• Published 13th Dec 2017
  • 2,157 Views, 52 Comments

Tales from the Pokemon Universe: Aura of Empathy - The Bricklayer



It started like any other day for Sunset Shimmer on her Johto Journey, arriving in Cianwood for her next Gym Badge. However, finding a wounded Lucario puts those plans on hold...

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Part 2: Suspicions

“Nurse!” Sunset shouted, her cries echoing across the beach the only thing louder being the waves crashing up against the rocks.

If Cianwood’s local nurse was in the area, it was entirely possible that she couldn’t hear Sunset’s cries. After all, there was a great distance between the center of town and the part of the beach Sunset was located on.

“Talonflame, go find Nurse Joy, quickly!” Sunset shouted as she threw the Scorching Pokémon’s dark red Cherish Ball and in a bright flash of blue light and a shower of embers it popped into existence.

“Taloooooonnn!” He screeched out and flapped his powerful wings and took to the sky, a few black and yellow tail-feathers falling to the sand as he took flight. As he flew, small embers of flame fell down on city streets and rooftops, thankfully no buildings or anything else catching ablaze. It was no fault of his own of course, it was just part of his natural biology. Nobody quite knew exactly how Talonflames did this, or why, but it just happened.

Talon screeched out his own name in triumph when he saw the Pokemon center, flapping his wings high above the Pokeball shaped building.

“Sunset, I found it!” He crowed out in relief. He then transmitted his thoughts his trainer, who sighed in relief as she dabbed at Lucario’s wounds and sprayed the last of her potions on it.

“Thank Arceus, and thank you Talon,” Sunset thought back, using her nickname for the Pokemon.

Sunset wasn’t like most Pokemon trainers. While most trainers could communicate with, and understand the base meaning of what their Pokemon were saying, sure, Sunset was one of a select few who could actually psychically talk to their Pokemon.

Talonflame swooped down and busted through the glass doors of the Pokemon Center, not caring about the shards cutting into his feathers. Those could be dealt with later. Right now, only Lucario mattered.

“Huh…? What the…?” Nurse Joy asked as Talonflame screeched out his name in alarm repeatedly, hoping the Nurse Joy would get the message and follow him.

“Come on… Come on… Can’t you tell I’m trying to tell you something here?” Talon asked angrily. He began tapping the floor with his claws in impatience.

“What? What is it?” Nurse Joy asked in confusion. “Is something wrong? Is your trainer hurt?”

“No, it’s not my trainer that’s hurt! It’s a Pokemon you stupid bi…” Talon grumbled before sighing and correcting himself and taking a few deep calming breaths. It wasn’t her fault she couldn’t understand him. She was only human after all.

Talon then used a wing to wipe the sweat off his face in relief when the Center’s Chansey arrived. Finally, somebody who could understand him, and what’s better, relay the message to the humans. Talon immediately explained the problem and the Chansey’s eyes widened in alarm.

The Chansey then relayed what Talon had said to Nurse Joy, and soon the Nurse shared her Pokemon’s expression before she and Talon rushed out the front doors.

A few moments later, Sunset found herself panting and sweating as she rushed the Lucario in on a stretcher alongside Cianwood’s local Nurse Joy and her Chansey. The young woman looked at the Aura Pokémon who almost seemed to be struggling for breath. Sunset’s eyes narrowed and she looked at the jackal-like Pokemon.

“Hang in there Lucario… Just hang on a little longer,” Sunset thought as she looked at it, hoping the Pokemon would pick up on her thoughts. If it did, it didn’t seem to show any clear response to them.

Sunset’s hands were an ugly shade of dark crimson red blood from cleaning up the Lucario as she had yelled for the nurse, trying to dab away at the blood before the Pokemon could lose any more of it.

“What, what, what happened?” Flareon yelped nervously as he ran alongside Sunset trying to keep pace with her. “Who… Who did this to him or her? O-Or what? Why?”

“Deep breaths,” Mismagius mentally conveyed to the Flame Pokémon from inside her Pokeball, the Magical Pokémon trying to stay calm as possible. “Stay calm, we’ll figure everything out when the Lucario wakes up for itself.”

“B-But… But what if…” Flareon whimpered and beginning to hyperventilate, trying not to think about the very real possibility here that Lucario might not survive the operation or the blood-loss it had suffered.

“It will survive, Nurse Joy will make sure of it,” Mismagius stated firmly. Flareon at last took a few deep calming breaths as instructed.

“Alright…” Flareon whispered before he let out a small growl and his nostrils snorted two small puffs of flame. “But when I find the Pokemon or Human who did this, I swear by Mew’s name I’m going to Fire Spin them all the way into the damn Reverse World!”

“Language…” Mismagius said half-heartedly, sharing her friend’s sentiments. Both he and Sunset watched with a scared look on their faces as Lucario was rushed into the emergency room with the doors slamming shut behind the stretcher.

Sunset clenched her fists and one of her arms shot out as she punched a wall, breathing hard.

“If… If I’d only been a little bit faster…” Sunset whispered to herself angrily. Flareon rubbed his head against her leg affectionately in an attempt to be comforting. There was a bright flash and a pop as a familiar blue and white serpentine form appeared and wrapped her tail around Sunset’s legs. She then reached down and nuzzled Sunset’s face.

“The outcome might not have changed, there was nothing you could have done besides what you already did,” Dragonair remarked sympathetically. “You can’t go back and change time, not even Mew herself can do that.”

“But… But...” Sunset thought, tears dripping down her face. “If I had been there sooner, I might have been able to help it!”

“Or you could have been attacked by whatever did that to Lucario, and I’d be without a very good friend and the rest of your Pokemon the same,” Dragonair replied in her usual motherly tone. “I’m sorry to be harsh Sunset, but that’s the cold hard truth.”

“Yeah…” Sunset thought even if she didn’t like it. “Yeah, you’re right… Absolutely right…”

Dragonair’s only response was to nuzzle her trainer again in an attempt to comfort her as Sunset cried and Flareon looked towards the Emergency Room doors…


Night fell, and for hours, what seemed to be like an eternity for Sunset, she waited. Long after everyone else had left the Pokemon Center for the night, Sunset and her Pokemon stayed in the waiting room of the Center.

Sunset, as she stared out at the stars above glinting and glittering in the sky above, she began to pray. Sunset’s fingers clasped themselves to a small metal pendant in her hands, themed after a Pidove. It had been a gift from her mother, and she had seen it kept it ever since.

“Please Lord Arceus, if you can hear me… Just send help. Any kind of help…” Sunset thought to herself as her voice began to quiver as she took a quick glance to the Emergency Room doors. “I… I don't know what to do right now. If I had just been a little bit faster I might have been able to prevent this. So, if it’s not too much to ask… Just send me some sort of sign, please...”

Sunset reached into her shoulder bag and pulled out an old photo. Her, as a child hugging a white-skinned woman with brilliant wavy pink, light green, and cerulean hair. Behind them, a giant yellow bird with wings and a tail seemingly made of flame flew above them. Moltres, the Legendary Flame Pokémon and her mother’s constant companion that had long ago made her famous as a Pokemon Coordinator in contests with her dazzling beauty and agility.

“What would you do now Mom?” She whispered to herself. “How would you help this Lucario? You taught me to care for all Pokemon, so how do I care for this one if he survives?”

Nearby, all of Sunset’s Pokemon were asleep, Dragonair curled up around them, her serpentine body acting like a pillow for them. All but one of them.

Talonflame walked up, his sharp claws making a distinctly audible tapping sound as they hit the floor. He gave Sunset a hard look. “You should be getting some sleep, Sunset. It’s nearly 5:00 in the morning for crying out loud!”

Sunset gave out a short yawn but quickly suppressed it. “No, I'm not going to bed, not until I know that Lucario is out of danger!”

Talonflame slapped one of his very large wings to his face and let it slide down and groaned before muttering to himself: “Oh, for the love of Arceus…” as he shook his head. “Sunset, listen to me. You'll be in no condition to help that Lucario if you don't get your sleep!”

“But-” Sunset started before Talonflame was quick to interject.

“Look, I know you care about this Lucario, and that’s very noble of you. Hell, I care too! But you and I both know that you’re in no condition to help it right now!” He shouted angrily. He knew Sunset at times was often stubborn when it came to Pokemon, similar to another Trainer he knew that had grown up in Sandgem Town along with her. So, on occasion at times it came that Talon and the rest of his team often found themselves taking care of Sunset, instead of the other way round like it was supposed to be.

Sunset yawned again and sighed. She knew Talon was right, as always. Letting out another yawn, she grabbed a cushion, fluffed it up and laid her head back down on it. Talon smiled and used his beak to grab a sheet and pull it over Sunset’s sleeping form. Next, he began to sing a lullaby Sunset’s mother had often sung to her and in turn, she’d sung to her Pokemon. Talonflame knew he wasn’t anywhere near as good as Sunset’s Chimecho when it came to soothing her, but he still remembered how to sing from back when he was a simple Fletchling.

“Hush now, quiet now, it's time to lay your sleepy head.
Hush now, quiet now, it's time to go to bed.
Hush now, quiet now, close your sleepy eyes.
Hush now, quiet now, my how time sure flies.
Drifting, drifting off to sleep the day's excitement behind you.
Drifting, drifting off to sleep, let the joy of Cresselia’s dreamland find you…” He sang softly and smiled when he saw the gentle rise and fall of Sunset’s chest. He then flew up and nestled himself in her hair and soon he as well drifted off into dreamland…


Night came and went as the hours passed, and eventually, Sunset found herself returning to the waking world.

“Ugh…” Sunset murmured as she stretched her arms. “What time is it?” She mumbled, her brain still half-asleep.

“A little past Noon,” Nurse Joy replied kindly as she walked into the room. “You’ve been asleep for around seven hours Sunset, your Talonflame was very diligent. He kept an eye on your all throughout the night. Woke up at odd hours and made sure you’d stayed asleep apparently, if the security camera footage is to be believed.”

Sunset looked towards Talonflame, who was sound asleep on a nearby table snoozing contently in the afternoon sun. The sunlight was glinting off his orange-reddish feathers that made up his head and most of his body. His wings occasionally twitched, indicating he was in the middle of a nice dream.

She stroked his head feathers softly and thought “Sleep well Talon, you deserve it,” before then thinking “Remind me to give you an extra helping of Pokeblock next time I feed you.”

Sunset’s head turned back to Nurse Joy.

“So, is Lucario…?” Sunset asked, not daring to complete the sentence. The Nurse smiled, and Sunset sighed in relief, letting out a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding.

“He’s absolutely fine. We had to put him under sedation for the operation, but he managed to pull through and should be waking up anytime now,” Nurse Joy reassured. “You can go ahead and see him if you’d like. I’m sure he’d love to see his hero.”

Sunset smiled and replied “Yeah, be along in a minute,” before she sniffed herself and frowned. “...But first, a change of clothes and a shower..” She muttered, her face flushing bright red in embarrassment as she heard the distinct sound of Ninetales sniggering in the background. (He was soon promptly hit atop the head by Dragonair’s Aqua Tail, judging by the yelp of pain.)

After said quick change of clothes and shower, Sunset headed into the recovery room, where the Lucario sat, his legs hanging off a hospital bed. His back was to them, instead staring out the opened window into the afternoon sun. Outside, Pidgeys and Pidoves chirped their songs in the trees as two Sawsbuck in their Summer Forms found their way into the garden outside from the nearby hills and began munching on grass. Their antlers resembled pine trees at this time of year.

Suddenly, the four small black appendages on the back of Lucario’s head that resembled some form of natural beads shot up, indicating he detected both Nurse Joy and Sunset. Or to be more precise, their Aura.

“Lucario, this is Sunset. She’s the one who-”

Lucario leaped from the bed and assumed a defensive stance, his crimson red eyes glaring hatefully at both humans.

“Get away from me, both of you!” It growled out telepathically shocking both Nurse Joy and Sunset. “You’re just going to hurt me again!”

Sunset raised her hands in a defensive posture and slowly and trepidatiously approached the Lucario. The Pokemon’s eyes narrowed.

“It’s alright, I’m not going to harm you, I promise,” Sunset stated calmly. Lucario evidently didn’t believe her, as he charged towards Sunset and thrust his palm at her and fired a green blast of energy at her. Lucario leaped backwards to the top of a table as Sunset staggered.

“What the…?” Sunset thought to herself.

“Lucario! Sunset saved your life!” Nurse Joy shouted. “Why aren’t you thankful?”

“All of you humans are all alike! Using Pokemon for their own ends, not caring one jot about who they’re hurting!” Lucario snapped. “Just leave me alone, both of you! I don’t want to harm you any further!”

Nurse Joy slowly helped Sunset off the floor and turned to look at her, and then back at Lucario. “Sunset, I think it’s best we do as he says, at least for right now.”

“Yeah… Might be best…” Sunset replied, still grimacing in pain at the power behind Lucario’s Force Palm attack. “Least for now…”

She tossed a sad glance towards Lucario and pondered “Who did this to you…? Why are you like this?” as she left the room. A suspicion was beginning to form in the back of her mind, and Sunset hoped she was wrong. She hoped she was very wrong indeed. She’d need to confirm her suspicions, and to do that, she’d need the help of a very old friend.


Sunset made her way out to the Waiting Room of the Pokemon Center, where she was immediately bombarded by her team who practically tackled her to the floor.

“What happened in there?” Flareon yipped out nervously. “Is Lucario alright, did he… (Here he took a hesitant swallow) survive?”

“Yeah… Yeah…” Sunset murmured. “He survived the operation… Alright is another story entirely I’m afraid.”

As Sunset shook her head sadly, it was then Dragonair took notice of the rapidly forming bruise on Sunset’s left shoulder. Her amethyst purple eyes widened in shock.

“S-Sunset…” She stuttered out in shock before she asked in a concerned tone: “What happened to you, are you alright?”

“Yeah, I’ll be fine. Lucario… He’s… Well, let’s say I’ve got a suspicion and I need to call someone to confirm it. I just hope to Arceus I’m wrong…” Sunset murmured before taking notice of the rather undignified position she was in. “Now can you all get off me… please?”

All of Sunset’s team blushed profusely in unison with her baby Rufflet, in particular, murmuring “Sorry Meema…” as they got up off their trainer and watched her walk to the Pokemon Center’s videophone.

Videophones were like computers in design, except instead of being used to gain access to the internet, their keyboards were used to type in phone numbers. Also, they often had a Bellsprout themed receiver attached.

Sunset dialed in a particular number and up on the screen came the Nurse of Ecruteak City, and one of Sunset’s oldest friends, Fluttershy.

“Sunset! Wasn’t expecting a call from you,” Fluttershy said in shock. In the background, her Sawsbuck had grabbed a female Umbreon by the tail. The Moonlight Pokémon was protesting and shouting: “No, I don’t want my shots Arceus-dammit!”

“Oh, buck up! I bet that trainer of yours from Pallet wasn’t nearly as bad about this with his vaccinations when he was a kid!” Sawsbuck snapped back, close to losing her patience. Fluttershy sighed to herself.

“Sorry about them,” She apologized and Sunset giggled. “Now, what did you need to call me for? Is one of your Pokemon hurt? Goodness… I hope it’s not Ninetales again charging into battle against another Pokemon without any sort of plan.”

Sunset laughed as behind her, Ninetales shouted out: “Hey, I can still hear you know!” although he was ignored.

“No, it’s not Ninetales...This time,” Sunset replied. Behind Fluttershy, Sawsbuck wasn’t the only Pokemon getting into some sort of shenanigan. Fluttershy’s Ariados was currently in the middle of a food fight with a visiting Spearow who was pecking at his head repeatedly.

“Excuse me a minute,” Fluttershy said and quickly went to break up the fight and grabbed the Spearow and set her aside much to Flareon’s amazement.

“Damn… girl’s got balls… Handling a Spearow like that…” Flareon whispered.

“LANGUAGE!” The rest of Sunset’s Pokemon shouted at him. Soon, Fluttershy returned and Sunset explained the situation and her suspicions, Fluttershy’s eyes widening every so often especially when Sunset mentioned Lucario’s reaction to her.

Fluttershy took a deep breath and sighed sadly. “Yes… I think you’re quite right. Lucario… He was abused by his former trainer.”

Author's Note:

Okay, so due to the overwhelming response the first chapter got, I decided to post this one a day early. Now, on the Pokemon. Unlike my last story in this series, unless they're speaking in telepathy, or thinking to themselves, their Pokespeech won't be italicized. Legolassy made that suggestion, to keep things less confusing.

Now, on Fluttershy's appearance. Keep in mind, this is before Lights of the Burned Tower timeline wise, (As evidenced by her Sawsbuck being in it's Summer Forme) so she hasn't started dating Rainbow yet.

Also, keep an eye out for that Spearow again, she plays a more important role in this story than just one random member of the species being mentioned.