Junior didn’t like it when night fell. Not one bit.
There was something strange about the world’s aura when the sun went down, like sinister forces had begun to emerge and began to make their presence known subtly. He could never sense where exactly they were hiding—it always felt like they were close, yet out of sight—but his body would always tense up as if they were staring right into his eyes, taunting him with feelings of anger, malice, and dangerous lust.
He especially didn’t like it when, for some strange reason, while lying down on his tiny pillow next to his soundly sleeping trainer, his brain would erupt in fear when he closed his eyes. He could never recall the images very clearly each time he came to, but those terrifying feelings would always remain, their rotten energy festering in his core.
He didn’t want to pester Rhys about them, either. His trainer already had too much on his mind; adding a whole new set of worries would only make Rhys feel worse, and that wasn’t his job. Rhys’ feelings came first! He had to tend to them above all else! His petty emotions could take a back seat if it meant preserving his trainer’s emotional stability, especially given how attuned their minds were to each other’s.
But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t stop shaking—that awful feeling of being preyed upon only worsened as he stared into the star-studded, inky blackness of the sky outside the bedroom window. He could swear he heard howling echoing out from the woods, but whenever he’d gently float over to the windowsill and focus his mind toward what lurked within the trees, his mind picked up no malice. Something… paranormal was threatening him, right? He was so used to seeing and feeling everything, so why couldn’t he pinpoint this?
The night was still young; Rhys’ mind had only just shushed as the boy shifted slightly under his covers, quietly muttering as he drifted further into sleep. Junior lay beside him, tucked into a bed of small, soft towels Rhys had laid out so he wouldn’t get smothered by the trainer’s thicker, larger blanket, staring nervously out the window to their left.
He could feel it again—the venom lacing each ray of moonlight that coated the room made him shiver. Moonlight meant the monsters were on the prowl, scary ones. Ones that wouldn’t hesitate to hurt him, or even worse, Rhys. Even if he couldn’t feel their presence like he normally would, he knew they were there, lurking somewhere in the forest just beyond his mind’s range. Why couldn’t he just see, he thought, when his mind was screaming that evil lurked there?
He threw off the towels and scooched his trembling body closer to Rhys, who’d already passed out completely. All he had to do was follow suit; sleeping meant the moon would go away and that the sun would rise, dispelling the evil that lurked in the shadows of night. That usually worked on nights when it felt stronger, and that’s what he intended to do this time. He turned toward Rhys’ back, watching his trainer’s gentle breathing and focusing on the peace flowing through his mind. They were safe here—whatever his mind cautioned was out there couldn’t harm them. It wouldn’t harm them. All he had to do was close his eyes…
… and be ripped violently from his sleep by a wave of fear.
He sat up hastily, choking back a yelp and frantically gazing at Rhys to make sure he was okay. No scratches, no bruises, no blood—just him peacefully sleeping as he’d been before.
Junior gently placed his arms on Rhys’ back and squeezed himself against it. He knew what he’d seen while asleep was merely a dream, but it felt so real, so inexplicably tied to his waking worries that for a moment he thought he may’ve lost everything. But none of it was true—Rhys was still right here.
He sunk his cheek further into Rhys’ spine. His dream had been tame up until it appeared; what started as a serene training session had quickly gone sour. They’d been practicing Psychic on trees out in the yard near the forest, Rhys’ timid encouragement pushing him forward and beyond his limits like it always had.
But then the howling started.
The dogs leapt from the foliage with alarming speed, quickly leaping toward him with the strongest malice he’d ever felt. But they didn’t go for him this time. They went for Rhys.
He couldn’t stop them in time—not even his strongest blast could prevent the Evil from ensnaring his trainer and gnawing at his skin. The screams were harrowing, guttural, laced with pain beyond anything he’d ever heard, and he couldn’t stop them. He’d been frozen to the ground, forced to stare at his trainer’s mauling as his mind filled with abject terror and anguish because his body wouldn’t move or do anything because he wasn’t strong enough and—
“Hmm? Junior…?”
He jolted backward. Rhys’ groggy confusion bled into his mind as the boy slowly awoke. He didn’t mean to wake him up! Especially not over something as stupid as this! Rhys shuffled himself around to face him as he quickly cobbled together a stream of sympathy and regret to hopefully quell the annoyance that would surely begin to surface in Rhys’ rudely awakened mind.
“Ughnh…” Rhys rubbed his eyes. “Are you… alright?”
Happy! Okay! Junior lied, putting on a fake, quivery smile as he sent his emotions toward Rhys. He knew he shouldn’t have done that—he constantly encouraged Rhys not to lie, in fact—but Rhys didn’t need more stress. His trainer’s mind constantly conjured worry after worry seemingly out of nowhere, and he didn’t want to add another to the pile.
Rhys lifted his head off the pillow and raised an eyebrow. “You sure?”
O—Okay! His mind stuttered. A tinge of doubt had laced his feigned emotion, and Rhys could totally tell.
“But I could’ve sworn I felt you trembling…”
He couldn’t keep up this façade. As much as he wanted to save Rhys the trouble, he just couldn’t hold it in any longer.
S…Scared!!! Junior threw himself against Rhys, accidentally spearing the boy’s chest with his horn.
“Ack! Junior…!” Rhys wheezed. After a light chuckle, he pulled the Ralts into a hug and gently whispered, “Everything’s alright… You’re okay…”
Junior hugged Rhys even tighter, absorbing the warmth of his trainer’s caring emotions. He was thankful—so, so thankful.
After a few moments, Rhys detached Junior from their embrace and laid his head back down. A massive yawn escaped from his mouth, his drowsiness still very apparent in Junior’s head.
“What’re you scared of?” his trainer suddenly asked with an inquisitive look.
The question rang in Junior’s head for a moment as he struggled to come up with an answer. Human words were still a struggle for him to process, but Rhys’ intent was clear: He was truly curious about his fear. But why would he want to concern himself with these awful feelings?
Junior replied the only way he knew how; a jumbled mix of fearful thoughts and anxieties entered Rhys’ mind. The Ralts put his hands over his mouth in anticipation as he watched Rhys clasp his forehead. Hopefully that wasn’t too much…!
“I… think I get it,” Rhys unclenched his jaw and opened his eyes. “It feels like you’re having some n_g__m_r_s.”
Confusion…? Junior hadn’t heard that term before, but Rhys’ mind seemed to indicate it wasn’t something pleasant. He urged his trainer to clarify, strengthening his curiosity as it flowed from his mind over.
“Oh, right, new big word,” Rhys spoke apologetically. “A nightmare is like—like a scary dream you get every once in a while. Does that sound right?”
Junior gave it a moment, then slowly nodded. Rhys’ thoughts certainly felt accurate, but why was he being plagued with such an awful thing? The Evil wasn’t just confined to his dreams, either; it had to be tied to the moon! That’s when it always appeared!
He slowly pointed an arm at the window. The moonlight looked sharper this time—more radiant, more wicked.
“Hm?” Rhys sat up, crawled over to the edge of the bed, and took a peek outside. “Is there something out there that scared you?”
Certainty…? Junior felt back, but with a touch of doubt. Rhys was nearly on the same page, yet his mind seemed to be leaning towards the idea that the Evil was something he’d seen, not felt. He shivered in place, averting his gaze from the window as visions of those rabid creatures assaulted his subconscious once more. He couldn’t bear for the night to continue; he just wanted it to end!
“Hey hey hey,” Rhys scrambled over to his softly sniveling pokémon. “Don’t cry! You’re safe! I’m not gonna let anything hurt you, alright?”
Junior’s lips quivered as he squeaked in mild agreement. He wiped the tears forming in his eyes and tried to ground himself, letting his mind soak in his trainer’s gentle concern. He was right—he couldn’t be deterred by the Evil. He wouldn’t be! It was out there under the moonlight, not under their roof!
Rhys sat crisscrossed in front of Junior and leaned his head down level with the Ralts. “Hey,”—he put a finger on his partner’s shoulder—“that ugly mix of doubt and confusion you’re feeling… I get it. You’re anxious.”
Junior cringed at his trainer’s realization. He was… anxious? The feeling he’d desperately tried to rid his trainer of was somehow plaguing him? He covered his hands with his eyes in shame. How could he not tell before? Why wasn’t he able to earlier? And why were his feelings so irrational—untraceable in origin? This was so unfair! How could he rid his trainer’s pain if he couldn’t regulate his own?
“Hey,” Rhys shook Junior out of his stupor. “Don’t feel bad about it, okay? You’re not weird for being scared of something for no reason—a-at least that’s what you feel like to me.”
Certain…? Junior gently questioned through emotion. Was he truly sure? Rhys’ anxiety was so sudden and visceral that he’d sometimes shut down completely, leaving Junior to gently—sometimes desperately—soothe his mind. If feelings that sudden—so vile—could harm one’s psyche that badly, were they truly okay to have?
“Of course,” Rhys replied, a warm smile forming on his face after he spoke. “I can feel you feel a lil bad about it, and I get that. I really do. I hide those kinds of feelings from Mom all the time cause it just feels so… so stupid to feel them at all.” Rhys sighed and looked upward. “And then I start to feel even shittier, and then you always end up having to calm me down… It’s a real pain in the ass, huh?” He looked back down at Junior and smirked.
Junior felt his horns warm. Rhys was urging him to feel just a bit more okay with himself, and although a small part of his mind protested the notion, he couldn’t help but oblige. His trainer’s positivity was always infectious whenever it bloomed.
“Now whatever’s out there that’s scaring you… I don’t know what it is—and you don’t even really have to know either—but I promise it’s not real, even if it feels like the realest thing that’s ever existed.” Rhys ruffled Junior’s hair and motioned for a fist bump. “Okay?”
Agreement… Happy! Junior returned the bump with a tiny squeak. Even if he was still a bit unsure—the evil lurking in the back of his mind… He felt it was okay to distrust it. It may feel daunting, but he could push it aside! Maybe it was easier than he’d thought?
His eyes drifted back toward the window—the moonlight still trickled through the blinds. A tinge of unease bled into his stomach. Maybe not…
“Oh—Oh shoot should I close these?” Rhys asked after noticing Junior’s thousand-yard stare. “I can close them if you want. I’m not—uh—scared of the dark or anything. Although I do like the light…”
Junior rapidly nodded. That would be more than ideal, he thought.
Rhys hopped out of bed and slowly pulled down the blind cord. Little by little, each beam of moonlight began to shrink—the Evil slowly being sealed with each tug—until the room was coated in darkness.
“Jeez it’s dark in here,” Rhys muttered. “Are you really sure this is better?”
Calm… Junior took a deep breath, then slowly exhaled. Much, much better.
“I’m glad. Alright,” Rhys spoke mid-yawn, crawling back into bed. “I gotta… go back to bed. How was I able to stay up this late before…? God…”
Junior laid back down and snuggled his head against his pillow. Even though it was still dark, this darkness wasn’t tainted—it was pure, calm, and peaceful. Slowly, his eyes fluttered shut. A lovely dream would surely grace him now, and so would a new day—a happy one.
“Just gotta… find my way back without crawling on you! Seriously, how is it this dark in here—shit!”
Surprised!! Anger!!
“I-I’m sorry!! Hey, wait! I can feel you’re faking it!”
Mischief!
“Aw, come on! I thought I really hurt you for a sec!”
Apologetic!!
“W-Wait I’m not really that annoyed! Did it feel like I was? Y’know what… L-Let’s just go to bed… Goodnight…”