I never told Orinthia what I learned that evening.
I didn't expect her to snap and hurt me if I told her what I knew, but I was sure she would be very upset. After all, she was uncomfortable about taking me to that cave in the first place, to the point of having a nightmare about me. Instead, I told her that the Lucario had told me to leave for my safety. It concerned her, and she was also a little disappointed that I didn't try to capture the Lucario when I met him that evening. I felt foolish for not trying that, but then I realized that it was probably for the best; normal Poke Balls didn't have a hundred percent capture rate; it would really anger him if I tried to capture him in the middle of our conversation. He might've ended up hurting me that way. But eventually, our worries turned out to be for naught, as the Lucario didn't show up to disturb our peace again. Soon enough, we were back to our normal lives. Yet, something felt off about everything. Was Orinthia really a crazed killer like he had claimed? I neither believed him nor disbelieved him, but it was entirely possible that he was lying to make me leave and make me hate Orinthia as well. But what about the cave? He did offer to show me the cave. If it was a lie then why would there be anything to show me in the first place? It felt like a puzzle; because I really didn't want to believe that Orinthia would do something like that. It was bothering me to no end and she eventually noticed my troubled mindset. One evening, she decided to confront me before leaving on her hunt.
"What's wrong, Felix? You haven't been acting like yourself since we returned. What's bothering you?" She said in her usual manner, hugging me tightly. It must be my mind playing tricks on me, but the hug felt a bit suffocating.
"I kind of miss my parents now, Orinthia. Would it be okay if I go and check on them tomorrow? It's been five days since we came back." What I said was mostly true. I did start to miss my home. What if my parents didn't get back home safely? What if they were worried sick? As much as we didn't get along, I never hated them and I'm sure they never hated me, either. Maybe visiting them and spending some time with them would make me feel better. That didn't mean I was going to simply go back, of course. I couldn't imagine living without Orinthia now, no matter what she had done.
She nuzzled me, "Of course, Felix. But you will be back, right? I'm not losing you. Actually, I think I want to go with you again."
I ran my fingers through her mane, "Of course, that would be much better. Just don't get mad if they think you're just a Pokemon I have captured in the wild." I tried to laugh, and she responded by playfully pushing me away.
"Oh, am I not? What am I to you, Felix?" She tried to pin my arms to the ground. I tried to resist, but soon realized it was pointless. I simply gave in.
"You're everything I ever wanted, Orinthia." I whispered, pouring my heart out into that one line. I never craved anything more in my life now other than her. And in that moment, I realized that I could ask for nothing more. If my parents and the society rejected her, I would happily leave my former home for good just to be with her. I looked at her into the eyes, admiring the beauty in them. Was it payback for the time when I got the upper hand over her in my house? It probably was, but it wasn't something I cared about. I wanted her.
But to my disappointment, she simply let me go and giggled when I attempted to grab her, dodging me with barely any effort.
"You have a lot to learn, Felix! Do you know that a Zoroark mates for life?" She stared at me with amusement. As I was about to respond, she simply got up and dashed off into the darkness, leaving me all alone with my thoughts.