Chapter 5: Inbound
“hey man jsyk im gonna be in town in the morning tomorrow!”
“i’m catching an even earlier ferry cuz i honestly don’t wanna wait any longer”
“byte is super excited to see u and ur mom again!”
“oh and ty for offering to buy us food lol i forgot if i thanked u for that”
“omg maybe we can have lunch at ur place and catch up??”
I breathed a huge sigh of relief as I continued to scroll. For a moment, I thought the mass of texts that I’d missed from Harrison were some urgent string that needed attention hours ago; luckily, they were just another stream of scattered thoughts from the guy who never sat still. “Thank Arceus nothing bad happened or anything–”
“i can’t wait to see ur caterpie dude! now we can FINALLLLY battle sometime”
I was caught so off guard reading the message that I sent myself into a coughing fit, startling the dozing Ralts to my side. He sat upright and started beaming concern into my head under the impression that something on the phone was actively, physically harming me. I quickly assured him that I wasn’t somehow dying and apologized for the sudden burst of anxiety he must’ve sensed; that must’ve been a pretty rude awakening. He leaned against my side and yawned as I continued to read Harrison’s short rambles about how tasty Castelia food was and how Byte kept causing trouble by “plugging his tail into outlets”. I set my phone down on my lap after realizing there was definitely nothing major I had to respond to; even if I had the energy to keep a conversation going, the dude probably passed out in his hotel room after having “battled so hard that his legs were shot”.
I anxiously rubbed my face as I thought about how exactly I would admit to Harrison that I’d lied. For some reason, a small part of me was convinced that he probably wouldn’t even care all too much; I did catch a Pokémon after all, and he seemed to be a lot more interested in the prospect of us battling than the species I’d caught. Maybe he’d give me the benefit of the doubt?
I shook my head in disgust. There was just no way he’d forgive me that easily! Even if I hadn’t always been candid with him in the past, becoming trainers was the one thing we’d always talked about doing. If he found out that the only reason why I’d registered was out of necessity and not the shared desire we’d always connected through, would he be able to look at me the same? My chest flared up in fear at the thought of an angry and betrayed Harrison chastising me for being too cowardly to admit that despite all those playground talks, schoolyard skirmishes, and childhood promises, I still felt like I’d never be what we’d worked for.
Calm… A spark of emotion flowed through me and fought against my worry. I looked down at Ralts and found him drowsily staring up at me, his half-open eyes peering out from underneath his mess of hair. I nearly apologized for the hundredth time but stopped myself, gently scratching Ralts’ head as he drifted asleep. I let out a gargantuan yawn of my own as I eyed the half-eaten plate of food sitting on my legs; I couldn’t fall asleep yet! I hadn’t even finished eating! But as the last of my energy waned, I couldn’t help but give in to the desire to close my eyes just for a second. “A minute of rest wouldn’t hurt… then I’ll… finish… my…”
Ssssssss…
My eyes shot open to the sight of a dark cloudy sky, webs of soaked tree branches lining the foreground and swaying fiercely as steady gusts of wind shook their leaves. Light rain battered my face as I weakly blinked droplets out of my eyes. My body felt numb and drained as if all its energy had been sucked straight out, my limbs refusing to budge an inch while hoarse breaths escaped my burning lungs. I didn’t know how, but I could tell that I’d done something I’d never done before, and boy I felt awful. A stream of foreign thoughts raced through my head: How did I…? How am I alive? How did I get here from over there?
SNARLLL…
A foreboding sensation accompanied the rabid cry. My head lifted itself in fear, thick bangs draping themselves over my eyes as they slammed shut. The world faded into thick colored outlines as my mind focused as hard as it could, the emotions of the wildlife around me beginning to color their hidden figures with vibrant hues. My mind’s eye scanned the area around me as fast as it could, identifying each colored aura as unthreatening, until it spotted a few faint glimpses of red in the distance. The abstract auras moved closer, their sinister figures taking the shape of snarling canines frantically sniffing the foliage as if they’d just lost sight of their prey. Fear pierced my skull as I felt my weakened body inch backwards through the mud. They’re coming! I need help!
My mind began desperately searching for a savior, its psychic reach expanding as far as it possibly could while my body trembled from the strain. I tapped the mind of a small brown bird: Tired. Lazy. The mind of a large red bug? Defensive. Paranoid. It was as if each of their minds resisted my attempts to call to them, their own emotions too strong to be swayed. I began to panic, inching further backward until I stumbled into a bush. I placed my white, stubby hands together as if I were praying and attempted one final search, using most of my remaining strength to call every mind I could possibly reach. My mind’s vision expanded hundreds of feet outward into the woods, scanning each nook and cranny for anything willing to help. My search felt more fruitless as each moment passed; no being would heed my cries. Every weak psychic shout of mine was met with eerie, abject apathy. I began trembling violently as I sensed the monsters grow closer, their insatiable lust for blood saturating their figures with a soul-piercing crimson. I was done for. Every muscle in my body cried out in pain as my search continued, shivering from the cold touch of rain beginning to soak the forest around me. My horns ached as I summoned the last bit of strength deep within me, hoping that somehow I’d be rescued before the evil creatures found me and tore my body to bits. They’re going to find me! They’re going to find me!!
Suddenly, my mind picked up a pinch of determination from far away. I honed some of my energy toward it in an attempt to discover its source. The nature of the emotion felt so… potent and honest, as if it belonged to something with a gentle soul and a powerful mind. Even if I couldn’t make out where it was, their emotions felt so innocent and welcoming that I had to try and find them. I channeled all of my energy into pinpointing their location; the rudimentary colored outlines of the forest surrounding me faded away as my focus honed in on the strong emotion, hoping that its owner would be the one to finally listen to my pleas.
Slowly but surely, a humanoid figure became visible beyond the trees within what I discerned to be a small clearing. They looked like they were on their knees, slumping toward the ground. Their determination had given way to sorrow which coated them in a gentle blue hue, a stark contrast to the positive disposition that had gotten my attention. I couldn’t quite tell what they were; my mind could barely grasp a presence that far away, so the details remained abstract and fuzzy. But, I didn’t have time to deliberate; friend or foe, I had to make the call!
I reached out to their mind and wrestled through the cacophony of emotions that enveloped their frail psyche. I knew I didn’t have much energy left, but I just had to get through to them. My instincts began to take over as a link slowly formed between us, the humanoid’s feelings and mine intertwining as if we were of one mind. I could feel my horns pulsating as I prepared to make contact with their consciousness. I needed them to hear me! Please don’t ignore me!
My muscles tensed as I focused my mind to its absolute limit. The physical world grew quiet; only our thoughts permeated the now deafening silence.
“I’m so stupid… I’m done for… I’m a failure…”
Their thoughts sounded… different; they sounded unfamiliar as if their speech was in a language I couldn’t decipher, yet everything still made perfect sense. My body shivered as their negativity continued to mix with my own; it hurt so much that I could barely stand it. But I was desperate at this point. With my mind too weak to reach out any further, this truly felt like my one and only chance. I prepped my message; then, with a burst of energy, my mind began to scream.
Help!! Please!!
“AHHH!”
I violently sprang awake and started gasping for air. My eyes struggled to adjust to the darkness of my room as I further composed myself. “OH… Oh… oh—owww… oookay,” my leg ached as I slowly lay back down. “Shouldn’t have done that…!”
“Again…?” I whispered while my breathing steadied. “What was—I don’t even…” I struggled to wrap my head around what just happened. My brain felt fuzzy like TV static and I could barely remember exactly what I’d dreamt about. All I knew is that it was visceral, so much so that it jolted me out of my sleep for the second time today.
…or rather in a day. I glanced over at my alarm clock: 3:25 A.M, it read. At least I’d gotten a decent amount of sleep before I flailed myself awake. I couldn’t even remember what time I’d fallen asleep at, actually, but it was early enough for my Mom to have snuck in and snatched the plates of food from off the blanket. I gently leaned back onto my pillow and glanced over at Ralts; he was still dead asleep, seemingly unphased by my brief episode of panic.
“What’s the deal with these dreams?!” I began to wonder as I stared at the ceiling. It wasn’t like they were some random, one-off fantasies that made zero sense; they felt like I was reliving someone else’s nightmare while trapped in their body! “Of course this is happening,” I sighed and closed my eyes for a moment. “As if I needed something else to worry about…”
I kept trying to fall back asleep, but I just couldn’t. My curiosity kept nagging my mind like a Venonat; I needed to know the source of these dreams or else I was gonna go crazy! I sifted through each fleeting, terrifying memory that I could recall, trying as hard as I could to remember any details that could give me clues. “I wasn’t me… at least it didn’t feel like I was. I was something small! I felt… cold, wet, and afraid…” I grunted in frustration as the details grew fuzzier. “I was being chased by something… but I can’t remember what! Why is it so hard to remember…?” I groaned in defeat as what little remained of the dream faded away into my subconscious. “Come ON!!”
I suddenly felt Ralts press his body against my arm. Startled by the touch, my concentration broke and I darted my gaze anxiously toward him. Is he okay?! Much to my chagrin, he’d just shifted a bit in his sleep. There was nothing to be worried about, as usual.
“Now I’m really going crazy…” I thought as Ralts shifted a bit more. At least the ‘lil guy seemed to be fully at peace for once; Arceus knew he needed it. Embarrassment swelled within my chest for even worrying in the first place. I knew as a Trainer that I’d eventually have to confront the harsh reality that Pokémon got hurt a lot, but I felt so strongly about Ralts’ safety that I couldn’t help but fear that somehow, some way, a new ailment would plague him and I’d have to experience the fear of death all over again. I wrapped my arm around him and was pleasantly surprised at how warm he felt; it was like I had a mini space heater stuck to my hip! I cracked a small smile as I watched Ralts snuggle up to me as if he’d unconsciously noticed my bout of stress. “I wonder if he’s dreaming too?”
I felt myself beginning to drift off. My body needed the rest of this night’s sleep more than anything, and I wasn’t planning on fighting it just to stay up and worry about more weird things happening to my mind.
“I’ll figure this stuff out tomorrow,” I relaxed my aching muscles and slowly, and calmly, closed my eyes. “No more… weird stuff tonight… please…”
… and now it’s time for your 🎵Flo-ridge mornin’ weaaaaa-ther!🎵
“Gooooooooood morning, Floridge Town! And welcome to the weekend! It’s now 8 A.M on this cool and clear Saturday morning! Make sure you keep your coats on today; temps will stay in the mid-50s even with all the sunshine! Trainers—“
SLAM!
I hastily pounded my fist against the alarm clock and slumped back into my pillow. I really needed to turn that thing off. Stretching my arms high, I yawned and looked out the window to my right; rays of yellow streamed along the edges of the windowsill, the sky above coated in a rich blue. I couldn’t stay entranced for long though, as my aching leg reminded me that even in my room, comfort wasn’t guaranteed. “Man, this blows more than I thought! How am I even gonna do anything today…?”
Ti…red…
Ralts began to stretch, letting out a few tiny yawns as he groggily emerged from his slumber. There was some weird delay when his emotions flowed into my head, sort of like he was using a phone with a bad signal. Maybe his brain was lagging behind his body? I knew that feeling all too well…
“Good morning ‘lil guy,” I said, another yawn escaping from my mouth. “Did you sleep well?”
Ralts sat up and rubbed his eyes, then turned to me and nodded. Refreshed.
“I’m glad you got some good rest,” I smiled in return. I looked forward for a moment and began to contemplate. “Those dreams,” I thought. “They’ve only started since I met Ralts, so maybe they’re tied to him?” My attempts to recall bits of what I’d seen were fruitless, like my memory had been wiped clean of the images; but the feelings I’d felt still lingered in the back of my mind, and they felt an awful lot like how Ralts’ did.
Concern? Ralts patted my arm and squealed at me.
“Oh! I—uh…” I sputtered as I scrambled to find an excuse, “I’m just zoning out a little! Didn’t sleep all too well, haha!” I sheepishly rubbed the back of my head. “I gotta stop freaking him out like this!”
Insincere… Ralts whined in concern; he totally knew I was telling him what he wanted to hear. Worried! Okay? I felt like an idiot lying to him. I could barely control my own emotions, why did I think I could hide them from a Pokémon that could literally sense them at all times? I’d have to bite the bullet this time or else this cycle would repeat forever. You’re so dumb.
“Alright, you got me,” I raised my palms in defeat. “I’ve been having these… really weird dreams lately.” I looked at Ralts timidly, “It’s like I’ve been living through something else’s nightmares. I can barely remember where I was, or even what I was, but the feelings,” I scrunched my forehead and put a hand to it, “the feelings were so, so terrifying.” I turned back to Ralts who was now worriedly looking at me, “A-and… I’m not sure why, but I feel like they have something to do with, u-uh… you.”
Ralts bowed his head and shivered. Shame… Apologetic…
“I-It’s not your fault, I swear!” I gently took his hand and consoled him. “I can’t even remember them clearly enough to be a hundred percent sure. But even if they’re connected to you, I know you’re not doing anything on purpose!” Ralts looked up at me, his smile quivering as his emotions shifted: Faith..?
I quickly lifted him up into the air. “Of course I have faith in you,” I laughed as I laid back down, “you’re my starter!” Ralts seemed to perk up a little seeing me happy, which soothed the little bits of nerves I had left.
“If I can figure out some definitive correlation between you and the dreams, I’ll let you know,” I reassured Ralts as I set him down on my chest. “But until then, if you hear or even feel me thinking about them, just know that I’ll never be blaming you.” I bashfully tapped my right temple. “Sometimes, I just really like to get to the bottom of things!”
Thankful! Ralts beamed, quickly smothering my face in a hug.
“Thnkhs buhddy…” my words were muffled by his chest. I pulled him off my face and laughed; I wasn’t big on physical affection, but the way Ralts showed his love made me feel all warm and fuzzy. After a brief moment of exchanging playful giggles and head pats, I realized that there was something much more important I needed to be doing.
“When’s Harrison coming again?” I thought, remembering his texts from last night. I motioned for Ralts to move to the side for a moment, and once he did, I started searching my blankets for the phone I somehow couldn’t find. Now really wasn’t the greatest time to lose it seeing as I could barely move my lower half without wincing. Where the hell was it?! I continued sifting through the wrinkles and folds of the blanket, grunting in annoyance realizing that if it wasn’t under here, then…
BZZT BZZT!
…it was on the floor! The one place I couldn’t reach unless I planned on faceplanting onto the hardwood. But before I could feel down on my luck, an idea popped into my head. This was the perfect moment to start training!
“Ralts!” I called behind me as I leaned my head over the edge of the bed and found my phone lying half under it. “Remember how you levitated me up the stairs last night?”
Certain… Curious?
“Can you try picking my phone off the ground using your psychic?” I motioned for him to come over to the edge of the bed. He zipped over to my side and I pointed at the phone.
“Right there,” I looked at Ralts confidently. “Can you float that up here?”
Nervous. He looked at the phone and then back at me. Unconfident… Why did he feel so nervous about picking up a phone when he’d lifted my entire body up a flight of stairs last night? Surely this was well within his ballpark? I zipped the thought shut before Ralts could possibly pick up on it; if I stayed positive, maybe he’d start feeling capable.
“Hey, I know the feeling,” I calmly told him. “But sometimes you just gotta, y’know, go for it! I’m not gonna be disappointed if you can’t, but I’ll be proud that you tried!”
Faith… Ralts felt my confidence in him and beamed it back to me. After a moment of hesitation and a nod of the head, his horns began to glow as he began to focus. The phone slowly started to lift off the ground; that same pink glow I remembered encased the phone as it slowly, and gently, rose up above our heads. I reached my hand out to grab it, a fuzzy feeling rippling through my fingertips as they met the strange energy.
“I got it!” I told Ralts. I looked over at him to see how he was doing; his arms were extended outward, slightly trembling while he seemingly put all of his focus and energy into lifting the phone. “You can stop now!” I politely asserted, hoping he wasn’t too zoned in to hear me.
Suddenly, the pink glow dissipated and the fuzzy feeling subsided. Ralts sat back down, breathing a tiny bit harder and looking up at me. Okay?
“You did it!” I cheered. “I knew you could!” I ruffled his hair lightly in celebration. Sometimes all you needed was that little push!
Proud… Ralts blushed and rubbed the back of his head; the way he’d already started copying my mannerisms was so adorable that I nearly turned as red as a Magikarp.
“Alright, let’s see,” I leaned back and switched my phone on. A notification flashed onto my screen: “Unread message from Harrison.” I took a short but deep breath to quell any potential spark in my stomach. “Just go for it!”
“hey man i haven’t heard from u since yesterday. u good?” The text lit a match in my chest. Nice job making him worry. Before I could overthink too much, I felt Ralts’ presence creep back into my mind like a warm hug. He settled to my side and looked up at me. Confidence! As the fire inside me began to fizzle, the resolve to finally be at least a little transparent welled up in its place.
“So sorry man! I had a little accident last night and couldn’t reply. Also, what time are you coming home today? I don’t think you mentioned that”
My finger hovered over the send button for a moment and then pressed it. Whew! That wasn’t as hard as it usually felt! I turned to Ralts and nodded at him in respect; it really helped having a Pokémon that could fix your brain, even if only for a moment.
Ding! The sound of my ringer nearly made me jump. A response already?!
“oh nooo r u okay?? wtff”
I clenched my jaw in embarrassment. I didn’t realize how nonchalant I sounded about my “accident”. “Gotta clear that up real quick…!”
“I’m fine! I just sprained my knee in the woods while on a run. I probably have to stay in bed for a while which kinda sucks :(“
And… sent! I anxiously awaited Harrison’s reply while Ralts continued to beam positivity into my head; it didn’t take long.
“wait hold on a sec”
Huh? That wasn’t the kind of reply I expected. I barely had any time to think before my phone started vibrating and ringing. He’s calling me now?!
Deep breath in, deep breath out. What else did I have to lose?
White noise blared through my phone’s speakers the instant I answered the call; it was extremely hard to tell, but I swore it sounded like a watery mix of wind and motor noises.
“Heeeeeeeeeeey!” Harrison’s voice broke through the noise. “Can you hear me?!”
“I—yeah, I can!” I yelled back in bewilderment. “Are you calling me from on the boat?”
“Uh huh!” The sound of water lightly splashing around him muffled his voice a bit. “Sorry, I’m kinda standing on the ferry dock right now. My fingers are wet and it’s a ‘lil hard to text!”
“Nono it’s fine, just—“ I paused for a moment, “I didn’t expect you to call!” If there was one thing I could always count on Harrison doing, it was wanting to say hi at the most random times in the most random places. I saw in my peripheral that Ralts had put a hand to his face. Curiosity… He obviously hadn’t heard a phone call before, so hearing a human voice come out of a small metal slab must’ve piqued his interest real hard.
“Oh! My bad,” Harrison replied. “Is this a bad time? I can just call ya back later if that’s—“
“You’re good man,” I anxiously interrupted. “How’re you doing?” Ralts let out a small whine as he sensed my nerves getting the better of me, his emotions trying their hardest to soothe them. I rubbed the ‘lil guy’s head in appreciation while I blankly stared at the phone in my hand, trying to let the calmness overtake me and make me act somewhat normal. This was just a conversation with a friend; why’d these things always make me feel like I got hit with a Thundershock?
“I’m just chillin’ on the boat, soaking up the sun, enjoying the ride back home…” Harrison said enthusiastically. “Man it feels good out here right now! Oh—right! How’s your knee dude?!”
“It’s uh… hanging in there,” I said as the calming sensation relieved a bit more of my tension. “It’s still pretty sore, but it could be worse y’know?”
“I never pictured you as a runner either!” Harrison replied with intrigue. “Didja trip on a tree root or somethin’?”
My anxious thoughts wrestled away the calm; Do I tell him? How do I tell him? What if he can tell I’m lying? How do I even explain everything without sounding crazy?! I—
CALM!!
Ralts asserted himself, jumping up on my lap with a concerned expression plastered on his face. His emotions felt like a plea for me to stop letting my fears consume me; the strengthening calmness washing over me was laced with a kind of childlike irritability. I took a moment to refocus, shifting my thoughts away from panic to inquiry as I stared into Ralts’ eyes: What do I do?
Honesty. Ralts nodded determinedly, urging me forward with another one of his signature hand pats. It was like he could tell how conflicted I was and didn’t want me to run from the truth anymore, and he was right. I couldn’t keep lying about things if I wanted to be happy!
“Uh, hellooooo? You there?”
“Sorry!” I blurted out. “I uh, actually have something I n-need to tell you…”
“What’s up?” The sound of gusting wind boomed behind Harrison’s voice.
“Soooo… remember that Caterpie I told you I’d caught?” My hand lightly trembled as I spoke. “I can do this… I’m only doing myself a favor…”
“Yeah! What about it?” Harrison asked. “Lemme guess—it climbed on your ceiling and won’t come down?”
“Uh… no?” I replied in amused confusion.
“Dammit!” he cursed under his breath. “Thought I had that one. What’s the deal then?”
“Well, u-um,” my voice quivered as the words slowly crept up my throat like lava. “It kinda doesn’t exist…?” I held my breath in anticipation as the line fell silent for a moment. I didn’t plan on sounding so quizzical when I admitted to him that I’d been lying! What if he took it the wrong way? Idiot, idiot!
“… like it ran away from you or something!?” Harrison solemnly replied. “Aw man, I’m sorry about that! I’ve heard that happens to newbies sometimes–”
“No, NO!” I yelled back, startling both Ralts and Harrison as he stopped abruptly mid-sentence. “I…I never caught a Caterpie! I was lying cause…” — a lump formed in my throat as I spoke — “cause I wanted you to think I’d finally registered!”
Silence. I could feel myself getting choked up as I beat myself up internally; Why’re you like this? Why can’t you just be normal? I could feel Ralts trembling as he smushed himself against my shoulder, his motivational energy dwindling as my awful thoughts began overpowering his will. Why did this always have to happen?
“Oh! Why’s that?” Harrison’s voice chimed through the phone.
“W—What?” I stuttered. Why does he sound so… polite?
“I’m just askin’ why you thought you had to lie! And are you okay? Your voice sounds a lil shaky…”
My brain stopped working for a moment. He wasn’t angry at me? I’d completely fabricated a story so he’d have faith in me and he was talking like I’d done nothing wrong?
“I—I just… I just thought you’d be disappointed in me,” I clamored. “We always used to talk about being Trainers a-and you’ve already been living the dream! I’ve just been sitting at home studying… research reports and reading boring studies! It’s just so… lame!” Ralts softly cried and shook my shoulder a bit, but I tuned him out.
“Dude, you sound OMEGA stressed right now,” Harrison consoled me. “And and and hooold on… why would I be disappointed? I could barely get myself to read a textbook in school and you’re out here doing research like your dad?! That’s so cool!”
“But, it’s just—we used to say we’d both be trainers!” I sniffed while holding back the tears welling in my eyes. “I didn’t want to seem like a no-good homestayer to you. Half a year’s already gone by!”
“Doesn’t sound like you’re leechin’ off your mom!” he politely quipped. “I dunno why you’re so worried about how I feel anyways! Sometimes, y’know, stuff changes! I’m not gonna act like you’re a weirdo just because you haven’t run out into the wild yet!”
“I—I’m sorry man, I just,” I started to sputter. “I don’t know what’s wrong with me! Ever since we graduated everything’s just… sped up! Every second I’m not planning for the future feels like I’m wasting time, but then when I try and take a step toward my goals it’s like my whole body freezes up!” I grunted in anger. “It’s like I wanted to be a Trainer one moment and then not the next!”
“Listen,” Harrison sympathetically spoke. “I don’t know exactly what you’re going through, and I’m not sure I’m as good at giving advice as you are, but I think you just gotta try and chill.” He sighed for a moment and continued, “I know thinkin’ about the future kinda sucks, but you gotta trust your gut! Maybe you can help your dad or somethin’ over in the lab?”
“But I don’t want to help him,” I muttered and sunk deeper into my sheets. “Besides, I’m not even sure if I can trust my gut if all it does is make me freak out…”
“Well… uh—woah!” Harrison gasped as the sound of water splashing poured through the mic.
“You good?!” I asked concernedly.
“Yeah, just some bumpy waves!” he replied. “Nearly dropped my phone in the water but I’m alright! Not sure why they can’t get us a bigger ferry… Anyways! Just try and take it easy, okay? Stuff’ll fall into place for you, I bet!”
“Hope so…” I lamented. I was still shocked that Harrison reacted so positively, but my little outburst had left me a bit too drained to overthink why. Ralts was looking a bit down too; he’d started covering his head with his hands as if he was trying to block my negativity out. A tinge of concern shot through me; I had to change the subject before I did any more damage!
“Hey so uh, sorry if this is a little off-topic but… when’re you getting back?”
“Oh yeah!” Harrison perked up. “I should be back arounduhhhh…” he paused for a moment, presumably checking either a watch or his phone clock, “… 10 or so!”
“That’s great…” I spoke with what little enthusiasm I could muster. “Say hi to your parents for me, okay?”
“You bet!” he replied. “I’m probably gonna chillax for a bit and let Byte roam around the yard. He’s been itchin’ for a place to run around for a while! Oh, since your leg’s all busted up, mind if I come over and hang at yours? I think I asked you that, but I kinda forgot, haha!”
“Sure,” I smiled and lightly coughed. “I’ll be here all day,” I joked. My nerves were finally starting to quell, which was a great sign; I didn’t know how much more negativity Ralts could take.
“Awesome—hey! One more thing,” he said. “What’s that weird squeaky noise I keep hearing? I can’t tell if it’s you or somethin’ else! Hope my phone’s not busted again…”
My eyes widened as I turned to look at Ralts; I hadn’t noticed that he’d been quietly crying this whole time. My stomach dropped once I realized that I’d somehow avoided telling him much of anything at all, and that if I didn’t clear things up now, he might rescind the sympathy he’d just shared. Cat’s out of the bag now.
“Oh, uh, so back to the Caterpie right,” I began. “Would you believe me if I told you that I caught something else instead…?”
There was a brief pause, and then another splash of water.
“… No way.” Harrison replied excitedly.
“I kinda, sorta, caught a uh… a Ralts.”
“YOU CAUGHT A WHAAAAAT?!”
My phone suddenly started vibrating; a video call!? Didn’t he nearly lose his balance and fling his phone off the boat not even a minute ago? I quickly shook off thoughts of deflection and answered. Harrison’s blurry and eager-looking face filled my screen; he briefly wiped water off the camera while his ear-to-ear smile grew even larger.
“Can I see it?!” he eagerly inquired. Why did the dude look like he’d just won the lottery?
“U-uh yeah, sure,” I said as I turned my phone towards Ralts. “Please don’t be too loud though, he’s a little on edge…” Ralts was still sniveling a bit; he rubbed his eyes before looking up at me concernedly. O…kay…?
“Yes buddy,” I smiled and wiped a trail of snot from my nose. “I’m a little better. Sorry for making you sad…”
“Oh, my, GOD,” Harrison exclaimed as he got closer to the camera. “I’ve never seen a Pokémon like that before! And you found it in the woods?!”
“Well, ‘found’ is a little bit of an understatement,” I replied while keeping an eye on Ralts; he was perking up a bit, starting to stare at Harrison’s face on the phone screen like a child in awe. “It was more like a uh… a rescue of sorts! I just happened to be in the right place at the right time!” I nervously laughed. Ralts looked up at me and pointed a hand at Harrison’s face. Confusion!
“Heyyyy it’s pointing at me!” Harrison laughed and started to wave. “What’s up lil guy?” Ralts gently waved back to him and then looked back up. Perplexed…
“Oh, he’s just saying hi to you,” I replied to his confusion. I could feel that he couldn’t quite understand what Harrison was saying, which was odd since he seemed to understand me perfectly fine. Maybe he couldn’t comprehend human speech if he didn’t have contact with one’s mind? I began thinking of Harrison’s words; his tone, their meaning, all of it. To my delight, Ralts began slowly nodding his head in understanding, his confusion transitioning into pure happiness.
“Yo are you guys like, speakin’ telepathically?” Harrison asked in awe.
“Well… sorta?” I looked at Ralts and then back at Harrison. “He speaks to me through emotions that he beams into my mind, somehow. I think the horns on his head let him do that.”
“That’s so cool!” he exclaimed. “Aww man, you’re so lucky!”
“I-I dunno if I’d say that either,” I rubbed my neck in embarrassment. After all that lying, I was suddenly being treated like a rockstar? It was a little too much for me! To my surprise, Ralts beamed a little confidence into my head again; I guess he’d calmed down enough to try and smack some sense into me for the millionth time.
“Nah man, that’s awesome!” Harrison eagerly replied. “Those guys are like super rare, right? I bet you’ll be the talk of the town—wait.” He paused for a moment and started thinking. “So you did register, right?!”
“You got me,” I chuckled and raised a hand.
“Man I knew you could do it!” Harrison laughed. “Sucks that you’re stuck in bed though… I bet you’ve been rarin’ to gooh—woah!” The picture swung toward the sky as he stumbled around the rocking boat trying to keep his balance. After a moment, he steadied himself and looked back into the camera with bewilderment.
“Hoooooh—these waves are rocky today!” he wiped his forehead in relief. “I think I’m gonna let you go so I don’t lose my balance!”
“I mean… couldn’t you just go sit down inside?” I laughed. Ralts started snickering too, probably because he could tell how much of a doofus I thought Harrison could be.
“But I kinda wanna stay out here…” he politely complained and stared off into the distance.
“Alright alright I getcha,” I kindly assured him. “Enjoy the rest of the ride—er—or at least try to. Just… don’t fall off the boat, okay?”
“Alrighty!” Harrison flashed me a thumbs up then waved. “Bye-bye Ralts! Oh shoot, does he have a name?”
“Not yet actually…” I said, realizing I hadn’t really thought about naming him yet. “I’ll think of a name sooner or later. Anyways,” I yawned and arched my back in a stretch, “I gotta get ready… somehow! I’ll see you later alright?” Sensing that I was about to hang up, Ralts kindly waved back at Harrison and smiled with happiness radiating from his mind.
“Seeya man—wait… YOU HAVEN’T NAMED HIM YE—“
I hung up before Harrison could start another one of his trademark rambles, but his question had got me thinking: should I give Ralts a name? It was customary for Trainers to give their Pokémon names to avoid any confusion, but not everyone did. I’d never really given the naming process much thought before now, probably because the prospect of being a trainer in the first place had, and still did, take up a lot more of my headspace. I looked back down at Ralts who was now holding his legs against his body and smiling at me; I could feel he was eagerly awaiting whatever new human surprise I had in store next. The phone must’ve really intrigued him!
“Hey so uh,” I began to ask. “Do you want a name?”
Confusion? Ralts seemed unsure of what I meant, but he seemed interested nonetheless.
“Okay so… a name is kinda like someone’s title. Y’know how people call me ‘Rhys’ all the time? That’s my name,” I pointed at myself to make sure I was being as clear as possible. “They’re a big part of one’s identity, which is like what makes you, y’know, you! People and Pokémon can have alllll sorts of names, and they can have a bunch of different meanings depending on who gives them too!”
Clarity… Ralts nodded his head and stared at me wide-eyed. Desire!
“So, u-uh, do you want one? I mean, I feel kinda bad just calling you by your species name all the time. It feels a little demeaning in a weird way honestly—b-but that’s not the point!” I was beginning to ramble, so I decided to just cut to the chase, “Do you want to choose a name? I’m not too good at naming things, but I can totally help you pick!”
Ralts thought about it for a moment, then nodded his head in agreement. Trust.
“Alright! Come up here,” I patted my shoulder. Ralts carefully climbed up onto it while I started looking for a list of Pokémon names on my phone.
“Let’s see…” I began curiously scanning the web for anything that looked interesting. “There’s way too many pages to comb through… aha! ‘Best Names for Psychic Type Pokémon!’ That oughta have something cool!” I began scanning the list and reading names off to Ralts. “There’s Luna, but that sounds too girly doesn’t it… Solis sounds kinda cool, and Zenith too! Anything sound good to you so far?”
I looked over at Ralts and saw he was staring stoically at the screen. His emotions seemed a little uncertain; I couldn’t tell if he didn’t like the names or just couldn’t understand what made them sound cool. Maybe it was the former?
“… None of them?” I asked nicely.
Reluctance… A solemn look filled his eyes as he looked at me. It was pretty clear something was bothering him about the names I’d read, but what? And why? I didn’t think I made names as a concept sound too complicated or scary!
“Here,” I continued. “Let’s try a different list. Maybe you’d prefer something more human-like?” Lots of Trainers gave their Pokémon Human names, so I didn’t feel too weird about giving Ralts one as well. “Okay… here’s a few! We’ve got Jack, Milo, Asher… ooh Finn sounds cute!” Ralts still didn’t look too thrilled, giving me that same look of hesitance as he looked away from the phone screen.
“So I guess you don’t want a name, huh…” I muttered in defeat. “That’s alright, at least we tried—“
Desire!! Ralts’ emotions screamed at me in protest. There was an underlying desperation to them; they felt like he was scrambling to try and find the words to explain something to me, but couldn’t. A wave of confusion began to wash over me as well. “What’s the matter with him?!”
“Wait wait wait, I’m confused,” I waved my hands in befuddlement. “So you want a name?”
Ralts hastily nodded his head, his eyes sparkling in desperate agreement.
“But… I’m getting the feeling you don’t want any of these names, right?” I theorized out loud, still trying to make sense of the whirlwind of emotions Ralts had been sending me. “Is it cause you don’t like how they sound?”
Ralts slowly shook his head and then pointed straight at my face. Desire! Now I felt even more confused! Did he just really want me to pick his name? I anxiously pondered the thought for another moment; somehow, my conclusion just didn’t feel right. Could it be that—
A shaky smile formed on Ralts’ face. I gave him a look of awe in return. “There’s no way…”
“You want my name? Rhys?”
Ralts nodded profusely and began hugging my face. Desire! Happy!
“Ohh…” I started choking up. “Mannnnn…!” I sniffled and wrapped Ralts into a hug of my own. His positivity and my timid embarrassment began mixing together, creating a gentle vortex of sappiness that my mind slowly melted into. I still couldn’t believe it; out of any name, Ralts wanted mine!
I lifted Ralts into the air and smiled. “You seriously wanna make me cry at eight in the morning…?” A sigh of respect escaped me as I set him back down on my chest and wiped the tears forming in my eyes.
“Y’know, you could’ve picked something cool like Emerald or like… Cosmo or something,” I joked while choking back a sob. “Not my stupid name.”
Admiration… Ralts rubbed his neck and timidly smiled. He started shuffling toward my head but somehow misstepped, faceplanting into my chest and squeaking in fright. I giggled as he propped himself back up, embarrassment flowing into my mind from his. “On second thought,” I thought to myself. “The name kinda does fit him…”
“Rhys?” a knock rang out from my bedroom door. “Are you awake?”
“U-uh, yeah I am!” I sat up and looked toward the noise, Ralts sliding down my chest as a result. “You can come in!”
Mom opened my door, walked over to my bed, and sat on the edge. She gave Ralts a little wave before turning back to me. “How’d you two sleep?”
“I slept alright, I guess?” I fought away a grimace as I remembered a fragment of that terrifying dream. “Ralts—I mean lil Rhys—slept better than me though!” I grimaced after tripping over my words; it was going to be a bit awkward now that there were two Rhys’s in the family!
“Lil Rhys?” Mom questioned and looked down at the joyful Ralts now sitting criss-cross in my lap. “Aww, you named him after you?” She leaned over and squeezed my cheek. “You are so cute!”
“Moooom…” I groaned in embarrassment. “It was actually his idea, not mine!” She let go of my cheek and ruffled my hair a bit.
“That’s even cuter!” she exclaimed and looked over at Ralts again. I felt a surge of happiness come from him as the two exchanged smiles; it felt so warm and fuzzy that I nearly started smiling myself!
“His father and I think you have great taste in names,” she told Ralts as he floated over toward her and squeaked in excitement. I rolled my eyes; was she trying to make me feel more awkward?! I let the two have their moment, zoning out bit by bit as a mass of thoughts emerged from the depths of my mind. Those weird dreams, Harrison’s visit, my sprained knee; it had only been a day, but I already had so many things I had to worry about, and I’d barely even gotten a breather to process them all!
“‘Little Rhys’ sounds a bit confusing though,” Mom’s voice punctured the silence that’d swallowed my ears. “Maybe Rhys Jr. would fit better?”
I snapped back into the moment. “Oh, duh!” I thought, slapping a hand to my forehead. “Why hadn’t I thought of that?” Ralts was now staring at me concernedly, assumedly sensing my troubled feelings for the bazillionth time; but instead of a wave of comfort, he sent me what felt like an inquiry: Perplexion…
“O-oh! Are you asking what ‘Junior’ means?” I replied, intuitively sensing the nature of Ralts’ question. He nodded at me and let out a gentle cry.
“Right—it’s sorta like a nickname for someone who has the same name as their parent. It makes it easier to distinguish between the two so there’s less confusion when people have to refer to one or the other.” Ralts looked enthralled by my explanation, which amused my mom enough to make her chuckle at the sight.
“And you’re sure you don’t want to become a teacher or something?” she quipped. “You sound an awful lot like your father!” I internally cringed a bit at that statement; was my tone really that similar to his?
“Well—” I tripped over my tongue for a second. “I’ve kinda already made my commitment!” Ralts hopped up on my legs and cried for my attention, sending another wave of admiration and happiness into my conscience.
“So… is being called Junior okay with you?” I asked him, hoping that he’d deciphered my mini-ramble however he could’ve.
Happy! Happy! Ralts spread himself out on my chest in a hug. I smiled and returned the hug. “I guess that’s a yes, huh…” My stomach suddenly began growling, and to my surprise, so did his! I awkwardly looked up at my mom, who’d already seemed to notice the cacophony of grumbling, crossing her arms as if she’d anticipated exactly what I’d ask.
“Breakfast?” I asked timidly, the expressions on Junior and I’s faces perfectly mirroring each other.
Mom sighed and smiled, “It’s like you’re already brothers!”
Sati…ated…
“Man… why’d I—hic—have to eat like that…”
I lay flat on my bed, staring at the ceiling while I clutched my stomach. A plate wiped clean of Oran Berry waffles teetered on the edge of a wooden tray my mom had brought upstairs so I didn’t have to hobble out of bed to eat. Junior was at my side with a bowl that used to be full of an assortment of berries and mashed-up poffins dangling halfway off his chest, residual drops of juice staining my sheets as what remained of his feast slowly dripped from it. I was stuffed; as soon as Mom brought in the goods and set them on our laps, I absolutely went to town on that meal! Whether it was because my hunger left such an intense impression or the alluring aroma of Mom’s culinary craftsmanship overwhelmed him too, Junior made the same mistake. Now we were both paying the price, lying immobile as we fought off the food comas that were slowly overtaking us.
“So much for getting out of bed this morning,” I groaned, both my stomach and knee aching in sync. “I might be out cold by the time Harrison decides to show up too, ugh…” I wrestled my heavy head to look at Junior, “How’re you feeling?”
Okay… he fibbed; I was slowly getting better at noticing any undertones that accompanied his emotions. Although Junior hadn’t outright lied to me yet, it was pretty obvious that he was trying to downplay the fact that he felt equally as terrible.
“You sure about that?” I narrowed my eyes and laughed. “It doesn’t feel like you’re okay!”
O—kay…!! Junior tried propping himself up to no avail, succumbing to his own drowsiness and the weight of a full stomach. I began chuckling in response to his meager attempt, only to have my mind suddenly slapped with a light wave of dizziness.
“Wuoaaahhhh…” my voice quivered as my head pounded and my vision grew wobbly; it felt like my mind was being put through a microwave! After a few seconds, the weird sensation finally subsided. I sat up and shook my head in confusion, wondering what the hell just happened.
“H-hey!” I scolded the giggling Ralts. “W-what was that for?!”
Junior took a few deep breaths and smiled. Remorse! His assurance was playful like he was only trying to have a little fun with me. I stared at him for a moment, a suppressed excitement welling in my chest as the realization hit me.
“Did you just use Confusion on me?!” the force at which I sprung my figure toward Junior’s sent a reminder straight up my leg. “Oooowww…” I grabbed my thigh in pain as Junior jolted onto my leg, concernedly patting my outstretched arms in an attempt to comfort me. Okay? Okay?
“Y-yeah, I’m alright buddy…” I winced. “Enough about me though! I think you just learned a new move!” If I looked in a mirror, I’d be willing to bet my eyes were sparkling; sure, it was too weak to even make me nauseous, but Junior had used a real attack on me! Maybe he’d never used it before now, or maybe he was holding back so he wouldn’t hurt me? Regardless, I felt so excited! “Maybe he can already put up a fight…!”
“Rhys!” Mom’s voice echoed up the hallway and into my room. “I got news!”
“What for?” I yelled back as I heard her march up the stairs. She walked into my room with a phone in one hand and pointed to it with the other.
“I just got a call from Harrison’s mom. Apparently there’s going to be some sort of impromptu gathering in the square to celebrate his return!”
Confusion briefly washed over me. “Huh? Really?” For what reason?!
“Yeah,” she continued. “Some of the neighbors want to celebrate his progress as a Trainer! Floridge isn’t really known for producing many of them, so the fact that he’s already making waves in the Unova league this fast…” A look of nostalgia formed on her face as she looked to the sky and then back at me. “It feels like only yesterday you two were play-battling in the yard… gosh!”
“O-oh…” my core was set ablaze. “That’s… cool I guess.” If you weren’t so hesitant, that could’ve been you too.
Calm… Happy… Junior gently entered my mind and fought the flames. My shaky breathing steadied as I refocused my attention toward Mom.
“So, uh, are you planning on going?” I inquired, knowing full well there was no way I was able. Her brows raised in concern; a brief silence hung over the room.
“… if you wouldn’t mind?” she timidly replied. “It’s very exciting for me, and I’m sure it is for you too, but I’d feel terrible if I went without you knowing.”
“It’s fine…” I muttered as my head drooped. “I know you can’t exactly carry me down there with a screwed-up leg, haha…” You made it back home on crutches last night. Why can’t you just suck it up and go? But then your knee might be cooked for good…
Mom came over to my side and started rubbing my back; Junior followed her lead, the two gently massaging my tensed-up muscles as I squeezed my face with my palms.
“Don’t worry honey,” she planted a kiss on my forehead. “It won’t be for long, and I’ll make sure to take plenty of pictures. Besides, I’m willing to bet he’ll come running right over once he hears about your leg!”
“Oh he knows, Mom,” I leaned back as her and Junior lifted their hands off my back. “He wants to come over anyways, too.” I politely shooed her away. “Don’t worry about me. I doubt I’ll be missing anything…” I felt a lump forming in my throat as I swallowed my feelings. Everyone’s so proud of him already, yet nobody is proud of you.
“Alright then,” she wrapped Junior and I in a hug before stepping into the doorway. “I’ll be back in a bit. Love you.” And then she was gone.
“A whole celebration, huh…” I slipped into thought. Harrison didn’t mention anything about a gathering, so I bet it was a surprise to him too. A new, weird feeling coursed through my body as I further lost myself in my mind. “Why do I feel so… terrified? It’s just some little party! He deserves it too!”
But you want it more.
Junior jumped up on my legs and reached his arms out, concernedly, yet eagerly, inviting me into a hug. I blinked and settled back into reality, then hesitantly accepted. To my surprise, no wave of happiness followed, no stream of confidence screaming for my mind to adhere to his perception of me. I felt his warmth grow as I squeezed him tight, his slightly trembling arms gripping my shoulders with no intent of letting go.
“I feel like I’m torturing you,” my voice cracked. “It hasn’t even been a full day yet and you keep having to try and fix me…” I pulled him off me and lifted him to my face. “Dammit,” a tear brushed my cheek as I smiled. “Why do you have so much faith in me?”
Confidence… Junior nodded then started to look oddly focused; was he trying to use another move and impress me? Or maybe he was getting another headache from absorbing all my wayward feelings…
R…
My eyes widened as the speech fragment popped into my mind. That wasn’t some weird, decipherable feeling like usual; that was a sound! Not just any random sound, a word kind of sound! Junior’s eyes were clamped shut and his horn had begun shimmering red, the intensity of which made me squint to avoid hurting my eyes. What was he doing?!
Rh—Rhy—y—Rhys! the gentle, alien voice called out. To try and describe how it sounded felt daunting; it was choppy, each syllable labored as if leaving lips not meant to speak them; its cadence was shrill, yet gentle, with what sounded like bits and pieces of my voice overlaying each other like fragments of poorly dubbed tapes. Familiar feelings trailed close behind the call as Junior pointed at my face and squealed: Happiness! Grateful! The glowing of his horns intensified while a wave of calm blasted my weary mind, the powerful sensation exorcising each and every chaotic thought until no rumination remained.
The glowing stopped; Junior went limp in my arms from exhaustion. Silence.
A gentle breeze flowed through my window left ajar. My mind felt clear. The world felt lovely. Somehow, some way, this bed no longer felt like a prison.
Too stunned to speak, I set Junior back on my lap and looked out of my window; the sky was still blue, the sun still shining bright, and the wind still brushed across the trees. It felt nice to lose myself in the scenery again. Overthinking wasn’t worth it right now. I just needed a moment—one calming, peaceful moment—to breathe, and let the sound of the cool spring breeze hush everything.
Deep breath in…
… deep breath out.
I nodded with conviction; maybe things would be alright. Maybe not now, or even ever, but they might.
Junior, who’d just come to, let out a giant yawn as he uncurled himself. He gently rubbed his eyes and stared up at me. Okay? Without a second thought, I flashed him a goofy smile.
“Thank you.”