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"Riolu, use Force Palm!"
"Olu!"
David watched as Riolu ran up to the opponent Haxorus, charging his little paw in the meantime. He thought that tiny guy had a lot of spirit; he appreciated how hard Riolu worked and how bravely he faced pokemon larger than himself. David hoped that Riolu could take it - the battle against Elenora had been rough, and all his other pokemon had already been knocked out. He and Riolu trained a lot, so he trusted that he was strong, but this was also Elenora's ace, and Haxorus had taken out two of David's pokemon all by herself. David was sure he was in a strong position - and that Riolu would be relatively safe - given that he'd managed to weaken Haxorus with his other pokemon, but he was surprised by how powerful Elenora and her pokemon were.
The move barely connected, throwing Haxorus backwards, but it wasn't long before she caught herself and shook it off. Force Palm was one of Riolu's strongest attacks; David couldn't believe that he and Riolu were still so overpowered.
"Haxorus, it's time to end this! Dragon Pulse!"
That was the move that had finished off David's other pokemon; David hoped Riolu would be able to handle it.
"Riolu, you gotta dodge it! Use Double Team!"
"No use -"
But Riolu ran ahead bravely, splitting himself into numerous after-images. David watched as Haxorus attacked whatever image of Riolu she could find, and held his breath as she kept missing over and over again. As her attack died down, David sighed in relief as Riolu appeared in front of him again in one piece.
"Force Palm, again!"
"You are a fool if you think you can do the same thing again so easily," taunted Elenora. "Haxorus, catch Riolu this time. Use Guillotine - this match is over."
"Wait -" David cried out, but it was already too late. As Riolu ran up to throw Haxorus a second time, she caught him by his paw, holding him away from her so his Force Palm safely detonated in front of her.
"Hold him down, finish it."
"Wait!"
David watched helplessly as Haxorus pinned Riolu down. Poor Riolu looked terrified; he heard cries and whimpers as she charged her attack. It was over in a flash and a bang; within moments, Riolu was flying backward toward David. David cried out and tried to run forward to catch him but he wasn't fast enough, and Riolu fell onto the battlefield in front of him. He knelt down to his pokemon, unmoving, but apparently still breathing.
"Riolu!" he called out again, trying to get a response from the young dog.
Nothing.
"Please -"
Nothing.
The referee called out the end of the battle, but David didn't hear him. He picked Riolu up and rushed him away as fast as he could. Terrified for the poor pokemon's life, he rushed to the nearest Pokemon Center - luckily, it wasn't too far away. People blocked his way, though - commuters, shoppers, sightseers - he tried to dodge them as much as he could, shielding Riolu in his arms, but he couldn't help running into a couple people on his way, trying his best to apologize as he ran for help. He barged through the Center's doors, wildly glancing around to see if there was anyone who could help him. Before he could even cry for help, Nurse Joy was rushing toward him with a Chansey close behind her. Help for Riolu - David was relieved there was nothing in the way of getting him attention immediately.
"Is it an emergency?" Nurse Joy asked authoritatively.
"- Please," David cried, looking up to Nurse Joy. She held her arms out calmly for David to give Riolu to her; David almost didn't want to, but he recognized that he was here to get Riolu the help he needed.
"We can take care of him," Nurse Joy assured him, calmly waiting for David to let her help. "He'll get the help he needs."
"I -"
David almost didn't understand; he was out of it from panicking and shock.
"You've done the best you can for him to get him here quickly and carefully, please let us do what we can do for him. He will be safe with us."
Finally, David got it through his head, and he held Riolu out and placed him carefully in Nurse Joy's arms. She rushed away with him, leaving David in the lobby with nowhere to go and no idea what to do. He was helpless now that Riolu was out of his hands; he just hoped that he was going to be alright.
"Chansey!"
The pink pokemon's calling finally worked its way into David's head; he realized that Nurse Joy had left Chansey behind. She was calling from a distance, by what David recognized was a seating area. He followed after her and sat down in the seat Chansey offered him, and resigned himself to waiting as Chansey walked off to help Nurse Joy.
There wasn't much David could do while he waited except to think. The battle flashed in his mind over and over and over and over again, replaying the moment he'd let Riolu get hurt. He blamed himself for it; he hadn't been careful, and Riolu paid for it. He'd presumed Riolu was strong enough to handle Haxorus, and threw him into a battle he wasn't prepared for. The guilt plagued David, making him start to question being a trainer altogether.
And - he just wanted Riolu to be OK. He battled with his pokemon because he trusted that they could be OK - he trusted that they wouldn't get too hurt if they couldn't handle a battle. But... Elenora showed him that battles were high-stakes; he couldn't afford not to be careful. He regretted Riolu having to be hurt for him to learn that lesson, and he questioned if he wanted to battle with any of his pokemon again. He cared about all of them, of course, but... he felt bad especially for poor Riolu - the smallest pokemon on his team. He remembered training hard with him, mastering Counter and getting their minds around Force Palm. Riolu had always been brave, and David always liked how devoted he was. He'd shown quite an interest in David's life aside from battling, too - jumping up on him when he was eating, or protesting to chill with him, or else sitting with him as he watched TV or played a rare videogame. He got the feeling Riolu wanted to be with him, so he decided not to keep Riolu in his pokeball. Spending his time with Riolu, David really started to see his personality as a pokemon aside from sharing battles. It led him to grow rather attached to him, which made this failure on his part hurt so much worse. When his other pokemon fainted, it was almost... a professional thing. They understood, and let it be. But - with Riolu, it felt much more like a personal thing, like he'd let a friend down. He regretted not withdrawing from the battle when it was clear that Haxorus was overpowering him; he wished he could've saved Riolu from the beating he'd taken.
All this stewed in David's mind as he waited, worrying to heck about Riolu. When it became too much he got up and started pacing back and forth, oblivious to whatever was happening around him, eager for news from Nurse Joy whenever it came.
Some point - David didn't know when it was, but it felt like forever - he realized Chansey was calling at him again. He didn't know what it meant that Nurse Joy wasn't out herself, but as Chansey was beckoning him, he eagerly followed after her, through the halls of the Pokemon Center until she opened a door for him. He looked around as he walked, trying to get a feel for the place they were keeping Riolu, and he was happy that it seemed like a low-severity ward where they didn't watch too closely. He tried to temper himself, though, as he entered through the door, his stomach knotting up in 4 dimensions to see how Riolu was.
Riolu was sleeping on a bed on his back, covered up in bandages. Guilt knocked at David - his carelessness had broken bones or bruised Riolu up that badly. He was relieved Riolu seemed OK, at least - and that, apparently, that was all that they'd needed to do. Nurse Joy was standing by his bed, watching over him while Chansey fetched David.
"Everything's alright, Riolu's going to be OK," Nurse Joy said, noticing David enter the room. It took a moment for it to register, but when David realized what she was saying, he nearly collapsed in relief. He didn't notice once he was stable on his feet that it was Chansey who had kept him upright so he didn't fall and make Nurse Joy have to care for him, too.
"Oh my gosh," he cried out, thankful to be able to release all the worry he'd pent up.
"Just a couple broken bones and bruises," Nurse Joy said. "Pokemon are amazingly sturdy, especially fighting type ones like Riolu. And - steel types, like Lucario."
"Thank you so much," David cried. "I was so worried for him."
"He'll be OK in a few days; we'll be able to release him tomorrow thanks to Chansey's healing abilities."
David looked down; he never realized that the Chansey that worked with the nurses were so important to helping pokemon heal.
"Thank you," he said.
"Chansey Chanse!"
She seemed happy to help; David was thankful that there were so many people and pokemon willing to just help pokemon who were hurt.
"You can stay with him - you should stay with him so you're with him when he wakes up. I think he'll want to see you."
"I want to be here when he wakes up," David agreed.
"... If I may ask, how was he hurt?"
David didn't like bringing up the memory so soon, but he guessed it was alright.
"It was a battle," he started. "Against Elenora. Her Haxorus demolished three of my pokemon."
"Again..." Nurse Joy complained, much more frustrated than David had ever guessed she'd be. "Your other two pokemon are OK?"
"Yeah," David said.
"Even if Riolu is strong, a pokemon like Haxorus is going to tear through a little guy like him.
"I thought -"
"Elenora is ruthless; she had no right to harm Riolu like this. It's not your fault."
"But I let him -"
"... Several trainers have come by. Few of them were as diligent and worried as you were. You may have misjudged that battle and Riolu may have been hurt because of it, but from what you have shown me, you are a good person."
"I don't feel like it," David said.
"Riolu is OK," Nurse Joy reassured him. "You did your very best to get him the best help as soon as possible. He's going to wake up safe in a few hours, and the first thing he's going to see is you worrying over him. I have no doubt in my mind that you care for him; I don't think he will, either."
"I -"
David nearly shuddered; he was beyond relieved that Riolu was going to be OK, but he couldn't get over how he'd let him get hurt.
"Think it over while you wait for Riolu to wake," Joy said. "I'm sure he'll want to enjoy being OK with you when he does."
"... OK," David relented. He wanted that too, he saw; he couldn't wait for Riolu to wake up. He calmed down a bit, recognizing that the threat and the unknown had passed; Riolu was OK, all David had to do now was wait for him to wake up.
"We'll leave you alone," Joy said. "As long as you're watching over him, he'll be safe. We'll check on him when we notice he's awake."
David looked up to her, realizing how much she'd done and how readily she'd accepted Riolu and dealt with him.
"Thank you so much," he said. "I don't know what I would've done."
"Of course," Nurse Joy responded graciously, bowing slightly. "We'll leave you alone." She made her way out, and David moved out of her way so she could get by. Chansey called up to him then left behind Joy, closing the door behind her so David could be alone with Riolu. In a much calmer state, David was able to look around and find for himself a place to sit, and found a loose chair which he pulled up right by Riolu's bed so he'd be right there whenever Riolu happened to wake up. He watched Riolu breathe for a little while, thankful that the pokemon was still alive and (relatively) well. He had a bandage around his right arm, holding it in place supposedly so whatever bone had been broken, and another one around his chest. It looked like it hurt. David thought about what would happen if he were banged up like that; he felt bad for whatever pain Riolu was going to feel when he woke up. Settling down, he sighed and resigned himself to sitting by Riolu's side until he woke up.
Left with nothing to do but wait, David mused over what Nurse Joy had said. She'd mentioned that several trainers had come by because of Elenora; it made David wonder what was up with that gym. Gym battles were supposed to be tests of spirit, courage, bravery, whatever, not... ruthless punishment. David didn't think a gym leader was ever supposed to push a trainer that hard. Especially so that it became a problem for the local Pokemon Center. He also remembered what Joy had said about Riolu - his sturdiness as a fighting type. She'd mentioned Lucario's steel type, too... David vaguely wondered if Riolu would evolve, but he had given up on it, deciding that it wasn't up to him to try to make Riolu evolve. He didn't totally understand how Riolu evolved - he knew that it wasn't like most other pokemon - but he had never wanted to push it onto Riolu or seem like he expected Riolu to evolve. It did cross his mind that a Lucario might've been much more prepared to handle Haxorus, but he didn't let it excuse him throwing Riolu into something he wasn't ready for. Guilt still hung in David's mind; it didn't go away the moment Riolu was OK. He'd still been careless, and got Riolu hurt regardless of how hurt Riolu was. As thankful as he was that it seemed like Riolu was going to be OK, he could've prevented all of this by giving up, or else just being more aware that Riolu was at a disadvantage and being more careful because of it. The guilt made him wonder about battling at all, but he wanted to see Riolu first before making any solid decisions.
He waited for hours, watching the time go by. He calculated it all in his head, guessing when approximately he'd started the battle against Elenora and how long it took, and guessed that he'd spent a couple hours waiting for Nurse Joy and Chansey to be finished with Riolu. He barely felt hungry, but he considered that his pokemon didn't really want to fast like he was, so looking around and guessing it was OK, he brought them out to feed them. They were all OK, at least. None of them were particularly big, but Riolu was a tiny pokemon, coming up barely to David's waist. He explained the situation to them and they all seemed to understand, and he called them all back to their balls to do whatever they did in them so he could wait for Riolu peacefully. The entire time he hoped Riolu wouldn't wake up so he wasn't distracted, but he realized after that he would've preferred him to wake than to be happy he wasn't so he could wake when David was more attentive.
He kept waiting. At a certain point, he started falling asleep, but he tried his best to stay up, even calling for Joy to bring him food so he could do something to keep himself up. She happily brought him something he could eat, and also a special snack for Riolu when he woke up, too. David appreciated it, and it helped him stay up a bit and keep excited. Before too long after that, though, the monotony started to overwhelm him and he started needing to fight sleeping again.
Rather late into the night - as David was starting to tire from trying to keep attentive - he heard some soft moaning in front of him, and weak crying from Riolu, calling out his name quietly like it seemed all pokemon did.
"... Riolu?" he called out softly, wondering if it was Riolu making those noises or if he was imagining them as he was falling asleep.
"Ri?" Riolu called out more strongly this time.
"Riolu!?" David called out more excitedly, realizing that the pokemon was awake.
"Olu!" Riolu called out, confirming that he was awake and aware. David jumped on him, hugging him close before hearing Riolu crying in his arms and realizing he was hurting him.
"I'm so sorry," he said, jumping back and letting go of Riolu. "I'm so -"
Everything came down on David all at once, from the guilt he felt letting Riolu get hurt to the relief he felt that Riolu was OK. On top of it, exhaustion made things hard to handle. He started crying, releasing all the emotions he'd bottled up all day, thankful just that Riolu was awake, aware, safe, and healthy.
"I should never've had you battle Haxorus," he cried. "I should've been more careful. I'm so sorry, Riolu. I - I -"
David let it go for the moment, and let himself cry it out until he was more cohesive again. Collecting his thoughts, he continued carefully, feeling like he was going to break apart again any moment.
"I - don't know if I want to battle anymore," he said, "I didn't know that battling could be so dangerous. I never wanted you to get hurt, I never battled with you or anyone else imagining that It could end up in you being put in a Pokemon Center. I'm so - sorry, Riolu, I - feel like I failed as a trainer. I didn't want to let you get hurt like this, I don't want to battle again if it means this could happen again. I - care for you, Riolu, I'm so sorry I let this happen. I hate that I wasn't more careful."
David tried holding back the tears as best as he could; he could barely contain how horrible he felt. Facing Riolu was a lot harder than he expected; he was happy Riolu was OK but he felt horrible now that Riolu was awake and aware that he'd been through all that. He didn't know what was going through the pokemon's mind; he almost expected Riolu to not want to be with him anymore, and... if that were the case, he knew he'd painfully let Riolu go. He didn't want Riolu to go, but... if Riolu wanted someone else... David didn't want to keep him from finding them. Miserably, he waited in the darkness for Riolu to complain or disappear, dreading the silence and the darkness and the horrid length of time it felt he spent locked in this moment where he'd let everything out.
He didn't expect what happened. The sudden touch of soft fur made him jump, and when he calmed down, he realized that Riolu was trying to work his way under David's arms and his chest. David lifted himself from Riolu's bed to give Riolu room, and jumped again as Riolu jumped into his lap and pawed at his chest. Dumbfounded, David sat still, wondering what Riolu wanted. Riolu yipped at him and pawed at him again, and David started figuring it out; Riolu was trying to comfort him.
"Can I -" he asked, remembering how he'd hugged Riolu before and hurt him. Riolu yipped again, and he took it as a yes. He hugged Riolu close, trying carefully not to hurt him again, and guessed he was doing relatively OK since Riolu wasn't complaining. He felt Riolu try to hug him back - at least as much as his bandaged arm would let him. Close like this - David guessed Riolu still wanted to be with him. He guessed... Riolu forgave him. He guessed... Riolu thought he was honest, well-meaning and sincere. He started bawling uncontrollably, realizing that Riolu wanted to be with him despite all that stuff. That... somehow, Riolu was able to look past it and understand. He almost felt he didn't deserve it, but David was happy for Riolu to stay with him. Whether Riolu would still battle with him, he didn't know, but - they could still be... friends.
Before he could even calm down, a bright light distracted him from his self-pity. He realized rather quickly that it was Riolu, shining in his embrace. He tried jumping back but Riolu was on his lap, so David just watched as Riolu became engulfed in light, seeing him change form and feeling his weight grow as he stood on his lap. As Riolu grew in height, his legs luckily slipped around David so he wasn't standing on him anymore, and Riolu managed to balance himself so he was stable. David ended up hugging him close so he didn't fall, but it was almost a mistake as he felt something protruding from Riolu's chest as he grew. It luckily stopped before it became too painful, but it was fairly sharp and hard. Riolu was much bigger now, too, as the light started to fade away, but even on David's lap, he was only about level with him or even still a bit shorter. He was a lot heavier - a lot heavier than it seemed like he was supposed to be - and as Riolu looked around, David's face met his new snout, causing David to pull away from him so they didn't bump into each other again.
It didn't take too long for David to figure out what happened. Riolu had... evolved. Into a Lucario. In his lap. David hadn't realized it was like that; he'd heard stories of Riolu evolving mid-battle, or to save their trainers from danger, stuff like that. He'd never imagined... a Riolu evolving because they nearly died. The thought overwhelmed him, and in the shock of it Lucario looked at him - made eye contact - and tried again to hug him.
"Wait - Lucario, your chest spike!"
David was lucky it didn't seem to be super sharp, but even if it didn't puncture him, it still protruded into his chest uncomfortably as Lucario tried to hug him. Lucario seemed to back off, though - apparently quicker than it seemed he should've noticed he was hurting David. Instead, David felt Lucario's paws on his chest as he apparently tried to keep himself balanced on David's lap. It was a lot harder now, David guessed, that Lucario was apparently nearly as big as he was.
The thought of Riolu evolving still overwhelmed David, but now that he had a Lucario sitting on him, he realized he wanted to see him. It was dark in the room as was apparently policy for the Pokemon Center so its residents could sleep, but he wanted the lights on so he could see. Surprisingly, Lucario's weight shifted off of him; David wondered what Lucario was doing, but he faintly heard Lucario feeling around. He wondered if Lucario was looking for a light switch, but he hadn't asked for it. Lucario was just... doing it.
"Do you - know what I'm thinking?" David wondered out loud.
"Lu - Luca," Lucario said. His voice turned rather gravelly - or else, just... deeper than it had been as a Riolu. It had a depth to it, slightly rough but not growly or raspy. David kind of liked it, but he wondered too if he was just fixating on it because it was the only thing he knew about Lucario other than his chest spike.
Meanwhile, Lucario still apparently searched for a light switch, at least until they came on and Nurse Joy appeared.
"What happened - oh, my," she called, realizing for herself. She seemed as surprised as David was. "It seems Riolu's evolved."
"Apparently," David agreed, distracted now that he could finally see Lucario. Most prominently, he saw Lucario's spikes, one on his chest that he was fairly familiar with already, but also one on the back of each of his forepaws. His snout, which protruded from his face much more than it did as a Riolu, his dreadlock-like appendages which moved to the back of his head, and his height, which David had noticed without the light. He watched as Lucario walked over back to him and put his paws back on David's chest - David guessed it was permission to touch him, like - "I touch you, you can touch me."
"Lucario," Lucario said. He seemed to be smiling - or, at least, just trying his best to emote that he was happy and content. David was happy to see him; he hadn't imagined him evolving so he'd let go of seeing a Lucario so closely. Lucario was... apparently, happy to show himself off, though. As Lucario stared at him happily, David noticed his eyes - a deep red, piercing through him, making him wonder again if Lucario could read his mind.
"Cario," Lucario said - almost like in response to the thought. Lucario nodded - it was hard for David to imagine Lucario couldn't read his mind after that.
"I... hope you'll be comfortable with whatever you see," David wondered out loud.
Lucario's expression changed; it turned concerned, but he tapped his chest spike. David guessed he wanted to hug again, but was aware now of how his spike could hurt. David guessed how it was; Lucario missed hugging.
"We could probably figure something out if you want," David speculated. Lucario nodded again, agreeing.
"Lucario are smart," Joy said. "Or... they have the ability to sense aura. It shows them your thoughts."
Lucario stepped back from David and turned to Joy. He seemed to gauge her for a moment, then apparently guessed she was the one who had helped him. He bowed slightly, apparently in thanks.
"You're welcome," Joy speculated. "You have David to thank too, he protected you and brought you here as promptly as he could."
Lucario looked up at him and tried emoting again; David guessed he was thankful toward him, too. David was happy he tried his best; he was happy Lucario seemed perfectly OK.
"Apparently, evolving has healed your wounds. There isn't any reason for us to watch over you anymore; you're free to go whenever you wish. You're free to stay, too - it's very late. You alarmed us with your crying at such a late hour."
"Thanks," David said, "and - sorry."
"It's perfectly fine, I'm just happy to see Lucario's OK."
"I am too," David said, looking over at Lucario. Lucario looked back at him intelligently; David never imagined he'd get to interact with a pokemon like that. Lucario seemed smart, but David saw hints of the playful Riolu he'd been too - like in how he'd come over and tried to hug him. He guessed he needed to get to know Lucario again, but... he was excited to. Especially if... Lucario were as willing to stay with him as he tried to say he was as a Riolu. He wondered, though -
"I - are you still willing to stay with me?" he asked Lucario.
"Lucario," Lucario said, apparently reassuringly, nodding.
"I - thank you," David emphasized. "I'll take care of you."
Lucario huffed in protest; David wasn't totally sure what it meant.
"I think -" Nurse Joy started "- that Lucario may have evolved partially so that it wouldn't be so hard for you to protect him anymore."
"Is that - true?" David asked, turning back to Lucario. He nodded again.
"- Thank you," David said. "I want to be your friend, too, maybe like this we don't have to worry about who's protecting who so much anymore."
Lucario seemed to like that; he nodded and smiled again.
"Like I said," Joy pointed out, "Lucario are smart. It might be worth trying to teach him language. He might be able to pick it up quickly."
"Really?" David wondered. Lucario looked up at him; he guessed Lucario wanted to try. "OK," he said, "We can try." Lucario seemed happy; David was very happy to get to interact with him like that.
"I'll leave you two alone," Joy said. "It's been a hard day on both of you - rest well tonight, and when you're awake, we'll get you on your way."
"OK," David said, and he heard Lucario emote understanding, too.
"Good night, then," Joy said, retreating to leave them alone.
"Good night," David said, but Joy had already left and was closing the door. The lights turned off, but David turned in the direction he remembered Lucario being; he was almost too excited to sleep, now. He wondered about Lucario, too, since he'd been sleeping as long as he had been.
"Should we try to sleep?" he asked, deciding to let Lucario decide for them.
"Lu, Luca," Lucario responded. David wasn't totally sure what that meant, but he felt Lucario take his hand in his paw and pull it toward the bed.
"... I guess I'm exhausted," David admitted, following Lucario to the bed. "Are we going to -"
The sound of Lucario sitting on the bed answered for him. David relented, and sat down on the bed by him. It wasn't a huge bed, so they didn't have a lot of room, but Lucario positioned himself in front of David so that his spike was facing away from him. David ended up hugging Lucario fairly close, which... David got the feeling Lucario wanted. David didn't know if it was going to become a normal thing, but he wasn't complaining, and was happy to be close to Lucario after a day like they'd just experienced together. Lucario was soft and warm, anyway, and it was a comfort to hug him after what felt like nearly losing him after the battle.
"Good night," David said.
"Cario," Lucario said - David guessed it was something similar in Lucario speech.
David drifted off to sleep with the scent of Lucario's fur in his nose, clean and warm.
David barely remembered what had happened in the morning - he just knew that somebody was in his arms when he woke up. Jolting awake, he remembered it was Lucario, and that he'd evolved in the middle of the night after waking up from being hurt bad by a rogue gym leader. He seemed OK now - which David was grateful for - but upon Lucario's evolution, the relationship David was able to have with him seemed to deepen by a lot. He wasn't totally sure where it was going to bring them but he felt pretty confident that Lucario was willing to be his friend; he'd evolved for David because of that, after all. And - being close like this was extra reassurance on top of it. Lucario stirred awake, though, and dragged himself out of the bed. When David turned around and saw him, the look Lucario gave him made him think something along the lines of "That is special," and he guessed that things were a little 'back to normal,' whatever their new normal was. At least - David guessed that Lucario didn't want him going around talking about cuddling with his Lucario at night. How Lucario would feel in the future - they were both going to find out. Lucario seemed to let off, which made David guess he was basically right. Lucario being as close to him as he was was special; he didn't get to openly display it.
"OK," David said. "I understand."
Lucario waited for him, now, but he wasn't nearly as quick to wake up. He remembered the night before - and how he'd eaten before Riolu had woken up. He realized that Lucario must be starving, and wondered if that was part of the reason why Lucario was so quick to wake up and get up and be relatively serious.
"Hey -" he called, "Nurse Joy left some food for you last night. She called it 'special,' I didn't really know what that meant. It might be around somewhere still," he offered, hoping it would at least help a bit.
He watched as Lucario looked around and eventually noticed the tray that David had eaten from the night before. It still had that package of pokemon food on it - David almost wondered if Lucario would want it if he were acting so human. He happily took it though, but seemed to struggle to open it. His paws didn't seem very useful; David guessed he'd have to help Lucario with a lot, or else figure out how to enable Lucario to do things himself. Either case, David didn't mind; he had to help all his pokemon with stuff, anyway. Lucario handed him the container, and David opened it for him to a point it seemed like he could manage it himself and handed it back to him so he could eat as he pleased.
The thought brought something to his mind which he decided he should bring up:
"Hey - I guess we need to introduce you to everyone else."
Lucario nodded. He didn't seem so super enthused about that, but he didn't seem unhappy either, so David guessed it was going to be alright.
"Should probably wait until we have an open field or something."
Lucario seemed to like the thought of that.
"And - we could train, or else we could try to teach you language, or we could just... chill, explore the city."
Lucario seemed biased toward training, but he seemed OK with anything, too. It made David happy he could interact with Lucario so directly; he was excited to teach him language so he didn't have to guess at what Lucario wanted to say anymore. He figured they could do a little bit of everything, and he was excited to get to it with him. He wanted to get to know Lucario, but he understood Lucario had to get to know himself too. Training seemed reasonable, and David guessed Lucario was excited to see what he could do now that he evolved. He was excited too; for all of it.
"Thank you," David emoted. Lucario yipped in return; he seemed excited, too, now that he'd dealt with his hunger at least a little bit.
"I'm excited too," David offered. "I guess we'll figure it out as we go."
Lucario nodded at him. David followed him up, stretching himself as he had been a little cramped, even with cuddling Lucario. That was something private to them, he remembered; he sighed, getting a feel for Lucario in his mind. He was sure they'd have a chance to be more open in the future; he needed to get to know what Lucario's boundaries were, so he could respect them. He figured this was a good start.
"I guess - let's go and see Nurse Joy," David started. Lucario seemed to agree, so David led them out, and tried to navigate his way out. He started to get lost, though, so Lucario took charge and managed to find his way out. David thanked him, guessing that it was part of his new powers that Joy had mentioned. With a quick check-in from Joy, she verified Lucario was healed, and then they were on their way. They went off, excited to explore Lucario and his new powers and to figure out what sort of friendship they had now that Lucario had shown it by evolving. They specifically avoided the gym, but - depending, David wondered if they would show up again soon, once Lucario had a chance to train with his new powers, and once David gained some more skill and confidence as a trainer. That was something they would worry about in the future, though. For now, they worried about each other.
-----------------------------------------
"Riolu, use Force Palm!"
"Olu!"
David watched as Riolu ran up to the opponent Haxorus, charging his little paw in the meantime. He thought that tiny guy had a lot of spirit; he appreciated how hard Riolu worked and how bravely he faced pokemon larger than himself. David hoped that Riolu could take it - the battle against Elenora had been rough, and all his other pokemon had already been knocked out. He and Riolu trained a lot, so he trusted that he was strong, but this was also Elenora's ace, and Haxorus had taken out two of David's pokemon all by herself. David was sure he was in a strong position - and that Riolu would be relatively safe - given that he'd managed to weaken Haxorus with his other pokemon, but he was surprised by how powerful Elenora and her pokemon were.
The move barely connected, throwing Haxorus backwards, but it wasn't long before she caught herself and shook it off. Force Palm was one of Riolu's strongest attacks; David couldn't believe that he and Riolu were still so overpowered.
"Haxorus, it's time to end this! Dragon Pulse!"
That was the move that had finished off David's other pokemon; David hoped Riolu would be able to handle it.
"Riolu, you gotta dodge it! Use Double Team!"
"No use -"
But Riolu ran ahead bravely, splitting himself into numerous after-images. David watched as Haxorus attacked whatever image of Riolu she could find, and held his breath as she kept missing over and over again. As her attack died down, David sighed in relief as Riolu appeared in front of him again in one piece.
"Force Palm, again!"
"You are a fool if you think you can do the same thing again so easily," taunted Elenora. "Haxorus, catch Riolu this time. Use Guillotine - this match is over."
"Wait -" David cried out, but it was already too late. As Riolu ran up to throw Haxorus a second time, she caught him by his paw, holding him away from her so his Force Palm safely detonated in front of her.
"Hold him down, finish it."
"Wait!"
David watched helplessly as Haxorus pinned Riolu down. Poor Riolu looked terrified; he heard cries and whimpers as she charged her attack. It was over in a flash and a bang; within moments, Riolu was flying backward toward David. David cried out and tried to run forward to catch him but he wasn't fast enough, and Riolu fell onto the battlefield in front of him. He knelt down to his pokemon, unmoving, but apparently still breathing.
"Riolu!" he called out again, trying to get a response from the young dog.
Nothing.
"Please -"
Nothing.
The referee called out the end of the battle, but David didn't hear him. He picked Riolu up and rushed him away as fast as he could. Terrified for the poor pokemon's life, he rushed to the nearest Pokemon Center - luckily, it wasn't too far away. People blocked his way, though - commuters, shoppers, sightseers - he tried to dodge them as much as he could, shielding Riolu in his arms, but he couldn't help running into a couple people on his way, trying his best to apologize as he ran for help. He barged through the Center's doors, wildly glancing around to see if there was anyone who could help him. Before he could even cry for help, Nurse Joy was rushing toward him with a Chansey close behind her. Help for Riolu - David was relieved there was nothing in the way of getting him attention immediately.
"Is it an emergency?" Nurse Joy asked authoritatively.
"- Please," David cried, looking up to Nurse Joy. She held her arms out calmly for David to give Riolu to her; David almost didn't want to, but he recognized that he was here to get Riolu the help he needed.
"We can take care of him," Nurse Joy assured him, calmly waiting for David to let her help. "He'll get the help he needs."
"I -"
David almost didn't understand; he was out of it from panicking and shock.
"You've done the best you can for him to get him here quickly and carefully, please let us do what we can do for him. He will be safe with us."
Finally, David got it through his head, and he held Riolu out and placed him carefully in Nurse Joy's arms. She rushed away with him, leaving David in the lobby with nowhere to go and no idea what to do. He was helpless now that Riolu was out of his hands; he just hoped that he was going to be alright.
"Chansey!"
The pink pokemon's calling finally worked its way into David's head; he realized that Nurse Joy had left Chansey behind. She was calling from a distance, by what David recognized was a seating area. He followed after her and sat down in the seat Chansey offered him, and resigned himself to waiting as Chansey walked off to help Nurse Joy.
There wasn't much David could do while he waited except to think. The battle flashed in his mind over and over and over and over again, replaying the moment he'd let Riolu get hurt. He blamed himself for it; he hadn't been careful, and Riolu paid for it. He'd presumed Riolu was strong enough to handle Haxorus, and threw him into a battle he wasn't prepared for. The guilt plagued David, making him start to question being a trainer altogether.
And - he just wanted Riolu to be OK. He battled with his pokemon because he trusted that they could be OK - he trusted that they wouldn't get too hurt if they couldn't handle a battle. But... Elenora showed him that battles were high-stakes; he couldn't afford not to be careful. He regretted Riolu having to be hurt for him to learn that lesson, and he questioned if he wanted to battle with any of his pokemon again. He cared about all of them, of course, but... he felt bad especially for poor Riolu - the smallest pokemon on his team. He remembered training hard with him, mastering Counter and getting their minds around Force Palm. Riolu had always been brave, and David always liked how devoted he was. He'd shown quite an interest in David's life aside from battling, too - jumping up on him when he was eating, or protesting to chill with him, or else sitting with him as he watched TV or played a rare videogame. He got the feeling Riolu wanted to be with him, so he decided not to keep Riolu in his pokeball. Spending his time with Riolu, David really started to see his personality as a pokemon aside from sharing battles. It led him to grow rather attached to him, which made this failure on his part hurt so much worse. When his other pokemon fainted, it was almost... a professional thing. They understood, and let it be. But - with Riolu, it felt much more like a personal thing, like he'd let a friend down. He regretted not withdrawing from the battle when it was clear that Haxorus was overpowering him; he wished he could've saved Riolu from the beating he'd taken.
All this stewed in David's mind as he waited, worrying to heck about Riolu. When it became too much he got up and started pacing back and forth, oblivious to whatever was happening around him, eager for news from Nurse Joy whenever it came.
Some point - David didn't know when it was, but it felt like forever - he realized Chansey was calling at him again. He didn't know what it meant that Nurse Joy wasn't out herself, but as Chansey was beckoning him, he eagerly followed after her, through the halls of the Pokemon Center until she opened a door for him. He looked around as he walked, trying to get a feel for the place they were keeping Riolu, and he was happy that it seemed like a low-severity ward where they didn't watch too closely. He tried to temper himself, though, as he entered through the door, his stomach knotting up in 4 dimensions to see how Riolu was.
Riolu was sleeping on a bed on his back, covered up in bandages. Guilt knocked at David - his carelessness had broken bones or bruised Riolu up that badly. He was relieved Riolu seemed OK, at least - and that, apparently, that was all that they'd needed to do. Nurse Joy was standing by his bed, watching over him while Chansey fetched David.
"Everything's alright, Riolu's going to be OK," Nurse Joy said, noticing David enter the room. It took a moment for it to register, but when David realized what she was saying, he nearly collapsed in relief. He didn't notice once he was stable on his feet that it was Chansey who had kept him upright so he didn't fall and make Nurse Joy have to care for him, too.
"Oh my gosh," he cried out, thankful to be able to release all the worry he'd pent up.
"Just a couple broken bones and bruises," Nurse Joy said. "Pokemon are amazingly sturdy, especially fighting type ones like Riolu. And - steel types, like Lucario."
"Thank you so much," David cried. "I was so worried for him."
"He'll be OK in a few days; we'll be able to release him tomorrow thanks to Chansey's healing abilities."
David looked down; he never realized that the Chansey that worked with the nurses were so important to helping pokemon heal.
"Thank you," he said.
"Chansey Chanse!"
She seemed happy to help; David was thankful that there were so many people and pokemon willing to just help pokemon who were hurt.
"You can stay with him - you should stay with him so you're with him when he wakes up. I think he'll want to see you."
"I want to be here when he wakes up," David agreed.
"... If I may ask, how was he hurt?"
David didn't like bringing up the memory so soon, but he guessed it was alright.
"It was a battle," he started. "Against Elenora. Her Haxorus demolished three of my pokemon."
"Again..." Nurse Joy complained, much more frustrated than David had ever guessed she'd be. "Your other two pokemon are OK?"
"Yeah," David said.
"Even if Riolu is strong, a pokemon like Haxorus is going to tear through a little guy like him.
"I thought -"
"Elenora is ruthless; she had no right to harm Riolu like this. It's not your fault."
"But I let him -"
"... Several trainers have come by. Few of them were as diligent and worried as you were. You may have misjudged that battle and Riolu may have been hurt because of it, but from what you have shown me, you are a good person."
"I don't feel like it," David said.
"Riolu is OK," Nurse Joy reassured him. "You did your very best to get him the best help as soon as possible. He's going to wake up safe in a few hours, and the first thing he's going to see is you worrying over him. I have no doubt in my mind that you care for him; I don't think he will, either."
"I -"
David nearly shuddered; he was beyond relieved that Riolu was going to be OK, but he couldn't get over how he'd let him get hurt.
"Think it over while you wait for Riolu to wake," Joy said. "I'm sure he'll want to enjoy being OK with you when he does."
"... OK," David relented. He wanted that too, he saw; he couldn't wait for Riolu to wake up. He calmed down a bit, recognizing that the threat and the unknown had passed; Riolu was OK, all David had to do now was wait for him to wake up.
"We'll leave you alone," Joy said. "As long as you're watching over him, he'll be safe. We'll check on him when we notice he's awake."
David looked up to her, realizing how much she'd done and how readily she'd accepted Riolu and dealt with him.
"Thank you so much," he said. "I don't know what I would've done."
"Of course," Nurse Joy responded graciously, bowing slightly. "We'll leave you alone." She made her way out, and David moved out of her way so she could get by. Chansey called up to him then left behind Joy, closing the door behind her so David could be alone with Riolu. In a much calmer state, David was able to look around and find for himself a place to sit, and found a loose chair which he pulled up right by Riolu's bed so he'd be right there whenever Riolu happened to wake up. He watched Riolu breathe for a little while, thankful that the pokemon was still alive and (relatively) well. He had a bandage around his right arm, holding it in place supposedly so whatever bone had been broken, and another one around his chest. It looked like it hurt. David thought about what would happen if he were banged up like that; he felt bad for whatever pain Riolu was going to feel when he woke up. Settling down, he sighed and resigned himself to sitting by Riolu's side until he woke up.
Left with nothing to do but wait, David mused over what Nurse Joy had said. She'd mentioned that several trainers had come by because of Elenora; it made David wonder what was up with that gym. Gym battles were supposed to be tests of spirit, courage, bravery, whatever, not... ruthless punishment. David didn't think a gym leader was ever supposed to push a trainer that hard. Especially so that it became a problem for the local Pokemon Center. He also remembered what Joy had said about Riolu - his sturdiness as a fighting type. She'd mentioned Lucario's steel type, too... David vaguely wondered if Riolu would evolve, but he had given up on it, deciding that it wasn't up to him to try to make Riolu evolve. He didn't totally understand how Riolu evolved - he knew that it wasn't like most other pokemon - but he had never wanted to push it onto Riolu or seem like he expected Riolu to evolve. It did cross his mind that a Lucario might've been much more prepared to handle Haxorus, but he didn't let it excuse him throwing Riolu into something he wasn't ready for. Guilt still hung in David's mind; it didn't go away the moment Riolu was OK. He'd still been careless, and got Riolu hurt regardless of how hurt Riolu was. As thankful as he was that it seemed like Riolu was going to be OK, he could've prevented all of this by giving up, or else just being more aware that Riolu was at a disadvantage and being more careful because of it. The guilt made him wonder about battling at all, but he wanted to see Riolu first before making any solid decisions.
He waited for hours, watching the time go by. He calculated it all in his head, guessing when approximately he'd started the battle against Elenora and how long it took, and guessed that he'd spent a couple hours waiting for Nurse Joy and Chansey to be finished with Riolu. He barely felt hungry, but he considered that his pokemon didn't really want to fast like he was, so looking around and guessing it was OK, he brought them out to feed them. They were all OK, at least. None of them were particularly big, but Riolu was a tiny pokemon, coming up barely to David's waist. He explained the situation to them and they all seemed to understand, and he called them all back to their balls to do whatever they did in them so he could wait for Riolu peacefully. The entire time he hoped Riolu wouldn't wake up so he wasn't distracted, but he realized after that he would've preferred him to wake than to be happy he wasn't so he could wake when David was more attentive.
He kept waiting. At a certain point, he started falling asleep, but he tried his best to stay up, even calling for Joy to bring him food so he could do something to keep himself up. She happily brought him something he could eat, and also a special snack for Riolu when he woke up, too. David appreciated it, and it helped him stay up a bit and keep excited. Before too long after that, though, the monotony started to overwhelm him and he started needing to fight sleeping again.
Rather late into the night - as David was starting to tire from trying to keep attentive - he heard some soft moaning in front of him, and weak crying from Riolu, calling out his name quietly like it seemed all pokemon did.
"... Riolu?" he called out softly, wondering if it was Riolu making those noises or if he was imagining them as he was falling asleep.
"Ri?" Riolu called out more strongly this time.
"Riolu!?" David called out more excitedly, realizing that the pokemon was awake.
"Olu!" Riolu called out, confirming that he was awake and aware. David jumped on him, hugging him close before hearing Riolu crying in his arms and realizing he was hurting him.
"I'm so sorry," he said, jumping back and letting go of Riolu. "I'm so -"
Everything came down on David all at once, from the guilt he felt letting Riolu get hurt to the relief he felt that Riolu was OK. On top of it, exhaustion made things hard to handle. He started crying, releasing all the emotions he'd bottled up all day, thankful just that Riolu was awake, aware, safe, and healthy.
"I should never've had you battle Haxorus," he cried. "I should've been more careful. I'm so sorry, Riolu. I - I -"
David let it go for the moment, and let himself cry it out until he was more cohesive again. Collecting his thoughts, he continued carefully, feeling like he was going to break apart again any moment.
"I - don't know if I want to battle anymore," he said, "I didn't know that battling could be so dangerous. I never wanted you to get hurt, I never battled with you or anyone else imagining that It could end up in you being put in a Pokemon Center. I'm so - sorry, Riolu, I - feel like I failed as a trainer. I didn't want to let you get hurt like this, I don't want to battle again if it means this could happen again. I - care for you, Riolu, I'm so sorry I let this happen. I hate that I wasn't more careful."
David tried holding back the tears as best as he could; he could barely contain how horrible he felt. Facing Riolu was a lot harder than he expected; he was happy Riolu was OK but he felt horrible now that Riolu was awake and aware that he'd been through all that. He didn't know what was going through the pokemon's mind; he almost expected Riolu to not want to be with him anymore, and... if that were the case, he knew he'd painfully let Riolu go. He didn't want Riolu to go, but... if Riolu wanted someone else... David didn't want to keep him from finding them. Miserably, he waited in the darkness for Riolu to complain or disappear, dreading the silence and the darkness and the horrid length of time it felt he spent locked in this moment where he'd let everything out.
He didn't expect what happened. The sudden touch of soft fur made him jump, and when he calmed down, he realized that Riolu was trying to work his way under David's arms and his chest. David lifted himself from Riolu's bed to give Riolu room, and jumped again as Riolu jumped into his lap and pawed at his chest. Dumbfounded, David sat still, wondering what Riolu wanted. Riolu yipped at him and pawed at him again, and David started figuring it out; Riolu was trying to comfort him.
"Can I -" he asked, remembering how he'd hugged Riolu before and hurt him. Riolu yipped again, and he took it as a yes. He hugged Riolu close, trying carefully not to hurt him again, and guessed he was doing relatively OK since Riolu wasn't complaining. He felt Riolu try to hug him back - at least as much as his bandaged arm would let him. Close like this - David guessed Riolu still wanted to be with him. He guessed... Riolu forgave him. He guessed... Riolu thought he was honest, well-meaning and sincere. He started bawling uncontrollably, realizing that Riolu wanted to be with him despite all that stuff. That... somehow, Riolu was able to look past it and understand. He almost felt he didn't deserve it, but David was happy for Riolu to stay with him. Whether Riolu would still battle with him, he didn't know, but - they could still be... friends.
Before he could even calm down, a bright light distracted him from his self-pity. He realized rather quickly that it was Riolu, shining in his embrace. He tried jumping back but Riolu was on his lap, so David just watched as Riolu became engulfed in light, seeing him change form and feeling his weight grow as he stood on his lap. As Riolu grew in height, his legs luckily slipped around David so he wasn't standing on him anymore, and Riolu managed to balance himself so he was stable. David ended up hugging him close so he didn't fall, but it was almost a mistake as he felt something protruding from Riolu's chest as he grew. It luckily stopped before it became too painful, but it was fairly sharp and hard. Riolu was much bigger now, too, as the light started to fade away, but even on David's lap, he was only about level with him or even still a bit shorter. He was a lot heavier - a lot heavier than it seemed like he was supposed to be - and as Riolu looked around, David's face met his new snout, causing David to pull away from him so they didn't bump into each other again.
It didn't take too long for David to figure out what happened. Riolu had... evolved. Into a Lucario. In his lap. David hadn't realized it was like that; he'd heard stories of Riolu evolving mid-battle, or to save their trainers from danger, stuff like that. He'd never imagined... a Riolu evolving because they nearly died. The thought overwhelmed him, and in the shock of it Lucario looked at him - made eye contact - and tried again to hug him.
"Wait - Lucario, your chest spike!"
David was lucky it didn't seem to be super sharp, but even if it didn't puncture him, it still protruded into his chest uncomfortably as Lucario tried to hug him. Lucario seemed to back off, though - apparently quicker than it seemed he should've noticed he was hurting David. Instead, David felt Lucario's paws on his chest as he apparently tried to keep himself balanced on David's lap. It was a lot harder now, David guessed, that Lucario was apparently nearly as big as he was.
The thought of Riolu evolving still overwhelmed David, but now that he had a Lucario sitting on him, he realized he wanted to see him. It was dark in the room as was apparently policy for the Pokemon Center so its residents could sleep, but he wanted the lights on so he could see. Surprisingly, Lucario's weight shifted off of him; David wondered what Lucario was doing, but he faintly heard Lucario feeling around. He wondered if Lucario was looking for a light switch, but he hadn't asked for it. Lucario was just... doing it.
"Do you - know what I'm thinking?" David wondered out loud.
"Lu - Luca," Lucario said. His voice turned rather gravelly - or else, just... deeper than it had been as a Riolu. It had a depth to it, slightly rough but not growly or raspy. David kind of liked it, but he wondered too if he was just fixating on it because it was the only thing he knew about Lucario other than his chest spike.
Meanwhile, Lucario still apparently searched for a light switch, at least until they came on and Nurse Joy appeared.
"What happened - oh, my," she called, realizing for herself. She seemed as surprised as David was. "It seems Riolu's evolved."
"Apparently," David agreed, distracted now that he could finally see Lucario. Most prominently, he saw Lucario's spikes, one on his chest that he was fairly familiar with already, but also one on the back of each of his forepaws. His snout, which protruded from his face much more than it did as a Riolu, his dreadlock-like appendages which moved to the back of his head, and his height, which David had noticed without the light. He watched as Lucario walked over back to him and put his paws back on David's chest - David guessed it was permission to touch him, like - "I touch you, you can touch me."
"Lucario," Lucario said. He seemed to be smiling - or, at least, just trying his best to emote that he was happy and content. David was happy to see him; he hadn't imagined him evolving so he'd let go of seeing a Lucario so closely. Lucario was... apparently, happy to show himself off, though. As Lucario stared at him happily, David noticed his eyes - a deep red, piercing through him, making him wonder again if Lucario could read his mind.
"Cario," Lucario said - almost like in response to the thought. Lucario nodded - it was hard for David to imagine Lucario couldn't read his mind after that.
"I... hope you'll be comfortable with whatever you see," David wondered out loud.
Lucario's expression changed; it turned concerned, but he tapped his chest spike. David guessed he wanted to hug again, but was aware now of how his spike could hurt. David guessed how it was; Lucario missed hugging.
"We could probably figure something out if you want," David speculated. Lucario nodded again, agreeing.
"Lucario are smart," Joy said. "Or... they have the ability to sense aura. It shows them your thoughts."
Lucario stepped back from David and turned to Joy. He seemed to gauge her for a moment, then apparently guessed she was the one who had helped him. He bowed slightly, apparently in thanks.
"You're welcome," Joy speculated. "You have David to thank too, he protected you and brought you here as promptly as he could."
Lucario looked up at him and tried emoting again; David guessed he was thankful toward him, too. David was happy he tried his best; he was happy Lucario seemed perfectly OK.
"Apparently, evolving has healed your wounds. There isn't any reason for us to watch over you anymore; you're free to go whenever you wish. You're free to stay, too - it's very late. You alarmed us with your crying at such a late hour."
"Thanks," David said, "and - sorry."
"It's perfectly fine, I'm just happy to see Lucario's OK."
"I am too," David said, looking over at Lucario. Lucario looked back at him intelligently; David never imagined he'd get to interact with a pokemon like that. Lucario seemed smart, but David saw hints of the playful Riolu he'd been too - like in how he'd come over and tried to hug him. He guessed he needed to get to know Lucario again, but... he was excited to. Especially if... Lucario were as willing to stay with him as he tried to say he was as a Riolu. He wondered, though -
"I - are you still willing to stay with me?" he asked Lucario.
"Lucario," Lucario said, apparently reassuringly, nodding.
"I - thank you," David emphasized. "I'll take care of you."
Lucario huffed in protest; David wasn't totally sure what it meant.
"I think -" Nurse Joy started "- that Lucario may have evolved partially so that it wouldn't be so hard for you to protect him anymore."
"Is that - true?" David asked, turning back to Lucario. He nodded again.
"- Thank you," David said. "I want to be your friend, too, maybe like this we don't have to worry about who's protecting who so much anymore."
Lucario seemed to like that; he nodded and smiled again.
"Like I said," Joy pointed out, "Lucario are smart. It might be worth trying to teach him language. He might be able to pick it up quickly."
"Really?" David wondered. Lucario looked up at him; he guessed Lucario wanted to try. "OK," he said, "We can try." Lucario seemed happy; David was very happy to get to interact with him like that.
"I'll leave you two alone," Joy said. "It's been a hard day on both of you - rest well tonight, and when you're awake, we'll get you on your way."
"OK," David said, and he heard Lucario emote understanding, too.
"Good night, then," Joy said, retreating to leave them alone.
"Good night," David said, but Joy had already left and was closing the door. The lights turned off, but David turned in the direction he remembered Lucario being; he was almost too excited to sleep, now. He wondered about Lucario, too, since he'd been sleeping as long as he had been.
"Should we try to sleep?" he asked, deciding to let Lucario decide for them.
"Lu, Luca," Lucario responded. David wasn't totally sure what that meant, but he felt Lucario take his hand in his paw and pull it toward the bed.
"... I guess I'm exhausted," David admitted, following Lucario to the bed. "Are we going to -"
The sound of Lucario sitting on the bed answered for him. David relented, and sat down on the bed by him. It wasn't a huge bed, so they didn't have a lot of room, but Lucario positioned himself in front of David so that his spike was facing away from him. David ended up hugging Lucario fairly close, which... David got the feeling Lucario wanted. David didn't know if it was going to become a normal thing, but he wasn't complaining, and was happy to be close to Lucario after a day like they'd just experienced together. Lucario was soft and warm, anyway, and it was a comfort to hug him after what felt like nearly losing him after the battle.
"Good night," David said.
"Cario," Lucario said - David guessed it was something similar in Lucario speech.
David drifted off to sleep with the scent of Lucario's fur in his nose, clean and warm.
David barely remembered what had happened in the morning - he just knew that somebody was in his arms when he woke up. Jolting awake, he remembered it was Lucario, and that he'd evolved in the middle of the night after waking up from being hurt bad by a rogue gym leader. He seemed OK now - which David was grateful for - but upon Lucario's evolution, the relationship David was able to have with him seemed to deepen by a lot. He wasn't totally sure where it was going to bring them but he felt pretty confident that Lucario was willing to be his friend; he'd evolved for David because of that, after all. And - being close like this was extra reassurance on top of it. Lucario stirred awake, though, and dragged himself out of the bed. When David turned around and saw him, the look Lucario gave him made him think something along the lines of "That is special," and he guessed that things were a little 'back to normal,' whatever their new normal was. At least - David guessed that Lucario didn't want him going around talking about cuddling with his Lucario at night. How Lucario would feel in the future - they were both going to find out. Lucario seemed to let off, which made David guess he was basically right. Lucario being as close to him as he was was special; he didn't get to openly display it.
"OK," David said. "I understand."
Lucario waited for him, now, but he wasn't nearly as quick to wake up. He remembered the night before - and how he'd eaten before Riolu had woken up. He realized that Lucario must be starving, and wondered if that was part of the reason why Lucario was so quick to wake up and get up and be relatively serious.
"Hey -" he called, "Nurse Joy left some food for you last night. She called it 'special,' I didn't really know what that meant. It might be around somewhere still," he offered, hoping it would at least help a bit.
He watched as Lucario looked around and eventually noticed the tray that David had eaten from the night before. It still had that package of pokemon food on it - David almost wondered if Lucario would want it if he were acting so human. He happily took it though, but seemed to struggle to open it. His paws didn't seem very useful; David guessed he'd have to help Lucario with a lot, or else figure out how to enable Lucario to do things himself. Either case, David didn't mind; he had to help all his pokemon with stuff, anyway. Lucario handed him the container, and David opened it for him to a point it seemed like he could manage it himself and handed it back to him so he could eat as he pleased.
The thought brought something to his mind which he decided he should bring up:
"Hey - I guess we need to introduce you to everyone else."
Lucario nodded. He didn't seem so super enthused about that, but he didn't seem unhappy either, so David guessed it was going to be alright.
"Should probably wait until we have an open field or something."
Lucario seemed to like the thought of that.
"And - we could train, or else we could try to teach you language, or we could just... chill, explore the city."
Lucario seemed biased toward training, but he seemed OK with anything, too. It made David happy he could interact with Lucario so directly; he was excited to teach him language so he didn't have to guess at what Lucario wanted to say anymore. He figured they could do a little bit of everything, and he was excited to get to it with him. He wanted to get to know Lucario, but he understood Lucario had to get to know himself too. Training seemed reasonable, and David guessed Lucario was excited to see what he could do now that he evolved. He was excited too; for all of it.
"Thank you," David emoted. Lucario yipped in return; he seemed excited, too, now that he'd dealt with his hunger at least a little bit.
"I'm excited too," David offered. "I guess we'll figure it out as we go."
Lucario nodded at him. David followed him up, stretching himself as he had been a little cramped, even with cuddling Lucario. That was something private to them, he remembered; he sighed, getting a feel for Lucario in his mind. He was sure they'd have a chance to be more open in the future; he needed to get to know what Lucario's boundaries were, so he could respect them. He figured this was a good start.
"I guess - let's go and see Nurse Joy," David started. Lucario seemed to agree, so David led them out, and tried to navigate his way out. He started to get lost, though, so Lucario took charge and managed to find his way out. David thanked him, guessing that it was part of his new powers that Joy had mentioned. With a quick check-in from Joy, she verified Lucario was healed, and then they were on their way. They went off, excited to explore Lucario and his new powers and to figure out what sort of friendship they had now that Lucario had shown it by evolving. They specifically avoided the gym, but - depending, David wondered if they would show up again soon, once Lucario had a chance to train with his new powers, and once David gained some more skill and confidence as a trainer. That was something they would worry about in the future, though. For now, they worried about each other.
David and his young Riolu partner face a particularly brutal gym leader in battle.
So... this is a *very* late Aura Day 2022 story. I wish I hadn't missed it, but I used the excuse to write up a story idea that I had come up with a long time ago but had never focused on because it wasn't a story about Ri and Two. It's done now; I had *so* much fun writing it! Makes me kind of wonder why I'm not always having so much fun writing stuff about Ri and Two, but... I *do* love writing their story, I'm just kind of in a rut at the moment and I don't really know what to write about. That's getting off-topic, though. Enjoy this adorable little story! I do feel a little bad about not saying much about it, but I feel that saying anything more than I already have would be too spoilery, so I'll just leave it how it is and leave it up to you guys to read what happens.
- Ri
So... this is a *very* late Aura Day 2022 story. I wish I hadn't missed it, but I used the excuse to write up a story idea that I had come up with a long time ago but had never focused on because it wasn't a story about Ri and Two. It's done now; I had *so* much fun writing it! Makes me kind of wonder why I'm not always having so much fun writing stuff about Ri and Two, but... I *do* love writing their story, I'm just kind of in a rut at the moment and I don't really know what to write about. That's getting off-topic, though. Enjoy this adorable little story! I do feel a little bad about not saying much about it, but I feel that saying anything more than I already have would be too spoilery, so I'll just leave it how it is and leave it up to you guys to read what happens.
- Ri
Category Story / All
Species Unspecified / Any
Gender Any
Size 50 x 50px
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