Helloooo. It's been a while since I wrote a story, and I thought that writing a fan-fiction would really help in reviving my writing skills. :). Crits are well appreciated.

FYI

"Normal Talk"

"Pokemon Talk"

Thoughts.


Gifted Curse

Chapter One

Somber Song

It was quiet in the Ryder Forest. Too quiet. The various bird pokemon who made this their home were quick to fly away and hide. But from what? The small array of bug pokemon had also turned to hide. But why? The answer soon became clear.

A boy, no older than ten, no younger than eight, was running frantically through the wild forest. In his arms, a young, clearly frightened Vulpix. The fox pokemon made no effort to wriggle free, as if it were frozen in fear, eyes shut tight, paws across face, shaking madly. The boy had a determined look upon his face, he frequently looked behind him.

Not too far from him, three men were in hot pursuit. Faces just as determined as the boy, but much more agitated. They frequently shot profanities at him.

The boy showed signs of tiredness, but did not give up. He was breathing heavily, he had been running for a while. The men were fast catching up, having more stamina than him, but he kept going.

He wanted to protect that Vulpix from these men. They wanted it. For what reason, the boy did not know. By taking the Vulpix in his arms and running away with it he put himself at risk, but he was a reckless boy who did not think of consequences. He did not care if he were in danger, he just wanted the Vulpix safe and happy.

THUD. The boy has come to a sudden halt as he tripped over an exposed tree root he failed to notice. The Vulpix rolled out of his grasp and onto the soft green grass in a heap, it quickly got up.

"Quick, run away, you're much faster than me on your legs!" The boy said hurriedly. The Vulpix did not need to be asked twice, as it quickly turned around and ran faster than it had ever ran before. Before the boy himself could regain his posture, the men were on him. Surrounding him, they looked none too happy.

"Where is it?" One asked, harshly. "Tell me, boy!"

But he didn't reply. He looked up at them with a frown on his face, now in a sitting position. One of the men reached out and grabbed the boy by the collar.

"ANSWER US YOU DAMN KID!" He screamed, directly into the boys ears. The scream was loud enough to hurt his non sensitive ears.

"It's gone," He finally spoke, "It ran off when I tripped up"

"In what direction?" Asked the shortest of the men, to the left of the guy holding the boy.

He was silent. Of course, he knew which direction the Vulpix ran to, but he wasn't keen on revealing it. "Like I'd know," He lied.

The man holding him slapped him across the face, it stung madly, the boy wanted to cry, but held back.

"Don't play games!" He roared, "You know where that damned Vulpix is, and you're going to tell us!"

The boy fell silent again. He knew he'd probably get beaten up if he continued to lie to them, but despite bieng scared of the consequence of his actions, he still refused to tell. The men spent a further two minutes questioning and hitting the boy until they gave up, and started venting their frustrations at him by throwing him to the floor and kicking him with no mercy.

Some distance away, hidden in some thick bushes ontop a piece of risen land, a Ninetails stood surveying the scene. Alongside her was the very same Vulpix the boy had rescued. It looked pained.

"AuroraFire!" It bellowed, "The human! He.."

"Yes" The Ninetails interrupted calmly, her voice gently soothing the frightened pup, "I can see. I don't understand how humans can do this to each other, such cruelty!"

Normally AuroraFire, as the Ninetails was named, would not care much for humans. She grew up on stories that humans were cruel and ruthless, and she had certainly come across such biengs in her time for her to believe so. But this boy, she felt, was different. For one, her extra-sensitive nose, more sensitive than any other Ninetails, was telling her that the boy's scent was not the same as the three men, whose scent she affiliated with cruel humans.

Secondly, she had witnessed to boy urging the Vulpix, an immediate relative of hers, coincidentaly, to run away. The pup's story of his experience also told her that this boy was no normal human.

"AxlFyn," AuroraFire turned to the Vulpix, "Go back to the pack, warn them that there are humans nearby, I shall stand and survey this incident further, understand?" The Vulpix looked back at the boy, who was now losing consiousness, and then back at AuroraFire. He was torn, he wanted to listen to his family member and warn the pack, but he also did not want to leave the boy there.

"Don't worry," The Ninetails reassured AxlFyn, "I will personally make sure your savior survives,"

He stood for a moment, giving a lasting glance at the human boy, and then ran off. AuroraFire turned her attention to the boy again. She was hoping the men would stop any moment now, and leave the boy, but they didn't. She knew then that they had the intention of killing him.

She didn't know what to do. It was against all Vulpix and Ninetails nature to aid a human, unless they actually grew up alongside a kind human. But AuroraFire was a wild Ninetails, not a tame one.

"He's gunna die, heh," The short man snickered. AuroraFire scrunched her nose. "Wonder if his head will crack open,"

Before the man could try out his plan, AuroraFire was bounding out of her hiding place, and stood between the men and the now unconsious boy. She snarled and bared her sharp teeth. The men nearly jumped a whole foot backwards, they had not expected a fully grown Ninetails to suddenly show up and threaten them.

She growled louder. She decided to hurt these men if they did not go away within the next minute. She needn't have worried about that, because at her third growl, the men quickly ran off into the direction they came from. She was satified with the result, but wondered if she had done the right thing. And if she did, was she too late?

She turned towards the boy. He was covered in cuts and bruises, his worst injury bieng the one on his head, it was bleeding furiously. She gently nudged him. He groaned, but did not wake. She nudged again. And again. And again. But he still remained unconsious. She was panicking, worried that she had acted too late. Her ears lay flat against her head, she didn't know what to do. He was going to die, and she could do nothing to help.

"What if.." She started, but then quickly shook her head. No, she thought, I can't. He'll be in more danger than he is now.

What AuroraFire was pondering was if she could use her hidden power to heal him, the infamous Ninetails curse. A part of the well-known curse was rapid healing, and this would greatly help the boy to live. However, the other effects of the curse had to be taken into consideration, too. Even though this boy was worth saving, he didn't deserve the full curse.

But then, she thought about AxlFyn. He left to warn the pack of humans bieng in the forest, and left with the hope that AuroraFire, a bieng AxlFyn greatly admired, would save the boy. She cringed at the thought of having to tell him the human died, when he had depended on her to save him.

It was then she ultimately made her decision.

Concentration heavily, each of her nine tails rose to the air, and she started glowing a soft blue. She then placed a paw on the dying human's chest, and watched him start to glow too.