This week's writing assignment is to pick your favorite hero and explain why you think they are heroic.
Allister stared at the online homework portal and sighed in frustration. School and homework were going much better now that Bea had enrolled him in a homeschooling program, but he still despised creative writing. It was usually due to struggling to think of ideas, and when he could think of one, it usually led to a parent-teacher conference on how his work was infinitely too horrifying for a typical elementary schooler to read, let alone write. He had finished everything else for the week so he could enjoy his free time and gym battles, but he knew this assignment would drive him crazy if he didn't at least get started on it.
"Alli, don't chew on your pencil. It's bad for your teeth and you accidentally ate the eraser last time." Startled by Bea's chastising, Allister nearly toppled out of his chair.
"When did you get home sis!?"
"About an hour ago. I said hello but you were very engrossed in your work. What did you learn about today?"
"Multiplication and division during math… Biomes and what pokemon typically live in them during science… for language arts I have to write a paper and can't come up with any ideas…" Allister absent-mindedly rolled his slightly chewed pencil around on the table before it fell to the floor.
"Well let's take a look at what you've got." Bea took a seat next to Allister and looked at the screen.
"Can't you just do it for me?"
"No. That would be cheating. But if you come up with an idea and at least start something, I'll guide you along." Allister groaned and smacked his face on the table, feeling utterly defeated. Thankfully his mask took all of the impact.
"But I don't know how to get started!"
"Think about someone you look up to in real life, or the main character from a book you're reading, or the games we play together. Think about what they do and how they treat people that makes them the hero of their story." Bea got up from the table, ruffling Allister's hair after standing up. "You should probably take a break to clear your head. You've been working really hard today."
"Is it okay even though I'm not finished?"
"Yes. It's a beautiful day outside and some fresh air may help you come up with an idea. Do you want me to come with you?"
"No thank you. I just need some me time… no offense."
"None taken. You should probably change out of your pajamas first." Allister nodded and got into his typical exploring clothes, a t-shirt and some tracksuit pants, before returning downstairs. He smiled when he saw that Bea had packed his bag with some snacks and a water bottle.
"Thanks Bea!"
"You're welcome Alli. You know the rules, right?"
"Be back by eight? And… and keep my phone with me and on at all times!"
"Perfect. Have fun and be safe." Allister nodded and walked to the door before backtracking to hug Bea.
"Love you sis…"
"Love you too, Alli."
After a peaceful stroll through his favorite graveyard, Allister took a seat next to his parents tombstone. He placed a few flowers he had picked from the Tangle on the stone itself and leaned into it. Occasionally, the ghostly apparitions of his parents would appear and would tell him that they loved him. It was happening less often nowadays, but they had told him several visits ago that their grip on this world was weakening the longer they tried to hold on. Even though he didn't spy either of them today, he still felt a calming presence just being near their final resting place. Some of the wild pokemon he had befriended came to join him, settling around the area and joining his team that had been accompanying him.
"Mims, do you have thoughts about my paper? My head feels less foggy now, but I still don't know where to start…"
"Perhaps the hero from that game you and Bea like to play on the Switch together… the one where the boy collects masks and uses them to help other people? You think he's admirable, don't you?"
"Maybe… but the teacher thinks video games are a waste of time and took points off for that last time… and I've never really been into superheroes so I'm not well-versed on that matter…" No matter what idea Allister came up with, he eventually scribbled it out before wadding up the paper and shoving it back in his bag.
"Sis would know what to do… She's good at everything... Wait, that's it!" Grabbing a new sheet of paper, given that the other one he brought was no longer fit to write on, Allister began writing as quickly as he could think of the words.
When most people think of heroes, they probably think of people flying around in costumes or someone with a sword fighting back monsters. The hero I want to talk about is my big sister named Bea. While she is strong and brave, the way she always takes care of me makes her my hero.
When I was really little, I lost both of my parents due to an accident. Bea's parents adopted me and tried to make me fit into the idea of a son that they wanted. Big, strong, and full of athletic ability. I was not and I'm still not any of those things.
I felt lost for a very long time until Bea started taking care of me.
While she wasn't the best sister to me at first,
"Alright Allister. I need to get you cleaned up since you're dusty and you still have some dried blood on your leg from where you fell. But your papers say your stitches can't get damp."
Allister stood behind the bathroom door, hiding and peeking out at Bea. It was the evening after she had promised him that she would try her absolute best to be a better sister. That didn't mean he wasn't still quite a bit nervous as she started running the bathwater and pondering what to do next.
"Allister, I think I have an idea. We've been studying the mythology of other regions in my social studies class at school. Are you ready?" Allister nodded and cautiously came out from hiding, thinking that it was now storytime.
"Good. Hold your breath." Before Allister could react, he was grabbed by his ankles and dipped into the bathtub. He tried to yelp in shock, but it didn't work very well as he was underwater. He started kicking frantically and started coughing when Bea lifted him.
"I'm sorry. I didn't think that all the way through. Let's just clean up with a damp washcloth for tonight."
I wasn't exactly the best brother to her either.
"Hm? What did you find, Allister?" Allister grabbed a small wooden train set off of the shelf and held it up to Bea.
"You've been pretty good lately when it's just the two of us. I'll buy it for you. But I can only buy you one thing today." Allister nodded and trailed after Bea as she went into the candy aisle. All of the candy at eye level was too much temptation for him to resist, and he grabbed a giant chocolate bar before handing it to Bea with pleading eyes.
"No Allister. We can either get the train set or the chocolate bar. I don't have enough money to buy you both items today." Fury welled up in Allister's tiny body as Bea rejected his plea, too much for the four year old to properly contain. He threw himself on the floor of the store while kicking and screaming, throwing a tantrum of epic proportions.
"Don't start, Allister." Bea scolded him as she tried to grab him off of the floor and he rolled over, bumping into a shelf. A bottle of olive oil that was precariously balanced on the edge promptly fell over and busted, coating the floor, the train set, and the tantruming child. The shock at being suddenly covered in oil caused Allister to become quiet and peer up at Bea through his mask. She looked absolutely furious. Allister began crying again, now feeling equally fearful, remorseful, and uncomfortable.
"We're going home. I'm still getting you the train set, but only because it's now covered in oil. It's not a reward for your behavior. You'll have to earn the privilege to play with it by doing some chores for me or something." Bea picked up Allister and took all the ruined merchandise up to the checkout, silently seething that she couldn't afford her sweets after paying for all the damages.
But we eventually got to a point where we got along.
"Mum?" Waking up from a recurring nightmare of falling and crashing, Allister began sobbing in his bed, trying to soothe himself, and he was failing miserably. Hearing his bedroom door creak open, he huddled under the blankets and hoped whatever creature was awake at this hour would not notice him and eventually leave. He flinched when he felt a set of arms pick him and his bundle of bedding up. After stepping into the hallway with better lighting, Allister finally recognized Bea and was a bit less stressed.
"I'm still working on my homework. You can stay with me until you feel better." Bea laid the nervous bundle on her bed and sat down at her desk. Not wanting to be alone after his nightmare, Allister walked over and climbed onto Bea's lap.
"All I have to do now is some reading. Do you want me to read my literature books out loud? I don't think we have any children's books for you to get a proper bedtime story." Allister nodded and crawled back into Bea's bed, snuggling into the blankets and pressing into Bea's side once she sat down.
"The reading I have to do for tonight is a short story called 'The Scarlet Cramorant'." Allister felt his eyes grow heavy as Bea read to him. Her voice was monotone but absolutely perfect for him to fall asleep to. He attempted to nuzzle into Bea's shoulder, but his mask was in the way. He hesitated for just a moment, as he had used his mask as a comfort object for months, before taking the mask off and laying it next to him. He looked up at Bea, a smile displayed on her face. It was a rare sight to see anything other than her neutral face, but Allister smiled back before continuing to snuggle his big sister, eventually falling asleep with pleasant dreams this time.
When her parents tried to force me to do things I wasn't physically able to, she would step in and say she would take over the job.
"Mother, Father. Since Allister isn't cooperating with you, I can take him to my gym and have him follow my training regimen." Bea followed the sound of Allister's sobbing and found him hiding under the kitchen table, trembling with fear. He flinched when Bea tapped him on the shoulder, but immediately started clinging to her once he realized his sister was finally home.
"I'm going to the gym. I'll bring you with me." Allister nodded and wrapped himself around Bea's legs as the duo exited the house.
"Make him walk. He's perfectly capable." Allister looked up as Bea rolled her eyes and pried Allister off, before deciding to carry him instead.
"D-do I have to do t-training? It hurts… makes me sick sometimes too…"
"Only if you want to. It's a good idea to exercise to keep your body healthy, but not to the extent my parents are pushing you." Allister nodded and shyly hid his masked face from the people in the gym lobby until they made their way to Bea's private locker room.
"Wanna try… wanna be big and strong like you…" Bea smiled at Allister.
"Okay. I'm going to start off with some stretches if you want to try to copy me." Allister nodded and closely tried to mirror Bea, losing his balance and feeling disappointed that he couldn't quite do what Bea was doing.
"Don't get frustrated with yourself. You're doing great. Keep in mind I've been doing this kind of stuff since I could walk."
Instead of forcing me to run when I couldn't any longer, she would take me on hikes and let me ride on her shoulders,
"So Allister, how was your day?" Allister thought for a minute as the two walked deeper into Glimwood Tangle.
"O-okay I guess… your p-parents don't get close to me now that I have M-mimikyu… he keeps growling at them when they try to touch me…" Allister turned around and smiled underneath the mask when he saw the disguised pokemon faithfully following the two through the beautifully haunted forest. The hair atop his head began to quiver as he detected a potential new friend nearby.
"You're getting a little fidgety up there, Alli. Is something wrong?"
"G-ghost n-nearby… D-down… P-please." Bea nodded and helped Allister climb down, where he dashed off into the bushes, following the signal from his hair spike.
"Alli, stay where I can see you. I know the ghost pokemon are your friends, but I don't want you to be in any danger."
"S-sorry… Made a new friend…" Allister held up what appeared to be an antique teacup to Bea. She was a bit used to his quirks of befriending the supernatural, befriending inanimate objects wasn't something she had seen from him yet.
"Yeah Alli… That's great…" Bea skeptically looked at the cup and then was shocked when something inside popped out at her. She jumped back and heard Allister laugh at her.
"It's a sinistea… It invited me to a t-tea party… It wants me to be m-my trainer too… Can I b-borrow a pokeball so I can keep it?"
"Yes. Just try to keep this one hidden since you know our parents don't like mimikyu in the house, and likely wouldn't be welcome to another ghost pokemon."
or she would take me to a restaurant with an indoor playground.
"Allister, it's been a long day for me between school and my gym challenges. What do you say we skip my evening workout and get some dinner?" Allister nodded and held onto Bea's hand, following her out of the gym.
"We need to get some weight on you. I say we do a junk food night even though it's not the healthiest option. Will you eat some chicken nuggets, fries, and a milkshake?"
"I'll try… d-do I have to finish it? I feel s-sick if I eat a lot…"
"No. I'll clean up your leftovers after you eat what you can handle. If you finish at least half of your food, I'll let you play on the indoor playground before we go home. Do you think you can do that?" Allister nodded and hid behind her as they entered the restaurant. Kids were running around and screaming, causing Allister to flinch. Bea patted his head reassuringly as she ordered their food and eventually brought it to the table. Bea took her order, a burger and a milkshake, before sliding the tray over to her brother.
"I'm d-done… is t-that enough?" Bea took a look. The meal was almost gone, and it was very rare for him to eat more than three bites of anything.
"Yes it is. You did a really good job and I'm proud of you for finishing. Once I'm done eating, we can go play." Bea quickly finished up and walked him to the separate area with the playground. Before Allister could run off, Bea scooped him up.
"Hold on. You have to take your shoes off before going in." Allister pouted a bit while Bea took his shoes off and he took off into the tubes of colorful plastic. Making his way up, he peeked out of one of the windows and kept hitting the plastic to get Bea's attention. Now satisfied that he got her to wave, he decided to make his way back down via a large slide. He was very confused when he was surrounded by a sea of colorful plastic balls. He couldn't see anything and felt like he couldn't breathe. To make matters worse, a group of kids came by and shoved him aside, further burying him. Now properly panicked, he began to scream and cry for his sister.
"Hang on Alli, I'm coming. Try to stand up so I can see where you are." Allister could only flail around but eventually felt himself get lifted up by Bea. "There, there. Let's get you home and get cleaned up. This part of the playground reeks."
No matter how much of an annoying crybaby I was,
Sitting in front of the humming washing machine, Allister was overcome with grief as he watched his favorite blanket and several cherished plushies being tossed around in the wash cycle. He pressed his mask against the glass door, tears streaming down his cheeks, and wailed as he witnessed everything swirl around inside.
"Allister, it's going to be alright. Everything will be clean soon. You wouldn't want everything stained and soured from the milk you accidentally spilled, would you?" Not answering, Allister tried the locked door of the washing machine and beat his small hands against the door with frustration when it didn't open. Bea simply didn't understand the sheer amount of anguish he was feeling deep in his heart. He always had a specific corner of the blanket that he chewed to calm himself down, and it wasn't going to have the comforting taste he was used to ever again.
Eventually lifting up his head, he was about to ask Bea how much longer it would be before his comfort items would be back in his possession, but his big sister had seemingly vanished.
"Bea?"
"I'm upstairs. I'll be back in just a minute." That was way too long for Allister to wait as he was already anguished from the temporary loss of his blanket, and he wasn't about to lose his big sister too. Crawling up the stairs on all fours, he spied Bea bringing over something.
"Here. I've seen you drag around my pillowcase before and snuggling it like you do your blanket. Will that help you feel better?"
and I still sometimes am,
It had been a very long day at the championship tournament. Allister and Bea had been up before sunrise, had to get ready, and had to catch a train to Wyndon all while the world was still dark. His day started with a flurry of interviews from reporters, being forced to take photographs with overzealous fans who wouldn't keep their hands to themselves, and a grand opening ceremony for the tournament complete with deafening music, a packed to the brim stadium, and fireworks on top of all the chaos.
Then came the actual tournament. While he had attended before, as Bea had to bring him along when he was way too young to stay home alone, this was his first time participating as a gym leader. It was nerve wracking, but he did well for his first time in his opinion, managing to beat Melony in battle during the first round. He lost in the second round, and may have cried a little bit after, but a hug from Bea and some reassuring words lifted his mood.
However, it was starting to sour again after being confined to the same locker room for hours on end. His breakfast cereal had worn off long ago, and he was too terrified of the entire population of Galar waiting outside the private locker room to grab a snack from the vending machine or concession stand. He also felt a horrible headache coming on. More than anything, he just wanted to get a bite to eat and go home. He watched the television as Bea lost a round against Raihan and spotted her coming back into the locker room. Wasting no time, he bounded up to her.
"Sis, I'm hungry…" He blushed a bit as his voice came out as a whine instead of a statement, but Bea ruffled his hair anyways while giving him a small smile.
"I understand. I'm starving too. Let's head up to the concession stand and get some dinner." Holding tightly onto Bea, Allister followed her through the bustling crowds, flinching whenever anyone accidentally brushed up against him or tried to get his attention.
"Sis…" Allister whined nervously, on the edge of a breakdown.
"I know Alli. Just hold on for a few more minutes. We're in line now and we'll get something to eat, and then we can relax until it's time for the closing ceremony. What do you think you want?"
"Pizza… chips…" Allister followed Bea up to the concession window.
"I'm sorry my good gym leaders, but we're out of everything except for soda and a few lollipops. Can I get you something to drink or something sweet?"
"I'll take a soda. Alli, do you want anything?"
"N-no…" As hard as he tried to keep it together, not getting anything for dinner was the straw that broke the Camerupts back as he began to cry. Tears flowed through the front of the mask in dark clouds as he sniffled. He was exhausted, famished, and wanted more than anything to just go home. Following Bea through the stadium's hallways, he cried even harder and was starting to hyperventilate. He noticed Bea walk into an empty office and sit down with him.
"Alli, can I take off your mask for a minute?" After a bit of hesitation, Allister nodded and took off his mask as Bea gently patted him on the back.
"We're going to get some food, okay? I'll just need to order something to be delivered. I promise I'm not going to let you starve." Allister nodded and sheepishly looked at the floor. He still wasn't able to calm himself down and felt Bea place a gentle hand on his face, wiping his tears away. "Do you still want pizza?"
"Y-yeah…"
"Would you like a hug too?" Allister buried his face in Bea's shoulder and started crying hysterically. "I'm really proud of you. I know today was going to be hard on you with having to be around people all day, but you did it."
"I'm s-sorry for crying…"
"Don't be. I may not be showing it, but I'm so hungry that I was about to cry too when they told us there wasn't anything left to eat."
"R-really? That's kinda a funny m-mental image… seeing you cry over a slice of pizza…"
"You've seen me cry over food before. Remember that time I started crying when I found out the grocery store was out of my favorite cake?"
"Y-yeah… W-we're both kind of ridiculous about when we c-cry sometimes…"
she always sets aside time to play with me and makes sure I'm doing okay.
Allister looked up from the dining table as he heard the door open and saw Bea come in. She looked exhausted. It was peak challenger season, and Bea still did her routine fitness and had errands to run to make sure the household was being taken care of.
"Hey Sis… you look really worn out…"
"I promise it's not too bad… Well now that I'm passing the mirror, the bags under my eyes do look dreadful. But I still feel okay." Bea walked by and ruffled Allister's hair before rummaging around in the fridge. "Did you decide what you wanted to do tonight?"
"Are you sure you want to spend time with me? You don't seem well…"
"I'm sure Allister. Even though I'm a gym leader and have to run the house, you're my little brother and I want to make sure you're happy."
"Can we build a pillow fort in the living room and sleep there tonight?"
"That sounds wonderful. Would you like to help me cook dinner? I'm planning on making a chicken and veggie curry." Allister nodded and donned the child sized apron Bea had gotten him as a gift once she decided he was responsible enough to help prepare food. "You can wash the veggies and get the spices out of the cabinet. Do you feel confident enough to use a knife yet or do you want me to do it?"
"M-maybe you can show me first… I'll do the next one…"
"Alright. Bring the stepstool over and I'll walk you through it."
After Bea found out her parents were planning on giving me up to an orphanage, she ran away with me and we lived in the gym locker room.
"He's a weakling. He's tarnishing our family name."
"Allister is not weak." The boy in question sat in the hallway, eavesdropping on the conversation that Bea had told him to stay in his room for. He could only catch snippets of the conversation, but what he could hear created a pit of anxiety and guilt in his stomach. Bea had never argued with her parents until she had started taking care of him.
"It's all my fault… I'm tearing this family apart…"
Allister quickly made his way back into his room, grabbing his bookbag that he had been left with ages ago, stuffing it with his most important belongings. If he was the problem here, then he was going to leave so Bea's family could be happy again. He and Mimikyu already knew of several abandoned buildings in the area that could possibly serve as a new home. Deciding to make his way out, he bumped into Bea, who was carrying a duffel bag on her shoulder.
"Hey Alli. We're going to do something really special. We get to have a sleepover at the gym for a few days. I packed a few of your things already, so go ahead and grab anything else you want to bring."
It was hard for both of us to adjust to, but Bea always tried to make it fun for me and made sure I had all my needs met.
"S-sis?" Allister sat up on the training mats that Bea had placed for the two of them to sleep on, not seeing Bea in the nearby vicinity of the locker room. It was dark, cold, and there were lot's of sounds that he was not used to. A flash of light from the tunnel leading out to the stadium clued him in to where Bea was, and he ran down to meet her.
A challenger was standing with a Raichu, and they were commanding the pokemon to chase down Bea's Hitmontop with its strikes, the pokemon barely outspeeding the lightning. Not aware of the danger of stepping out into a battlefield, Allister tugged on the back of Bea's uniform.
"Allister?! What are you doing out here?!"
"W-was trying to find you…"
"Stay right behind me." Allister nodded and peeked out from behind Bea's back, watching as his big sister successfully won the battle. He was smiling and silently cheered for her when she was victorious, but his expression faltered when he felt Bea grip his arm much harder than she normally did as she led him back into their living quarters.
"Let go sis! You're hurting me!" Bea lessened her grip and sat Allister down on the bench before leaning down to his level.
"Allister, it was very dangerous to go out onto the battle court like you just did. Did you know you could have gotten hurt very badly?"
"N-no…"
"You're not in trouble since you didn't know better. But I don't EVER want to see you come out onto the field unless I bring you with me. It's to keep you safe since some pokemon moves could seriously injure you if you were caught in the crossfire."
"I'm sorry…" Allister began sobbing and he noticed Bea's expression soften. She wrapped her arms around him.
"I'm sorry for not warning you about stepping onto the field during a match. Let's get settled down and get back to bed soon. You can pick a story to read."
After a while, some of the other gym leaders helped us get a house.
"Hello Allister, how are you doing today?" The boy shyly hid behind Bea, waving to Melony with one hand as he firmly held onto Bea's sleeve with another. "A wave is more than I normally get. Are the two of you ready to eat or would you like to chat for a few minutes?"
"Melony, you don't have to keep bringing us dinner. We're doing a lot better now that we've lived here for several weeks." At the mention of dinner, Allister remembered the thank-you note that he was working on earlier that day. Bea had bought him some coloring books to keep him occupied while she was busy with her training and matches, and he found the perfect page to color for Melony. It was a picture of a Pikachu and a Snom riding on a sled, and Allister added his own flair to it with some gastly and corsola stickers.
"I know, but I enjoy doing it. And look how well Allister is doing with me and other people now compared to when we first met." Allister shyly handed over the note as the two were having their conversation. He retreated back behind Bea as Melony smiled at him, uncomfortable with being the center of attention. He was very glad once the focus shifted on dinner, which was spaghetti and meatballs for Bea, and a bowl of plain noodles with butter for him.
"Would you two like to join me on a walk this evening?" Allister noted that Melony looked incredibly excited for some reason.
"Let me make sure Kabu hasn't sent any challengers this way, and if I'm free that sounds like a great idea." Sticking with Bea, he wanted until she gave a thumbs up to go wake Mimikyu and Sinistea up, from where they were resting in the clothes basket and clean dishes respectively.
The trio walked in silence, and it wasn't long before Allister's feeble body grew tired and he began to slow down while gasping for air. Luckily Bea noticed the missing sound of his footsteps and backtracked to pick him up, allowing him to observe the scenery from her shoulders. In the distance, he could see lots of activity in an abandoned house that he and his pokemon went exploring at on a regular basis, and it nearly looked brand new as the other gym leaders did repairs.
"Welcome home, Bea and Allister!"
I was really scared at first when we moved again,
"Alli, why are you crying now? This is the tenth time and we've only been awake for three hours." Allister lay in a facedown heap on the floor, screaming his heart out onto the rug. He had been trying to express to Bea about his fears of being taken away. When they were living in the gym, only a select few people were ever allowed into their living quarters, and that was with Bea's permission. Here in the house, anyone could peek through the windows, and anyone with a key could allow themselves in. Including Bea's parents, and he was scared to death that he and his older sister would be torn away from their new home and forced to live with them once again. Not to mention all the strangers in the world, and most people he knew carried some sort of key. What if someone tried to break in, steal their things, or kidnapped him? All of the anxious thoughts swirled in his mind, but he couldn't currently articulate anything other than sobs into the decorative rug in the living room.
A knock on the door made his panic even worse, as he had convinced himself that someone was out to get him. He was hyperventilating now, vision going fuzzy, and he felt like he was about to vomit right then and there.
"Alli, it's just Melony coming to check on us. Please calm down." Bea tried to pick him up, and the unexpected touch was enough of a stressor to send him over the edge into a meltdown.
"Is Allister alright? The poor dear seems to be upset."
"No… he's been like this since we moved here. I thought he would be happy with having a whole house to live in instead of just a locker room, but he's been crying until he passes out most days." Bea was holding back tears herself at this point, and Melony wrapped the teenager in a hug.
"Children react to change in different ways, Bea. I know it's difficult for you and for him, but just ride it out until he adjusts. Maybe take him to a place where he feels calm and safe, give him a chance to talk about his feelings through all of this."
"Thank you Melony. I'll take him to the tangle later and see if I can figure out what's wrong."
"Let me know if you need anything, sweetBea. I brought over some clothes and toys that my children have outgrown for Allister to try." Allister calmed down at the mention of new toys and peered around the corner.
and wouldn't go anywhere or do anything unless Bea could come with me.
"Sis?" Allister was playing in the backyard, hosting a tea party with his Mimikyu and Sinistea, with several wild ghost pokemon surrounding them. Bea had been out here with them just a minute ago, and she had seemingly vanished.
"B-bea?" Allister looked around the fenced in yard, tears coming to his eyes as there was no sign of his sister anywhere. He sprinted to the door leading inside, quickly poking his head in and saw Bea making some tea. As quickly as he could, he attached himself around her legs and started wailing.
"Alli, can you tell me why you're upset?"
"Th-thought you left… I don't want to be all alone…" Bea gently patted the boy on the head before lifting him up.
"You know I would never leave you. I think you were too distracted by setting everything up for you to hear me tell you that I was going to make us some real tea for our party. It's almost ready if you want to wait for me outside."
"C-can I grab some small c-cakes for our party?"
"Yes you can. They're on the lowest shelf in the pantry."
Even though I was acting like a huge baby, Bea never got mad at me or pushed me away.
Allister had not been having a good day. He woke up on the wrong side of the bed after a nightmare and it took him the better part of an hour to calm himself down. Then shortly after he woke up, it began to rain, so that meant no exploring outside with his pokemon today. And if that wasn't enough to put a damper on things, it began to thunder, and the loud bangs of thunder were putting him more on edge with each recurrence. Before long, it was too much for him to take and he started looking around for the one person capable of comforting him during times like this.
Looking around the house, he couldn't find Bea anywhere. Usually Bea always told Allister if she had a match, but he hadn't heard from her all day. Granted it was only mid-morning, but being alone during a storm was extremely stressful for the young boy regardless of the time of day.
The sound of the front door being unlocked made his heart race and tears welled up in his eyes. What if it was a stranger trying to get in? What horrible fate was he going to meet since Bea wasn't home to protect him?
"Hey Alli. My morning run got cut a bit short from the storm." Allister breathed a sigh of relief after seeing that it was his big sister, and he hadn't recognized her silhouette since the rain had made her hair and headband flatten. "Are you alright? I know storms tend to make your anxiety skyrocket."
"Um… n-no…"
"Alright. Let me get dried off and then I'll do whatever I can to help you feel better." Allister trailed after Bea, following her and sitting at the top of the steps. Close enough where he felt safe, but far away enough to give Bea her privacy.
"Alright Alli. I'm all done. Do you want to be held or just have me close by?"
"C-can we do the kangaskhan pouch?"
"We haven't done that since you were really little. But of course we can." Bea grabbed a bedsheet and tied it across her back and shoulders, leaving a pouch for Allister.
"Alright. Climb in." Another clap of thunder made Allister flinch as he practically dove in, and he eventually started to calm down.
"Better?"
"Yeah… Cozy…"
She let me stay with her as long as I needed to, unless it was time for both of us to go to school.
"Alli. It's time to wake up. Today is your first day of big kid school." Not willing to leave the warmth and familiarity of his bed, Allister kept his eyes squeezed shut and pretended to be asleep.
"I know you're awake Alli. You keep turning your head towards me to listen to what I'm going to say next."
"No I'm not…" Bea smiled while rolling her eyes and lifted her unwilling brother out of his bed, who promptly tried his absolute best to become a limp deadweight.
"C'mon Alli. Let's not have a terrible start for today."
"I don't feel good…"
"I think you're just nervous. Let's start getting ready for the day. We'll have breakfast together before I walk you to school." Bea placed Allister down on the hallway floor before departing downstairs. Pouting, Allister continued to sit there and decided he wasn't going to get dressed. If he wasn't in uniform, then he wouldn't have to go, right?
"Breakfast is ready Alli. Come down once you're ready." Pajamas were within the definition of ready and dressed in Allister's opinion, and he made his way down the steps.
"Alli, why are you not getting ready?"
"I'm not going to school. I don't want to go."
"This isn't a case of wanting to. School is a must so you can get a good education. There's still plenty of time to get ready and eat, so go get dressed." Allister plopped down on the floor and was laying on his back.
"Nope."
"Alright then. I made some pancakes. Go ahead and eat your breakfast." Seeming relieved that he was getting out of school, Allister happily munched on some pancakes before sliding out of his chair.
"Allister, come here please."
"What is it?" Bea quickly picked Allister up, firmly holding him while gathering her school supplies, Allister's bookbag, and his uniform before leaving the house.
"No sis! Put me down!"
"Skipping your first day of school isn't an option. Since you weren't willing to go in your uniform, you can go in your pajamas." The school was becoming closer and Allister was doing his best to escape. "School isn't all that bad, Alli. It may take a few days for you to get used to it, but you'll get to read books, play with toys, and make some friends. I'll be back to pick you up at the end of the school day."
"P-please sis… I want to go to school with you… I p-promise I'll be good…"
"I know you would rather stay with me, but you need to learn some basics before you're ready for my classes. You get to learn your letters and numbers, how to read, and some basic math. Now let's get you inside so you can get ready and then I'll walk you into your classroom."
I still get scared due to nightmares,
Allister opened his eyes to find himself in the middle of his least favorite recurring nightmare. He was trapped in the same corviknight taxicab with no way out, staring at his mangled, lifeless parents. Tears welled in his eyes as he desperately beat on the doors and windows to try and escape. The cab continued to plummet at a horribly fast speed until it crashed into a body of water, submerging Allister and suffocating him.
things that go bump in the night that aren't ghosts,
Opening his eyes to what seemed like the real world, Allister relaxed as it seemed like he had escaped the worst of the night. Bea would be here to check on him soon, and he could probably convince her to let him bunk with his big sister for the rest of the night.
Dread settled in his chest again as he realized he was unable to move even a little bit. He noticed a shadowy figure at the foot of his bed that was edging closer and closer to where he was. The figure only had two distinctive facial features: wide-open bloodshot eyes and a drooling mouth filled with razor sharp teeth.
Allister tried to open his mouth to cry and scream for Bea to come rescue him, but found that he was completely paralyzed as the figure inched closer.
"I'm going to crack open all your bones and suck the marrow out of them…" Heart racing even more at the entity's rasping words, Allister fought harder and harder to move. He still found himself unable to do so as the creature was now right beside him and leaning over him. Copious amounts of drool dripped down and coated the young boy, and the smell of sulfur and decay made him want to vomit. The creature suddenly lunged and Allister's world went black.
and sometimes have other problems in the middle of the night,
Waking up screaming, Allister finally entered the real world, heart pounding and tears pouring from his eyes. He was nearly hyperventilating from the sheer amount of panic he felt, but slowly calmed down as he realized that he could move, his nightlight was illuminating the room to show that there were no strangers or horrific creatures, and that his mimikyu was on his pillow and gently embracing him with shadowy arms while purring to let him know that he was safe.
Allister tried to burrow back down into the blankets where it was warm and safe, but realized something that made him feel ashamed. His pajamas and sheets were completely soaked, and it was from more than just the cold sweat that was coming off of him from his nightmare. Allister thought he had been doing well, as he had managed to avoid wetting the bed for a few nights, but this was a huge step in the wrong direction. What would Bea think of him since he went and had another accident? Would she think he was a huge baby? Or would she think he was a huge burden after causing even more chores that needed to be done? Or worse yet, would he be kicked out of the house to be completely on his own?
Allister didn't have too much time to panic and overthink as his bedroom door creaked open, a figure peeking in.
but Bea always comes to my rescue.
"Alli, are you alright? I heard you yelling." Normally Allister would be relieved at the sight of his sister, but he was currently panicking and embarrassed about the night's events, so he turned and faced the wall, the shame of telling Bea that he had an accident was too much for him to bear. It didn't work as Bea knelt down next to his bed and gently patted his back. The two sat there in silence for a long time until Allister turned around and faced his sister with teary eyes.
"There you go. Did you have a bad dream?"
"Y-yeah… T-two of them…"
"Back to back? That must have been terrifying for you. Do you want to talk about it?"
"F-first one I had to relive where m-my parents… you know… second one… thought I was awake… s-something was in here and tried to kill me… B-but I did something b-bad…"
"Did you have an accident?"
"Y-yeah."
"It's alright. I know you don't wet the bed on purpose. Go get cleaned up and I'll handle the laundry. You can bunk with me for the rest of the night." Allister was still hesitant to move, his limbs still very weak and shaky due to the leftover adrenaline from his nightmare. "Here, let me turn the hallway light on for you. I'll run a bath for you as well so I don't accidentally scald you with the washing machine."
Even if I have traits that are odd,
"S-sis? W-why aren't we g-going home? School is over…"
"Your teachers wanted me to have a meeting. You aren't in trouble. They just wanted to have a chat about how we can help you at school."
"B-but d-don't I do well on my homework? You said I was sm-smart…"
"You are smart. You're actually ahead of the other kids in your class with being able to read and do your math. The teachers just have some other concerns. Why don't you play on the playground while we chat?" Allister looked at the other kids playing while they were waiting to be picked up. Most of the other kids outright ignored him, while others would bully him and make him cry via physical violence or harsh words.
"D-don't wanna… C-can I stay with you like in gym leader meetings? I promise I'll be good…"
"Hello Bea. Are you ready for our meeting regarding Allister?"
"I am. He is just very reluctant to let go of me right now."
"He can stay in the room. There's plenty of books to read and toys to play with while we have our meeting." Allister peeked out from behind Bea's leg upon hearing that and approached the bins of toys the other kids often scared him away from. Far away enough from the adults to make them think he wasn't paying attention, but close enough that he was still able to listen in.
"Alright, let's start off with the positives. Allister is absolutely brilliant and a pleasure to have in class. We've just noticed some concerning behaviors that could point to a disability he may need some extra support with."
"What kind of behaviors? He lost his parents in an accident and I know some of his quirks stem from anxiety."
"Well if the other kids get too loud, he'll hide under desks, chairs, in the cabinets, or in the cubbies and become inconsolable. He does the same thing if other kids get too close to him or keep touching him. He doesn't play with the other kids at all, and doesn't really play with toys the way the other kids do. Take a look." Allister looked at all of the pokemon he had lined up in neat rows. Was something wrong with the way he enjoyed playing?
"He's playing with pokemon figures?"
"Yes, but look at how he's playing with them. All of them perfectly in a row with not much imaginative play. On its own, that wouldn't be concerning, but combined with the social difficulties, we would recommend getting him screened for autism."
"Would that be something I can do with his primary doctor or his therapist?"
"Wherever you went to get your diagnosis."
"...I don't believe I've ever been screened or diagnosed..."
"My apologies."
or sometimes embarrassing,
"Bea?"
"What is it, Allister?"
"Can I do something to help around the house? I don't want to be your burden…" Allister flinched as Bea knelt down to his height.
"Alli, you're my brother, not a burden. Remember that I chose to take care of you instead of leaving you with my parents. If you want some chores, I can give you a few, but I don't ever want you to think you're a burden. Okay?"
"Okay… So what am I allowed to help with?"
"Let's see here… I know you can't stand the sound of the vacuum cleaner or dishes clanging against each other. You have pretty bad allergies so I think dusting would be a bad idea. A lot of the chemicals I use to deep clean the kitchen and bathroom are pretty harsh and I don't want you to get hurt or sick. But let's sit down together and make a chore chart of things you can do."
The two sat together at the kitchen table and eventually made a list that they were both happy to start with:
Feed our pokemon and make sure they have clean water
Fold clean clothes and towels
Check the mail
Set the table before meals
Carry food scraps out to the compost pile
Sweep the floors
Keep your room tidy
"If you need some guidance on how to do any of these, I'll be happy to help. Why don't you start with feeding our pokemon?"
"Okay sis. Their food is in the pantry with each of their names on it. Right?"
"Right. And the amount they get is weight based, so just use your rotom phone to get that information before portioning it out. If you have questions, come get me and I'll walk you through it." Allister nodded and sat down in front of the bags, scooping the kibble out for each pokemon. A thought crossed his mind. They had been feeding this to their pokemon for years, but he still had no idea if it was any good. He picked up a piece of Mimikyu's kibble and reluctantly popped it in his mouth. It didn't really taste much of anything, but the crunchy aspect wasn't bad.
"Allister, please don't eat the pokemon food. It will upset your stomach."
"I WASN'T EATING POKEMON FOOD I SWEAR!"
"You aren't in trouble and I won't tell anyone. Everyone has done embarrassing things out of curiosity before."
"Okay… Maybe I did eat some kibble…"
"Did it taste good?"
"...No… I don't think I'll do it again."
Bea never makes fun of me for any of my issues.
"And the winner of this match is Gym Leader Allister!" The victor in question had never been in a situation where he was subject to this many people's attention at once, and he hated it. He had only been an official gym leader for a few weeks, and his first official match had his anxiety off of the charts. He trembled as he shook the challenger's hand for taking the loss well, but found that his legs had turned to jelly and refused to move when he tried to take a step. His cheeks burned red with embarrassment as the crowds began talking amongst themselves and a few began to laugh.
An unexpected touch from behind caused Allister's heart rate to skyrocket, but he still couldn't move at all to see who it was.
"Hey Alli. It's just me, your big sis. Need some help?"
"P-please… c-can't move… too n-nervous…"
"Okay. I'm going to pick you up from under your arms and carry you out of here." Despite the warning, Allister still flinched as he was carried off of the field and into the locker room reserved only for gym leaders.
"Slow, deep breaths. Copy me." Bea sat Allister down on a bench and then took a seat next to him, holding his hand to comfort him while still giving him some space.
"Why am I like this? I h-hate having anxiety…"
"That makes you all the more brave for becoming a gym leader and going out into the stadium in front of crowds. I'm really proud of you."
"B-but I messed up! I got too scared to move!"
"Alli, every gym leader has done something goofy or embarrassing out in the field. Want me to tell you something I did?"
"There's no way you messed up that bad…"
"But I did. This happened before we ever met, but I was walking out to the pitch to meet a gym challenger, and guess what I did?"
"Um… I dunno…"
"I tripped over nothing and faceplanted. This was before the battle, so I still had to go out and face my challenger."
"No way! You're way too coordinated to have done that!"
"But I did. I've done other embarrassing stuff on the field too, but that's my crown jewel in the embarrassment crown. Does it feel a little bit better knowing that your big sis messes up?"
"A little bit…"
"And don't forget, you're still really young. Most kids your age don't even have their pokemon trainer's license, let alone are they gym leaders. Today was your first gym battle anyways, and you won. People will more likely be talking about that than you getting nervous after everything else was finished."
"Okay…"
"Why don't we get some ice cream to celebrate your first victory? I'll let you get a cone of your favorite flavor for now and a Snomsicle you can take home and eat later."
She's the best big sister I could ever ask for, best substitute parent I could ask for, and my best friend that's not a pokemon.
Bea sat in the living room, enjoying some quiet time with her cup of tea and a good book. The familiar sound of footsteps running up the porch steps broke her out of her daze as Allister excitedly barged in.
"Sis! I finally had an idea! Can you take a look and see if you can find anything I can improve on?"
"You're back early Alli. You're usually never back before dusk."
"I might go back outside to play after dinner… but can you read my paper?"
"Of course. Let's take a look at it together." Allister nervously handed Bea that papers before sitting on the couch and leaning into her side. He noticed Bea's eyes began to mist over, and her lower lip began to wobble before she started crying hysterically.
"W-was my paper really that bad?" Bea wrapped her arms around Allister and held him close.
"No. It was wonderful and I wouldn't change a thing."