Chapter 8: Table Talk
Plop!
“Uugghhhhhhhhhhh…” I groaned after my back sank into the divot I’d pressed into my mattress, trying my hardest not to overanalyze everything that’d already happened today. The worst part was that it wasn’t even noon yet, and I felt like my social battery had nearly depleted entirely. Two solemn conversations with both of my parents? One of which I still couldn’t really comprehend the fact that I’d even managed to engage with in any meaningful way?
Oh, and Harrison was here too. The friend I’d lied to for no reason who’d forgiven me without so much as a look of confusion. Someone who I’d feared seeing despite our completely normal, unproblematic history…
And there was a Pokémon, my Pokémon—a concept that I’d considered an impossibility in my mind not even a day prior—in my room, cuddled up to my leg like it’d been home all its life, as if it truly belonged here and nowhere else.
Was it crazy to think, for even a mere moment, that this was all some strange fantasy—a weird fever dream I’d yet to wake from?
“No.” I refocused. The last thing I needed to do was deny my reality again. I began itching the underside of my arm, slowly counting the minutes on my phone’s clock, hoping breakfast might bring my mind reprieve while my hearing idly zoned in on the soft chirping outside my window.
“Wait. Why do I feel so… musty?” I began to realize how… dank the back of my shirt felt. In fact, everything on my body felt gross! I lifted my arm and peered at its pit, only to be met with the sight of sweat staining the fabric of my shirt so deeply you could see the skin underneath.
“Yeeeeeeekkkk!” I squealed and sat up. The icky sensations plastered all over my body that I’d somehow ignored until now were all slowly becoming noticeable, and I hated it.
Okay? Junior’s feelings sharply rang in my brain as he jolted his head up off my thigh.
“I’m good!! Just—“ I wrestled my shirt off and chucked it at the hamper next to my dresser. “I need to change these clothes…” The past day had been so hectic that my morning routine had been thrown off completely; sleeping in rain-soaked, mud-dried, rescue-battered clothes? Yesterday’s me would’ve woken up and nearly broke a leg darting into the shower! My knee flared up as if it were reminding me of its presence. “Not that I could’ve today…”
The shirt landed in the bin with a satisfying swoosh. “Now that… that was a shot and a half,” I thought to myself. It may’ve only been a five-footer, but I was so desperate to revel in any kind of victory that it felt like I’d just won the lottery… or at least a few dollars.
“See that, Junior? That’s a game-winning shot right there!” I smirked and looked down at him.
Confusion…? He looked up at me with a hand on his mouth, undertones of enthusiasm flowing below his primary feeling. A tinge of embarrassment pierced through my head; of course he wouldn’t understand what I meant. I mean, he felt a bit excited about it, but that was probably only because my hype rubbed off on him, not because he truly understood the thrill of watching a walk-off buzzer-beater, or even the thrill of competition in general, or even the thrill of watching a master and their Pokémon barely survive a critical strike and muster up the strength to deliver one last powerful blow in front of a raucous crowd—
Curious!!
“Huh?” I questioned as Junior began firmly pointing at me like I’d just given him an epiphany. “Me? What?”
Cu-ri-ous! His emotions asserted, his mouth curling inward in childlike annoyance. Why the sudden change in attitude? My thoughts hadn’t been turbulent, or at least as turbulent as before, so why was he all… pushy?
“You’re curious?” I gently replied, carefully clearing my thoughts so that no false impressions could be made. “… Is it about the shirt thing, or—“
Junior quickly shook his head. His squeaks sounded like tiny pleas for understanding, like I was somehow missing something really obvious, but I didn’t know what. Desire! Desire!
“Wait—hold on,” I pinched the crest of my nose and focused. I felt Junior’s emotions rapidly swirl around my mind. I hadn’t truly zoned in on them this deep; each pulse of intrigue and desire probed my mind like tiny needles, pricking each thought of mine that arose with varying degrees of intensity. The vividness began to startle me, my eyes clamping shut as a headache slowly began to pierce my skull. But I held my nerve—I could feel how hard he was trying to communicate, and I wanted to listen. He was trying to guide me toward a thought, something that he felt… I wanted. It must’ve just occurred to me, too, because each pulse of emotion that struck me as I combed through each fleeting thought spoke to me with urgency.
“…This?” I opened an eye and softly spoke, recalling that insane game-winning basketball shot I’d watched a few weeks back. I could remember a lot from that game: the adrenaline watching the shot clock tick down, holding my breath as the Nimbasa player just barely got a shot off, and pumping my arms in joy as the team stormed the court in pure excitement. Was that what he wanted? To have me feel that bliss all over again? Or maybe just more often?
A vigorous shake of the head, followed by another pulse of gentle dissent. Apparently not…?
“U-Uh,” I scrambled to recall what else made me excited. Junior’s dark red eyes were adamantly staring, his arms reaching outward at me in what felt like a gesture of both desire and anticipation. I clenched my jaw in embarrassment. Why couldn’t I figure this out?
I started racking my memory further: “Sports? …No? …Wanting to compete? Sort of…?” Junior’s pulses of emotion were letting me know I was steadily getting closer, closer, closer…!
Desire!!
I opened my eyes as clarity washed over me. Junior’s positivity overwhelmed me, his happy squeaks echoing in my ears as my hand met my forehead. I turned back toward him and opened my mouth to speak, awestruck at the notion that’d finally been made clear, and that I couldn’t believe I’d forgotten.
“You… you want me to battle?”
Junior hopped up and down, pointing. Excitement! Pride! Desire!
“Wait… you want to battle too? But—“ I couldn’t believe what I was feeling. He wanted to battle already? But I couldn’t even get myself out of bed yet! We had so much to learn, so much training to do once I could finally get back on my feet, so many… things to work out before I’d feel comfortable throwing him onto the battlefield! Why was he telling me this now?
You’re not ready.
I gripped my sheets tightly. I couldn’t do it.
You can’t put him in danger again.
What if you get him hurt? You need to prepare more. You have to be ready for everything.
“I… I can’t—“
What if you’re not cut out for your dreams?
Rhys!! Calm!! Calm… Junior’s presence quickly washed over me and silenced the discourse. I felt my jaw relax as I took a few deep breaths before he slowly and gently let my mind go.
“You’re getting awfully good at that, y’know,” I softly chuckled, patting the worried Ralts on the head while he gently wrapped his arms around my fingers. “Sorry, I just… I just don’t know if I’m—we’re—ready for that yet.” I slumped a bit into the bed. “You’re right, I want to battle. I want to feel that adrenaline in person so, so badly. But it’s like my brain won’t let me think about doing it unless I bring a whole—textbook of notes on the field so I have all bases covered! It’s like I’m stuck behind a wall I can’t see…” I sighed and looked downward. “And I don’t wanna get you hurt any more… I just—not after what you’ve been through…” My soul hurt after saying that. I wanted to make him stronger, but the seeds of my doubt were planted in depths I couldn’t yet venture to, much less attempt to dig up.
Confidence… Junior softly encouraged me. His desire grew stronger, a look of determination forming on his face as he patted my hand. Faith!
“You… you really think so? B-But,” I clenched my fist and stopped myself. It may’ve felt weird to have so much trust placed in me, but I knew it made sense. He was a Ralts, a species known specifically for their unyielding trust in their trainers, and I was the one who saved him! “Get your head in the game, Rhys! Come on!”
“…Yeah, you’re right,” I smiled and picked the lil guy up. “It’ll take some time, but… I think we can do it!”
Happy! Happy! Junior squeaked and waved his arms in glee. I could feel his body start to warm as I held him up triumphantly in the air. Sure, my leg might’ve been battered, and I couldn’t expect my confidence to suddenly swell as high as someone like Harrison’s, but something weird inside me had begun to burn; it was a feeling I couldn’t explain, yet it felt so passionate! It was like I was finally realizing that my dreams weren’t bound to moments of sadness and lament anymore. They could be real!
“Heyyyyyyy Rhys!” My bedroom door swung open faster than a sprinting Rapidash, firmly smacking against the wall as Harrison stumbled in. “Your mom asked me to come help you down for breakfaooohkayyy…” He paused and stared at me confusedly as the crutches in his hand dropped square to the floor. “Where’s your shirt?”
“I—Uh,” I quickly set Junior down, the Ralts squeaking in surprise as he gently bounced onto the bed. “I-I was about to change, actually!” If there was ever a time I wished an anvil would drop from the ceiling and knock me out cold, this was it.
“Ohhh,” Harrison replied. “Wait—were you hyping Junior up so he could like, levitate your clothes over to you? That’s so raw!”
“Uhhh… sure?” I paused for a moment, then shrugged. That was kind of a cool idea, actually. I knew I probably shouldn’t entertain any more of his goofy ideas, but what else was I supposed to say? That I’d just randomly thrown off my shirt because I felt gross?
Dishonest? Confusion! Junior poked my mind, curious as to why I was lying about something so silly.
“Little white lies are okay sometimes,” I quickly thought back. “They don’t hurt anyone, I promise!” Junior seemed to understand, a tinge of agreement following before his presence faded.
“Wait wait wait!” Harrison shouted and waved his hands frantically. “I wanna see this!”
“I mean… It’s not like I’m in a rush or anything,” I replied, a little baffled as to why he was so hasty. I shot Junior a quick inquiry, “Is he okay?”
Excited… Tired… Junior slowly relayed Harrison’s emotions to me. … Antsy! He looked up at me and nodded with a tinge of pride. Maybe he was having a bit easier time reading his mind?
“Oh—duh! I should’ve guessed. Thank you,” I thought back and nodded. It’d been a while since I’d been around Harrison after all. The guy did tend to get a bit ornery when he was winded, and judging by the sweat coating his forehead, it looked like he’d run a marathon.
“My bad,” Harrison leaned back against the door and exhaled deeply. “I just really wanna see… somethin’ cool like that… oooof…” He planted his palm on the door and slouched forward. “Still feelin’ it… Still feelin’ it real bad!”
“Was Byte playing rough out there?” I asked, faintly recalling hearing a few shouts from the yard during one of today’s earlier, far too frequent uncomfortable conversations.
“Nah he’s just—Ahh I’ll just tell you about it at the table,” he stood up and cracked his back. “You should get your shirt before your mom kills me for letting our food get cold! C’mon!”
“It’s not like I can just mosey on over to my dresser, dude!” I covered my face for a moment and smirked, a touch of whimsy jolting through my mind. “Y’know, you could hand me a shirt from my dresser if you’re that hungry… Or maybe I’ll just lie back down…”
“I—Hey!” He looked at me with playful exasperation, fists planted against his hips. “I mean… yeah I could, but I wanna see Junior in action!”
“Alright alright,” I chuckled and gestured for him to settle down. I turned to Junior and pointed at the dresser against the wall. “Do you think you can open that with your powers?”
…Nervous! He fiddled with his hands and shivered. It certainly didn’t feel like he was very confident, but I knew he was capable. He’d already proven it, even if he didn’t feel like he did. It sort of felt like the pressure—the thought of having other eyes watching and judging your every move—was getting to him a little.
“Hey,” I whispered and grabbed his hand. “You can do this. Don’t even think about him watching, okay?”
Confidence… Confidence… It felt like Junior was giving himself a pep talk. He lightly pumped his arms, repeating the same feelings over and over as his anxiety gradually morphed into belief. After a moment, he nodded back and squeaked. Faith!
“There you go!” I encouraged him as best I could. “Alright,”—I looked toward my dresser and eyed the top drawer—“you think you can open that up?”
Junior nodded and began to focus; a gentle, milky white glow began to outline the drawer as his horns glowed, the wood vibrating in sync with his trembling, outstretched arms.
“Wooooaahhhh!” Harrison exclaimed, dashing next to me so he could get a better view. “He’s actually moving it!”
“Have you, like, never seen a psychic type move before?” I quipped, curious as to why he sounded so excited over something I was almost positive he’d seen a million times by now.
“Well yeah!” Harrison replied, splaying his arms dramatically. “But he’s your Pokémon! That’s the coolest part!”
“I-It’s not that cool!” I quickly retorted, then tightly clasped my hands over my mouth once I realized Junior was literally still right next to me, and that I might’ve just accidentally implied he was uncool. I quickly erased the thought of that sentence from my mind, hoping that Junior was too focused to pick up on it. What’re you saying, idiot?!
“Uh, yeah it is dude!” Harrison scoffed and pointed. “Look! He’s already got the drawer open! Woooooahh!”
I gasped, hastily refocusing on Junior’s task; he’d successfully pulled the drawer fully open, head turned toward mine, anxiously staring at me while awaiting my next command. He obviously hadn’t picked up on my embarrassment—or he’d chosen to ignore it entirely, thank goodness—because he’d begun to poke my mind with gentle desire.
“U-Uh! Try and grab a shirt—any shirt!”
Junior slowly nodded as he processed my intent, then his energy surged. I could feel his determination—that all-encompassing sense of purpose—driving him forward as the glow surrounded my clothes. The energy began to shrink, coalescing around a salmon-colored tee. Then, slowly and smoothly, it hovered upward, gently floating in place as Junior lightly exhaled.
“Woooooahhhh—“
“Shh!” I hissed at Harrison. I gestured toward Junior with a glance, hoping to convey that the zoned-in Ralts really didn’t need an accidental distraction.
“Oops! Sorry, sorry… hehe… my bad…” He scratched his forehead and awkwardly grinned, kicking a leg forward.
The shirt began its journey toward me, slightly bobbing each time Junior’s arm twitched. With each inch, I urged Junior onward with silent encouragement. “C’mon… Keep it up, keep it up… You’re almost there…!”
The shirt froze above my legs, hovering for another moment, then gently draped itself over my outstretched arms; I quickly wrestled it over my head, patting out each wrinkle as it settled over my torso, internally thrilled that I was no longer soaking in yesterday’s filth.
Junior took another deep breath—his shoulders relaxed, arms loosening and falling to his side—and triumphantly exhaled. Pride… He turned to look at me, eyes wide and gleaming with excitement. Pride!!
“Ohhh, thank you,” I expressed my satisfaction with a hasty headpat, which may’ve caught Junior a bit off guard, judging by the volume of the tiny yelp he let out. I swiftly pulled my hand back from his head. “S-Sorry!” Junior was just as quick to reassure me, patting my side like he’d already grown accustomed to doing, much to my chagrin.
“Let’s go!” Harrison proudly exclaimed. “You’re already crazily in sync with your dude!”
I absolutely couldn’t hold in my snort. “I’m what?”
Harrison opened his mouth to speak, then paused in realization. “Wait, did that sound weird!?”
“N-No you’re good!” I awkwardly reassured him. “You’re just—“ I wanted to say that I thought it was funny how little sense he made, but now I just felt silly for having confused him. “Never mind…”
Okay…?
I met Junior’s concerned look with one of meek amusement. “I guess I can’t talk to anyone at all, huh?”
Junior squeaked in light disapproval, slightly frowning as he shuffled toward my leg and sat down next to it. An ember lit in my core. No more jokes.
“Ohhhhkay good,” Harrison plopped himself next to me, causing my mattress to bob. “Worried me for a sec there…” He pinched his forehead, the sigh he let out containing some kind of gentle exhaustion, like something was bothering him. For a split second, I thought about asking Junior for an answer, but I quickly dismissed the thought. Probing others’ minds using his powers wasn’t something I wanted to make a habit of, despite my iota of curiosity about just how accessible people’s psyches could be.
Not that I could’ve anyway, because Junior had suddenly dozed off against my leg, his cheek buried in the folds of my wrinkly shorts.
“J-Junior!” I sharply whispered, then paused; my head felt strangely… emptier, like something subtle had left the boundaries of my consciousness. It felt weird, almost like my brain had been released from some sort of gentle hug that I hadn’t known I was in, and I had to take a second to make sense of the void.
“Aw, he got tired out that fast?” Harrison leaned over and gandered at Junior. “Does he usually fall asleep after using a move? That didn’t seem too… uh… What’s the word I’m looking for…?” He continued to think for a moment as I carefully lifted Junior off my legs and laid him down next to me, hoping that I’d be gentle enough to not wake him up.
“Dammit!” Harrison hissed and dropped his head. “It started with an S and means like, ‘super hard’ or somethin’.” I’d forgotten how fast he could go from looking joyous to defeated, because his expression was full of that awkward strain of guilt you endure when you think you’ve got something all figured out, but still end up coming up way short.
“Wait… you mean ‘strenuous’?” I turned to him and replied.
“Yes! That word!” Harrison snapped his fingers and pointed at me excitedly.
“Shh!” I hushed him. Junior had shuffled a bit in his sleep, and as weirded out as I was that he’d near-instantly passed out like a Snorlax, I didn’t want to compound his fatigue by subjecting him to another rude awakening.
Harrison quickly clammed up at my plea and carefully stood up, striding toward my floorborne crutches in an exaggeratedly smooth manner. He picked them up and came back over to me, mouthing his words and gesturing for me to try and somehow stand up.
“… You don’t need to be completely silent, y’know,” I softly replied.
“Well I’m not gonna talk if ya don’t want me to!” he whispered back, pressing the crutches firmly into the floor in front of me.
You’re making him angry.
“I-I—“ I froze, embers rising up my throat. “S-Sorry…”
Don’t look. Don’t acknowledge.
I hid my head toward Junior for only a moment; his breathing was soft, steady, arms curled underneath his head that’d shifted my covers like wind-swept sand. He looked so… comfortable, nuzzling my blankets like he’d always been home.
Deep breath in.
“Nah nah…”
And out.
“… I’m just playin’ man! You think you can stand up and grab these on your own? I can totally help if you need. Jeez, that thing…”
I blinked, refocusing on reality, noticing Harrison staring at my splinted leg with curiosity. “U-Uh, yeah, um… I’ll try…”
“Waiiiiiiit, you sure?” Harrison stopped me before I slid too far forward. “I didn’t think about how stuck that leg is! You should just—uhh,”—he ruffled his hair in thought, grunting like his brain was working overtime—“slide on your butt down the stairs instead! Y’know, so your leg doesn’t bend?”
“It can’t… bend anyway…?” I looked down at my leg, then back up, smiling in confusion.
“Right!” He gently tapped a fist to his palm and pointed. “Right. Here, lemme help you up…”
“N-No I think… I think I’m good!” I hastily scooched myself to the edge of the bed and tried standing upright, planting my feet as firmly as I could physically muster. “Just… gimme a—woahWOAHWH—“
Harrison’s arm darted in front of my chest and halted my fall. I gasped, collecting my breathing for a few more moments as I stared at the floor, my face mere inches from the wood.
“Nice… catch…” I huffed, embarrassingly. “Sorry…”
“You’re… good man,” his voice strained as he slowly lifted me back onto my feet. “Still need any help?” he laughed.
“Yeah,” I smirked back. “Yeah… I’ll take you up on that.”
“Alright, let’s get… goin’!” he raised his voice for a moment, then quickly toned himself down after taking a quick look back at the bed, slowly beginning to inch me forward.
“Wait,” I softly exclaimed, peering behind my shoulder. “What about Junior…?” Mom did say no boy would be left unfed. I couldn’t just leave him to starve up here! And… What if he woke up and I wasn’t there? Would he freak out? Would he stay calm enough to sense me?
He depends on you.
What if something happens while you’re gone?
If you leave him behind again, he’ll—
I stumbled forward—the pain in my stomach returned with such sudden ferocity that my body couldn’t help but keel slightly from the stress it spread throughout my core. “Stop… Stop thinking about shit like that…!” I berated my brain for the billionth time, exhaling loudly as Harrison attempted to adjust my buckling frame.
“Heyheyheyhey… woah,” he said as he propped me upright and tugged me close. “Chillax! Stop askin’ yourself so many questions and loosen up!”
“Questio—Wait, how did you know I was…?” I looked at him with stunned amazement, the near-instantaneous stupor I’d fallen into having been smacked out of my brain like it was a fastball thrown straight down the middle of the plate.
“Uhhhh… boy telepathy,” he shrugged and smiled.
“What the fuck is boy telepathy?”
“I dunno! Just somethin’ I just made up. You and Junior’ve got that too!”
“I—“ I lasted about a nanosecond before I let out an enormous snort. “W-What are you-hoo talking about?!”
Too loud.
I slapped my mouth shut and whipped my head toward the bed; Junior had snuggled himself even further into the blankets, completely unbothered. I exhaled and relaxed. Nothing… Nothing was wrong! I didn’t screw up his sleep like I just thought I might’ve, ripping the poor thing awake and potentially scaring the ever-loving crap out of him and—
“Dude.” Harrison stuck his head in front of mine. “Don’t sweat! Literally. You’re like, actually sweating.”
“A-Am I…?” My shoulders shrank inward. Idiot.
“Don’t worry about Junior dude,” he smiled and tugged my shoulder a bit too hard. “Let him nap! We’ll just bring him some stuff up afterwards. Now c’mon!” his voice grew playfully urgent. “I’m starvin’!”
“Ack… Okay, okay…!”
“Is that the dynamic duo I hear?” Mom’s teasing voice echoed through the foyer’s archway as Harrison slowly helped me down the final few steps. “You two have fun goofing off up there?”
“Very funny Mom…!” I shouted back as Harrison’s guidance held my body upright with each downward step; each felt like a thousand tiny needles stabbing my bad knee all at once, and it was really, really starting to irk me. I already knew recovery was going to take a while, but if it kept hurting like this? I might as well forget about battling anytime soon—or even training Junior anytime soon!
“Aaaaand… there!” Harrison guided me onto the ground floor and loosened his grip on my torso. “How was that? Holdin’ up okay?”
“I don’t think I ever wanna walk again…” I groaned at the floor and leaned against the bannister. Our descent felt like it’d taken longer than forever, if that was even possible.
Exhaling quiet curses toward the pills for not having fully kicked in yet, I looked back up at Harrison. “U-Uh, do you mind if you helped m—“
“IIIII gotcha!” He smiled, wrapping my arm around his shoulders and hoisting me upright. Step by step, we awkwardly stumbled into the kitchen…
…and were met with quite possibly the largest meal we’d ever seen.
“Woooooahhhh!” Harrison gawked at the sheer mass of food on the kitchen table. Towers of pancakes were neatly stacked upon each plate—melted butter with syrup tantalizingly streaming down on all sides—arranged in a carousel of delight. Each seat had a portion that’d feed at least two whole people. There were even mini stacks for the Pokémon!
“How the—“ Harrison put a pair of fists to his eyes and rubbed them, “—Mrs. Emerson, this is like a whole—a whole feast! And there’s even syrup already on top too…!” The dude caved to his ecstasy so quickly that he must’ve briefly forgotten he was literally the only thing keeping me standing; I stumbled to the side after his grip briefly faltered, bonking my shoulder against the wall of the archway and gripping my arms around it for dear life.
“Dude! What was that for…?!” I groaned as both Harrison and Mom rushed over to my side and began trying to prop me up. “Owwww…”
“Shitshitshit!” Harrison’s face turned beet red. “S-Sorry!!”
“That hungry, aren’t you?” Mom glared at Harrison as she and he began to hoist me back onto my feet. The two carefully carried me over to the table, setting me gently down on a chair and straightening my aching right leg out onto another.
“T-Thanks…” I mumbled, rubbing my splint in hopes the aching would stop. “Wait, Mom. I thought you were making waffles?”
“…Oh!” she reached her seat and stated with surprise, looking at her monster of a meal and rubbing her neck awkwardly. “I guess I got too distracted myself, didn’t I?”
“It’s no biggie!” Harrison rubbed his hands together gleefully. “I’d die for this stuff anyway!”
Everyone settled into their seats—well, everyone but me. I had to awkwardly turn to my side in order to orient myself toward the food, which I really didn’t think would stiffen me up as much as it did. Harrison stared at his plate, sparkly-eyed, eagerly awaiting the moment he’d get to chow down, while Mom neatly folded a napkin and set it on her lap.
“Harrison?” Mom smiled as she picked up her utensils. “Is Byte going to join us?”
“MmmmmOH! Y-Yeah!” he snapped out of his daze and detached a ball from his belt, carefully aiming it at the chair to his right. “One sec!”
In a jolt of red light, Byte appeared, shaking his head wildly and softly crying out in joy. The overwhelming scent of berries immediately enticed the Raichu into barreling his face straight into his plate, mushy, gross chewing noises stopping Mom before she could even utter a simple hello toward the ravenous Pokémon.
“Byyyyyte!” Harrison whined, pulling back on his partner’s head. “Manners!”
“Chu? Chuu…” Byte awkwardly cried back, eyes sullying as he looked at Mom and me. I couldn’t help but grin a little—that was totally a Junior move.
“Oh don’t be so polite, dear. I know you both have got to be starving!” Mom neatly sliced her pancakes and took a bite. “Seeh?”
“Mom…!” I cringed and snorted simultaneously, causing my face to turn red. “That’s gross!”
“Mrs. Emerson, whaht thuh hell?!” Harrison laughed through his own mouthful of food, totally digging her impolite display. He tightly swallowed, taking a short gasp to catch his breath, then grinned ear to ear. “Haha! I forgot you could be funny!”
“Thanks, Harrison,” Mom replied and swallowed, jokingly unamused, neatly setting her utensils down onto the tablecloth. “Oh! I forgot to ask. Were you and Byte training in the yard?”
“Uhhhh… ‘Training’ isn’t what I’d call that…” he nervously laughed, looking at his partner. “This guy keeps gettin’ a bad case of the zoomies,”—he ruffled his hand through Byte’s head fur—“and I dunno how to get him to stop!”
“Chuu chuu!” Byte seemed to protest, glaring at his trainer after swallowing another morsel. So that’s what he was referring to about upstairs, huh.
“That’s normal for growing boys,” Mom teased through a smile. “I’m surprised you have any steam to blow off after all you’ve been through.”
“Yeah, I know!” Harrison leaned back in his chair and sighed. “Travelling through Unova is super fun, but I can barely catch my breath over there!”
“I certainly couldn’t handle all that”—a brief pause, and a vaguely solemn stare—“attention. It must take quite a toll on you, I’d imagine.” I could swear Mom looked at me at that moment, but I hadn’t been present enough to confirm.
I impulsively twisted my body to the right so I could look at the small, empty chair raised next to mine. The tiny seat I could just barely remember using when I was young—the one I’d sat on when we were crammed into that small, cozy apartment—had suddenly reappeared, a lost memory. I don’t know how I didn’t notice before; I didn’t want to know. My breath wavered at its sight, so I quickly averted my gaze toward my plate. It didn’t belong here. Not anymore. Not without him.
“Fhour shure,” Harrison mouthed with a face stuffed full of batter and syrup, gulping the portion down in another instant. “People keep tryin’ to bother me for autographs when all I wanna do is train, and when I do wanna train in the park or around the gym ‘n stuff, some trainers get all cocky that I only got one Pokémon, and then when Byte and I solo them, most of ‘em don’t even wanna battle me again! Not to mention all the people who come up to me and ask me a bazillion questions about ‘how I do it!’” He raised his hands in the air and frowned. “It’s so… aghhh! It’s weird! So weird! People keep chalkin’ me up to be a prodigy when I just want to have fun!”
“Chu chuuuuuu!” Byte licked his plate clean and raised his arms identically.
“I’m sorry, Harrison,” Mom apologetically replied. “I’m glad you’re taking a breather. You’ve worked much too hard to stress yourself out with others’ expectations.” I stared a little harder at my plate after hearing that, slowly cutting another piece of pancake while a vortex of guilt whirred in my skull. I didn’t know about any of that—I hadn’t even bothered to offer a hand after he’d offered his so kindly… Why hadn’t I asked earlier?
“Me… too!” he lurched back forward. “The celebration y’all put on was really nice, though… I never thought I’d miss home as much as I did.” His eyes lit up as he looked at us both. “And you guys, too!”
I quickly looked down at my food; the syrup had almost fully sunk into the batter, staining the untouched feast a dull, soggy brown. My hunger had all but faded, the void in my stomach churning with unwelcome unease that grew with each second I stared. Harrison’s plight weighed heavily on my mind—could I ever handle what he had? Even an act of praise felt difficult to accept, in theory, so the idea of being good enough to be swarmed by fans felt like a death sentence of awkwardness waiting to happen. That wasn’t the life I wanted to lead, but I’d already acknowledged the risk by accepting the challenge of becoming a trainer who wanted to battle.
I slowly cut myself another large piece and chewed on it. There was no way Junior was ready—or even designed—for a swarm of attention that huge. At least Floridge was quiet. Too quiet. But you know you crave those bright, exhilarating lights.
“You think he’s gonna be real strong, Rhys?”
My throat tightened; I coughed as the bolus moving down my throat stalled. Forcing it down, I cleared my throat and nervously looked at the duo of curious eyes that were now staring right at me. “U-uh, what?”
“Junior!” Harrison reiterated, stirring the air with his fork and chewing the last bit of his bite. “You think he’s gonna like, learn a ton of strong moves n’ stuff? I got no clue how that type even works…”
“I-I mean”—I rubbed my neck and caught a glimpse of Mom’s inquisitive stare—“maybe? Yes?” My guts churned as the food melted into the inferno. Ralts was one of the handful of Pokémon I had little to no real knowledge of. Why is he asking me now?
“Well I totally think he will! Psychics are the worst to fight against! Byte usually has to outspeed those dudes in order to even hit ‘em!” Harrison looked down at the Raichu. “Remember that weird gooey orb thing that kept teleporting everywhere?”
“Chuu…” Byte frowned, the memory obviously sour.
“Don’t pout, man!” Harrison lifted a finger and waved it. “We still won!”
“Mr. Emerson could probably give you a few pointers if you ever needed them,” Mom chimed in. I nearly choked on air at her sudden enthusiasm. I knew those tears weren’t for nothing, but to see her smiling while mentioning a man who’d been putting her through the proverbial wringer? I couldn’t fathom how she did it—I couldn’t do it, and she knew that. My brain shut itself off for a second while I recuperated, erasing the sound of my father’s voice whispering in my head; I didn’t know why it sounded so sad.
“Ohhh yeah! That’s true,” Harrison placed his hands on the table and replied. “That’s like his whole thing, right?”
“Mhm,” Mom hummed. “I’m sure he’d be more than happy to help you.” I could’ve sworn there was a hint of solemnity in her eyes, but if there was anything my family seemed to be good at, it was intentionally annoying vagueness. If Junior were here, I’d become the nosiest trainer alive!
“Maybe I should hit him up sometime…” he muttered with a hand on his chin. “Wait, that sounds weird. My bad! Hehe…”
“You’re fine man…” I mustered up the energy to mutter a drab reply, even though I had zero intentions of speaking not even a millisecond earlier. I leaned my shoulder uncomfortably on the back of my chair. “He works in Castelia anyway…”
“Wait…” Harrison whipped his head back and forth between us, rested his arms on an annoyed Byte’s head, then whispered toward me, “For real?”
“Yeah man,” I couldn’t help but smile at his stupid ‘sneaky’ expression. “You ever pass by that weird-looking lab building on the east side? That’s where he works.” I could just barely remember the sight of its cold, porcelain exterior nestled tightly between the expanse of concrete and steel that lined Castelia’s streets, but a few visits had been enough for its image to engrain itself deep in my memory. I hadn’t ever bothered to search for what it looked like now, much less what I’d—
Stop.
I cringed. I’d save that thought for another time… if ever.
“He works at that place?!” Harrison’s eyes widened in amazement. “So that’s why there’s always a big crowd!” He seemed to notice both Mom and I’s hesitant, unresponsive glances, quickly tapering his excitement down a few tones. “That’s, uhm, very cool.”
“Quite.” Mom smiled, closing her eyes and slicing more of her food. I meekly looked down at nothing, silently hoping the moment would pass and we could talk about something, y’know, normal.
“Junior!” Harrison keenly sensed the tension lingering around the table and brought us back to the other subject I really didn’t feel like talking about. He looked at me while taking another gigantic bite. “Whuts yer plansh?”
“I’m gonna”—I froze, my heart fluttering with fear—“try and do… uh, something!” Well, that sounded awkward. I took a glimpse at my leg; it was aching extra hard, and in my heart, I knew why.
Harrison swallowed and cleared his throat. “Well yeah, that’s what most people do!” He snickered, probably thinking he was the funniest person in the world, but those words kind of stung. An odd, uncomfortable clarity washed over me—had I been holed up that long?
“Y-Yeah,” I sulked, my gaze frequenting my leg ever-increasingly. I still didn’t know what I was going to do. I had a Pokémon and I still didn’t know what the hell I was going to do. “I just… Sorry. Misspoke…”
“Honey,” Mom began. “You’ve still got a lot of time to figure things out. Seriously, don’t work yourself up, okay?” She gave me the look of sympathy that I’d so often disregarded, yet this time it hurt more. I started to feel like I couldn’t breathe.
“Sheez kihnda righht,” Harrison swallowed. “I prolly should’ve waited like, a few more weeks to train Byte up before we set off. We really didn’t have the best start, haha.”
“Chuuuu…” Byte picked his tired head off the table and groaned, accepting a round of head scritches from his trainer as a reward for having to recount the past.
A wobbly smile formed on my face; I tried throwing my mind back on track by watching their cuteness, but the fire in my stomach had set my entire core aflame, a simmering ache filling my abs and chest. I couldn’t just accept the fact that I wasn’t ready. I’d already declared I was, at least in my head. I was going to train Junior so he’d be strong enough to take on anything—so I’d be stronger too!
The inky darkness of my splint was like staring into a black hole that’d wrapped itself around me, sucking my hopes and dreams in like streaking—shrieking—trails of light, absorbing them into the void.
You can’t. You’re stuck.
“I just… I-I just…” I put my hands over my head, letting my arms cover it as it reddened in anguish.
The sounds of Mom’s chair scooching backward and footsteps growing closer weren’t enough to pull my attention away from the sinister, quiet cacophony that was brewing inside my mind. Emotions were slamming against my consciousness faster than I could handle them: fear, hope, desire—abject desire, were all hitting me like powerful jets of distress. I clutched my head in my hands, unable to discern why this was happening out of seemingly nowhere, and inhaled.
I could hear Mom and Harrison’s voices, their hands brushing my shoulders, calmly trying to bring me comfort, but I couldn’t look. The fire had raged up my throat, searing its lining and preventing me from uttering even a single, desperate word.
“It’s okay… It’s okay… It’s okay…”
I couldn’t tell if the voice in my head was mine or theirs, but I slowly began to heed, slowing my rapid breathing until it had calmed into a lull. “Just think positive! You have time… You have time…”
Mom slowly circled my back with a hand and leaned into my face. “Rhys,” she kissed my cheek and whispered. “You’re okay. You’re… You’re not alone.”
“We’re here for ya, man.” Harrison’s usual cheer had been replaced by a foreign earnestness. “I dunno what’s going on with you right now, but we’re here.” A few gentle pats grazed my shoulder blade.
“I don’t know either…” I quietly croaked. “I just can’t stop thinking too hard about everything. I feel so… so dramatic!” I buried my face in my hands in embarrassment.
“We all do that sometimes,” Mom empathized, gently squeezing my shoulders as I tried to relax. “And when we do, we all handle it differently”—she paused and took an unsteady gulp—”and that’s okay. You’re taking things at your own pace.”
“B-But…” I looked up at Mom solemnly. “I can’t. My leg is screwed up, my mind is too, and I don’t… I don’t feel confident in anything I’ve said I’m gonna do!” My chest burned an extra bit hotter, as if admitting my woes was hurting me in a way I couldn’t describe, yet hated all the same.
“Honey… I’ve promised you this before. Whatever you choose to do in life, you’re going to be great.” Mom wrapped her arms around me and squeezed me tight. “We’ll always believe in you.”
Harrison awkwardly joined the hug, trying to find a comfortable way to squeeze one of his arms through Mom’s, but he had to settle for laying his arms around hers. Byte waddled over as well, giving my outstretched corpse of a leg a gentle nuzzle. I tried to hold back my tears, but nothing could stop my welling eyes from sending the stream down my cheeks. They held themselves in the moment, barely moving, arms draped around my sniveling figure while time ticked on. I was just so tired of mulling over it all; silently comparing myself to the accolades of my friend that’d been nothing but supportive; feeling my father’s presence looming over my shoulder; the pressure of caring for a Pokémon—knowing that I’d always wanted one—that I knew deserved better than me.
…
…?
A faint feeling pulsed into my mind, and I instinctively rubbed my forehead. Was that…?
R…Rhys…
Rhys?!
“Owwww…!” I groaned as a stinging pain shot through my skull, hands clutching it tightly while tinnitus rang through my ears. A presence slowly re-entered my mind, filling the formerly unperceived void that had once been, gradually raking through my thoughts and emotions with unease, as if searching not only for me, but for a threat within.
“Are you alright?” Mom yelped, pulling back from her hug and accidentally sending Harrison stumbling backward into the wall. I heard him pick himself up and groan, his Raichu scuttling toward his leg and squeaking.
“You havin’ a migraine?!” Harrison exclaimed. “Hold on! I’ve got some medicine in my ba—whuh?“
The space in front of me suddenly began to warp and glow. The space between both my temples felt like it was being hydraulically pressed, the intensity of the ache only increasing as a whirlwind of concern and confusion smacked my mind with growing fervor, the glow of reality growing into a foot-long orb and—
A flash blinded my eyes; I blinked, then I heard and felt the thump of something clumsily smacking against the table. Mom and Harrison both gasped, the former too stunned to speak while the latter yelped in excitement.
Rhys!!! Concern?!
I blinked again to assure myself that I wasn’t hallucinating. “Junio—“ I couldn’t even finish uttering his name before he thrust himself into my chest, trembling.
Okay?! Scared!! His emotions were rapid and intense; my head was still pounding, but for some reason, each pulse hurt a little less than the last.
“I’m…” I stopped the impulse with a swallow. If I was ever going to break this cycle, I had to stop stuffing my feelings back into the depths. Junior looked up at me, eyes welling with newborn tears.
Don’t.
No. I owed it to him not to lie—to spare him from overthinking the instincts that I’d tried to calm, and I had to say it out loud.
You don’t need to. You don’t need to!
Deep breath in…
I want to.
…Deep breath out.
The ugliest, most painful, yet sincere smile crinkled onto my lips. “No, I’m not. I’m really, really not.”
Junior stared at me in silence. Part of me held its breath, expecting him to catastrophize the truth he probably wanted to deny himself. Another part expected him to calm my mind again and wash all my sorrow away like I knew he wanted. I wouldn’t have blamed him if he had even chosen to teleport back upstairs. I’d be tired—so, so tired—of me too.
But a small, quivering smile formed on his face, too. He plastered his little arms back onto my chest and let out a warbling squeak. Faith…
The gesture was nearly too much for me to handle. I fought back a ginormous sob, squeezing Junior as hard as I could while soft sputters escaped from my tightly sealed mouth. Mom took my shoulders into her hands again, rubbing them gently while the wall trapping my emotions began to crack, and I quietly—cathartically—began to let all of it out.
“Is… urk—now a good time?” Harrison tapped his foot on the living room carpet and sat as forward as he could in the cushy recliner. Byte was snuggled against his lap, having completely passed out, lightly whirring in his sleep.
“For…?” I calmly asked from the couch only a few feet away, my legs spread straight across its length, with Junior quietly leaning on my chest. My outburst had mostly become a memory, save a few wayward tears still etched into my cheeks, a natural calm having finally settled into my body. Mom helped me into the living room before she’d reluctantly gone off to work, urging me to let her know if I needed her to come home and just hang around, but I promised her that I’d be alright. I guess the Daycare had another big mishap involving a few hungry Bidoof, and they’d been blowing up her phone over it. They really couldn’t function without her, huh?
Harrison took a moment to focus, then pointed straight at Junior. “The pshshhhoowww!” His mouthy-gibberish was accompanied by a slew of erratic hand gestures, which I assumed roughly translated to “How the hell did he Teleport?!”
“I-I dunno, actually,” I looked down at my drowsy partner and scratched his head. “I’m surprised too…”
“You sure you didn’t teach him that?” Harrison lightly pressed. “Positive? A hundred-million percent?”
Byte lightly squeaked in discontent, shuffling in his sleep as his trainer leaned a bit too far forward.
“I’m not that good at this yet.” I smiled at Junior, who’d begun to rub his eyes, emerging from his doze. “I think he’s… he’s already stronger than I thought.”
“No… kidding…!” Harrison fought off a few of Byte’s dozy kicks. “Remember when this guy was little, it took like, a week before he’d even listen to me! And he couldn’t even use Thunder Shock without blowing himself up!”
I smiled and nodded. The memories were hazy, but I could recall a few: a joyous Harrison stuffing my petrified face full of Byte’s chest fur on the day he’d come home; a few spontaneous texts informing me that their training was going a bit less than smoothly, yet he was still confident. I could only recall a few moments in which I’d been around the pair before, well, nothing. There was a gap in my memory, one that I didn’t realize had grown so large in the past half year, and it felt embarrassing to recognize I’d been so… absent.
O…kay…? Junior patted my chest and looked up at me with half-closed eyes.
“I’m just a little sad…” I thought to him. “I just… wish I wasn’t so reclusive until now.” I smiled as best I could. “But I’m gonna try and not be like that anymore. For everyone.”
Junior smiled—head wobbly—then leaned his tired head back onto me. Trust… The poor thing must’ve been exhausted from using all that energy so quickly. I began to scratch the hair between his horns. He deserved some more rest.
“And you two can do whatever that is,” Harrison pointed and continued. “I still can’t believe you guys talk like that!”
“You’ve battled Psychics before, right?” I chuckled. “All that training in Unova and you swear you haven’t seen someone use telepathy before?” I was legitimately curious, but I was also surprised that he was still so impressed by Junior and me. We really weren’t doing anything that special, right? He was a psychic type! This came second nature to him, just like with all the other species out there!
“I mean, yeah, I did.” He slouched back onto the recliner and grunted. “But nobody I faced with a psychic type communicated the way you guys do. Like, sure, I think they used telepathy a few times while fightin’—battles get way too exciting for me to remember—but they never did everything up here like you guys do.” He put a finger to his temple and tapped it, accentuating his stare. “One guy I remember talkin’ to even said it took him months before he could even use telepathy well with his Pokémon, and you two are doin’ it within a day like it’s natural!”
“Y-You’re serious?” I gulped. “I mean… We’re not saying words or anything—or at least he isn’t!” I looked at Junior, who had completely passed out, his chest gently rising and falling. “It’s more like… He talks with emotions, and I just like, think a response back.” I quieted my tone and continued, “I guess that is a little strange, huh…” Dad’s passionate tirade—at least that’s what it felt like—started to creep back into my head. I knew Junior and I had a deep bond, but it couldn’t be abnormally special, especially given how we met; but, now that I thought about it, his tone was full of an odd, unfamiliar wonder…
“Dead serious,” Harrison said. “I dunno why, but I swear somethin’s special about you guys. I know those lil guys are rare, but I swear I would’ve heard about somethin’ like that by now—all that emotional communication stuff you just mentioned.”
I chuckled into my hand. “No, you wouldn’t’ve.”
“I’m serious!” he protested. “I’ve battled like, a billion people over there! None of them talk like that!”
“You just said you can barely remember your battles!”
“Doesn’t mean I can’t remember how people talk to their Pokémon!”
“Okay, okay,” I said, smiling and waving. “I believe you. It just… This is all so new that I don’t know what’s normal and what isn’t! It’s just so much different reading about Pokémon compared to actually having one…”
“Yep,” Harrison laughed and plopped both hands onto Byte’s outstretched belly. “These guys are giant balls of randomness!”
Byte squeaked in irritation, jumping up from his lounged position and nuzzling Harrison’s face with a spark-filled cheek. I laughed as quietly as I could, stuffing my hand over my mouth so I didn’t wake Junior for the umpteenth time in the past day. They were just so… so adorable! It must’ve been amazing to have a bond that deep.
I felt Junior take a deep breath and shuffle a bit in his sleep, turning and snuggling his head deeper into my chest. “I do…” I nearly started to tear up again, but I smiled instead. This wasn’t the scary, impossible future I’d toiled over for months. This really was just…awesome.
“Hey,” I looked back at Harrison, holding Junior a little tighter.
“Mmm?” Harrison spoke through Byte’s nuzzles, still trying to push the lively Raichu off.
“How… How did you start to feel confident, doing this?”
“… Off!” Harrison forced Byte to his side and leaned to the side. “Enough, man!” He smiled and noogied his partner on the head while he squeaked in happiness. “Wait wait sorry, whadja say?”
“Like…” I began to shy away. “How—When did you find out that training was, y’know, fulfilling?”
“Uhhhh, honestly?” He looked at Byte curiously. “I don’t really think I ever thought about that. The fun part for me is just that I get to explore n’ battle with this oaf.” He lightly pressed his fist against the Raichu now nuzzling his arm. “Traveling, battling, meeting new people… It’s all great to me, but when I really think about it, all that stuff wouldn’t be as fun if Byte wasn’t around. Right, buddy?”
“Chu chuuu…” Byte mischievously mumbled, giving his trainer a hardened yet playful stare.
“I see,” I slumped back on the pillow behind me. “I guess it really is that simple, huh?” I genuinely felt like an idiot for having questioned it for this long. Junior had unwavering faith in me—no matter what I did, or how emotionally overwhelming I became, he wanted me to succeed. My desires had become his, whether I wanted them to or not, because he cared! He’d be there for me no matter what!
But… I couldn’t help but wonder how he’d feel if we ever left home. I’d already overstimulated him enough, and I was just one person! How would he deal with a place as jam-packed as Castelia—a place where there must be thousands of emotions swirling through the air at any moment! Not to mention the forest. Not the forest. I don’t want to go back there yet—
I shook the foreign thought off. That didn’t feel like me, but I didn’t want to overthink another trivial, intrusive thought, so I let it be.
“The way I see it, if you wanna get out and adventure, then you can!” Harrison grinned. “Yer more than smart enough to train Junior!”
“B-But, I don’t even know his moveset—”
“Dude, trust me,” he interrupted. “You don’t need to know any of that stuff! All you gotta do is work hard and try your best!” He looked at Byte and gritted his teeth. “And also don’t let your guy convince you he needs thirty berries a meal!” Byte snickered, knowing exactly what he’d done, and knowing that he’d be doing it many more times.
“That might be a little hard,” I chuckled and rubbed Junior’s head. “This guy’s probably gonna eat twice that amount once he wakes up.”
“You guys neeeeed to try the food over in Unova!” Harrison’s face lit up as he hopped out of the recliner. “It’s literally insane. The burgers are literally the most juiciest, sweetest, scrumptious angels on a bun you’ll ever taste!”
“I think I remember trying one when I was little… I don’t really know,” I pondered the taste of a double-decker layered with every topping I could dream of. “I-I’ll take your word for it, ooohhh…” I shook my head and focused my mind back on track. “I just—with my leg and everything, I don’t know if I’m gonna be able to train him very well, a-and a big part of me feels like I’ll be wasting my time.” I looked down at Junior. How crazy was it was that he had so much power already, even in the absence of energy? I steeled myself with the thought, knowing my words held a future. “He even told me he wants to battle cause I want to… I don’t wanna deny him that!”
Harrison seemed to ponder my words for a moment, then started to speak. “Do you want it more, or does Junior?”
“I… We both want it the same, yeah.”
He smiled. “Then you’re gonna make a great team. Trust me!” Both trainer and Pokémon turned to each other and nodded confidently. Their camaraderie was palpable—a warm feeling flowed through me as I placed a fist to my chest right beside Junior. I hoped him and I could have that kind of bond one day. To be so confident in each other’s strength that you could see the same in others… It was admirable beyond words.
Bzz! Bzz!
A loud pair of buzzes rang out from Harrison’s pocket, causing him to jolt in surprise.
“Oh… crap!” Harrison stuffed his hand into it and pulled out his phone, glaring at its screen with a tinge of fright. “Fuck! Byte, we gotta head home!”
“Wait!” I yelled at Harrison as he withdrew Byte into his ball and began to stride toward the foyer. “Is something wrong?!”
“No no I’m good, it’s just… My parents need me to do somethin’ for ‘em… I’ll come say hi again later, okay?” The sound of shoes shuffling onto feet rang into the living room, then the creaking of the door. I clutched the now waking Junior as he rubbed his eyes, dazed yet not fully aware of the commotion going on in our minds.
“Harrison!” I turned my head toward the foyer and impulsively shouted. I couldn’t let him leave without saying it. Even if he said he’d be back, I knew him well enough to know there were plenty of things that could keep him away.
“Yeah!?” his voice echoed from halfway out of the door.
“When are you leaving for Unova again?!”
“In like, three days!”
Desire…? I felt Junior drowsily inquire. His uncertainty quickly transformed into understanding, then confidence.
“Before you leave… Junior and I wanna battle you!”
There was a brief pause. I stared with bated breath at the corner of the archway, the light from outside streaming in, a world of opportunity peeking right around the corner. He’d already walked into the light, and I knew I wanted to follow.
I could’ve sworn I heard him smile. “We’ll be ready for ya!”