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“aaaaAAAAAHHH!!!”
A deafening scream was heard when Allister woke up in his bed, hyperventilating as sweat dripped down his forehead. His blanket was thrown onto the floor like a rag, mask fell off the bed stand when he kicked the wooden furniture in his thrashing. Panicked mutters and labored breaths could be heard within the small quaint space he called his room. It was quite clear, even for outsiders.
Another nightmare.
All nightmares he’d had were always the same scenarios, byproducts of his anxiety and overthinking. Scenarios that never failed to frighten him.
Allister being bullied and trashed on.
Allister being backstabbed, both figuratively and literally.
Allister being hated by his own friends, his own team, and worse.
Being hated by his own sister.
Before he could recall any bit of his nightmare and went into an inevitable panic attack, Allister was carefully embraced by a small, soft, Pikachu-shaped figure laying in his lap.
“Kyu…”
Mimikyu, his support Pokémon. It looked up at Allister, dark claws gently grasping his shaking shoulders, looking up at him with concerned eyes. The presence of his Pokémon made it easier for Allister to calm himself down, his breath slowing into a more reasonable pace as pale fingers brushed across its soft Pikachu plush disguise.
“Kyu, kyu…”
“ ‘s okay, ‘s okay now…’m fine…”
Allister muttered the words to himself like a mantra, doing his absolute best to ease his heartbeat. Mimikyu remained by his side, rubbing its side onto his chest to help. After a good while, the young gym leader could finally put his body and mind under control, glancing around the room to make sure he was still in his and Bea’s house, not in some kind of dark void where he was being tormented by whispers and monsters.
Violet wallpaper, decorated with drawings and posters of ghost Pokemon. That’s normal. Floor littered with various masks, papers and clothes. That’s also normal. The room’s door blown open with a concerned figure standing by the doorway. Not normal.
“Alli?”
Allister could recognize that voice anywhere. Monotone and calm, that was the voice of Bea, his adoptive sister. However, right now, there was a much more worried tone in her voice, which only he had the privilege to hear. She must’ve heard his scream from earlier.
“H-Heya sis, d-didn’t mean t’ wake you…”
“It’s quite alright. It was another nightmare was it not?”
“…” Allister could only nod bashfully.
“Is it alright if I stick around?”
“S-Sure, ‘m thankful.”
He could feel the bed dipped before his bright violet eyes met his sister’s brilliant gray, laced with sadness and worry. Almost instinctively, Allister fell into Bea’s powerful arms, not wanting to leave the firm embrace she gave him. Likewise, Bea tugged the small boy closer to her as possible, before lifting him up and laying him and Mimikyu in her lap.
“Sis…?”
“Yes, Alli?”
“How long w-would y’ stay?”
“For as long as I need to.”
“…really?”
“Of course, my little brother is in need of company, I’d be the worst sister ever to let you fester in the dark alone.”
“…” Allister said nothing, merely leaning his head onto Bea’s chest, listening to her steady heartbeat.
“…” Bea grinned slightly at his brother’s clinginess. She smoothed out his disheveled locks in sync with Mimikyu’s purrs of reassurance.
This was nice.
Nothing could ever quell his fears as good as Bea’s hugs and Mimikyu’s purrs. For one moment, he forgot about the nightmare that jostled him up in the first place. There was just one last thing to make tonight so much better than it already was.
“…sis?”
“Yea, Alli?”
“Can I ask y’ a favor?”
“Sure, what would you like?”
Allister directed his face upwards to meet with Bea’s eye level, meeting her firm yet gentle gaze. He looked away shyly, tugging at her pajamas like a little toddler.
“Can y’…” He gulped, feeling the words stuck to his throat “…um, s-sing m’ a lullaby? I-It’s ok if y’ don’t wanna!”
“Oh? I haven’t really sung in a while, you sure?”
What Bea said was technically true, she didn’t really have the time to do any singing, she still have a gym to tend to after all. Not that she wasn’t interested in the hobby, far from it, as one of the fondest memories she had during her childhood was singing little tunes to a much younger Allister. But her parents weren’t exactly welcoming of such things, calling it a waste of time, a weakness. It had been such a long time, her voice might’ve gotten rusty and weird-sounding by now.
“It’s ok… ‘want it like the old times…”
Allister’s soft sleepy whisper was more than enough to knock away the worries on the back of her mind. Bea promptly propped some pillows behind her and leaned against the headboard, Allister and Mimikyu in tow. When it was comfortable enough for all three of them, it was time to begin.
“Ok, what would you like me to sing?”
“…mmm, anything y’ want…”
“Hmm…then, how’s this?”
‘Deep in the meadow
Under the willows
A bed of grass
A soft green pillow’
“…pls…keep goin’…”
And keep going she did.
‘Lay down to sleep
And close your eyes
So when they open
The sun will rise’
Bea kept going until the only noise left was the sound of her singing in sync with Allister’s quiet snores. Even when her little brother was sound asleep at last, Bea couldn’t find any reason to stop the singing. Instead, she just kept them coming, humming whatever tune she had heard throughout the day.
The night returned to its peaceful tranquility, lulling the siblings of Stow-on-Side to sleep once more. Bea continued to hold onto her brother, and she always would for as long as she was here. Allister remained in his sister’s hold, never wanting to leave the comforting warmth, ever.
This was everything they could’ve asked for.