As The Heart Crumbles_Ep2

Episode 2

     "What is it that little human girls like?" the Shuppet wondered as he browsed the shops for a gift. He passed over the toys. "But she already has a doll, doesn't she?" he recalled.

     "Eek! Get out, you!" a salesclerk screeched as she spotted him and began timidly shooing him away. "Don't you think about stealing anything now, little ghost! Go on, get out of here!"

     He gave the girl a glare, but then left, anyway. He continued to search for what could be a suitable gift, but after a while, he found nothing he thought would please her. "This is pointless," he sighed. And then, just as he lingered over to the edge of the park, he spotted her, the girl who saved him. She was just settling down next to the fountain with her doll and pulled a book out of her bag. "So, she likes to read?" he mused. He glanced over to the book store and pondered what he could get, but then shook his head. "I wonder if she would even accept a stolen book." Looking back to the girl's book, the cover art caught his eye. A boy and a girl encircled with a wreath of blood-red flowers. "Roses… Girls enjoy receiving roses as gifts, don't they?" He turned back into town to find the flower shop.

***
***
***

      Catey kicked her feet as she lied in the grass, reading the book, when suddenly a rose fell into it, giving her a start. She quickly looked up and saw the Shuppet. "Oh!" she exclaimed with a smile. "Little Shuppet, you actually came!" She sat up on her knees and took the rose in her hands. "Is this for me?"
     He nodded.
     Her smile widened. "It's beautiful! Thank you!" No one's ever given her a gift like this, she thought. No one other than her parents, anyway. The Shuppet smiled back, and she could feel the happiness bubbling up inside her. She picked up her things, sat back down on the fountain's edge, and eagerly held up her book to him. "This book I'm reading is one of my favorites. I'm almost finished with it, and I'm at one of the most exciting parts of the story. If you'd like, I could read it to you, as well." Please stay… she pleaded in her head. Just this once…

     The Shuppet looked undecided and shifted his eyes as if looking for a way out. After she thought for sure he'd leave, though, he finally drifted down to her side and peered into the book, waiting for her to begin reading.

     Overcome with relief, she smiled gratefully and said, "You won't be disappointed, I promise!"
     She gave a brief summary of the story thus far, and then jumped into where she left off, trying to make herself sound as convincing as any great storyteller would. And it seemed to work. At first, he would look confused, probably wondering why the character would do what they did. But soon enough, whenever she would glance over to see his reaction to certain parts, his eyes would be wide in anticipation. Like a kid with a bedtime story, she thought. It made her want to giggle.
     She read the last few lines of the story, and then closed her eyes for a dramatic pause before shutting the book. She set it beside her and looked at the Shuppet with a smile. "So, what did you think?" she asked. "Interesting, isn't it? Did you enjoy it?"
     He smiled back and nodded.
     "Yes. Reading these sorts of books gets me craving to read more. I love great literature! If you enjoyed it, too, then feel free to stop by often. I'll read you another good one, okay?" She hoped he found it interesting enough to come by again. It was fun to read in the company of another. She looked down at the rose in her hand. In the company of a friend… "By the way, my name is Catey. And this is my special doll that I made all on my own." She picked up the doll from her lap and held it up to him. "I thought it'd be neat if I based his design off of a Banette, considering that Banettes are like living dolls." She thought of the coincidence that her new friend was a Shuppet, the pre-evolved form of a Banette, and she giggled, hugging her doll tightly. "So, I just call him my 'Banette Doll'. And…" She paused and looked up at him questioningly. "What should I call you? Surely, it shouldn't be just 'little Shuppet.'"

     He looked taken aback for a moment, blinking at her, and then averted his eyes in thought. Was he trying to think of a way to tell her? Or did he simply just didn't have a name to give?

     After a long silence, Catey asked if she should decide on something. He looked at her and waited, giving no sign of objection, so she began thinking, looking down at the rose he gave her. "Let's see…" She was certain the Shuppet was a boy, thinking only a boy could give her a red rose as a gift. So, she quickly dismissed the idea of Rose for him, along with any other floral name, such as Lavender or Violet for his purple coloration. She glanced up at him. Specter? Phantom? Those just sounded as generic as Ghost. She wanted something more significant for her new friend. But why did boy names have to be so hard to pick?
     She looked over the rose once more, taking in its features. Petals, leaves, stem, thorns… Thorns… Her eyes flung back up to him and took note of the horn on top of his head. It looked as sharp as the thorns… "You know…the horn on your head reminds me of the thorns on this rose," she commented aloud. "…Thorne…" It was a real name, she recalled. Of English origin. She could remember reading such a name in some books. Typically as a last name, of course, but it still had a certain ring to it. "How would you like to be called Thorne?" she finally asked. "It almost has a poetic feel to it, doesn't it?"

     He tilted his head, thinking it over for a moment, and then he nodded with a small smile.

     She smiled back, pleased that he found her suggestion worthy enough to agree with. "Heheh, so then, it's settled. Hello, Thorne. It's very nice to meet you."

     Thorne. My new friend.

***
***
***

     After the Shuppet--Thorne--left for the evening, he lingered around the outskirts of the forest, staring onto its depths and occasionally glancing back into the little town. Then, he shook his head. "Ridiculous," he muttered to himself. "I have no reason to stay here. I have repaid my debt, and now I can leave in peace." But he didn't move, and he stole another glance at the town, at the park, at the fountain where the girl--Catey--read to him.
     The story she read, it was about a boy and a girl who somehow loved each other so much, they couldn't live without the other, and ultimately killed themselves in the end. All because of a terrible misunderstanding. It was stupid, he thought, to kill yourself just over the death of a loved one when there were plenty of other reasons to live, plenty of others to love. But when he thought of his own life, he found he couldn't really back up this thought.
     He'd been wandering around this world for a long time. Searching for something, he supposed. Why else? But searching for what? Something to live for? Maybe. It's been so long he couldn't really remember. He hadn't cared to really think about it for a long time until now. All that came to mind was dullness. And a strong dislike for the stereotype placed on ghost Pokémon like himself. Obviously, he hadn't found what he was looking for. But he hadn't really considered doing anything else but wander. He had no reason to change what was now habit for him. In retrospect, he wondered how boring it must seem.
     Then, he tried to think of those he might have been close to. Was there ever someone he loved so much that he couldn't live without? Someone who gave color to the dullness? Family? Friends? Maybe even a lover he could call his Juliet? No, he figured. If he couldn't live without them, he wouldn't have still been wandering around here now.
     He couldn't remember ever feeling that strongly about anyone before; how was he supposed to understand how it felt to lose someone like that? Of course, he'd felt others grieve a loss before, and although he felt bad for them, the intensity of their emotions confused him.
     Similarly, he couldn't remember anyone feeling that way about him, either. Barely a real feeling of friendship or comradery toward him anywhere he went. Always simply a stranger… Such a dull life, he thought again, thinking back on all he could remember.
     Then, he wondered what it would feel like to be loved so dearly, and then involuntarily glanced back to the park fountain where Catey read to him, showed him genuine kindness, emitted a kind of joy and longing whenever she looked at him. She wanted his friendship. "Ridiculous," he said again, shaking his head, and he retreated to the cover of the forest.

***
***
***

     Catey sat at the fountain again after school the next day, this time with her notebook and quill pen. She looked up from writing in the notebook to think, and gave a start at the sight of her new friend floating right in front of her. "Oh!" she exclaimed, and then released her breath in relief, giving him a bright smile. "Oh, Thorne! I was beginning to think you wouldn't show up today! I'm so glad to see you!"

     He returned her smile, and then looked at her notebook.

     "This is where I write my poems," she explained to him, holding it up. "They're pretty much just my thoughts and feelings on paper, but I do try to make them rhyme most of the time. Would you like to hear one?"
     He nodded, and she began to read.
     "Home alone another day, / I left and spent my time away. / I sat here on the fountain wall, / reading to myself and my doll. / Then five girls came to take a look / and wondered why I like my book. / They called me weird, then left me be, / in time for me to find Pidgey. / I asked if I could read to it too, / but it got startled, and away it flew. / I picked up my things, a little bit sad / And left for home to greet Mom and Dad. / I heard some distress, though, on my way back, / and dropping my bag, I ran to that shack. / A trainer was being assaulted in there, / So I got him to leave, and I turned to see where / The barrage had started, and what did I find? / A Shuppet trying to get out of a bind."
     She glanced up to see Thorne's reaction and giggled before continuing. "I assured him he's safe and back home I go. / To see him again? There's no way to know. / But the next day he came and gave me a gift-- /  A red rose so nice, it made my heart lift. / He patiently stayed and listened to me / As I read him my book; it made me so happy. / We introduced ourselves when the book was done, / Catey's my name, but he didn't have one. / I came up with one so he won't be forlorn. / He is now my new friend--a Shuppet named Thorne."
     She looked up at him cheerfully and asked, "What do you think? Did I do well with it?" The little Shuppet averted his eyes in what was probably embarrassment and nodded. Catey thought she could almost see the blush on his cheeks and giggled some more. "I'm glad! It was all I could think about for the rest of the night, that poem. It makes me happy that you came by to hear it!"

     When he looked at her, he smiled back and nodded again, as if to say, "You're welcome."
     
     Then, suddenly, a streetlamp turned on, and Catey jumped up. "It's already that late?! Oh, no, I'll miss them!" She hastily picked up her things. "How'd I not notice it getting dark until now? I'm sorry, Thorne, I have to get home in time to greet my parents!" She waved at him as she ran off. "I hope to see you again tomorrow, too!"

***
***
***

     "What am I doing?" Thorne muttered to himself later that night. "The more I show up, the more she'll expect me to visit, and the harder it would be for her to find that I left for good." He looked into the forest again, where he should have disappeared into since yesterday, and again he tried to remember what was so important that he had to endlessly wander the world for. To find something? To prove something? He still couldn't quite put a memory to the reason. Dullness.
     Then, his mind wandered back to Catey and her friendly smile, her excitement at his return. Their encounters obviously left a strong impression on her, as she had proven through her poem. And then, there was her eagerness to see him again tomorrow…
     He looked back at the fountain, their assumed meeting spot. Slowly, he began to feel a pointlessness to his wandering. If he couldn't even remember a solid reason why he did travel aimlessly, then why keep going?
     Why leave the one kind person who's actually happy to have him around?