


Chapter 13 - Curious Kirlia


As the two ate. Chris started telling Kirlia more stories about his life, about his grandfather and his village. He told
her he couldn't wait to take her there someday after they had their fill of adventure. She was so cute the women would
spoil her every second of every day, and he bet the men would consider her a real gem of the village! Thinking of how
everyone would react to her suddenly made him laugh as Kirlia smiled nervously, a shy blush showing once again due to
his compliments. "They don't have too much to do in the village... So its a given that having a Pokemon like you there
would definitely brighten everyones day. Its really peaceful, so there wouldn't be anything there to scare you or anything
either... Plus you'd love my old mans Pokemon, they're a pretty... Unique group... Ha ha. Although being around a bunch
of senior people and Pokemon... I dunno if it would be your kind of thing... But hopefully you'll love the place as much
as I did whenever we stop by." he told Kirlia, rubbing her head with a chuckle. "It really does feel great... Sitting
under the stars and enjoying good food with my own Pokemon... I may have spent my life around them, but actually having
one of my own... Going places with me... Hearing whatever I have to say... It feels a lot different... A lot nicer..."
he smiled, letting out a sigh. "When you have your own Pokemon it... Kind of feels like it completes a missing part of
your heart... Maybe its because other people will always judge you, but Pokemon actually just seem to appreciate you
for who you are... Its really nice. I just... Hope whenever I talk to you it doesn't start to get on your nerves..." he
laughed nervously with a bit of sweat. Kirlia faced up at him with a blush, rapidly shaking her head and pointing up
at him, making random sounds as she also pointed up at the sky and all over the place.


He couldn't understand what she was saying at all... But he took a shot in the dark and guessed she was saying she
liked hearing him tell her stories about the places around them. "Sure wish we could communicate better... You can
understand me but I have to struggle to make heads or tails of what you want to tell me... Maybe someday you'll learn
telepathy and we can talk to each other without any problems! I hear a lot of psychic type Pokemon are able to use
that ability to talk to people!" he responded with a smile. "When these Pokemon learn to speak human using their ability,
people get to hear what their Pokemons voice sounds like in their own tongue... I bet yours would either sound really
cute or really beautiful! Probably both!" he laughed, giving her a soft pat on the back. Kirlia flushed even more and
waved her hands at him rapidly, shaking her head as if to say no more compliments as she poked her small fingers together
shyly once again. "Ah... Ha ha, sorry about that. Actually being able to communicate to each other made me get a little
too excited I guess. Didn't mean to fluster ya..." he responded, smirking while looking over the moonlit horizon. "But...
Even though it would be awesome... Don't worry about it much, okay? If you ever learn Telepathy and how to speak my
language, I want it to be on your own time, by your own free will, not just because its what I would like. The things
you learn how to do, how and when you use these abilities... Its all up to you. I'm not your master, so never think of
yourself as having to do anything to please me or to gain my recognition... You do those things just by being you and being
my friend!" he told her as he suddenly pulled her close to his side for a small hug, rubbing her on the head.


Kirlia let out happy, albeit shy laughter as she fidgeted her fingers, facing downwards while her heart seemed to flutter
all around in her chest. She faced up at him with a smile and rubbed her head against his side, closing her eyes as she
enjoyed the cozy contact. "Ha ha... Guess you're getting used to being close to me. A shame... I loved it when you freaked
out!" he laughed, causing her to suddenly shoot her eyes open wide and puff out her cheeks. She pushed herself away and
used her psychic to suddenly lift him in the air, lowering his butt just over the campfire while she scowled. "Hot...
Hot... Hot...!!! Hot...!!! Hot hot hoooooot!!!" he started shouting, flailing in the air as his butt got warmer and
warmer due to the flame below. Kirlia crossed her arms and faced away with a "hrmph!" like noise. "I'm sorry!!! Sorry
sorry sorry!!! C'mon Kirlia!!!" he begged, hands together for a moment until he started fanning his butt. After a moment
she guided him away from the fire, releasing him with a thud onto the ground as she faced away. "Oowww... Ow ow ow...
Note to self... Don't poke fun at a Pokemon who can lift you around at will with her mind..." he said with a nervous
laugh, rubbing his butt as heat radiated off it. As he looked at Kirlia, he saw her facing back towards him making a
sound as if to ask if he was okay. "Um... I'm... Fine...? No worries...?" he responded, blinking confused and hoping
he got her signals right. She faced away in response with another "hrmph" like noise and nodded.


Slowly standing, he walked up behaind her, telling her he was sorry for poking fun at her again. She faced back at him
in silence for a moment, then finally nodded and turned around, giving him what looked like a thumbs up as she smirked,
making noises as if to say "lesson learned!" as he nodded in response. They sat back down together for a while as Chris
took out a bottle of water for each of them to enjoy, continuing their conversation as the fire slowly dimmed over time.
Eventually, the temperature started to drop, with the wind growing colder and colder until kirlia was starting to shiver.
Deciding it was time to tuck themselves in for the night, he picked her up and carried her into the tent with him, setting
her down at the side of his sleeping bag on her own bed he made for her as he climbed in his bag. She felt her blankets
and crawled underneath them, rolling up and letting out sounds of laughter, looking like a Weedle. "You're silly..."
Chris responded, laying down with a sigh. However, it wasn't long before Kirlia started feeling a bit lonely, and she
sat up, facing Chris while pointing at him and making noises again. Blinking confused, he asked her what was up, so she
stood and pointed at herself then at him again. "Uhh... You wanna sleep in my bag too...?" he replied, blinking at her
as she nodded her head rapidly. "I... Guess its okay... I thought you might want your personal space now that you had
evolved and all... But if you really wanna, I don't mind..." he told her with a blush, not really knowing why he was
blushing either. Shaking his head, he lifted up his bag and held her hand, guiding her towards him and laying her down,
putting the bag over her as well.


"Its a bit snug, but I hope ya don't mind..." he told her. She smiled and shook her head, snuggling herself up under
the bag with a sigh. After a moment, he suddenly gave her a hug and told Kirlia good night, rubbing her head and, by
accident, rubbing her horns as well, causing her to shudder all over and flush with a gulp. Letting her go and laying
on his back once again, he let out a yawn and stretched, shutting the tent to keep out the breeze as he told Kirlia
goodnight once again, closing his eyes and slowly drifiting off into his own world of dreams. But with Kirlia left
awake and oddly restless, she eventually sat up and climbed up next to his face, sitting on her knees. Leaning over him,
she felt his breath on her face, causing her to flush and jolt herself away, smiling as she twiddled her fingers shyly.
After listening to him sleep for a moment, she raised her hand, as if to look at it, and slowly placed it on his forehead,
closing her eyes as her horns began to glow. Now that he was asleep, peering into his heart and mind would be far easier,
so she thought she would give it a try and learn more about what goes on inside her human friend.


As she made her way inside him, she finally found a small shred of consciousness to grab onto. Looking at it, you would
think of it as a small glowing orb, kind of like what fortune tellers use. Once she connected her mind to it, she started
hearing his thoughts and feeling what he felt as well. "Sure hope that young Mankey is taken better care of... You gotta
keep an eye on your kids..." she heard one train of thought say. "That Buneary... Really wish I could have done more
for it... But if I stole it that would make me no better than the trainer who abused it... Am I in the wrong for not
trying to take it with me...?" another train of thought said, endlessly concerning itself over the injured Pokemon. "I
wonder how grandpa's Pokemon are doing back at the cabin... Hope everybody is making them feel welcome... Hope they have
everything they need... They're as old as the villagers... Should I have stayed and taken care of them...?" another train
of thought said. As Kirlia listened, she couldn't help but feel a profound joy and sadness all at once, feeling the heart
within her human friend yet knowing how much he was secretly concerning himself over everyone inside. "Kirlia... I wish
there was a way I could help her see... Maybe there's a way to do it...? I'm sure i'll find a way if I try... Maybe i'll
find some clues as we travel...? Science is pretty advance now... Maybe someone can help...? I just have to... Try..."
she heard another train of thought saying, concerning over Kirlia herself. This caused her to tear up a little as she
tried to find a train of thought that wasn't focused on other people, but it didn't seem as if there was one to be found.
However, she eventually found herself digging too deep, as a strange energy seemed to suddenly start fighting against her.
Trying to keep her focus, she felt a weird aura deep in his consciousness... And the closer she got to it, the more it
took on a mysterious shape...


"You are bold to find your way here young one..." she heard a voice other than Chris's say. "He is a cursed being... One
who is to forever put others first and foremost... From his actions, to his very consciousness... There is no personal
desire... Only a force controlling his very soul itself..." she heard the voice say. She couldn't see what it was, but
in her mind the strange energy felt as though it seemed to have the form of a fellow Pokemon. "This human is like that
of a puppet... Yet he is not... He lives by my will... Yet feels as though he lives by his own..." the voice said as its
aura drifted closer to her, causing her mind to feel a strange warmth within. "You are bold to suddenly enter the mind of
another so deeply without consideration of the dangers you may face by doing so... To reach me your desire to find something
surely must have been great... What is it you wish to locate so fervently in this human... When you already know there
is nothing worth seeking in one controlled by another...?" the aura asked.


After a moment, Kirlia told the aura she didn't know. All she could find were thoughts about other people and Pokemon.
She knew all about his curse, but had still hoped to find out something about him... As a person... Something unique...
Maybe learn about just what a single one of his own dreams were... One thing he wanted most in life... Just so she could
bond with him more... "That is a foolish hope, young one... There is nothing personal to know... He lives by a curse...
One which warps his destiny and mind itself to suit its demands to ensure he obeys its every whim... There is nothing
you can find here you know not already..." the aura responded. "He has his own personality to degrees perhaps... But
this too was molded by the curse over the years... Who he is now is because of its influence... Although for that you
could say you owe me your gratitude... The curse led him to you... And its influence on his personality has led him to
care for you..." it told Kirlia. However, hearing this both saddened and enraged her... He had to have some sort of
independent identity... There had to be something in him the curse hadn't... Or couldn't effect...


"You truly believe there is something here for you to find...? There is nothing but me... Therefore your business here
should be finished... Correct?" the aura stated, suddenly pushing her mind away from his. However, she fought against
the auras influence nonetheless, and started seeking... Something... Elsewhere... And she fled away from the aura within
his mind and instead made haste towards his heart, hoping it had a different story to tell. As she used her psychic
abilities to form a path from his mind straight to his heart, she discovered what the aura said was true, with his body
seeming as if invaded mercilessly by an energy she could feel shouldn't be within him, ensnaring him from head to toe
like webbing. However... Once she reached his heart, she felt the energy having a hard time coming into contact with it.
She circled his heart with her mind, and felt some sort of deep, underlying consciousness of its own... Seemingly fighting
against the energy trying to root itself within... She quickly linked herself with his heart and pushed her way inside,
feeling... Warmth... Peace... Something entirely different than his state of mind, as if his mind and heart weren't
entirely connected at all... As her mind floated through his heart... She heard... His voice... Echoing softly... With
a gentle... Sweet tone... Seeming to lull her... Slowly... Into a lethargic state, as her mind drifted within...


"I want... I want..." she heard his heart repeating, seeming as if desperately clinging to these words as it fought the
influence of the curse surrounding it. As she drifted through his aching inner self, she couldn't help but feel the
hope in his heart... Even though it suffered so much on the outside... Inside it was as if a paradise... Surrounded
by a shield that wouldn't yield... Untouched... And this deep... Inner purity... Made Kirlia satisfied. He did have
his own wants... He was still his own person where it mattered most... Even if his body and mind were told what to do
by his curse... His heart was fighting to make sure it got what it wanted out of life as well... And this bravery his
beating source of life was showing against what was meant to be its fate made her feel... Stronger... Too...


As if forming another of herself within his heart, she spread her arms to take in the feelings and thoughts it was willing
to share with her, as outside of their bodies, Chris's chest began to glow a bright red, the light beating along with
his pulse, as Kirlia's horns began to do the same, glowing in unison with the beat of his heart. "I want... I want...
To travel the world... I want... I want... To find a family..." she heard his heart echoing. "I want... I want... To
be respected... I want... I want... To be remembered..." it told her. "I want... I want... To be a hero... I want...
I want... To be a legend..." it echoed.


Kirlia was overjoyed to learn Chris still had a heart untouched by fate... But she knew it wasn't a good idea to keep
herself so closely linked to him for too long, especially under his condition, so she slowly started pulling her mind
away from him. However, as she pulled away from his heart, the force from before suddenly returned the instant she was
out, jerking her mind back, in turn causing her body to jerk towards Chris as well. "Insolent young one... Curiosity will
be the death of you..." the energy said, slowly becoming the same shape as before while surrounding her. "I have shown
mercy... In turn, you are to show respect and stay out of this human... Understood...?" it told Kirlia, suddenly releasing
its hold on her. However... Kirlia didn't take too kindly to this strange energy inside her friend, and attempted to
confront it. But the energy merely laughed in return... And suddenly sent Kirlia's mind outside of Chris's body using
a blast of psychic power strong enough to send her physical body flying into the side of the tent, suddenly causing
the whole thing to collapse over the two.


Kirlia was knocked out cold by the blast of energy, while Chris suddenly woke in a panic, flailing his arms around as
he shouted and made his way out, poking his head from underneath it with a dreary and confused expression.


"...Huh? Wha...? Err... Ello...?" he said, flopping onto the ground with a groan, his bottom half still under the tent.