“Alola, Oak. As we discussed last month, I'll be sending over what research I can manage on the Selkies, so we can build a case for them to be legally registered as Legendary Pokemon and left alone. I also figure it'll be useful in case any other Selkies happen to pop up in the future, limited as our current knowledge may be.
By way of official introduction: Selkies are beings that have both Human and Pokemon forms, which they can switch between using their "pelt" which resembles a striped coat. While there used to be many Selkies, incidents during and immediately following the original Darkest Day in Galar wiped out all but two of the original Selkie tribe. Those survivors are currently known under the aliases of Ingo and Emmet Steigenfall, the Battle Subway Bosses of Unova. While they were the only Selkies in existence for the past three thousand years, two more Selkies have finally come into being during the past few years due to advances in modern biotechnology: Emil, Emmet's son, and Leslie, Ingo's daughter.”
What follows for this document is an overview of the Selkie Pokemon stages, including the two Formes present in their final stages.
Sillipup - The Bounding Baby Pokemon
(Why yes, I did use Emil's childhood nickname, thank you for noticing. It was originally a placeholder, but Emmet found it hilarious, so we kept it in.)
Sillipups are solely Water-types, and also unable to shift as they hatch without the pelts necessary for transformation. Sillipups can swim quite well, but on land they're stuck bouncing around on the sand. Like other Baby Pokemon, Sillipups are vulnerable at this stage, and others of their species are instinctively drawn to protect them.
We're still researching the necessary conditions to evolve a Sillipup, as there seems to be a requirement beyond merely leveling up. Unlike most other Baby Pokemon, friendship does not seem to be a factor. However, Emil didn't evolve until he was on land. Perhaps, as they gain their pelt upon evolving, they can only evolve in conditions where it is safe to take on a Human form for the first time?
Selchile - The Curious Seal Pokemon
When a Sillipup first evolves into a Selchie, a separate pelt appears as part of the evolution, often taking the form of a striped coat. From this point on, if the Selchile wears that coat, they are able to take on their Human form. They appear to be the equivalent Human age in this form, so most Selchile will first appear as Humans roughly 5 years of age. While the Selchile form does not visibly change much, the Human side ages normally.
Selchile spend a lot of time mimicking both Selknights and Humans to better blend in regardless of their current form. They spend a lot of time analyzing a situation before acting, and much of their moveset is designed around adaptability to get out of trouble (or back into it) as soon as possible. They're cautious and curious in equal measure.
Selknight - The Support/Battle Seal Pokemon
Here at last, we get our Steel typing added in! Selknight evolution seems linked to combat experience, and the Forme they evolve into seems dependent on their stats. Higher Special stats lead to Guardians, and Physical stats lead to Warriors. Selknights also learn a Forme-specific move upon evolving: Guardians learn the special Water move Seventh Wave, while Warriors learn the physical Steel move Tempered Edge.
Selknights function best in pairs, as their skills complement each other. Warrior Selknights dole out a lot of damage, but much of their moveset comes with recoil effects, so they can easily take themselves out alongside their opponent if they aren't careful. Meanwhile, Guardians aren't very offensive, most of their moves designed to heal and take the heat off their Warrior counterparts. While both CAN function on their own, they function best "as a two car train". (In the words of Ingo and Emmet, of course.)
An average* Selknight is large enough to carry at least one fully-grown human or two young adults of typical Pokemon adventuring age. They are used to providing smooth rides even without harnesses (though if you have multiple Selknights swimming together, they will invariably get competitive and forget about their rider until said rider is dumped in the water. Speaking from personal experience and all). Selknights can effectively use most Hidden Moves, with the exception of Fly, Defog, and Rock Climb. (Yes, they can use Flash thanks to their glowing "whiskers" and eyes; it caught me off guard too.)
*According to Ingo, he and Emmet are actually smaller than most Selknights due to early evolution, periods of malnutrition and infrequent shifting in their youth, and other factors. Leslie is also small due to her forced evolution and the like. However, that's three out of four existing Selknights, so that's now the average size for them. Emil may or may not be an Alpha Selknight, as he is far larger in both Human and Selknight form.
Once a Selkie has reached their Selknight form, their Human form will keep aging until they reach adulthood, and which point their aging slows to a crawl. Selknights can live for thousands of years (the twins are currently over 3,000 years old and only appear to be in their 30's-40's as humans), though they are by no means immortal. A Selknight is most vulnerable in human form, where other than a few trace defenses (they retain sharp steel teeth and claws in human form), they are as vulnerable as any human. Their Pokemon form is far hardier, but if their pelt is taken hostage by another, then not only can the Selknight not shift back, but they must obey the orders of whoever has their pelt.
On that note of control and teamwork; it seems that in exchange for being able to transform between Human and Selkie form, none of the Selkie Pokemon are able to turn minuscule, leaving them unable to enter Pokeballs or PCs. Throwing a Pokeball at a Selkie will only serve to annoy them. Selkies also cannot breed** with either Humans or Pokemon, only other Selkies. Both of the younger Selknights were created with Mew-based biotechnology (one using outright cloning science, the other through use of a Ditto), and are effectively clones*** of their parents. In other details, the Selkies retain a mix of Human and Pokemon features, such as their preferred diets.
**We also...don't technically know the sex of the Selkies. We know that they all share a biological sex, three of them present as masculine, and one presents as feminine and identifies as transgender. However, like many Legendary Pokemon, their sex characteristics don't actually line up with typically recognized definitions of Male or Female.
***Again, Leslie proves to be an interesting case, as she is a clone of Ingo BUT with added modifications, such as her ability to Mega Evolve. This exception aside, Leslie is still a clone of Ingo, and Emil is effectively a clone of Emmet; physical differences are due to genes expressing themselves in different manners, but I don't need to get into cloning mechanics here. For all the harm she's caused, Professor Manchineel's notes on Pokemon cloning are still the best references we've got here.
I'll expand upon more details in later documents, such as the anatomy of the Selkie's Human forms, how their pelts function, what cultural details I can glean, etc. Granted, most of that shouldn't be common Pokedex knowledge for any ten year-old to read up on, so...hopefully this will be enough to start writing up some entries for the ‘dex.
Also, don't be surprised if Emmet calls you up on your radio show next week. He's supposedly figured out a question that'll really stump you. Ingo, Emil, and Leslie also say hi; don't be surprised if we drop by your lab in Kanto sometime now that Team Rocket's been cleared out again.
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Winter Wonderland: How CP9 Reacts to Snow and Winter
Rob Lucci:
Lucci is fairly resistant to the cold, even without shifting to a furrier form or utilizing Life Returns. He's not a huge fan of winter itself per se, but there is a special seasonal thrill of stalking one's enemies through the snow... He does also enjoy making warm outfits for Hattori, and will sometimes make himself a matching sweater or coat (though no one dares point out the matching outfits if they know what's good for them). Hattori still spends a lot of time hidden in Lucci's coat or hair to stay warm, which Lucci never complains about. No one is allowed to target Hattori during snowball fights.
Kaku:
Kaku used to love winter just fine! He had to be careful not to slip on icy patches while parkouring around, but he honestly loved partaking in winter activities outside when the opportunity presented itself. Unfortunately...giraffes don't do well in the cold whatsoever. Which means Kaku has to bundle up a lot more when going out in the snow, and he usually has to head in before everyone else, especially if he leaves his human form. Does this stop him? Nope, and he does his best to laugh away his frustration. The rest of the team keeps an eye on him anyway to make sure he doesn't stay out in the cold too long out of stubbornness.
Kalifa:
Kalifa isn't a huge fan of snow. It disrupts routine and creates so many extra inconveniences, on top of the cold affecting her bubble powers (and her fashion sense). That said, she does have one wintertime hobby, and that's ice skating. Kalifa is a sight to behold out on the ice, and she's carried out at least one assassination with a sharpened pair of skates. But her favorite part of a snowy day is heading inside as quickly as possible to enjoy a warm bath and a hot beverage.
Blueno:
When the weather turns cold and foul, Blueno's first instinct is to make sure everything is prepared in case the storm takes a bad turn and resources turn scarce. His powers allow him to help out quickly, such as getting a frozen ally somewhere warm. But once preparations are complete and things are calm, he'll allow himself to enjoy the snow with the others. He'll mostly keep to himself and admire the scenery, but he always gets dragged into snowball fights with the others due to how useful his Doors can be. Regardless of who wins, he'll make everyone warm drinks afterwards.
Jabra:
Jabra LOVES the snow, and it doesn't phase him whatsoever, especially in wolf form where he can stay outside for hours with little consequence. Jabra is often chosen for winter missions for exactly this reason, where he can blend in with much of the local wildlife. When he's not working, he frequently challenges others to snowball fights, namely Lucci. Jabra will also turn sledding, skiing, and even snowman crafting into a competition if his rivals are around. Winter is one of the few times Jabra will let his metaphorical hair down, so be prepared for mischief from the normally practical agent.
Kumadori:
Kumadori also handles the snow well, since he can control his internal temperature with Life Returns. If the others get too cold, he'll often hold them close (with hair if necessary) and turn himself into a miniature heater to help warm them up. He also loves frequenting hot springs when it's snowy out, and while he claims it's to utilize temperature training (frequently alternating between the warmth of the hot springs and the cold outside) for Life Returns...he has a tendency to fall asleep in the hot springs once he finds a cozy spot. Woops.
Fukuro:
Between his zipper-mouth becoming unwieldy in the cold and the tendency for others to roll him down snowy hills in order to create oversized snowballs, Fukuro prefers to stay indoors when it's cold. It helps that he finds it far easier to gather gossip when folks are sharing warm drinks in high spirits. Thus, Fukuro often helps out Blueno and Kalifa with making warm meals to stave off the cold. He's also been known to goad the others into various snow competitions with each other if their bickering gets to be too much.
BONUS
Spandam:
Spandam avoids the cold for damn good reason: it hurts. All those broken bones over the years get sore in the cold. The metal in his mask (and any other metal parts he might have) gets incredibly uncomfortable. And honestly, his constitution's not great in general. When the weather turns chill, Spandam stays inside near a fireplace and as many blankets as he can acquire. For once, no one gives him any grief for this.
Nero:
Nero once made the mistake of challenging Jabra to a snowball fight, bringing an arsenal of snowball-firing weaponry into the fray. He still couldn't hold a candle to a wolfman bounding through the snow.
Bedlam (CP9 OC):
Seeing as it never really snowed in Skypiea, and Bedlam ended up on a Summer isle when they initially fell, they're entirely unfamiliar with snow. It fascinates them how it makes the world seem to be covered in clouds, but they really can't stand the cold, especially if their wings are out. So Bedlam tends to stay bundled up, researching hypothermia and other cold-weather effects that may befall their crew. They do occasionally sneak out to build snowmen once that concept is introduced to them, however.
What kind of foods can the Selknight line have? Is there some foods they stay away from? And some they favor above others?
Food is simultaneously more and less complicated when one can shift between human and Pokemon form. Selkies tend to prefer Pokemon food such as Berries and Poffins (with tastes suiting their natures; Ingo likes Sweet, Emmet and Leslie like Spicy, and Emil goes for Bitter), but they more often than not have to resort to Human foods. For human preferences, I have a whole post about my thoughts here that at least mostly still applies to the Selknight version of the twins.
There's also the complicated nature of Meat. While the Selkies are omnivorous like most Pokemon, getting that protein and other nutrients from meat is verrry important! But it used to require eating other Pokemon, which. Could get complicated, so the twins had strict rules about what they could eat. I and others have headcanoned that the advent of cloning technologies means that lab-grown meat is commonplace nowadays, so acquiring meat is less of an issue...but one sometimes has to remind the twins in particular to COOK the meat before eating it, at least in human form where such is frowned upon. Regardless of source, Selkies have a strong preference for fish and shellfish.
As for foods they stay away from...well, anything too processed isn't great for them, so they try to avoid those (though sometimes the allure of a cheap, tasty-looking snack is too strong, and now you've got a Selkie curled up with a tummyache in your bathtub). Other foods specifically detrimental to Pokemon (or irl Seals) will likely also gunk up their systems.
Oh, and they tend to stay away from alcohol and other intoxicants, both for digestive reasons and also because they don't want to risk giving anything away and/or being too out-of-sorts to protect themselves. They'll occasionally indulge in a beer or glass of wine, but if one decides to drink more than that, the other remains sober in order to keep an eye out.
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(A future Selkie AU fic, because I got stuck in a hotel and wanted to practice writing N, because baby the N/Emmet train is leaving the station, full steam ahead~ Don’t think there should be any warnings)
The day has been long, departing the station from enjoyable and arriving at an unpleasant slog quite some time ago, so the return to the hotel room is a welcome reprieve. Granted, N would have preferred to recharge out in nature as opposed to being trapped by walls and windows, but the woods are far away this deep in the city, and if he has to sit in a car for a second longer, he is going to scream.
Having passed out upon hitting the bed, N awakens to an arm wrapped around his torso and a face nuzzled into his hair. Through a gap in the curtains, he can see a dark sky with no stars outside.
N interlaces his fingers with those he finds familiar, running his thumbs over smooth skin marred by years of tiny nicks and contrastingly recent bug bites. “Hello, love. Feeling any better?”
“I am Emmet. I am recharging. Equivalent battery levels at…sixty percent?” He nuzzles his face closer as if for a kiss to the back of N’s neck, but finds himself foiled by the seafoam green mane. “I would recharge faster if you got a haircut.”
N smiles softly at the familiar banter of their not-quite argument. “You wish to sheer N? You’d sheer him like the Wooloo?”
Emmet squeezes tighter and lightly rocks the both of them. “Only for entirely selfless reasons.”
“Your reasons are to tickle me with your face.” Especially as they’ve been so busy this trip, Emmet has skipped shaving and thus is sporting a dreadful soulpatch in contrast to his twin’s goatee.
“It’s called kissing my husband. Emmets are most efficiently recharged with kisses.”
N twists in Emmet’s grasp so they are facing one another, and he grants his partner a soft smooch. “It seems you’ve used Attract, and it was super effective.”
Emmet huffs at this. “Status moves can’t be super effective.”
“Hush, you.” N attempts to silence him with another peck to the lips, but his partner squirms away, attempting to twist his ever-present smile into a pout. “Fine. Forgive me my impropriety, dearest.”
Emmet seems to consider this for a long moment, a hum rolling up from his chest in a slow wave until his lips buzz as he kisses N back. “I suppose I can. Especially as Emil wasn’t around for you to mislead him.”
That gets N to glance around the room, as he realizes the little one is nowhere in sight. “Where is…?”
“Taking a bath. Though he is being rather quiet, even for Emil. I should check on him.”
“Allow me. You keep recharging.”
N leaves one last kiss on his partner’s cheek before pulling away to investigate the hotel bathroom. He expects to find a tired young boy in the bathtub, but not a full Selchile that barely fits in the tub, lying still so as not to slosh more water onto the already damp floor. His coat is folded up as small as possible and hidden behind the toilet piping. It’s a miserable sight that seizes N’s heart like a Pinsir.
He sits on the edge of the tub. “Long day?” Emil nods. N continues, “We’ve been busy this week. You must feel worn out.” Another nod. This is also the longest the pup has been outside of the water and untransformed. N sighs and offers his hand, which Emil reaches up to nuzzle against. Even the brief contact seems to help the young Selchile feel better.
N understands Emmet’s reasoning, that Emil needs to learn how to stay in his human form for longer stretches of time so he doesn’t need to spend eternity on the ocean’s edge. But putting that lesson on top of sensory overload and exhaustion in an unfamiliar setting is a lot to ask of anyone. Especially as even the adult Selkies are flagging at this point of the trip, and they’re used to crowds and remaining in human form for years at a time. They had to grow used to bottling up their pain. Emil shouldn’t have to.
“I’m going to see if we can find you a better place to swim, okay? You finish cleaning yourself up, and I’ll talk to your dad.” He waits for Emil to coo in agreement, then briefly rustles the Selchile’s fur before standing back up and returning to Emmet. He closes the door behind him, then says in no uncertain words, “We’re going to the pool. I will ask Zoroark to cover for us.”
Emmet doesn’t say anything, but his thoughts clearly unfold on his face. About to argue, a pause for consideration, expression falling as he realizes the necessity. He ties it all up with a nod. “Alright. Safety checks are important. The maintenance would be useful for all of us.” He pushes himself up off the bed, groaning like his body is made of stone. “I hate the taste of chlorine. But better than drying out completely.”
“Small steps are better than standing still,” N says, an important lesson he’s learned time and again since striking out on his own. Even if he isn’t alone anymore, a feeling that still feels unfamiliar even with the ring on his finger and the little boy calling him Papa. “Should I see if the others want to join us?”
“Please. Last I heard, Ingo was having a rough time too.” Emmet bites his lip, seems like he's about to say something more, but shakes his head and turns away with a distant look in his eyes. "I'll go get Emil ready. Thank you, N."
The room his in-laws are staying in is just down the hall. N raps his knuckles on the door and says “It’s me” just loud enough to be heard. He hears shuffling and groans on the other side of the door, and when it finally creaks open to reveal Chimeco, the room behind them is completely dark except for the soft violet flames of Chandelure.
“I’m glad it’s you checking in!” Chimeco says, closing the door most of the way with Psychic. “They don’t want to get up right now. Bedlam’s legs are giving them a lot of pain. And Ingo got overwhelmed by how loud and crowded everything got. They’re both making sure each other rests.”
“I’m glad to hear they’re taking care of each other,” N says, “And it is very kind of you to help them out. Can you let them know that Emmet, Emil and I are going to the pool for a swim? We’re bringing Zoroark with us to cover our tracks. Ingo and Bedlam are welcome to join us, if it would help them.”
Chimeco's bell jingles in delight. "That sounds wonderful! I will let them know. I hope we'll see you soon!" The door slips open again for Chimeco to slip through; N spies two chests rising and falling, two figures huddled together in the dark, barely visible under Chandelure's soft glow. N leaves them be instead of waiting for an answer. All journeys must be taken in their own time, this he's learned.
Over to the elevator, where the rest of his family is waiting. Emil has grown up so much, he's almost too big to carry, but Emmet still holds his tired son close with a soft smile. They descend and traverse the plain walls and endlessly repeating carpet patterns of hotel hallways until they finally locate the exit out to the swimming pool. It is little more than a long rectangle surrounded by tile and concrete, shallow on one end and only a few feet deeper at the other end, lit by fake lights and kept unnaturally clear. It is a far cry from the ocean, but Emil is still squirming to be let go and dive in all the same.
N calls upon his friend, who had agreed to travel with them via Pokeball for this journey. Zoroark appears, listens to their plea, and agrees to help. An illusory staff of cleaners settle into place, scrubbing the tiles and chasing away the occasional stray Patrat, every action methodical and slow. This should buy plenty of time. Zoroark curls up on one of the poolside chairs so it can focus on its illusions, and it nods to the family of Selkies and their loved one that everything is ready.
Emil is barely out of his gray coat before diving in. The initial shock is clear once he surfaces, nose wrinkled from the smell of chlorine, treading the too-clear water as he realizes how empty and devoid of life it is. But it is still water, and still a reprieve from the bustling world of humans. Emil dives again and swims along the pool. He is delighted when a couple more Pokemon, including his favorite Spheal, are released to join him on his swim.
Even though this is a larger pool by standards of hotel pools, there still isn't much room for a full-grown Selknight. Emmet deflates a little, but this does not stop him from slipping off his shoes and socks to dip his feet into the shallow end of the pool. He sits on the steps with his pant legs rolled up to his knees, wriggles human toes topped by inhuman steel claws. N similarly discards his shoes and sits next to his husband. The vulnerability Emmet shows when he leans against N's shoulder makes him seem far younger than he actually is.
"We used to do this in Nimbasa too," Emmet says quietly. "Except we didn't even have a public pool to sit in. Best we could do was a kiddie pool on the balcony. Dip our feet in and watch the world go by. Sometimes we'd have berry juice popsicles. Funny, what you can convince yourself is good enough if you deprive yourself of what you need for too long."
N wraps an arm around Emmet's shoulders. "I don't think it is."
"...No, it isn't. But I used to be stronger than this. Could go months without feeling this way. Now it's been four days and I feel dried out and sick."
"And I used to go years without much human contact, and now I get Durantsy if left alone with my thoughts for too long. I don't think it's a bad thing, to be used to feel in touch again with what you need to be healthy." Dragons knew what a shell of a man he'd been growing up, treated like a Pokemon or a so-called savior instead of realizing he was a human like anyone else. That he needed people around, needed to learn new truths and challenge his ideals, in order to be a fully realized person. He sometimes thinks about who he used to be, how misguided and hollow Team Plasma's King had been, and he feels...sad.
N will do anything to make sure Emil never feels that way about himself. Even if Emil is not his child by blood, he has still looked over his son since his egg was formed. This is his family, he chose to stay here, will choose to stick by their side and force this world into a better shape for them again and again.
"I love you," N says, even if it sounds out of nowhere without the context of his own thoughts attached. "I love you, and I want you to be happy."
Emmet's smile grows genuine against his shoulder. "You are verrry sappy, my dear. But I love you too."
A teasing whistle cuts through the air behind them. "You two still act like newlyweds sometimes, I swear." Bedlam comes into view, riding atop their Meganium. "Alola, bro and bro. Mind if we sit with ya' a spell? The hotel room's getting stuffy."
Emmet glances at N, who nods, before answering, "No problem at all. I am Emmet, and I like combinations of two."
"Like two pairs on the Multi-Line," Ingo says as he enters the picture and helps his spouse down onto the steps. Both of them look as tired as N feels. "It's a lovely night for a swim. I somehow never thought to ask a Zoroark to cover our tracks; bravo, whichever of you thought of that."
"N did. He's verrry resourceful." Emmet waits for his twin to sit down next to him, then lightly elbows his side. "You look like Garbodor food."
"And you quite resemble the sludge left behind afterwards." Ingo's voice is quieter than normal and he seems to be hiding in his coat, but teasing his twin still comes naturally."I am assuming your day went about as well as ours did?"
"Too much talking, not enough battling," Emmet says with an exaggerated sigh. N is less inclined toward Pokemon battles, but for once, he finds himself agreeing. He's learned to appreciate the way battles allow trainers to showcase their truest dreams alongside their partners, and sometimes he truly wishes he could change the world again with a handful of battles instead of arguing policy with backwards authority figures and carefully concentrated resistance efforts. Especially now that he cannot be as reckless as in his youth, as his family would fall with him if he makes a wrong step.
"We almost had a fight at the convention today," Bedlam says as they set aside Ingo's removed socks and shoes for him. "Two, if you include the Type Discoveries panel nearly coming to blows over the classification of Bugs again...but the main one was over the Myths and Legends Protection Act. Again. The jerk didn't know he had a legend right next to him while talking about staging examination days, as if Ingo here should roll over and let scientists prod him once a year for the so-called advancement of scientific research. Bullshit."
Ah. That...explains a lot. "I'm sorry you had to go through that," N says. "It's not right that people are still arguing over this. Have they already forgotten the DittoDesigns trials?"
Emmet waves his hand dismissively and says, "Humans have notoriously short memories nowadays. Hearing about everything going on globally at once makes keeping track of things hard. So, which of you threw a punch?"
Bedlam winks. "I had to stick to my chair most of the day, so no one expected my left hook. As if having busted-up legs means my arms don't work either. Security had already been called by that point, and the arguments had stopped being civil. So when one idiot insults my guy, what else was I going to do? Even the convention heads agreed that I was in the right afterwards."
"You've still likely blacklisted yourself from many opportunities for my sake," Ingo mutters. He's slipped his gloves off, the claws of one hand drumming along the steps while the other holds Bedlam's hand.
"Pssh. Let me be the chivalrous idiot for a change. Besides, I don't wanna' work with folks who'd treat you like anything other than a person. That's exactly what we've been fighting against this whole time. They're why we're stuck here at this shrinky-dink pool with a bunch of illusions around so we can have a moment of Tapu-blasted peace." Bedlam exhales like a steam whistle, something they've picked up from Ingo. "...No offense to your illusions though, Zoroark. You're doing great, sweetie." Said Zoroark yips in acknowledgement of the praise.
The four adults go quiet after that. Overhead, a plane drifts along a night sky tinted orange from all the city lights. Emil giggles as he chases his Pokemon friends in a game of tag, reminding N of similar childhood games in the woods. Back before the weight of the world was put on his shoulders and he was too young to realize it was not his burden to bear. It'd be so easy for Emil to fall into that trap, for his sweet and soft-hearted boy to turn himself into a martyr because of what he is and who his parents are. And even though N will support his son in whatever he chooses to do, and knows that everyone has to make their own mistakes the hard way in order to grow...he'd give so much in order to preserve Emil's childhood innocence as long as possible, to prevent the little Selchile from growing up too fast the way his parents did.
"We're making progress," Emmet finally says. "I am Emmet, and years ago, I could not imagine even this. We have a safe haven to retreat to at the end of the day. We have people who fight alongside us. There are places where we don't need to hide. And...there are new Selkies again. That's a lot."
"You have a point there!" Ingo exclaims some of his normal volume returned. "It was a difficult road to reach this point, and we have yet to reach our end terminal, but we should be proud of how far we've come."
"Yep. Even a few steps forward still means traveling farther on the road ahead." And with that, Emmet stands up and strides down the rest of the steps into the pool, even as the water soaks into his human clothes. He turns and offers a hand to N. "Care to join me?"
N accepts. He's pulled into the barren pool, the too-clean water soaking into his clothes, but his husband's hand is warm in his own. Emil swims around him with their Pokemon friends. Someone splashes Emmet, and with a mischievous glint in his eye, he splashes back. N lets himself be swept up in the moment, playing with his son and husband under the night sky as the rest of their family watches on, the air full of laughter and joy.
Gonna cheat a little and say both Ingo and Emmet, hence why I've been writing them so much.
They're both do similar yet different, which makes exploring those differences (and building up how I portray them based off our scraps of canon) a lot of fun. They also provide a fun exercise in distinct character voices, which is something I love!
Close follow-ups include my OC Bedlam (they are so cathartic for me to write, and also have such a fun voice), Melli (the contrast of flamboyant arrogance and secret softie is always a delight) and Claude from the FE3H crossover (I feel I'm understanding his character more now than I did in-game.)
