This chapter is shorter than the other. Oh well, nobody's perfect. Also, Making things bold and italic doesn't seem to work with me. grumblemoan.

Also, Thanks for the C2+, FoxyJosh! And thank you for commenting, Cevaztyen! BTW, I LOVE your story!

Gifted Curse

Chapter Two

No Hard Feelings

He felt terrible. Sick to the stomach. He was groggy, and was struggling to remember what happened before he passed out. Then, he jolted upwards. He pressed his fingers against his forehead, and felt no pain. He then checked his entire body, noticing that he had no injuries on him. It was strange, he clearly remembered getting beaten, probably getting close to death, and that he had at one point coughed up blood. But now, his injuries were fully healed, and he felt no pain whatsoever.

He then heard a noise to his right.

And smelled something strange.

He turned his head to find that there was a Ninetails standing directly to his right, looking right at him. He had heard many tales and legends surrounding this pokemon, and did not feel very safe in the presence of one. He started backing off, while still sitting down.

"Don't back off" She said. She SAID. He was trying to register why she was speaking clearly, "I mean no harm"

"How?" Now he found it hard to get his words right, "How, how, uh.." The Ninetails knew what he wanted to ask.

"You have the ability to understand the pokemon language, now, so don't be afraid" She said softly, sitting down.

He then turned his attention back at his mysteriously healed body, and quickly looked back at her, eyebrow raised high in confusion. His head had registered that he could now communicate with pokemon, but it was still baffled at his nonexistant injuries.

"How am I fully healed?" He asked, nervous no more, "I remember bieng beaten 'till I puked blood"

His choice of words didn't impress her very much, as one of her ears indicated (it dropped down onto her head), but nonetheless, she thought about the question. Of course she knew the answer. She just wondered wether it was a good idea to tell him. She wasn't sure how he'd react.

"Y'gonna answer me, then?" The boy demanded. His attitude caused the Ninetails to swing both ears flat on her head, she wasn't happy to tell him. But she knew he needed to know sooner or later.

"I cursed you," She answered. She then looked to the ground, "to save your life,"

The boy leaned back against a tree behind him, staring at the Ninetails, who had lifted her head up again and stared directly back at him. She noticed his bright blue eyes at that moment, and her ears dropped sadly. "I'm sorry" she muttered.

The boy continued to look at her. He was also looking at her eyes. "Why are you apologising?" He asked. Her ears perked a bit in confusion. "If you had done that to save me, then you shouldn't be apologising. In fact, I owe you one, for what you did. Thanks,"

He is very different, She thought, Not a normal human at all.

"My name is Jake, by the way," The boy spoke. He gave her a soft smile.

"I am AuroraFire, of the Ryder Pack," She replied, bowing her head in respect. "You are the most kindest human I've ever come across,"

Jake was surprised. He knew he wasn't the only human on the entire island of Somber who was kind. He felt sorry for AuroraFire, as this meant that she had faced cruelty in past meetings with humans. "Does that mean, that, every other human you've come across has been mean?". AuroraFire nodded.

"Oh, wait," Jake suddenly said, making AuroraFire's ear's perk up, "I nearly forgot, if I am now cursed, what sort of effects should I be getting?"

AuroraFire nearly forgot this as well. "Your senses are heightened, stamina increased, and," She paused for a moment, "You may start transforming into a pokemon,"

Jake took all this in carefully. "Kay," He replied, "I'll live with it."

AuroraFire was taken aback. "Seriously? You're fine with it?"

"Yes. I am," Jake replied. In truth, Jake was nervous and slightly scared at the "transformation" part of the curse. Of course, he already heard the legend so many times before, but since the story was always different everytime he heard it, he needed AuroraFire herself to tell him the exact curse.

"If you're okay, and have finished asking questions, then you should leave" AuroraFire stated, standing up, "Humans aren't tolerated this far into the forest,"

Jake sighed, and stood up. He had deep respect for nature. AuroraFire turned her back on Jake and started leaving. He speculated that her home was in that direction, and so he left the opposite way, hands in pocket.

This turned out differently to what I'd planned, Thought Jake, Like it matters much, bieng cursed that is.