimate offense.

“The Captain has done a great deal for inter-faction relations; I believe she paved the way for my own niche in your village. Galaxy Team is very fortunate to have her.”

No, no. He wasn’t getting off the hook that easily.

“Will you join this time?” / “You didn’t come to the celebration for the [idk].”

“I had my duties to attend to.” He deferred smoothly.

“Oh come on, you’re one of the only Wardens who lives in Jubilife part time, and we both know Sneasler’s a major pushover when it comes to you. That’s not the excuse you think it is.”

“I would refrain from saying that in front of Lady Sneasler, herself.”

“Do you just… not want to come? There’s nothing wrong with that.”

He paused and laid a hand on the brim of his hat, a sure sign that there was something else there.

Sure enough, “Truthfully, large crowds of people feel correct. They also feel disproportionate. I know enough to realize that I’m not meant to ride alone in such an environment, but nothing beyond that. The feeling of wrongness derails any comfort to be found.”

Akari hummed, unsurprised; she probably should have guessed it was something like that. With her limited amount of information, there were two individuals Ingo could have been remembering, but she didn’t give voice to either possibility. If it had occurred to her, Ingo had already considered it. There was a reason he hadn’t gone into specifics.

“Well, what if I stay with you?” She asked instead, steering them away from the troubled waters.

Though there was no sign of it in his expression, he laughed. “You’re a young, energetic girl, Akari, and there will be a lot to see. There’s no need to check yourself into a sleeper car on my behalf.”

While it was true that, in attaching herself to someone else for the night, her ability to explore would be reduced…

She hopped down from the fence and killed a few seconds straightening her clothes.

“You knew how to navigate the tunnels, and when we went through, you remembered something. You knew how to battle– like, battle for real– and even I can tell that it’s been helping. Jubilife’s the busiest place in Hisui, but I wouldn’t call it crowded– a festival for both clans, though? You have a real chance coming up, and I’m not gonna be the reason you let it pass.”

“While I appreciate the sentiment, that’s neither your responsibility nor your concern.”

“Yes it is!” / “I don’t know why us, but we’re in the same boat, Ingo. The god of Pokemon chucked us somewhere we don’t belong and left to– I dunno, piss Volo off or something. You don’t remember, and I get that, but you’re also the only person who understands.”

He stayed quiet for a moment, looking very much like he wanted to say something, but wasn’t sure what.