Hello again!
Very sorry for slow uploading speed, my band director has gone crazy over how much practice time our band should be forced to endure. Oh, I have also been sick.
I heard that the Pokémon Trainer's name is Red. I don't vouch for any accuracy on this matter, but that it what he will be called throughout the story. I planned for him to be included in this chapter, but a last minute revision took his main scene out. Maybe next chapter.
One last thing: Can Pokémon have birth defects? Not that that is related to this story, but I really want to know. I don't mean serious defects, just alternative coloring.
Disclaimer: I own nothing but the storyline ideas.
Lucario sat stock still on the edge of his bed. Every muscle in his body was rigid, even those included in his normally gently waving tail. His gaze was directed on a small patch of the carpet. The patch was the exact same as the one next to it, but he stared at it so intently one might guess he was waiting for it to explode.
The reason for his irregular behavior stood right by his side, taking the form of Nurse Joy. She still hadn't left. One hour had passed since she had finished the bandage she was putting on his arm. Lucario had been overjoyed to see her pack her bag, before she decided to do a complete physical examination. Somehow, she still seemed oblivious to the fact that Lucario wasn't enjoying this, and so she went and checked every inch of his body.
She started by taking his foot, then going though every possible problem it could have: Scratched pads, bruised pads, scorched pads, pad cancer… The list goes on and on. Then she checked the flexibility of every part, flexing each individual pad on his paw, checking for obstructions and motion range. She then proceeded to gradually work her way up, finishing with his head and neck. Admittedly, the head and neck part did actually feel good, almost like a massage.
Completing the extended physical, the nurse checked most of the final boxes on her check list for a Lucario's health, before realizing that there was one more yet to go. "Have you had any injections?" questioned the nurse, digging in her bag. Not really knowing the term, as he had never heard it, Lucario slowly shook his head, his first voluntary move in a long time. He learned fast though, as Nurse Joy found about eight that were apparently required to give him maximum health, and immediately injected into him. Painfully.
Lucario winced as the seventh needle slid neatly out of his flesh. He had reverted to sitting still, though he now winced freely. Nurse Joy could be heard muttering something about which syringe was still needed and which ones had been given, But Lucario wasn't listening. He felt no need to know what comes next.
"Sit still a moment, would you?" The question slightly annoyed Lucario. Could she not see that he already was? Lucario turned his gaze to her to telepathically respond, but instead saw a needle descending to his arm. Lucario glanced away, not wanting to see it go in. It hurt enough already without him watching and expecting the pain. His nurse pushed the needle in and slid it out painlessly. A first for Lucario.
"Okay, just keep massaging the area to get the fluids moving at a faster rate to spread through your body…" Nurse Joy started some little speech about what Lucario should do to help himself. Not caring, Lucario drew his legs into the lotus position and, closing his eyes, began to meditate. "Are you getting sleepy?" asked the nurse, concern evident in her voice. "Hmmm… Drowsy and inactive at daytime… Needs more vitamin B12 or C…" Nurse Joy, still being ignored, pulled another syringe from her bag. "This one should do it."
The warm water pounded on Lucario's back. He was standing in the shower, fur plastered to his body by the heated water. Only his right arm was untouched by the water, having been covered by in a waterproof seal to protect the bandages from the fluids. He arched his back, tilting his head up, to change the angle the water was hitting his head to clear his fur off all soapy remains. A heavy scent of berries hang in the air, courtesy of some special fur-washing shampoo given to the furred contestants.
When he was finally certain that no shampoo lingered, he enjoyed the warm water for another minute before shutting off the pressure and throwing the curtain to the side. Clambering out, Lucario picked up a towel and walked into his room, still dripping wet. The carpet would be unaffected, it was made of some sort water resistant material. Lucario didn't know what, nor did he really care.
Rubbing his head gently with the towel to dry off, the sapphire Pokémon sat on a stool, randomly messing around with his aura abilities to form random shapes. Anyone could create an aura sphere, but Lucario could do an aura cube, at least if he had time to sit and concentrate. He should try one next battle if the opportunity arises.
Still messing around, He formed a sphere, then flattened it. Looking at his useless creation, Lucario noticed something in it. Something looking at him. He gasped in surprise, releasing the energy held by the aura. Whatever it had been had the face of a jackal, and four little dangly things, right behind its ears.
Putting two and two together, Lucario realized he had seen his own reflection. Trying it again, Lucario concentrated more on the surface of his new 'aura mirror' trying to make it more smooth and shiny. It worked, but not well. He could only really see his outline. Concentrating harder, Lucario tried to form a better mirror, but his efforts failed.
Lucario turned to sit sideways on his chair to look at the actual mirror in his room. Whoa. All the fur on his head was ruffled, from the towel, and the rest was plastered to his body. His head seemed much too big, his body to small. He started smoothing his head down, hoping it wouldn't stay that way. Well, if it failed, he could always puff up the rest of his fur.
A small flash of red caught his eye. It had been on the side of hiss mirror, where the window's reflection was shown. He turned to face it, and saw a Primid looking at him through the window.
It was a red Pirmid, the fire kind. After Taboo was defeated, the Primids that had not been destroyed were left leaderless, and one or two had been encountered randomly. Like right now. Would having wet fur prevent burns? Looks like he would find out soon, unless he killed it before it got a hit in. Lucario walked toward his window, and then left-handedly punched the glass, shattering it, and hitting the unfortunate Fire Primid behind it. He released an aura sphere, hitting his target in midair as it fell. Well, that fixed that. He stepped away from the window, listening to the tinkle of glass hitting the ground below, punctuated once by a large 'thump'.
Wait, what had it been standing on? He lived on the second floor. He strode back to the window, then stuck his head out. A ladder. How did it get a ladder? All the ladders were kept in some large storage compartment in the back. He recalled it to be called a shed. Maybe someone had left it unlocked. What careless creatures humans were.
Pulling his head back in, Lucario backed away from the window, resolving to inform whatever lazy human had accidently left the shed open. Well, that could wait. From the growling his stomach was starting to make, it was lunchtime. He picked up his towel and rubbed energetically. Probably would be best to dry of first.
Leaning against a tree, Lucario glanced around happily. It had been quite a while since he had last sat down and done nothing. He was always training, meditating, or something. He never simply sat and relaxed. He should do this more often.
It was a great outside day. The temperature was cool, plenty of clouds, a warm sun, and the occasional breeze. Unfortunately, it appeared he wasn't the only one who had noticed. Toon Link, Ness and Lucas had also come on out. Though he didn't know it, Toon link had decided to play a few pranks, and had convinced his friends to join in the fun. Grabbing a soccer ball to pretend they were just out to play soccer, the trio also brought out honey. A lot of honey.
Lucario felt a small drop land on his head. He glanced at the sky. No rainclouds, just a few white ones spread about. A few more drops fell down, one landing on his ear. Were the sprinklers coming on? Seemed like they were only on in the morning. Flicking his ear, Lucario found that the raindrops seemed to be sticking to him. He reached up, touched some, and brought his hand down for investigation. The raindrop had a pleasant yellow color, and a very sweet smell. This, whatever it was, wasn't rain. Lucario looked up, this time straight up. A large bucket was above him, now falling from the tree. A golden colored liquid slopped from the top, falling along with it. Lucario only had time for one thought: 'someone is going to pay for this.'
Walking back through the mansion had been a living nightmare. Everyone he saw had stared at him. Fortunately he didn't see that many people, anthropomorphic beings, or others. He saw Samus last of all, and she told him that soaking in very warm water might be able to fix it. Rubbing it would only rub his skin raw.
Lucario plugged his bathtub. It was a rather extravagant one, made of a shiny white material, big enough to lay down comfortably in, and the inside was coated by a thick, soft rubber, broken only by bubble jets pointing towards the center. This was probably the kind of bathtub that a rich person bought when running out of things to buy.
Twisting a knob, water gushed out of the spout dangling from the side. Lucario waited patiently for the tub to fill, trying to ignore the itching that the drying honey was making. As the water neared the top, Lucario switched off the spout and clambered in, pushing a little button as he entered. As the button depressed, a pump forced water through some pipe system and out through the jets, causing the water to gently massage him. He hoped this would help free the honey.
"Lucario. Lucario, wake up."
Lucario's eyes slowly opened. There, standing above him, was a smiling Nurse Joy. Odd, he didn't even remember falling asleep, especially not in a bathtub. What was she doing here?
"Three of your younger contestants seemed oddly concerned when you didn't show up for dinner. Being my job to look after all Pokémon's welfare, I came right up to check on you. Is that honey?" Nurse joy said, causing Lucario to look down at himself. He was still thickly coated in the stuff, even though he had soaked for several hours. He nodded in response to her question. "Oh, you will never get it out that way," said the nurse. "Stay right here and I'll go get something for that."
Several minutes later, Nurse Joy returned with what appeared to be oil, and from the smell, from a tea tree. Pouring some into her hand, the nurse leaned down and started rubbing it into Lucario's fur, using large circular strokes across his chest (avoiding the chest spike), and smaller, more controlled strokes on his head as to not get any into his eyes.
Noting that some honey had made its way into the bandage, as soon as she finished coating Lucario's body she removed the bandage, intending to put another on. As she pulled out the gauze, Lucario swiftly withdrew his arm. "Oh, Lucario, you don't want it to get worse, do you?" questioned the nurse. "Any damage now and it could take a lot longer for it to heal."
"It hasn't pained me in any way for a while now. I am sure that it will be fine. Please, we should test it for the night. I can go without it" the aura Pokémon begged. It took a little more convincing, but Nurse Joy relinquished and allowed Lucario to disuse the bandage temporarily.
"If it causes you any pain, I want to be told immediately," said the nurse. "O.k.?" Lucario nodded, ignoring the painful twinge from his arm. "Don't worry. You will be told immediately." Lied Lucario.
Smiling happily at their arrangement, the nurse had Lucario rub the oil from his fur on his legs, saying she would do his back because it 'might not be good for him to twist'. The honey came free easily after having the oil on it. The oil even had worked underwater, allowing Lucario to free his legs easily.
Once done, the nurse left the room, saying that she had to help Red with something. Lucario was left to dry himself, so he grabbed his towel and headed back into his main room. Nurse Joy was still in there, but she was just finishing packing her bag. Lucario watched as she walked out the door.
Lucario had just raised his towel when 'thunk'. The sound of a heavy object striking something echoed about his room as a blunt, heavy object crashed into the back of Lucario's skull, sounding exactly when the door closed behind the nurse. Lucario fell forward, unconscious, as a being stepped out of hiding from behind him. The being strode across the room, pausing once for a final vindictive act, then exited the room.
Ah, finally I start the strange things happening. If you are wondering why I sent Lucario into both a bath and shower, I had to have him wet for the scene he was hit. It was intended for him to be hit the first time, when he was still wet, but I needed more for the chapter as I planned to end it when he was hit, so I had him sent back, so he could be hit. Did anything I say just make sense? Or am I just babbling to myself?