EPISODE 52: Forest madam! Teacher of the woods!

I was sitting in an old wooden bench beside my friends, the time was around six pm, and the stars were shining with their alma mother. My friends were eager to know the results of Kirlia's operation. I didn't want to tell them, since I wasn't in the mood, but still, I pulled myself together and told them the truth. I was sobbing and crying as I told the harsh truth. I didn't want Kirlia to end up like this. There was even an aura or a conscience speaking unto me. "I shouldn't have caught Kirlia, if I didn't she wouldn't end up like this." This is what I uttered into my mind. My mind was full of regrets, I tried to look on the brighter side but I couldn't find the light.

"Go on Kalem, tell us what happened. We will listen to it, we promise." Camellia tried to comfort me as I sobbed. Kirlia's Pokeball was still on my hand, I held it tightly.

"The results came in today, and... Kirlia had a fracture, and her bones were dislocated. Nurse jo... I'm sorry... I couldn't... I couldn't... pull myself together." I was beginning to explain, but my tears conquered me halfway. My tears disrupted my statement, and I sobbed heavily than before.

"Pull yourself together Kalem, you can do this..." Glade comforted. "Nu... Nurse Joy said that Kirlia is now Paraplegic." I explained little by little as I wiped my tears away.

"Are you saying that Kirlia couldn't walk for all eternity?" Zhery reassured. "Yes... Now, I couldn't use Kirlia in battle anymore... I asked what the mega stone was... and nurse Joy said it was a Gardevoirite... Now? My mega stone serves no purpose..."

"Now I see why you're sad, but... what are you planning to do with Kirlia?" Camellia questioned. "I don't know what to do... Nurse Joy suggested to release Kirlia and capture a new one instead... But, I don't want to release Kirlia. Kirlia is my Pokemon, she helped me through my adversities." I explained. More tears rolled down my eyes.

"At least Kirlia can support you right? She can cheer for you! She may not fight at least you have a cheerleader by your side." Zhery tried to cheer me up, my mind was full of uncertain regrets and I tried to fight my conscience. What I didn't know was that Kirlia was listening to our conversation inside her Pokeball.

"I shouldn't have captured Kirlia..." I uttered. Kirlia heard everything I was saying. This made Kirlia's feelings crumble. "Kalem don't say that. Kirlia might hear you." Camellia warned. "If I didn't capture Kirlia? She wouldn't end up like this." I uttered softly. "Watch your words Kalem! This isn't the real you. It's your conscience. What if Kirlia heard you?" Zhery badgered.

"Kirlia has limitless potentials. Potentials that I don't deserve. I don't deserve to be Kirlia's trainer. I should've let Kirlia alone in the Skymore bridge." I uttered as I tightened my grip in Kirlia's Pokeball. "Kalem! You sound a lot like Krill. Don't tell me you're plann-"

"Planning to release Kirlia? I'll think about it. Come on, let's eat... I'm starving." I interrupted Camellia's statement. I stood up and walked towards the restaurant. I regret everything I said, because of me? Kirlia was crying in his Pokeball. My friends didn't want to disturb my mood anymore. They followed me to the restaurant to eat with me, and to comfort me but I disregarded all their statements. Me acting or sounding like Krill? Impossible! I and Krill are different persons with different personalities.

"There must be a way, a way to return Kalem to his original self," Camellia uttered on her mind, she pitied me, if anyone knows my real and true personalities, values and characteristics, its Camellia.

I sent out Kirlia to eat with the other Pokemons. I had carried her to a chair just for her to eat her food. I wasn't talking with my friends and they weren't talking to me. It was like we were enemies or something? Kirlia didn't dare to look at me, she was angry at me, she was angry that I crumbled and destroyed her feelings.

After dinner, we set up a camp just a few kilometers away from the Pokemon center. Everybody fell asleep humbly, may it be People or Pokemon. The night was perfect for a sleepy slumber. Kirlia woke up from her sleep and went out of her Pokeball.

"Come on Kirlia! Stand up, prove yourself to Kalem that you are worthy to be with him." Kirlia shouted in her mind with determination as she tried to stand up. She forced her legs but she couldn't do it. She was trying to control her legs in which she cannot. It was like possessing a power that you cannot harness. Kirlia couldn't control her legs, but she never lost hope. She tried and tried but nothing was working.

Kirlia crawled to a tree, she laid down and looked to the stars above. "I shouldn't have captured Kirlia..." Her mind recalled what I uttered. This made Kirlia cry, she doesn't want to leave my side. "I will stand up! I will stand up!" Kirlia uttered with determination and optimism.

She tried to gain control of her legs, but the control was denied. Her legs won't submit to her will. While she was forcing herself to stand, something bad occurred... She rolled down the steep hill me and my friends were sleeping on. There was no one to save her that time since everyone was asleep.

Kirlia landed near a pond, unfamiliar with the place, Kirlia got scared and closed her eyes. "Kalem... Please come." She pleaded as her eyes flowed with tears. Kirlia's heart started to beat slowly, she could feel shadows surrounding her as no one arrived to help her. "Kalem... Please help me..." She uttered as she closed her eyes and fell into a deep... deep... slumber

The sun woke up yearning at the beautiful trees, the Pokemons were back to their usual businesses and a normal day began.

"Kirlia!? Kirlia!?" I shouted worriedly as I left my tent and searched across the hill. "Glade! Glade! You have to help me, Kirlia has gone missing!" I shook Glade's body.

"Is that my fault? You were the one who said bad things about her right?" Glade tried to let me recall as he went back to sleep. I started to remember and recall all the harsh words I said and uttered to Kirlia. This was the day I realized that Camellia was correct, I was starting to act like Krill, a trainer who had no empathy for his Pokemon.

"I shouldn't have done that!" I regretted every single word I said and sobbed. I knew that I had to find her myself since my friends are definitely mad at me for what I did to Kirlia.

Riolu and my other Pokemons were still asleep. I don't want to wake up their sleepy slumber so I just ran across the hill searching far and wide for Kirlia.

Meanwhile, Kirlia woke up. But she didn't wake up near the pond. She was somehow in a treehouse. Her body was covered with leaves which served as Kirlia's blanket. As Kirlia woke up, she saw a green hanging Pokemon from the ceiling. The Pokemon was cooking something that Kirlia wasn't familiar with.

"Wh... Where am I?" Kirlia shouted with awareness. She tried to stand up but she remembered that her legs were bad and injured.

"Hello there darling, how are you feeling?" The green hanging Pokemon asked as she continued to cook.

"Who are you? And how did you know about my leg?" Kirlia queried with suspiciousness about the hanging Pokemon.

"Don't be frightened darling, you have a determined heart and a passionate spirit." the hanging Pokemon complemented.

"What do you mean? Why did you bring me here?" Kirlia queried with anger.

"Simple, I saw you trying to stand up last night when all of a sudden you fell down." The pokemon giggled.

"Why were you watching me?" Kirlia questioned.

"It is the duty of a madam, to protect and rescue Pokemons in need."

"Who are you? I don't need help. I know how to stand!"

"My name is Wormadam! Pokemons refer me as the madam of the forest. Here darling, drink it while it's hot." Wormadam handed over the soup she made to Kirlia.

"And... how can I trust you that this soup isn't poisoned?" Kirlia queried.

"Do not be scared... That soup will strengthen your Psychic powers and give more energy to your passionate spirit."

"Psychic power? Don't you see I'm useless without my legs? Even my trainer was thinking to release me."

"You should be thankful that I will serve as your teacher."

"My teacher? I don't need a teacher, I don't need a so-called forest, madam. I need control over my legs!" Kirlia explained.

"I know darling, that's why I gave you that soup"

"But this soup doesn't strengthen my leg it strengthens my power."

"You should be thankful that you're a Psychic-type Pokemon."

And so? If I'm a Psychic Pokemon?" Kirlia queried until something came to her mind. An idea, an idea to make her stand.

"... I can use my Psychic powers to control my legs!" Kirlia added as she beamed with joy.

"Took you a long time to understand, your leg is just a hurdle to your limitless potentials just like what your trainer said right?"

"How did you know that my trainer said that?"

"Simple, I am everywhere... I watch over the forest, I protect the forest and I nurture the forest."

"So... Can you teach me how to control my legs using my Psychic powers?"

"I can Kirlia if you're willing to!"

Kirlia accepted Wormadam's help. The key to control her legs was with her all along, all she had to do was to use her psychic powers to lift and control her legs.

Meanwhile, I kept on searching for my Kirlia. I couldn't find her anywhere. "Kirlia! Please show yourself! I didn't mean to say harsh things about you." I apologized. I was hoping that Kirlia would hear my cry.

Meanwhile, Camellia, Glade, and Zhery together with my Pokemons were getting worried.

"Where could that Kalem be?" Zhery badgered.

"I think I may have offended Kalem," Glade admitted.

"Offended? What do you mean?" Camellia queried.

"I accidentally said harsh things to Kalem when he was trying to wake me up from my sleep. He was looking for his lost Kirlia." Glade explained.

"Then we have to find Kalem!" Zhery said with determination.

"Zhery is right, we must find Kalem! He might wonder somewhere he isn't familiar with." Camellia agreed. The three of my friends together with my Pokemons and their Pokemons traveled to find me.

"In order to gain access to your leg, you must first harness your power," Wormadam instructed.

"Harness my power? But how will I do that?"

"Close your eyes darling, tell me, what do you see?" Wormadam asked.

"I can see nothing but darkness..."

"Darkness, that is the enemy of a Psychic-type. Psychic Pokemons learned the art, the art of balance, truth, and life. Without Psychic Pokemons, the light and the dark won't be balanced and so will creation and destruction. Defeat your own darkness!" Wormadam explained.

"Defeat your darkness.... defeat your darkness...." Kirlia tried to focus, she tried to make the darkness turn into the light.

"Think deeply Kirlia, don't let darkness defeat the light."

"I can't, my eyes are just staying black! It's not doing anything."

"Don't focus on your eyes, focus on the darkness. Think deeply, battle it with all your mind and strength! Then you will see the true potential of a Psychic Pokemon."

Kirlia closed her eyes once more, she tried to focus very hard. Then suddenly a white dot appeared. It was slowly getting bigger and Kirlia was beginning to float.

"Yes darling, control the darkness! Tell the darkness that you are not his toy!"

The white dot grew bigger and bigger as Kirlia floated high to the sky. Then, all the leaves scattered in Wormadam's house started to circle Kirlia.

"What do you see darling?"

"I see the light, the light is getting bigger but darkness is trying to fight back," Kirlia uttered as the dark and the light fought in her mind.

"Think deeply darling! Balance the light from the dark! That is the purpose of a Psychic Pokemon!"

Kirlia was surrounded by a mystic purple veil. The house began to shake, everything was going closer to Kirlia as if she was a black hole.

"You're doing it! Dig deep! Think deep! Balance! Balance is the key! The true power of Psychic Pokemon lies in thee Pokemon's ability to balance the light from the dark."

Kirlia lifted her hands and a black sphere started to glow as all the things that surrounded Kirlia started to get sucked inside the black sphere.

"You have harness the power! Kirlia... Open your eyes... And see your true power."

Kirlia slowly opened her eyes she was surprised about the objects flying around her, she was surprised about the black sphere. Kirlia's power started to go out of control. Until Kirlia was able to force her power to stop.

Kirlia fell down along with all the objects that circled her.

"Stand my dear, stand up!"

Kirlia stood slowly by slowly. She was shocked that she was able to stand.

"That is not the work of your bones my darling, that is the work of your power... your true power."

Kirlia rushed towards Wormadam and thanked her for everything, she learned that there was more to her power than what meets her eyes.

"No run along darling, you don't want to make your trainer worried don't you?" Wormadam pointed at me sitting near a rock.

"Go ahead, and when darkness trie to attack... Balance it with the light."

Kirlia rushed downstairs and left the treehouse.

"Kalem! Kalem!" Kirlia shouted.

"Kirlia? Kirlia! You're walking!" I beamed as I rushed to Kirlia. When the both of us intersected, I hugged Kirlia tight. I apologized to Kirlia for all my troubles and for all my harsh words.

"Its ok Kalem, I forgive you!" Kirlia cried with joy.

"How are you able to walk?" I queried.

"Simple, I harnessed my powers! Everything floated around me! It was all thanks to Wormadam!"

"Whose Wormadam?"

"Just check it on your Pokedex later! But one thing's for sure, Wormadam is indeed the teacher of the woods!"

We rushed back to the campsite and there we met Glade, Zhery, and Camellia looking all over for me. I explained to them how Kirlia was able to walk.

Nothing is really impossible! Kirlia proved that there is always a way to solve a problem, there is always a way to achieve your inner power! The body follows what the mind dictates! If you're positive, optimistic, and determined, your wish will surely come true!

As the journey continues...