The Trial of Dreams and Memories (TMM 2)

The Beast of Lacunosa

"Ingo, sir! The Super Single train will be departing in five minutes!" a Depot Agent reported, with the sharp intonation and military-like rigidness that was characteristic of every Battle Subway employee. 

"Oh my, I'm nearly behind schedule," Ingo sighed, setting his papers aside in a neat stack. "Thank you, Hank."

"And there's someone here to see you," the Depot Agent added. "I don't think I've seen them around before, but they were insistent on meeting with you." 

Ingo didn't say anything else to Hank before thanking him again and giving him a nod. There seemed to be a silent understanding between the employees and their bosses that, every so often, someone in a black suit and tie would show up, and it was because of Morai. Morai was the biggest and perhaps only blemish on the subway's record, and the Subway Bosses felt great shame for it. But, they also understood that Morai committed no crime under their watch and was responsible for the entire place not crumbling to ash. 

When the door opened, Ingo greeted first as he quickly gathered his things. He hadn't yet taken part in the meeting concerning Morai's escape attempt in Alola. 

"My deepest apologies, but I must board my train, and my brother most board his," he said, not looking up from his things until the last moment, which drew him to stop dead in his tracks. "Ah, it's you. I wasn't expecting to see you here."

"I'll board your train with you," Arthur said in his gruff voice, toothpick protruding from his mouth. 

"Very well then. It takes passengers quite a bit of time to make it through the cars leading up to mine, if any do manage. We should have some time."

"I watched Morai's...escapades unfold on the TV until the evacuation," Ingo said, setting his things aside to focus on Arthur. He always brought his work with him on the train. Not many passengers made it to the end, and he tried to be as productive as possible while he waited. "How is she doing?" he asked. "I fear there's a lot I don't know."

Arthur sat down across from Ingo on the other side of the train, hands on his knees. "Well," he said with a sigh as he rested one leg across the other, "one of ours caught her. There was only one because Team Rocket took the rest of 'em out. She got away again and ended up face to face with Giovanni, where she allegedly fought his Persian with her bare hands...and teeth."

"Oh my," Ingo said. "Is she alright?"

"She's doing just fine," Arthur lied. "Right where she belongs."

The latter part of the man's answer made Ingo furrow his eyebrows. 

"I'm here today," Arthur continued with another sigh, pulling his knife out and beginning to sharpen it, "because there's a mole in our midst. Out of all the visitors that leave that damned place, you and your brother are the most frequent."

"Are...you accusing me of betraying my friend?" Ingo asked. "The one we're all so desperately trying to help?"

"No, no, not at all," Arthur said, slowly shifting his eyes from his knife to the Subway Boss at the last moment. "But someone has."

"I can assure you that I've done no such thing," Ingo said, something like anger rising in his voice. He and Arthur weren't exactly best friends, and he knew from past experiences that the man liked to get a rise out of people. 

"And your brother?"

"Emmet, just like me, would never," Ingo said. "Surely you think we have more integrity than that."

"Oh, I don't doubt it. But there are other motivations for trading information to Team Rocket, ones that aren't malicious. Morai is your friend, after all, and I'll admit that the International Police hasn't done the best job of keeping her in check, let alone turning her around. Maybe, just maybe, if Giovanni, with his unlimited scientific resources, offered to push her back into the light..."