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Alex is pretty sure he’s being haunted.
“You’re not being haunted,” Willie says.
“You don’t know that,” Alex says.
~
Alex doesn’t notice it right away. But he does notice right away that Rillaboom is acting strange. Nothing immediately obvious, but Rillaboom was Alex’s first partner, way back when he was a Grookey, and Alex can tell something’s off. Rillaboom isn’t acting. . .wary, per se, but he seems to be distracted by something. Jigglypuff too, starts acting crankier than usual. Still, when Alex prods, Rillaboom isn’t forthcoming. Against every one of his instincts, Alex tries not to worry; Rillaboom is big enough to scare away anyone who doesn’t know them, and anyone who does know them is aware Jigglypuff is the actually scary member of Alex’s team.
And then Alex starts seeing shadows out of the corner of his eye.
~
Since Willie is no help, Alex turns to Julie. It’s not unheard of for wild ghost types to play pranks, and as much as Alex doesn’t love that idea, it’s miles better than being haunted by something that’s not a Pokemon. So one night after practice, while Reggie and Luke collapse into a pile with their Toxtricities, Julie and her Misdreavus surround Alex, both glowing slightly.
Julie lowers her hands and frowns, Misdreavus chirping as she settles onto Julie’s shoulder. “You’re not being haunted,” she says.
“You don’t know that,” Alex says, much less certain this time.
~
“Maybe somebody is trying to poach you and Rillaboom!” Luke says a few hours later, after Julie has already left the studio to head home, and then immediately scowls. “Dude, you can’t leave the band, no matter how much they offer you!”
“No one has offered me anything,” Alex reminds him. “And honestly, I think if that’s what it was, Rillaboom would have chased them off already. I love you guys a lot, but I think Rillaboom loves the band even more.”
Reggie bites his lip. “Are you sure you’re being followed? I don’t mean to say maybe you’re imagining it, because that sounds incredibly rude, but I’m not not saying that.”
Alex shakes his head. He’s honestly considered that himself, because even if Alex’s anxiety isn’t usually realistic, he’s usually realistic about his anxiety. “Jigglypuff and Rillaboom have been acting weird too.”
Reggie frowns. “Jpuff always knows what’s up.” Jigglypuff trills happily at this, settling into Reggie’s lap. Jigglypuff hates seemingly everyone, including Alex most days, but she adores Reggie for some reason. Probably because the second she lands in Reggie’s lap, he absentmindedly starts scratching her ears.
Luke sighs. “Whatever it is, we’re not going to figure it out tonight. We’d better pack it in.”
Alex nods, but as he stands up, Rillaboom trundles over, pulling Alex gently towards the drum kit. “Uh, you guys go ahead,” Alex says. “Seems like Rillaboom isn’t quite done for the night.”
“You sure, man?”
Alex waves them off. “Yeah, it’s fine.” Rillaboom usually sticks to the drum he carries around with him on his back, but he has an understandable fascination with Alex’s full kit. Alex doesn’t blame him; it is a pretty great kit, after all. It’s not the first time they’ve spent time in the studio banging away, Jigglypuff floating around the room and trying to sing. Alex loves playing with the band, but times like this, when it’s just him and his ‘mons, are when Alex feels most relaxed.
At least until something falls down by the studio door.
Alex bolts up, but Rillaboom seems unconcerned. Instead, he puts down his sticks and gently trods toward the door. Alex watches, still frozen, and Jigglypuff lands on his shoulder, grumbling.
Rillaboom waits patiently by the cracked door, crouching down and holding his hand out. Alex holds his breath; Rillaboom obviously isn’t worried—
An honest to God skull sticks its head through the door.
Alex finally stops screaming when Jigglypuff slaps him. Rillaboom is glaring at him and holding the skull in its arm. And the skull is. . .crying?
Alex squints harder, trying to see in the dim studio. Oh. It’s just a Cubone. A young looking one, at that.
“Sorry,” Alex says, genuinely sorry he made it cry, but also so Rillbooom will stop looking at him like a disappointed parent. Cubone is mostly sniffling now, the wailing having stopped. “Are you what’s been following me?”
In response, Rillaboom gently sets the Cubone to the floor, nudging him in Alex’s direction. The Cubone takes a few stuttering hesitant steps, and then its face lights up, completely transforming it. It sprints in Alex’s direction. Alex, unsure, holds out his arms, ready to catch it; the Cubone gets close, and then—
It runs straight past Alex and to the kit.
The Cubone looks at the drums with wide, gleaming eyes. It’s staring at them the same Alex did, before he met Grookey and Luke and Reggie and Julie, when he was little and scared and didn’t have a way to show it. It looks at the drums like they’re a miracle.
Tentatively, it reaches out with its bone, tapping it gently against the bass drum. The drum lets out a resounding reverb, and the Cubone claps delightedly, before looking up at Alex with wide eyes. “It’s okay,” he says. “You can play with them.”
The Cubone continues banging away happily. Rillaboom comes up behind Alex and gently taps Alex’s fanny pack, in which are Jigglypuff’s and Rillaboom’s pokeballs. Alex stares at him bewilderingly. “Are you saying we should keep Cubone?”
Rillaboom nods. Jigglypuff huffs--it's jealousy, Alex finally realizes, but he can tell her heart isn’t really in it.
Alex has no idea what to do here. He’s not into battling like Luke and Flynn are, or catching like Reggie. He got Grookey from Professor Molina, and Jigglypuff pretty much caught him. Alex isn’t sure he even has a spare pokeball.
Still, when he looks back at Cubone, the Cubone is waiting, staring at him nervously. It looks like it's about to cry again, and it’s so young.
“Would you like to stay with us?” Alex asks.
This time, Cubone does run into Alex’s arms.