It did not take long at all for El to arrive, let alone for them to find Isaac. Having two psychic types who were familiar with both siblings helped in that way, really. Thus, it was with a happy squeal and the click of a cane against stony earth that announced El's approach - heralded by Artemis on one side, and Bibidi on the other.

The little Spoink was more than happy to greet Isaac - bouncing on over with eager little oinks and grunts, sniffing him as if to figure out all the new scents he must've picked up since the last time she saw him. There were lots of new things here, in fact - she was pretty sure she'd never been to a town like this before! What sort of things would she find here? What sort of people would she meet here?

Bibidi, on the other hand, was a little more cognizant to the mood of the situation. She would give a gentle brush against Isaac's mind in greeting, her eyes gazing out over Lavaridge as he was. The home that she gleamed tidbits of from Isaac's mind, whenever he was teaching her everything she needed to know to help look after El. The home that she had come to know alongside El for a number of years, up until that fateful day of departure.

She never expected for either sibling to want to come back - and yet, here they both were.

El would step up next to Isaac - offering him a gentle smile, even if it was clear to see that they were antsy. Perhaps he'd see it in the way they fidgeted with the handle of their cane, or perhaps he'd see it in the slight strain in their expression, the barest furrow of their brows. Or, perhaps he'd hear it in their voice instead, as they finally spoke. "... It... feels a little surreal, being here with you like this." They murmured, gazing out towards Lavaridge.

Perhaps a year or half a year back, they would've looked upon a scenario like this - of the two of them coming home together - as something hopeful. That it was a sign that they, Isaac, and their parents could all be one happy family again. That things could go back to some form of normal - perhaps even something better than normal, if they could just get through to their dad in some way.

But now? They weren't sure just how salvageable that idea of family was. Isaac had been hurt - to an inexcusable degree - by their father's treatment of him. They themself had spent too long feeling like they were walking on eggshells, to maintain that golden child status that they didn't even want - yet feared what the alternative would've been.

And with them both having left the coop, well... Things had been hard; hard in ways both expected and unexpected. But the both of them also came to prove that they were more than the moulds their father tried to put either of them in. That they weren't beholden to whatever fate he wanted to set them on.

El was a up and coming Ranger, gradually rising in the ranks. Isaac was a skilled Trainer, with more than just a couple badges on his belt. And they both had promise for other nontraditional challenges and competitions as well, Contests, races, and the like.

Whatever may come in the future... El felt as though as long as they knew that they could look to Isaac for a helping hand, or even just an encouraging smile, they'd be okay.

And they wanted to be there to have Isaac's back all the same, too. Quietly, El would reach over to take Isaac's hand in their own - giving it a light squeeze. "Whatever happens... We still got eachother." They spoke - almost as if they were encouraging themself just as much as they were encouraging Isaac. "And we got people out there who... Who know us, and accept us, no matter what."

Whatever this visit had in store, neither of them would face it alone.

El's mouth hangs open for a second as Isaac speaks his first words. And for a moment, they almost want to go to their usual defense mechanism for managing the concern other people feel for them - to play it down, laugh it off...

... But instead, they let out a soft sigh. "... Yeah." They confirmed with a little nod, their gaze drifting out towards Lavaridge. "But... what I wanted wasn't exactly fair to you, was it?" They pointed out in turn. It would've been selfish, in a way, for them to just drag Isaac home and expect everything to turn out okay - even before they really started considering how deep their father's treatment of Isaac went.

No matter how much they sometimes still found themself wishing for something like it. Or even something like what they had in the dream-Galar, even if they only could remember bits and pieces of it. Of visiting Isaac and ana fell and their children and the found family they had in Motostoke, and getting to be a part of it. That had been nice, too, even considering how hostile of a world that memory had been - it was still the feeling of having someplace they could go to, if they needed it.

The feeling of a place to mingle with those closest to them.

The thanks, though, was met with a brighter smile. "Of course." El spoke, nodding to him. Though, a hue of guilt of their own drifted across their expression. "I... Do still find myself wishing I could've been there for you more, sometimes - even if I was still just a little kid back then." They admitted. Perhaps things could've been different, then. Though, with it all in the past, it wasn't worth worrying themself sick over it - El knew that. The important thing was that the two of them were here, together, and could stand up for one another now.

They had plenty of time now, to make up for missed opportunities. Much like Isaac said - everything was going to be okay.

As Isaac began his descent down into Lavaridge proper, Bibidi would pick El up so that the both of them could follow after - drifting alongside him. Artemis, too, would carefully hop on down - bouncing from ledge to incline to rock as if she were a spring-legged mountain goat.

But, all the whilst, something was on El's mind - something that they'd voice, once the group was back on solid ground. "Isaac, I... I imagine you probably have a lot you want to say to Dad, even if you didn't originally plan for this..." They began, glancing over to their brother. "... Don't hold back for me, okay? I... I know I don't like seeing you guys argue. But I don't want you to bottle things up, either."

Bottling things up, in a way, was what led to a lot of the troubles between them in the first place.

"If you want, I could also head in first - maybe see if Dad and Mom are home, and what they're up to, before you come in too?" They aren't sure how necessary this idea would actually be... But at the very least, they want to be able to keep an eye out for Isaac, too - and maybe if they come in first, they could smooth things over with their parents so that the two would better hear Isaac out.

That's the hope, at least, as unlikely as it may be in their father's case.

El squeaked at the hair ruffle, their cheeks flushing a little. Sometimes, they forgot that they were still the younger sibling of the two - even if they were the taller one. But despite the sheepish feeling they had, they couldn't help but match Isaac's smile. "And you were worth setting out for, y'know," They responded - reaching over to try and ruffle Isaac's hair back in some lighthearted revenge.

Even if the adventures had been great - getting to become a Ranger, to join Contests, to go racing - they almost felt like bonuses, or side objectives for that sweet completion, compared to being able to see Isaac again. Even after all these years - both real and dream - the two still fit neatly together, like two pieces of a puzzle.

Though, the grin on Isaac's face and the anticipation in his voice would prompt a somewhat nervous laugh from El - not necessarily a serious one... Though all the same, they couldn't help but wonder what sort of rant they would end up witness to; they were sure that Isaac had plenty of feelings to express towards their father, after all.

But, before long, the duo were on a familiar street, the colors of a familiar house seeming to stand out almost like a beacon. The promise of home, just down the way - and there was almost a reminder in its sight, of just how easy it would be to have chosen to go home early. Or, alternatively, to never come home at all.

Though then again, they couldn't help but wonder. Was this house still a 'home', for them? And if so, for how much longer would it remain one?

Isaac emphasized the importance of choice to El - but the young ranger, in response, couldn't help a soft laugh. "I mean... What if I'm choosing to do it for you?" It's spoken with a gentle, almost cheeky, smile - a moment of brevity in an otherwise serious conversation. Sure, El's mainly doing it for Isaac's sake... But it's because they want to do it - that if it had even the slightest chance of helping smooth the process over for him, it was worth it.

They want to have his back, just as much as he has theirs.

But with this, they stood at the walkway up to the front door. Things were quiet - but while that didn't necessarily feel unexpected, given everything... A certain shiver of almost-anticipation ran up El's spine, a feeling that they couldn't quite name.

And that was when some gentle input from Bibidi cleared the uncertainty in the back of their mind.

"Bibidi senses Dad in there... But not Mom," El spoke, brows furrowing in thought. "Which is weird, cause... I thought she's usually off work, this time of day." Was she working overtime? It happened sometimes, if the pokecenter was swamped, but - it didn't seem like anything big had happened around here recently, so they weren't sure what the cause would be. They hummed softly, not sure what was going on - but...

They wouldn't let this stop them.

Stepping up the walkway, up to the front door, they tried the doorknob - finding it to be locked. So, they settled for knocking instead. With a few raps on the door, they'd take a step back to wait for their dad to answer it - hoping, distantly, for a simple (even if not necessarily peaceful) resolution to everything.

Everything would be okay, they told themself as they let out a nervous exhale. They trusted in Isaac's words, after all.

Isaac's own cheekiness made El break out into lighthearted laughter, a bright smile on their face. "Guess we're making a race for it, then!" They spoke, picking up the pace a bit. Even if their knee and cane meant that running was difficult, they still liked to think that they could get a move on half-decently, once they got rolling!

(And honestly, they weren't wholly worried about straining their knee. They had their brace in their bag if they needed it, they had Bibidi, and there wasn't anything that beat giving their knee a good soak in the local hot spring.)

The snark about their mom had El's expression flicker a little with conflict, though. Sure, Mom wasn't always the most present, but... It came down to her job most of the time, right? Being a nurse was hard, it was stressful, and in a place like Lavaridge it wasn't rare for pokemon to come in with heat exhaustion, or with poison or burn from a bad trip through Fiery Path. It wasn't anyone's fault for something like that, right?

But as Isaac realizes what El means, and he suggests her surely being here before they go, the ranger smiled a little and nodded. "Yeah! Maybe I'll, uhm, check by the pokecenter after this?" They suggested - cause it was possible that they were wrong, about nothing appearing to have happened recently. And maybe if she was doing overtime, they could get her something to drink or snack on, to help get her through the rest of her day.

Dad came first, however - although the response El got was not exactly a welcoming one... They couldn't help but wince both at it and Isaac's response. "He... probably doesn't realize it's us," They spoke - not to defend him, but more just their reasonable 2 cents on the matter. It wasn't as if either sibling gave their parents an advance warning, after all. Maybe Dad just needed to hear them, and he'd realize it's them at the door.

Thus, they would try knocking again - and this time, they called out to the man beyond the door. "Dad? It's El - I'm here to visit and talk!" They spoke - which, hopefully, would be enough for him to come to the door proper. "Can I come in?"

El's heart felt like it stuttered a beat at their father's bitter words - as for a moment, they had almost thought that he had noticed Isaac. That he was still nursing those old feelings - even after all of these passing years - and that some form of argument between the two might end up breaking out. And distantly, they did not want this to be just a repeat of a normal day in their early lives.

But, it took a moment for them to realize that Dad might've not noticed Isaac at all. That he might've been talking to them. And that was - in a way - worth another stutter of its own. Because for as much as they disliked being the golden child of the house... The theoretical alternative had always felt just as bad, if not worse.

Before they could fully process it all though, his voice spoke up once more - breaking through their thoughts. And with it, the door opened a hair - allowing passage. For a moment, El couldn't help but still be a little stunned. But they glanced to the door - and then, they glanced to Isaac.

They were nervous. Uncertain. The idea that this could be some happy reunion, before the heavier talks had to come up, was put into question. Yet, taking in a deep breath, they'd cast Isaac a smile as if to reassure him; and mouthing to him 'When you're ready', they'd glance back to the door ahead...

... And stepped inside - making sure that the door remained unlocked for their brother - with Artemis and Bibidi both following after at either side.

El blinks a bit, as they step into the house. Had things always been kept so dim, normally? Were things always this dusty? It felt like a strange sense of uncanny valley - where everything was sort of as it should be, and yet slightly off. Like what stories do, when foreshadowing that things weren't as they should be. Slowly, they look around - taking in everything that was familiar yet changed. Everything that was left to the ever-moving march of time.

It felt melancholic, in the same way that that distant and near-forgotten memory that sometimes nagged at their dreams was.

At Terrence's gesture, El took a seat on the couch - though the dust that was kicked up from the two's movements would send Artemis into a brief sneezing fit, one that had her deciding to return to her pokeball. Bibidi would settle in next to El - sitting down, even if it technically wasn't wholly necessary.

"Kind of; but I think I'm getting stronger, and having Bibidi and the others around helps," El responded honestly. They were certainly more fit nowadays than they were awhile back - though it was hard to say how much their knee had improved. At the very least, they had a good gauge on just how much they could handle with or without their brace, with or without their cane, before they needed to give it a rest.

(Though, they admittedly were prone to pushing themself a little past that threshold, sometimes to their own detriment, much to Bibidi's chagrin.)

The question of how it was out there was something that El mulled over a moment, before chuckling softly, nervously smiling and running a hand through their hair. "It's... It's been an adventure." They spoke simply; that was the best word to describe it all. "Getting to see places I've never considered being able to visit... Getting to meet so many pokemon and people... I've been, uhm, kinda dipping my toes into a lot of different things."

Briefly, they brought their bag onto their lap - where they pulled out four things. A Quick Badge, a medal from the qualifiers for the Silph Cup, a Cool Ribbon, and their Ranger emblem. "Racing, contests, working with pokemon... It's been exciting." Blinking a second, they'd reach for one of their pokeballs - adding "Yggy's been getting big and strong, too - she's not as big as Papa Augustus yet, but..."

And opening the ball, out came a certain Grotle; Yggdrasil stretching out her limbs and giving an eager squawk as she glanced around, as if expecting some excitement... At least, until she realized where she was. She gave a slow blink, taking in her surroundings - then glancing to Terrence. Recognition for who was - essentially - an uncle to her flashed in her eyes, and she eagerly trodded up to nuzzle against Terrence's knee.

El smiled gently at the warm reception she gave him - though, concern flickered across their expression as they glanced to their dad proper. "... Has... everything been okay for you, Dad? This doesn't seem like you..." To convey their point, they gestured a hand to their surroundings. Usually he was so much more... Meticulous, about making sure everything was in its proper place. To let everything go awry, it felt so unusual. This wasn't the man they knew, before they snuck away that fateful night.

Had them leaving really caused this big of a change?

Yggdrasil didn't seem to notice the bittersweet tone - instead eagerly nuzzling into Terrence's hand, making a happy squeaking noise in her throat at the praise given. She was getting bigger! And soon, she'd be as big as her dad, she was sure of it!

El, meanwhile, couldn't help a sympathetic half-smile at Dad's slip. "It's okay, Dad." They reassured him. It hadn't been super long before they had left home, that they had come out to their parents, after all. The adjustment period was still there, they mused to themself - and had, perhaps, been a bit upended by them going on their little adventure. "That's your kid?" They suggested with a hint of humor, trying to help break up Dad's concern with some levity.

The praise warmed El's cheeks, though. The acknowledgement that they were doing something good, that they were successful at something that they did of their own desire, it all felt good. It... Eased some of the anxieties they had...

... At least, that was until Dad mentioned Watson.

Yggy was the first to respond, making an indignant little squawk at him. It was Watson's choice whether he wanted to be big or not. If he wanted to stay little, then that was his decision - he was still strong and fun to fight! Even after she evolved!

El, meanwhile, made a face - their discomfort likely plain to see. "I don't... Think that's a metric to judge anyone on, though." They weren't quite as in-the-know as Yggy was; but nonetheless, pokemon grew at different rates and under different pressures. On top of that, small didn't always mean weak - as Watson and Echo both have proven time and again.

But, then came the question of how Dad was. Which was to say, not great. As he spoke, El listened - but the more they heard, the more their expression fell. That they came to realize why Bibidi didn't sense Mom at all. It wasn't because she was working overtime today - but that she had left Dad.

El fell silent; quietly processing the knowledge given. And yet, even as their expression turned crestfallen - as this came with the realization that the family they wished for really wouldn't become a reality - a mixed mess of feelings churned in their gut. "Dad..."

On one hand, they wanted to reach out to Dad. To tell him that they would still be there for him - even if not on a physical level - that they were still family, that they were still willing to maintain contact. But on the other hand? He was still bitter towards Isaac - putting blame on their brother, as if he hadn't chased him away in the first place. Things could've been different, if Dad just... Stopped being an ass to Isaac.

Yet even now, it didn't seem like he had any remorse for it all. That he didn't change in the slightest. And with that, a question hung over El's head that refused to go unspoken. Taking in a deep breath to steel themself, feeling Bibidi's hand rest on their shoulder in support... "... Are you... Still angry at Isaac, for what happened to my knee, Dad?" They asked, glancing to Terrence. "Even now?"

At this, Yggy glanced between the two. Though she knew that El had a bad leg, and bits and pieces of how it came to be, she was still a little out of the loop in some regards. With a little psychic reassurance and nudge from Bibidi though, she'd decide to settle down where she was - next to Terrence's chair.