The situation was, at the very least, chaotic. Alyssa was far more intense than Edward had imagined at first.
They had spent the last few hours arguing about what to do with their newly formed two-person band. But so far, the conversation had been practically useless. Everything ended with Alyssa yelling, whipping her hair wildly, and striking strange poses as if she were at a concert.
Her Pokémon — a Noivern named Noir and a Toxtricity affectionately nicknamed Little Pank — accompanied each of her performances with absolute devotion.
Alyssa was the perfect example that appearances could really be deceiving. Edward had never met someone so unpredictable, but to his own surprise, he was having fun. It felt good to have something that helped him forget the current situation.
"Alyssa, how about this?" he said, trying to keep calm. "I know metal is your style, and I don't intend to change that. But how about we start with a slower song, with clear lyrics, just to warm up our voices and figure out each other's strengths and weaknesses? Then we can dive into the spirit of metal in an epic show."
Alyssa stared at him for a few seconds. She seemed conflicted. But after a moment, she accepted the suggestion with a theatrical huff.
Edward was slowly learning how to deal with Alyssa. If they weren't the same age, he'd consider her a five-year-old with severe ADHD when it came to music. And in a way, that was exactly it. A child with hyperfocus, driven by rhythm and energy.
If he wanted to catch her attention, he needed something big. Something that would awaken the creative storm inside her. Something simple, yet powerful. Catchy. Intoxicating.
And he had just the right song for that. One that had already made thousands of people sing in unison. Impossible to ignore.
"Hey, Alyssa. Let's turn off the sound. We need total silence now."
She nearly panicked at those words but ended up obeying reluctantly. The speakers, which had been blasting metal non-stop since they entered the room, fell silent for the first time in a long while.
Noir, who had been sleeping while nodding his head to the rhythm, woke up and gave Edward a threatening look. For a moment, he thought he was going to die. He only relaxed when Alyssa motioned for Noir to calm down.
With the room quiet, Edward sat on the edge of the studio's improvised stage. He grabbed a guitar from a pile of instruments and turned it sideways, resting it on his lap. Alyssa sat beside him, curious.
"Pay attention, Alyssa. Just follow me when I say, alright?"
Then, with the sole of his right boot, he stomped the floor:
THUD!
Then the left foot:
THUD!
And then, with the palm of his hand, he gave the back of the guitar a sharp slap:
TCHAK!
THUD! THUD! TCHAK!
THUD! THUD! TCHAK!
The sound echoed through the room — simple and powerful.
Alyssa tilted her head, surprised. Noir perked up his ears. Little Pank started clapping along.
THUD! THUD! TCHAK!
THUD! THUD! TCHAK!
Edward raised his voice and began to sing, steady and in rhythm:
"Buddy, you're a boy, make a big noise
Playin' in the street, gonna be a big man someday"
THUD! THUD! TCHAK!
"You got mud on your face, you big disgrace
Kickin' your can all over the place!"
THUD! THUD! TCHAK!
WE WILL, WE WILL ROCK YOU!
"With me now, Alyssa!"
THUD! THUD! TCHAK!
WE WILL, WE WILL ROCK YOU!
With one voice, the two sang:
WE WILL, WE WILL ROCK YOU!
He looked to the side and shouted with a grin:
"Come on, Alyssa! Sing with me!"
Alyssa smiled slyly, her eyes shining. Then she raised her head and let her voice out in the chorus:
WE WILL, WE WILL ROCK YOU!
THUD! THUD! TCHAK!
WE WILL, WE WILL ROCK YOU!
Noir flapped his wings hard, making the floor shake. Little Pank jumped along to the beat, emitting excited guitar-like sounds.
Alyssa fully embraced the rhythm, stomping her feet hard:
THUD! THUD! TCHAK!
THUD! THUD! TCHAK!
Edward started singing again:
"Buddy, you're a young man, hard man
Shoutin' in the street, gonna take on the world someday"
"You got blood on your face, you big disgrace
Wavin' your banner all over the place!"
The song repeated three times, until Alyssa smiled at Edie and walked toward the stage. There was something in her eyes — a mix of challenge and amusement — that made Edward hold his breath.
— My turn now, — she said in a playful and teasing tone.
At her signal, the Pokémon began clapping to the same rhythm as Alyssa's steps:
BOOM! BOOM! CLAP!
BOOM! BOOM! CLAP!
She grabbed the microphone firmly, lifted her head, and started to sing:
"Buddy, you're a boy, make a big noise
Playin' in the street, gonna be a big man someday…"
Edward had heard Alyssa sing before, but this was different. She gave herself entirely to the rhythm, to the vibration of the music. Her voice was beautiful — melodic and powerful, with a raspy edge that added intensity to the performance. He couldn't take his eyes off her.
"You got mud on your face, you big disgrace
Kickin' your can all over the place!"
Without even realizing it, Edward began to accompany her on the guitar, as if the instrument were being guided by instinct.
WE WILL, WE WILL ROCK YOU!
BOOM! BOOM! CLAP!
WE WILL, WE WILL ROCK YOU!
At the chorus, humans and Pokémon sang together at the top of their lungs. The whole room pulsed with the energy of the music.
When the final beat echoed and silence once again filled the studio, Alyssa turned to Edward with a radiant smile, overtaken by an unstoppable joy.
— Edie-boy… I think we've got our first song.
Edward smiled back, happier than he had felt in a long time.
— Yeah… I think we do, Ally.