Stranger Than You

Chapter 1

A red Gallade walked into a clearing in the forest, stopping in front of a small memorial resting on a tree. From the bushes behind him, two Kirlia with scarlet hair, lightly grayed skin, and orange horns and eyes followed the Blade Pokémon.

"D-daddy? I-is this it," one of them asked, her voice making her sound as if she could cry at any moment.

"I think you know the answer, Daisy," the Gallade responded.

The Kirlia nodded, walking up to her father's side and observing the memorial.

The other Emotion Pokémon reluctantly did the same, tiptoeing over the crimson Gallade.

"Please...can we just go back home," the scarlet tressed Kirlia asked.

"No, Lance, it's important we do this."

"I know, dad...but it hurts so much..."

The girl frowned and moved to the boy's side, hugging him.

"It's okay, Lance, I know how you feel."

Lance pushed his sister away, tears beginning to sting his eyes. "No you don't! You and dad don't know how I feel!"

"Lance, please, now's not the time," Gawain said, trying not to get angry.

Lance tried to hold his tears back, but failed, running away with his hands covering his face.

Gawain sighed, turning his head back to the memorial. "Catherine...we all wish you were still here...Lance especially..."

[Elsewhere]

A Gardevoir with lavender hair and arms carried a Kirlia with the same oddities. Her teal eyes were fixated on the sleeping Pokemon, as she let out a soft sigh.

"Lilac... whatever shall we do..?" she murmured aloud. As if on cue, the Kirlia shivered, though she still radiated heat. Her fever had been steadily rising since that morning, when she had fallen unconscious. The day before, she had been out in the cold night, practicing her singing with her sister. Lilac, however, didn't realize the possible consequences, and snuck out later, to continue working out the melody.

"Y-Yas..." the Kirlia mumbled in her sleep. She shivered once more.

"We need to get you someplace warm..."

"L-Lance... Daisy..." Lilac whispered.

"Lance and Daisy..? Oh! You mean your friends... yes, perhaps they could help you," she said softly. "If only I knew where they are... "

Lilac opened her eyes slowly. She stared up at the sky, and unknowingly, her thoughts seeped into the minds of those nearby. :Yas... Lance... Daisy...:

"Lilac, you're awake," Yasmin said softly. Lilac weakly nodded.

"I..." :H-Help...:

"We need to find you someone who can help... and soon," the Gardevoir noted worriedly, hearing Lilac's voice in her head.

[Meanwhile]

Lance stopped near a river, unable to go any further. His body was aching, his sclera were a faint red from crying, and he felt absolutely exhausted.

"Mom...Daisy...dad...help...so...tired..."

His thoughts were then interrupted by a voice, seeming to call out to him. :Yas... Lance... Daisy...: it pleaded.

"Th-that voice...wh-who..?"

The miscolored Kirlia couldn't think much, as his fatigue caught up to him. His thoughts became a swirling blur, his stomach growling, his head throbbing. Where he was, he was forgetting, and he was sweating profusely. His thoughts continued to wind around in his mind, a vicious torrent of questions and concern, before he collapsed, passing out.

Yasmin heard the sound of the Kirlia falling to the ground. She raced towards it, gasping when she saw the unconscious Lance.

A few tears slipped out of Lance's eyes, as he cried in his sleep.

Yasmin let out a soft sigh as she lifted Lance with Psychic. :I can't carry him normally, but I still have Psychic,: she thought, somewhat desperately.

"Y-Yas... where's... Gawain..?" Lilac asked softly.

"I'm not sure, but he has to be nearby..."

"Lance? Come on, Lance, you can't do this every time," Daisy called.

"D-Daisy...dad...mom..." Lance mumbled in his sleep.

"Hello?" Yasmin called out, hearing Daisy.

Daisy teleported further, ending up in front of Yasmin. "Oh, you're Lilac's sister!"

She nodded. "Yes, I am. Do you know where Gawain is? I think something happened to Lance..." Yasmin said worriedly.

Daisy sighed. "He gets like this. Talking about mom's death gets him all sad like this. Daddy's back this way. Should I take you to him?"

"That would be great," Yasmin said gratefully. "Lilac is sick as well..." :I wish I could say that Lilac will never have grief about our mother, but... once she learns what really happened...:

Daisy nodded, not hearing Yasmin's thoughts and leading her back to Gawain.

Lance began crying in his sleep again. "M-mom...no..."

Yasmin glanced back at Lance, before looking ahead once more.

Daisy sighed again. "I wish I could help him, you know? It's been almost 8 years, but he still hasn't let go."

"It must be hard," Yasmin replied. "I somewhat understand anyway... it wasn't the same, but similar."

Lilac shivered again, her eyes closed. She seemed close to falling asleep.

"I know...it just hurts so much watching someone suffer when you can't help them."

"Daisy, is that you," Gawain asked in the distance.

"I can understand that as well," Yasmin replied softly.

"Yes daddy, and I found Lance...sorta..."

Gawain ran over frantically, fear showing in his eyes.

Yasmin moved Lance closer with her Psychic. "I found him by the river. He had already collapsed."

Lilac sighed softly. She had fallen asleep.

Gawain sighed, taking Lance. "Of course. Thank you, I'm sorry you had to carry him."

"It's quite alright," Yasmin replied. "I actually had something I would like to ask you..."

"Of course, what is it? I kinda owe you one for Lance."

"Lilac fell sick this morning. Do you know anywhere where I could find help for her?"

"Unfortunately I'm no doctor, and Daisy doesn't know Heal Pulse yet. I can take her back to my home, but the most I can do is give her a bed and a meal."

"That would actually be better than our home. Since it's just the two of us, it's quite small, and we don't have much warm food," Yasmin admitted.

Gawain nodded. "Come along then. Unfortunately, the guest room is taken, so it's either the couch or one of the twin's beds."

"Lilac and I will be fine on the couch. We don't need that much, since you are already doing her a big favor by letting us stay there."

Gawain nodded, giving one last glance to Catherine's memorial before walking away.