Story 11 - A (Very) Late Night Talk, written by: Sean

Sean the Cyndaquil and his partner Eva the Eevee came back from a successful rescue mission. They had to save a Pichu from the fangs of some feral Pokemon. As they arrived back home, Sean immediately dropped his bag off and went to get some food. Eva picked up his bag and put it in the closet as she heard Sean yell that food is ready.

As she arrived at the little kitchen, which was just a table, two chairs and a little chimney where they cook their food in a pot. Sean then poured warmed up leftover berry stew in two bowls and brought them to the table. As Eva sat down, Sean got some napkins an sat down too.

As they ate, Eva asks Sean a small question. "Are you tired?" Sean replied with a nod. She then drank the rest of the stew as and looked at Sean, while a small blush appeared across her cheek. Sean then also finished his stew and cleaned up the kitchen as Eva went to her bed. As Sean arrived to the two beds, Eva was already asleep. He petted her and talked to himself a bit.

"You're so sweet. If you just knew how much you mean to me." He then went to his bed and fell asleep.

At Midnight, Eva woke up. She wanted to get some water but then saw Sean breathing fast. He was tensing up and talking in his sleep.

"No. no….NO!"

Sean then sprung up, his flames shooting out of his back and preparing to fight as he looked around, shivering. Eva then approached Sean slowly, giving him a hug and feeling his shivering. His flame slowly disappeared as he hugged her back, crying into her fluffy chest.

"I-I couldn't save him…I-" but before Sean could yell out what he said, Eva put her finger on his lips.

"Psssssh. Its alright. Its alright…" She then went to get two glass of water, before seeing Sean walk outside. She followed him and saw him just sitting down on the walkway. She then gave him the glass of water and sat next to him.

"You know…I sometimes wonder why I am still alive. It still should've been me."

Eva then drank her water before asking what sorts of adventures they had. Sean then just looked at the sky and smiled, his mind now swelling in memories.

"Well at the beginning we were ruckuses. We did explore caves and small dungeons for treasures but most of the time we payed pranks on other Pokémon or we were stealing either money or food." Sean chuckled a bit. "The punishments from mom and the police were worth it to form some funny memories. Like where we ran from the police and pranked him by acting like my partner tripped and broke his leg."

"Didn't knew this side of you." She said, a bit shocked as Sean laughed. "Well I do try to keep this side of me in secret. I've changed dear." He then sipped his water again and saw Eva laying her head on his lap. He petted her as he kept talking.

"Then one day, we explored a small cave. Not only did we find some beautiful crystals but also some old coins. As we brought them back to a treasure collector, he told us the coins were 300 years old and gave us 1000 Pokedollars each. We made 10k just from finding coins." He smiles "The crystals were worthless but I still have them as a memory. And well, the rest is history, a lot of money and a good reputation."

Sean then stroked Eva's ear as he then sighed happily. "I still remember our biggest hunt like it was yesterday. It was a nine-month hunt for a religious artifact."

"You mean the golden feathers of Ho-Oh?"

Sean nod as he then looked up at the sky, watching the starts with Eva.

Then after a while….

"Do you believe in the afterlife?"

Eva looked at Sean. The question came out of nowhere. She stuttered a bit as she answered.

"W-well a bit. I mean we have ghost Pokémon and they have to come from somewhere."

Sean nod in agreement. "There has to be an afterlife. Or what I also believe. Reincarnation."

"Reincarnation?"

"Yeah. That the soul of the Pokémon who dies will be transferred in a new one. Well in whatever I believe, I know that my partner is watching over me." A few tears escaped Sean's eyes as he kept looking up in the sky. Eva wiped those tears away and hugged him.

"And he is proud of you."

She then let go and laid down again to watch the stars, as she then asked Sean if there is life outside of this word that they are in.

"Look at the stars Eva. Those are millions, billions of suns, planets and systems. Many older than the world we live in. There might be everything or nothing outside this universe. Well since we know about Deoxys, there is life outside this world."

Sean smiles, still watching the stars as Eva then sighed and sat up, taking his paw, Sean looked a bit confused

"Listen Sean." Eva said, stroking his paw. "I know losing your partner was traumatic but I've seen you often trying to fight the urge to pass the rainbow bridge."

Sean gulped and looked away, sighing. "L-listen E-"

"NO YOU LISTEN."

Sean instantly got quiet as she sighed. "Sean. Look around you. Think back for a bit. You made new friends, had new adventures, we even found the treasure your partner was searching for his whole time."

Sean remembers. It was his first treasure hunt after the loss of his partner. And also the first time since the loss where he had fun.

But then he saw her cry. "I- we don't want to lose you."

Sean then stroked the fur on Eva's head. Eva then slowly looked at Sean who just smiles and assures her that he won't do it. Which she replied with a hug. Sean then took all his pride, looked Eva in her eyes and blushed.

"Eva. Y-you keep me going. You're my world and my life. I don't know where I would be now if I didn't rescue you and went on this adventure. But in all these adventures, there was a feeling that didn't go away. And its love."

Eva blushed, as Sean put the paw, that he just petted her with, on his heart. "Eva. Will you be my girlfriend?"

Eva replied by grabbing Sean's bandana, pulling him down and giving him a lovingly kiss before Sean carried her inside.

As the sun rises and the first Sunrays touched her skin, she yawned and thought about the Midnight talk they had, thinking it was just a dream, until she looked down and saw Sean's arm wrapped around her. She smiled as she heard one sentence from Sean, that let her realize that it wasn't a dream.

"Just five more minutes my love…"