I sat at a table that was close to the ground. I looked around and saw a nice little home. Nora brought me a steaming bowl filled with what seemed like soup. She put it in front of me and I carefully sipped the warm meal. It was amazing.
"So, what's your name?" Nora asked me.
I stopped sipping and placed the wooden bowl back onto the table.
"I don't know." I answered sheepishly. I felt the shame again of not knowing who I was.
"Okay. Um, where do you call home?" Nora continued.
"I don't know." I said again while staring at the soup. Maybe it had the answer.
"You sound like you are on an interesting journey."
"I am sorry. I wish I could answer you, but I can't. I can't even go by a name."
Nora looked at me like I was a lost child.
"How about Koro?" Nora said.
"As a name?"
"Yeah. Koro does mean empty or zero in the old language, but it seems fitting for you. "
Koro. It felt right. I needed something to call myself. To help me find myself.
Having a name felt nice and calming to me. Maybe this was a start for finding the answers. All I have gotten since I can remember is the constant barrage of questions in my head, but it was nice to have an answer for a change.
I finished the soup Nora had given me and I did my best to try and get into a comfortable position on the floor of her hut. It was hard because of how sore my wrists had become in the shackles. Barely rotating them caused a pulsing pain in them.
Nora brought a bowl of water over to me and grabbed my sore paws. SHe stuck them into the bowl. The water was warm and soothing.
"Thank you." I said relaxing my paws with each massage she gave them.
"I would take these off of you, but I don't want to upset anyone."
I looked at her in such awe. She was trusting me so much.
"You shouldn't trust me so quickly Nora. I have done terrible things." I said move my paws out of her grasp.
I stared at them and remembered the blood that had covered the dark blue color. Turning it to a devilish purple color. It haunted my mind.
"Do you regret what you have done?" She asked me abruptly.
"I do." I said, still staring at my paws.
"Do you wish to do whatever you did wrong again?"
"No, I don't. I hope it never happens again. I don't want to feel the way I did."
"Will you do anything to keep it from happening?"
"Yes. I will do what I must." I said staring back into her eyes. Showing my determination and desire for what I said. She stared back with almost the same determination.
"I can see that you are sincere. Don't tell me who to trust and who not to trust. I have dealt with plenty of bad people in my life."
She grabbed my paws again and began massaging them again.
I have helped Katrina grow into a wonderful Pokémon. Her being the independent, wonderful, and beautiful Pokémon that she is today. It warms my heart."
"It must be nice seeing your child grow to be wonderful like you say."
"Katrina is not my child Koro. I am more like a loving aunt or grandmother. We are not related at all by blood."
"Then who raised her?"
That is a story that entails what happened to her and I am not the one who should tell it. She should be the one to tell it if she so desires" Nora said.
"Now, how do your paws feel now?"
I didn't even notice the pain anymore. What happened?
"Aqua ring is healing through water. I can heal a lot, but sometimes there will be scars. Those will scar. May they be a reminder to your dedication that you showed me." Nora said taking the bowl away and blowing out the candle lit room, leaving me in the darkness to sleep.
I laid there in the darkness thinking. I had a name for myself and I felt somewhat at comfort in this little stone hut. Having Nora nurse my wrists and giving me something I haven't felt before. She actually cared for me. It didn't feel like something mutual, but something like a mother. Like I was a lost child. I guess I am, but I can't go and claim her as my mother. That's not something you can ask someone.
I fell asleep trying to remember the feeling of love. The feeling that could almost destroy the dread and despair in my heart.
—-
I woke up to the morning rays on my face. They felt soothing on my fur. I stretched away the sleepiness in my muscles. They were sore form holding Katrina and running yesterday. Katrina. I got up and took a peek into the room where we had left her.
"Shame on you." I flinched as Nora yelled at me from the kitchen. She was cooking what looked like breakfast.
"A girl's room is a private matter to not be messed with. Did you forget manners too?"
I blushed under my fur and felt ashamed of what I did.
"Besides, she is out front. Don't you bother her while she is training." Nora said realizing that she reamed me a little much.
I walked over to the front circular window and saw Katrina training. She kicked and jabbed her fists into the air. She moved with grace in her movements. They were fluid and decisive. She formed a bone rush and began to swing hard in the air with it. How was she so powerful and beautiful at the same time.
She slammed the bone rush to the ground and it disappeared, shimmering into the air. She was breathing heavily and she slowly looked toward the window and made eye contact with me.
I ducked away from the window feeling like I had trespassed again. I went and knelt at the table where Nora had prepared a small bowl of morning soup. I sipped away at the meal as Katrina came in and ate her meal. I could feel tension in
the air, but I was too scared to break it.
"I hope that you are ready to leave lucario.We were supposed to report yesterday." Katrina said.
"Koro" Nora chimed in.
Katrina looked at her in confusion.
"His name is Koro. Call him by his name dear. "
Katrina turned to me and looked even more confused and angry with me. I stared at my bowl hoping it would come to my aid. Katrina looked like she was going to pounce on me.
"You remember who you are?" She asked.
"No, Nora gave me a name." I replied scared to look her in the eye.
Katrina turned back to Nora. " Well it's better than calling you just lucario. So then Koro we need to leave soon."
She got up and prepared her pack. I didn't have anything to really prepare. I didn't own anything besides these chains.
As we were leaving, Nora stopped me at her door. She held my chained paws.
"If you ever feel like you need a home. You come straight here, you hear?" Nora said with a stern look, but I could feel the love in her voice. It was that same motherly love from last night.
"Thank you. M-Nora." I fumbled over the word mother.
"Just call me Nora for now. I am not your mother just yet." She smirked.
I walked away feeling good and happy. This was nice.
"We need to hurry. I am already in deep trouble for being this late for reporting. The council will want to see you right away for what you have done."
That was like it was one of the jabs that Katrina had practiced. The despair and dread ran away my happiness as I remembered what had happened only a few days ago.
"I suppose that I owe you a thanks for yesterday." Katrina started off.
"Um-your welcome….If it's okay to ask, what did happen yesterday?" I asked.
Katrina stopped in her tracks and I almost ran into her.
"Do you understand what makes the difference between a wild Pokémon and a civilized one?" Katrina asked.
"No I-I don't. "
"To put it simply, they are demons. They let the darkness inside themselves take over. Their greed and selfishness Their hatred. It rules their hearts, having them only think about hurt and attack. A civilized Pokémon can become a demon or wild Pokémon if they lose themselves to great despair, sadness, or to their hatred. It can happen in many ways, others easier than others too.
Children to those wild Pokémon are filled with too much darkness to really be free from it. If the children are raised carefully sometimes they can be tamed from the wild."
"Has this been done a lot?"
"I am the only successful case of a child being raised from the wild."
I stood there in shock. Katrina was wild, but she is different now. I am not the one to judge.
"What does any of this have to do with yesterday?" I asked.
"If I let my anger and hatred get out of hand I could go wild again. Meditation helps to keep control. Training also helps. Just like what you saw this morning while you were watching me and thank you for thinking I was beautiful. "
I blushed in embarrassment. I forgot that lucarios can read emotions through aura. How can I learn that?
"I didn't mean to stare. Maybe you can teach me." I said, hoping to lighten the mood.
"Maybe if the council allows you to live." She said turning away and ending the conversation with a sad feeling.
I didn't know what to think as we were going forward towards the council. I didn't know if I should plan out my final words or plan out what I should do for the rest of my life. I didn't want to die. I hope I won't die.