Little Lost Raichu

by CommanderX5

Rating: everyone
Tags: Crossover, Pokémon, Twilight Sparkle, Slice of Life, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Main 6, Original Character, Starlight Glimmer
Length: 230530

Devoid of memories and found in the Everfree Forest, little Raichu is nursed back to health by Twilight and her friends. Little do they know about the importance of her past and how far she’ll go to repay their kindness.

Confused, devoid of memories and lost in a world filled with mythical creatures, little Raichu faces ferocity of monsters. Taken for a creature from the Everfree Forest, she’s adopted by Twilight and her friends as they show her friendship and compassion, doing their best to help her restore her missing memories.

Determined to make friends and find purpose in her new home as she slowly regains her memories, Raichu gets attached to her new owners and is willing to repay their kindness, no matter the cost. Little does she know that a chance to repay them draws near.

Special thanks to proof-readers:

ChudoJogurt (For pointing out issues and quality check in chapter 1 and the prologue)

Georg  (For massive improvements in emotional scenes in chapter 1 and the prologue)

Jay+Tarrant (For grammar/mistakes fix in the whole story)

Uber_Shy (For detailed proof-reading of chapter 2)

PoisonClaw (For detailed proof-reading )

Tapestry (For additional proof-reading of chapter 2 and futher)

Sonik (For taking over after PoisonClaw for all chapters after chapter 18)

SilverDiamond (For taking over after PoisonClaw for all chapters after chapter 18)

Published 2017-09-30 13:30:07 UTC
Last updated 2018-08-04 13:08:51 UTC

Prologue

Little Lost Raichu

-

Prologue

Twilight walked towards Fluttershy’s cottage with her trusty assistant, Spike, perched on her back, both enjoying the warmth of the sun and the fresh air. A pleasant and relaxing picnic with a friend was exactly what they needed to forget about the recent fiasco with the publishing of the Friendship Journal. Their stroll didn't last long.

“Hey, Twilight! What's wrong?” Spike looked up from his perch on Twilight's back, trying to keep his balance with the checklist in his claws.

It took very little effort for Spike to identify what held Twilight Sparkle's attention, because there was a large, shimmering patch of air above the Everfree Forest, as colorful and shifting as Celestia's mane in a stiff breeze. He had to admit, he had never before witnessed something as unique and flickering as the light in the sky, which swiftly started shrinking in on itself. Well… maybe that one time at the Crystal Empire when the Crystal Heart was activated against King Sombra...

But just when it seemed like the spectacle was about to end, a mysterious figure was tossed from its remains in an explosion of colors. Spike shielded his eyes from the blinding rainbow shock-wave, losing sight of the falling object as it vanished in a clump of trees.

Spike covered his ears a few seconds later, overwhelmed by the thunderous rumble, which was followed closely by a resounding thud. He sighed in relief, more than happy that whatever had just crashed, he wasn’t anywhere near it. Only the considerable distance prevented him from cowering in fear.

"Five kilometres," murmured Twilight Sparkle. "Provided atmospheric conditions have not altered the speed of sound, and since it broke the sound barrier, speed of impact should be in-between 1,200 to 2000 meters per second. Most likely turned to dust from the impact… but depending on the material, part of it could have survived. Come on!" She burst up into the air in a flurry of feathers, leaving Spike to cling frantically to her mane. The checklist fluttered to the ground in their wake.

"Fluttershy! Picnic!" Spike gasped, feeling his secure grip weakening a bit more every second as he very slowly started to slide in the direction of Twilight's tail. He could grab onto her back with his claws, but that move was a last resort as it would at best hurt someone he cared about, and at worst cause them both to crash into the ground.

“I’ll apologize to her on the way. Exciting field research, here I come!”

Spike rolled his eyes.

Raichu groaned as she tried and failed to move her limbs, finding herself trapped in the cold clinging soil. Freeing her paws alone proved to be challenging enough.

It was obvious she couldn’t just lie in one spot for the rest of her life, she had to earn her freedom, but the pain in her bones and burning muscles didn’t make it easy. Her paws trembled as she pushed against the soil, and after a few seconds of struggle she freed the rest of her bruised and battered body.

It felt very nice being able to actually move for a change, yet two issues still needed to be taken care of.

The first one was a mouthful of dirt, it tasted terrible, and even spitting it out left the unpleasant aftertaste in her mouth.

Another issue was the annoying double vision, and there was no way she could make sense of her surroundings without getting rid of it. Luckily, all it took was blinking it away.

She tested her newly earned freedom by a quick round of stretching while ignoring her burning muscles, and next started staring at the crater she sat in.

It was an impressive hole, deep enough that she couldn’t see over the edge if she were to stand up, a feat Raichu had no intent of trying just yet. It was comfortable just sitting in the raw dirt under the shade of the towering nearby trees. Still, they didn’t look like the trees she was used to... though that did beg the question as to how she had gotten here, wherever here was.

"Raichu." It seemed to be an important word that crossed her mind, and she knew it had to be herself, but... Was it her name? Her family? Her species? The kind of impact she made in the dirt? No, that was a crater. She was fairly sure of that. ‘Raichu’ was... something else. And for now, it was all she had.

"What's going on?" she asked out loud as a depressed “Chuuuu?” echoed through the forest, alongside the chirps of the forest birds and the whistling of the wind.

Raichu looked herself over for any kind of injuries, finding only bruises and a few small cuts. All of her smooth orange fur was still intact, although matted by the impact, and the white patch of fur on her chest and belly was stained with dirt. Even the little bronze patches of fur on the edges of her legs were coated with the rich, dark soil of this strange place. She quickly shook and rubbed herself, shaking off enough sand from her coat to make a small beach. Now somewhat dirt-free, she made another self-inspection, trying to learn more about her own body.

Shape? Pear-like up to her neck, with a surprisingly wide, white belly.

Legs? Two rabbit-like rear paws, each with three toes, and two tiny stubby forepaws. All orange with bronze patches of fur on the edges.

Neck? A little stiff, but flexible enough for her to look over her shoulder and down, noticing the two bronze stripes of fur running along her spine. Thankfully her spine was still intact, just like her bright yellow tail.

Tail. There was something about the tail that tickled at the back of her mind.

She flicked the tail back and forth. It looked like a thick yellow thunderbolt attached on a long, black whip, though the edge of the yellow thunderbolt wasn’t pointy, but heart-shaped. Continuing with her self-inspection, she shifted her attention to her perked up ears and her twitching nose.

Nose? Present, bronze, very small, somewhat flat, button-like, and slightly painful.

She bent down both ears to examine them. Each ear was floppy and misshapen, yellow in the middle and bronze on the edges with something like a tiny rolled twine at the end. For what purpose nature gifted her with said rolled twine was beyond her comprehension.

Eyes... well, without a mirror, she wasn’t going to be able to see what they were like, but they certainly worked, and that was the important point in any case.

The only real oddity that didn’t fit in were the spots on her cheeks that started itching when touched, and she felt as if something was building up and trying to leave her body.

Wherever she was and whatever she was were questions that wouldn’t be answered by just sitting around. Raichu climbed up the side of the shallow crater and took in her surroundings. What she saw did little to answer her questions.

Trees with broken branches, branches shaped like large hands and trunks in the shape of ghostly faces staring at her. Even bushes aided the spooky atmosphere with thorns growing from their branches. Was this forest haunted by angered spirits? Was every tree and bush ready to come to life and attack at any moment? Or was it just her imagination playing tricks on her?

A chill went through her bones. Wherever this place was, it was unmistakably dangerous, and an aura of hostility seemed to be all around her.

After taking a deep breath, Raichu looked down at the crater she had made and her eyes widened in disbelief. It seemed even larger from above, and there was an impression in the very bottom of the crater in the shape of her own body, right down to the ears. There was no way she should’ve survived an impact that brutal without at least a broken bone or twelve. In fact, it was a miracle she was alive at all.

She glanced at her trembling paws and the bruises that were starting to color her skin beneath the orange fur, then back at the crater. This was no ordinary fall, but without her memories, it was impossible to draw a conclusion as to how it had happened. How and why had she been thrown with such force? Would she ever get her memory back? And, most importantly, how did she manage to survive? Why was she still alive instead of being a flattened fluffy decoration on the dirt and stone?

A scary thought crossed her mind: What if this forest is filled with dangerous predators who would love to feast on her bruised body? She was weak and hurt, an easy prey for the hunters to track down and kill.

Oh, please, no!

Despite her best efforts, her ears drooped and her breath went out in a quiet "Chuuuu..." It was all she could force through her dry, earth-crusted lips.

Alone. Injured. Probably in danger. She rubbed her arm nervously and sat down in the dirt.

Closing her eyes and rubbing her forehead helped her clear her head from panic and confusion. Yet something felt odd. The pain was still there, but it didn’t bother her much. It was a familiar pain, even though she couldn’t remember being hurt before. The weakness and fatigue of her injuries was just an annoyance she could push into the background while continuing on. Was she used to being hurt and exhausted?

A growl from her stomach interrupted her train of thought.

She grimaced and massaged her belly. Whatever it was about her past could wait until she got something to eat and drink.

Using all four legs for a change, she walked slowly from one bush to another, scanning her surroundings in search for danger while sniffing each bush in a desperate search for food. She couldn’t help herself but occasionally glance at the scary looking trees, as if expecting for them to grab her at any moment, a mistake resulting in her little nose being pricked by a thorn. Still... shouldn't a thorn of such size pierce her tiny nose, or at least make it bleed? So why did it tickle at best? How could she remain calm in such a creepy place? How can she walk despite her injuries?

While massaging her nose, a blueberry caught her attention, calling her to action. A whole grove of bushes loaded down with vibrant blue berries lay before her, as if an oasis in the desert! More than enough to fill her empty pear-shaped belly and then some.

Her smile brightened and she licked her lips, shutting herself from her surroundings in her own bliss.

The good feeling didn’t last long.

The bushes shook slightly, and a rustling came from them. A loud one, as if someone else had discovered the berry bushes first and had no desire to share. Or worse, was going to eat her instead.

Backing up a little, Raichu called out, "Is someone there?"

There was no response other than the crunching sound of leaves, so she took a few steps to the side to get a better look. She regretted it immediately as she was startled by the loud hissing. Yet something felt off. She couldn’t see just yet whatever creature was hiding inside the bush, but instead noticed and even felt a strange malicious aura. Was this aura just an illusion made by her terrified mind, or it was an aftereffect of the impact… or maybe… Her thoughts were interrupted as the creature started to emerge.

A huge green snake with black spots and yellow eyes slithered out of the bush, its maw large enough to eat her in a single bite. Certainly, it wasn’t a figment of her imagination. The snake coiled its body tight while flicking its tongue out in the air, searching for its prey.

"G-g-good m-monster," Raichu said and backed up while waving her paws in attempt at calming the huge creature. She blinked in confusion as the snake stopped moving and instead started to stare at her. Did it listen to her? Was it going to show her mercy?

Then she realized just why the huge snake was reluctant to emerge from the bush when she heard loud steps and the noise of crackling branches behind her.

A loud bone-chilling roar echoed through the forest.

The fur on Raichu’s back stood straight up, and a cold shiver traveled down her spine. The snake had vanished back into the bush, and she more than happily would have followed if her body wasn’t paralyzed with fear. She trembled as the steps grew louder, and gulped the moment saliva started to fall on top of her head. Afraid for her life, she could feel her heart trying to escape her chest. What did I do to deserve this?!

She whimpered. “I d-don’t w-want to become a s-s-snack.”

Suddenly, an overwhelming terror ran down Raichu’s body, but something else overpowered her fear when she heard sudden movement. Her legs acted on their own, propelling Raichu forward in one huge leap. She didn’t need to look behind her shoulder as the solid ‘whump’ she heard told her enough. A mere fraction of a second decided between the massive poisonous stinger piercing deeply into her back or into the ground.

“That was c-c-close,” she stammered before whirling in place and crouching in anticipation of another attack.

Whatever it was that attacked her was far larger than the snake, and much more confusing. It had apperance of some sort of giant cat, but with wings, a red mane covering its chest and neck and a huge stinger that it was just pulling up out of the ground. It snarled at her, revealing a mouthful of sharp teeth, and lurched forward again with long, slow strides. More saliva kept falling from the beast’s mouth as it licked its lips.

“P-please, leave me alone!” Raichu squeaked.

Not wasting a moment, she darted in the opposite direction, hopping over twisted roots and hard rocks, breaking in and out of the thorny underbrush and nimbly weaving around the trees, trying desperately to lose her pursuer.

A moment later, Raichu was panting frantically, with her paws having to make ten steps for every long stride of the angry beast chasing her.

Then, it got worse.

Three other monsters jumped up ahead of the panicked Raichu, blocking her path.

She skidded to a halt, raising a cloud of dirt in her wake, and looked up at the weird tall creatures. Her ears drooped. In front of her towered three wolf-like abomination made out of wood, with flickering green flames burning at the bottom of their eyes. Little drips of green slobber trailed down their bottom jaws.

Raichu could do little but stare at the abominations before her, wondering if her fear of trees coming to life was well founded. Each of the monsters returned her gaze, only with more curiosity than hunger. In fact, they seemed confused, as if Raichu was not even the prey they were expecting.

It was too much. Raichu shouted, "Oh, come on!"

That didn’t seem to impress the wooden monsters, but the fearsome roar that followed did. The tree-monsters flinched, then bolted into the woods like frightened puppies, their terrified whines and whimpers dying away as they retreated, leaving only dust and little splinters of wood in their wake.

Raichu sighed, but her relief didn’t last for long. The monsters trying to ambush her ended up being a perfect distraction as the large beast caught up to her.

Knocked off balance by the beast’s long-lasting roar, Raichu rolled on the ground until her head collided with something. Unfortunately for Raichu, that something was hard.

Her ears buzzed, and she was now perched on the soft grass as if it was a bed, though the rocky pillow wasn’t to her liking. There was no time for rest.

Using one paw for support, she raised her head before opening her eyes. Her ears drooped and her face became pale at what she saw.

Before her was the large beast whose face was now close enough for Raichu to smell its sticky meaty breath. As well as four long fangs among the sharp teeth that were but centimeters away from sinking into her flesh.

Drops of saliva from beast’s mouth were nearly rhythmical with the beating of Raichu’s heart.

Raichu raised her head very slowly, afraid of what she might see. Her ears drooped and the pupils in her eyes shrank at the sight of a raised paw, ready to smash or snatch her little self. She rolled instinctively to the side, and the paw slammed down mere millimeters to her left, causing a tremor.

The beast towered directly above Raichu, and she could once again feel the sticky breath coming from its mouth.

She tried to dart away, but couldn’t move as something held her in place, and then the realization struck her. The beast didn’t miss, but instead pinned her tail to the ground with its clawed paw. She had just been too distracted to notice.

“Stupid useless tail!” she snapped.

Raichu grabbed her tail, tugging it frantically with no effect. She planted her hind legs into the ground for support and heaved, but only managed to sink her rear paws into the dirt.

Raichu shrieked in pain when another paw smashed her into the ground, leaving her legs now trapped in the dirt. A pained “chuuuu…” escaped her mouth.

Both paws withdrew before the monster slammed into her with a swift swing, smashing her against the tree. A crackle of electricity surrounded them both for an instant, making the beast recoil backwards, shake its forepaw and stare at it in shock.

Raichu’s eyes watered. Smashing into the tree back-first had hurt, but the heavy paw propelling her had its claws extended, adding long scratches to her injuries. While the pain was fairly weak and Raichu wasn’t bleeding, the continuation of abuse was beginning to really grate her nerves.

Using her opponent’s distraction, Raichu bolted away as fast as her legs would run, far faster than she had gone before. The trees blurred past while she dodged and darted between them, making her eyes water with the velocity and a cloud of dirt and dust follow close behind. The sounds of pursuit rapidly faded, but Raichu kept running, determined to find someplace in this dangerous world where she could make sense of her situation.

Chapter 2 - Memories and Magic

Author's Note

To clear up some confusion, I wish to point out:
1) As it was stated at the end of the previous chapter, ponies doesn't understand Raichu, all they hear are words made of her name.
2) Since Raichu will now interact with ponies quite often, I decided to put all Raichu's speaking lines in between <...> no matter if the scene is from her perspective, or from a pony perspective.

Chapter 2 - Memories and Magic

Little Lost Raichu

-

Chapter 2

-

Memories and Magic

“Twilight, where are ya? Ah need yer help with somethin’!”

Starlight recognized the speaker by accent alone and quickly shook dust from mane. Experimenting with magic sometimes ended with explosive results, and she hadn't expected any visitors at this hour. Once the light teal streaks in her mane and tail looked presentable, she trotted towards the source of the voice.

We should start renting this place. So many rooms go to waste and the castle itself feels empty. She stopped in front of two staircases and waited for Applejack to approach. “If you’re looking for Twilight, she’s still having a picnic with Fluttershy.”

“Ah shucks,” Applejack said with a disappointed swing of her foreleg, stopping herself in the middle of the stairs. “Wait a sec, yer almost as good at magic as Twilight, right?”

Starlight raised an eyebrow. “Almost? I can keep up with her just fine.” She pointed at something or someone perched on Applejack’s back. “Who’s your little passenger?”

The critter peeked from behind Applejack’s neck and waved. she said as the word “Rai” reached ponies’ ears.

Starlight narrowed her eyes to take a better look. A few bandages were present on the critter’s head, with the most noticeable one being slightly above its tiny nose. With Applejack’s neck in the way, she walked to the side, and as she expected, bandages covered a fifth of the critter’s body.

“This here is… Ah dunno exactly, that’s why Ah’m here.”

“You want me to identify it?” Starlight asked.

“Not just that, sugarcube,” Applejack said, once again walking up the stairs. She stopped in front of the unicorn and continued, “Ah found this little fella… girl... eatin’ mah apples, bein’ all beaten up and scared. We gave her food and took her to the vet, but…"

“Yes?” Starlight asked with a hint of curiosity as she stared deeply into the critter’s oval eyes.

“Dr. Fauna got her all patched up, but she told me that this critter has memory loss, and had no clue how to heal it,” Applejack explained.

“Memory loss? How can you be sure?” Starlight asked.

Applejack glanced at her passenger in pity. “Whenever we asked her about herself, her family or where she lives, she kept shruggin’, and she's a smart enough cookie to understand us just fine.”

“Are you sure she isn’t faking it to get free shelter?” Starlight asked.

the critter responded hastily with a shake of her head. She tapped her paws together and lowered her head.

“Free shelter? Nah,” Applejack said with a shake of her foreleg. “Ever since Flim and Flam, Ah can recognize fakes from a mile away, and Ah wasn’t the bearer of the Element of Honesty for nothin’,” she stated while rubbing her chest pridefully.

“Element of Honesty? Let me guess, you can easily tell if somepony’s lying and you’re a terrible liar yourself,” Starlight said with a smirk as she expected amusing response.

“M-maybe,” Applejack said, pursing her lips and glancing around shiftily. “Anyway, can ya magic back her memories, or should Ah wait for Twilight?”

Raichu asked herself. Was it something important to know? In the end the ponies didn’t understand her, so all she could hope for was for the ponies to be very talkative.

With a determined stare and a firm stomp, Starlight said, “Just leave it to me, I got this.” She walked towards the library and gestured for Applejack to follow. This was it, a chance to prove her worth, and she wasn’t going to waste it.

Raichu looked at the scenery with utmost curiosity, observing the lavender banners, crystal pillars and numerous doors that kept repeating through the long hallway. She stood on the tips of her hind legs and spread her forepaws.

“Ya seem excited up there,” Applejack said as she glanced at her passenger. “Ah ain’t blamin’ ya. If all goes well, ya may get yer memories back.”

Raichu tapped her paws and showed her teeth in a wide smile.

“Are you sure she’s a wild animal?” Starlight asked. “She seems tame to me. Not to mention that most animals hiss, roar, squeak, but none keep repeating over and over words made of, what I assume is their own name. We can as well call her Raichu since keeps repeating it so often.”

“She’s wild alright, but well behavin’,” Applejack said. “Ah never thought Ah would get attached to an apple thief, but she’s the nicest pest Ah met.”

"Chuuu," Raichu exhaled sadly and her ears drooped, her enthusiasm gone.

“Why are you calling her a pest? You’re hurting her feelings,” Starlight said, still remembering how her brutal honesty depressed Pinkie Pie a few weeks ago. Luckily, Maud agreed to stay in Ponyville after all and she remembered her lesson.

“S-sorry,” Applejack said in panic. “Ah didn’t mean it in a mean way.”

Raichu said in a depressed tone.

Starlight's horn glowed with white-green aura as she used her magic to open the large double door. Raichu stared with curiosity at the aura of magic. “By the way, were you having any problems with her at the veterinarian clinic?” Starlight asked, giving Applejack a quick glance.

“There was that one time when Dr. Fauna tried to take a blood sample,” Applejack answered, perching herself on a pillow in front of a big rounded table. Hundreds, if not thousand of books on tall bookshelves surrounded her from all sides. For some it was just a big stack of literature that would take a lifetime to read. For Twilight, it was a few months' worth of studying that she got tired of after the fifth read or so.

Starlight chuckled. “Let me guess, she panicked at the sight of the needle and created a mess.”

Applejack shook her head. “Actually…”

“I must say, never in my life have I encountered or read about such an animal,” Dr. Fauna said, clapping her forehooves in excitement. She kept examining the mysterious creature with her brown eyes, studying Raichu’s every detail. “You won’t mind if I take a picture and run some tests once she gets better?” she asked Applejack.

“Ah dunno, she’s wild,” Applejack responded, pointing at the critter sitting on a small rounded chair next to the table. The clinic was filled with tables, drawers and shelves, but no animals except for a few small critters resting on pillows were present.

Raichu said with a nod, a fifth of her body covered in bandages. She observed the doctor whose coat was a light yellow with two-tone blue mane and tail. The weirdest thing however was a tattoo of a dog's head, cat's head, and white bird present on Fauna’s flank. Was it a meaningful symbol of sort? But then, something small caught Raichu’s attention. It was a white rat with a bandaged tail as it walked with short but quick steps. The two started to stare at each other curiously, as if fascinated by the other one.

Tiny long tail, small long floppy ears, fur color similar to the one on her own belly, and those thin whiskers. Raichu had to admit, it was an adorable little creature, and it reminded her of herself.

The rat stared back with wide eyes and straightened ears. Was it her large size that impressed her little creature? Or was it her long tail that it glanced at from time to time? Maybe the rat just saw her as a superior and more evolved version of itself? Whatever the reason, she could see nothing but admiration in those two silvery pupils.

Raichu tilted her head towards the tiny critter and they sniffed each other. She exposed her paw, allowing the rat to jump onto the bronze edge. With the passenger on board, she raised her paw and started affectionately nuzzling the rat’s muzzle with her tiny nose.

“She seems friendly to critters, so I doubt she’s a meat-eating predator. I’m also sixty percent sure she’s a female based on the tone of her voice. I don’t have any data about this species to confirm it, but she seems to agree with my deduction,” Dr. Fauna said before taking a syringe with attached sterilized needle between her teeth. She released it on the table and grabbed it with her hoof. “Studying her blood sample should reveal how healthy she really is and give me some useful data.”

Rat screeched at the sight of the long needle, jumping from Raichu’s paw and hiding behind the pokemon’s shoulder.

Dr. Fauna took a quick glance at her notepad. “Let’s see…You’re a bit bigger than a cat… and the scale said you weighed around twenty-two kilograms. I think a syringe of this size should do,” Dr. Fauna said, taking a slow breath before smiling and speaking calmly to her patient. “Now, please, don’t be afraid. I know needles looks sharp and scary, but I’ll be very gentle. You won’t feel a thing.”

Raichu kept staring at the earth pony with a neutral gaze, not intimidated in the least. The little needle being nothing when compared to the large claws of the beast that left only a few scratches when slashing her belly.

“If you’ll behave, I’ll give you sweets.” Fauna pointed at the basket filled with candy located next to a closed window.

The mere word seemed quite intriguing.

Dr. Fauna approached with slow steps while Applejack sat behind Raichu in case she needed to hold her in place. “Expose your arm, please,” the veterinarian said. She carefully moved the shining needle toward the paw, quickly locating a vein. With a slow movement, she pushed the syringe down, but the needle failed to pierce the skin. Thinking she was too gentle, she tried again with slightly more force, but with no effect.

Raichu looked between her arm and the doctor pony, and rolled her eyes as the needle tickled her at best.

Drops of sweat started falling down Fauna’s forehead as she put more and more force into her forelegs, glancing occasionally at her patient to ensure she wasn’t in pain. Much to her surprise, the large critter kept staring back at her with a bored expression, her head supported on the other paw.

After half a minute of struggling, the needle broke in half, not leaving any mark on the pokemon’s fur.

Raichu shook her head in disappointment while the rat on her shoulder giggled squeakily in amusement.

“How can you be so squishy, yet so thick skinned? What are you even made of?” Dr. Fauna asked before securing the broken equipment inside a prepared box.

“Ya sure are tough for someone this small,” Applejack commented before poking Raichu’s arm. Her hoof sunk slightly into the fur. How could something this soft be this durable at the same time? Even the skin of earth ponies, known for their durability, could still be pierced with sharp objects.

Dr. Fauna approached with the basket of sweets, catching Raichu off guard. “A promise is a promise. Eat some for your good behavior.”

Raichu looked at the chocolate canes and lollipops and then at the veterinarian. She pushed the basket away and shook her head.

Applejack placed her forehoof on Raichu’s shoulder and asked, “Ain’t ya still hungry? Ya were starvin’ when Ah found ya.”

“You may seem fat for your size, but our previous tests indicate that you’re probably underweight for your species, so please, don’t be shy,” Dr. Fauna said in a calm and encouraging voice as she placed the basket with sweets on the table. That moment the rat jumped from the pokemon’s shoulder towards the basket, Fauna blocked his path with a hoof. “No sweets for you today, Mr. Patrik. Your behaviour today was anything but good.”

Unable to communicate with words, Raichu pointed at her arm and then at the broken needle which was in the box for damaged equipment in the corner of the room. She pushed the basket to the side and shook her head.

Dr. Fauna chuckled before taking a red heart-shaped lollipop from the basket and pushing it into Raichu’s mouth.

The pokemon was about to protest, but sweetness overcome her taste buds. Her eyes sparkled. She grabbed the lollipop and started licking intensively.

“You were a very good patient, so you can eat as many sweets as you want.”

Overwhelmed with joy, she placed what was left of her lollipop on the table and spread her forepaws. She jumped at the doctor and hugged her neck, the force of the impact pushing the pony at the wall on the other side of the room.

Applejack bit her lip and half-closed her eyes, raising her foreleg protectively as wood fragments started flying across the room. The noise of a loud crash followed. “Oh nelly, that had to hurt.”

The white rat fell onto his back and started laughing while holding his belly, rolling left and right on the table.

Starlight lowered the books she was levitating and narrowed her eyes, now staring between Applejack and the blushing critter, who was hiding curled under the table. “You're messing with me, aren’t you?"

“Ah ain’t kiddin’,” Applejack said, still perched on a pillow. “She tried to hug Dr. Fauna, but ended up tackling her into a wall. It took us five minutes to wake her up, five more until the critter stopped apologizin', and at the end Ah swore to repair the hole once Ah’m done here.”

Raichu yelled, repeating her name over and over while still covering her blushing face with her forepaws.

“This little girl’s got no memories of her own strength,” Applejack pointed out. “Ah would kick trees from their roots when apple-buckin’ if Ah was in her shoes.”

“Well, that won't be a problem for much longer,” Starlight said with a satisfied smile before pointing at the levitated open book titled as Arts of Mind Healing and Hypnosis. “A simple memory refreshing spell should do the trick. It’s categorized as a medium advanced magic, so casting it for me will be a breeze.”

Raichu walked from under the table and approached the unicorn, now staring curiously at the levitating book. Magic? Whatever it is, if it can fix me I’m fine with it, she thought, her hope renewed. The smile on the unicorn’s face seemed reassuring.

“Cheer up, little one, I’m a professional. One spell, and all your problems will be blown away,” Starlight said as she puffed out her chest and raised her head pridefully.

Applejack took a step back. “When ya say it like that, it makes me worried.”

Raichu felt her heart beating faster and faster, her smile widened and her ears straightened upward. This was it, a chance for this nightmare to end and for her luck to return. She was about to recover the missing part of her life. Memories of her family, home, everything from before being brutally thrown into the ground.

Raichu shouted, balancing herself on just one hind leg and using it for a cheerful jump. Like a rocket, she shot upward, slamming into the ceiling as her entire head was now stuck in it. Her body and tail were hanging motionlessly while debris fell down and dirtied the clean floor. she said, her voice muffled by the crystal material she was stuck in.

Starlight and Applejack stared dumbfounded at the two light-yellow feet for a few seconds before looking at each other.

Starlight covered her own mouth with a hoof and laughed. “It seems we have a new chandelier for this library. All we’re missing are a few illuminating gems attached to her tail.”

Applejack rolled her eyes.

Raichu said with an annoyed frown, hearing the ponies despite the long distance from the floor.

Starlight’s horn lit as she levitated the large critter down with a bit more rubble falling onto the floor. She stared at the tomato-red face and rubbed the top of Raichu's head, finding her embarrassment to be quite amusing. “Don’t worry, I’ll fix the ceiling with a spell once I’m done with your problem.” She lowered herself to Raichu’s head level and touched the pokemon’s forehead with a horn. She gritted her teeth and focused on the spell, her horn sparkling with magic.

Raichu closed her eyes upon feeling a strong headache, but she wasn’t going to let a little discomfort get in the way.

Starlight yelped as she was forcibly flung back, landing on her rear. “What… happened?”

Applejack ran over and helped her stand. “That’s what Ah wanna know. Did it work?”

Raichu massaged her forehead, trying to recall any memory, yet events from before her encounter with the beast were still missing. she said with a short “chuuu,” and shook her head.

Starlight narrowed her eyes and cast another spell, this one scanning the large critter from top to bottom. Starlight gasped and took a step back. “She doesn't have amnesia, her memories have been sealed!"

“Sealed?” Applejack asked, tilting her head to the side

Raichu mimicked.

Starlight stomped. “I know a thing or two about mind affecting spells… not that I’m proud of it,” she remarked, now looking at Applejack. “I detect a strong dark magic affecting her mind and my scanning spell confirmed it. Someone cursed her with a memory seal.”

“Oh no!” Applejack shouted, raising her forehoof up to her face. “Are ya sayin’ someone was so mean to do somethin’ like that to this here cute critter?”

“Cute critter? And here I thought she was a pest to you,” Starlight said in a mocking tone.

“Don't mock me. Can ya do somethin’ 'bout this?”

“Certainly,” Starlight said with a grin, more than happy to accept the challenge.

Raichu took a step back, suddenly feeling uneasy around Starlight. She could sense something off about this unicorn’s aura, as if the pony was planning something reckless. Raichu steeled her nerves and closed her eyes. The ponies had only helped her thus far, and she was going to trust them.

Starlight narrowed her eyes and once again touched Raichu’s forehead with her horn, her concentration way more intense.

Raichu fell to her knees and gritted her teeth, her ears drooped, and paws trembled. A massive rush of pain went hammering through her head. But she wasn’t going to stop it when her missing memories were in her reach.

She had to endure!

Drops of sweat started to appear on Starlight and Raichu’s forehead as both struggled in their own way. Starlight from mental exhaustion as she maintained an advanced spell, and Raichu from pain as the seal on her memory was being bombarded with magic.

"Raichuuuu…!" she screamed, her mouth opened widely. A pain she had never felt before overwhelmed her. What she felt after waking up in the crater, being attacked and slashed by beast’s claws, crashing into the tree or the ceiling, all of this combined seemed like child's play in comparison. It was no longer something she could easily ignore but a soul-wrenching agony.

“Starlight, ya need to stop, yer hurtin’ her!” Applejack shouted as she kept protecting her face with a hoof from the magical bolts that were escaping Starlight’s horn. Luckily for Twilight, not a single bolt reached the shelves with numerous books.

“N-not yet… the seal isn’t broken yet.”

“Chuuuuuuuu...!” the scream continued for at least ten seconds before bolts of electricity from Raichu’s cheeks struck the unicorn’s horn. The moment the agonizing pain weakened, she ran, rolling and crashing into the corner of the room. She curled herself into a ball and held her tail between her trembling paws. P-pain… so m-much p-pain… She closed her eyes as her mind escaped the painful reality, seeking shelter in a world of dreams.

Starlight collapsed. After several quick breaths, she whimpered and massaged her horn, only to grimace upon touching the burned edge. “I was… so close.”

“That was too reckless, even for ya!” Applejack shouted with a firm stomp, her hoof leaving a mark on the floor. “Couldn’t ya tell she was in pain?”

“B-but… this seal is a very powerful one, I only managed to crack it,” Starlight explained before standing on her trembling legs. “I need another try, maybe this time I’ll fully break it.”

“There won’t be a next time,” Applejack said before pointing at the horrified critter. “Do ya think she’ll trust ya again after what ya pulled? Ah think not.”

Starlight bit her lip at the sight of the curled critter, feeling a surge of guilt. She took hesitant steps forward and spoke softly, “I went overboard, I know, and I’m really really sorry.” She added in a whisper, “Please, don’t be afraid.” Upon receiving no response, she sped up, stopping in front of the curled creature. “Are you okay?” she asked, poking Raichu’s shoulder. Her eyes widened and her heart skipped a beat. Now overwhelmed with worry, she cast a quick scanning spell and sighed in relief. “She doesn’t seem wounded, but her brain is under a lot of pressure. I fear using magic on it again can cause a permanent damage.” She levitated Raichu upward and placed her on her own back, grateful that the critter was unconscious. Thanks to this she had time to prepare a proper apology, and Raichu didn’t feel the pain.

Applejack held hat on her chest and said, “So in the end we can’t help this poor girl remember her past? Critter or not, Ah feel really sorry for her.”

“Actually, we can. The seal may not be destroyed, but it is cracked. Her memories should return to her, little by little,” Starlight explained, bringing back a smile to Applejack’s face. “All she needs now is a safe environment and time.”

“Ah see. Ah dunno if Granny will let her into our home, but Ah can always let her sleep on hay in the barn,” Applejack said.

“Actually, I was thinking on letting her stay inside the castle. This place has plenty of empty rooms and she’ll be safe here,” Starlight suggested.

Applejack raised an eyebrow.

“Don’t look at me like that. I may be reckless, but I’m not stupid. I’ll be very careful,” Starlight said before lowering her head and rubbing her foreleg. “I really screwed up, so the least I can do is make up for my mistake.”

“Fine, Ah’ll leave ya to it for now. But it’s only fair to let Twilight decide.”

Starlight nodded. “Agreed.”

Chapter 2.5 - Memories and Home

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Chapter 3 - A Castle Tour

Little Lost Raichu

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Chapter 3

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A Castle Tour

Snow

Once again the white scenery, her family, and the rest of the herd made its return. This time, however, they were in the company of another creature. It was small, red and hot, a creature she remembered as ‘Magby’ whose control over fire provided the group with the precious heat.

After saying their thanks, Pichu and her companions bathed in the pleasant warmth while eating the gathered fruits. Some of the surrounding snow melted on the ground, and there was no blizzard to interrupt their feast. Not that even a strong blizzard would break through the heat produced by their friendly companion.

“Ex-excuse me…”

The group turned towards the source of the voice, noticing a tall creature. It stood on two long legs, wore thick clothing, and orange hair was protruding out from under its hat.

A mere glance at the tall creature told Pichu that it was a young girl, a human, yet despite her young age, she looked like a giant from their perspective. The girl wore heavy bronze boots which were specialized for climbing, green trousers to protect her legs from the cold, while a very thick jacket, a puffy white hat and gloves made up for lack of natural fur. Despite all the protective clothing, the human trembled and massaged her shoulders for additional warmth, certainly not used to the cold. She was breathing heavily, not used to the lack of oxygen this high up.

“I k-know that I’m not an official trainer… but I really want to become one…” the girl said between breaths. “M-My chance to start a jo-journey with a p-pokemon by my side was taken away from m-m-me, so I can’t challenge any of you f-for an official b-battle… to prove… my worth as a t-trainer.” She closed her eyes and grimaced upon feeling the cold breeze as it waved her hair.

Each member of the herd looked at the young human with a mix of curiosity and pity. None considered her a threat or were alarmed by her presence.

“I c-can’t prove m-myself as a t-trainer yet,” the girl said and raised her hand to her chest, gathering all her willpower for her speech. “That’s why I beg you for a chance! My mother was a skilled trainer and my father had experience in forming strategies. Should any of you agree to join me on my journey willingly…” she gulped, struggling not to shiver from the cold, “I’ll treat you as a partner and show you proper r-respect. I’ll make you strong, so pl-please… j-just g-give me… a chance.” She held her trembling hands in a pleading gesture. Her desperate stare was a hint that many pokemon refused her plea already.

The group murmured amongst themselves. Questions like ‘Should we trust her words?’ or ‘How can she prove her skills without a pokemon?’ circled from ear to ear.

Pichu shouted and stepped ahead of the group as her tiny feet splashed on the melting snow. But why had she wanted to fight? Why would she challenge a creature so much bigger than her? They were both young, this was obvious, yet in terms of weight and size, the human had a massive advantage.

“W-what are you t-trying to say?” the girl asked.

With a loud scream, Pichu unleashed bolts of electricity, which hit both sides of the girl and startled her as the result. A few tiny burns caused by the backlash of her own attack appeared on her cheeks. Like a boxer, Pichu started punching the air and glared at her opponent.

“Y-you want me to f-fight you?” the girl asked, receiving a nod of confirmation. “A-alright… If this is t-the only w-way…”

Pichu approached with firm steps, only to feel a paw land on her shoulder. She glanced back at the Pikachu and asked,

Pichu shook her head and gently pushed the paw off her shoulder.

Pikachu sighed and said,

Pichu rolled her eyes.

The following battle didn’t last long as the outmatched girl ended up shocked by electricity at least three times, once even tripping on the snow. Her kicks and punches kept missing. The size advantage didn’t seem to matter in the least as the battle was one sided from start to the end.

The tiny victor turned around and huffed in disappointment. She received a disapproving glare from her mother, no doubt for going too hard on the young feeble human.

The herd argued with each other what to do. Under normal circumstances, a trainer would nurse a wounded pokemon, yet this time the situation was reversed. A few Pikachu suggested to move the girl towards their hideout; a small cave with bedding made of gathered leaves to provide shelter from the cold until she would recover her strength. Even Magby agreed to protect the human form the cold. Their discussion was interrupted as a large nine-tailed yellow creature jumped from the higher ground, landing next to the unconscious girl as the snow spread and melted around its paws.

The Pikachu took a fighting stance while the Pichu hid behind them, gathered together and alerted by the newcomer.

The creature they knew as Ninetales picked the human up and placed her on its back while ignoring them. A few of its tails kept the girl from falling as it started to jump down from stone to stone in an impressive display of speed and agility.

Raichu’s eyes shot open, still remembering her dream as many questions were born in her mind.

Who was that human creature?

Why was she was so eager to fight the human as a Pichu?

How was she able to attack with electricity?

How was it even possible for her to win so easily while being so tiny?

And, most importantly, why did she enjoy fighting so much?

Raichu pushed herself up into a sitting position and rubbed her eyes.

“Oh, you’re finally awake. You sure took your time.”

She blinked and looked towards the source of the voice as a creature covered in purple scales sharpened in her vision.

“You know, when Twilight told me we were harboring a creature from the Everfree Forest, you’re not what I imagined. The name’s Spike by the way. Spike the dragon.”

Raichu said hesitantly, trying to gather her thoughts. She stretched herself. Her hunger, exhaustion, bruises and headache, all gone. Feeling well-rested and refreshed, like a reborn Raichu, she beamed and added, She massaged her forehead.

“So you can only use words made of your own name. Starlight and Twilight warned me about it,” Spike said, a rolled checklist, quill and ink bottle present in his claws.

Raichu rolled her eyes, only now remembering that no one could understand her. Body gestures it is, she thought.

“I made you some breakfast.” Spike pointed at a plate on the table next to the bed. “Hay sandwich and a vegetable taco, I hope you like it,” he said with a sleepy tone before yawning and rubbing his eyes a moment later.

Raichu took the sandwich and bit into it. Her smile vanished the moment she started chewing, replaced with a grimace as she struggled to hide her displeasure. While the bread on its own was fine, the main component called ‘hay’ didn’t impress her taste buds. She gulped and smiled sheepishly.

“Seems you don’t eat hay after all.” Noticing a shake of the critter’s head, he placed his hands on his hips and said, “It was worth a shot, try this one instead. I used corn, cheese and some vegetables as ingredients. Most species like them, or so I heard.”

Raichu nodded and placed her sandwich back on the plate before taking another dish. One hesitant bite being enough to tell her that the taste was to be average, no match for the chocolate and sweets, but nothing sour about it. After a minute of chewing and swallowing, she wiped her face and patted her belly.

She glanced to the side at the young drake who was napping with his legs still on the floor and head on the bed. Curious, she stood up and poked the side of his head. she asked.

“Huh, what, where?” Spike asked and looked around in confusion. “Oh, right.” He stretched and picked up his equipment from the floor, reading the checklist. “Twilight asked me to make you breakfast and give you a tour of the castle… yawn… Sorry about that, I’m not an early bird.”

Raichu took a few steps to the side and pointed at the pillow, gesturing with her other forepaw for Spike to climb up.

“Are you asking me to sleep in your bed?” Spike asked, receiving a nod of confirmation. He shook his hand dismissively. “Thanks for the offer, but as tempting as it is, I need to keep up with our schedule. Twilight is very strict when it comes to her checklists.” He took a quick glance at the plate, picking it up as the only thing left on it was a bitten sandwich and crumbs. “Let’s go, I have a lot to show you.”

Raichu said and slowly stepped from the bed, following the young drake, taking two steps for each one of his. She stood up on the tips of her rear paws as her head level reached his nose. Usually I’m smaller than everyone else. It feels nice to meet someone of similar size.

The moment they were outside of the room, she noticed how Spike tried to close the door, encountering slight difficulty as one hand carried a plate while another held the rolled paper, ink and quill. A thought crossed her mind, They did feed and nurse me back to health. They even gave me shelter and helped me recover some of my memories. They’re all so kind and I’m nothing but a burden. Maybe Applejack was right, calling me a pest. Her ears drooped upon feeling a surge of guilt. She narrowed her eyes and approached, stood up on the tips of her rear paws and pulled the door, releasing the handle once the clicking noise told her that it was closed. With her attention on the plate, she took it and carried it herself. If I’m a pest, at the very least I’ll be a useful one.

“Thanks,” Spike said, patting Raichu on top of her head. He unrolled his checklist, sunk his quill in the bottle, and wrote, “Breakfast in bed, check. Next on the list, show Raichu rooms on the second and first floor.” He glanced at the critter and said, “Let’s go, there’s a lot to…” he paused, noticing Raichu’s intense stare focused on his checklist. “Is something wrong?”

Raichu blinked and shook her head. Was something about this piece of paper important? I couldn’t take my eyes away from it. She shrugged, following her guide while holding the plate. Her curiosity was at its peak as she was about to learn about the full might and beauty of her new home.

“This is a guest room,” Spike said, opening door on his left for a moment before closing it. Raichu peeked inside, seeing a bed with a table next to it, a few shelves for books and one window. She followed Spike towards the next two doors, one on the left and one on the right side of the hallway. “This is also a guest room.”

Raichu tilted her head to the side. Is it me, or does this room look identical to the last one? Now that I think about it, the room I slept in is exactly the same.

“And this… you won’t guess,” Spike said with a smirk.

Raichu asked, not expecting for the young drake to understand her anyway.

“I bet you think it’s a guest room, and you’d be correct,” Spike said as the critter rolled her eyes.

Raichu gazed ahead of the hallway, noticing a long line of doors on both left and right side. Her head drooped and her curiosity started diminishing. Whoever built this place had as much imagination as a tree.

“Open this one, you’ll be surprised,” Spike said after a minute of a boring tour.

Raichu nodded and placed the plate on the floor before reaching for the handle. Opening the room proved to be a mistake as the falling brooms caught her off guard and she jumped backward out of reflex.

Spike was about to chuckle at his successful prank, only for Raichu to pass by him at alarming speed and for the noise of shattering wood to reach his ears. He half-closed his eyes and peeked behind him hesitantly, afraid of what he was going to find. Noticing a hole in the wooden door, he peeked inside, facepalming at the sight of their guest now stuck in a damaged bookshelf.

Raichu pushed the wooden fragments aside and looked at Spike apologetically.

“It’s fine, my fault for pranking you in the first place,” Spike said before pointing slightly up and to the left. “Luckily, you didn’t go for the window, or else you would have crashed through the glass and fallen outside from quite a height.”

She glanced at the pointed direction and thought, Forget about my health, the window being in one piece is what’s important. I can take the fall, but causing damage is the worst. She walked towards Spike while giving the poor empty bookshelf one last glance. Her ears drooped. Thus far, I’m nothing but trouble. If I won’t be more careful, they’ll kick me out for sure. She picked the plate up from the floor and followed Spike while walking on her rabbit-like legs, holding the plate as if it was the most delicate thing in the world.

The tour continued with little variety. The area proved to be a labyrinth with nothing but pillars and guest rooms. Feeling bored, she focused on recalling her recent dreams. During the fight with the human creature I attacked with electricity, but how did I do that? She raised a forepaw up to her face and bit it. This is bad. My destructive jumping is troublesome enough, but if I don’t figure out how to use electricity, I may seriously hurt someone. She heard more of Spike’s words and ignored them. To think that I would purposely challenge and hurt someone so young, more or less enjoy fighting as a kid. My mother must have been so disappointed in me for being a bully.

“Hey, are you listening?!”

Raichu stopped herself a few centimeters in front of the stairs. Her eyes opened widely as she almost tripped with the plate in her paws being a potential casualty. She looked to the side at Spike and rubbed back of her neck.

Spike gestured over the large area from a small balcony, with two stairs leading down. The castle exit lay ahead of him, decorated with violet-blue trees and a pair of banners on either side. “This is the main entrance, the most spacious hallway inside this castle. There’s a kitchen next to the stairs, so try not to trip over while holding that plate, okay? I have enough cleaning to do as it is.”

Raichu nodded as she remembered this place from when she was riding Applejack and meeting Starlight for the first time. She bit her lip and took very slow and careful steps downstairs, her paws trembled slightly from the fear alone. She sighed in relief the moment her little hind legs reached the floor.

“The kitchen is over here,” Spike said as he opened the door next to the stairs, gesturing for her to come inside.

She followed, but stopped midway as she sensed another presence coming from upstairs. She looked towards the source, sensing a strong aura of guilt.

Starlight was staring down at her from the higher ground with drooped ears, massaging her arm nervously. “G-good morning.”

Raichu responded, not bothering to wave with her paw while still feeling uneasy whenever near this unicorn.

The two stared at each other for a few seconds before Spike’s voice called for Raichu from the kitchen. The critter turned away and scurried inside.

Starlight lowered her head. While she wanted to help the mysterious creature out of good will, her desire to prove and challenge herself had gotten the best of her. Breaking a memory seal created by powerful dark magic became so attractive that she forgot the principles her mentor taught her. In the end, regaining Raichu’s trust would take more than chocolate and an apology.

“Plan B it is,” she murmured before closing her eyes and tapping into her magical might. An aura around her horn came to life as she focused on a specific point of arrival. To salvage the relationship with the mysterious critter and earn her forgiveness, she needed an advisor, an expert in the field of friendship, but with a more direct approach than Twilight.

She vanished in a flash, reappearing in front of Sugarcube Corner. She approached the door and raised her foreleg, ready to knock, but didn’t get the chance, ending up startled by an explosion. The door opened on its own, revealing a confused, shakily walking Pinkie Pie, her mane and tail covered in cream.

“Heeeeey, Starliiiiiight, what brings you to Sugarcube Corner?” Pinkie asked before shaking her head as bits of cream landed on the unicorn’s face. “You can so easily magic up tasty stuff and you have a big kitchen at Twilight’s castle, so you can’t be here for cakes.” She stood on her hind legs and held her forehooves on her cheek. “Are you paying me a friendly visit? That’s almost as sweet of you as this cream from the exploding surprise cake I made a moment ago.”

“That’s not it actually,” Starlight said with her words weakening Pinkie’s endless enthusiasm. “More than once you bragged how you befriend everypony in Ponyville, and I need some friendship related help.”

“Why not ask Twilight? She’s the Princess of Friendship after all!” Pinkie said with a giggle before licking the cream from her mane, causing the unicorn to grimace in disgust.

“She’s... a little bit busy at the moment,” Starlight answered as her mind provided her with images of her mentor finishing a checklist for ten days in advance with various plans and research projects being set up all over the castle library. “So, can you help me?”

“Of course I can. I never leave my friends hanging,” Pinkie said, now bouncing up and down in excitement. “So, who’s your friend and what do you want to know?”

Starlight looked to the side and rubbed her foreleg nervously, her tone sad and regretful. “Let’s just say… hypothetically... if somepony tried to help a poor critter from the Everfree Forest recover from a memory loss, but went overboard and almost fried her brain instead… How can this pony apologize so that this critter won’t fear her anymore?”

Pinkie stopped bouncing and smiled sheepishly. She chuckled, but it was nothing like her usual cheerful laughter. “Well… I can tell you how not to apologize.”

“Meaning?” Starlight asked, tilting her head to the side as she stared at the party mare in confusion.

Pinkie stood up on her rear legs and started waving her forelegs in random directions, speaking in haste. “When apologizing, this somepony you mentioned shouldn’t repeat ‘I’m sorry’ over and over while chasing their friend like a maniac all over Ponyville, and he or she shouldn’t ignore their privacy and personal space and certainly shouldn’t destroy their property.”

Starlight raised an eyebrow. “That’s waaaay too specific. Let me guess, you’re speaking from experience?”

The party mare tapped her forehooves together nervously. “N-no… maybe… kind of.”

“Any actually useful advice?”

“It depends, who’s your friend and what does he like? I can’t come up with a friendship-saving-apology plan on the spot without data,” Pinkie said with a more serious tone.

“Data? You’re actually planning stuff instead of going with instinct and being randomly random?” Starlight asked.

“You have noooo idea how much info gathering and planning it takes to keep the entire town happy, though I’m also good at improvising. I may not look like it, but I’m actually a very fast thinker,” Pinkie said with a proud smile and raised chin.

“Fair advice, you should slow down your thinking speed from time to time so your logic can catch up,” Starlight suggested as Pinkie frowned at her remark. “As for this friend, I don’t know much about her, but I think she likes sweets. I gave her some chocolate already and it didn’t help much though.”

Pinkie’s eyes widened and sparkled. She swung her foreleg and said firmly, “You need to up your game a bit. Just leave it to your good old, friendly neighbour Pinkie Pie and your friend will forgive you in no time.”

Starlight smiled, her depression gone. “Now you’re talking. Whatever your plan is, I’m in.”

Raichu turned around curiously, examining the well-equipped kitchen.

Many random bags and plates were located on the bottom part of the main table, and it took standing on the tips of her hind legs to notice a few eggs and a basket filled with vegetables. Lack of chairs meant that she would need to climb onto the table to take a better look, and she wouldn’t dare to do so without permission.

Examining her surroundings, she saw one large stove, a sink, and many shelves with numerous cabinets filled with food among them. She looked up and noticed pans hanging down from a pot rack.

Some walls and supporting pillars seemed to be made of stone and crystals, but others were covered by a blue wallpaper. Three green windows provided light inside this darkened kitchen.

“So, what do you think?” Spike asked with proudly raised head and his hands on his hips. “Are you Impressed, or are you impressed?” Making snacks and gem-related dishes proved so much easier in such a spacious kitchen, and keeping this place clean and organized filled him with pride.

Raichu was about to answer, only for her headache to interrupt her. Is there anything you like to eat? What’s your favorite taste? a young female voice asked in her mind as more memories resurfaced. They were inside a white spacious kitchen filled with standard accessories.

Fridges.

Large bags.

Shelves and cabinets filled with various foods.

A few sinks for cleaning were present as well.

The kitchen seemed big enough to accommodate a large group but was certainly lacking imagination. There were no decorations and finding any color other than white proved difficult.

Being a Pichu in her memory, she jumped onto the table and pointed at a flour bag, but it was a sinister trap. A swing of her tiny tail pushed the bag into the human girl’s face the moment she was close enough, following it up with laughter. Once the white powder was wiped from the human’s face while revealing an unamused expression, Pichu’s laughter grew in volume.

Raichu opened her eyes and narrowed them in anger, anger at herself. I have no idea how I ended up in the kitchen with that human, but my behaviour was inexcusable. She slammed her paw against the side of the table, shaking it as a result. Is it wrong that I want to go back in time and give myself a solid spanking and long-lasting lecture?

“Calm down,” Spike said as he grabbed her paw. Raichu’s angered expression softened the moment she looked at his worried face. “You were spacing out and then became furious out of nowhere. Were you having some bad memories?”

A sad apologetic “Chuuu” escaped Raichu’s mouth as she turned to the side.

“Twilight told me -from her unnecessarily long explanation- that your memories should recover on their own, as well as from environmental stimulants. I suppose I’ll need to get used to it,” Spike said with a warm smile. He unrolled his checklist and wrote in it. “Show our guest the kitchen, check. Now to the basement.” He grimaced and shivered. “I hope you’re not afraid of spiders.” He paused, noticing that Raichu was staring at his checklist intensively. He glanced between his scroll and the critter before asking, “Your memories strike again?”

Raichu rubbed the top of her head, trying to recall a reason why was this scroll was so attractive to her. She approached and exposed her paws.

It took a moment for Spike to understand the critter’s gesture, putting the checklist and quill into her little paws. “Just be very careful, alright.”

Raichu nodded and studied the objects she was holding while reading the text. Just like before, she understood the meaning behind every word. Her eyes closed tightly. Now try writing ‘C’.... Don’t look at me like that. I know it’s boring and that you would rather train or play outside, but if we’re going to become true partners, we need a better way to communicate with each other. She opened her eyes, recalling short moments when the young human was teaching her how to write. The fact that her tiny body was only a bit taller than the pen she used to write was making such a task a bit difficult.

She gazed at her paws, which were considerably bigger than before, capable of holding and using the quill with ease. Noticing some free space on the scroll, she wrote with little letters and showed it to the young drake.

Spike took the checklist and read the pointed spot, and next glanced at the critter. “You can write?”

” she said, nodding.

Spike smirked. “Cool. Twilight will be thrilled once she learns that.” He rolled up the scroll, but before he could pick up the bottle of ink and quill, Raichu already beat him to it. He smiled at her as she returned the gesture. “Let’s go.”

“Are you sure this is going to work?” Starlight asked as she pulled a small cart with covered cargo. The party mare was hopping next to her.

“Trust me. Once we’re done, you’ll be rewarded by a warm friendship hug.”

“I hope you’re right,” Starlight said, her eyes now on the large double door before her.

Spike braced himself, trembling as he glanced at the darkened corners of the basement. The scenery would be similar to hallways on the upper floors, if not for numerous webs and triple green lamps attached to the walls with spiders and insects crawling all over the place.

“I t-t-think… we’re d-done here… no need to explore it to the end, r-right?” He glanced behind at his companion and spread his hands in annoyance. “You can’t be serious!”

Raichu was sitting, supported against a wall, while observing several tiny creatures with more than ten legs crawling on her paw. Two spiders were sitting on both of her shoulders. She stared at her tiny companions with curiosity. Upon hearing Spike’s voice, she raised her head and looked at him. she said with a warm smile. The moment Spike facepalmed, Raichu asked, She stood up and presented her paws.

Spike flinched and smiled nervously. “N-no… y-you c-can play as much as you want... with you little f-friends… just far away f-from m-me.”

The tour continued until reaching the second floor as Spike and his companions ignored the guest rooms, heading towards more important locations instead. What was the point of tasting the same dish over and over after all when desert awaited?

Raichu kept walking with a smile and with two little friends keeping her company. A poisonous multicolored spider rested on her left ear while a black cockroach was sitting on her right shoulder.

Spike kept an understandable distance, questioning his companion’s friendship choices. He peeked at the checklist and murmured to himself, “Twilight’s room, Starlight’s room, and the room with the cutie map will have to wait. Twilight is already waiting in the library while preparing some tests for you. We’ll need to go there first to stay on schedule.” He rolled the scroll and gave Raichu an uneasy glance. “I must say, as obedient and cute as you are, you’re being a bit creepy.”

she asked before chuckling in a squeaky noise. She stopped in front of a crosspath, sensing a double presence. Her senses didn’t disappoint as a familiar pony walked from her right. It was Starlight with a suspicious covered cart. She sniffed, detecting food of some sort.

“H-hello, what a surprise meeting you here,” Starlight said awkwardly.

Raichu’s eyes were still on the cart as she approached it with slow steps. She pointed at it and asked,

Understanding the gesture, Starlight answered, “That’s an apology gift I made for you.”

Raichu glanced to the right, wondering if the hidden pony she was sensing had assisted Starlight in any way. The massive aura of excitement was difficult to ignore.

“Is that a spider? It looks dangerous,” Starlight said as she lit her horn, trying to levitate the spider away, but angered shouting from Raichu stopped her.

Raichu caught the falling spider with her paws and returned it to its rightful spot on her head. Her attention once again shifted towards the covered cart.

Starlight cleared her throat and, with a swift swing of her forehoof, she pulled the cover, revealing a stack of cupcakes, muffins and a large apology cake covered in cream with a strawberry on top.

Raichu’s mouth opened as saliva started to drop to the floor. Her eyes were wide and her tail flapped left and right in excitement. Despite a lack of memories, she could tell that it was going to be a delicious feast.

“I made these for you to apologize for the whole mess I caused. Enjoy,” Starlight said with a chuckle before walking backward, giving the critter the space she needed.

Raichu licked her lips and took a few steps forward, now being only millimeters away from the mountain of sweets. The cockroach walked down from her shoulder, climbing up onto the cart and digging itself into a cupcake, while the spider on her head turned around and returned to sleep, not showing any interest in the presented food.

Taking an example from her little friend, Raichu grabbed another cupcake between her paws and bit it. “Chuuu…” She took another bite and smiled warmly.

Pinkie peeked from behind the wall, interested in how well her plan was progressing. The fact that Starlight didn’t give any details about her friend only made her more curious. She half-closed her eyes and examined the critter feasting on the sweets. The first noticeable feature was that it was small, fat and fluffy, like a plush toy the size of a dog just begging to be hugged. Cute yellow dots on her cheeks were waiting to be nuzzled, while funny-looking ears and a very long tail added some coolness into the mix. The white belly being a perfect spot for some belly rubs. The smile and enthusiasm radiating from the creature’s face caused a warm feeling in Pinkie’s chest.

Pinkie’s forelegs started to tremble as she felt the urge to embrace the cute little sweets-lover. The fact that this critter had to live in the Everfree Forest and face all predators just begged her to ensure that it would feel welcomed and happy. It certainly called for a welcome party.

Raichu finished her second cupcake and looked in Pinkie’s direction, no doubt noticing her before she withdrew her head.

Pinkie didn’t need to understand the meaning behind repeating one’s name to know that her hiding spot was busted. After taking a slow deep breath, she put on a cheerful smile and hopped out from her hiding spot towards the critter.

“I see you had some help preparing those, Starlight,” Spike said before taking a blueberry muffin for himself.

Starlight lowered her head. “I just wanted to apologize, so I asked Pinkie for help,” she admitted. She lit her horn and levitated a kitchen knife and plate from the cart, cutting a slice of cake and placing it on the floor in front of Raichu, who seemed to be wary of her magic while not taking her eyes off the levitated knife.

“Go on, eat up,” Pinkie cheered. “We put a lot of heart into this cake, you’ll love it!”

Raichu looked between both ponies and nodded. She opened her mouth, and more drops of saliva started falling onto the floor. She gulped and grabbed the cake slice eagerly before pushing it into her mouth, biting and chewing it in haste. She closed her eyes and massaged her cheeks in pleasure as her imagination began to run wild with the image of cakes, sweets and strawberries raining from the sky, alongside a dreamy waterfall of cream and chocolate icing. Her paws trembled and her eyes sparkled in joy. In a rush of excitement, she jumped towards Pinkie Pie who spread her forelegs as an invitation.

Starlight bit her lip and summoned a barrier between Pinkie and the approaching doom as Raichu crashed flat against the blue surface, sliding down onto the floor. The spider fell from her head and turned to Starlight, considering how to repay the favor.

“What was that for?” Pinkie asked with offended expression, not liking in the least that somepony had prevented her from giving a warm hug.

“Trust me, you don’t want to be on the receiving end when she’s excited,” Starlight said with a saddened face, feeling jealous that she wasn’t the one on the receiving end of this hug and regretting that she had allowed Pinkie to tag along.

Raichu massaged her forehead and realized that someone was missing, not feeling any weight on her head. She looked left and right in panic, only to feel the spider climb up her back. She sighed in relief, happy her little friend wasn’t injured from the crash.

“Come here!” Without a warning, Pinkie appeared behind Raichu and grabbed her in a vice-grip hug, squeezing her belly with all the force she could muster. Raichu’s head was pressed against her chest.

Raichu didn’t resist, but instead embraced Pinkie’s neck and nuzzled her cheek. She grit her teeth in pain, but not as much from the hug, but rather from something that started building up inside of her.

Starlight turned away as her plan backfired. Applejack, Spike, Pinkie Pie and even two bugs ended up befriended by the fat critter while she was still excluded despite her attempts.

Raichu looked at the unicorn from Pinkie’s embrace, sensing an aura of jealousy and sadness. With a bit of a struggle, she slid out from Pinkie’s embrace and approached, but stopped halfway. As much as she wanted to cheer up the unicorn and show her affection, the fear she felt still lingered in her mind. While physical pain seemed like something she could ignore, the pain on her mind was another story.

Feeling the tension building in the air, Spike pointed at the entrance into to the library and said, “As touching as this scene was, we shouldn’t keep Twilight waiting. Trust me, it wouldn’t end well.”

Chapter 4 - Twilight’s Research

Little Lost Raichu

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Chapter 4

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Twilight’s Research

“Sit down everypony,” Twilight said from her perch on a pillow with a large blackboard behind her. To the left and right were tall shelves filled with books, an atmosphere for research she could get behind. On the rounded table in the middle of the room were a few stocks of papers, quills, bottles of ink and several scrolls. Next to the table were boxes in a diversity of sizes, some even bigger than Big Macintosh.

Before Twilight were three pillows; one prepared for her assistant, another one for her personal student and last one for the cute specimen herself. As she’d hoped for, each pillow was used, though Raichu relocated her pillow further away from Starlight for some reason.

She glanced at Pinkie who took a spot behind the table, sitting next to a cart filled with sweets. It became apparent that the party mare was going to be a spectator and wouldn’t interfere.

Twilight cringed upon noticing a cockroach feasing on one of Pinkie’s cupcakes. Not that she questioned Raichu’s friendship choices, but she did consider sending a letter to Fluttershy the first chance she got.

“Maybe your spider friend should rest somewhere else? For its own safety,” Starlight suggested, receiving a firm nod of agreement from Raichu. She carefully levitated the spider onto the table.

Twilight rubbed the back of her head, thinking. Did a very venomous spider have a nap on her head? Either she’s oblivious to danger or very brave, or both. She took a deep breath and spoke up, “Before we start, I need to ask a very crucial question.” Seeing how she caught everyone’s attention, she continued, “Have you recovered any important memories? Nod twice if the answer is ‘yes’.”

Raichu nodded twice, staring at the alicorn as if she was a diligent student observing her teacher.

Spike spoke up, “When I was showing her around the kitchen, she remembered that she knows how to write. Apparently, someone taught her.”

“Really!?” Twilight asked in a rush of excitement and clapped her hooves together. “This is perfect. I was considering a very long visit to the Canterlot Royal Archives to find a translation spell that would help us communicate, but since you can write, I can delay it for another time.”

Spike crossed his arms. “A spell like that would be way more convenient. Why delay it?”

Twilight ignored the question as she levitated a quill and piece of paper into Raichu’s paws. “Write what you remembered. Even the tiniest bit of information can be very useful.”

Raichu nodded, taking her time while filling the paper with letters. Starlight stared at her in sadness while Spike stood up from his pillow and rested his head on it instead, taking a nap.

The moment Raichu waved with her paw, Twilight levitated the paper over and read it. “Hmmm... “ escaped her mouth as she analyzed the newly gained information.

“What does it say?” Starlight asked curiously.

Twilight lowered the paper and said, “Memories about Raichu’s childhood are quite odd. Apparently she was a tiny creature called Pichu in the past, living with her family and herd on a snowy mountain on an island.”

“Does this mean she migrated over the ocean and found a new home in the Everfree Forest?” Starlight asked.

“This is a possibility,” Twilight said. “Exploration was never ponies’ strongest point. There’s no literature about discoveries over the ocean.”

“Kind of odd that pegasi never tried to explore, they can fly after all,” Starlight pointed out.

“That’s not what’s important. What I don’t understand is why she called herself a Pichu when she was young.” Twilight glanced at Raichu and asked, “Care to explain?”

Raichu shook her head and shrugged.

Starlight spoke up, “It’s normal to be confused when she can recall only fragments of her past. It should make more sense overtime. Let's just be patient and wait.”

“Agreed,” Twilight said with a nod. “Moving on, I remember reading a legend about a nine-tailed fox, but I’m certain there’s no literature about a species called ‘Pikachu’, “Magby” and ‘Human’.” She rubbed her chin. “Though it kind of makes sense. There must be many undiscovered races living on another land.” She smiled in satisfaction. “Do you think a title like Undiscovered Species from the Oversea would have a nice ring to it?”

“It’s debatable,” Starlight said.

Twilight frowned. “Let's get to the next point then. Abilities and magic.” She glanced at Raichu and said, “According to what you wrote, you used electricity to attack… while acting like a mean childish bully.” She cleared her throat and asked, “Can you demonstrate by releasing some electricity?” Seeing a shake of Raichu’s head, she asked, “You don’t remember how to do it, do you?”

Raichu nodded and pointed at the stock of paper on the table, gesturing with her paws.

The alicorn levitated over the paper and quill to Raichu before reading what she wrote. “That’s considerate of you,” Twilight said, caught off guard. She gave her guest a pitiful smile.

“What did she write?” Starlight asked.

“She’s afraid that she may hurt others and she’s asking if we have something to restrain her, or if she should maintain a safe distance from everyone,” Twilight said. “I think we can make a collar to absorb or repel electricity.”

Raichu smiled, happy that one of her fears would be put to the rest. It was only her first day and she already enjoyed these ponies company. The debt of gratitude towards them grew by the hour.

Twilight’s horn lit as she opened a box, levitating over a large version of a hamster’s running wheel which was big enough for a pony to use. She placed it in front of the pokemon and said, “I hope you don’t mind some physical exercise. First on the list is a test of speed.”

“Seriously? A hamster running wheel?” Starlight asked with a raised eyebrow. “From all the sports-related equipment to use, you chose this? All that’s missing is a large glass enclosure for our cute little house pet.”

“I was improvising, there’s no need for sarcasm,” Twilight said, her eyes still on the critter who climbed into the large wheel and balanced her paws on the large bars. “There’s a speed-calculating device attached to this wheel. Just run as fast as you can.”

Raichu followed Twilight’s order without a second thought, running in excitement and with a cheerful smile.

Now that’s what I call a love for running. Maybe it’s her species’ second nature? Or Raichu is just trying to learn about her limits? Whatever the reason, she seems very enthusiastic about it, Twilight thought, not taking her eyes away from her fluffy test subject.

“Run, run, run! Do your best! You can do this! We believe in you! Eye of the Tiger!” Pinkie shouted random quotes, cheering for her friend with a shake of her forelegs.

Twilight approached her contraption, curious about the full speed her guest could pull off as the wheel started rolling faster and faster, reaching an extreme speed in but a few seconds. The metal parts keeping the wheel together started to turn red and smoke emanated from them.

“Twilight, I have doubts about the stability of this equipment, I think we should stop this before…” Starlight failed to finish as the metal parts shot in all directions while the large wheel rolled uncontrollably through the library.

Twilight bit her lip and raised her forelegs protectively, her reflexes not being good enough to raise a barrier. Luckily, Starlight did it for her, expecting such an accident fast enough to react.

The wheel slammed into the blue barrier, rolling over it and crashing into the wall, ending up stuck in a newly created hole. Raichu tripped over and rolled, falling onto the floor with stars circling over her head. The speed-calculating device exploded from overheating a few seconds later as gears and springs bounced on the floor.

Spike rubbed his eyes and murmured, “Can you girls tone it down a bit? I had a weird dream where Raichu shrank to the size of a hamster and…” He blinked in confusion at the scene before him. “Oh, nevermind, still dreaming.” He yawned and reasserted himself on the pillow, returning to sleep.

“Alright, so the test of speed didn’t work as expected,” Twilight said as Raichu looked up at her with an awkward smile.

“You think?” Starlight asked sarcastically. Even with magical support, some small cracks were still present on the recently repaired wall.

To Twilight’s relief, no books were damaged during the incident.

“The next test shouldn’t cause any problems. It’s just a simple test of strength,” Twilight said, levitating over weights of different sizes from another box and placing them on the floor with a loud thud. Her assistant was no longer inside the library, most likely taking a nap somewhere else.

Raichu approached and sniffed the lead weights, poking them.

“I’ll place one weight after another on your back. Your task will be to stand on all your paws as long as possible until you’ll reach your limit,” Twilight explained. “If the test becomes too painful or the weight too much to bear, just lie down and I’ll take it away.”

Raichu said, stretching herself before standing firmly on all four legs, her eyes narrowed and expression serious.

“You seem quite eager to test your strength. I was a bit afraid you would be hesitant after our last fiasco.” Twilight levitated the first round lead weight with ‘10 kg’ written on it.

Raichu maintained her determined stance, looking up at the descending weight. While in terms of size it was smaller than her, the material it was made of would no doubt press down against her with a lot of force. As she expected, she felt a heavy pressure on her back the moment the cold metal made contact with her warm fur. Her legs bent slightly for a short moment.

One after another, heavy weights were placed on her back, creating a small tower as her legs started to tremble. She soldiered on, finding the challenge to be more exciting than she thought.

“That’s eighty kilograms,” Twilight said, giving Starlight a questioning glance. “What was Raichu’s weight again?”

“Applejack said twenty two kilograms, or was it twenty five?” Starlight answered. “She’s lifting three times her own weight, not bad.”

“For ponies it may not be much, but our build is specialized for carrying heavy weights on our back. Not to mention our inner magic that strengthens us,” Twilight lectured and closed her eyes. “I still remember carrying a boulder on my back a long time ago. It was at least fifteen times my own weight, and I wasn’t exactly an athletic unicorn.”

“You did what? Why?” Starlight asked.

“Ask Discord, he’ll give you the details. In short, it involved corrupting my friends, Rarity becoming greedy and giving a boulder the name Tom...” Twilight answered.

“On the second thought, I don’t want to know.”

Raichu took a quick breath and looked at the alicorn in determination. She bit her lip and blinked the moment another weight was added onto her back, but she endured. I wonder what I’m capable of? She closed her eyes as another memory surfaced in her mind.

You’re giving up already? You should take an example from me, the voice of the human girl echoed in her mind. I know pokemon of your size don’t rely on strength but rather on power and attack moves, but you never know when it will come in handy. Besides, a pokemon’s size rarely limits them. Even the tiniest ones can become extremely strong with enough training. Being a Pichu again, she listened to the encouraging words from the human and placed her tiny paws around several pebbles, lifting them with a lot of struggling as each pebble was as big as her arm. Much to her surprise, she was lifted by the human girl, her entire body fitting just fine on her hand alone.

Raichu’s eyes opened as she woke up from her memory. She gritted her teeth and felt sweat sliding down her face like a fountain. Her four legs trembled and her muscles burned. It was obvious that time had passed and more weight had been added while she was recalling her memory, but how much exactly?

“Two hundred and eighty kilograms,” Twilight said with a forehoof raised up to her face. “Are you tired yet? We can stop anytime you want.”

Raichu raised her head, looking at the alicorn with a grimace on her face and with tower made of twenty eight weights balanced on her back. she said in a tired voice, her breathing slow and deep.

Starlight’s horn lit as she levitated over another weight, placing it on the back of the struggling critter. “I like your spirit. Keep it up and you can set a great record… not that there are many critters of your size who would try to compete for it.”

Minutes felt like hours as Raichu kept struggling, each added weight making the exercise more painful and straining. Small cracks spread around her paws while her bronze edges were slowly sinking into the crystal floor. Her face started turning red from lack of oxygen as she could barely catch any breath from the pressure on her back. The weight was slowly reaching half a ton.

The pain in her muscles felt as if someone had tried to push hundreds of nails into her skin, and her paws felt as if they were pressed into a stack of burning coal. Despite her best efforts to keep her trembling legs working, they started to give in, her face now only millimeters above the floor. Her desperate attempt of using her own head for support let her endure only two extra weights.

Raichu’s struggle finally ended as she was now lying flat, pinned by four hundred and twenty kilograms. she said, her voice muffled as her face was pressed into the floor.

Suddenly, she felt light as a feather as the weights she struggled against were levitated away all at once, the change in pressure being nothing less than astonishing. She stood up with incredible ease while the exhaustion from the past ten minutes had just… vanished. Was it normal? Wasn’t she supposed to be tired? Either my species has incredible speed and stamina, or the training I had alongside the human had to be insane.

Pinkie applauded. “That was amazing!” She raised a photo with her forehoof and pointed at it. “I hope you don’t mind that I took a picture. I think I’ll make a house of cards on the top of that tower of the weights next time you lift. That would look great.”

Raichu said with a weak nod, finding Pinkie’s idea more weird than appealing.

“I must say, I’m impressed. According to the ratio of your strength to weight, you’re almost as strong as a young pony,” Twilight said with a proud smile.

“Almost?” Starlight asked.

“Trust me, Apple Bloom, Applejack and Big Mac more than once showed that earth ponies aren’t to be underestimated. I may have lifted a one and a half tons boulder, but I can’t tell what they’re capable of,” Twilight said.

“True, but the amount of weight we can levitate is fifty tons, or more,” Starlight remarked. “Still, fair enough.”

Raichu stared at Starlight for a few seconds with her mouth agape. She had to be joking. Was their magic really so powerful to lift hundred times more than what she had managed to carry on her own back? Was she but an insignificant little being when compared to such incredible might? She shook her head and wrote on the paper before presenting it to the alicorn.

“You want another test already? Why not take a break?” Twilight asked.

Raichu answered, more than eager to continue. Her curiosity of her own abilities was getting the best of her.

Twilight pet the top of Raichu’s head, something they found mutually enjoyable. “Alright. Your next test will be jumping.”

Raichu asked as her face became pale. Her excitement, her enthusiasm and all the energy were gone in an instant as she now stared at the alicorn with wide eyes.

Starlight bit her lip.

“Just jump as high as you can and I’ll calculate the height you've reached,” Twilight explained.

“I don’t think it’s a good idea,” Starlight said, pointing at the ceiling. “There’s not enough space for such a test here.”

“Nonsense,” Twilight said with a dismissive wave of her foreleg. She bent her legs and jumped up, reaching half the height of the spacious room before landing with a weak thump. “See, there’s plenty of space. Now your turn, Raichu.”

The pokemon gulped.

“This research is extremely important, so will you do this for me? Pretty please?” Twilight’s eyes became wide as plates and her ears flattened against her head.

Raichu lowered her head and sighed. How could she say no to those pretty, knowledge-hungry eyes? It’s not like her head was in any danger. If anything, the stability of the ceiling would be at risk. She took a similar pose to the one she had when trying to jump up to the apple tree. She closed her eyes and gritted her teeth as she mentally prepared herself for what was about to come.

“Twilight, she already jumped once!” Starlight shouted. “Her head slammed into the ceiling!”

“Really?” Twilight asked, but before she could even consider her student’s words, the critter before her jumped, shooting upward like a rocket as a loud noise of breaking stone and crystals reached her ears. She raised a barrier over herself as the rubble started to fall onto the floor. The moment her magical shield vanished, she looked up and gasped, seeing three large holes in the ceiling. Her little fluffy test subject somehow managed to pierce through the second floor, attic and the roof at the same time.

In a flash of teleportation, she reappeared on the roof of her castle, the very spot where she and her friends ‘chillaxed’ a long time ago. Outside was a fountain with several sunbeds around it and she could see the new hole in the roof. She raised her head and covered her face with her forelegs, protecting herself from the splashing water as Raichu landed in the fountain.

Starlight appeared in a flash of teleportation, quickly noticing the wet critter and levitating her from the fountain. “I was sure your head would end up stuck in the ceiling, not pierce it with such force. You’re full of surprises.”

Raichu shook herself, spreading drops of water all around. She turned towards the ponies, lowered her head and held her paws together apologetically. she shouted in regret.

“What’s she doing?” Starlight asked.

“I think she’s apologizing,” Twilight said before raising Raichu’s head with a hoof. “It’s alright, it was my fault for asking you to jump despite Starlight’s warnings. Besides, a few holes is nothing that a bit of magic can’t repair.”

“Can you both be quiet? I’m trying to sleep here,” Spike said from one of the sunbeds while sunglasses adorned his face.

Noticing her assistant, Twilight smiled and approached the sunbeds, gesturing for her student and guest to lie on them. “I think some relaxing will do us good.”

“Relaxing? Seriously? You have a schedule prepared for the next twelve days and tests to perform. I can’t believe you want to take a break,” Starlight commented.

“Who said I’ll be taking a break, I just thought I can write some notes and maybe start writing the book we talked about. This spot is perfect for it. I think I'll title the first chapter Master of Jumping, Speed and Electricity.”

Starlight smiled. “Now that’s the Twilight I know.”

Raichu climbed up onto the sunbed, taking example from Spike as she lay on her back, feeling the warm sun on her wet fur. She closed her eyes, not needing any memories to figure out that staring directly at the blinding yellow ball in the sky would end up poorly for her sight.

Pinkie Pie peeked through the hole in the roof, climbing up further before laying on a sunbed of her own with the cockroach riding her tail.

The venomous spider used its web to climb up onto the roof, taking a comfortable spot on Raichu’s belly.

Twilight chuckled. “It seems our new companion just learned more about chillaxing than you learned over the course of a few months.”

Starlight frowned. “Very funny.”

Chapter 5 - A Shocking Experience

Little Lost Raichu

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Chapter 5
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A Shocking Experience

Shopping, a simple task for everypony, yet not so simple for Twilight Sparkle. The aftermath of the battle against Tirek gifted her with a large castle which required large purchases of numerous items, quite unlike her previous humble home in the Golden Oak’s library. Twilight, her student and her assistant had to take turns in shopping and maintaining the large structure.

Her trip to the market was interrupted by the familiar faces of Apple Bloom and Scootaloo as they both stared at her with questioning looks.

“Can I… help you?” she asked hesitantly, feeling as if she had stepped onto a mine. While the ‘Cutie Mark Crusaders’ became more mature ever since they had started helping ponies, there was still the element of unpredictability lingering in those signature stares. Not knowing what to expect often drove her crazy.

“How’s the fluffy critter doin’?” Apple Bloom asked in concern, “Is she still hungry or hurt? Did she cause any trouble?”

Twilight chuckled and relaxed. “She’s healthy and well fed, I would even dare to say she’s a bit fat for her size.”

“Fat?” Apple Bloom asked. “But she looked like that when we found her, and she was starvin’.”

“Really?” Twilight asked, caught off guard. Was the wide size of her little guest a natural characteristic of her body? The nod of the filly confirmed her suspicions. “Regardless, she’s eating regularly and all her wounds have healed perfectly.” She looked to the side and added in an annoyed tone, “Well... she did have a minor headache caused by my student’s healing method, but it helped to damage the memory seal that was placed on her.”

“Damaged memory?” Scootaloo asked, her ears perked up.

Twilight shook her head. “No. She damaged the memory seal. It turns out that something or somepony sealed Raichu’s memories with dark magic, but she should regain them little by little. She’s very happy about it.”

Apple Bloom frowned and stomped. “Who would be so mean to do this to such a cute, innocent critter?! Ah would have a word or two with them!”

“Can we check on her tomorrow?” Scootaloo asked. “I’m kind of curious how she looks like ever since Apple Bloom mentioned her at school.” She looked to the side, raised her forehoof up to her face and murmured, “And I’m not the only one.”

Twilight nodded. “You can visit and play with her whenever you like, just not early in the morning. I plan to use an advanced sleeping spell on her tonight, and she’ll sleep like a stone for a few extra hours.”

“A sleeping spell? But why?” Scootaloo asked.

“Because she asked me to, she wrote a request actually. Can you believe it? Turns out someone taught her how to write. Maybe she had an owner before, which would explain why she’s so tamed and obedient.” Twilight cleared her throat and continued, “Anyway… She has been dreaming about her past and now hopes to recover more of her memories this way. I accommodated her in a guest room on the second floor.” She gestured with her hooves as if trying to picture her next explanation. “When you come for a visit, go upstairs to the second floor, walk to the end of the hallway, turn left, and stop at the fifth door on the left.”

“She knows how to write? Clever girl,” Apple Bloom said with a soft stomp.

“Interesting.” Scootaloo rubbed her chin before whispering into her friend’s ear and adding, “Let’s go, Apple Bloom. We have… that pony to help with a… a cutie mark problem. Good day.” Both fillies smiled awkwardly.

Twilight kept watching as both fillies left her sight and vanished into the crowd. Suddenly, she felt familiar vibes, similar to when she told CMC about the love potion. After a moment of deep thought, she shook her foreleg dismissively and went towards the market area. The Cutie Mark Crusaders had changed a lot since then. Surely her instincts had to be wrong this time.

Following Twilight’s instructions and Spike’s guidance, the fillies made their way to the Raichu’s room and stopped in front of a wooden door.

Apple Bloom wore a warm smile reflecting her desire to visit her recently met pet slash friend, still curious about how the large critter was doing.

Scootaloo clapped her hooves in excitement as she gave a toothy smile, shaking her saddlebag in joy.

The moment Spike opened the door, the fillies ran in and looked around, searching for the critter. Their ears drooped in disappointment.

One table, one bed and a few ordinary shelves.

A large spider resting on a web in the corner of the room caught their attention, and they noticed a cockroach nested on the pillow a moment later.

“Gross…” Apple Bloom grimaced, raising her foreleg defensively.

“Oh, those two. They’re Raichu’s pets… friends... “ Spike explained, shrugging at the odd stares. “Don’t look at me like that. I can barely understand that furball myself.”

“Once again, gross,” Apple Bloom repeated.

Scootaloo rubbed her chin, looking at the spider curiously. “Gross, maybe, but she deserves a few points for being radical. Not many ponies besides Fluttershy would have a spider as a pet.”

“But ain’t she Twilight’s pet now? How can a pet have a pet?” Apple Bloom asked.

“Beats me.” Spike shrugged.

“The better question is, where is she?” Scootaloo asked, now poking Spike’s hardened chest. “We asked you to lead us to her.”

“Not really,” Spike said, pushing the hoof away. “You told me the instructions Twilight gave you and asked if I could lead you here. I assumed you wanted to see her room.”

Apple Bloom raised an eyebrow. “Seriously?” She sighed. “Can ya please lead us to where Raichu is at the moment? Please?”

“Sure,” Spike said, gesturing for the fillies to follow him. “Library, here we come!”

The group stopped in front of the entrance into the library with Spike inviting them in with a gentle-dragon manner. The fillies took a deep breath and accepted the invitation.

Apple Bloom was the first to enter and look around in the spacious area, noticing Starlight reading at the main table in the middle of the room with a book levitating before her face. Next to Starlight was an open copy of ‘History of Ponies, Volume V’ supported on the table. After taking a few steps forward and narrowing her eyes, she noticed bronze paws holding the book on both sides. “Heya, Raichu. It’s me, Apple Bloom!” she shouted.

Starlight glanced to the side, only now noticing the young guests.

Raichu dropped the book and looked at the filly, displaying a wide, brightening smile. she shouted and waved energetically.

Scootaloo sat next to Apple Bloom and observed the critter with a critical eye. “So that’s the friend you spoke of? Didn’t expect her to be a bookworm.”

“Bookworm? Not really.” Starlight chuckled from her perch on a pillow. “Twilight thought that since she knows how to read and write, she would learn a lot about our culture from books.” She looked at Raichu and asked, “But you’re not a fan of reading, are you?”

Raichu smiled sheepishly and rubbed the back of her neck, displaying a similar smile to when the alicorn convinced her to read. As boring as it turned out to be, she just couldn’t refuse those large pleading eyes. The wishful and excited voice of the princess only made it harder for her. Despite being perched comfortably on three pillows in order to reach the table, sitting in one place for so long was just… unfulfilling. Her legs begged her for a round of stretching and some solid exercise.

Starlight gazed at the fillies once more. “She’s more of an athletic type. Really fast and impressively strong for her size. Though there are still many abilities she doesn’t remember or can’t control, like her excited jumps.”

Raichu glanced at the repaired ceiling for a moment and rolled her eyes. Her own legs were still her best ally and worst enemy. She didn’t mind crashing headfirst into objects because it barely hurt her, feeling a headache at worst, but she didn't like causing collateral damage. She would take five strikes of a beast’s claws rather than send an innocent pony into a wall.

“Athletic?” Scootaloo asked, her little wings flapped and ears perked upward. She rounded the table and approached the critter, who stepped from the pillows. Both sat and looked at each other. While the critter’s head only reached Scootaloo’s chin, Raichu had a wider belly in comparison. Kind of reminded Scootaloo of herself from a few years ago when she was still looking for her cutie mark.

Taking the coolest pose she could muster, the filly rubbed her chest and said, “The name’s Scootaloo, nice meeting you.”

“Rai-what now?” Scootaloo asked.

“That’s how she communicates. You’ll get used to it,” Starlight explained. “Just pay attention to her gestures or let her write on a piece of paper, and it will become easy.”

“So… what do ya think of her?” Apple Bloom asked, staring at her friend expectantly.

Scootaloo lowered her head, examining Raichu carefully from top to bottom. She poked the white belly with a hoof as the critter giggled in response. “Nice mix of fur colors. Those dots on your cheeks and shape of yours ears looks really good.” She rounded Raichu and examined her back. “Brown stripes, nice touch.” She picked up her tail, checking its length before swinging it like a whip.

Raichu closed her eyes and waited patiently. Kids are kids after all, and she would endure being treated like a doll for one.

Scootaloo lowered the tail and glanced at Apple Bloom. She stood on her hind legs, placed her forehooves on her hips and said, “After checking all her features, I can clearly say...” she smiled and patted Raichu on the shoulder, “that this critter looks really, really cool.” She sat and pointed at Raichu who turned around to look at her. “There’s nothing common and repetitive. Her colors, bronze patches on her paws, cool ears, yellow cheeks, bronze stripes and a lightning bolt at the end of her tail, this mix shouts awesomeness!”

Raichu blushed and hid her cheek behind a foreleg.

Scootaloo narrowed her eyes and pointed at the poor excuse of a collar made out of a few lavender gems tied together with twine. “But this looks terrible on her. This clashes with her style and lowers her coolness level. Who even made it?”

"Twilight and I did. But we did it in a hurry," Starlight said with a forced smile. “It’s not meant to be elegant, but to absorb electricity.”

“Absorb electricity?” Scootaloo and Apple Bloom asked in unison, now turned towards the unicorn.

Starlight nodded. “She remembers using electricity in many battles against a taller creature, but she still doesn’t know how. She’s afraid that she would hurt somepony by accident, and so she decided to ask us for help.”

Scootaloo’s eyes sparkled as she swiftly turned towards Raichu and pressed her muzzle against her tiny button-like nose. “You can shoot electricity?!”

Raichu squeaked and took a step back, nodding hesitantly.

“That’s so cool!” Scootaloo shouted while hovering above the floor for two seconds. She grabbed the critter by her shoulder and announced, “We’re going to become great friends.”

Not wanting to be left out, Apple Bloom sat on the other side and nuzzled Raichu’s cheek. “Ah’m happy yer feelin’ better. Yer too nice to have yer memories taken. Wanna have some fun and play a game?”

Raichu was about to respond, but instead gritted her teeth and tightly closed her eyes. The moment Apple Bloom’s muzzle touched the yellow dot on her cheek, she felt something inside of her building up again. She let out her breath when the sensation left as quickly as it came, and slid from the ponies’ embrace.

“Let’s play hide and seek." Apple Bloom dove into the stacked pillows while covering her eyes. “Ah’ll count to fifty, ya both go and hide. One, two, three…”

Raichu nodded. Since the game was called hide and seek, the rules seemed self-explanatory. She walked on tips of her paws outside of the library with a perfectly darkened web-filled place in mind. On her last visit, she found a gap in the wall she could squeeze into, a perfect and somewhat dirty hiding spot.

Scootaloo was about to search for a hiding place, but stopped in front of Spike peeking into the library, no doubt to make sure that no book was messed up during their visit. She whispered a simple request into his ear.

“What? Did Twilight give you permission for this?” Spike asked.

“Sure she did.” Scootaloo responded with a fake smile.

"I don't know." Spike looked back and forth while fidgeting. "Why don't you all wait until after school?"

Scootaloo opened her saddlebag and picked up a small orange gem. While the size wasn’t anything special, it shone brightly in the weak light coming from a nearby window.

Spike licked his lips and took the gem into his grasp. “N-no… I can’t.” The moment Scootaloo revealed a second gem from her saddlebags, however, he said, “Deal.”

Spike groaned as he struggled to keep his sleepy eyes open. Ever since the appearance of Raichu, he kept having to force himself out of bed at far too early in the morning.

The sleeping spell kept Raichu unconscious in his arms.

Darkness and mystery was present in every corner of the hallway with little candles attached to the walls being the only source of light. Though if the candles were lit, it might help.

“This seems like a very bad idea,” he murmured to himself while taking careful steps downstairs. With nearly no visibility and with Raichu weighing him down, he tripped over and fell down the stairs with a few loud thumps and yelps. Twice his scales collided with the steps and the other two times the creature in his embrace soaked up the fall. The last crash ended up with him pressing his full weight against the soft furball.

“S-sorry!” he shouted and quickly jumped from the orange living pillow before rolling her around. No scratches or marks were present on Raichu’s body while that blissful smile still covered her sleeping face. “Hope you won’t feel it in the morning… I mean, it’s morning now… you know what I mean.” He massaged his forehead. “Why am I even talking to you? I really need more sleep.”

He picked up the critter and walked towards the exit, heading for the school. While he was used to carrying heavy baggage for Rarity, it was going to be a long walk. “Twilight’s spell works too well. I wonder what kind of adventures you’re dreaming about.”

Being a Pichu again, she stood at the edge of the cliff, looking down in expectation of continuing part of her morning routine. No less than half a year had passed since her first encounter with the trainer-wannabe.

While the mountain she lived on was very tall with over two hundred creatures living on it, the rumors circled from ear to ear fairly quickly. It didn’t take long before word about a determined girl wishing to be a trainer became well known.

The young human girl was apparently climbing up at least three times a week, braving the cold and harsh weather despite her feeble body. Sometimes, she even punched and kicked a snow-covered wall or lifted random heavy stones. This amateur training or climbing didn't last long though, as she couldn't handle the cold for long or needed to bandage her injuries.

Only one month later, the girl started to challenge the tiny Pichu once a week, though not lasting long under her electric assault. Yet, she couldn’t blame the human for her determination.

Pichu’s parents and the electric-wielding herd she was part of warmed up to the human, respecting her determination and some were even cheering her on for her victory. The silly part was that she herself hoped to be defeated, but wasn't planning to hold back.

Another rumor that circled around was about a powerful Ninetales, a fire breathing fox who kept following the girl and rescuing her whenever she had an accident or was unconscious. When asked why he cared for the human while refusing to become her follower, he said nothing. When challenged for a battle, even water-type residents of this mountain fell to his power and speed, losing despite their obvious advantage.

What kind of mystery hid behind that silent flaming fox? This question still lingered in Pichu’s mind.

The following months didn’t change much. The human was just repeating her routine, showing a little progress each week. However… something changed two months ago.

The ever present desperation turned into determination as the human girl became bolder. Her depressed smile was replaced with a serious and excited one. Instead of climbing three times a week, she started doing so two times a day, even asking randomly encountered pokemon to train with her. The cold weather bothered the girl less and less, and each rematch showed massive progress.

Pichu took a deep breath of cold air and exhaled as white mist formed in front of her mouth. She looked at the snowy sky and wondered. Something is driving her. She’s training so much harder and fights relentlessly when outmatched. Pichu grinned. I like it. Maybe she’s worth following after all.

She took a few steps backward and took a fighting stance as bolts of electricity started to escape from her cheeks. Her eyes were focused on the human’s hand grabbing the edge of the cliff. It took only a few seconds before the girl pushed herself onto the solid ground.

The human girl glared back with narrowed eyes while taking a fighting stance of her own, raising her hands protectively as if she was a boxer preparing for a match.

Pichu observed the human with a smirk. It seems she adapted to the cold quite well, she thought, examining the human’s clothes. For the past two months the girl started to wear less and less, as if challenging the cold or trying to show her progress.

The gloves were no longer on the girl’s hands and a hat wasn’t present on her head. Instead of a warm fat jacket and trousers, she wore a shirt and short skirt. Most of her legs and hands were exposed to the merciless cold. Only six months ago, this girl would shiver under a weak breeze despite lots of heavy clothing protecting her, and now she stood tall and firm, unfazed by the strong blizzard despite wearing nearly no protection.

With a loud yell, Pichu shot bolts of electricity towards the girl, who dodged them with a swift roll to the side.

Evading attack after attack, the girl closed the distance to deliver a kick of her own.

Pichu felt the boot make contact with her tiny belly, sending her flying into a stone-wall with a resounding crack. She bounced against the stone and fell headfirst into the snow. She stood up and rubbed the back of her neck, preparing to repay the favor. Unlike the human, she didn’t train herself in order to give the feeble girl a fighting chance. Being unable to match the human’s speed and strength showed how much diference training and motivation can make.

Not even five minutes passed as Pichu started to struggle to even stand, now covered in bruises after a series of kicks and punches. The girl had a few bruises and burns of her own, but not letting them distract her even for a moment. Shocking her over and over for months helped her build some resistance to electricity. Now she’s enduring it.

Much to Pichu’s surprise, a red-white object was thrown in her direction. Was this it? Was she going to become this human’s follower and grow stronger under her leadership?

And most importantly, why was the noise of screaming kids and bell-ringing becoming louder and louder?

Raichu opened her eyes and looked around, quickly recognizing that she was no longer in her dream, nor in her bedroom, but instead was perched on soft grass, once again being her taller self. Ahead of her was some sort of playground and a large red building with pink hearts decorating each window. The bell tower was still making the loud noise.

Despite the annoying racket assaulting her ears, she found the scenery to be quite lovely. Spacious area with lots of tools to play with, flowers to sniff and… an army of little ponies running outside of the building.

She gasped, now staring into many pair of little eyes as the fillies and colts caught a glance of her. They gathered in front of her and stared back curiously.

“I brought her here, as promised,” Spike said.

Raichu glanced back and up, noticing Spike sitting on a small carousel. Did he bring her here without telling her? Was this meant to be a surprise? While she had known Spike for only a few days, she found the young drake to be very nice, diligent and trustworthy. He was certainly more helpful and useful than her troublesome fat self. I’ll need to trust him on this. She turned towards the ponies and took a deep breath, breaking the silence. She blushed, smiling sheepishly.

The fillies and colts started talking with each other, making her somewhat nervous. Luckily, she caught sight of the familiar faces of Apple Bloom and Scootaloo who went ahead of the gathered ponies with a white unicorn by their side.

“Is she the one you told us about, Apple Bloom?” the unicorn asked, looking at the farm filly.

“She sure is. Her name’s Raichu by the way. Ah wanted to take ya to her yesterday, but ya were busy an’ all,” Apple Bloom responded.

“So you asked Spike to bring her here during the schoolbreak?” the unicorn asked.

Apple Bloom shook her head.

Scootaloo chuckled and said, “I did.”

“Does Twilight know about it?”

“No.”

Sweetie Belle facehooved and groaned. “You do realize this is a terrible idea.”

“I know it’s a terrible idea, but a fun one,” Scootaloo said, approaching Raichu and gesturing for the others to do the same. “Just take a look and you’ll see how cool she is.”

“Ah think she’s cute,” Apple Bloom said. She approached as well and gazed at Sweetie expectantly. “What do ya think, isn’t she the cutest’?”

“Or is she the coolest?” Scootaloo asked.

Raichu didn’t dare to move an inch as she kept staring at the little ponies, hypnotised by their charm.

Their shapes were similar, but each of them had different color fur, and manes, and a different symbol on their rumps. They had little bodies, large curious eyes and innocent smiles.

Raichu’s paws started to tremble as one thought kept crossing her mind. They’re soooo adorable! So many fillies and colts stood before her, and every fibre in her body begged her to hug each and every last of them, nuzzling their soft fur, poking their muzzles and rubbing the top of their heads. But could she? Was she allowed to dive into the crowd and let herself loose in their embraces?

Sweetie Belle approached and rounded the critter, taking a moment of examination before raising both of her forelegs up to her cheeks. “I think she’s both cool and cute.” She displayed a wide smile and rubbed the top of Raichu’s head. “I would even say you’re adooooraaaableeee!” She sat and pointed at herself, nodding politely. “My name’s Sweetie Belle. Nice to meet you, little Raichu. I hope we can become good friends.”

Raichu held her paw on her chest, feeling as if her heart had tried to escape her chest, this time not out of fear though. She looked into the wide eyes of the white filly, overwhelmed by her warm smile and pleasant aura. she said, not that the ponies could understand her speech in the first place.

“But this collar you’re wearing is an abomination. Twilight should’ve asked my sister for help instead of trying to make one herself,” Sweetie Belle said as she reached towards the collar with her forehoof, but the critter evaded it by tilting herself backward.

Scootaloo turned around and addressed the crowd. “What are you waiting for? Hugs for everypony!”

Raichu took a step back, feeling a dangerous aura of excitement, which grew with each passing second. She felt the earth tremble under her paws as the fillies and colts galloped in her direction. Now was the time to choose; should she run before being overwhelmed, or should she embrace her sweet doom?

Was this even a choice?

She spread her paws in a welcoming gesture, allowing the excited ponies to surround her from all sides. She displayed the widest smile ever since meeting the ponies, letting the fillies and colts embrace and nuzzle her from all around. This was like a paradise she never knew she would experience, and one she wished would last forever.

Raichu felt her tail being grabbed between at least six hooves. Two pairs of hooves grabbed her left and right paw, and two fillies embraced her belly from both sides. Before she knew it, she was being pulled in four directions as fillies started a tug of war of who would get to hug and nuzzle her soft fluffy fur. The many voices of young ponies interfered with each other and were lost in the chaos.

Raichu didn’t mind being pulled like a doll. If those fillies were hurting her with kindness, she would accept such a fate with glee. The problem started when the sensation she felt before was building in her once more. Sweat started to appear on her face, sliding down her cheeks and nose as something in her was growing in power, and the cheek nuzzling only made it worse.

Her breathing became faster and faster as she looked around in panic. Any attempt to withdraw from so many hooves would require pushing the little ponies away quite forcefully, but how could she use force against such cute little beings? Well… ‘little’ was a strong word since in a sense, she was smaller than each of them, but even without her memories she could tell that she was older than them.

Bolts of electricity started to escape from her cheeks and tail as the enhanced gems on her collar shone in bright yellow, absorbing the electricity.

“Should we… stop it?” Spike asked, now looking at Apple Bloom and Scootaloo, the only fillies who weren’t cramped together around the critter like piranhas devouring their prey.

“Are you kidding, just look how excited they are!” Scootaloo responded.

“Ah must agree. They’re havin’ fun. Maybe we can play a game of tag with her till break’s over,” Apple Bloom suggested.

“Or after school,” Scootaloo said.

Raichu gritted her teeth as the surge of power became unbearable. Was this what she felt in her dreams? And most importantly, how could she stop it? She closed her eyes and wished deeply, Please, magical collar, don’t fail me… pleaseeee...

The collar shone even brighter as a few fillies started to stare at it curiously, but most ignored it as they kept hugging the critter or pulling her limbs and tail in their direction.

Sweetie Belle herself stood on the backs of two colts as she kept rubbing the top of Raichu’s head, only to close her eyes as electricity went through her entire body.

The fillies screamed in panic and pain as a crackle of electricity surrounded them all, not sparing even the grass.

Spike, Scootaloo and Apple Bloom covered their faces, overwhelmed by the bright light. Their ears twitched each time the noise of a filly crashing into a wooden wall or equipment in the playground reached them.

Raichu’s eyes were closed tightly as she failed to stop whatever was happening, feeling as whatever was surging inside of her body became weaker and weaker. Once she felt… normal… she opened her eyes and gasped. Before her was… a true horror she wouldn’t want to see even in her worst nightmares.

All the cute adorable cuddly little fillies and colts who showered her with affection and hugs were now lying scattered on the grass, everyone of them covered in burns of her own making with the smell of singed fur filling the air. A few ponies ended up head or flank-stuck in the wall of the building. A few colts lay next to the damaged or destroyed equipment. A pink filly with a tiara tattoo and grey filly with a spoon tattoo were stuck under a pole with a red ball attached to it, receiving help from a pink filly with hedgehog tattoo who lifted the pole with ease.

Even the grass she stood on was now burned as its unpleasant smell reached her nose.

Raichu raised her trembling paw up to her neck, trying to touch the collar that was supposed to prevent such scenario, only to touch her bare neck instead. She looked down, seeing gems lying in the burned grass, each gem shattered into several tiny pieces.

The noise of painful yelps reached her ears, each making her feel as if nails were piercing her heart.

The shocked fillies struggled to stand, some even massaging their damaged limbs.

Raichu held a forepaw on her chest over her aching heart. Her mouth was dry. Tears formed in her eyes and started sliding down her cheeks uncontrollably. This was a crossed-line for her, the worst end. The children of ponies who took her in and showered her with compassion were repaid with agony. She no doubt would be hated, punished, banished, but could they all hate her more than she hated herself?

In the end, fighting and hurting others was all she was good for, so in a sense, she was the worst of the worst. A tamed trained monster.

She didn’t bother to wipe her tears. Instead, she let them flow. She gave a slow glance at Spike and the only two fillies who were spared her electrical surge, who now stared at her in shock. Her senses picked up on auras of fear, which didn't surprise her in the least.

“What happened here!?”

Raichu glanced at the violet pony with three sunflowers as tattoo, who was looking around and growling as if she was an enraged beast wishing for nothing but to tear apart the one who dared to hurt her cubs. The growing aura of anger being the most visible feature.

“Was it you?!”

“W-wait,” Spike said, jumping from the carousel and tripping over in his haste. “She didn’t mean it!”

Raichu took one last look at the enraged pony and hurt fillies before darting away, running towards the town. Tears fell from her face onto the ground. While she wished for nothing but to apologize for her inexcusable behavior, what good would an apology do in the face of her horrible crime? The guilt weighed heavily on her aching heart as she was afraid to look into eyes of the poor innocent youth. What if she would hurt them again? Or if they yelled at her in hate with their cute voices? In the end she was a monster and a coward, unable to face her own faults.

Physical punishment… like she would fear that. No, she welcomed the thought of being punished for her actions. She wanted it deep in her heart and would accept it without hesitation, but the look of hate and disappointment in their eyes hurt more than even the hardest of hooves. Despite her blurry vision caused by tears, her attention focused on top of the Friendship Castle standing out among the smaller homes. Not knowing the town yet and afraid of returning into the beast-filled forest, it was the only familiar location she could escape to and hide in shame. The only location she knew with enough hiding spots she could use.

Author's Note

And so Raichu's worst Nightmare became a reality.

We put a lot of efforts in showing feelings and emotions, especially during Raichu's encounter with the fillies. I'm looking forward to your feedback and opinions. Please, don't spare comments about your thoughts of this chapter.

Chapter 6 - Regret

Little Lost Raichu

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Chapter 6
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Regret

Cheerilee took her gaze away from the retreating creature and focused her attention on the well-being of her students. Being a teacher was something she took very seriously, doing her best to provide the youth with knowledge, helping prepare them for the future, and give them good examples of how to behave.

However, being a teacher meant keeping her students safe. It was a trust given to her by parents who entrusted their children's safety under her care, and she had failed them all.

“Can you stand, Featherweight? Does it hurt?” she asked, now staring at a rounded white furball. How a colt with such a feeble body-build could puff up into such a large, fluffy ball was beyond her comprehension. She extended her hoof, only to yank it back when an electrical spark jumped the gap, due to the static charge still making Featherweight's furry coat stand on end.

“Just a little…” Featherweight responded, trying to comb his disobedient coat back into order. “But it wasn’t all that bad.”

Cheerilee sighed in relief, but the worried expression remained on her face. In the end, she was just a pony and had her fair share of mistakes in her life.

One of them being her passive approach when dealing with bullying. It didn’t take long to find out about the bullying problem caused by Diamond Tiara with Silver Spoon’s assistance, yet she turned a blind eye to it, hoping the fillies would resolve it between themselves, though it took way longer than she would have liked.

Another mistake being the terrible fashion choice during her youth.

Yet her past mistakes certainly were no match for allowing her students to get electrocuted by some sort of a large rabbit-rat hybrid at the school playground. Was it her fault though? How could she have expected that kind of danger was awaiting the fillies and colts near the school. Would one quick look through the window or supervising her students during their break be enough to prevent this disaster?

Now haunted by guilt, Cheerilee approached another student with Featherweight accompanying her.

“Wuuuh… ish shure was a socking excellence…” Twist said, poking the aperture on her teeth to make sure it wasn’t damaged.

“Don’t you mean shocking experience?” Featherweight asked.

Twist nodded. “Yesss… shocking experience…”

Cheerilee rewarded herself with a weak smile, seeing as her students were shaking off their initial confusion and now talking with each other. None showed any significant injuries or complained about them. Well… except one.

“Whose brilliant idea was it to bring such a dangerous animal to the school ground?” Diamond Tiara asked sarcastically as she massaged her back. She looked between Spike, Apple Bloom, and Scootaloo; the only ones who were spared the unpleasant experience. “I have a hard time imagining the assistant of the princess pulling a stunt like this.”

Scootaloo looked to the side. “It was... my idea,” she murmured, though loud enough for the rich pony to hear her.

Diamond Tiara narrowed her eyes and frowned. “Are you serious?” She stomped. “I would expect something like this from the old troublemaking C.M.C, but not from the mature version.” She held her forehoof on her chest and added, “To be honest, I’m shocked.”

Silver Spoon chuckled. “Was that meant to be a pun?”

Diamond Tiara rolled her eyes.

Cheerilee took a deep breath and approached Scootaloo, mustering all her patience and understanding into her mind and voice. “Scootaloo, would you be kind enough to explain why you thought any of this was a good idea?” She gestured over to the students behind her, trying to keep her expression strict, but compassionate.

“Well… I didn’t think it was a good idea, but a fun one.” Scootaloo blushed and smiled sheepishly, the face of her teacher being anything but amused. “What I meant was… Starlight told us that Raichu… that’s the name of the critter… that she can use electricity, but doesn’t remember how…”

Cheerilee tilted her head to the side in confusion.

Scootaloo glanced at Spike in search for help, but the little dragon dropped his hands in defeat.

“Fine… I’ll explain, but it’s not a short story...”

“Raichu! Raichu!” Twilight’s words echoed through the hallway, almost copying Raichu’s way of speech. “If you can hear me, please come out. You’re making me worried!”

Starlight strolled next to the princess, looking around in search for their missing guest.

“We searched everywhere. Oh, it’s no use,” Twilight said, darting her eyes in anxiety. “I told her not to leave the castle. Why would she disobey me? Did I offend her by asking her to read too much?”

“Twilight, even if she wasn’t eager to read all those books, she didn’t seem that displeased,” Starlight said, placing her forehoof on Twilight’s shoulder in a calming manner.

“Awww… but what else would’ve upset her?” Twilight asked and lowered her head as her hoof scuffed the floor. “To make matters worse, Spike’s gone too. Maybe he noticed Raichu was missing and tried to find her?”

Starlight raised an eyebrow. "You mean that Spike, your dragon who has never seen the sun rise, woke up before both of us, found Raichu was missing, and searched the entire castle before going outside? No way.”

Twilight rubbed her chin. “Well… he’s still young and sleeps a lot… but what else could’ve happened?” She narrowed her eyes and looked at her student authoritively. “There’s only one way to find out. I’ll search outside from the sky, asking ponies if they saw Spike or… a long-tailed creature.” She poked her student’s chest. “Can you keep searching inside, in case we missed something or if they’ll return?”

Starlight saluted. “On it.”

Twilight nodded, spreading her wings and flying towards the closest window, not wanting to waste time with the main door.

Starlight resumed her walk. “Spike! Spike!” Barely a minute passed before a crashing noise caught her attention. “Spike, Raichu, was that you!?” She sprang into a full gallop, running towards the source of the noise.

Once she reached the staircase, she noticed a small hole at the main entrance. In a flash of teleportation, she reappeared in front of the large door, now seeing from a closer viewpoint that the hole had an odd shape, including small holes that reminded her of Raichu’s ears. The wooden fragments were scattered on the floor. There was only one creature she knew -not including Rainbow Dash- that could charge through the door at such high speed.

“Raichu!” she shouted, turning around and following the trial of wooden splinters. After a moment of trotting, she noticed the trail heading for the door to the basement. “Oh, bother.” She took a deep breath. Either Raichu was terrified of something and ran back here in the search for shelter, or something very bad had happened. Whatever the case, it was up to her to resolve the problem.

She whimpered and her ears drooped. Her last attempt to help Raichu almost resulted in frying her brain, making the poor critter afraid of her. To make matters worse, she always completely failed in talks that required a more… gentle approach.

She was soooo going to screw this up.

Dust, spiderwebs and darkness filled the basement, which was rarely visited by Twilight and never by Spike. A perfect place to find a hiding spot for a game of hide and seek.

This time, however, it served as a desperate shelter where nopony would search.

The corner at the deepest part of the basement was a perfect home for the pests no one liked, a useless pest like her.

Raichu climbed up into the crack in the wall, the one she’d used for the game of hide and seek with great success. This time however it was going to become her new home. A perfect place where she wouldn’t bother ponies or hurt the innocent. As she squeezed deeper, her fur pressed against the soil and pebbles. Thanks to her yesterday’s digging, there was just enough space to accommodate her.

There was still an option to return into the scary forest and live among the dangerous beasts, a place fit for a monster like her, but being a coward, she couldn’t bring herself to put her paw in that terrifying place.

Too afraid to live among monsters, she decided to instead live among pests. She was small after all, so eating leftovers from the kitchen would sustain her without the need to steal.

Raichu stopped squeezing herself into the crack and closed her still watered eyes as her spotless fur was now covered in dirt. Comfort was something she didn’t deserve.

Within the peace and quiet of her hiding place, she could focus on gathering her thoughts and consider her situation, which in a sense backfired as the memory of her crime started haunting her. The faces of excited fillies flashed in her mind, only to change into faces of pure shock as electricity went through their bodies. Since her eyes had been closed during her electrical surge, it was left to her imagination to fill the holes in the worst way possible.

She started sobbing again, her throat dry and eyes slightly red from her non-stop crying.

When she was facing danger and hunger, the ponies fed her. When the memories of her past were blocked, the ponies weakened the magic seal so she could remember, at least in part. They gave her shelter and cared for her, and how did she repay their kindness? She smashed them into walls, damaged their trees, left holes in the ceiling of their homes and electrocuted their kin.

I know you feel irritated. I know you just want us to go on an adventure already, but it’s not the time yet, the familiar voice echoed in her head, the voice of the girl she fought so many times in her dreams. More memories resurfaced, temporarily replacing the images created by her guilt. Being a Pichu again, she was standing before a white, sturdy-looking door, and she was filled with anger and annoyance.

Please, just listen to me, the girl spoke again in a saddened tone. I don’t want you to be just one of my pokemon. I swore that we would be partners, equals. But we first need to be able to communicate with each other. She pointed at the nearby table with paper and pen lying on it. Two chairs were near the table, one with a few books stacked like a tower to make up for Pichu’s tiny size. I know it’s boring, but you were making so much progress. We need only a few months for you to learn how to write and for me to learn more from books about pokemon’s abilities, strengths and weaknesses. I want for us to be as prepared as possible.

Pichu crossed her forearms and sent out jolts of electricity, pushing the human girl back a bit with the recoil of her attack. After being defeated and captured by the determined human, she expected to work under a competent trainer. They were supposed to travel, face challenges, have great battles and solid training. Instead, she was stuck in some sort of bunker built into the lower part of the mountain, learning how to read and write. This girl wasn’t a trainer but a pathetic bookworm.

Raichu opened her eyes in haste, breathing rapidly. Was this the reason why she was so mean to that young girl in the past? All her pranks, tantrums and electrocuting, just because the human tried to teach her how to write?

With a firm swing, she slapped herself in the face, which wasn’t easy in the limited space. Was it even fair that she wanted to punish her past self when her present self deserved even worse?

“There you are.”

Raichu glanced to the side, noticing the face of Starlight peeking into the crack. The unicorn’s horn flashed with magic as the blue aura pulled her onto the floor. The spreading dust caused them both to cough and clear the air with her limbs.

Once it settled, Raichu and Starlight looked at each other in silence, barely seeing one another with the horn being the only source of light.

“Listen… I don’t know what scared you, but if you want to talk about it… I’m all ears,” Starlight said, levitating over a few scrolls, ink and quill before placing them in front of Raichu and lowering her horn closer to provide more light. “Or in this case, my eyes are open.” She sat and tapped her forehooves together. “I’ll keep my distance and provide light from further away if it’ll make you feel more comfortable.”

Raichu blinked a few times and looked between the gifts and the scary pony. She had a lot weighing on her heart and writing her fears and feelings for Starlight to read would certainly help. On the other side, writing about her horrible deeds would result in hate and banishment. It’s only a matter of time until she finds out… I may as well admit my crime and accept what I deserve.

After taking a deep breath, she grabbed the scroll and quill, taking a few steps forward and sitting next to the unicorn who stared back in surprise. Even if this pony caused her the greatest amount of pain, that was just a side-effect of helping her unlock her missing memories. It would be unfair to fault this pony for her action when she herself did something a hundred times worse.

After wiping her face of tears with her dirty paws, she started writing, opening her very soul with the help of the paper and words. The quality of her writing was… questionable at best… as the usage of feather quill was harder than using a pen in her dream. Her blurry vision due to watering eyes only made it harder as she left a few splotched blotchy marks, forcing her to rewrite many words in a quick succession.

Starlight waited patiently, something she was actually good at thanks to her former use of persuasion. This time however she felt nervous, having every right to be. The large critter next to her was writing non-stop for the past five minutes, putting more emotion into the scrolls than she’d expected.

Very soon, she would need to read it, address the issue and cheer up the depressed Raichu. She needed to choose her words very, very carefully.

She yelped, flinching slightly upon feeling a paw poking her foreleg. “Y-you’re done?” she asked, looked down at the presented scrolls in Raichu’s paws. Starlight gulped, taking the scrolls with her shaking hooves. What horrors had happened to make Raichu cry? What kind of issues and emotions were hiding in these numerous pieces of parchment? She took one quick glance at the depressed critter, who supported herself against the wall and grabbed both legs between her paws, curling herself into a ball.

Taking a deep breath, she started reading. Her fear and stress slowly vanished, replaced by a weak smile. After a minute of reading, Starlight chuckled, and next started laughing. “That’s it?”

Raichu raised her head and looked at the unicorn, asking in a sorrowful tone,

Starlight lowered the scroll and smiled, speaking in a somewhat relaxed tone, “And here I thought it was something really really serious.”

Raichu yelled, stomping her feet, baring her teeth and clenching her paws. Her tail swung left and right in aggravation, occasionally hitting the wall.

“S-sorry,” Starlight apologised. “What I’m trying to say is that, you’re worrying over nothing. Your problem is actually something I can relate and help with.”

Raichu calmed down, now staring at the unicorn curiously.

Starlight gestured with her forehoof, inviting Raichu to sit on her legs. The critter shook her head in refusal.

“Suit yourself.” Starlight’s smile didn’t vanish. “Long story short, ponies forgive everything. You have nothing to worry about.”

"I think the best example of forgiveness you're going to find today is... me." Starlight Glimmer's bottom lip trembled for a moment, but she kept her eyes looking directly at Raichu. "Before I met Twilight Sparkle, I thought Cutie Marks were the reason for everything bad I could see in Equestria." Raichu's bafflement must have shown in her face, because Starlight added, "Cutie Marks are what ponies get when they discover their special purpose in life. Mine..."

She turned and showed her rump to the puzzled pokemon. "It's for magic. Powerful magic. A little ironic that I used my talent to remove the magic from... never mind. In any case, I talked to confused ponies who also were suffering in the world and convinced them to let me remove their cutie mark. Without their talent, I was able to bring them to my town, where more lonely ponies like them could make them feel at home. Welcomed. Loved. They thanked me for taking away what made them special, and that made me want to take away everypony's cutie marks, making an entire country of ponies all equal to each other in every way."

Raichu took a step back and screeched in shock, She pointed at Starlight and narrowed her eyes.

Unsure if Raichu was complaining or asking questions, Starlight continued, “After Twilight and her friends liberated my village… with the help of a few of my own former followers, I was filled with anger and swore vengeance. I practiced combat with my magic, spied on Twilight and studied dangerous spells.” She smiled awkwardly, her voice now more nervous. “Without thinking about the consequences, I traveled in time and ruined the friendship between Twilight and her friends, causing catastrophic changes to Equestria. Twilight went back in time to stop me… Let’s just say that she convinced me to abandon my revenge.”

Raichu placed her paws on her hips.

“Don’t look at me like that. I’m not kidding. I tried to push my beliefs on ponies against their will, mess with their minds and could have destroyed Equestria by altering time itself. Do you know what happened next?”

Raichu shook her head, though images of imprisonment, heavy chains, and banishment into a forest filled with dangerous monsters developed in her mind.

“She took me as her student, not only forgiving me for my past… mistakes… but also started teaching me about friendship,” Starlight said with a wide smile. “Twilight and her friends are national heroines. They faced many dangers and foes together. They once defeated Discord who tried to spread chaos through Equestria, and with Fluttershy’s help even reformed him.” She pointed at Raichu and added, “While hurting fillies and colts with electricity seems terrible, it’s nothing when compared to what I did.” She once again gestured for the critter to sit closer.

Raichu took hesitant steps, carefully climbing up and perching herself on the unicorn’s leg, who embraced her by the shoulder in return. They looked in each other’s eyes curiously.

“Think about it. If they forgave me, you’re golden." Starlight pressed Raichu's head into her chest, feeling an odd kinship with the critter. “What’s more, I made my mistakes by my own free will, and yet I was still given a second chance. You, on the other hoof, hurt the young ponies by accident.” She stroked Raichu’s head gently, feeling tears sink into the fur on her belly.

“You’re just now slowly recovering your memories, so you have no idea how to control your powers. What’s more, the moment you suspected that you could hurt somepony by accident, you asked us to prevent it.” Starlight raised Raichu’s head and gently touched her bare neck. “If anything, Twilight and I failed you. The collar we made was rushed and too weak to prevent this accident.” She lowered her head, looking deeply into Raichu’s oval eyes. “I’m really sorry. Will you forgive me?”

A few seconds passed while Raichu’s eyes watered, but this time, they were tears of relief. In an instant, she pressed her head into Starlight’s chest, pushing against it and nuzzling it. Her paws and legs wrapped as far around the pony's belly as she could and brushed back and forth in the thin coat.

Starlight’s smile widened as she maintained the hug, letting the critter vent her emotions while wetting her fur with tears. A note to myself; once this is over, we both need a bath, she thought as she examined Raichu’s body. Outside of dust, which was quite common in the basement, she noticed a rich amount of soil cling among the orange fur. Merely being hugged by Raichu did her own fur no favors.

After a few minutes, Starlight gave Raichu a nudge. “A-alright… enough with the hugs.” Her plea was ignored as Raichu maintained the griplock, not letting go of her belly, and Starlight didn’t have the heart to break the embrace with her magic.

After what felt to be ten minutes, she noticed the grip weakening and that Raichu wasn’t moving. A closer examination showed that Raichu was napping, asleep in her embrace. Starlight smiled and lit her horn, lifting Raichu onto her back for the short trip to the bathroom.

Author's Note

And so Raichu's fear of Starlight is gone, and instead their friendship bloomed. I hope that this chapter awoken an emotion or two in you all and I'm looking forward to your feedback.

On a side note, one of my proof-readers send me this art after assisting with this chapter

Quite fitting in my personal opinion.

Chapter 7 - Apology Part 1

Little Lost Raichu

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Chapter 7
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Apology Part 1

After a round of stretching, Pichu stepped from her pillow and started jumping from bed to bed towards the fire-breathing fox. With the bedroom being spacious enough to accommodate many grown humans, each residing pokemon received a bed of their own. And she had to admit, sinking her tiny self into a large pillow was way better than the stack of leaves in a cold cave.

With the human girl still asleep, it seemed like a good time to have a long chat with their silent companion.

she said, pushing her tiny paws against the large head. The fur itself proved to be fluffy enough to hide most of Pichu’s limbs.

Ninetales asked with his eyes still closed.

Pichu responded, taking a few steps around his large head.

Pichu frowned and placed her paws on Ninetales’ muzzle.

Ninetales chuckled and next yawned, taking a few moments to rub his sleepy eyes, doggystyle. He rolled himself onto the belly, causing Pichu to flinch away. He displayed an amused smile, now staring down at Pichu while still perched on the soft material.

Pichu frowned as being called ‘small fry’ hit her ego, yet her better judgement and fear told her to just accept it and move on. She pointed at the white pillow.

Ninetales shook his head.

Pichu asked, climbing onto a pillow and looking at Ninetales with growing curiosity.

He pointed at the human sleeping on the other side of the room as they kept distance from each other.

Pichu pleaded while clapping her paws. An opportunity to find out more about Astra and why she ended up on this island was finally in her reach.

Ninetales stretched his long paw and patted Pichu on the head. He chuckled at the sight of a grimace on Pichu’s face. He took a quick breath. He cleared her throat, now speaking girly as if trying to imitate his trainer’s voice,

Pichu asked.

Ninetales smiled cheerfully and looked at the ceiling.

Pichu said with a glee.

Ninetales nodded, only for his ears to drop. He looked to the side and said,

Ninetales sighed. He shrugged.

Pichu said, receiving a solid petting in return.

Ninetales said with an amused smile. He sighed.

Pichu glanced at her trainer, already suspecting the reason behind her arrival at this pokemon-filled human-free island.

Pichu looked down, no longer in a good mood.

Ninetales answered. He paused, hiding a blush behind his paw, <...fell in love…>

“How romantic...” Pichu said, grabbing the edge of the pillow into her embrace before nuzzling it. “I bet her heart melted after experiencing your heated personality.”

Ninetales rolled his eyes at the concept of a fire pokemon falling in love with an ice type, which seemed as likely as a water pokemon falling in love with an electric one. He narrowed his eyes and said in a harsh tone, He growled.

Pichu said, not all that bothered by Astra’s fate. Deep inside, Penny started to remind Pichu of her own parents; soft, careful, too afraid to let their kids spread their wings, and she didn’t like it one bit.

Ninetales nodded.

Pichu asked.

He shook his paw dismissively. He chuckled.

Feeling as if the conversation had shifted off topic, Pichu said, She crossed her arms.

Ninetales answered, He frowned. He cleared her throat.

Pichu asked.

Pichu stomped with her foot, looking to the side in annoyance.

Ninetales lowered his head, perching his chin on his paws.

Pichu placed her little paws on her hips.

Pichu sighed in defeat. She frowned.

Ninetales said.

Pichu said. It was in a pokemon’s nature to cooperate with humans as long as their teamwork was beneficial, and she had high standards. She wasn’t going to listen to the girl out of pity. Astra needed to earn it.

Pichu smiled, stepped from the pillow and patted Ninetales’ muzzle. She failed to finish and yelped as a few long tails pushed her towards a nearby pillow with great force. Taking the pillow with her, Pichu kept flying towards the wall, bouncing against it with the pillow landing on her tiny body.

Pichu murmured with her voice being muffled by the pillow.

Raichu opened her eyes, finding herself perched on Starlight’s back with rays of sunlight assaulting her eyes. After a few blinks, she glanced backward, seeing the castle not far behind.

“You really pushed yourself too hard yesterday. I know you’re trying to get used to your powers, but whenever you were screaming in pain, you almost gave Twilight a heart attack,” Starlight said, looking at her passenger over a saddlebag. “What’s more, you exhausted yourself so much that you slept for more than half a day.”

Raichu responded before massaging her head.

“Our initial magical scans detected multiple injuries deep in your body. We were even planning to take you to the veterinarian, but another scan a few hours later changed our mind. Even ponies don’t recover this fast," Starlight complemented.

Raichu ignored her friend’s words, trying to recall her dream. Now it all made sense. Energetic mother and charismatic father being part of a crime-fighting organization. Trying to keep their daughter safe from some sort of threat by hiding her in a camouflaged bunker on an island. Astra’s desperation, determination and struggles to catch a companion as an attempt of dealing with loneliness and realizing her goals.

She frowned, feeling a growing anger towards her past-self.

That human girl couldn’t realize her dreams and was forced to face loneliness. The Ninetales appointed to protect Astra was mean to her for something she had no control over. To make matters worse, my younger self didn’t show any pity or understanding, being mean to the human just because she took a slower and safer path, Raichu thought, considering slapping herself in the face for her past sins.

With one swift motion, she opened Starlight’s saddlebag, digging herself into it and picking up a scroll, ink and quill.

“Careful there,” Starlight said, catching the ink bottle in her magic before it could change the color of her fur into violet-blue.

Once done writing, Raichu climbed up onto Starlight’s head, supporting one paw on her muzzle while presenting the scroll.

“You want… what?” She levitated the scroll, narrowed her eyes and took a closer look. “You want me to take you back in time so you can lecture your younger self and slap your own backside?” Upon receiving odd glances from the nearby ponies, she blushed and returned the scroll into her saddlebag. "No. If anybody needs to have some sense slapped into their past self, it would be me. Time travel is dangerous and generally a bad idea, especially when there isn’t that much at stake.”

Raichu’s ears drooped and she returned to her previous spot, this time using Starlight’s mane as a comfortable support for her chin. What’s the point of a reformed time-traveler if she refuses to go back in time? she thought. On the other side, we don’t know where my home island is, so going back in time wouldn’t help at all. Her ears perked up before she quickly wrote another message and presented it to the unicorn.

Starlight rolled her eyes. “No, we’re not going back in time to stop you from hurting the fillies and colts with electricity. You must accept the consequences of your actions.” She stopped and glanced at her with an encouraging smile. “Remember our agreement? The first stop, Carousel Boutique. Hold on tight.” She gritted her teeth and focused magic into her horn, her face displaying clear focus.

Raichu closed her eyes. She embraced Starlight’s neck lightly, afraid she would choke her friend without restraining her strength. Not that she was super strong or anything, as compared to earth ponies she seemed weak. Even for her size her strength would rival that of a filly. The issue seemed to lie in self-control, as in a moment of fear or excitement she used too much force for her own good.

“We’re here.”

Opening her eyes, Raichu loosened her grip and peeked from behind her friend’s neck, now staring at a decorative towering house with a flag on the top. She was about to step onto the ground, but decided against it. Apparently, one of the fillies she hurt was spending a lot of time with her older sister, and Raichu didn’t feel ready to look into the little scared eyes of that same filly.

Instead, Raichu looked at Starlight’s horn. she said, feeling a surge of jealously. Her ears drooped and her hands hung low.

“I don’t know what you’re trying to say, but it’s too late for excuses. You agreed to apologize and there’s no turning back now,” Starlight said before knocking at the door. “If I’ve learned anything from my reunion with my old friend, it’s to be honest. Just tell… write how you feel and be genuine. And, if things go sour, I’ll back you up.”

“Come in,” a female voice answered from behind the door, which glowed with a blue aura and opened.

The moment Starlight stepped inside, Raichu examined the area, which proved to be quite decorative. The most noticeable were pony-like dummies wearing random dresses and numerous rolled materials spread on the floor, all in various colors. Her attention quickly focused upon a stage-like platform surrounded by three large oval mirrors.

“Welcome to Carousel Boutique, where everything is… Oh, hello, Starlight. What can I do for you?” Rarity asked. “And who’s your little friend?” She rounded the unicorn, now looking directly at the critter.

Raichu took a few steps to the side, trying to hide herself from Rarity’s view by climbing Starlight’s neck. With legs anchored on the unicorn’s chest, she waved hesitantly, blushing.

“Her name’s Raichu, and she’s the one who shock—” Starlight failed to finish as bronze edge of the critter’s paw sealed her mouth. She levitated Raichu onto the floor. “What I meant to say—”

“What’s she doing here?”

All eyes focused on a white unicorn filly entering the room in company of a cat. Recognizing her, Raichu hid behind Starlight’s forelegs.

“I’d recognize those cute ears and cool tail everywhere, there’s no mistaking it,” Sweetie commented before crossing her forelegs. “Sorry to say it, but after what happened, don’t expect hugs from me anytime soon.”

“Sweetie Belle, is this animal the one who hurt you at the school playground?” Rarity asked. Upon receiving a nod of confirmation, she narrowed her eyes and stomped. “Starlight Glimmer, why did you bring this dangerous creature into my home? I expect an explanation and I demand it now!”

Raichu whimpered.

Starlight approached Rarity with her head raised firmly. “First off, I want to clear something up. It’s true that my new friend did hurt many young ponies yesterday, but it’s because she couldn’t control her powers. She’s really sad about what happened and wants to apologize.” Starlight looked down and poked Raichu on her shoulder. “Come on, apologize to Sweetie Belle.”

Raichu looked between both white unicorns, wondering for a moment which one was Sweetie Belle. She took hesitant steps towards the filly. She stopped as the taller unicorn approached and sat next to Sweetie Belle, and gulped, feeling as if words were stuck in her throat. She lowered her head and held her forepaws together in an apologetic gesture.

“Well… it didn’t hurt that much,” Sweetie Belle said and forced a smile. She tried to walk forward, but was stopped by Rarity’s foreleg.

“Even if it was an accident, how can I be sure that she will not hurt my poor dear little sister again?” Rarity asked, still wary and not taking her eyes from the critter.

“Hey, I’m not so little,” Sweetie complained.

“Oh, I can give you three reasons,” Starlight said, sitting next to her little friend while looking back at the fashionista with a determined stare. She placed her forehoof on Raichu’s head and said, “First, this poor Raichu is still recovering her memories and doesn’t know how to control her powers, so she asked me and Twilight for help.” She held a forehoof on her chest and lowered her head in shame. “We rushed the collar that was supposed to absorb the electricity, so we share part of the blame.” She lit her horn, opening her saddlebag, levitating over four white gemstones and one blue, each with some miniature inscriptions and star-like marks inscribed on them. “This time we created much stronger runes and used the best materials. I came here hoping you could make a collar out of them that wouldn’t look like…”

“An abomination of nature unfit to be seen by any civilized pony?" Sweetie Belle asked.

“With Prince Blueblood being the only exception,” Rarity added.

“Yes, that.”

Rarity took the gemstones with the help of her magic, examining each with a detailed eye. “Hmmm… sturdy, strong white, rare, high quality. How did you acquire them?”

“With Maud and Spike’s help. Maud’s personal collection had the highest quality gems to choose from, and these four not only had the greatest electrical absorption, but also an affinity for magic. The blue one is especially durable and was found by Spike yesterday,” Starlight explained, satisfied with the weakening tension.

“A proper countermeasure, I absolutely approve,” Rarity said before pointing at the gemstones. “Though I must say that the color choice is not the best. It looks too similar to the fur on… what was her name again?”

“Raichu.”

Rarity continued, “It does not stand out enough from the fur on Raichu’s stomach right under her neck. Still, recoloring gemstones of such quality would be a crime.”

Starlight shrugged. “Those are the best gemstones for the job, color doesn’t matter.”

“Maybe to you, darling. But even the most dangerous pet will wear a stylish collar as long as I am around.”

Raichu took the opportunity to wave at the filly while looking at her with puppy eyes, which Sweetie Belle responded in kind.

She couldn’t remain calm for long though as her attention focused on a cat who peeked out from behind the filly, licking its lips and staring at her with eyes of a predator. Each of the cat’s steps and its aura left a bad feelings in Raichu’s mind, as if she were being stalked for an attack, even if Raichu was the taller one in this encounter.

“I will think of something,” Rarity said, placing the gemstones onto the nearby table.

“As for the second reason, Raichu feels extremely guilty about what happened. Yesterday she put a lot of pain onto herself, struggling to learn how to keep the electricity from escaping while hurting herself in the process. She deserves a chance,” Starlight commended, catching up a glimpse of Rarity’s shock.

“She… did?”

Sweetie Belle’s ears drooped.

Raichu could feel an aura of sadness and pity. An option to do something silly to cheer the filly crossed her mind. She didn’t get the chance though as the cat started to circle around her. she asked with a nervous smile as her tail started to move left and right, which caught the cat’s full attention.

“And the third reason?” Rarity asked hesitantly, no longer giving the long-tailed creature a suspicious glare.

“We found out what caused her electrical surge,” Starlight said, lowering herself to Raichu’s face level while pointing at her face. “Those two yellow dots on her cheeks seems to be main points where she unleashes electricity, so touching them triggers an instinctive reaction.” She raised to her full height and continued, “Her body also unleashes electricity as a defensive mechanism, so as long as nopony pulls her by her limbs or ears, she should be fine.” She rubbed Raichu’s forehead. “And after her painful workout yesterday, she can handle way more stress than before.”

Raichu blushed and tapped her paws together. She took a step back upon noticing Sweetie Belle only centimetres away.

“I forgive you. And I’m sorry you had to endure so much because of us,” Sweetie Belle said, trying to embrace her.

Raichu stepped backward. She felt as if part of her broken heart started to heal, and she certainly wasn’t planning to risk a hug to ruin it.

The filly looked up at Starlight and asked, “What did she say?”

Raichu’s attention focused on her own tail, moving it in random direction in an attempt to evade the cat’s claws. The fluffy feline kept jumping towards the yellow edge with low volume ‘meowing.’

“Beats me,” Starlight said. “Someone taught her how to write and that’s how she communicates.” She was about to take the writing equipment out from her saddlebag, but stopped upon seeing Raichu being levitated towards Rarity, surrounded by a pale blue aura.

“While I am not surprised that Twilight would harbor such a dangerous creature, I wish she would have told me sooner,” Rarity said, looking into the pupils of the critter. “You may be just a little... chubby, but you look positively adorable! I just do not see how someone so small and cute as you are could hurt anypony."

Raichu responded in a saddened tone. She paused as realization struck her. If not for her defensive capabilities, she wouldn’t have escaped the giant beast inside the forest. Being dangerous wouldn’t be an issue if she remembered what she was capable of. Restraining herself now became her top priority.

Starlight spoke up. “It was Applejack who brought Raichu into the castle to ask if we could help with her amnesia, and it turned out that someone sealed Raichu’s memories.” She rubbed the back of her neck nervously. “To be honest, Raichu was having trouble with her own abilities from the start, so Twilight wanted to wait for a bit before introducing her to anypony.”

“You poor dear, I just cannot stay mad at you. If Twilight trusts you, so do I,” Rarity said and smiled warmly.

Raichu bit her lip as she felt desire to release electricity, but suppressed it quickly. Just a moment ago the cat used the opportunity to catch her tail and was now scratching and biting it without mercy.

“Is something wrong?” Rarity asked.

“Opal, stop that!” Sweetie Belle ordered. “Her tail isn’t a plaything.”

Opal released the tail and bent her legs like a tiger, now aiming at the large critter. With one firm jump, she tackled Raichu to the floor, freeing her from Rarity’s levitation. Despite being smaller, she now stood atop the large critter like a queen of the hill. A solid sniffing followed.

Raichu raised her head and stood up, feeling a series of scratches on her back as the cat struck it with full brutality. She rolled her eyes, refusing to electrocute the puffy feline. While the sharp claws and teeth were tickling her at best, this annoying act seemed enough to force her body to respond, something she needed to suppress.

Rarity levitated her cat away, keeping her above the floor. “I apologize for Opalescence’s inexcusable behaviour. Are you alright?” She took a closer look at Raichu’s back, not finding a single scratch on her spotless fur.

Raichu said, giving a quick glance to the cat, who growled at her while trying to free herself from her owner’s aura. Luckily, no burns caused by electricity were present on the cat’s fur, proving to Raichu that her training was paying off.

“Excuse me,” Starlight said, getting the others attention. “How long will it take to make the new collar?”

“A few hours. It is a small order, but I want to ensure that it will look fabulous on her,” Rarity responded.

“That’s good. We planned on visiting the school tomorrow so she can apologize to all the colts and fillies she hurt.”

“She wants to apologize to the entire class?” Sweetie Belle asked, now looking at the large critter.

Raichu nodded, hesitation still present in her voice.

Rarity smiled with a glee and tapped her hooves together. “This is just perfect.” She glanced at Sweetie Belle. “Are you thinking what I am thinking, dear sister?”

“I do,” Sweetie responded while displaying a similar smile. “We’ll make you look great for your apology.”

Raichu took a step back, intimidated by the strong auras of excitement she sensed.

“How good are you at standing still?” Rarity asked before levitating Raichu onto the platform surrounded by three mirrors. She raised forehooves up to her cheeks and her eyes sparkled. “Raise your rear leg like this, and you forepaw like that… Hold your paw on the back of your head… Perfect pose!” She squealed. “I have a pink bow with your left ear just begging for it!”

Raichu smiled awkwardly, unsure what to expect. A drop of sweat slid down her forehead. One thing she was certain, she needed to behave herself.

Chapter 7.5 - Apology Part 2

Little Lost Raichu

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Chapter 7.5
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Apology Part 2

Raichu was perched on Starlight, massaging her own back.

Taking weird poses for six hours isn’t how she imagined yesterday to go. The fact that she somehow managed not to move an inch for half an hour despite the cat’s continuous attempts to play with her tail, occasionally even using its fluffy tail to tickle her nose was anything but a miracle. Back then a mere glance at a napping Starlight had filled her with jealousy.

Wishing to have a nap herself seemed reasonable, but she couldn’t bring herself to say ‘no’ to those passionate ponies. The taller one called Rarity put a lot of effort into her work, trying various styles to make her look great, while the filly just seemed to enjoy putting random stuff on her little body.

At first she followed all their instructions out of guilt, trying to be obedient in return for their kindness and forgiveness. But part of her had to admit that it was kind of fun. The fact that not moving didn’t seem to bother her improved the experience, as if she was doing stuff like this in the past.

Fun or not, she still felt stiff from yesterday, and a round of stretching on Starlight’s back seemed like the best course of action.

"Rarity was on fire yesterday. I'm surprised you got out of there without a whole wardrobe, including a ball gown," Starlight commented while walking toward the school. Unlike yesterday, they got up much earlier, trying to arrive during one of the school breaks.

“That’s Rarity for you. She gets emotional very easily. You should’ve just said no or calmed her down. She would understand,” Twilight said, walking by Starlight’s side. She looked to her student with pride. A few days ago Starlight had almost permanently hurt Raichu in an attempt to help her, only for them to then become good friends in the end. The initiative her student showed by using her own dark past to cheer up the critter impressed her. “I must admit, you look really good in this collar, not to mention the additional features.”

Raichu stopped stretching her legs and rubbed the back of her neck, displaying her teeth with a smile. She wore a big blue collar on her neck with two white gemstones attached on the left and two gemstones attached on the right with yellow lightning inscribed in between each gemstone, like a circle of thunderbolts and diamonds across the blue sea. She poked a small green metal tag with ‘Raichu’ written on it and a blue gemstone under the name, and raised her head proudly.

“Rarity was right about the blue color standing out from the white fur on your belly and orange fur on your neck, and that lightning between the gemstones was a nice touch,” Starlight complemented.

Twilight took a few steps to the side, still matching Starlight’s speed. “It’s not only the collar. I like those bows as well.” She pointed at Raichu’s ears, each decorated with a smaller version of Apple Bloom’s pink bow. The third bow was present between the yellow bolt and black length of Raichu's tail.

“Those were Sweetie Belle’s idea,” Starlight commented.

Raichu said while poking the decorations on her ears. With an apology to an entire group she was going to perform soon, any distraction from her fears was more than welcome. She looked down at her own skirt, which was long enough to cover half of her belly and legs, yet short enough not to get in the way. White-yellow stripes in the shape of lightning decorated it, as well as gems similar to the ones tattooed on Rarity’s flank. Blue skirt, blue collar and a few pink bows, not a rich clothing combination, but she prefered it that way.

“We're here,” Twilight said, stopping in front of the school.

Starlight lowered herself, waiting for Raichu to step down from her back, but her companion held her neck instead. “You can let go now.”

she said, peeking from behind her friend’s neck with a sheepish smile.

Twilight chuckled. “You don’t need to feel nervous, we have your back.” She approached and spread her wing, sliding it under Raichu’s legs. “Let’s go.” She raised her wing, taking the critter from Starlight’s back before placing her on the ground, or at least trying as the critter held her wing tightly, refusing to step from it. “Suit yourself.” She turned towards the school playground and walked forward, keeping her right wing spread.

Raichu stood on her four legs as bronze edges of her paws sank between lavender feathers. Her tail swung left and right in rhythm with her breathing and heartbeat.

“I’ll go talk with Miss Cheerilee. Just wait here.” Twilight placed the edge of her wing on the carousel as if making a bridge, and gently pushed the critter towards it. The moment Raichu stepped onto it, Twilight embraced the critter with her wing, pressing the worried face into her chest. “You did nothing wrong. Just believe in yourself and everything will be fine.”

Raichu closed her eyes and pressed her head deeper into the princess’s embrace, feeling the warmth of the alicorn’s fur on one cheek and feathers on the other. Beside the pleasant warmness, she felt an aura of compassion, wishing she could stay in the wing-embrace for a few minutes.

“I think enough is enough,” Twilight said and withdrew her wing, finding it difficult to take her gaze away from those pleading oval eyes.

Raichu plead, stretching her paws in attempt to reach the alicorn’s wing from her current spot. As the alicorn started walking away, she lowered her paws and head in defeat.

Starlight gave an encouraging glance at Raichu before entering the school building alongside her teacher, leaving the critter to her own devices.

Raichu pressed a paw onto her chest and took a deep breath. At this point it didn’t matter if what she did was an accident or not, or if the kids hated her or not. It was a matter of principles. She messed up, so she needed to apologize and accept her punishment. Raichu raised her head and observed the school with full attention, feeling as if seconds turned into minutes.

Finally, young ponies started to leave the building and walk in her direction. The tall pony that had yelled at her two days ago, their teacher —Miss Cheerilee was it?— walked ahead of the class. The fact that Starlight and Twilight were behind everypony did little to calm Raichu down.

“Scootaloo and Princess Twilight explained everything to me. Do you really have amnesia and don’t remember how to use your… your talents?” Cheerilee asked before gesturing for her students to form a double line and keep their distance.

Raichu gulped and nodded. she squeaked.

Cheerilee approached at a slow pace, each step causing Raichu’s heart to hammer away in her chest. “Are you truly sorry for what you have done to my students?” Unable to understand the critter, she studied body movements instead.

Raichu nodded again before holding her paws together and lowering her head. She whispered.

Cheerilee didn’t need to understand the critter, though still finding it odd that it would keep repeating its name or parts of it. Working with children so often let her easily read Raichu’s apologetic gestures. Even if this critter was an adult, it was still small and seemed soft-hearted, as if an innocent youth. Moreover, the princess herself spoke in a positive manner about it… not it, about her.

She sat in front of the carousel and gently grabbed Raichu between her forehooves, raising the critter up to her face.

“Tell me how sorry you are, but this time, do it while looking me in the eyes," Cheerilee commanded, easily recognizing Rarity’s hoof in the shining collar and skirt, though the bows between ears reminded her more of Apple Bloom’s fashion choice.

Raichu struggled with a mere attempt of keeping an even look into the teacher’s eyes.

Cheerilee reduced the distance from the critter, now having her tiny nose a centimeter away from her own muzzle. “Can you swear that you won’t harm my students, no matter what?” As the critter nodded, she asked, “Can I trust you?”

Unsure how to gain the teacher’s trust, Raichu went with her instinct, licking the pony’s muzzle while staring with puppy eyes.

Cheerilee chuckled and placed Raichu on the grass, patting her on the head. “I forgive you. You may be dangerous, but you’re certainly innocent. All you need is some guidance and care and you’ll fit in just fine.” She glanced at her students and said, “She doesn’t have ill intentions, and Princess Twilight assured me that the collar will absorb electricity. I think she’s safe to be around.”

The fillies started to murmur with each other while Twilight and Starlight displayed victorious smiles.

Raichu looked at the smiling teacher, and next at the judging glares of the children. While she still sensed a weak aura of fear and worry coming from Miss Cheerilee, she could also sense concern and acceptance. Did the teacher just start thinking of her as one of her pupils? Or maybe more like a potential school mascot? Whatever the reason, she didn’t complain.

The fear and uncertainty coming from the young ponies was stronger though, and she couldn’t blame them for it.

The filly who two days ago ended up crashing into the playground equipment and ended up trapped under it, stepped ahead of the group and raised her forehoof.

“What is it, Diamond Tiara? Please, speak up,” Cheerilee encouraged.

“We want to make sure if it’s really safe to be around her, so we came up with an idea how to test that improved collar,” Diamond Tiara said and pointed at the pink filly behind her. “And we have a volunteer.” She looked at the alicorn. “You have no objections, right, Princess Twilight?”

“Of course not, and I guarantee that this collar is 100% electric-proof,” Twilight said, rubbing her foreleg. “And I apologize for our last rushed work.”

The teacher spoke up, “I approve.”

Raichu quickly recognized the pony. It was the one who had lifted the equipment away from the trapped fillies. One look at her face and body movements told her she was somewhat shy. Yet the aura she emitted stood out the most. She sensed a massive amount of hesitation and fear, but it didn’t seem to be fear of her but of something else. Trying to lighten the mood, Raichu forced a smile and waved with her paw. Her gesture did little to calm the saddened filly.

“I know how you feel.”

“Not wanting to hurt anyone, but being too dangerous for your own good,” the filly explained. “I know that fear. I managed to hide my strength, and I feel sorry that you couldn’t. You must feel devastated. Instead of fearing dangers that may happen to you, you fear the danger you possess to others.”

Raichu took a step back and gasped. This filly just read her like an open book. While only a week had passed since she woke up in a crater in the dangerous forest, a lack of memories and her unexpected powers had caused her a lot of trouble. Experiences of hurting others were emotionally painful.

“Are you willing to struggle and even get hurt for the sake of others?” the filly asked, stopping herself only centimeters away from the critter.

Raichu kept staring curiously at the filly, trying to comprehend her words. She clenched her paws and narrowed her eyes. She nodded firmly.

The filly understood her well enough and spread her forelegs.

Raichu didn’t move, gladly accepting the hug, only to regret it immediately. Unlike her previous hugs, this one had a lot of force behind it, and the filly’s forelegs sunk into her fat fluffy belly. She didn’t feel as squeezed since her encounter with the giant beast where its massive paws pressed her little body into the ground. If anything, having more force pressed into a much smaller area was waaaay more impactful.

“I’m not too harsh, am I?” the filly asked.

Raichu said between her breaths and shook her head. Much to her surprise, she felt a massive change in filly’s aura, a big rush of happiness. The filly displayed a weak smile, and for some reason radiated with satisfaction.

“Thank you.”

Raichu titled her head to the side. Why was this filly thanking her? She couldn’t think it over though as the force of the hug increased in strength. She gritted her teeth and her ears drooped. Her tail shook in random directions. Outside of physical pain, she felt power surging inside her body. Drops of sweat fell down her forehead and her paws started trembling as she struggled to keep the electricity inside. Enduring both outer and inner pain at the same time proved to be extremely difficult. Even if her collar would prevent an electrical surge, she wasn’t going to risk it, no matter the pain.

“How are you holding up? Can you still endure more?”

Raichu nodded slowly with tightly closed eyes, still gritting her teeth.

The filly displayed a wide grin. “How long I have waited for someone like you!” Being a bit taller, she raised Raichu from the ground and nuzzled her affectionately, only to press Raichu’s face into her chest. Her forelegs started squeezing with extreme force, sinking even deeper into Raichu’s fur, yet no noise of breaking bones was to be heard. The gems on Raichu’s collar flashed brightly for a moment as they absorbed electricity literally squeezed from the electric rat.

Once released, Raichu landed on the grass and breathed hastily, desperately gasping for air. Sweat was still present on her face. The moment she raised her head, she noticed tears falling down from the filly’s eyes, but a wide smile and massive aura of joy told her those weren’t tears of sadness.

Another odd thing she noticed were the wide gasps of Diamond Tiara and a few fillies who seemed to understand the extreme strength that was used by their fellow classmate.

Diamond Tiara turned around and addressed the group. “That settles it. This critter is safe to be around.”

Apple Bloom and Scootaloo, who had both remained silent this whole time while doing their best not to stand out, gave Raichu proud smiles.

Raichu kept smiling sheepishly at the surrounding ponies, remembering Starlight’s words. Ponies were indeed fast to judge and even faster to forgive. Yet there was something she didn’t understand.

Why were these ponies so happy and supportive?

Until now she just ate their food, slept in their homes and caused troubles while giving nothing in return. Why were ponies so happy in her presence? Was it because they wanted a cute mascot around? But those ponies were as, if not cuter than her, so that couldn’t be it.

She sighed and decided to play along. Maybe not now, or in the near future, but one way or another she was going to repay them.

The teacher, Princess of Friendship and her student, all looked at the scene in confusion as Raichu was surrounded by curious fillies and colts, all eager to interact with her without fear. And all it took was a long-lasting hug from one filly. Was there something special behind the filly with a hedgehog as a cutie mark?

They looked at each other and shrugged.

Chapter 8 - Let the Jump be With You

Little Lost Raichu

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Chapter 8
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Let the Jump be With You

Raichu shouted in her squeaky and excited voice, pushing a red ball towards the alicorn with her paws. The ball itself was shining in the dark, which was a side effect from using a spell that massively increased its durability.

Raichu took a quick glance at the night sky to admire it, for the first time being outside of the castle to notice such an amazing view in full splendor. The sky itself was now filled with brightly shining stars with the moon being in the center.

Twilight swung her wing gently to stop the ball and bounced it up and down. “I must admit; athletic activities were never my favourite, but today I had a lot fun. I feel like a filly again.” She pushed the ball towards the strong filly with a swing of her wing. “Lily, catch!”

“I got it!” Lily shouted and balanced herself on her rear hooves. The moment she caught the ball, her attention fixed on Raichu. “I bet you won’t catch this one!” With a solid swing, she pushed the ball a bit above the ground. The very force behind her swing caused a wave of strong wind to spread outward, pushing dust and small pebbles in all directions. She yawned and rubbed her eyes with trembling forehooves a moment later.

“Raichu, I would step to the side if I were you.” Twilight bit her lip and covered her face with her wing. “I can’t watch…”

Raichu jumped towards the ball, trying to stop or at least slow it down with her own belly. The extreme speed of the ball and strong force of her jump caused another wave to spread from the impact.

The critter closed her eyes and grit her teeth as even her jump proved no match for the filly’s strength. She was sent flying up and backward with great speed for a few seconds before her legs touched the ground in a harsh landing. The bronze edges of her rear paws sunk deep into the dirt, leaving two visible marks on the ground and even shattering any small stone that got in the way.

Raichu opened her eyes and noticed that she was a few hundred meters away from the filly with smoke and dust spreading from the trails before her. Rubbing her rear paws against the ground with such force apparently increased her legs’ temperature, and she felt as if they were on fire. That’s funny… I feel as if being on fire isn’t new to me. It doesn’t hurt all that much anyway.

She glanced at Ponyville on the horizon, happy that their extreme game took place far away from the town, if only to avoid awkwardly crashing into somepony’s house.

Holding the red ball with her forepaw, she ran on three legs, very quickly closing the distance towards her pony companions. Using the force gathered thanks to her speed, she pushed the ball towards Twilight, who caught it with both wings.

“I think that’s enough playing for today,” Twilight said, pointing at the sky. “It’s late, Lily, your parents may be worried.”

Lily struggled to maintain balance, stumbling left and right with heavy eyes and nearly no stamina left in her. School had ended hours ago, and every minute since had been spent playing various games with her new fluffy friend with no fear of needing to hold back. A chance to use her full strength had proved too good to pass up.

Until now, interacting with ponies had forced her to use only a fraction of her strength. Fear of hurting others drained most of the fun while limiting her options.

Having a playmate of similar size who could handle everything she could dish out was a golden opportunity, and she had used it to the fullest, enjoying every moment of it. However, being strong as she was while not restraining herself had quickly drained her stamina.

Yawning again, she laid on the grass and closed her eyes with her head resting on her tail. With no more excitement and adrenaline keeping her going, she dived into the land of dreams. The happy smile was present on her face.

Seeing the princess approaching the filly, Raichu beat her to it and picked Lily up onto her own back. Even if this pony was slightly taller, her weight was still something she could handle. Besides, after being carried around on ponies’ back for days, it was her time to return the favor.

“I like your enthusiasm, but you must be exhausted as well,” Twilight said and levitated Lily from Raichu’s hold, placing on her own back. “I will take her back home. You can go to the castle and rest if you want.”

Raichu followed the princess, walking on two bruised legs. Now that Twilight mentioned it, she didn’t feel exhausted at all. For hours she’d played various games with a filly whose strength surpassed her own at least ten times over. While Raichu managed to lift over four hundred kilograms with great struggle, Lily at one point lifted three tons with similar effort. Game after game, the filly unleashed her strength and excitement in various activities.

Tug of war against her and the princess with no magic allowed didn’t last long.

A game where they pretended to be sumos and wrestlers proved extremely one sided.

Again and again, she experienced the filly’s strength. Yet her body endured. No bones broke and no electricity bypassed the magical collar.

Raichu was physically weaker, that was obvious, yet today’s experiences proved that she had more endurance and stamina than she’d imagined. The super strong filly was exhausted and deep asleep, and even the princess struggled to keep her eyes open, but she didn’t feel tired in the least.

“I think it will be faster if we fly instead, hop on.” Twilight stretched her wing and placed it on the ground in front of Raichu, letting her climb up through the soft feathers.

One flight, a few teleportations and a quick talk with Lily’s parents later, they were back inside the castle as Raichu climbed up onto her own bed, sinking her head into the soft pillow. The spider she befriended climbed up onto her belly.

Raichu said to herself. She looked out the window and admired the stars. After all the stress she experienced over the past days, she finally felt at ease. She sighed, now staring at her little companion.

She slowly closed her eyes, feeling jealousy towards the ponies. Super strength, the ability to fly, great utility of magic and levitation. And what did she have? The ability to jump extremely high, attack with electricity and a lot of endurance and stamina. All of those seemed like great survival tools, but were useless for anything else.

I’ve made many friends that I don’t deserve. I can’t just stay obedient and hope that ponies will tell me what to do, I need to show initiative, she thought, not daring to move as her belly served as a bed for her little friend. I need to embrace my skills. My training to keep electricity from hurting others was a good first step, but I must do more than that. She took a deep breath. Step one, get better control of my abilities, step two, repay the ponies any way possible. The plan is set and I won’t spare efforts in realizing it. She smiled and relaxed herself, now diving into the land of dreams. Until now she was lacking a purpose, a goal to reach, and now she finally had one.

“The time has finally come. Are you ready?” Astra asked, standing next to a waterfall, the very one hiding the entrance into the bunker. The noise of rushing water became the backdrop of their conversation.

Pichu said with crossed arms, standing next to her trainer’s leg. For half a year she’d put a lot of effort into learning how to read and write, just to get the boring stuff out of the way. Her experiences with her trainer were… not as fun as she expected, and she could tell that the feeling was mutual.

She looked up at her trainer, satisfied to once again see her determined stare.

Apparently, humans could catch and train pokemon whenever they wanted, but they needed to reach the age of ten before they could go on an official adventure and participate in tournaments. Astra wasn’t as lucky since her parents hid her on this island two months before her tenth birthday. One year wasted on reading, eating and sleeping, half a year of struggle to catch her first pokemon, and another half a year used to prepare for the journey ahead. Just yesterday this human had her twelfth birthday with no parents to celebrate with.

When other starting trainers gained experience on their adventures and fought for the first spot at the Pokemon Leagues, Astra gained theoretical knowledge and planned her course of action.

“But first, I shall present to you my plan.”

Pichu sighed and lowered her head. Of course this bookworm would pull off something like that.

Astra sat on the ground and grabbed Pichu, holding her in her hands. She supported her back against the stone and placed Pichu on her knee. “Since you’re my partner, I tried to learn a lot about you, your evolutions, strengths, weaknesses and moves you can learn. I have a perfect plan how to make you strong.”

Pichu said, now looking at her trainer with full interest.

“While at the moment you’re very weak and fragile, after evolving into Pikachu, you’ll become a very fast attacker. Your durability and defenses will still be weak, but you’ll have stronger offense and a lot of speed,” Astra said, not taking her gaze away from those curious oval eyes. “Training your evasion and agility will be essential for you to avoid powerful hits, but we’ll also need to work extra hard to toughen you up. Electric types have only one weakness to ground type attacks, but as my partner you need to endure hits you can’t evade.” She looked at the sky, her voice now somewhat sad. “My mother… always said that the more we get hurt, the tougher we become. I fear that our adventure will be filled with such thorns.”

Pichu smiled. Being hurt didn’t scare her. She was going to become strong and tough, and she wasn’t going to let the tiny size and fragility of her body get in the way. Work through the pain.

“Since your strength will be in your offense, you’ll need to learn powerful attack moves. I think ‘Thunderbolt’ and ‘Focus Blast’ are the best offensive moves we should aim for, with ‘Dig’, ‘Spark’, Quick Attack’ and ‘Grass Knot’ being helpful in the middle way. I’m also considering ‘Volt Tackle’, but such a powerful attack require some durability to use, so it would hurt you more than help.” She narrowed her eyes. “I believe you know ‘Nasty Plot’ but didn’t use it against me. Am I right?”

Pichu nodded. She knew ‘Nasty Plot’ that would temporarily straighten her special attack, something that made up for her being one of the weakest pokemon. With fear that it would make it too difficult for the human girl to defeat her, she decided not to use it. The fact that this girl figured it out actually showed some promise.

“There’s also your final evolution that require a thunderstone, Raichu. The most interesting feature of your final evolution is a very long tail. I looked into tail-related moves and thought about teaching you how to use ‘Iron Tail’ while you’re still a Pikachu, so you can master it as Raichu.” Astra smirked. “Offensively, Iron Tail is strong but not reliable, but then an idea struck me.”

Pichu asked with wide eyes. With no thunderstones present on the island, none of her family or companions ever evolved into their final form. Astra’s idea sounded quite intriguing.

“Steel types are resistant to most attack types. If you used your very long and flexible tail as Raichu for defense while using ‘Iron Tail’...”

Pichu jumped in place, now that was what she was looking for.

“Since so many attack types aren’t very effective against steel type pokemon, using a steel move for defense will make up for your weak durability. You can evade powerful attacks with speed and parry weaker but more accurate ones with ‘Iron tail’,” Astra explained and rubbed the top of Pichu’s head, who for a change didn’t shock her in return.

Pichu said before pressing her head into the trainer’s hand as if asking for more.

“I also thought of something. Since you’re my partner, I was thinking of giving you a name, one I thought long and hard about. I was just waiting for a good moment to suggest it, and since you’re in good mood, I may as well do it now,” Astra said, waiting for Pichu to calm down her excitement. “What do you think of the name ‘Nica’? Do you like it?”

Pichu rubbed her chin, thinking. ‘Nica’ was a short name, not really all that special, but it was still a nice name. Even just having a name made her feel more special. She nodded in agreement and displayed an encouraging smile.

Astra smiled. “Nica it is.” She took Pichu from her knee and placed her on her shoulder as they now gazed at the tall mountain. “Before we leave this island, we need to get in shape and gather a team of our own. I know the area so doing so with you at my side will be a breeze.”

Pichu zipped open Astra’s backpack, digging herself in to pick up a notepad and pen. Being small slowed down her writing, but she didn’t care. Once finished, she presented the note to Astra.

“You want to know how we’ll leave this island and where we’ll go next?” she asked.

Pichu said from her trainer’s shoulder with a quick nod.

“A well trained water pokemon can do that, or we can make a boat. According to maps inside the bunker, the closest locations to visit are the Orange islands, Kanto region and Alola region. The Orange Islands have four trials and small championship cup, a good warm up before our main adventure. The Kanto region has its own league, we should go there last once we’re prepared. The Alola region is made of four islands with trials and challenges, and this is where my mother and father have their secret base. The fourth island actually since it’s nearly abandoned.” She paused, thinking for a moment about her own parents. “My mother and father hid me here for a reason… I’ll need to be very careful if I decide to go there.”

Pichu stayed silent, now understanding Astra’s dilemma. Her trainer was shut away from the outside world, separated from her family, and had no idea what kind of dangers awaited her. Becoming a veteran with competent team was the only option of facing awaiting risks.

“Time to face the cold. Half a year inside the bunker made us rusty, but not for long,” Astra said with a determined stare.

Pichu didn’t need to be asked anything as she knew what to do. With one quick jump from her trainer’s shoulder she grabbed the surface of the slope, her tiny paws now anchored against cracks in the stone. Jump after jump, she climbed up at a steady pace. The human girl wasn’t far behind.

With distance gained thanks to her head start, Nica stopped on a small stone platform and looked down at Astra. If what the Ninetales told me is true, your mother was strong and adventurous, pushing herself and her team to their limits, while your father planned great strategies from the safety and comfort of his own base. She took a deep breath, held her paws on her hips and smiled proudly. You seem to be taking example from them both, but will you just follow their examples, or will you surpass them?

Raichu opened her eyes and carefully relocated her little companion from her belly onto the table. Her returning memories proved more informative than she thought.

The Pokemon League, adventure, criminals, and so many regions. Was there some sort of a large continent over the ocean with different cultures and animals? Were humans special? They did create a bunker and small rounded devices that could transport large creatures without change in their weight, so no doubt they could build various buildings. They even had their own language and knew how to write. According to her memories she regained in her dreams, pokemon were like animals possessing great powers and survival skills, while humans were the ones with knowledge and creativity. Being a Pichu, she wanted a human to train her, to lead her on some sort of adventure, and accepted the name given to her by the human with pride.

Now that she thought about it, she now felt similar when interacting with ponies. They gave her shelter and fed her, and she wanted to be useful to them. Ponies are the owners, leaders, and her role was the one of a follower.

Nica smiled. She wanted to be useful, she wanted to repay the ponies and listen to them, but the first step was to master her own abilities.

She poked the collar on her neck and smiled proudly. Sooner or later she needed to practice how to command electricity at will, but it could wait for now. The most important ability she had besides using electricity… was jumping.

Nica looked down from the highest spot of the castle, the one with a small fountain and several sunbeds. The entire town and nearby forest were in her view.

According to her dream, being able to jump high proved useful when climbing up and was an important aspect of her mobility.

Even if right now it resulted in her crashing into ceilings or tackling ponies into walls, she couldn’t avoid jumping forever. She had to master it.

The distance from the ground seemed very long from her perspective, especially since she was rather small herself, but this didn’t impress her in the least. This castle had probably only twenty meters of height, not even a tenth of the height she could reach. It was a perfect height she could practice with.

Raichu took a deep breath. she said to herself and clenched her paws.

She raised one of her rear legs as if trying to take a step, yet there was no surface to step on ahead of her. Using one rear paw she was now balanced on, she leaped forward, and a moment later windows of the castle blinked passed in the corner of her eye.

Nica landed on the ground quite softly with a weak thump, spreading sand around her legs. I think it took around three seconds. I wonder if I can save half a second of falling if I weaken my jump a bit. She turned around and jumped up, using only a calculated fraction of her strength. Though she put a bit too much force into her legs as she ended up ten meters above the fountain and fell into it for the second time. With a loud splash, she was now in shallow water.

Well… that could’ve gone better. Using a tiny fraction of her jumping prowess, she leaped out from the fountain, and took a few moments of shaking to free her wet fur from the cold water.

After once again looking down at the ground from atop of the castle, she raised one rear leg and leaped lightly, taking two and half a second to land on the soil.

Spike blinked in confusion. Just a moment ago -something- caught his attention from the corner of his eye. He looked away from his comic, now staring at the window in confusion. It had to be my imagination, he thought, only to be proved wrong as something zipped passed his window, too fast to make out.

“Okay, I’m sure I saw something,” he said to himself and stepped from his seat, approaching the window. He looked to both sides, and than down and up.

“Raichu?” Spike asked, seeing the critter’s tail and feet for a second before she vanished from his sight. His face became pale as he slowly lowered his head, not daring to breathe or blink while expecting the worst. But no, she wasn’t flattened, nor was she was lying in any kind of uncomfortable position indicating broken limbs or injury, the critter was just standing without care in the word. “Raichu, are you hurt?! Oh, that’s a stupid question… Just don’t move, I’ll get help!” Spike shouted, not wanting to take any chances. As he ran towards the door and was about to press the handle, a loud thud caught his attention.

Looking back towards the window, a few cracks on the wall and a thunder-shaped edge of Raichu’s tail caught his attention, only for said critter to fall down and grab the windowsill with the bronze edge of her paw. Did she just… crash a bit above the window, only to climb inside? Am I imagining things? Spike asked himself, still in shock. Raichu, whose body should lay broken outside of the castle, was now standing before him.

Raichu glanced at the cracked wall and muttered, She turned to Spike and smiled cheerfully.

“You’re fine!” Spike shouted and jumped forward, tackling Raichu before embracing her. “I thought you were injured! What happened? Why did you fall? What were you thinking? Are you hurt? Do you need aid?”

Nica kept staring at Spike in confusion.

“Were you trying to have a sunbath and tripped over? Were you sleep-walking? Don’t tell me you jumped out of guilt, you stupid long-tailed rat!”

Nica said before gently pushing Spike’s claws away, freeing herself from his hold.

“Where does it hurt? Here, or maybe here?” Spike asked as he grabbed and poked each of Nica’s limbs.

Raichu rolled her eyes, wondering what the big deal was all about. All she did was jump. What was dangerous in jumping from the top of the tallest building in Ponyville? She fell from heights ten or maybe even fifteen times higher with no injuries. Even Twilight and Starlight witnessed her jumping when she pierced through two floors and ceiling, or was it just one floor and ceiling? Not that it mattered. What mattered was that… Spike didn’t see any of that…

Nica gasped and her heartbeat increased in speed. Spike was deep asleep on the sunbed when she displayed her jumping skills, and he was absent from most situations where she displayed her durability. Not to mention that the young drake wasn’t with her when she was apologizing to school kids. From the young drake’s point of view, her innocent training was a near-death experience.

With her own eyes tearing up, she embraced Spike.

To think a simple training exercise could turn into such drama, she thought. A quill and a scroll were needed in an instant as she had some explaining to do.

Spike was sitting on his bed with Raichu sitting on his lap while holding a scroll.

“You… can’t be serious.” He rolled the scroll up and looked into the saddened eyes of the critter. “You fell from a few hundreds meters with no injuries… how durable are you?”

Nica shrugged. She wrote on the scroll while adding,

After reading the scroll, Spike asked, “So the children you hurt forgave you, and now you’re trying to get better control of your jumping abilities.” The moment she nodded, Spike said to himself, “To think I almost had a heart attack for nothing.” He rubbed the top of Raichu’s head. “Seriously, your good intentions keep backfiring over and over.”

Nica chuckled. She had to admit, luck hadn’t been on her side for the past week, but she didn’t care. All she could do was to keep trying her best… like she always did. She massaged her forehead, feeling as if an important memory was about to reveal itself, but vanished just as quickly.

“Well, if jumping is what you’re after, go ahead, jump to your heart’s desire. I’ll just grab some popcorn and cheer you on.” He booped her tiny nose. “But next time you try to pull some crazy stunt, warn me, alright?”

Raichu stepped from Spike’s lap and nodded.

“Spike, Raichu!” Starlight shouted and stepped outside of the castle. Her attempt to find the critter indoors had failed and she could’ve swore that she noticed something suspicious zipping from one roof to another, jumping between numerous homes.

Her suspicions proved true as she recognized the little fluffy ninja. “Hey, what are you doing up there?!” she shouted, but her voice failed to reach Raichu’s ears.

“What’s going on?” Twilight asked as she flew outside of the balcony, landing next to Starlight.

“It seems Raichu is jumping from house to house. We need to stop her before she causes a disturbance among the ponies or something.”

Twilight shook her forehoof dismissively. “There’s nothing to worry about. Pinkie jumped from one roof to another during her one of her best songs, ‘Smile, Smile, Smile…’ oh, good times. Other ponies even joined her.”

“Hey, Twilight, check this out!”

Twilight’s ears perked up as she recognized the voice. Only a moment later, Raichu jumped from the roof in her direction, landing in front of her with a loud thump. Normally, it wouldn’t be surprising as the critter proved to be extremely agile, if not for the passenger on her back.

“Cool, isn’t it?” Spike asked, holding Nica’s neck while his legs were perched on Raichu’s forepaws. While he was much heavier than Raichu thanks to his heavy scales, in terms of size he was just a bit taller. “She had a lot of fun, and even asked if she could take me for a ride. I think I even got a bit braver thanks to this experience.. that, or a bit crazier.”

Nica waved at Twilight and Starlight before returning her paw under Spike’s leg. She bit her lip and looked up, her attention now on the castle. Standing on the tips of her rear legs, she pushed herself up, taking a few short jumps. First onto the window, next onto the balcony and with a last jump she landed on the top.

Starlight laughed. “Well… I must say, I didn’t see this coming… ummm… Twilight, are you alright?” She looked at the princess whose eyes were wide and her mouth agape. She waved her forehoof in front of the princess’s face, with no response.

“Well… she’s broken,” Starlight said before levitating her teacher back into the castle. A mix of hot pepper and chili cure for Twilight was already in her mind.

Chapter 9 - Festival

Little Lost Raichu

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Chapter 9
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Festival

Perched on a small chair with a few pillows for support —as she was denied permission to sit on books— Nica bit her lip in concentration, writing word after word on scrolls lying on the table before her.

In the end, one reason why she was given shelter was for the research purposes, and she wasn’t going to disappoint.

She took a quick glance out the window at the sunrise and rubbed her eyes, still feeling some leftovers of the sleeping spell, but struggled against it.

An hour later, she lowered her quill and grabbed the scrolls between her paws, staring at them with pride.

Ever since yesterday’s exercise —which she had actually enjoyed— she made peace with herself. Her legs were no longer her enemy. Yet in terms of jumping mastery, there was still room for improvement… a storage-sized room. It would no doubt take many days, or maybe even weeks before she would feel comfortable with casual jumping, but at least she got rid of her fear.

With rolled-up scrolls in her grasp and electricity-absorbing collar on her neck, Raichu stepped into a spacious room, one which was skipped during her tour with Spike. The sight was breathtaking.

A large rounded table made of shining crystals, surrounded with four thrones, or maybe six or seven? Not that she could take in the entirety of the room by standing at the entrance, especially at her diminutive size.

Being small or not, it didn’t get in the way of noticing an impressive display of roots that dangled down from the ceiling with an arrangement of various gems. The very idea of damaging something this beautiful seemed unimaginable, so jumping up was out of the question. The room itself beamed with beauty and authority, as if being an important location of power. Or at least it would have, if not for the numerous balloons and a large banner with ‘Cheer Up’ written on it, which ruined the impression.

Nica’s ears perked up and her eyes drifted to the side as she sensed a very strong aura of excitement and happiness behind her. The odd thing about it was that she hadn’t sensed it before, nor had she heard a single noise. Even teleportation didn’t prove to be completely silent, so why was this so different?

The aura seemed oddly familiar.

She dropped the scrolls, turned around and jumped forward very lightly.

“Surpri—” Pinkie failed to finish as Raichu’s paws embraced her neck. The force of the restrained jump made her take a few steps backward while confetti she’d been holding spread all over the room. Two oval eyes were now staring into her very soul. “Wow… you’re the first pon… creature who I tried to surprise, but surprised me instead. You’re goooood.”

Nica blushed and closed her eyes as a warm smile was present on her face. It had been a few days since she’d encountered Pinkie Pie and started missing her. Or maybe she just missed the delicious sweets the pink pony generously shared with her? It was hard to tell.

Pinkie embraced the Raichu with one foreleg and entered further into the room, approaching her own throne. “I heard about what happened at the school and how gloomy you were because of that accident, so I thought a good dose of cheering up will… well… cheer you up.” She gestured over to the balloons and next pulled a cupcake from the deepest part her puffy tail.

Nica said as she released the neck of the party pony. She took the cupcake between her paws before biting it. She licked her lips and massaged her belly while displaying her teeth with a satisfied smile.

Was this cupcake sanitary considering it was stored in this pony’s tail? How was this pony able to silently appear out of nowhere and use tail and mane as a storage?

Nica didn’t care. The taste was out of this world and that's all she cared about.

“I knew my sweets would cheer you up. I made this cupcake with extra TCaLoL just for you. TCaLoL being ‘Tender Care and Lots of Love.’ Was it extra tasty?”

Nica stood on the tips of her rear paws, touched Pinkie’s muzzle with her tiny nose and then licked it.

“Awww… shucks…” Pinkie blushed, hiding behind her puffy mane.

“Can we get with the report, please,” Twilight said from her own throne, her face judging and impassive. Leftovers of confetti still present on her mane.

Raichu rounded the party mare and grabbed the scrolls from the floor before approaching the princess in haste. The very look on Twilight’s face made her feel uneasy, already missing those cute, knowledge-hungry, love-filled eyes. Why’s she angry at me, did I do something wrong? She sighed and handed over the scrolls, hoping deeply that it would satisfy the princess.

Nica looked around, considering where to sit. Twilight was perched in her respective throne with a smaller one next to it, most likely for Spike. Each throne had a large mark similar to the tattoo on ponies’ flanks. One of them belonged to Applejack, one to Rarity and one to Pinkie, leaving two thrones with marks she didn’t recognize.

With Starlight sitting on Rarity’s throne, Nica approached the seat with three butterflies and pointed at it.

Twilight levitated Raichu onto the throne and returned to reading the report. “So let me get this straight. According to your recovered memories, you come from an island over the ocean with many more regions nearby. Orange Islands and Alola region are made of an archipelago while the Kanto region is on a continent.”

Nica stood on the tips of her rear paws on the throne as the large map blocked part of her view. Seeing the upper part of the alicorn, she nodded. She still didn’t remember visiting any new location, but the human girl described them often in her recent dream.

Twilight smiled widely and her ears perked up. “That’s really, really interesting!”

“Do share,” Starlight said.

Twilight levitated one of the scrolls over to Starlight and said, “Apparently, the place that our guest comes from is filled with many creatures that possess great survival abilities and powers. They can control forces of electricity, fire, water and so on, and most of them are very determined to grow stronger and improve themselves. They are beings called Pokemon by another species.”

Starlight skimmed over the scroll and shot Nica a curious glance. “I take it that our Raichu possess power over electricity. But something feels odd.”

“What is?” Pinkie asked, tilting her head forward from her spot on the throne.

Wow, ponies’ necks sure are flexible, Nica thought, observing Pinkie’s extended neck with a growing curiosity.

“According to this report, Pokemon fight each other quite often, and not just to hunt for food. They mostly do it for fun or to improve themselves.” Starlight looked at Raichu. “But our guest is anything but violent. Her heart nearly broke recently because she hurt ponies. I can hardly imagine her fighting for the fun of it.”

“Well, she was more violent when she was younger. Apparently, she was fighting over and over against a human girl,” Twilight commented, causing Raichu to curl up in shame. “According to this report, these humans doesn’t possess great powers but are innovative and clever, yet they can still become tougher and stronger through hardship.” Her ears drooped. “I kind of feel sorry for Astra, stuck on an island and lonely because her parents had very dangerous jobs.”

Nica said, not daring to raise her head above the table level.

“She may have been a bully when she was younger, but she changed, and that’s what’s important,” Starlight commented.

“Or maybe she was violent, but changed due to her memory loss,” Twilight commented before raising a forehoof up to her face. “S-sorry, I didn’t mean to offend you. It was just a theory.”

“Oh come on girls, there’s no way this fluffy puffy cutie could be a bully,” Pinkie commented.

Twilight’s eyes sparkled and she looked at Nica. “Wait a moment, when you were younger, you were a tiny critter called Pichu. According to the human, you were going to evolve into the bigger Pikachu and next with the help of some sort of magical stone you were going to turn into… your current self.” She squealed. “An instant evolution, that’s amazing.”

“Is this evolution like growing up? Or can a Pokemon mature without evolving?” Starlight asked.

Twilight shrugged. “I don’t know. This report doesn’t provide enough data.”

Nica rubbed her chin, now deep in thought. Was it possible for her to mature while staying as a tiny Pichu? She was quite immature in the past after all. Her parents however were very responsible and caring while still being Pikachu, raising a big family while protecting the herd. There didn’t seem to be any thunderstones on the island to make it any easier.

This raised another unexpected question.

Had evolving changed her character in any way? Or was it just a natural progression to improve her survival abilities with no effect on her personality? In the end, her recent memories provided her with more questions than answers.

“That’s a massive cultural discovery!” Twilight lowered the scrolls and maintained a satisfied smile, her wings spread in excitement. “Pokemon possess great powers and love for battles, and they use the human’s intelligence and creativity to become stronger.”

Pinkie’s ears drooped as she spoke in a sorrowful tone, “So humans make those teeny cuties fight each other… I don’t like it.”

Nica hopped from throne to throne until reaching Pinkie, balancing on the tips of her rear leg to place her forepaw on the mare’s shoulder.

“Come here!” Pinkie shouted and grabbed Raichu into a warm hug, pressing her into her chest. “No mean human will make you fight as long as I’m around.”

Nica didn’t resist and allowed Pinkie to squeeze her to her heart's desire. Being hugged always made her feel at ease, though, she still prefered the gentle touch of a wing as feathers were soft and pleasant to touch. No matter if they were soft or painful, she had to admit, hugs were always nice.

Starlight spoke up, “Well, this explains why she’s so athletic. She must’ve had a fair share of battles in the past. For example, a trainer's job is to help their clients get in good shape or become an expert at a specific sport. A Pokemon trainer’s job is most likely to make a Pokemon great at fighting.” She glanced at her mentor. “I know a specific pony who could use someone like that.”

Twilight rolled her eyes. “One stalemate against you doesn’t mean I needed to become a monster-fighting warrior-princess.” She cleared her throat with a cough. “Back to the topic at hoof, I wonder if we’ll ever discover this other continent. Maybe we can organize an expedition or something…” she said to herself before looking at the long-tailed critter. “Raichu, I find all this data to be very satisfactory and informative. Thank you.”

“Does this mean I can take Raichu outside so we can have fun?” Pinkie asked.

“Wait, there’s one more thing,” Twilight said, pointing at the last scroll before giving Raichu a curious glance. “Your trainer named you Nica. So in the end Raichu was just the name of your species, or rather its final evolution. Pichu evolved into…” She paused and massaged her forehead. “Anyway, do you wish for us to use your real name?”

Raichu nodded. It was odd enough that she kept repeating her own name just to communicate, and ‘Nica’ had a nice ring to it. It was a short, calm and peaceful name.

“Nica it is,” Starlight said in a cheerful tone. “Now go and have some fun, it will clear your mind from all the bad experiences you had so far.”

“That’s great!” Pinkie raised Raichu up to her face and said, “There’s a festival in town, we’ll have so much fun, Nica. Cotton-candy for everyp-one!” She dashed out of the room in a cloud of dust with Raichu holding her neck.

“Have fun!” Starlight and Twilight shouted in unison before vanishing from Nica’s sight.

“With the report out of the way, we should focus on the more pressing issue.” Twilight spread her wings and started towards Starlight authoritatively. “Spike has been planning to invite Ember to visit Ponyville for a while now, and today he finally got a response. There’s a lot of preparations to be done before her arrival, and that’s why I have a task for you.”

Starlight saluted. “Decorating, transporting of materials? Whatever it is, I’ll get it done.” Whatever the task was, she wasn’t going to fail. Maybe she would even get a chance to unleash some powerful spells. It has been a while since she… On the other hoof… maybe abusing her powerful magic wasn’t all that safe.

“We’ll take care of that in due time. For tomorrow, your task will be to take Raichu… Nica... to Fluttershy.”

“Huh, why?” Starlight asked.

“Because I want all of my friends to meet our new companion, and neither Fluttershy or Rainbow Dash know about her. Furthermore, when it comes to taking care of animals, Fluttershy is an expert, so I thought Nica would be more comfortable living with her instead.”

“B-but…”

“Let her choose,” Twilight said before she had the chance to speak. “I think it’s unfair that we keep Raichu inside the castle for the sake of research. She has been living with us for over a week and has had many bad experiences. Maybe she’ll be happier with Fluttershy instead.”

Starlight lowered her head and her ears drooped. Over the past week she’d gotten very attached to the large critter and was even impressed by her reawakening abilities. Taking care of Raichu was actually something she was looking forward to…

“Is something wrong?”

“N-no,” Starlight answered with a forced smile. Now wasn’t the time to be selfish.

Raichu peeked from behind Pinkie’s neck and took in her surroundings.

Tents in a variety of colors and sizes were randomly scattered about, which was a big change when compared to the organized lines of stands in the market area. And while Nica hid behind Pinkie’s mane whenever tracked by the curious eyes of bystanders, the quantity of ponies per meter in here was extreme.

Nica’s nose twitched as she sniffed the scent of something sweet, and her attention quickly rested upon a stand with a pink puffy ball on a stick. A quick glance at Pinkie’s mane to compare raised a question: was Pinkie Pie’s tail edible?

“I really really love festivals, they are filled with so many ponies, lots of fun events and most importantly, delicious sweets!” Pinkie shouted as she bounced in place, forcing her passenger to hold onto her neck.

Nica’s eyes sparkled as if covered by glitter, and she licked her lips. Her mind provided her with images of cakes covered by cream surpassing the recently eaten cupcakes, distracting her from odd stares from nearby ponies.

“Come closer everypony. For today you can prove your strength and win grand prizes!” shouted a tall bronze stallion with muscular legs. He wasn’t the only pony with a muscular build as nearby sat a much bigger white stallion who seemed busy hugging a few plush toys he won, yet his muscles were everywhere except in his legs and tiny wings.

“Cotton candy and ice cream everypony! Come here and warm your heart with a cold snack!”

“Throw water balloons at targets and win fabulous prizes!”

Advertisements, one after another, reached Raichu’s ears as she felt a strong urge to participate, yet it wasn’t an easy choice. On one side she could stuff her cheeks with delicious sweets she loved so much, but on the other she could have fun while performing athletic activities. Was there a way she could do both at the same time?

“Two cotton candies please,” Pinkie ordered while placing several bits on the table, which she took out from her own mane.

“Oh, hello Pinkie. Do you want a large, extra large, super extra large or mega extra large?” asked the shopkeeper.

Nica rubbed the top of her head. Why was the shopkeeper coming up with so many different sizes? Was eating habits of the pink pony anything special?

“One small and one super extra large,” Pinkie said with a glee before turning to the side and pointing at her passenger.

The shopkeeper examined Nica for a moment before nodding. “On it,” he said and gave her cotton candy after only ten seconds, which was just slightly bigger than Raichu’s head. “The super extra large will take three minutes to make, so feel free to come back later.”

Raichu’s mouth was agape as she took the stick between her paws while a few drops of saliva dripped from her mouth and sunk into Pinkie’s mane. She considered gifting the shopkeeper with a grateful hug or cheek nuzzling, but with her paws busy, she decided against it. She shot the pony a thankful smile before pressing her face into the pink sticky goodness, biting and chewing it.

“That’s a great idea,” Pinkie said and turned around, bouncing towards another stand.

With half of the cotton candy eaten, Raichu withdrew her face from the puffy pink blob and licked her lips, though several small cotton candy fragments now decorated her head. A few were stuck to her long ears, one on the tip of her tiny nose, two on her forehead and even the yellow dots on her cheeks were now pink instead. Massaging her fat cheeks and her attempt to wipe her face clean only resulted in the cotton candy now being stuck to the fur on her paws.

“Was it good?” Pinkie asked.

Nica shouted and patted Pinkie’s neck, which resulted in cotton tying their fur together. She pulled her paw away, tearing off a small bit of Pinkie’s fur as a result. She looked at her own presentable collar to make sure it was spared the sticky cotton candy and sighed in relief.

“Eating tasty sweets is great, but even better is burning those extra calories on fun and games,” Pinkie said as she approached a long sledgehammer and wrapped her tail around it.

Nica devoured the rest of her cotton candy in haste –licking her forepaws at the end– and glanced at Pinkie’s tail, studying its movements as if hypnotised by it. How it raised the heavy hammer, balanced above the wooden plank and swung it with such force behind it. The lead weight half the size of Raichu that rested on the other side of the plank was pushed up two meters before falling down.

“Studious unicorn level, here’s your reward,” the stallion said as he put a plush toy into Pinkie’s embrace. A blue unicorn wearing cape covered by tiny stars.

“Thankies,” Pinkie said with a quick bounce before wrapping her tail around Raichu’s belly and placing her in front of the wooden plank. “Now it’s your turn. Show this plank who’s the boss, and, most importantly, have fun!”

“Huh?” The stallion lowered his head to take a better look. “Is your friend a filly or colt in a costume? If so, it sure is one heck of a disguise.” He pointed at her head. “How’s this mask even hiding the muzzle?”

“Oh, right... I almost forgot. This here’s a Raichu and her name’s Nica, she’s a pet slash mascot slash friend slash… something,” Pinkie said while trotting in place before paying two extra bit as a participant fee. “Can she have a try, please?”

The stallion rubbed his chin and shrugged. “Sure. Pony or whatever else, makes no difference to me.”

Raichu looked between Pinkie and the stallion before nodding, only to nearly lose her balance when the sledgehammer was pushed into her embrace. After a moment to stabilize herself on her trembling feet, she approached and raised the large weapon above her head. Her forepaws trembled as well.

She gritted her teeth and swung, slamming the solid wood while bouncing up from the recoil.

“Studious unicorn filly level,” the stallion said before picking up a tiny wooden statuette, which was small enough to fit on a single hoof. The weight didn’t go up even half a meter after all, reaching near-bottom score.

“Not bad, try again,” Pinkie said, throwing a few more bits in the stallion’s direction. “Come on, you can do better than that!”

Nica glanced at Pinkie’s tail for a moment, and next gazed at her own. Didn’t the human girl who was training her also mention about using her tail for combat once she reached her next and final evolution? Maybe it wasn’t as useless as she thought it to be.

She bit her lip and turned around while mimicking Pinkie’s previous actions, wrapping her very long tail around the lower part of the sledgehammer, picking it up surprisingly easy. Using her forepaws for support as she now stood on four instead of two, she focused on controlling her tail, moving it back and forth as a warm up.

“Oh, you’re trying to use your tail the same way I did, I’m flattered,” Pinkie said with closed eyes while shaking her foreleg.

A few bypassing ponies stopped in their track to take a better look, never before seeing a long-tailed pear-shaped critter lifting a sledgehammer. There was certainly nothing ordinary about it, even for Ponyville’s standards. Even for a pony, using their tail in such way wasn’t an easy feat.

Raichu narrowed her eyes and gritted her teeth, swinging the hammer. To her surprise, she hit the wooden plank with less effort than before. Now that she thought about it, was her tail stronger than her other limbs?

“Pegasus colt level, that’s better,” the stallion said while pointing at small pictures on the measuring pole. On the very bottom was a tiny baby pony, followed by small pony with horn, small pony with wings and small pony with no outstanding features. Were those the unicorns, pegasi and earth ponies that Twilight and Starlight had told her about? Three top races Equestria was made of.

The trend continued as further up were a grown up unicorn with a book, grown up pegasus with a weight in its mouth, and finally, an earth pony with a boulder on its back. On the very top of the pole under a gong was a picture of a stallion lifting a large boulder while standing on two rear hooves.

Does this mean that in terms of strength earth ponies are on the top and unicorns on the bottom? But Starlight said she could levitate fifty tons… Are my caretakers special? Raichu thought.

“You did great, Nica, now that was a solid tail-smashing,” Pinkie said while clapping her hooves. A few ponies that gathered nearby giggled at the cute performance and clapped as well.

“Bravooo... For your size, you did really well,” the stallion applauded. “Want to try again, this one’s on the house.” He gestured for the crowd of ponies to come closer.

Raichu looked at the gathered ponies and her ears drooped. Testing her strength was really fun, so why was she feeling so nervous? Was she afraid of screwing up in front of an audience? She smiled sheepishly and shook her head. Suddenly, her eyes focused on a pony whose aura she recognized, and said pony stepped ahead of the crowd.

“Can I try?”

“Sure,” the stallion said and nodded with an encouraging smile, looking down at the pink filly. “Just don’t strain yourself.”

Nica said, pointing at the filly. Her name was Lily, Lily Longsock. A very deceiving name indeed, but why was she here?

“I’ll do my best,” Lily said with a cheerful smile as she trotted towards the sledgehammer, picking it up with one hoof. A quick and solid swing didn’t bear the desired fruit though, as the wooden plank shattered from the impact. A few ponies in the crowd raised their forelegs defensively. “Sorry!” She dropped the weapon, took a step back and covered her blushing face.

Raichu trotted towards Lily and nuzzled her cheek, calming her down.

The stallion gasped before recovering his composure. He opened a chest next to the pole and picked up an iron model to replace the destroyed plank. “I have this baby for such situations, try again.”

The filly nodded and gave it another try. While the iron resisted, the hammer still left a mark in it while the weight shot up at extreme speed. Not only did it reach the top, but also pushed the gong away. A shout of panic and a loud thud followed as the weight and gong landed a few meters away.

Raichu couldn’t help herself but giggle, looking at faces and sensing ponies auras in amusement.

The stand-owner closed his mouth and pushed a life-sized plush of a purple pony with both horn and wings. “Here’s your prize. A princess plush for a superpony. What’s your name, little one?”

“L-Lily, Lily Longsock.”

“Lily Longsock? More like, Lily Stronghold,” the stallion said with a chuckle, only for his privacy to become endangered as Pinkie’s muzzle touched his.

“You have a life-sized plush of Twilight Sparkle? Do you have other princesses as rewards as well?” Pinkie asked.

“Y-yes... I use different ones as the main reward depending where I open my stand,” the stallion answered, taking a few steps backward to distance himself from the enthusiastic pony.

Raichu approached the filly and clapped her paws.

The filly pushed the plush towards Raichu. “H-here… take it… I won this for you.”

Nica pushed the plush towards the filly, but trying to overpower her was a futile endeavour.

“Please, accept it. Whenever I’m around you, I feel comfortable with showing my strength,” Lily said as she tapped her hooves together. “I want to thank you somehow… for being my friend.”

Raichu smiled, hugged the filly and next nuzzled her cheek. She looked around at the nearby stands. It was only fair for her to win something for Lily in return.

Chapter 10 - Mysterious Encounter

Little Lost Raichu

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Chapter 10
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Mysterious Encounter

“Is this… for me?” Lily asked, slowly and carefully taking the water gun away from Nica as if it was a fragile trophy. Just a few minutes ago she was jumping and cheering up for her long-tailed friend, who was throwing water balloons at the moving targets. She had to admit, while Raichu’s paws weren’t much stronger than the legs of an ordinary filly —though unbelievably good at jumping— the critter’s precision was incredible. It seemed as if Nica knew where the target was going to be a few seconds in advance. Spinning to gather momentum before throwing the last balloon with her tail was quite the show, and she looked forward to more tricks of such calibre.

Nica said. Not expecting the filly to understand her, she let her actions speak for themselves.

Lily felt her heart warm up. Even if the water gun was a poor reward when compared to the life-size plush of the princess, she couldn’t care less.

Without hesitation, she grabbed Raichu with one foreleg and nuzzled her cheek. A painful yet affectionate experience the pokemon didn’t resist. “Since it’s from you, I’ll treasure it!” She looked around and ran in the direction of another stand, this one having an earth pony wearing a clown’s mask sitting on a small platform above a big container filled with water. While water balloons proved to be weak ammunition, there was no way any target was going to withstand her throwing prowess.

Raichu struggled for a moment before earning her freedom, sliding away from Lily’s embrace. she asked, though seeing a clown pony with saddened smile sitting above a container of water explained enough. Her ears drooped as she stared at the poor stallion in pity.

“Here you go,” said a green pegasus as she placed a few balloons on the ground in front of the filly before taking the bits. She swung her foreleg and added, “Throw as hard as you can, and who knows, maybe you’ll drop the clown and win something cool.”

Hearing the mare’s words, Nica turned to Lily, placed her paws on the water balloon she held and shook her head.

“You seem sad, is something wrong?” Lily asked.

Nica pointed at the pony sitting on the platform and shook her head.

“Are you… feeling sorry for this pony and not want me to wet him?” Lily asked, receiving an energetic nod. “Awww…” She sighed and returned the balloons. “Fine…” She received the paid bits back a moment later.

Nica said before gasping. Her ears perked up and the pupils in her eyes shrank as she looked up, observing a three meters high, two meters wide cotton candy. Its size being so big that its shadow covered her and the filly.

“Are you both having fun?” Pinkie asked as she balanced the cotton candy with a single hoof.

Lily raised her head, only to flinch and point at the pink monstrosity. “Wooow… it’s so biiig! Can I have some?”

“Sure thing.”

Raichu could do little but stare. The size of this cotton candy was so big that with one wrong move of her foreleg, Pinkie could trap a few ponies. If this was the super extra large, how big was the mega extra large going to be? She shivered at the idea.

“And to think that not long ago you shocked a few fillies and colts with electricity, and now look at you, enjoying the festival with your school-friend… not that you go to school…” Pinkie said, only for small stream of water to splash into her face.

Lily lowered her water gun and giggled. “I’m really sorry, Pinkie, but I can’t let you remind my friend of such sad moments.”

“Oops, sorry, I didn’t mean to…” Pinkie yelped as she was pushed to the side by a pony wearing a grey coat. The cotton candy she held fell from her hoof and dropped on three panicking bystanders.

The mysterious stallion grabbed Pinkie’s plush unicorn and Lily’s water gun before dumping them into his saddlebag. He then pushed the life-sized stuffed toy with his head while running away.

“Hey, come back here you toy-stealing thief!” Pinkie shouted while shaking her foreleg treatengly. She bit her lip as she noticed a few ponies struggling to get out from the sea of cotton. “S-sorry, let me help!” She dived into the cotton candy, devouring it at a quick pace in an attempt to free the trapped ponies.

Nica narrowed her eyes. No thief was going to steal anything from her friends on her watch. She bent her legs and darted away, following the stallion.

To Raichu, Pinkie was even more sweet than the treats she made. Why would anyone steal a cute little plush from her?

Not to mention that not long ago she hurt Lily with electricity, yet the filly forgave her and became her friend, going so far as to even win her a big huggable stuff-toy. It was gift from a friend, and the water gun was her gift for the filly, both had emotional value, and she was going to get them back.

The stallion made a few quick turns between tents and stands, now making his escape towards a line of buildings. Yet the smaller size and greater agility of Raichu helped her to turn much faster, catching up with the thief despite him having a head start.

With a quick jump, Nica tackled the thief’s neck, pulling the coat up over the stallion’s head. Yet the targeted pony held his ground, refusing to trip over.

After a moment to reassert himself and shake dirt from his hooves, the tall stallion resumed his gallop, forcing the pokemon to hold his neck. The ponies who got in the way were pushed to the side.

Nica stepped onto the ground and grabbed the stallion’s foreleg, pulling it with all her strength but to no avail. In the end, she was smaller and weaker than the ponies, and there wasn’t much her agility could do against brute force. But wait… there were still two tricks she could use.

Using electricity would no doubt hurt the pony a lot, so she decided not to take off the collar from her neck just yet. Instead, she backflipped to gain some distance, bending her legs for a counterattack. Waiting for the right moment, she jumped and wrapped her tail around his hind leg, tripping him over with the force of her jump and strength of her tail. The saddlebag fell across his shoulder and rolled on the ground, while the life-sized plush of an alicorn fell over.

Nica shouted and started hopping in place in excitement with weak restrained jumps. She actually did something useful for the first time since the ponies accepted her, and she liked it. No, she loved it. All she needed to do was to be useful around thirty more times and she would repay all the kindness and favors that she had been gifted.

Trotting like Pinkie Pie, she rounded the stallion while a proud smile radiated from her face. Yet her smile vanished just as quickly the moment she looked into the eyes of the thief. They seemed green, tiny, lifeless, and some sort of green-dark aura radiated from them.

The stallion stood up and grabbed the saddlebag with his teeth, leaving the large plush behind.

Nica shouted as she once again wrapped her tail around the stallion’s leg, but without additional pulling force she failed to trip him over and was pulled instead. Ending up in dark alley, she grabbed the corner of a house with her paws and pulled, tripping the stallion for the second time. Suddenly, she felt an aura of excitement behind her, one that wasn’t there before.

“Nice catch!” Pinkie shouted as she grabbed Raichu between her forehooves, now sitting right behind her. “Sorry it took so long, but I needed to help some ponies.” She released Raichu from her embrace and turned towards the thief while Lily, who was sitting on Pinkie’s back, jumped to the ground. “Now listen here you meany, if you wanted some toys, you should try to win them like everypony else… or ask nicely. I suppose I would give you one if you just asked, but stealing is a big no no.” As the stallion just stared back at her with lifeless eyes, Pinkie asked, “Are you feeling okay? You look… weird.”

“Forgive him, he just did what I commanded him to do.”

Pinkie looked around in confusion as she heard a deep voice speaking to her in her mind.

The group’s attention shifted to another caped figure, this one however seemed way more bulky. Was it even a pony? The coat covered most of its features, and there seemed to be a lot of mass hidden under the hood.

Pinkie tilted her head to the side. She didn’t remember any large stallion in Ponyville to be homeless, nor poor, so why was this one sitting in the darkness supported against a wall? Either a beggar moved to Ponyville and another pony tried to steal for him, which didn’t make much sense considering what was stolen, or something was terribly wrong. Also, the way this pony spoke to her seemed funny. She glanced at her long-tailed friend who seemed wary of the newcomer.

Taking a deep breath, Pinkie asked, “Who’re you? And why are you hiding yourself under this hood in this suspicious dark alley where you could totally ambush us, steal our goods and nopony would witness it?” Her words only ended up raising a red flag in Raichu and Lily’s mind.

Pinkie’s body and tail started to shake, and she took a moment to regain her composure. “My Pinkie sense tells me something really, really, really bad is about to happen…” She took hesitant steps backward while grabbing Lily with a hoof. She chuckled nervously and said, “I think we’ll be going…”

Nica took a fighting stance on her four paws, her ears and tail raised threateningly.

The mysterious figure chuckled. “So you saw through the charade this quickly, not that this ability of yours will help you now.” In a great display of speed, it levitated towards the party mare as a three-finger black-grey hand shot from his hood, grabbing Pinkie’s foreleg violently. His other hand emerged and a flame appeared above one of its fingers.

Raichu jumped onto the hand of the attacker and grabbed it, pressing her rear paws into what was probably a belly and pulled, trying to free her pony friend. Her attempts were clearly ignored.

The party mare pulled her foreleg from the vice grip, as if her limbs were made of bubblegum, and her eyes were now fully focused on the small flame. Yet it seemed anything but normal. It was black and pulsating, and the finger of the attacker was like a small candle.

Pinkie raised her foreleg defensively, but it did little to help as the attacker slapped it away and pushed the flame towards her forehead. Instead of burning the fur, though, it sunk into her forehead. Pinkie’s surroundings became blurry and started spinning. Her eyes closed slowly and her consciousness faded away.

Nica asked as she released the dark hand and ran towards Pinkie, shaking her head in an attempt to wake her up. She glanced at Lily, who stood in one place while covered in sweat. The terror on Lily’s face told Raichu that she was paralyzed by fear. Her ears drooped and she shot the mysterious figure an angered glare.

”That is none of your concern.”

Raichu took a fighting stance once more, not bothered by the voice that spoke to her in her mind. Instead, she jumped and tackled the attacker with her head, smashing them into a home. She failed to pierce the wooden wall though as her enemy showed some resistance, and she was instead grabbed by its hand for her trouble. She gritted her teeth as the three fingers started to squeeze her neck.

Nica started to struggle to free herself, wriggling her body and using her own paws against the enemy’s hand, but the attacker was bigger and stronger. She caught a glimpse of its face under the hood, and found that there wasn’t much of a face to begin with. There was no mouth, no nose, only large blue eye and some sort of red thingy… as if a piece of red armor.

The hooded attacker looked at the shining collar curiously and asked, ”You’re sealing away your power, why?” He lit a flame above his finger once more and added, Doesn’t matter, it was convenient for me. You seem to like living among the residents of this world, so enjoy their company in the bliss I provide as long as you can. He slowly moved the flame on his finger towards Nica’s forehead, only for the yellow part of her long tail to slap his face and next press against his hand. Fool, you can’t harm me with such feeble attacks, not that such a weak hit is even worth being called an attack. Without access to your power or your memories, you’re nothing to me.

Raichu’s anxiety was replaced by curiosity for a moment. This creature not only understood her, but also knew about her amnesia and that the collar was sealing away her electricity, but how? And what did it mean ‘residents of this world’? Thinking it over proved very difficult due to her being choked.

“L-leave her alone, or… or I’ll punch you!” Lily shouted as she stood on her trembling legs, but hid her fear behind an angered glare.

The mysterious figure ignored the filly and started to overpower Raichu’s tail, the flame only centimeters away from the orange forehead. Much to its surprise, the pink filly jumped towards his head and her hoof made contact with its face. The force of the punch pushed them through two wooden walls, right into somepony’s kitchen. The room was empty though as only shelves, a sink and an oven kept them company.

Nica tried to use the moment to escape, but failed as the hand still held her neck with great strength. She couldn’t even take off her collar as the fingers squeezing her neck were in the way. Despite the enormous force hitting her assailant in such small space on its face, its grip was as strong as before.

The mysterious figure levitated upward and charged at the filly the moment she peeked into the kitchen, and flame on its finger made contact with Lily’s forehead.

Raichu could do little but watch as his little strong friend lost consciousness. The moment the black flame touched her own forehead, her eyes became heavy and she followed in suit. Tired, defenseless and sleepy, the last thing on her mind was how she failed the ponies when they needed her the most.

“Hey, wake up!”

NIca’s eyes shot open as she looked around, noticing Pinkie’s signature smile and the concerned face of Lily Longsock.

“You can’t fall asleep now when there are still so many attractions to explore,” Pinkie said as her tail grabbed Raichu and placed her on her back.

Nica massaged her forehead. Something didn’t seem right… The last thing she remembered was stopping Lily from drowning a clown pony in a large container of water, only to wake up to Pinkie’s shouting. But what happened in between? There had to be something…

After a moment of deep thinking while feeling a headache, she shrugged and let it go, after all, she still needed to win more rewards for Lily. A water gun wasn’t even close to a life-sized plush pony.

“Come over everypony, only today you can witness an outstanding display of balance and agility!”

As if a fish taking the bait, Pinkie started bouncing into the tent. She ignored the advertising unicorn and waved her foreleg towards a white pegasus with pink mane in green stripes with red flower as a cutie mark. “Hey Blossomforth, what’s up?”

She waved back. “Oh, hey Pinkie Pie, just trying to earn a few bits on the side. And who’re your companions?”

Pinkie lowered her neck and pointed at her back. “This here’s Raichu and her name’s Nica, our new mascot slash friend slash… something. Feel free to hug her, she won’t electrocute you, Pinkie Promise.” She pointed at the pink filly next to her. “And she’s Lily Stronghold, she’s Nica’s friend and she’s really good at winning.”

“It’s… Lily Longsock… not Stronghold,” she corrected, rubbing her forearm nervously. “And I’m not good at winning, just a little bit strong is all.”

“Excuse me, I’m trying to give a speech here.”

“S-sorry!” Pinkie shouted and held a forehoof over her mouth.

“First, allow me to introduce myself and the champion. My name’s Juggle Ball, the organizer of this event.” The unicorn stallion cleared his throat and addressed the gathered audience, “Miss Blossomforth, also known as the hoof-standing master, has been practicing for months to break the record, thirty minutes of non-stop standing on one hoof while balancing three plates on her other hooves. If anypony feels capable and brave enough to challenge her, please step forward. The closer to the record, the better the reward.” He pointed at the pegasus who showed her teeth in a smile. “And to prove that she’s really a big deal, she’ll show off her skills on the stage by competing with other challengers. If somepony can beat her at her own game, an extra prize awaits.

Raichu closed her eyes, seeing images of yet another memory, but instead of being a Pichu again, she looked like her parents. She and her human trainer were inside a forest near a small river, very close to a waterfall. Why she was there she couldn’t tell, but for some reason she stepped into the cold water and started walking towards the waterfall. Despite her small size as a Pikachu, she didn’t drown in the water as it was shallow enough to only reach halfway up her belly. Once under the very strong stream of water pressing against her entire body, she stood on the tips of her tiny legs, and next on the tip of just one leg, balancing herself despite the heavy pressure. How a foot which was three times smaller than her ear could manage to keep her stable in such a condition was incomprehensible to her.

Nica opened her eyes and looked at her own feet, which at the very least weren’t so microscopic. How long could her bigger paws balance her weight? She had to know. And unlike her experiences with Rarity, this time she was planning to go all out.

“I want to participate, pick me, pick me!” Pinkie shouted, standing on her rear hooves while raising her foreleg. Joining raised hooves of a few other ponies.

Raichu, who was deep in thought, rolled from Pinkie’s back to the ground, but quickly stood up and approached the stage. She stood on the tips of her rear paws and waved at the stallion.

Lily joined in, though not showing much confidence in herself.

“Seems this time we have many contestants.” Juggle Ball said, clearing his throat. “Let the challenge begin!”

Blossomforth stepped onto a small platform and spread her wings, raising one leg after another before she stood only on her right forehoof. It didn’t take long before three plates were levitated and balanced on her other three hooves and four plates were perched on her spread wings.

Other participants followed her example.

Nica observed Blossomforth, now standing on her right forepaw. Much to her surprise, she barely felt her own weight, as if she was as light or even lighter than a feather. It made sense actually. After enduring a small waterfall pressing against her while standing on a tiny leg, her current exercise was a breeze.

A moment later, she felt the cold surface of three plates balancing on the bronze edges of her other paws. The fact that she was somewhat smaller than the ponies put her at a slight disadvantage when balancing them. Not that she minded as the challenge was the best part.

The timer on a small device was set, showing the time that passed, second by second.

Nica’s ears perked up at the yelping noise that came from Lily’s mouth, noticing that the filly and plates she had tried to balance were now levitating in a bronze aura.

“That’s one less, five left, better luck next time.”

Lily nodded and walked towards the gathered crowd, deciding to cheer up for her friend instead. “Come on Raichu… I mean Nica… you can… and… do your best!” Her voice was still hesitant as she glanced at gathered ponies from time to time.

Raichu nodded. Balancing seemed to be her field of speciality, and she wasn’t going to give up until she had won the most grand prize for Lily. She was going to paw-stand to the last fraction of her stamina… or at the very least as long as necessary.

“Let’s add some difficulty, show them what I mean, Blossomforth,” Juggle shouted, and only now Nica noticed a few red balls surrounded by a bronze aura as his cutie mark.

Blossomforth nodded before pushing one plate up from her left forehoof. Her right forehoof bent and pushed her entire body up a moment later. She quickly changed the hoof she stood on before catching the plate.

Other ponies could only stare and gulp as their rival now stood on her left forehoof instead without dropping a single plate or drop of sweat.

“Now your turn, change your foreleg in a similar manner.”

Nica’s ears twitched at each yelp, and she could see the unicorn’s horn in action as he levitated the plates and participants away. She focused on the plate held in her paw and bit her lip in concentration.

The plate flew up, so did Raichu’s body as she lightly pushed herself upward, changing her paws and catching the plate quickly… and it worked. She actually jumped with one paw and balanced the plate with ease, certainly something to be proud of.

“It seems only two participants and our champion are left on the field,” the unicorn commented. “Of course our brave participants are welcome to challenge the champion with a trick of their own.”

“My turn, my turn,” Pinkie shouted as she pushed the plate from her foreleg and caught it with her tail. She next pushed herself up and changed her legs. “Now your turn Blossom.”

“B-b-but…”

Amazed by Pinkie’s trick, Raichu followed her example, pushing and catching a plate with her tail before changing the paw she stood on.

Blossomforth gave a nervous smile at her boss before trying her luck, yet while her body reached the limits of pony-flexibility, her ability in using tail were near-non-existent.

“It seems… our champion is... down…” Juggle chuckled before pointing at Raichu and Pinkie while addressing the crowd. “But don’t leave just yet, everypony, we still have two fighting contestants.”

“Hey, Nica, try this,” Pinkie said as she used her tail to place a plate on tip of her nose and started spinning it.

Raichu gulped before doing the same. One second, two seconds, six seconds, the plate spun on her nose, and with a shake of her head she tossed it back onto the thunder-shaped part of her tail. And then she smiled with a wide glee. Performing such tricks was sooo much fun! She ignored the growing audience and simply enjoyed herself.

Pinkie laughed very loudly, throwing plates between her hooves while changing the legs she stood on, was it foreleg or hind leg didn’t matter. Even her tail was used once as support to balance her entire body. Her little companion didn’t seem to fall behind as she copied all tricks she performed flawlessly, even doing some of her own.

“Twelve minutes, ladies and gentle-ponies, twelve minutes and none of our wonderful contestants are giving up.” Juggle Ball wiped sweat from his forehead. For the past twelve minutes he was forced to look at the plates being thrown left and right, barely even blinking in case he needed to catch them with his levitation. The gathered crowd was at least three times bigger than before and each pony had their own favourite. While most stallions cheered up for Pinkie Pie, the friendly party pony, most mares were overtaken by the charm of the long-tailed critter, both admiring her enthusiasm and wishing to rub Raichu between her ears.

The excitement Nica felt didn’t die down, quite the opposite, she wanted more, and even the growing crowd of ponies didn’t intimidate her. Using her tail, she picked up her plates and threw them up, one at a time. Performing a backflip, she landed on her rear paw while catching two falling plates with her foreleg, and the last one she caught with her teeth. Much to her surprise, Pinkie fell from the platform, and the plate she tried to catch with her teeth shattered into pieces.

“Seems we have a winner!”

The crowd went wild, cheering for the winner, and so did Lily as she accidently pushed a few pegasi to the other side of the tent in excitement. Luckily, their wings stopped them in mid air… except one unicorn who crashed into a few barrels and now started counting stars that circled over his head.

“You can now step down and take your fabulous prize,” the unicorn said, but Nica shook her head in refusal. “Huh, but why?”

Raichu stretched her tail and pointed at the device that was counting time that passed from the start of this challenge.

“Oh right, record beating. Alright. You just need to wait ten more minutes.” He rubbed the back of his neck. Since the record was made by ponies, would it count if a long-tailed pear-shaped critter the size of a young filly beat it?

Nica nodded. Despite performing various tricks and jumping from one paw to another, she didn’t feel tired in the least. If anything, she felt invigorated. Maybe performing a small dance with her forepaws wouldn’t hurt?

Blossomforth sat next to Pinkie and whispered into her ear. “Can you give me some tips how to use my tail for such tricks?”

“Sure, I’m always up to help a friend,” Pinkie whispered back, though not as quietly.

“Thanks, Pinkie, you’re the best.”

The festival filled with fun and games came to an end as Lily and Nica exchanged farewell hugs. The collar on Raichu’s neck shone brightly, once again proving its worth in containing the pokemon’s electricity. Nica ended their goodbye by nuzzling the tip of the pony’s muzzle with her own nose.

Not wanting to be left behind, Pinkie hugged Lily as well, only to nearly choke the moment a pair of tiny hooves squeezed her neck. She massaged it a moment later while gasping for air.

“Are you... h-happy?” A quick breath in. “Did you forget all the sad experiences in the sea of fun?” Pinkie looked down at Nica in expectation. She smiled very widely the moment she noticed a nod. “Hop on, I’ll get you back into the castle in no time.”

Nica jumped… after wasting a moment to calculate the strength of her jump. She couldn’t help herself but immediately nuzzle Pinkie’s soft mane, nearly sinking in it.

“I can’t believe you gave all your rewards to Lily. We’re lucky she’s so strong, or else she would have a hard time getting all those toys home.” Pinkie giggled before pushing the life-size stuffed toy that Lily won for her friend. “Close your eyes and hold tight, I’ll get us back to the castle in no time.”

Nica did as she was told, holding Pinkie’s neck tightly as the mare galloped at extreme speed. Once the castle was in her reach, she grabbed the large plush between her paws and jumped from Pinkie’s back, reaching the window of her own room. Accuracy of her jumps seemed to be improving with practice.

“I had a lot of fun too, and you’re really good with your tail. Hope we can play more soon, bye, bye, bye!” Pinkie shouted and waved her hoof at Raichu. The sun was slowly vanishing behind the horizon. “I hope Maud found some gems for the gem-filled-cupcakes for Ember. Tasty treats for the Dragon Lord won’t bake themselves.”

Too far away to hear her friend’s words, Nica waved before opening the window and pushing the life-sized toy inside, placing it in the corner of the room. She gave it a quick hug to test its… fluffiness… To her disappointment, the fake feathers were no match for Twilight’s majestic wings.

After giving her spider and cockroach friends a quick welcome, she climbed up onto her bed and raised her paws one after another, now standing only on one.

Raichu took a deep breath and narrowed her eyes. During the festival she beat the pony record, standing on one paw for over thirty minutes, but it wasn’t her limit and she was planning to learn of her real limits tonight.

Chapter 11 - Raichu Rai and Fluttershy

Little Lost Raichu

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Chapter 11
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Raichu Rai and Fluttershy

“Nica, just follow the plan and the victory will be ours,” Astra commanded as she now stood on the sand while wearing only a green shirt and green undershirt with the ocean before her. Her heavy boots rested under a tree in order to not get sand into them. The weather was cloudless and waves on the ocean were very weak.

Being trapped on an island meant that there were plenty of water pokemon to choose from, and ever easier to catch with the help of Pichu. Electricity had an advantage in this scenario after all. What’s more, adding the power of water into their arsenal would let them deal with ground, fire, and rock type pokemon. It was an essential element for their future victories.

Of course, a pokemon that looked like a bronze-gold starfish with a ruby at its core wasn’t exactly intimidating. Being small herself though, Nica knew better than anyone that pokemon’s size is very deceiving when it came to their true power, and her trainer knew that as well.

Staryu lowered one of its five limbs and shot a stream of water towards Nica who awaited this moment, jumping to the side.

“Perfect, now counterattack with a ‘Thundershock’!”

Pichu did as she was told, sending electricity towards Staryu as it was still busy with its own attack. The starfish tanked the hit and responded with ‘Bubble’.

“Nica, keep running,” Astra commanded.

Nica nodded and began running on her four tiny legs as bubbles splashed behind her. Keeping a good distance to better evade this move was part of the plan. An unexperienced trainer or pokemon would probably be fooled by the innocence of the attack. After all, who wouldn't laugh at the idea of being hit by a bubble. Yet experienced ones knew that being hit by them hurt like a rain of needles.

“Now use ‘Nasty Plot’!”

Pichu nodded, allowing her move to boost her special attack temporarily as a visible dark aura formed around Nica’s head. The moment another stream of water was sent towards Pichu’s face, she braced herself for the impact, and her small body was pushed a distance away as her little paws left two tiny trails on the sand.

“We have an opening, go!”

Nica ran towards Staryu in a straight line, reducing their distance, but kept her guard up. She didn’t need to be told to dodge as her trainer explained her plan in advance. Instead of attacking, she was supposed to wait for an attack, evade, and counter when there was another opening.

Rolling to the side, she evaded more bubbles before unleashing the boosted electricity, this time causing way more damage than before.

Covered by small burns, Staryu flew at Pichu as if becoming a thrown shuriken, hitting the tiny pokemon with all of its limbs… as planned. Nica grabbed Staryu’s limb with her paws and unleashed electricity upon contact, paralyzing her foe.

Paralyzed, Staryu couldn’t evade the white-red ball thrown by the trainer and was unable to resist.

Pichu started hopping in place in enthusiasm before jumping onto her trainer’s shoulder. It took a long time, but Astra had finally started showing her skills and cunning. What she found interesting about the trainer was how she predicted how the battle would go in advance, telling what to do step by step before the battle even began.

A few days passed since Nica’s trainer redirected her attention towards the mountain she climbed so often in the past, searching for a specific creature that Astra once encountered in search for a partner. It took a few weeks of searching and training before they found their target.

Nica blinked in confusion, staring at an egg-shaped creature. It was small and pink, yet half of it was red as if it was wearing trousers or pants, which she found creepy.

Other features standing out? Certainly something like a mix between hair and a limb was standing up on the top of its head.

At least two strong-pink cheeks on the egg-shaped pokemon looked cute.

“Excuse me, Happiny, do you remember me?”

The pokemon nodded while stepping forward, her small body nearly sinking half-way into the snow.

“I wish to once again ask you to join my side, but this time I challenge you as a trainer,” Astra said while awaiting the response expectantly. Confidence clear in her voice.

Nica looked at her trainer as a weak blizzard started to cover them with snowflakes, but Astra didn’t seem to mind. Adapted to the cold environment, she didn’t need warm clothing to endure it.

Happiny hopped in place in excitement before nodding, which only encouraged Astra to send her water pokemon into battle.

Nica kept observing the confrontation between Staryu and Happiny from her spot on her trainer’s shoulder. At the moment she knew only ‘Nasty Plot’, ‘Charm’ and ‘Thundershock’, and against Happiny special attacks were practically useless.

Staryu started the battle by testing Happiny’s special defenses, using ‘Water Gun’ and ‘Bubble’ as the egg-shaped pokemon didn’t bother to dodge. Being small, Happiny was pushed and bounced against a stone wall, but shrugged off both attacks without a care in the world.

Pichu gasped the moment an ‘Ice Beam’ was unleashed against Staryu, who struggled to tank such a powerful hit. While Happiny was weak in terms of offensive and water pokemon were resistant to ice, ‘Ice Beam’ was still extremely powerful. Did this pokemon learn such a powerful attack while living in cold environment all this time? She gave her trainer a surprised glance who kept smirking. Now she understood why Astra was so determined to find this specific pokemon among the two hundred residents of this mountain.

Happiny lost very quickly to a few tackles. Powerful special defenses came at the cost of normal defenses, which was a big weakness others could exploit.

The adventure continued as Astra took her team into the jungle, one she didn’t explore yet. The high number of poison, bug and grass pokemon proved to be a great challenge. While searching for another team member, Astra used this opportunity to strengthen her team.

Fighting against grass types proved difficult for Nica as her electricity did very little damage, making every encounter extremely challenging. It was one thing to be weaker than others because of her feeble body, but for opponents to be resistant to her attacks was on another level. Still, at the very least she could handle grass attacks fairly well, a luxury that a water type pokemon like Staryu didn’t have. Astra explained that if a pokemon is being hit by their weakness, they become less weak to it, but in the end reaching a point where grass attacks wouldn’t be so devastating was a great struggle.

Finally, their exploration led them to finding a Bulbasaur, a grass/poison type that Astra wanted on her team, and Happiny’s ice attack made their fight one sided.

Pichu gave Astra one more glance, once again surprised. Her trainer caught Happiny with the jungle in mind as their next destination, which gave her a big advantage when facing its residents. Yet she still kept sending pokemon that had disadvantages to toughen them up.

As time passed Nica started feeling like a pawn of a chessboard, and her trainer’s every move seemed well calculated with a long-term solution in mind.

Nica yawned and blinked away sleepiness from her eyes, her vision still blurry.

What was important though was that she still remembered her dream, and this one proved very informative. Apparently, weaknesses and strengths were very important where she came from. Knowing that she had an advantage against water pokemon while being at a disadvantage against grass type was something worth remembering. Not to mention that one of the members of the team she was part of, Happiny was it, could tank her electricity and then some.

“You sure took your time.”

Raichu glanced to the side, seeing a violet blur that slowly sharpened into the pony she knew as Starlight Glimmer, who was sitting next to her bed, yet something seemed wrong…

“How long are you still going to stand on just one paw? I feel my legs tiring by just staring at you.”

Nica blinked in confusion before looking down, and then gasped as she was still balanced on just one of her paws, which raised three simple questions:

Why didn’t she even notice she was standing on just one paw?

How long had she been she doing it?

And most importantly, why was she still doing it?

Thinking back to yesterday’s events, she quickly remembered her attempt to learn about her limits. Apparently, she didn’t take a single break from her unique exercise, falling asleep after a few hours. Did she maintain the same stance for the whole night?

Nica had to admit, what she did was… incredible… breathtaking… and painful.

Out of words and still in shock, Raichu descended onto her other paws, now standing on all four, and the paw she stood on all this time was now hurting, like... a lot. Her attempt to walk towards the edge of the bed forced her to grit her teeth and her ears to drop with each step, and she couldn’t help herself but to massage her arm.

“Wait… don’t tell me you… really did a paw-stand for the entire night…” Seeing a nod of confirmation, Starlight’s eyes became wide as plates. She took a few slow calming breaths and massaged her forehead.

Nica said, feeling as if ants had invaded the insides of her left arm and were biting it mercilessly from within. The bronze edge was both numb and floppy.

“Twilight tasked me with escorting you to her friend, Fluttershy, but before we go, I’m sure you’re hungry.” She pointed at an elegant tray covered by a rounded shining dome, before levitating the dome to reveal a large rich cake. At least ten strawberries formed a circle on the top, perched in the soft cream. Under the white cream was chocolate icing.

Raichu rubbed her eyes with one paw, wondering if it was just her imagination. She glanced between Starlight and the delicious dish as the unicorn kept smiling at her, though the aura she sensed from Starlight displayed some hidden motive. Was there a catch?

“Go on and eat up, you love sweets after all.”

Nica massaged her belly and gulped as saliva was dripping from her closed mouth. She had to admit that she loved sweets, and this was like a dream come true, but just yesterday she participated in a festival with so many delicacies left and right. As much as her belly begged her for more, she couldn’t eat delicious desserts without a break, it would spoil her. Not to mention that after eating cakes over and over they would lose their charm.

Using her tail, she carefully cut off a very small slice of the cake before pointing at the bigger part and next at Starlight.

“W-what… You don’t need to share, this whole cake is for you,” Starlight said, caught off guard.

Raichu shook her head and repeated her previous gesture. Every part of her being was rebelling for refusing to devour the whole creamy chocolate goodness, but she wasn’t going to give in.

“Alright…” Starlight said with a sigh of defeat, eating alongside her little companion. She murmured to herself, “I don’t know what’s weirder. The fact that you stood on just one paw for several hours, or the fact that you decided to eat only a tenth of this delicious cake.”

Once done eating, Starlight cleaned both of their faces with two napkins, wiping away the cream. “Let’s go.” She levitated Raichu onto her back and went for the exit, leaving the empty plate in the room.

Starlight stopped herself in front of the large door leading outside and levitated Nica onto the floor, who looked up at her in confusion.

“I know you’re familiar with teleportation and levitation by now, but I haven't even begun to scratch at the surface of what magic can really do. Do you want to see some really cool spells?”

Raichu nodded. It seemed weird that Starlight was delaying Twilight’s order just to show her a few tricks, not to mention the odd aura she sensed from the unicorn, but curiosity got the better of her.

“Just watch.” Focusing a powerful spell, Starlight summoned a bright light from her horn.

Nica covered her eyes with her right paw, only to blink in confusion. Did Starlight just summon her identical twin-sister? Or was her imagination playing tricks on her.

“Two Starlights for the price of one,” both Starlights spoke in unison. “What do you think? Impressed?”

Raichu nodded, not daring to take her eyes away from the ponies before her.

Starlight cast another spell as both unicorns vanished in an instant.

Nica looked around in confusion for a moment and next rubbed her chin. While she couldn’t see the ponies before her, she still sensed their aura. She closed her eyes and concentrated, turning towards the invisible pony.

“Wait… can you see me?”

Nica shook her head.

“Do you sense my presence?”

Raichu nodded before opening her eyes, now staring at a wall. She pointed slightly to her left, and next slightly to her right, and a moment later both Starlights became visible. She would point with both paws, if her left paw didn’t still felt numb.

Both Starlights merged into one before approaching Raichu and rubbing top of her head. “You’re full of surprises, aren’t you?”

Nica lowered her head and her ears drooped. It was true that she had many talents, but they mostly served only her. Electricity was for self-defense, jumping thus far was mostly destructive, and her ability to sense the aura of living creatures also seemed as an important element to warn her about approaching danger by sensing hostility. There wasn’t anything useful she could do for others. Levitating, teleporting and making copies of themselves seemed to have a lot more potential to help others.

Starlight looked down at Raichu in disappointment before opening a door to the exit.

“We're almost there,” Starlight said as she pointed at the cottage ahead, and her passenger stepped from her back onto the solid ground.

Nica tried to trot next to Starlight and ended up limping as her left forepaw was still hurting a bit. She switched to walking on her two legs along the path while looking to her sides, admiring the view.

On the ground she noticed several dens among the grass field, or rather the eyes of many heads emerging from them as several rabbits, moles, snakes and various rodents gave her curious glances. While passing over a small wooden bridge, she glanced at several trees surrounding the area, noticing holes in the trees for squirrels to live in, nests on the branches that housed various birds, and even an eagle on top of the roof. Each animal reminded her of smaller versions of pokemon as her mind provided her with images of Pachirisu, Buneary, Ekans and Pidgeotto being the first to come to her mind. Not that those memories helped much as they seemed to be images and names without any context. When and how she met these pokemon and what were they capaible off was still a mystery

Nica narrowed her eyes, now paying closer attention to the numerous auras, sensing a lot of happiness. There were also auras filled with affection, most likely directed for their caretaker.

She glanced to her left and up at Starlight, who kept smiling awkwardly in return. The smile itself seemed forced and she could sense faint bits of sadness coming from her friend.

Nica looked at the door ahead of her, sensing an aura of affection behind it which grew in strength with each of her steps. Taking a moment to analyze her situation, she came to a few conclusions:

First, she was going to meet another of Twilight’s friends, and till now every friend of the princess left a good impression. Rarity was passionate and determined, Pinkie was extremely cheerful, enthusiastic and generous with sweets, Applejack was hardworking and dependable, and Spike was just a sweetheart in his determined never ending quest to be of assistance whenever possible. So in the end, she expected only the best from Fluttershy.

Second, this Fluttershy was living away from the town and near the dangerous forest while surrounding herself with animals and nature. There was also something pleasant in the atmosphere of this place.

Third, and most problematic was that Starlight didn’t seem happy for some reason, and she couldn’t tell what the cause was.

Nica stopped in front of the door and took a deep breath. Her paws trembled as the aura coming from the other side became overwhelming. This ability of mine is starting to feel really uncomfortable.

“Are you… going to knock?” Starlight asked, “Or should I?”

Raichu narrowed her eyes and knocked with the tip her own tail. There was just a large quantity of affection and love behind this door, so why was she even hesitating?

“I’m coming,” replied a calm voice.

Raichu froze in place as the aura became unbearable. Her eyes were on the opening door, which revealed a yellow pegasus with long pink tail and mane.

“Hello Fluttershy, you wouldn't happen to be busy right now, would you?” Starlight asked hastily and stared expectantly, as if hoping for a positive answer.

“Oh... of course not. I always have time for a friendly visit.” She gestured with her foreleg, inviting Starlight inside. “Would you like some tea?”

Starlight shook her forehoof and chuckled nervously. “Maybe later, for now I have someone to introduce you to,” she said before rubbing the top of Raichu’s head. “Fluttershy, meet Nica, and she’s a Raichu. Twilight asked me to introduce you both to each other.”

Nica kept staring at Fluttershy as her heart-beat increased in speed. The pupils in her little oval eyes widened while her tail now lied flat on the grass.

“H-hello, little one… have we meet before?” Fluttershy asked, looking down with curious eyes.

Starlight withdrew her forehoof and spoke up, “Applejack brought her into the castle one day so we could help her deal with the amnesia. You could say she’s a very cute guest that we started taking care of over a week ago.”

Raichu felt as if her heart started melting at a mere look at the warm smile that appeared on the pegasus’s face.

“My name’s Fluttershy, nice to meet you Nica. I must say, you have a very nice name,” Fluttershy said in a gentle tone before leveling herself to Raichu’s face. “Are you the terrified creature that ran out from the Everfree Forest?” Her face now filled with worry. “When I talked with the Manticore, he told me about failing to hunt small prey with a very long tail, who shocked him with electricity like a stormcloud would.” She glanced at the long tail behind Raichu. “It is you!”

Nica nodded, only to be pulled into Fluttershy’s chest by her wing as tears started to fall onto the top of her head.

“Oh you poor, poor, thing. It must’ve been horrible.” Fluttershy’s stroke Nica’s forehead. “There, there, you’re safe with me.”

Nica savored the moment as the atmosphere became hearth warming. Fluttershy’s calm voice alone was pleasant to listen and her wing was even softer and more gentle than Twilight’s. In fact, this was the warmest and softest hug she had experienced thus far, while the aura of compassion and worry turned from a simple rain into a waterfall. She felt her muscles relaxing as her body sank into the soft fur.

After half a minute, Fluttershy finally released her captive and wiped her own tears.

Nica held her paws under her neck as if a puppy asking for a snack, staring at Fluttershy with full attention. The wing-hug was so pleasant, so warm, and she wanted more…

“Aren’t you just the cutest little thing?” Fluttershy asked, sounding more like she was just stating an obvious fact.

Nica said before pointing up at Fluttershy.

“My charm… radiating like a star?” Fluttershy asked before chuckling. “T-thank you.”

Raichu asked and took a step back, caught off guard. For the first time she could communicate with ease with no need for body gestures or scrolls and quills. She displayed her teeth in a wide smile before grabbing Fluttershy’s long mane between her paws. She stroked it affectionately.

“My mane is soft… but not that soft.” Fluttershy responded with a blush. “I’m sure your fur must be just as soft, and your ears are very unique.” She lowered herself to Raichu’s level once more and poked Nica’s ears before rubbing behind them.

Raichu’s left rear paw started to stomp repeatedly against the floor upon feeling the pleasant rubbing. She returned the gesture by standing on the tips of her feet and nuzzling Fluttershy’s cheek.

“Aura of compassion? I try to show kindness to all animals, so I suppose that’s one way to put it.” The moment Fluttershy raised her head, Raichu’s right paw bumped her nose and next Nica’s head pressed into the fur on her chest. Noticing that until now this critter didn’t move her left forepaw, she poked it, making Raichu withdraw from nuzzling her chest. “Is your arm hurting?”

“It is,” Starlight spoke up, breaking her own silence. “Nica is… an athlete. Yes, an athlete who is still recovering her memories. Yesterday she tried to learn how long she can stand on one paw and overstrained it.”

“Oh, I see, maybe a massage will help.” Fluttershy sat and picked up Raichu before placing her on her knees. With a gentle touch, she raised Raichu’s left paw and started massaging it.

Nica didn’t resist and instead observed Fluttershy’s face. There was something pleasant about this pony. Her very presence just… made her happy.

“How’s it now? Better?” Fluttershy asked as she released the paw.

Raichu made a few movements with her paw. The pain was weaker than before while the bronze edge was no longer as numb. She smiled warmly at the caring mare.

“You’re very welcome.”

Nica took a deep breath, gathering courage to ask an important question.

“Yes?”

She held her paws together in a pleading gesture.

“A hug? Of course, I would love to,” Fluttershy responded as the little pokemon spread her forepaws in Fluttershy’s direction. She spread her forelegs as well, ready to pick up Raichu into her embrace.

Nica shouted as her smile became even wider than before, her teeth visible and shining, the pupils in her eyes grew and sparkled as if filled with tiny stars. She jumped towards Fluttershy, knocking her off balance. Like a king of the hill, she now stood on the pony’s belly with paws wrapped around her neck while licking her muzzle. The overwhelming aura of Fluttershy acting like an overdose of catnip for a cat, and she couldn’t resist it a second longer.

The animals gathered around the spectacle, wondering who the new animal was that was now interacting with their caretaker in such a way. Meanwhile, Angel Bunny rolled around in his comfortable basket before waking up due to the commotion.

Starlight tried and failed to look away. If not for the fact that very soon she was going to lose the company of her fluffy friend, she would’ve held her forehooves on her cheeks while letting a “D’awww” escape her mouth.

Nuzzling and hugging was nice, but it wasn’t enough for Raichu, she wanted to go further than that. Suddenly an idea was born in her mind.

“Belly rubs, of course I can–” Before Fluttershy could finish her sentence, she felt Raichu’s paw rub against her belly. “I t-thought… it was sup-p-p-posed to b-be… the other w-way around? It t-tickles.” She sat and grabbed Raichu into her embrace, as if holding a baby, and she gently rubbed the white fat belly.

A long-lasting “Raaaiiii…” escaped Nica’s mouth in growing satisfaction as her own tail moved towards Fluttershy’s belly and rubbed it in return.

The moment Fluttershy’s wing tickled Raichu behind her ear, she stood on her rear paws and tickled Fluttershy behind her ear with a forepaw.

Was that Fluttershy’s tail tickling the bottom of her foot? Not a problem, she just returned the favour by rubbing a soft part of Fluttershy’s rear hoof with the tip of her tail. Each pleasant experience was returned in kind.

“Starlight, what are you doing here?” Spike asked as he entered the cottage through the open door.

“Introducing our guest to Fluttershy, and you?” Starlight asked as drops of sweat started to fall down her forehead. She didn’t look at Spike as she couldn’t take her attention from Fluttershy and Raichu even for a moment.

“I wanted to ask Fluttershy for help with… wait… what are they doing?”

“Nuzzling, cuddling, snuggling, tickling each other and so much more,” Starlight answered as Spike sat next to her to observe the spectacle.

Half a minute later, Spike commented, “You know Starlight, I often wondered how Fluttershy cuddled with her animals like if she just petted them for a moment or just a little belly rub, but seeing this really puts the love and kindness she has for all her animal friends into perspective.” He chuckled. “And the weirdest part is that Nica return every bit of affection in kind. Never before I have seen any other animals rub Fluttershy’s ears, hooves and belly.”

“Tell me about it,” Pinkie said, causing both Starlight and Spike to flinch. “Actually… there was that one time with Harry the bear.”

“Pinkie, what are you doing here?” Spike and Starlight asked in unison.

“My Pinkie sense told me something extreme was about to happen, so I came as fast as I could.” She pulled three bags filled with popcorn form her tail and shared with her friends.

Starlight hesitated and looked for fragments of Pinkie’s mane among the popcorn while Spike pushed a clawful into his mouth.

After a few minutes of pleasant experiences, the pokemon and the pegasus lied next and across each other.

Nica had to admit, Fluttershy’s wing was the best pillow, and sinking the back of her head between the warm feathers felt great. But the good news didn’t end there. She held Fluttershy’s tail between her paws and pressed it against her left cheek, while her right cheek was pressed into Fluttershy’s fur as she nuzzled it from time to time. No bed could ever rival the accommodation provided by this caring pony. Her long tail rested on Fluttershy’s belly while rubbing it occasionally.

Of course there were some small downsides, like Fluttershy’s foreleg and cheek that pressed against Nica’s white belly, or Fluttershy’s warm mane that covered her rabbit-like legs. No… wait… those were upsides as well. In fact she wouldn’t mind serving as a pillow and allowing Fluttershy to nest her adorable head on her entire body to return the favor.

They both laughed without a care for the world, enjoying each other’s care and compassion.

Spike pointed out, “I think we lost them,” as most animals nodded in agreement, though one particular bunny kept staring at Raichu with rage and jealousy in his eyes.

Angel’s rear paw was hitting the floor at high speed, his arms were crossed and his long ears were flattened against his head. Under normal circumstances the appearance of a new animal wouldn’t be much of a problem, but this one crossed the line.

Starlight’s ears drooped and she finally looked away from the spectacle. After what just happened, it was as good as decided that Raichu would stay with Fluttershy. How could her magical might rival such overwhelming cuteness and affection? More than once she learned not to use her magic to affect other’s mind, and she wouldn’t dare to do it to this critter.

Author's Note

When two powerful forces of pure cuteness colide... this happens.

Chapter 12 - Tea Party

Little Lost Raichu

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Chapter 12
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Tea Party

A red carpet with two golden stripes on each side lay across the floor between the door and the table with four occupied pillows around it. Fluttershy saw Raichu across the table, while Spike and Starlight stared at each other, all perched on their respective pillows with cups of tea before them. Pinkie Pie lay curled on the sofa, cat-style.

Stairs leading to the first floor, the door-less entrance into the kitchen and a large quantity of bird-houses and little critters became the background for their casual tea party.

After taking a few gulps of the hot tea, Nica exhaled and lowered the cup, letting the warm liquid refresh her after their round of snuggling and cuddling. While she didn’t want to be ungrateful towards her caretakers, she couldn’t deny that the atmosphere of Fluttershy’s cottage proved to be so much better than the one inside of the large castle.

“Thank you, Rupert,” Fluttershy said as the snake lowered his head politely before placing a plate with cookies in the middle of the table.

Raichu screeched in panic before rubbing the back of her neck in embarrassment. She examined the snake from top to bottom. After a closer look, he didn’t seem all that scary, if anything, he was slim and regal. His thin and long shape was similar to her tail, and a cute red bow decorated the space under his chin.

The snake stared back in confusion.

“Nica is apologizing for being scared of you as you reminded her of a scary animal she’d met in the Everfree Forest. She’s also praising your bow and your elegant and graceful appearance,” Fluttershy translated. Usually animals had their own way to communicate, but Raichu seemed to be in need of assistance.

The snake blushed and nuzzled Raichu’s cheek before performing a half-bow. After showing the lady proper respect, he retreated back into the kitchen.

“Great. First a poisonous spider and a cockroach, and now a snake,” Spike said with crossed arms. “If this continues, you’ll one day return to the castle with a three-headed dog as your newest pet.”

“You have a spider and cockroach as friends?” Fluttershy asked, noticing a nod of confirmation. “So you like cute little animals as well, how wonderful… Oh, and I think Mr. Patrick wants to befriend you as well.”

Raichu looked to the side, noticing a white rat climbing up her back before sitting on her shoulder. In an instant they smiled and nuzzled each other’s noses.

“I think they’re friends already,” Starlight pointed out as she observed the affectionate exchange. “Applejack told me a funny story that took place at the veterinary clinic. It involved an interaction between Nica and the white rat, Fauna’s attempt to take a blood sample, and Nica’s attempt to hug the doctor which resulted in smashing said doctor against a wall.”

Raichu blushed before blowing a strawberry in Starlight’s direction. It had been days since she’d tackled someone with a jump… or did she do it during yesterday’s festival? No, she certainly didn’t.

Fluttershy chuckled with a hoof raised over her mouth.

“It wasn’t her fault,” Spike said before biting a cookie and gulping in haste. “Someone sealed Nica’s memories for some unknown reason. Starlight weakened the seal and so her memories started to return, but it took awhile before she got used to her abilities. In fact, she’s still struggling with that.”

Raichu lowered her head in shame, speaking in a sorrowful tone, She sighed. Nica grit her teeth as tears formed in her eyes. She looked at Fluttershy with a tearful stare.

Fluttershy gasped.

Nica’s ears drooped, and she poked the collar on her neck.

Fluttershy’s smile returned, the one that Nica adored so much as it brightened her mood. “Accidents happens, and your regret seems genuine in your voice. You shouldn’t weigh your poor little heart with guilt, especially after the hardship you’ve endured.”

Raichu smiled weakly. Fluttershy’s voice alone was calm and caring, pleasant to listen to, but it was nothing when compared to the aura she sensed. Fluttershy’s very presence made her feel at ease.

Spike finished his fifth cookie before pointing at the window. “It seems Angel wants to tell us something, and he seems fired up about it.”

Fluttershy looked at the window as well, listening to the screeching of the white bunny. “Nica, It seems Angel wants to play with you outside.”

Raichu’s ears drooped once again and she smiled sheepishly. While the bunny was small, cute and fluffy, the aura coming from him left an opposite impression.

It was dark, sinister and intimidating.

It was the first time Nica had sensed such a large quantity of jealousy, and the very presence of it filled her with anxiety.

“Go on, don’t be shy,” Fluttershy encouraged. “Stretch your legs and breathe some fresh air. I’m sure Angel will be a great and playful companion.”

Raichu looked between the tiny sinister bunny and the pegasus with a heart of gold, now trapped between two powerful opposite forces. From one side she basked in affection and compassion in extreme amounts, while from another side she was hammered with jealousy and hate. She felt as if she was trapped between a warm angelic wing and a wall full with spikes. Still, Fluttershy’s pleading stare was levels above Twilight’s, meaning saying no wasn’t an option.

She stepped from her pillow and walked towards the window with a forced smile.

Angel grinned before jumping from the window onto the soft grass, waiting for the intruder to do the same before running away. As he’d hoped for, Raichu followed, right into his trap.

He stopped next to a chicken coop and tapped his rear leg against the ground, giving a signal to his loyal allies. Earth under his paws trembled with each step of the large brown bear, and next he poked the side of the sharp needles on a hedgehog’s back.

Angel examined the intruder in front him from bottom to the top, which looked like some sort of a hybrid. It had rabbit legs, but they were bigger and longer than his, and each had bronze patch of fur at the edge. Its tail was like a bigger and longer version of a rat’s tail, and it was armed at the end.

But this is where similarities ended. Pear-shaped body, fat belly, odd-looking ears. It was no rat, nor bunny, but an abomination.

Angel narrowed his eyes. He expected to see an expression of pure terror and hear screams of fear, yet the intruder just kept staring at Harry with curiosity. Perhaps it needed a demonstration. With a quick swing of his rear paw, he kicked Harry’s leg and performed a few jumps, screeching and pointing at Raichu as if commanding to attack it.

Harry approached Nica with firm steps and an angered glare, picking it up with his massive paws.

Angel rubbed his paws in satisfaction, a devilish grin on his face. It was so easy to convince the bear that the newcomer was an intruder, and Harry was always eager to show intruders the exit. He was the dumb muscle to guard Fluttershy’s territory after all.

Nica kept staring the bear in the eyes before wrapping her tail around the bear’s neck, pulling his head closer.

Before even having a chance to react, Harry felt the intruder’s paws wrap around his neck in a hug, only to follow it up by nuzzling his cheek. He quickly calmed down and gently pressed his paws against the Raichu’s back, sinking her into his rich fur.

Angel blinked and next rubbed his eyes. This intruder should tremble in fear, not hug the bear. Feeling boiling anger, he shot the hedgehog an angered glare and pointed at Raichu. The order was clear.

The hedgehog approached hesitantly, waiting for Harry to place the intruder on the ground, but was this intruder even a threat? Angel marked it as an enemy, yet it was nothing but friendly.

Nica and the hedgehog started to look each other in the eyes, waiting for the other one to make the first move. Losing patience, the hedgehog turned around and displayed sharp thin needles on its back threateningly, but his action did the opposite of what he expected. Instead of scaring Raichu away, the intruder… hugged him.

Angel gasped, not believing his eyes. Did this crazy creature just grab a hedgehog into a hug? How stupid could it be? Hundreds of tiny needles pressed against Raichu’s limbs, belly and some even pricking its face, so why wasn’t it showing any signs of pain?

Nica’s eyes were closed and she kept smiling, doing her best to contain her laughter as the needles tickled her entire body. Her lips trembled uncontrollably. Unable to hold it anymore, she giggled and next started to rub the hedgehog’s unarmed belly. She released the confused animal who looked back at her with a blushing face.

Angel’s face turned red, and the mere look at him would leave an impression that steam was going to escape from his ears. Without hesitation, he rushed at Raichu and jumped, biting Nica’s nose with his two long sharp teeth.

Raichu stumbled backward and her ears drooped, seemed more depressed rather than hurt.

Angel ignored the disapproving stares from his allies and went for another attack, jumping to the top of Raichu’s head. He was about to bite its ear, but his teeth never reached the target as the bunny’s long presentable ear was bitten instead. He screeched in pain and caught a glimpse of Mr. Patrick, who tackled him to the ground.

Raichu gasped in panic before carefully pulling the rat away from the bunny, separating the combating duo.

Patrick struggled for a moment before calming down, and was now glaring at his boss from between Nica’s soft paws, hissing.

Angel took a moment to gather his thoughts, now more confused than angry. Thus far he was always in control, and even Fluttershy always listened to him. He was cunning and had backbone to make up for his owner’s shyness, encouraging Fluttershy into action when it mattered the most.

But nothing stays the same for long. His owner became more assertive and confident in herself and his services were no longer needed, and Fluttershy even started denying his demands for luxuries. And today he lost authority to a creature who didn’t even fight back.

Humiliated, Angel frowned and walked away. He was already losing his authority, and should this new intruder stay with Fluttershy, the risk of being replaced would become a reality.

“I can’t believe this,” Fluttershy said as her ears were stretched upward, catching every single word of Starlight’s story. “So there’s a continent over the ocean full of creatures with a different culture, where animals possess great powers and are called pokemon?” Her ears drooped as she asked in squeaky voice, “And they hurt each other for fun?”

“Seems like it. Nica is recovering her memories overtime and is providing us with information about her past,” Starlight explained before taking another sip of her tea, finishing her cup. “Though personally, I think she’s too innocent to fight for fun, but she likes to challenge herself.”

“She sure does,” Pinkie commented as she stretched herself on the sofa before pushing herself to a sitting position. “We had a lot of fun yesterday playing various games, and the tricks we did while standing on one hoof and paw were amazing!”

Fluttershy nodded before picking up the empty cups from the table and walking towards the kitchen, only for the cups to fall from her wings onto the carpet, shattering into pieces.

“Fluttershy!” Starlight shouted as she stood up from her pillow and approached the pegasus. “What’s wrong?”

“I’m… f-fine…” Fluttershy massaged her forehead before gathering the shattered porcelain with her wings. “Just a headache, nothing big. I started having them a few days ago, but they come and go.”

“That’s a funny coincidence. I had a headache twice since yesterday. But it’s no biggie,” Pinkie said with a carefree tone.

“Okey…” Starlight said, finding this coincidence slightly suspicious, but decided to drop the topic and assisted in cleaning the carpet. With the help of her magic, she merged the broken fragments together, restoring the teacup to its former glory.

Fluttershy returned to her spot at the table after preparing more tea with her attention now focused on Nica who entered inside through the open window. She giggled upon noticing Patrick the rat perched on her head.

Spike raised an eyebrow, noticing that Nica held a hedgehog in her embrace while stroking it, not bothered in the least by the numerous needles. “Why am I not surprised?”

Fluttershy smiled widely and spoke in an excited tone, “Starlight and Spike told me everything about you, and I want you to know that if you so wish, my cottage is open for you.”

Nica asked, no longer approaching the table to instead stare at Fluttershy from her current spot. The hedgehog jumped from her embrace onto the floor.

“What I’m trying to say is that I can take care of you.” She gestured over the room at the numerous birds and critters that were playing or resting inside. “You’re very kind, so I’m sure you won’t have trouble making friends. I can feed and accommodate you as you regain your memories at your own pace.” She displayed pleading unresistable eyes while her wings spread. “Soooo? Will you stay? It’s your choice, so no pressure.”

Angel Bunny jumped into the room and stared at Fluttershy in disbelief as his jaw nearly hit the floor.

Nica’s heart tried to escape her chest as she could do little but stare into Fluttershy’s excited eyes. Drops of sweat started to form on her forehead.

Two hours… it was all the time she spend in the company of this pegasus pony, and those were the happiest two hours of her life, beating even the time she spend with Pinkie Pie yesterday at the festival.

Cuddling, snuggling, belly rubs and hugs, she could have them all everyday whenever she wanted, feeling the pleasant aura from Fluttershy while hearing her wonderful voice. This would…

Nica paused her train of thoughts as her attention shifted to Starlight’s aura of depression, and a realization struck her. Starlight would miss her. The tricks the unicorn showed her were most likely an attempts to impress her so she would choose to stay in the castle instead.

Aura of fear and jealousy coming from Angel was most likely a fear of losing attention from his caretaker.

She bit her bottom lip, and drops of sweat started to fall from her as if she was a waterfall. All caused by a simple, yet not so simple choice.

Should she stay with Fluttershy or not?

On one side, by staying here she would live in a paradise while befriending animals of similar size, recovering her memories in a peaceful environment. Tea parties and hugs would be in her reach.

On another side, by staying here she would make Starlight, Spike and Twilight miss her, and maybe even ruin the relationship between Angel and Fluttershy. And there was still a deal of mastering her skills and repaying the ponies for their kindness.

Seconds felt like minutes as Raichu’s thinking turned into brainstorming. Pupils in her eyes shrank and she started to look between Fluttershy and Starlight at a rapid pace.

“Okay… you’re starting to creep me out,” Spike said before hastily gesturing with his hands. “Deep breaths, just take a deep breath… please!”

Nica followed Spike’s suggestion, taking a few slow and deep breaths. Part of her mind yelled at her to stay with Fluttershy as it would satisfy all of her desires, but her conscience protested. She tightened her paws and closed her eyes, but not seeing anyone didn’t stop her from sensing their aura. Fluttershy’s overwhelming compassion and Starlight’s disappointment now becoming the center of her attention. Pinkie’s aura was neutral, while Spike’s disappointment seemed weak. When it came to animals, only Angel and Mr. Patrick were standing out. One wanted her gone and the other one wanted her to stay.

Nica opened her eyes to take one more look at the drooped ears on Starlight’s lowered head, and started approaching her. She didn’t dare to glance at Fluttershy as it would only make what she was about to do even more painful. Now close enough and unnoticed by Starlight, she stood on tips of her paws and poked unicorn’s shoulder.

Starlight turned her head, staring down at her in confusion. “What’s wrong?”

She climbed up onto Starlight’s back and perched herself on her neck. She glanced at Fluttershy and said, She sighed.

Fluttershy nodded and forced herself to keep smiling. “It’s alright, I understand, but know that you’re welcome to visit at anytime.” Part of her compassionate aura was replaced with disappointment she tried to hide, which only filled Nica with bits of regret, yet she wasn’t going to go back on her decision.

Starlight’s eyes widened, and she looked at her passenger as if she’d turned into a chest filled with magical treasures. “You… didn’t choose Fluttershy?” The moment Nica nodded, Starlight’s smiled widely, even showing her teeth as one would think that glitter was covering her eyes. In a rush of excitement, she stood on her rear hooves, levitated Raichu from her back and hugged. “Thank you!”

Angel’s ears shoot upward and he started jumping in excitement as fireworks started exploding in his mind.

The snake and hedgehog looked at the floor with a hint of disappointment.

Mr. Patrick ran in Starlight’s direction and grabbed Raichu’s tail, using it to climb up.

Starlight released Raichu and held her forehooves in a pleading gesture. “Fluttershy, can I ask you for a big favor, pretty please?”

“Favor? S-sure, how can I help?”

“Can you teach me how to be more playful and polite with animals? I noticed that Nica really loved to play with you, and I’m not good at this.”

Fluttershy displayed her teeth in a wide smile and she flew up, now hovering above the floor in excitement. She held a forehoof on her chest and said, “I’ll do my best, you can count on me.”

A few checklists floated next to the alicorn princess, her plan of action for the upcoming event nearly finished. After noticing Starlight, Spike and Nica through the window, she was more than eager to welcome them back at the main entrance. Using her magic, she teleported in front of large double door and opened it with her magic.

“Welcome back Starlight, so how did it… go?” Twilight paused and stepped to the side, allowing her student to go inside, yet two things were extremely worrying:

The first being that her student walked inside shakily as if she was a zombie.

The other one being the widely opened eyes staring at one point at the distance absentmindedly.

After a closer look, Spike seemed no better.

“It went… perfectly,” Starlight answered.

“Perfectly?” Twilight asked, “Then why do you look as if you witnessed the end of the world? No… even then you didn’t look like that. Did someone hypnotise you or something?” As her student gazed at her with those wide eyes, she took a nervous step back.

“I witnessed… cuteness… nopony should ever see…” Starlight answered before levitating Nica from her back, who seemed so relaxed as if her entire body was made of jelly. There was also a white rat sleeping on Nica’s back, perched on her fur between two bronze stripes. “Half an hour of snuggling, cuddling, hugging, massaging, tickling, nuzzling and tail-playing… No… that’s just tip of the iceberg. My vocabulary is just not good enough to picture it.”

A long relaxed “Chuuuuu…” escaped from Nica’s mouth as she kept lying flat on her belly on the floor.

“That… was a trip,” Spike said, sitting next to Nica before supporting his head on her back next to the rat, using her as a pillow.

“Okaaay…” Twilight said, taking a moment to comprehend the situation. “I take it that Nica will stay with Fluttershy from now on?”

“No, she won’t, she chose to stay with us,” Starlight said with a glee before poking her own horn. “And I’ll provide her with what I learned, and with help of my magic, I’ll help her master her own abilities. She can count on me.”

Twilight looked down at Nica in confusion. Did this critter just refuse to stay with Fluttershy, and after having so much fun. But why? She shook her head and pointed at her levitating checklists. “I finished plans for the event of Ember’s arrival. We should start working on it soon.”

Spike’s eyes shot open and he swung his claw in disappointment. “Oh great, I knew I was forgetting something. I wanted to ask Fluttershy to… ugh…” He stood up and stomped, now back to normal. “There’s so much work to do, and everything must be perfect! We need as much help as possible.”

Nica’s ears perked up at the word ‘help’. With a bit of a struggle, she stood up on her trembling legs, her body shaking left and right. The rat who was napping on her back rolled down her fur, bounced against the long tail and fell onto the floor.

“Don’t worry Spike, I’m sure we can find a lot of volunteers among the citizens of Ponyville,” Twilight said, only to meet Nica’s pleading stare.

“You want… to help?” Twilight asked.

Nica shouted before jumping up, head-slamming into the ceiling as rubble fell onto the carpet in front of Twilight.

Starlight looked up and chuckled. “It has been a long time since this happened, I was missing it a bit.”

Mr. Patrick stared up in pity. On one side, the jump had to be extreme to reach such a height in short amount of time, it was truly masterful. On another… ouch… having the ability to jump like that in tight spaces must be one heck of a headache. Not that he complained. If this scene was but a taste of future events, living with Raichu would become very… interesting.

Chapter 13.5 - ... a Changeling

Little Lost Raichu

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Chapter 13.5
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...a Changeling

Thorax examined his new features, now being a fluffy little creature himself. Looking behind, he glanced at his long tail and flapped it playfully, before poking his ears. Despite having a wide belly, he felt light as a feather, and every movement of his limbs seemed quick and responsive. He had to admit, it was a nice body to use.

He examined the room as everything became giant from his new perspective. The armchair itself was three times bigger than his entire body. Looking down, he noticed the mysterious creature staring at him in disbelief, its mouth agape. He raised a forepaw up to his chest and continued,

Nica asked.

Thorax said, his very words putting a wide smile on Nica’s face.

Nica chuckled.

Thorax asked in confusion. He looked down at his rabbit-like rear paws before using them for a simple jump. Most of his childhood flashed before his eyes as his entire head ended up stuck in the ceiling of the library. His voice was muffled by the crystal he was stuck in. It didn’t take long before he felt something –most likely a long tail– wrap around his belly and pull him down, landing softly despite the long distance from the floor.

Thorax shook the rubble from his head and examined his rear paws once again.

Nica said while having an even look with a fellow Raichu, as if staring into a mirror.

Thorax kept smiling. He didn’t need to sense emotions to know that this creature was friendly.

Nica nodded and started rubbing yellow dot on her own cheek, gritting her teeth from the pain she felt. After a few seconds she stopped and explained,

Thorax raised his paw and pressed it against the yellow dot, only to withdraw it in an instant as if touching a flame. A quick repetitive yelping escaped his mouth while bolts of electricity escaped his cheek. he gulped,

Nica stared curiously. While from personal experience she knew how extremely painful such experiences were, she could still endure it for a bit while rubbing the dots on her cheeks violently, and Thorax unleashed electricity by lightly pressing against it. They may have the same body, but there was a clear difference in pain resistance and willpower between them. Now she understood why Starlight called him a kind softy. Now that I think about it, I often called my trainer a softy while being a Pichu. It was an insult no less. Her ears drooped for a moment. She didn’t mean to think about the changeling in a negative way.

He grabbed Nica’s paw between his and started shaking it in haste.

Nica said in haste. There seemed to be something about Thorax that made her feel like opening up, similar to how she felt around Fluttershy. Though she couldn’t help but sense an aura filled with depression, something worth asking about later.

Thorax said before carefully climbing up the armchair, perching his little body on the left side. He patted a free spot on the armchair in an invitation.

Nica said before taking a spot next to Thorax as they now started at each other, sharing limited space.

Thorax said with a blush.

Minutes of storytelling turned into an hour. Time passed quickly for the two Raichu as they exchanged their stories to their hearts desire.

Nica said as she started to look in random directions, trying to comprehend the story she’d just heard.

Thorax pointed out.

Nica interrupted. According to her dreams, her trainer's parents were part of an organization that fought dangerous criminals in all regions, only to hide their daughter in fear while probably meeting a poor end. Cunning foes shouldn't be underestimated. She shook her head and added,

Thorax looked to the side, unable to deny the critter's words.

Nica narrowed her eyes, only now aware of a big threat to her precious caretakers that was lurking up there, hiding and planning her revenge. The way Chrysalis lost for the first time reminded her of her trainer's teaching. Being powerful is useless if not backed up with skills and efforts.

Princess Celestia assumed she could easily overpower the evil queen, using the most basic combat strategy called brute force which quickly backfired. If the tall mighty princess at least tried to dodge or ask ponies to assist her by attacking the distracted queen from all sides, the battle would turn out differently.

Chrysalis at the peak of her power could easily break any resistance, but instead allowed her foes to do whatever they wanted, only for her invasion force to be banished from the capital.

One can be the most powerful being in the world and still lose to a weaker opponent, she thought, understanding her trainer’s intentions. Power leads to overconfidence, which leads to failure. My trainer must’ve been afraid of that.

Thorax encouraged.

Nica rubbed her forepaws nervously. Just because those who possessed great power used it so poorly, those weaker had to put their lives in danger and struggled against impossible odds. It seemed incredibly unfair. Those possessing great powers should work harder and put all their efforts in protecting others, not push their heavy burden on those who could barely lift it. Wait… wasn’t my role… to bear heavy burden so others wouldn’t need to? She massaged her forehead. Whatever memory she was about to recall vanished in an instant.

Thorax rubbed his soft chin. He massaged his arm nervously.

His ears drooped and he held his paws on both sides of his head. He started hyperventilating as his tail was moving left and right at an increasing speed, forcing Nica to hold it in place before it could damage their comfortable seating spot.

Nica said as she held her fellow Raichu in place, giving him a worried stare. The aura of fear and desperation she felt became overwhelming.

He took a few slow breaths as his tail became motionless. His heart-beat returned to normal.

Hoping to distract the guest from his fears, Nica said, She tapped her paws in excitement.

Thorax grabbed his long tail and started stroking it. He spoke in a depressed tone,

Nica sat, sighed and lowered her head while her ears drooped. Upon hearing Thorax laughter, she asked,

The disguised changeling placed his paw on Nica's shoulder and gave her a patient smile.

Nica nodded and closed her eyes. Trying to be helpful was all she could do, and that's what she should focus on. It didn't matter if she failed or not, regret and self-pity wouldn't accomplish anything. She opened her eyes and asked,

Thorax blinked in confusion. Thorax's smile vanished as he started massaging his arm nervously.

Nica said before wrapping her tail around Thorax's belly, raising him and placing him on her knees while stroking the back of his head. Despite being the same size, she felt as if she was holding a younger brother while listening to his problems.

Thorax blushed as he found his new predicament slightly embarrassing, but also made him feel safe. Feeling as if his heart started opening further to his new little friend, he opened his heart and spoke,

Nica could do nothing but listen to Thorax’s story, occasionally rubbing his belly or behind his ears whenever his voice was filled with depression. Being a peaceful creature among bullies with only his brother to defend him, especially if said brother also disapproved of his soft nature, had to be very hard. Just by listening to his story in silence forced her eyes to produce tears.

In her own case, the situation was reversed, she was the bully with very caring parents and a friendly herd, but she still found safety and support whenever feeling down.

Nica asked as the Raichu she held in her paws stepped onto the armchair.

He moved his paw towards Nica’s face, wiping away tears from her cheeks. He looked to the side.

Nica glanced at the window and rubbed her chin. For the past two days she had assisted with preparations for Ember’s arrival, and today Starlight asked her to keep Thorax and Ember separated, but why? According to Spike’s panicked comments from yesterday, dragons are violent, competitive and prideful, and Ember wanted to learn more about friendship so she could share principles of peace and cooperation among her people.

She looked at Thorax’s depressed posture. He was a leader as well, but way too friendly and soft to enforce his laws. So why did her owners and Spike want to keep these two leaders from meeting each other? One of them want to become more assertive, while the other want to become more friendly and understanding, it was something they could teach each other.

Thorax asked while tapping his paws nervously.

Nica was about to respond, but closed her mouth quickly. Her plan would involve going against the command of her owners. It wasn’t her place to question their judgement but simply follow their orders.

Thorax sighed and stepped from the armchair.

Nica asked as she stepped from the armchair as well and blocked Thorax’s way.

Nica bit her bottom lip as she looked in random directions in panic. She couldn’t just let Thorax leave with such a problem, least of all leave with the impression that his friends abandoned him, but she couldn’t disobey orders. What else could she do that wouldn’t upset Thorax even further?

He forced a smile.

Nica closed her eyes tightly as her mouth started speaking at a rapid pace, She dropped to her knees, desperately grasping for air. Hanging out with Pinkie Pie had apparently rubbed on her in terms of speech.

Thorax took a step back, trying to analyze the overwhelming amount of information. His mouth agape and his eyes staring at the wall.

Nica looked at him with watered eyes.

Thorax smiled and wrapped his paw around his friend’s shoulder. He pointed at the door. He grabbed Nica’s right paw and pointed at the large door again.

Nica said with a nod. They both walked with firm and rhythmical steps, only to stop as a chill went down their spines. Behind the large door they sensed an unfamiliar aura filled with malice growing in strength, as if some evil force was making its way through the hallway in the direction of the library.

Thorax asked.

Nica pointed at the window and ran towards it on two legs while pulling the other Raichu by his paw.

With a calculated jump, Nica reached the window while pulling her panicked friend. With a quick action of her tail she opened it and next jumped down.

Thorax’s closed his eyes, screamed loudly and was waving his paws in panic. After a few seconds he stopped screaming and opened one eye, and next the other, noticing that he was now standing on the solid ground. He glanced at his little feet and next at Nica’s wide grin.

Thorax answered as his quick heartbeat was slowing down.

Thorax chuckled.

They both took one quick look at the tall castle before heading deeper into the town, once again holding each other’s paws. Meanwhile, a bright blue eye flashed from the window of the library, glancing at the leaving pair of Raichu before vanishing into the darkness.

Chapter 14 - Friendship Problem

Little Lost Raichu

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Chapter 14
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Friendship Problem

“I must say, at first I thought you were avoiding and lying to me, and I find it insulting when others play me for a fool. I get very, very irritated and crush the fools without regret,” Ember said while tightening her fist threateningly, sitting on a haystack with a mushroom table before her. She took another bite of a half-eaten red gemstone and continued, “But you pulled yourself together, and in the end we had a lot of fun. Don’t you agree?”

“Whatever you say,” Spike said, now lost in Ember’s red eyes. He shook his head and said, “I mean… it was great. We had fun, ate tasty gems, talked about how to improve the dragon’s culture.” He glanced at Starlight and Twilight who observed them from other seats, ensuring nothing went wrong while maintaining a respective distance. “And you even learned how to recognize ponies from one another.”

Ember groaned. “That last part was totally the hardest.” Throwing the rest of the gem into her mouth, she chewed and gulped. “But joking aside, I had no idea that by showing my dominance, I was humiliating other dragons and making them feel terrible. I’ll be sure to be more open with my feelings… or at least try to be. You sure are a good teacher.”

“What can I say, I’m on point with this kind of stuff,” Spike answered while rubbing his chest pridefully. “Listening to one’s friend problems is what friends should do after all.” Suddenly, he felt something poking his shoulder, only to notice a familiar yellow thunder-shaped tail. But wasn’t Nica supposed to be at the castle, distracting… Thorax… Thorax... He’d completely forgot about him! Feeling a surge of panic, he turned around and looked down. “Nica, what are you doing here, and where’s…” He paused and rubbed his eyes, but the double vision didn’t disappear. Instead of one Raichu, he saw two. Though one of the large critters had crossed arms and narrowed eyes.

Green flames startled Spike and he fell from his haystack seat.

“Listening to one’s friend problems is what friends should do, huh?” Thorax asked as he towered over the young drake with a disapproving stare. “You should listen to your own advice.” His tone sharpened and became more angered with each word.

“W-what... I… I’m really sorry!” He stood up and looked between Ember and Thorax in panic. This wasn’t good.

“Who are you, and why are you sneaking up on us like that?” Ember asked, glaring at the intruder in distrust.

“Oh, my apologies. My name’s Thorax. I’m the leader of the changeling’s pack and Spike’s closest bestest friend,” Thorax said, lowering his head politely before helping his long-tailed friend climb up onto his armored back. “Miss Nica here told me that a Dragon Lord was visiting Ponyville, and that Spike wanted to keep us separated because he feared we wouldn’t get along.” He shot the young drake a glare of disapproval once more. “I wish to prove him wrong.”

“Oh, that explains a lot,” Ember said while calming down a bit. “I’ll make myself clear. First, you can’t be Spike’s closest and best friend, because I took that spot already.” Twilight narrowed her eyes from the sidelines at this remark.

“Secondly.” Ember stood up, rounded the mushroom table and poked Spike’s nose. “You really disappointed me. And here I thought you were the smart one.”

Spike blushed and covered his face with his hands. “I… I panicked. I’m sorry!”

Ember shook her head and looked at Thorax curiously. “Okay, bug-pony… I mean, changeling ruler… So why was Spike afraid we wouldn’t get along? Any idea?”

“Ummm… I’m still here,” Spike said, not daring to move an inch.

Thorax rubbed the back of his neck, smiling sheepishly. “B-because… I’m a terrible and soft leader. Since my own hive doesn’t want to listen to me, Spike probably thought you wouldn’t respect me.”

“Ummm… still here,” Spike said and stood up. Rubbing his arm nervously. “I was just afraid you would start a war between your species or something.”

Thorax and Ember looked at Spike as if he’d gone insane before bursting into laughter, which in turn only made Spike want to sink into the ground from embarrassment.

Ember wrapped her hand around Thorax’s neck and pulled him closer, forcing Nica to hold onto his back to keep herself from falling. “Let me guess, you hoped Spike would teach you how to be more assertive? Sorry to disappoint, but this kid wouldn’t pull this off. I mean, he’s very clever and brave,” she tightened her fist and presented her muscles, “but what you need is to learn how to show those you rule that your decision is final. I know a trick or two that can help with that.”

“Actually, Nica suggested that we can teach each other how to become better leaders. I can help you become kinder and more understanding…”

Ember’s nose twitched before she sneezed, sending her flames in a straight line in front of Thorax’s face. The changeling yelped in surprise. “Sorry, still allergic to feelings, but I’m getting better. Spike already gave me a lot of advice.”

“Oh…” Thorax looked at the ground in disappointment.

“No biggie. Spike’s friends are my friends, so I’ll help you out anyway.” She released the changeling leader, spread her wings and gestured for him to follow her. “Let’s go somewhere less crowded. I don’t feel like giving advice with all those ponies staring at us.”

Thorax looked at the bystanders before smiling. “Oh, right... Good point.“

Nica stepped from his back and waved a quick farewell.

Thorax lowered his head to Raichu’s level and nuzzled her little nose. “Thanks for everything, I must go for now, but let's meet again at the castle, okay?” He raised his head and glanced at the embarrassed dragon. “And Spike, don’t worry, I forgive you. We all make mistakes.”

Spike kept looking at the ground in shame. “I guess we do…”

“Come on, Spike, no need to look so gloomy, we’re—”

“What are you waiting for, move!” Ember shouted, hovering high above the ground.

Thorax smiled nervously while showing his teeth. “S-sorry.” He lowered his head to Nica and whispered, “I shouldn’t keep an important leader who offered to help me waiting. Cheer up Spike for me, alright?” Upon seeing a nod, he unleashed the wings from his back and flew up, following the young Dragon Lord.

Spike looked up, observing his flying friends until they vanished behind the line of homes. In the end, all his worries were for nothing, and instead of preventing a war, he greatly offended his friends. Was he even a good friend? If he was, he would know Ember and Thorax well enough to trust them. Ember was hot-headed and a bit violent, but for a dragon she proved herself to be open-minded, and if she cooperated with him in the past, why would she look down on Thorax?

His thinking in self-pity was interrupted by a soft paw touching his shoulder, and he noticed Nica’s reassuring smile. “Thanks…”

Nica said, wishing she had a scroll and quill with her to write some encouraging words. Though the young drake seemed to understand what she was trying to say. Upon hearing footsteps of her owners, Nica turned around and lowered her head, holding her paws together in an apologetic gesture.

“Don’t you dare apologize, you made the right call,” Starlight said, raising the critter’s head with a hoof.

Twilight nodded. “I must agree. Not only did you keep Thorax entertained… something I and my chairs failed to do, you also made the right choice and introduced Thorax to Ember.”

Nica tilted her head to the side in confusion before looking between the two ponies. Why wasn’t she sensing any anger and disappointment? Why wasn’t she punished for disobeying their orders?

“Now that I think about it, I should’ve objected to the idea of keeping Ember and Thorax separated, but since they were Spike’s friends and he knew them better, I went along with it,” Twilight said before rubbing top of the Raichu’s head.

Trying to distract himself from his self-pity, Spike looked at Twilight and Starlight, and next at Raichu who was facing them. Until now he hadn’t cared much for their new companion. Making food to feed an extra mouth, waking up very early for a tour of the castle and additional floor-cleaning whenever Nica jumped inside. The large critter was like a magnet for trouble. Still, he had to admit that Nica had a unique charm and her heart was in the right place. She felt guilty for all her mistakes and tried to make up for them.

Today however the enthusiastic critter had gained his respect. Becoming the voice of reason when he failed and when Twilight remained silent. Now that I think about it, Nica messes up from time to time and is desperate to be of assistance, just like me. Maybe it’s worth to get to know her better. He approached her with more confidence, but before he could say a word, something caught his attention. “Um… why’s your tail glowing?”

Raichu looked behind her, taking a closer look at her shining tail, something about this seemed familiar. She flinched the moment a miniature transparent thunderbolt appeared in front of her and floated towards the castle.

“This… can’t be,” Spike said, his mouth agape.

Twilight looked away from the tiny thunder, now examining Raichu’s shining tail. Her wings spread and she started trotting in excitement. “Amazing. First Starlight, and now you! The map is really reaching out!”

Nica stared at the alicorn in confusion. All the books about the ponies’ culture she read thus far didn’t seem to even scratch the surface of what they had to offer. Applejack being the Element of Honesty, Twilight and her friends being national heroines, shapeshifting creatures, an evil queen, and now a map and some sort of weird phenomena. She massaged her forehead, feeling a headache by merely thinking about it.

Twilight smiled with a glee as she levitated Spike and Nica onto her back and flapped her wings, flying towards the castle. She lit her horn once more to levitate Starlight right behind her to save her the trouble.

Nica looked at Spike with her face filled with questions, who seemed to understand the message.

“Long story short, the Cutie Map chooses ponies and send them to solve a friendship problem. You’re the first not-a-pony that was picked for the job.”

Twilight spoke up, “At first, it sent me and my five closest friends. Later it started sending us in groups of two, but recently it sent Starlight on a solo mission. There’s still so much I don’t understand about the map, but thus far it was always correct with its judgement.”

“Long story short, you’re going on a mission,” Starlight commented, levitating only a meter behind the alicorn while surrounded in a lavender aura.

A mission… of my own? Nica’s ears perked up and she smiled widely. She held her paws together and stars started sparkling in her oval eyes. Does this mean… that I can finally do something important? Is this the chance I was hoping for? Oh please, let it be it!

Twilight flew inside through the window, speeding up towards the room with the map before bending her legs with a confident landing. She shut her wings and approached the map. “I was right!” She stood on her rear hooves and supported one forehoof on the map, pointing at the tiny thunder circling over the badlands. Her passengers anchored themselves against her neck and back.

Starlight approached as well and gasped. “B-but… that’s the Changelings Hive…” With Raichu and Spike’s eyes on her, she added, “The map is sending you to solve a friendship problem inside the hive. But why?”

Twilight levitated Spike and Raichu onto the edge of the map and explained, “When the map sent me and Fluttershy, we had to stop a fight between two sides of a conflict. But usually it was about helping two ponies get along.”

Nica nodded and rubbed her chin. So her mission was to help two residents living in Thorax’s territory… Her eyes opened widely as realization struck her. Thorax mentioned many times about having a brother in his long story, and their relationship was far from perfect. With many changelings still rejecting Thorax’s leadership and his brother Pharynx being a warrior to the bone, the conflict between them was unavoidable. Was her mission to resolve it?

Nica grinned. This was her chance. Not only could she do an important job and prove useful to her owners, she could also help her newest friend. Even if she had known Thorax for less than two hours, she was deeply moved by his good heart and sad backstory. More than a week ago ponies helped her, and now she had a chance to help somebody else.

Spike looked at Nica, noticing shining teeth in a wide smile and trembling paws. It was clear that the electric critter was struggling to contain her excitement. He looked up at the chandelier made of tree roots and gems, thinking. Not only was Nica was going away for a while, preventing him from bonding with her, but it was up to the the large critter to help his friend Thorax with an important problem. Was it okay to be jealous of someone who was just trying to help? He looked at Raichu and forced a smile. “Good luck,” he said as a warm farewell was the best he could do.

Unable to contain her excitement, Nica leapt at Spike and wrapped her arms around his neck, her hug resulting in them both landing on the floor with a loud thud.

“Hey… stop it… We can barely handle one Pinkie Pie, we don’t need another,” Spike responded, but without receiving any response. “Oh fine... “ He blushed, maintaining a serious face in front of Twilight and Starlight. Yet, part of him actually enjoyed feeling the soft fur as it was the only bonding experience he could get at the moment. He wouldn’t say it, though.

“Thanks again for everything, Ember. I feel so much more confident now thanks to your teachings,” Thorax said. Knowing how to show his authority and force his laws without sacrificing his principles was just perfect.

“Don’t sweat it. I actually had fun coaching you, especially when you turned into a giant gorilla. Now that’s a trick I would love to have,” Ember said, flying next to her new friend. Well, friend was a strong word. For now she would call him a buddy.

Thorax blushed and tapped his hooves together. “Well… I would prefer to turn into a giant beast only when protecting those I care about. I don’t like hurting or scaring others.”

“You don’t need to hurt anyone, just intimidating them will help you avoid unwanted conflict,” Ember lectured.

“I suppose you’ve got a point.” He pointed at the castle in the distance. “Let’s spend some time with Spike, he’s our friend and our host after all.”

“I’ll pass,” Ember said with a dismissive shake of her hand. “I already stole Spike for myself for long enough, now it’s your turn.” She slowed down her speed, now hovering in mid air as Thorax followed her example. “I need to be going. If you want to learn more about how to become a stronger leader, or just to have some fun, visit our lands. Any dragon will lead you to me if you mention my name and title.” She held her claws on her hips. “And I’ll make sure no dragon will bully you, you have my word.”

“Will do. And if you would ever want to spend some time relaxing in a pleasant atmosphere, or watch some shape-shifting, visit us at the badlands. Starlight can give you the exact location, and I plan on starting our own theatre.” He clapped his hooves. “I can’t wait.”

Ember bumped Thorax’s hoof before flying in the opposite direction, ignoring the ponies who either waved at her or ran for cover. She couldn’t tell if it was a good or bad thing, but one thing was certain, this visit had left a solid impression on both sides.

Her flight was interrupted by a few gems that were thrown in front of her face. Narrowing her eyes, she looked down, noticing a high quantity of gems lying on an empty road. With her curiosity at its peak, she landed and followed the trail of gems, picking up the better ones while being wary of her surroundings.

Ember stopped in front of a dark alley with a stock of gems lying out for the taking. “I don’t care who you are and what you want from me, but you must be brain-dead if you think I’ll fall for a trap like this. It’s waaaay too obvious. Still, thanks for the desert.”

So you saw through it. It seems that intel about dragons being stupid and naive wasn’t accurate, a suspicious voice echoed in Ember’s mind.

“Listen... creepy voice. Only I can call other dragons stupid and naive, but I’ll tear you to shreds if you insult my followers like that.” She lowered the gems to the ground and crossed her arms. “Now come out so we can talk face to face, unless you want to keep hiding like a pathetic coward.”

Why don’t you come in and find me, unless you’re the cowardly one.

Ember smirked. “Seriously? This taunt sounds like something Garble would come up with. I’m just wasting my time here.” She turned around and spread her wings, only for something to grab her hand from behind and pull her into the dark alley. Turning around, she could see a hooded figure with only one dark hand standing out.

With three large fingers wrapped around her hand. Ember used her claws and slashed the arm of the attacker, but it barely left a scratch.

You may not be stupid enough to fall into my trap, but your curiosity alone lead you too close to me.

Ember kept using her claws and tried wriggling free of his grip, but it seemed to only humor the hooded figure as it raised her up to its covered face. Only a flashing blue eye and some red-armor seemed visible under the cover. “You think you can attack a Dragon Lord and get away with it?” She inhaled air for a few seconds before unleashing a wide wave of dark-magenta flames against the attacker’s face, burning the upper part of his cover. The moment the smoke and flames died down, Ember gasped, her face becoming pale at what she saw.

I learned quite a bit about you, oh great Dragon Lord. To think that competing for such an important title would be left to young dragons, pathetic.

Ember unleashed more of her flames towards the enemy’s face, but it didn’t seem to bother the attacker in the least. “What’s wrong with you? Are you fireproof?”

Not really. Your flames hurt a bit. Ember gritted her teeth as his hold on her hand tightened, squeezing it. If you were a hundred years older, you would actually present a threat, but make no mistake, you’re just a youth thinking you’re on the top of the world.

Ember felt a growing surge of fear, only her pride preventing her from screaming in panic. She was about to send flames against the hand that was holding her, only for another dark hand to seal her mouth.

Do you really think you would become a Dragon Lord if other grown up dragons were allowed to participate? I saw your dreams. You got it in your head that you need to show dominance over other dragons in competitions of strength, but do you really think it would work on large dragons if you didn’t have your big daddy behind your back?

The moment Ember’s lips were no longer sealed, she asked, “What are you talking about… Are you saying that older dragons purposely lost to me in fear of my dad?”

Some you beat fair and square, but the stronger and more experienced ones lost to you on purpose. You didn’t win the title of the Dragon Lord on your own, you were given it by a friend. The moment Ember grit her teeth and narrowed her eyes in a growing furry, sinister chuckles echoed in her mind. Did I hurt your pride? I must admit that I quite enjoyed throwing you from your throne of overconfidence and showing you your proper place. Still… as much as I wish I could let you leave in shame with a parting gift, I can’t risk letting you tell anyone about me. But fear not. I’ll make sure your future nightmares will teach you humility, pathetic little princess.

“Let me go you creep!” Ember shouted, struggling with all her might, but could do little to stop black flames from making contact with her forehead.

Ember slowly opened her eyes and massaged her forehead, her vision still blurry. Looking around, she noticed a field filled with grass and trees. But why was she here? Was she taking a nap on her way back to the dragon lands? Unable to recall what happened between now and her farewell with Thorax, she shrugged and spread her wings, intent on returning home. Thanks to Spike, she now knew how to improve the dragon culture, and if being open with her feelings wouldn’t work, she could still enforce her laws. Not that she was eager to humiliate other dragons anymore. She would rather call it her last resort.

Upon noticing Spike and Nica waiting for him in front of the entrance into the castle, Thorax descended slowly, landing on front of his friends with a weak thud. “Hello Spike, hello Nica.” He waved energetically. “What’s up with those excited faces?” He smiled with glee and his wings flapped rapidly. “Let me guess, you made a large cake and wanted to share it with me!”

“Sorry to disappoint, but there’s no cake,” Spike said with shake of his hand.

Thorax lowered his head in disappointment and looked at his friends with puppy eyes.

Nica approached, before standing on the tips of her rear paws and patting him on the shoulder.

“I don’t understand what you’re saying without shapeshifting into a Raichu, sorry.” Thorax said as Nica sighed in disappointment.

“We were waiting here to tell you about something important. But it will be even better to show you in the room with the cutie map.” Spike opened the door and gestured inside. “Let’s go.”

Thorax’s good mood returned in an instant. Releasing his wings once more, he flew forward, grabbing Raichu with his right and Spike with his left foreleg. Speeding up, he made his way to the second floor, following Spike’s panicked instructions before stopping inside a room with many thrones. He looked up, showing his teeth in a smile as he couldn’t stop looking at the dazzling gems. “Wooow… I can’t believe Twilight didn’t invite me here before. This room looks amazing.”

Nica pushed herself free form Thorax’s hold and ran towards the map, climbing onto it.

“Hey, Thorax, I know you’re excited, but can you calm down and listen for a minute?” Spike asked, stuck in his friend’s hold with a bored look.

“Oh, s-sure.” Thorax descended, landing in front of the map while placing Spike on Rarity’s throne. His attention focused on part of the map showing his home. Nica was sitting nearby, pointing at the little thunder that keep circling above his home, while bronze patch of her rear leg was a few centimeters in front of his hive. “Ummm… is this bad. Does this map show the weather or something?”

Spike facepalmed. “No. This map finds friendship problems and send ponies to solve them. Well… it was sending ponies until now. Things are different this time around.”

Thorax looked at Nica who nodded in confirmation and pointed at her own shining tail.

Not wasting a moment, Nica approached Fluttershy’s throne and picked up a scroll with her tail, presenting it to the changeling a moment later.

After a moment of reading, Thorax looked at his friend in disbelief. “You want to help me get along with my brother?” He cleared his throat, taking a few calm breaths and smiling nervously. “B-but why… we’re not angry at each other or anything.”

Raichu stood on her feet and placed forepaws on her hips. She gave the changeling a smug smile.

Thorax sighed. “Ugh… fineeee… but the situation is a bit complicated.”

“Living with Twilight means that complicated stuff are everyday occurrence. Enlighten us,” Spike said while relaxing himself on the large throne.

Thorax nodded and started explaining,” While my brother, Pharynx, remained loyal to me after the defeat of Queen Chrysalis, he still follows the old ways. Changelings who support the peaceful approach I tried to introduce can’t stand my brother’s attitude, while those who are against the changes want him to replace me as their leader. Pharynx however called it a treason, so now the tension in the hive is high.” He took a deep breath. “Thanks to Ember’s teaching, I should be able to deal with most rebellious changelings, but knowing my brother, he won’t change. He’s very loyal to me and the hive, but…” He rubbed his arm. “It’s hard to explain.”

Nica puffed her chest pridefully, a show of confidence that encouraged Thorax in turn.

“You seem sure of yourself, usually you’re either hesitant or apologetic,” Spike pointed out, giving Raichu a curious stare.

“That’s because she listened to all my problems and the story about my childhood, while you and Twilight were busy with Ember,” Thorax said, raising forehoof up to his mouth quickly. “Not that I’m angry about it, it’s fine… really.” He looked between the thrones in confusion. “Where’s Twilight and Starlight?”

“They’re patrolling the castle,” Spike explained and pointed at Raichu who was sitting on the map. “Nica wrote in a scroll about some malicious presence she sensed today approaching the library, but thus far we didn’t find anything.”

“Oh… that.” Thorax looked over the room for a moment, feeling growing anxiety, but he calmed down a moment later. Two powerful ponies he knew he could trust were checking the castle after all, so there was nothing to worry about. He stretched his neck as his muzzle was but centimeters away from Raichu’s nose. “You’re going to see my home, this will be great! I have so much to tell you, so much to show you, and we can get to know each other better.” They nuzzled each other’s noses. “Let’s pack up and go immediately.”

Raichu stood on tip of her rear paws and leaped forward very lightly, landing on Thorax’s back. The fact that jumping inside a room didn’t involve crashing into something was a proof of her progress.

Both Thorax and Raichu’s tails flapped in excitement.

Spike stood up on Rarity’s throne and suggested, “How about we cook something for your long trip first.”

“That sounds great. We can bake a cake!” Thorax suggested, trotting in place in excitement.

“I… don’t think a cake would be good for long-travel. It’s not easy to pack and transport after all,” Spike pointed out.

“Awwww…” Thorax whimpered in disappointment. Eating two thirds of the cake while giving the rest to Raichu during their travel would’ve been so enjoyable.

NIca’s ears drooped. Most likely having a similar idea.

Twilight and Starlight stood on the balcony, waving at Thorax who was now barely visible on the horizon. However the one they were concerned about was a creature on changeling’s back. At this very moment Nica was on her way to a faraway land outside of Equestria's territory, on a mission of her own. Would she succeed? Would she end up hurt by a hostile creature or rebellious changeling? Would a changeling trick her or hurt her feelings? Thorax said himself that he had trouble leading his hive, so there was a risk he would fail to keep their little friend save.

Starlight gave Twilight a pleading look. “Can’t I… go with her… just as a company?”

“Absolutely not,” Twilight said with a shake of her head. “The map picked her for a solo mission. What would happen if I went with you to Canterlot that one time the map sent you?”

“I see your point,” Starlight said in annoyance. “It’s just that, she went on her first mission a moment ago… and I’m worrying already.”

“I know how you feel.” Twilight embraced her student with her wing.

“I just wish we could… be in touch with her despite the distance.”

Twilight grinned.

Noticing it, Starlight asked, “You didn’t?”

“I did,” Twilight said with a nod.

“Hey, Twilight!” Both mares turned towards the source of the voice, noticing Spike entering the balcony. “I finished checking your mail and I found a letter from Rainbow Dash.” He presented the letter as Twilight levitated it over and read it.

“What is it about?” Starlight asked. Now that she thought about it, Rainbow Dash has been absent for quite some time, overwhelmed by her Wonderbolt career.

“She’s apologizing that she couldn’t help with the preparation for Ember’s arrival as she was very busy with the Wonderbolt’s tour for the past week. She’ll be coming for a visit tomorrow,” Twilight explained.

Starlight chuckled. “It seems Nica and Rainbow Dash won’t be meeting each other anytime soon. Should we tell Dash about our new companion?”

Twilight shrugged. “We may as well. It’s a pity actually, two fellow athletes would have a lot in common to talk about.” She returned the letter to Spike and gestured for her student to follow. “Let’s go, the spell won’t activate itself.”

Raichu stood on Thorax’s back, as if surfing on a large surfboard with the wind flapping her ears and her tail. After all, what was the worst that could happen? She could fall from a kilometer of height or five with no injury. Since she was only recently free to travel through the town, she was looking forward to exploring what this world had to offer.

“Maybe you should sit, what if you fell off my back?” Thorax asked as he looked at his passenger with a worried smile.

Nica said with a shake of her paw. She lowered herself, standing on four paws before raising her rear legs, only to raise her left forepaw as well. Standing on one paw proved more difficult under her current circumstances. Thorax’s was shaking a little while flying, and the wind pushed against her body, forcing her to struggle to maintain balance.

Thorax bit his lip. “I don’t want to interrupt your fun, but Twilight and Starlight would get very mad at me if something happened to you.” Looking at the saddlebag that Twilight equipped him with, he said, “Your caretakers and Spike packed us some food and gifts for our travel, how about we check what they left us?”

Raichu nodded, using her tail to open the saddlebag. She walked on her two forepaws before once again balancing on just one. She looked into the saddlebag and checked the supplies with her tail. She sat immediately and picked up two particular dolls that caught her attention. One looked like mini Starlight wearing a black ninja uniform with a small toy sword on her back. The other one was like mini Twilight with a pirate’s hat and an eyepatch.

Nica smiled and stroke the dolls gently, finding the material surprisingly soft.

“Hey, watch it!”

Raichu withdrew her paw and tilted her head backward, almost flinching. Upon taking a closer look, she noticed that mini Starlight actually moved.

“Hello there, it’s me, Starlight. We’re still at the castle, but we can see and talk to you now by using those dolls.”

Mini Twilight spoke up, “I taught her it. It’s an easy spell and it will help us to communicate despite the distance.”

“So, what do you think, are you impressed?” Starlight asked with a smug-face. “Ummm… why are you looking at us like that?”

Raichu’s smile grew, becoming extremely wide and a strong blush appeared on her cheeks. Without a warning, she pushed both dolls into her chest, and next raised them up to her cheeks and cuddled. Both mini ponies yelped in surprise. After a few seconds of cuddling, Raichu looked at the dolls she had in her paws, examining them curiously. Until now she was the small one while her owners were like big authoritative figures she greatly respected, but now they were sooo…. tiny… sooo... adooooooorable. It was already difficult to resist cute little fillies and colts, but mini ponies were just too much.

Thorax looked at the scene and laughed cheerfully. Just watching as his fluffy companion was stroking mini Starlight’s mane and poking Twilight’s tiny wings was heartwarming. The best part definitively being when Raichu’s tiny nose was gently nuzzling their tiny muzzles.

“So… are you done?” Twilight asked, holding her tiny forelegs together under her neck as if a pleading puppy. The pirate hat was no longer present on her head. “Enough cuddling for now?”

Nica shook her head. She was sooo... going to abuse the situation.

Chapter 15 - Visiting the Swarm

Little Lost Raichu

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Chapter 15
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Visiting the Swarm

Nica felt like luck had finally started shining down upon her. Who else could say that they were currently perched on a large shape-shifting creature, a leader of a nation no less, with a tiny Princess of Equestria and a tiny version of the princess’s student pressed against her cheeks. More or less doing it while on a mission to end a national crisis. Well, maybe not ending said crisis personally, but playing an itty bitty part in resolving it.

Still, the mission was important and she had friends who were counting on her, and there was a risk she could fail. She needed to help Thorax get along with his brother so they could work together in resolving the problem in the hive. The question was, how?

Nica wrapped the living dolls with her tail and rubbed her chin, thinking deeply with the bronze sky and numerous clouds in the background.

According to Thorax’s stories, his brother has protected him ever since they were very young, yet still bullied him over his weaknesses. It was a mean thing to do, but maybe he wasn’t bullying him for enjoyment. Maybe he thought it was for the best. Nica looked into the memories of her past. When she was a Pichu, she often found enjoyment in messing with her brothers and sisters, and pranking the human girl became a source of amusement. If Thorax’s brother found amusement in bullying him, why did he protect him in the first place? Wouldn’t it be more fun to just sit on the sidelines and watch as others picked on his brother?

“You seems distressed, is there something we can help you with?” Twilight asked, her tiny forehooves supported on the black part of the long tail.

“Why do you ask? She can’t answer us without writing, which is hard to do at such an altitude with all this wind,” Starlight commented, pointing at their tiny manes and tails waving on the wind.

Twilight nodded. “Good point.”

“Let’s just leave her to her thoughts for now, unless you want yet another snuggling/cuddling session,” Starlight suggested.

Twilight bit her bottom lip and her ears drooped, her cheeks blushing. “While I find the experience to be… somewhat pleasant… it’s really embarrassing.”

Starlight shrugged. “Personally, while I enjoyed all the hugs and snuggles, it gets really overwhelming, but I can’t resist her playful nature and say no to those pleading eyes. If we’re going to leave, it’s now or never.”

Both tiny ponies nodded in agreement before the dolls returned back to normal, flapping without resistance in the wind with Raichu’s tail keeping them in place.

My first goal should be… what was his name again? Nevermind... I need to earn Thorax’s brother’s trust. He’s a warrior and is very protective of the hive, but is also very aggressive and bossy about it. Being nice and cute will just annoy him. She closed her eyes, thinking back to her roots. Where she came from, pokemon were always very competitive, fighting each other to become stronger and prove their superiority, but rarely was there malice involved between them. As long as both sides respected each other, by fighting they only deepened their bonds and respect. Beating each other being a friendly sport that both sides enjoy… I can’t deny it, we have a very weird culture. She frowned. But… I don’t want to hurt him…

NIca’s ears drooped. Fighting seemed to be something a changeling warrior would respect, and it was in her nature to battle, but no matter how careful she could be, fighting would still require hurting each other. Was she even capable of fighting?

Closing her eyes again, Nica thought back to the countless fights she’s had as a Pichu. Day after day she’d faced stronger opponents, and only by becoming more skilled and learning from her failures was she able to keep up despite all her disadvantages. In fact, fair fights were such a rarity, that losing fair and square was near impossible. Maybe being in an actual battle will help me learn how to use my powers. There are also new attacks I used as Pichu that I haven’t tried out yet. She took a deep breath. She now had a plan, albeit a plan she didn’t like and a plan where she would need to improvise and hurt someone. Never before had she been so far away from her comfort zone.

“We’re here,” Thorax said, landing slowly on the top of a cliff, the very one where Discord learned about the magical throne that soaked all but changeling magic. Thorax pointed at the large structure ahead of him and asked, “This is my home, so… what do you think of it?”

Nica climbed up Thorax’s neck, peeking out from between his three horns. What she saw looked… odd, as if someone had turned a small mountain into a creepy castle and then cut it in half and covered with flowers and grass.

“Oh, right…” Thorax said before lowering his head and letting off his passenger. In a burst of green flames, he shapeshifted into a Raichu, chuckling at the surprise on Nica’s face as his saddlebags landed next to him.

Nica said, not meeting his eyes.

Thorax rolled his eyes. He gestured over to the area with his paw.

Nica tilted her head to the side.

Thorax rubbed the back of his neck.

Nica rubbed the top of her head. She was a creature specialized in fighting and survival, not in thinking. Understanding complicated stuff proved more difficult than she thought.

Thorax gave his friend a patient smile.

Nica asked. From what she knew already, Pichu could evolve into Pikachu and next into what she was now. Each evolution made her bigger and most likely affected her power. Yet what Thorax described seemed much more advanced. Resolving an issue of endless hunger and eliminating the need to drain something as important as magic was undoubtedly big.

In a burst of green flames, he returned back to normal, picking up the tiny dolls from her friend’s tail and placing them back inside his saddlebag. “Want me to give you a ride, or do you prefer to explore on paw?”

Raichu poked her own chest and jumped forward, falling down the cliff with a soft landing.

Thorax bit his lip, but calmed just as quickly. “Your jumping speciality… I keep forgetting about it.” Using his wings, he slowly descended down the cliff and followed his companion.

Nica’s exploration was interrupted as she sensed an aura coming from… a rock? Curious and confused, she walked on two legs and sniffed the boulder. It smelled like a rock and looked like a rock, but no stone should feel annoyed as this one did. After a closer examination, there didn’t seem to be many cracks. The boulder was no bigger than a pony and was surprisingly smooth. At least more smooth than the other ones.

“Is something wrong?” Thorax asked, landing in front of the boulder before looking at it with narrowed eyes.

Nica pointed at it and nodded.

“Let me guess, you think it’s not a boulder?” Thorax asked, and she nodded in confirmation. “Do you think someone disguised himself as a rock?” This time Nica nodded at him energetically. With a smug, Thorax poked the stone and said, “You can drop the disguise, Pharynx. You're busted.”

Nica observed the green flames that changed the boulder into a dark bug-like creature. She smiled nervously and rubbed her arm, but not from surprise. If Pharynx was indeed the warrior brother that Thorax told her about, she would need to make a good first impression here and now. The bad news… she didn’t even get an opportunity to practice the attacks she remembered from her dreams.

Raichu looked between both changelings, finding each surprisingly different. Unlike Thorax, his brother had only three colors. Black body, violet back and wings, and something red on his head that reminded her of scales standing up on top of Spike’s head. Upon noticing two big holes in the changeling's legs, Nica took a step back and held a paw to her mouth. Her cheeks turned green.

The challenging growled at her and next glanced up at his taller brother. “Did you warn this thing about my disguise?”

“I didn’t. She was the first one to find out before I even sensed your presence,” Thorax answered. “Her name’s Nica by the way, and she’s a Raichu.” He looked down at his little friend. “Nica, meet Pharynx, he’s my brother I told you about.”

Pharynx lowered his head to her face level. “So you noticed me despite my disguise. You’re one keen-eyed creature, or is it just a disguise? Number and rank, soldier?!”

Thorax shook his foreleg dismissively. “She’s not a changeling, but she can sense emotions. She may even be better at it than we are. Well… maybe...”

“Oh really…” Pharynx said while rubbing his chin, examining the creature from top to bottom. “You beat me at my own game, so I must admit you’re not a worthless piece of meat. What are you anyway?”

Raichu was about to speak, but Thorax beat her to it.

“She’s a pet that Twilight and Starlight took under their care. She cheered me up when I was visiting Ponyville and agreed to help me resolve the infights in the pack,” Thorax explained.

“Oh really? And how can this thing help?” Pharynx slammed his forehooves together. His very glare made Nica take a few hesitant steps backward. “What is needed are strict decisions, punishments and the arrests of all traitors.”

Thorax smirked. “Don’t worry about that. Dragon Lord Ember taught me how to be more assertive and gave me some advice.” He stomped and narrowed his eyes. “I’ll show them that my decision is final, and if they refuse to see a reason, I can always turn into a big gorilla!”

Pharynx grinned. “Finally showing some backbone, brother, and here I feared you were completely hopeless.” He pointed at Raichu and asked, “But you still didn’t answer how this thing can help.”

“Well… it’s a long story,” Thorax said with a sheepish smile.

“Then I don’t have time to hear it. I have patrol to finish and other duties afterwards.” Pharynx looked at Raichu and hissed. “As for you, you’re on our territory so behave yourself. You may be under Thorax’s protection, but cause any trouble,” he stomped a small stone next to him, cracking it to pieces, “and I’ll punish you personally.”

Raichu nodded a few times at a quick pace.

“Now hold on a second,” Thorax said, but his brother had already started walking away. After taking a deep breath and mustering his courage, he shouted, “I said stop! That’s an order!”

Pharynx stopped and turned around, his face calm but impassive.

Nica glanced at Thorax, sensing distress and fear while seeing a face devoid of confidence. It became obvious that he wanted to keep his brother from leaving, but didn’t plan ahead.

She gazed at Pharynx and gulped. Commanding his attention on her own seemed near impossible, and if she wouldn’t do anything here and now, Pharynx would just leave. If she was going to make a move, it was now or never. Any delays would only reduce her chance of success.

Taking a deep breath, Raichu lowered herself to four legs and approached with firm steps, looking at the changeling with narrowed eyes.

Pharynx didn’t move or speak, but his glare and aura was filled with hostility.

Nica pointed at the black changeling and shouted,

Pharynx looked at Thorax and asked, “Permission to speak.”

“G-granted…”

“Why is this thing repeating Raichu and Rai? Is this a secret code, or is this creature some kind of moron?”

“H-hey, stop insulting her!” Thorax said with a growing confidence. “This is just how she communicates. I’ll translate.” In a burst of green flames, he turned himself into a Raichu and approached his no longer smaller companion.

Nica smiled and approached Thorax, whispering into his ear.

Pharynx kept staring at the scene, not daring to move. It was an order after all, and part of him was proud of his brother for finally acting like a proper leader. The other part, however, was annoyed. Every second he wasted here doing nothing would be a second more for potential enemies to sneak into the hive or traitors to plan a rebellion. To make matters worse, his brother was now in the shape of a tiny feeble fluffy critter, an ultimate humiliation for a changeling ruler.

Thorax asked.

Nica answered.

Pharynx gritted his teeth. Hearing the same words repeating themselves was like a secret code, as if they were talking behind his back, and it was something he really hated. He could turn into a Raichu himself, but he would rather be tortured for hours than become something so unintimidating.

Thorax shapeshifted back into his real form and cleared his throat. “Sir Pharynx, Lady Nica is challenging you to,” he paused, struggling to get the following words out of his throat, “a d-d-d-duel…”

“A duel?” Pharynx asked before bursting into laughter, struggling to stand still. Only his years of experience and self-discipline prevented him from rolling on the ground. “If that was meant to be a joke, it was a very amusing one. And if it wasn’t… it’s still hilarious.”

Thorax chuckled. “Well… it wasn’t a joke. Lady Nica comes from a distant land, which is somewhere across the ocean. Where she comes from, she’s called a pokemon, and pokemon often combat one another. They fight to prove themselves, improve their abilities and gain each other’s respect.”

“Interesting,” Pharynx said, deciding to give some of his attention to this intriguing culture. In fact, it didn’t even seem all that different to what changelings used to do, as long as they had enough love to spare for combat.

“When I was telling Nica about my past and the problems I face at home, I also told her about you,” Thorax said, struggling to maintain a firm face. None of his emotions were concealed to the senses of a fellow changeling. “Knowing about you from my story, Lady Nica said that you’re a strong, loyal and brave warrior who cares about his hive, and she wants to challenge you to earn your respect in battle. She also hope you’ll impress her in turn.”

Pharynx blinked in confusion, looking between his brother and the fluffy creature. Were they actually serious? While there was much about this ‘Pokemon’ culture he admired, and Nica seemed respectful towards him, how could he take any of it seriously? Narrowing his eyes and staring at Raichu, he asked, “While I wouldn’t mind a battle since I need to keep my skills in shape, and lately finding a sparring partner has become difficult, why should I waste my time and energy on someone so small?” He stomped again, leaving a hole in the ground. “You’re as intimidating as a bunny. I would crush you with ease.”

Nica shook her head, and next stood on the tips of her rear paws while placing her forepaws on her hips. She puffed out her chest, showing nothing but confidence.

Thorax turned into a Raichu again and asked a few quick questions as Nica answered each of them. Turning back into his full might, he continued, “Lady Nica says that where she comes from, the size of a creature is very misleading. Tiny innocent beings possess enough power to bring mighty giants to their knees.”

Raichu poked her chest, forcing a confident smile, but Pharynx sensed fear. Still, it wasn’t a fear of being crushed into a puddle by a larger and more dangerous foe, it was… something else. If this creature wasn’t afraid of him, what was she afraid of?

“Lady Nica also believes that being intimidating isn’t the only option to gain an advantage in battle.” Thorax continued, “If you’ll allow her innocent and... cute appearance,” he gave the critter a dreamy smile,” to fool you, you’ll lose the battle before it even starts.”

Pharynx grinned as his wings buzzed in excitement. “Oh, I see, clever. Making yourself look weak and defenseless to give your enemies a false sense of security, and then strike them with no mercy while their guard is down.” He smiled. “I’ll be sure to remember that.”

Nica and Thorax glanced at each other and smiled sheepishly. This wasn’t what they were going for, but it was still progress… right?

“Alright then, I accept your challenge, but don’t expect me to go easy on you. Hope you’re not just bark and no bite, or else expect lots of broken bones,” Pharynx said while taking a fighting stance. His horn was surrounded by a rich green aura and his wings were ready. If his brother really had changed and was going to bring order back into the hive, he needed to be in top shape to deal with those who would still resist. This fluffy creature would serve as the perfect punching bag.

Author's Note

After a week or more since she arrived in Equestira, Nica finally decided to challenge someone into a battle, a warrior-changeling none-less.

Now the question is, will her dormant fighting abilities awake in the heat of combat? Or will her limited memories and lack of preparations bite her in the back?

One thing is certain, as much as she don't want to hurt others, she wouldn't dare to disapoit her friend Thorax, and without any practice, she sure starts with a big disadvantage.

Chapter 15.5 - Taste of Battle

Little Lost Raichu

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Chapter 15.5
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Taste of Battle

Nica untied the collar around her neck, using her tail to lift it towards Thorax who in turn placed it inside his saddlebag. It actually felt odd no longer feeling anything on her neck. Ever since she was given this precious gift, its very presence calmed her down, ensuring her that she would never hurt any innocent creature or adorable little filly with electricity again. Without it she felt… naked.

“I’ll… stay on the sideline and judge,” Thorax said, walking towards a nearby stone while using it as a cover. “Play nice, and remember that it’s just a friendly duel between allies.”

“Sorry brother, but your small companion asked me not to underestimate her, or did you translate her words wrong?”

Thorax whimpered, giving his smaller friend a look filled with pity.

Nica took a fighting stance on her four paws, her tail raised threateningly. This was it. Either she would succeed and earn respect, or she would screw up and humiliate herself. One thing was certain, it was too late to back down. She took a deep breath, feeling her heart start to beat faster. Okay, stay calm. It may be my first fight since I woke up inside a dangerous forest, but I fought a lot in the past. My body is designed for combat.

“Brace yourself!”

Nica took two steps backward, but maintained her stance as her opponent flew up and was now charging at her from above. Her pupils shrank the moment three green fireballs shot from the changeling’s horn. She bent her right forepaw slightly and pushed herself to the side, making a few meters distance in a matter of second. Okay, my reflexes are kicking in. Just stay calm… Her thoughts were interrupted when the changeling made a quick turn and was but a meter away from tackling her. In act of reflex, she rolled to the left, feeling the wind on her body from above and dirt from under her.

“So you can actually dodge, good. You have no idea how many incompetent warriors from the hive don’t know the meaning of stepping out of the way from approaching blasts,” Pharynx said, giving the large critter a proud glance.

Nica looked up and allowed herself to calm a little as her plan seemed to work, but it was still a short-lived victory. If she stayed on the defense and kept evading all his attacks, her opponent would either get bored or annoyed. She needed to go on the offensive, whether she liked it or not. She closed her eyes and thought back to the moments where she had used electricity against the human girl, trying to do the same against the changeling and failing. A few bolts of electricity appeared on the dots on her cheeks and vanished immediately after.

“No counterattack? Am I out of your reach?” Pharynx asked, flying down at a steady pace. “Fine by me, I prefer direct combat anyway.” Bursting into green flames, he shapeshifted into a giant bug-like creature and roared.

Nica bit her bottom lip and her ears drooped. Her opponent had suddenly become at least four times bigger while staring at her with five eyes. Its build was wide in the middle, its color violet with black stripes, or maybe black with violet stripes? Not that the color mattered when two large blade-like limbs were on an intercepting course with her body. Counterattack, counterattack! she thought in a panic, thinking back to other moves she’d used as a Pichu. ‘Thundershock’ didn’t work, and next on the line was a ‘Quick Attack’. She closed her eyes and ran forward, trying to force a boost to her speed and power the same way she did in the past.

Opening her eyes, she noticed that she was very quick, but felt no different. She actually ran at such speed when she was escaping from the large beast in the forest. Making contact with her large opponent by simply running into him would most likely backfire.

Seeing as one blade was swung in her direction, she turned and dodged, using her speed to circle around the large opponent while evading its blades. Much to her surprise, Pharynx seemed disorientated, struggling to turn fast enough and keep up with her while in such a large body. It seems I earned myself a few seconds, I can’t let them go to waste.

Nica closed her eyes, thinking back to a time when she used ‘Spark’ as a Pichu. Being surrounded by electricity while tackling was certainly an appealing strategy against a nearby foe. Mimicking her past self, she turned and jumped at the giant monster from behind, pushing it forward a little. After bouncing away from the large beast, Nica’s feet pressed against the ground as she forced herself to stop.

Raichu lowered her head in disappointment as she failed once again. Even though she had crashed into her foe with all her speed, her size and mass weren’t good enough to accomplish anything. It was one thing to tilt a tree by accident, but against a battle-experienced beast she needed to unleash electricity and she needed to do it now.

Pharynx turned around and shapeshifted into another creature, this one looking like a tiger with two heads, the second head that of a goat, and a snake serving the role of tail. Despite having three heads, only one seemed interested in talking. “Using your speed and small size to outrun me? Clever, but unlucky for you, a chimera is perfect at hunting agile prey,” the tiger's head spoke.

Nica gulped and smiled nervously. Speed and agility was all she had, so if those were to fail, she would be in deep trouble. Closing her eyes, she thought of another attack. This one being way more powerful than the last few. But if she failed to perform a weak attack, how was she going to succeed at using a powerful one?

She opened her eyes and leaped to the side, evading the beast's clawed paw, only to push herself backward with a forepaw in time to avoid the snake’s bite. Performing a backflip, she landed softly away from her foe. There’s no time to hesitate, I need to at least try! Seeing as her foe quickly closed the distance, she jumped with more force, reaching over hundred of meters of height in mere seconds. The newly gained distance didn’t seem to help against five fireballs heading in her direction.

“That was a great jump, but it won’t help you if you won’t fight back,” Pharynx said in his changeling’s form before once again turning into the chimera, now running in the direction where he expected his prey to fall.

Nica yelped and waved her paws in panic. She was now above the ground with nothing for support, unable to move out of the way of the incoming long-range attack, and at least three fireballs were accurate enough to hit her where she was going to be after two seconds. Using her tail and paws, she braced herself for the impact.

The moment she felt heat and pain in her forepaws and on her belly, she opened her eyes and lowered her guard. Her body rolled in mid air from the recoil for a moment before stabilizing itself. The pain was short-lasting, confirming her theory that her body was greatly strengthened over hundreds of battles. Now focused on the chimera who was ready to jump at her the moment she landed, Nica controlled her own tail, slapping it against the snake’s head. Her body bounced backward in recoil, and sand started spreading around her paws.

“You call this fighting? You tickle me at best!” the tiger’s head shouted. “You said your size didn’t matter, but you’re doing a poor job at proving it.” He scratched the mix of sand and dirt with his claws. “If you’re holding back, stop it immediately! I’ll not allow such disrespect!”

Nica’s ears drooped and she looked at her foe in sadness. Just as she feared, Pharynx wasn't going to tolerate her if she stayed on the defensive. She needed to attack immediately. Closing her eyes, she ignored the approaching doom and focused on her memories, mimicking her past self. Tightening her paws, she yelled loudly as her body unleashed concentrated electricity, sending numerous bolts ahead of her.

The chimera stopped running as the pupils in the tiger’s eyes shrank. Just a moment after hearing a loud “Raaaaiiiiichuuuuu!” he was greeted by flashing electricity. Caught by surprise, he tried and failed to dodge, feeling electricity go through his entire body, pushing him backward as his clawed paws left trails in the sand and dirt. After a moment of fast breathing, he stood up on his shaking paws and shapeshifted back into his changeling form. “So... you were defensive for so long to anger me... and then attacked the moment I lowered my guard... I’m impressed,” he said between breaths.

Nica opened her eyes, watching in shock upon the marks on the ground left by her electricity. Had she really had such power inside of her all this time? Maybe she couldn’t use weak attacks because her body adapted to using only the strongest moves. She trembled at the very idea of the destruction she could cause.

“Ummm… Pharynx, you’re not hurt, are you?” Thorax asked.

“Are you kidding? I’m just warming up,” Pharynx said before flying up, shooting green fireballs from the air. “Long-range bombardment may not be as accurate while flying quickly, but I want to see you counterattack against a fast-moving target.”

Nica bit her lip and started running, leaping and backflipping in her attempts to evade the ranged attacks. For several seconds only one or two of her paws touched the sand at the same time, as she was constantly forced to push herself into another evasion maneuver. In a sense it felt almost like a mix between dancing and one-paw standing.

Nica looked up at the flying opponent while evading, finding herself light as a feather as her body started working on its own. The action, excitement and adrenaline, she felt so alive.

“Don’t bother with defense. I won’t fall for the same trick again. You may as well attack,” Pharynx encouraged, keeping his distance.

The long-tailed critter nodded, taking a short opening to use ‘Thunderbolt’ once more, this one weaker but faster to pull out. As she expected, it was evaded due to her foe’s speed. The exchange continued as both sides used speed and distance to evade each other’s strikes.

I don’t remember any more attacks I used in the past. It seems I can rely only this one for now, Nica thought before fully focusing on her opponent while considering her options. There wasn’t much she could do at such a distance as both sides had enough time to dodge, but was it a bad thing? She had plenty of stamina, so after ten or fifteen minutes, her opponent would start getting tired. It was actually a type of victory she would prefer. The problem was with Pharynx’s character. He was a warrior to the bone and wouldn’t be satisfied losing in such a way. Whether she liked it or not, she had to hurt him.

Nica’s ears drooped as she started to run forward before jumping towards the changeling at great speed. Using ‘Thunderbolt’ while shouting her name loudly, she unleashed electricity that vaporized the green fireballs in her way. Getting closer and closer while unable to change her course, she waited til the last second while tracking the changeling’s flying trajectory. One weak ‘Thunderbolt’ proved strong and accurate enough to push Pharynx towards the ground.

The moment Nica landed, she turned around and ran towards the crashing side. Did she use too much power? Was the changeling too vulnerable without shapeshifting into a bigger and more powerful creature? She glanced at Thorax for a moment, who remained calm behind his boulder, which seemed suspicious. Thorax was a very caring leader, so why hadn’t he run over to aid his injured brother?

Nica didn’t need to wait for an answer for long as Pharynx shapeshifted into the giant bug-like five-eyed creature from before. With a quick calculated leap to the left, she dodged the large blade-like limbs and countered with a weak ‘Thunderbolt’. As her opponent was still attacking aggressively, Nica performed a backflip, limiting the strength of her jump as being in the air for too long could give her opponent an opportunity to strike.

His large size and low agility made Pharynx an easy target as he couldn’t fly out of the way of another ‘Thunderbolt’. Covered in burns, he supported himself with his blade-like limbs just to stand still, now tired and in pain. Pharynx shapeshifted back into the chimera. “It seems brute-force alone won’t cut it. Let’s see how you handle a balance between strength and agility, battle-hardened critter!”

Nica stayed calm, her eyes narrowed as she stood on two legs, awaiting the strike. Bolts of electricity started escaping from the dots on her cheeks, while her tail was raised above her head and ready.

Pharynx swung his clawed paw, not fast enough as Raichu leap slightly to the side. His snake’s tail went for a poisonous bite, but its mouth was sealed as Raichu’s tail wrapped it. The tiger’s mouth opened as he tried to sink his sharp teeth into the soft fur with a quick bite, but his prey ducked and ran under his belly.

Nica wrapped her four paws around the beast’s belly and unleashed a weakened ‘Thunderbolt’. Using her tail, she pulled the snake, wrapping it around the rear paws of the beast as it lost its balance. Nica had to admit, the chimera's belly and sand made a soft combo. Despite the weight of the beast pressing against her little body, she couldn’t call this experience uncomfortable.

Bursting into green flames, Pharynx returned back to normal and flew up for several seconds, only to dive-bomb towards the large critter. Green flames formed around his horn and spread around his body. “Let me show you a very popular strategy among the swarm that we used to invade Canterlot.” He gritted his teeth and grimaced.

Nica looked up at the approaching danger and considered her options: She could use ‘Thunderbolt’ to finish the job as her foe was falling too quickly to dodge. Or maybe she should evade by leaping to the side at the last second, and than strike when her opponent would be wide open? But maybe there was another way to prove herself and end this fight without hurting the changeling ever more.

Spreading her paws and exposing her belly as if inviting her foe to hit it, she awaited the speeding bomb. No fear was weighing her down.

“Nica, what are you doing!” Thorax shouted, hyperventilating in panic. “Dodge, dodge, dodge!”

Two seconds later Nica felt as if a small meteor hit her belly with great force while pushing her into the sand. Her lips shut as she refused to scream.

Green magic and sand spread in a cloud around the impacted area, alongside some electricity.

Pharynx massaged his forehead and opened his eyes. Even with the changeling magic shielding him, he still felt the impact in his weakened state. He looked down in worry, afraid to see flattened leftovers of fur and flesh. His opponent had proved to be a strong adversary, and killing her was the last thing he wanted right now. He gasped upon seeing a calm smile as the critter was staring at him with no sign of pain… or maybe it was really good at hiding it. He tried to step back, only to grit his teeth as bolts of electricity went through his muscles, finding every attempt to move his own body to be difficult. His eyes became wide from realization. His body was paralyzed.

Suddenly, he felt Raichu’s tail wrapping itself around his belly and next aim at his neck with the sharp heart-shaped edge. His legs trembled from exhaustion and pain. There was no way he could free himself and avoid more electricity, and he didn’t have enough strength to fight back or enough magic to shapeshift. Paralyzed, hurt and tired, he was at his opponent’s mercy.

Raichu stood up and withdrew her tail, standing on the tip of her right rear foot and placing her left forepaw on Pharynx’s shoulder. She smiled cheerfully as a few bruises decorated her face and belly.

Pharynx took a few slow breaths and examined his surroundings, finding himself in a hole in the sand. The hole wasn’t deep and the material under his hooves wasn’t solid, but it didn’t mean that his final strike was weak. He’d put a lot of force behind this attack while delivering a direct hit against a much smaller being. Yet a mere look at the critter’s face told him that she wasn’t tired, and the emotions he sensed confirmed that Nica was no longer in pain. With narrowed eyes, he asked, “You’re not tired and can still fight, right?”

Nica nodded, and he could tell it wasn’t a bluff.

Pharynx keep staring at the long-tailed creature with a judging stare, only to smile proudly a moment later. “I must say, this was a good fight.” He raised his trembling hole-filled foreleg up to his armored chest. “You gave the flesh and magic of this old soldier a solid exercise.”

“Pharynx, Nica! Are you both okay?” Thorax asked, towering over them from his higher ground as he looked down into the hole. Without warning, he grabbed them both, standing on his rear legs while holding his brother and the large critter in a hug. “Oh, I was sooooo worried. I’m glad you’re both okay.” He released them both, only to grab Nica between his hooves, pressing her nose against his muzzle. “Why didn’t you dodge? Oh why, why, why?” He released Nica, who landed softly on the sand next to the hole. “And you, you’re going into a healing cocoon immediately. No patrol until you’re back in shape. Am I clear?”

Pharynx opened his mouth, but closed it a moment later. His brother was showing initiative and he didn’t want to ruin it, not to mention that his back and muscles were still stiff, paralyzed, and in pain. Even if being carried on his brother’s back into the hive was embarrassing, he was too tired to think about his pride. The critter who defeated him was walking next to Thorax, keeping them company.

“I must say, you’re one interesting creature. To think someone this small and lame-looking hid so much power.” Pharynx said, his tone more calm and curious.

Nica stopped walking on four paws, now walking on two as she hid a blush behind her left forepaw.

Thorax gazed upon the sky in satisfaction. “It has been so long since you spoke in such a calm tone. No anger, no malice, no annoyance. To think all it took was someone beating you at your own game.”

Pharynx rolled his eyes before giving Nica a curious glance. “Are you a soldier where you come from? Or maybe a famous fighter? Are you training diligently everyday to stay in shape?” If he had been defeated in a duel, knowing achievements of his opponent would put his mind at ease. After all, there’s no shame in losing against a stronger and more experienced being.

“Maybe she was, maybe not, it is hard to tell,” Thorax answered.

“That’s a terrible answer!” Pharynx commented.

“Sorry brother, but Nica’s memories are still sealed. There’s not much she remembers,” Thorax explained.

“What?” Pharynx blinked in confusion. Only Queen Chrysalis had enough power and experience to brainwash other creatures, but he didn’t remember her having the ability to seal someone’s memories. A number of theories started forming in his mind. “Maybe you saw something important and your enemies sealed your memories, or maybe you were too strong of a fighter and the weaklings struck against your mind instead.”

Nica shrugged, showing lack of information and clues behind her predicament.

“Hey, Thorax, if her memories were sealed, how did she remember about her own culture? You’re not pulling my leg, are you?”

The tall challenging looked around at the curious eyes of his subjects as he was about to step into his domain, or whatever called what was left of Chrysalis’ fortress. With no ceiling over their heads, it wasn’t much of a building in the first place. Taking a deep breath, he sped up and answered, “Starlight, the pony who helped me overthrown the queen, was the one who damaged the seal, and Nica has been recovering her memories at a slow rate ever since.”

Pharynx narrowed his eyes and glanced down at Nica with a judging stare, who looked away with drooped ears, clearly not interested in where this conversation was going. “When you challenged me, did you have all your memories of how to fight?”

Nica glanced at him for a moment and shook her head.

“So you challenged me to a duel, hoping that your instincts and abilities would come to the surface in the heat of combat?” he asked, noticing a hesitant nod. “Does this mean you were using only a part of what you’re really capable of?” His eyes widened upon seeing another nod. The creature who dared to challenge him knew she was a strong warrior, but didn’t remember how to fight. She challenged him knowing she would be at a great disadvantage, and yet still defeated him with ease.

Should he feel humiliated to be defeated by a little furball who not only beat him without breaking a sweat, but also did so with only a part of her real power? Or should he be impressed by the courage of his opponent for challenging him while at disadvantage?

Pharynx smirked. So many options opened for him. Learning about a new mighty race. Shapeshifting into such species to gain advantage in combat. Maybe he would even train Nica to help her unlock her full potential, and in return she would support the swarm. Having strong allies was important after all.

One thing was certain. Things were going to get interesting.

Author's Note

Finally, after more than a week of being nearly defensless, Nica had her first taste of battle since she arrived in Equestria, now remembering how to use one of her moves, 'Thunderbolt'.

It turned out that she had plenty of survival tricks and was very tough, but needed an opponent for her reflex and skills to kick in. I hope this battle was enjoyable and outcome satisfying. Feel free to comment what you thought of this battle and who you were hoping would win.

Cheers.

Chapter 16 - Patrol

Little Lost Raichu

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Chapter 16
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Patrol

Boat making… wasn’t as easy as she had first thought.

Being a Pichu again in her dream, Nica cooperated with her trainer and the rest of the team in making a boat with one sail. Said boat was going to swim over shallow and deep water, so it needed to be at least a bit sturdy.

Being a tiny creature with little limbs and a massive head, holding a hammer alone proved problematic. Happiny faced similar limitations. After all, who would expect an egg with limbs to be a skilled ship builder?

Their starfish companion was too small and too weak to be a good means of transportation between islands, and with no hands or paws, it couldn’t use any tools.

The lazy nine-tailed fox just watched them from the sidelines, laying on the sand. Not that Nica expected him to do anything useful outside of saving them in dire situations.

The only capable pokemon seemed to be the grass/poison type, Bulbasaur. His long vines showing great capability for construction and excelled at using tools. In a way, Bulbasaur and Astra did more than 80% of the work, cooperating with each other impressively well.

With the boat finally done after two days of hard work, all that was left was for the human to learn how to actually operate it.

Days of travel and a few ‘overboard swimming’ situations later, they finally reached the Orange Islands where four challenges and the local champion awaited.

One of the trials started with mountain-climbing, something Nica and Astra did with extreme ease thanks to their years of climbing experience. In fact, climbing over and over again provided Nica with plenty of jumping exercises, making her a master at this field and quite good at avoiding ground type attacks.

Unexpectedly, Ninetales provided assistance at making an iceboat for the local trial, a gesture which Nica found to be heartwarming.

The hardest trial proved to be surfing on a pokemon. Poor Staryu struggled so hard, but there wasn’t much it could do against a giant fast-swimming turtle with two water cannons. There was a happy ending though as the Gym Leader allowed an easier trial during the rematch.

Apparently, it was a Gym Leader’s job to evaluate skills and experience of a trainer and prepare a proper challenge. It needed to be hard enough to improve skills of the challengers, but not impossible. Thus far the trials and pokemon battles proved to be quite enjoyable, and Nica found her trainer’s progress to be admirable.

During their travels, they regularly visited a place called a ‘Pokemon Center’, a safe haven with free healing and free food for pokemon trainers and their pokemon, as long as said trainers kept earning their badges and participated in tournaments. Every island and city had at least one and was staffed by Nurse Joys. How one large family became responsible for worldwide pokemon-healing was beyond comprehension of this simple Pichu.

There was, however, one place vastly different from the others, a location formed of three small islands that together had only one Pokemon Center and a very unique Nurse Joy. A Nurse Joy that Astra learned to admire.

Nica had to admit, for a human, this Nurse Joy was indeed very special. The most noticeable features were that she was very tan and incredibly strong. Voluntarily traveling between three islands on a kayak thanks to her strength alone, healing both tamed and wild pokemon on three islands and even those living underwater between them. It was exhausting work from morning to night. Were this Nurse Joy a pokemon instead of a human, she would be an extremely tough opponent to fight against.

Inspired by such dedication and strength, Astra begged the hard-working nurse to become her mentor, which she gratefully accepted.

Days, weeks, months of time passed as Astra abandoned her old boat to travel on a kayak instead, struggling greatly to keep up with the superhuman.

Nica didn’t complain though. There was still plenty of time before the Orange League, and her trainer not only grew physically stronger, but also gained the ability to swim across the water at great speeds and gained knowledge and experience in pokemon healing. Being able to properly use potions and aid pokemon in the field away from civilization was a skill only rare trainers and pokemon breeders possessed.

Much to Nica’s surprise, the Nurse Joy still kept growing stronger, surpassing human limits. The proof came in the shape of a gigantic fish called Magikarp. The first time Astra met Nurse Joy, the Magikarp had over one meter of height and was nearly two meters long, and often jumped onto the land to say to his favourite nurse. Each time the tan human provided the giant fish with food and medicine before lifting and tossing it back into the water.

Two months later, when Astra thanked the Nurse for teaching her and said goodbye, the gigantic fish also arrived to say his farewell, this time being at least 20% bigger, and the Nurse tossed the fish back into the water just as easy. It was as if the Nurse Joy worked this hard just to become strong enough to care for her naval friend, no matter how much he grew. It wouldn’t surprise the Pichu if after a few years the giant fish reached two meters in height and became three meters long, probably weighing one ton, and was still not heavy enough to give the tan super nurse a hard time.

Nica had to admit to herself, as distracting as it was, she was going to think fondly of those experiences. Exploring the breath-taking sights while diving underwater to help the pokemon living there. Calming angered pokemon when their fight went too far. Observing a practical use of potions in a pinch. Even time-wasting activities like healing others and enduring one-hour a day lectures and the practice of using potions and antidotes wasn’t all that bad… in fact, assisting those in need started to feel somewhat appealing. One thing was certain, Happiny had plenty of fun sharing her vitality with the wounded, learning a trick or two from Chansey on a few occasions.

Equipped with a kayak that the strong nurse kindly gifted them with, Astra traveled to other islands with ease, and this time it was the pokemon’s turn to grow stronger.

This time Astra’s team participated in a double battle, a test not just of skills but also teamwork.

On one side stood a ground type pokemon with a mask made of a skull and a bone as a weapon, Cubone, teaming up with a powerful Kadabra whose outstanding features were one spoon, a large useless tail, a very long mustache and incredible telekinetic prowess.

Against them stood Happiny, whose ‘Ice Beam’ was a perfect move against the ground type, while great special defenses could handle ‘Kadabra’s’ psychic powers. Happiny’s partner ‘Bulbasaur’ however was in a poor spot, being absolutely defenseless against ‘Kadabra’s’ might.

If Bulbasaur failed to protect Happiny from Cubone’s attacks, or if Happiny failed to protect Bulbasaur from Kadabra’s powers, their defeat was guaranteed.

Rarely was Nica impressed by the performance of her other team members as she was always working harder than them, but even she had to admit that Bulbasaur deserved his evolution into the bigger and more powerful Ivysaur after proving his dedication to the team.

Raichu yawned and stretched her limbs before raising a paw to protect her eyes from the sun as no ceiling was over her head. After another round of stretching and a few deep breaths of fresh air, she patted the bed of leaves, making sure it looked presentable. Not that leaves could rival the softness of the bed and pillow in Twilight’s castle, but comfort wasn’t something she cared about.

She turned to the side and raised a paw to her face, resisting the urge to puke. While the comfort wasn’t a problem as she would even sleep on a rock without complain, the food was a different story.

Deciding to skip her breakfast for now, she stood up and started exploring her surroundings, leaving her saddlebag next to the leafy bed. She was a guest after all, and there was so much to learn.

Primary building material? Stone.

Decorations? Grass, vines and flowers.

Ceiling decorations? Nonexistent. There wasn’t a ceiling to begin with.

Residents? Bug-like greenish friendly creatures and bug-like blackish hissing creatures. If Thorax’s story was accurate, the blackish ones were the rebellious changelings.

Exploring alone felt less like visiting a friendly nation, and more like checking an old ruin covered in moss.

Raichu’s ears straightened upward and her tail started flapping left and right. While the steps behind her were barely audible, the aura she sensed was very noticeable. After performing a sharp turn, she faced the changeling with her tail straightened and aimed at him threateningly. Her muscles relaxed and her glare softened a moment later.

“On guard and aware of your surroundings, very good,” Pharynx praised while staring her a proud smile.

Nica kept staring back in confusion. Finding Pharynx and gaining his trust was on her agenda, but for him to visit her was certainly unexpected. Still, why did she react to his presence with hostility? Did yesterday’s battle awaken dormant instincts within her?

“I’ll be brief. While I found yesterday’s combat exercise to be beneficial, it kept me inside of a healing cocoon for a few hours.” He pointed at her. “In other words, you cost me a few hours and I expect you to make up for it.” With a swing of his foreleg, he grabbed Nica by her shoulder, who yelped in surprise. “Long story short, you’ll accompany me on my patrol. You have a keen sight and your senses are sharp. Having an extra pair of eyes is always useful when searching for threats.”

Nica nodded, trying to comprehend her situation. The opportunity she’d hoped for had come to her out of nowhere. Patrolling along with Pharynx was just perfect. Still, there seemed to be something odd about the changeling’s aura. Excitement, curiosity and a mix of other emotions. It almost felt as if this patrol was an excuse, or maybe Pharynx planned to have his cake and eat it too.

“We’re going to start our patrol in twenty… seconds, so if you want to eat something or refresh yourself, better do it fast!”

The moment she was released from the changeling’s hold, Nica bit her bottom lip and ran towards her saddlebag, digging out her collar while accidently pushing two dolls onto the bed of leaves. She put the collar on her neck and poked it. Yet there still seemed to be something she needed...

“Time’s up,” Pharynx said before picking up the Raichu, throwing her over his head onto his back. His wings buzzed as he now hovered over the ground. “We’ll start with air recon, so keep your eyes open for any suspicious activity, got that?”

Nica nodded, standing on her rear paws as she balanced herself on the changeling’s back. She quickly dropped to four paws the moment her ride flew at quick speed, but balanced herself on two right after.

She didn’t exactly understand what the changeling meant by saying ‘suspicious activity’, but she could always guess.

“Nica, where are you?” Tiny Starlight asked, perched on a leaf with the alicorn doll by her side. The larger critter was nowhere to be found. Taking a few steps, she walked from leaf to leaf while examining her surroundings, looking up at the towering walls. The view of the changeling’s hive proved way more intimidating at her current size. Vines alone seemed to be the size of trees.

Both ground and the leaf under her hooves started to tremble and noise of crashing steps reached her ears. Upon noticing a few approaching changelings, she stood on her rear hooves, waved her forelegs and shouted, “Excuse me! Have any of you seen a long-tailed critter with rabbit-like legs, white fluffy belly and… hey, careful with the goods!”

Much to Starlight’s surprise, she was raised up to the changeling’s muzzle, which seemed big enough to sit on. The good news was the green color of the present changelings, meaning that they were probably friendly and wouldn’t steal anything from the saddlebag. The bad news however were their wide grins.

“Are you a magical doll, or a tiny pony? Can ponies even get this small?”

“You’re so cute and cuddly!”

“I’m totally making a doll based on you during the craft-time.”

“Can I paint you a life-sized art? How good are you at modeling?”

“You look like Starlight, the one who stood up against the queen. Are you her tiny relative? Or did you accidentally shrink yourself with magic?”

Tiny Starlight smiled nervously. While she’d planned to visit Thorax someday and have a tour of his home, this certainly wasn’t how she’d imagined it. Taking a tiny breath, she gestured at herself and spoke, “First off, my name is Starlight Glimmer, the one who helped liberate your hive from the evil queen. Secondly, I’m still in Ponyville, I’m just possessing this doll with a spell to stay in contact with my friend.”

“Can I play with you?”

“Can I cuddle you?”

“Can I rub your cute little belly?”

Starlight blushed. That was her cue to leave.

The tiny pony became motionless and started looking more like an actual doll as several disappointing frowns filled the air.

After a few minutes of air-patrol, Nica now observed the changeling hive from a cliff, and she had to admit, it was a great observing spot, showing Thorax’s kingdom and its surroundings.

“Time to check the perimeter from the ground, so no more riding on my back. Just keep your eyes open and cover me,” Pharynx said, gesturing for Nica to follow him towards the forest. “Those trees make a great hiding spot for hostile forces, but my brother refuses to cut them, so we need to check the area personally.”

Nica nodded, following the changeling’s example as she walked from tree to tree, scanning for noises and auras. Her perfect opportunity didn’t prove as perfect when she realized that she left her notepad and writing tools in her saddlebag, leaving her with no means to communicate.

“So far so clear,” Pharynx said as he hovered above the ground before pushing himself through branches and leaves, occasionally having a branch being stuck in his holes. Peeking from the top of a tree, he gazed down at Raichu and asked, “Found anything down there?!”

Nica looked up and shook her head. The fact that she needed to report her progress at least once per minute told her that Pharynx was overly cautious. Or he probably didn’t trust her enough to leave her out of sight.

“Ugh, I can’t understand you! Nodding and shaking your head just won’t do.” He landed in front of Nica with a loud thump, his eyes narrowed. “As much as I want to puke at the very idea of turning into something like you, I can’t deny your prowess and agility, so I’ll give it a chance.”

Nica rubbed the top of her head. Was he really planning to…

In a burst of green flames, Pharynx shapeshifted into a Raichu, though Nica noticed a few features that didn’t match up.

Size? He seemed slightly taller than her.

Shape? No visible changes there.

Paws? Equipped with long claws, certainly a feature she lacked and was happy for it.

Tail? Different at the end. Instead of the heart-shaped edge, it was pointy and ready to stab.

Face? Filled with scars.

Pharynx stretched and examined himself. He poked the sharp part of his tail and next slammed it into the nearby tree, leaving a little thin hole in it.

Nica said, somewhat taken aback by the scars. Still, it was way better than seeing those creepy holes in his legs.

Pharynx glanced left, right and behind, making sure he was alone, and commanded,

Nica closed her eyes and massaged her forehead. A few quick memories of her practicing with her team flashed in her mind. She wasn’t a Pichu but a Raichu this time around, and shadow-like silhouettes of her team stood before her, radiating in might, each member looking towards her for guidance. Her vision quickly blurred, too quickly for her to learn anything useful, but what she remembered was her enthusiasm. Teaching and training with her friends was something she enjoyed a lot.

Nica opened her eyes, finding herself being shaken by the fellow Raichu.

Pharynx asked, his voice calm.

Do I need a moment? Was he actually concerned about me? Nica thought before shaking her head. She started untying her collar and gently placed it under a nearby tree. One look at Pharynx’s face showed his deep focus and concentration. Tightening her paws, Nica yelled her name and unleashed bolts of electricity towards the sky in a blinding spectacle. The bright light and noise of thunder filled the forest.

Pharynx said before aiming at a tree in a distance. He grit his teeth and repeated the body movements and every action of his female companion, screaming “Raiiichuuuuu…!” while unleashing electricity. The tree wasn’t burned to a crisp though, as Nica got in the way and took the attack upon herself. He pointed at Nica accusingly, noticing only a few tiny burns on her spotless fur.

She approached the towering tree behind her and gently stroked its surface.

Pharynx massaged his forehead and sighed. He narrowed his eyes and looked up at the towering trees.

Nica flinched before running and stopping herself very close to Pharynx, her face filled with panic.

She poked the top of his head.

Pharynx smirked. He stood on the tip of his rear paw and jumped, reaching and poking the closest branch of the tree. With a quick movement of his paws, he ran up to the top of the tree, jumping to another and then another, leaping between branches as numerous leaves fell to the ground.

Nica gasped, not believing her eyes.

Pharynx approached on two legs and rubbed his fluffy chest.

Nica said, nearly yelling into the changeling’s face.

<What can I say, I’m an experienced warrior. I adapt quickly,” Pharynx explained, giving the female Raichu a grin of superiority. A little revenge for losing to her. “Got you.” He poked her nose with his paw. “The truth is, while I can copy your body, I can’t copy your experiences, so my jumps are way weaker than yours. Though I must admit that I rarely expand my arsenal, sticking to guns I know. It has been years since I bothered to learn something new.”

Nica laughed cheerfully before grabbing her collar from the grass and putting it on her neck.

Pharynx asked,

Nica’s ears drooped and she looked to the side.

He groaned and turned around, now walking deeper into the forest. <We’re wasting time, let’s resume our patrol. You can answer on the way.”

Nica followed, gathering courage to speak as she repressed her sad memories.

Pharynx asked, not bothering to look at his ally, his attention focused on a small hole in the tree. He frowned upon noticing a squirrel running in panic away from its little home.

Pharynx stopped and turned around, now gazing at the collar with narrowed eyes.

Nica shouted, resisting the urge to cry. Her breathing became fast and unstable.

Pharynx raised an eyebrow. He could sense anger growing in his companion, but he wasn’t going to sugarcoat his words.

Feeling as if her blood had started to boil, Nica ran closer and wrapped her tail around Pharynx’s neck, pushing him against the tree.

Pharynx gritted his teeth, using his paws and tail in an attempt to free himself from Nica’s hold. Despite copying her body while improving it slightly, there were things he couldn’t copy. It didn’t matter if he shapeshifted into a Wonderbolt or a weather manager, in the end he just gained pegasus flight and ability to control weather. How good a flier he could be depended of his own skills. How well he could control weather depended on how much he would practice it. Turning into a Raichu gave him the ability to use electricity, great speed and solid jumping, but he could tell there was a large gap between them.

Pharynx unleashed a ‘Thunderbolt’ in an attempt to push Nica back, and yet she held her ground, ignoring the electricity as the grass under her feet burned. Feeling more annoyed than threatened, he answered, He frowned. <Though if you hurt them, even by accident, I would punish you accordingly. Unless you challenged them to a fight and they accepted, then it is ok.”

Nica gritted her teeth, struggling to contain her anger.

Nica took a deep breath, weakening her hold on Pharynx’s neck.

Nica wiped tears from her face and smiled as she released Pharynx, who massaged his neck and groaned. She could sense an aura of hostility, but also something resembling respect. As much as she wanted to apologize for her outburst, there was still something to confirm. Upon seeing a firm nod, she asked,

Nica placed her forepaw on Pharynx’s shoulder, who slapped it away.

Pharynx crossed his paws, looked to the side and asked in a sarcastic tone, <And what do you expect me to do? Change like the rest of them? Become a soft and flower-loving loser while the hive loses what's left of its defenses?”

Nica shook her head, choosing her words carefully. Upon seeing how she caught Pharynx’s curiosity, she sat under a tree and explained,

Pharynx turned around and crossed his arms.

Nica suggested. Her ears drooped upon hearing the answer.

Using his tail, he pulled Nica’s forepaw, forcing her to stand.

Nica tapped her forepaws nervously and nodded. Maybe Pharynx would warm up to the idea. Slowly but steady she was making progress, so there was no need to rush. Patience and earning his trust seemed to be the best course of action.

Chapter 16.5 - Deeping Bonds

Chapter 16.5 - Deeping Bonds

Little Lost Raichu

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Chapter 16.5
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Deeping Bonds

Half an hour passed in silence as Nica sniffed the area around the rabbit-holes and checked bush after bush, while her companion jumped from tree to tree, scaring a few birds and critters as a side effect.

The silence was broken when both Raichu left the forest, finishing their patrol with no hostiles found. Unless a few small birds, bunnies and mice would be considered a threat to the mighty changeling’s hive.

Pharynx spoke with a nervous tone, He pointed towards the desert area with nothing but sand and stone formations. He returned back to his changeling form in a burst of green flames, gesturing for Raichu to climb up onto his back.

Nica smiled cheerfully and perched herself on the changeling’s back, waiting for her ride to arrive at the desert and transform again.

She walked side by side with a fellow Raichu. There wasn’t much she remembered of her past, but what she remembered she was willing to share.

<... and then my trainer, Astra, told me to stop evolving. She later explained that the more power one poses, the greater their responsibility,> Nica said, jumping from a stone formation while trying to keep up with Pharynx. Once her rear paws landed on the rocky ground, she continued,

Pharynx laughed. It had been so long since he was in such a good mood. Under Queen Chrysalis’ rule, enjoyment came from achieving victories and capturing enemies, yet the Queen’s overconfidence overshadowed her great strategical mind, costing them many victories. Under Thorax’s rule, he no longer had subordinates to cooperate with. Those who prefered the old days wanted him to become the leader, which meant betrayal, while those who choose to live peacefully were annoying to be around. Until now there was no one he could trust.

He didn’t want to admit it, but having a companion to talk with was very enjoyable. They had different opinions, true, and a hour ago it caused an argument, but he didn’t mind.

Pharynx corrected, feeling as his paws stepped from the solid stone onto the hot sand, his eyes now scanning the sea of sand before him. He kicked the sand and groaned.

Nica commented with confidence in her voice.

Nica pointed at the hive in the distance and then at Pharynx.

Pharynx gave Nica a patient smile, thinking to the relationship between her and her trainer, and between Astra and her mentor. A cooperation between trainers and their pokemon seemed like a teamwork between a strategist and his soldiers. Both needed to do their best for mutual benefits. In the swarm there was no place for officers that didn’t know how to fight, but considering how easily Nica defeated him without access to her full arsenal, he couldn’t deny that such cooperation was efficient. The trainer had one job and did it well.

He poked Nica’s side and shot her a proud smile. He bumped Nica’s paw with his own.

Nica blushed, hiding it behind her paw. Her goal to gain Pharynx’s trust to solve a friendship problem was pushed aside as she actually started to enjoy his company. Not that she approved of Pharynx’s aggressive nature, but she could tell that her words were slowly reaching him.

Pharynx said, pointing ahead at a two-headed dog-like creature.

Nica protected her eyes from the sun with her forepaw, her eyes narrowed as she stared in the pointed direction. The beast’s fur color was similar to the surrounding sand, providing the predator with camouflage, but her senses still picked an aura of hostility.

In a burst of green flames, he transformed into a little white bunny and ran towards the beast.

Nica lowered herself and observed the scene with full attention, already knowing how this was going to end.

As the orthros approached with saliva dripping from its mouth onto the hot sand, the bunny trembled, faking fear until the beast was close enough. In a burst of green flames, the little creature transformed into his favorite form, delivering an uppercut with his blade-like limbs. With the beast caught off guard and pushed away, he shapeshifted into a Raichu and sent out bolts of electricity, smirking in amusement as the orthros ran away with its tail between its legs. He turned around to look at Nica.

Nica’s ears drooped at she observed the retreating creature in pity. While predators were a threat to Thorax and his subjects, and scaring them away was necessary, was hurting them really the only way? Her train of thought was interrupted though the moment the Raichu in front of her collapsed. She ran closer and raised Pharynx’s head with her paw. She stared at him in concern and next looked at Thorax’s home in the distance, considering her options. She closed her eyes the moment Pharynx bursted into green flames, returning to his changeling form. Nica’s paw trembled for a moment as the weight of a changeling proved much greater than the weight of a Raichu.

Pharynx forced himself to stand up and shook his hole-filled foreleg dismissively. “I’m fine, just a bit tired. Shapeshifting isn’t for free, and the stronger form I maintain, the faster I run down my reserves.” He patted Nica’s forehead. “Your body may be small, but it’s quite powerful.”

Nica sighed in relief, but then rubbed the top of her head. When Thorax had turned into Raichu to talk with her, he had maintained his form for more than an hour, not being tired in the least. So why would a seasoned veteran like Pharynx get tired so quickly? She narrowed her eyes, making a mental note to ask Thorax about the side-effects of shapeshifting.

“Let’s continue our patrol, and once we’re done in this area, we can have a drink of fresh water,” Pharynx said, smirking. “Just try to keep up.”

The stars and moon shone brightly in the sky, sharing its light with the hive as most changelings were deep asleep, which included Pharynx himself.

Nica didn’t sleep just yet though, carrying the seasoned veteran on her tiny back while searching for a free sleeping spot. Her paws trembled with each step as she fought against the cold weight. It didn’t surprise her when Thorax’s brother took her for a night patrol, only to fall asleep from exhaustion a few hours later. Not that Nica minded as she still had plenty of stamina to spare, but her tense muscles begged her a little break.

Still unfamiliar with the new environment and unable to find Pharynx’s sleeping spot, she brought him to where she was accommodated. After placing the changeling on her bed of leaves, she stroked him gently and perched herself on his hard belly, hoping her fur would provide him with some heat during the cold night. Curling herself into a ball, she closed her eyes and fell asleep.

While solving a friendship problem between Thorax and his brother apparently wasn’t going to be resolved in just two days, she could tell that Pharynx was slowly opening up to her. There was much she didn’t like about the aggressive and violent changeling, but under his rough character she found dedication, loyalty and a will to put his own safety on the line for others.

At first she wanted to be useful to ponies by any means necessary while helping Thorax out of pity, but now helping the two brothers get along became personal. Should it take days, weeks or even a month didn’t matter, she was going to give it her all.

Being a Pichu again, Nica was standing on her trainer’s shoulder, paws on her hips and head raised in pride. A cheering crowd in the large stadium filled her with inspiration. While to a human it was just a large stadium, to her it looked like a gigantic fortress filled with crowds of huge creatures, which only reinforced her feelings that the next fight was going to be big.

According to her trainer, the Orange League was unique as it required only four badges instead of eight. Instead of a tournament with preliminary rounds to pick the sixteen best trainers, there was a champion accepting challengers one by one. It was like a mini league, easier to win and not as popular, but a fresh start for every trainer.

After a quick hand-shake between Astra and the local champion, both trainers walked towards marked spots on either end of the field, facing each other with the cheering crowd in the background. A small pool filled with water was in the middle of the battlefield, surrounded by ground and rock formations.

Nica looked up at the large screen displaying a picture of the local champion with six darkened pokeballs next to him, most likely to show the audience what pokemon had been used or defeated. Another picture on the screen was of Astra with four darkened pokeballs next to her, a sight that planted a seed of worry in Pichu’s mind. Not only was their team made mostly of unevolved pokemon with Ivysaur being the only exception, they were also outnumbered six to four.

Nica’s worries came to fruition when she regained consciousness inside a Pokemon Center, later learning from her trainer that the champion still had two pokemon left in the end. There was a positive aspect to their loss however as the tiny Happiny had evolved into Chansey, a reward for defeating two fully evolved pokemon while enduring multiple special attacks in the process. Chansey was still egg-shaped, but instead of being tiny and rounded, she was nearly as tall as Astra and way wider. Nica learned personally about how smooth Chansey’s skin was from an enthusiastic hug.

Feeling experienced enough with a somewhat competent team by her side, Astra used her kayak and strength to travel towards Alola, ready to learn more about her parents. Her home and Guardian’s HQ were on a Poni Island in secret locations, away from the public eyes, two perfect places to start an investigation.

Ninetales was balanced on the backside of the kayak, wary of water due to him being a fire pokemon. With his pokeball destroyed long ago by his own flames while refusing to join Astra’s team, defeating his fear of water became a must.

Nica sat in front of her trainer, writing on a notepad despite the shaking of the boat, presenting her trainer with a few questions she had wanted to ask for a while.

Astra stopped for a moment to read before giving Pichu a patient smile. “I already told you. I didn’t find any pokemon I hoped for during my travels between islands to add into the team.” Upon seeing a serious glare that wasn’t going to leave Nica’s face, she sighed. “Listen… I know how it feels to be abandoned, and a pokemon trainer can lead only six pokemon at once.” She looked to the side, staring at the descending sun on the horizon with the water reflecting its light.

“Every pokemon I’ll capture, I plan on training for the rest of my life. Even if I catch more than six, I’ll simply switch between them regularly.” She took a deep breath and looked down at Pichu, who was now calmer than before. “Staryu, Chansey, Ivysaur and you, I’ll never abandon any of you, that’s why I’m so hesitant with expanding my team. I need pokemon that will benefit us in the long run and I want to choose carefully.”

Nica nodded, now understanding her trainer even more. Astra didn’t care about quick results, even if it meant handicapping herself. Only using four pokemon when battling against a local champion, not allowing her pokemon to evolve until they proved themselves against the odds, years used for reading and studying before going on an actual adventure. Her trainer didn’t care about losing numerous battles, as long as it would make the team stronger for the future.

Every hope Astra had on reuniting with her parents vanished without a trace after a few hours of investigation.

A small village where most ‘Guardians’ were accommodated with their families… abandoned and covered by dust.

A secret base located behind a secret passage in between Poni Canyon and an altar of the legendary pokemon, devoid of skilled combatants and their pokemon.

The base itself had suffered damage in multiple locations, from cracks to holes on the floor, most likely leftovers of battles from years ago. Most equipment had been looted, and the only leftovers were some old prototypes and gadgets in the underground laboratory that didn’t seem useful enough to steal.

A mighty base with barracks, a training facility, laboratory, its own solar panels and generators, radar and a small airport for helicopters and flying pokemon, now was unaccommodated and empty. Astra and her team being the only ones walking through the empty halls.

Ninetales sniffed the floor, desperately trying to catch the scent of his trainer. His ears drooped and a sad whimpering kept escaping his mouth.

Astra’s only clues proved to be video tapes from secret cameras that her father once told her about, most likely missed by whoever raided this place.

Nica accompanied her trainer the entire time, listening to her in an attempt to understand her discoveries. Apparently police officers and Officer Jennys’ were arresting Guardian members on the video tapes, accusing them for going rogue and even assassinating their own commanding officers.

She could do little but stare as her trainer cried upon finding gravestones of her parents located nearby the base. A small graveyard for Guardian members who had fallen during their duties. Her ears drooped and she felt aching in her heart. While in the past she didn’t care for the human girl, thinking only about herself and her desire for adventure, their bond had grown stronger over the next years. Astra demanded a lot of her, but always treated her with respect and was a great teacher, even asking for opinions and sharing beliefs. Nica could no longer distance herself.

Ninetales cried as well, no doubt wishing for nothing but to burn to the bare bones whoever was responsible for taking his trainer’s life.

The gloomy atmosphere lasted for hours as Astra and Ninetales kept walking between empty rooms of the base, searching for clues with red, puffy eyes and faces covered by tears.

“I… I don’t believe it…”

Nica and Ninetales looked at Astra, hearing her speak for the first time ever since finding the gravestones of her parents.

“My mom and my dad… they always praised dedication... and loyalty… of their men… there’s no way… no way any of them would betray them,” she said, still sobbing. After wiping her face from tears and gathering her resolve, she looked at her pokemon and continued, “My parents left me on an island to protect me from criminals. They expected something terrible might happen, but this must be one big farce! I don’t believe what the police on the tapes said, even for a second!”

Ninetales nodded. He growled.

Astra looked between Pichu and Ninetales, staring them in the eyes. “My parents dedicated their lives to keep selfish and evil people from abusing the power of pokemon, and they fell before achieving it…” She tightened her fist. “But I’ll continue what they started. I’ll avenge them!” She slammed her fist into a wall, leaving a few cracks on it as her work with the strong nurse bore some fruits. “I almost lost my chance to become a pokemon trainer, forced to spend years on an island. My parents were taken away from me… but I won’t give up!” She pointed at Pichu. “I’ll make you strong, partner, and we’ll fight back together, side by side.” She stomped. “I’ll train a powerful team and we will shield others. No one else will have to suffer as I did…”

Ninetales howled as the temperature around his body grew at a quick pace, forcing a few drops of sweat to fall down Pichu’s forehead.

Astra knelt before Ninetales, staring at him with pleading eyes. “I know you don’t like me, but I beg you, lend me your strength. It will take time and preparation until we’ll be ready, but I swear, we’ll have our revenge, just… give me a chance!” She grit her teeth, her stare filled with insanity. “I beg you!”

Ninetales kept staring the human in the eyes for a moment before nodding. His tails straightened upward in an aggressive stance. With his pokeball burned by his own flames long time ago, there was nothing to prevent Astra from capturing him.

Astra gave Pichu a firm stare, who nodded in return, stepping forward to fight against the powerful fox.

While Nica’s opponent was fully evolved and had years of experience, for the past few years the Ninetales didn’t bother to train, always sitting on the sidelines unless the situation became dire. The gap in power between them shrank considerably, and it in the end, fighting a supreme opponent wasn’t all that different from what she had been doing until now. In fact, a chance to give the arrogant fire-breathing fox a lesson was very appealing.

Nica pushed herself up to a sitting position, the sun not yet raised on the horizon. Her breathing and heart-rate hastened as she held a forepaw on her chest. Drops of sweat covered her forehead.

As memories from the recent dream were still fresh in her mind, Nica felt tears sliding down her cheeks on their own.

It was one thing to suspect that something terrible happened to her trainer’s parents, but seeing Astra broken in front of the gravestones of her loved ones… If she had to choose, it was a memory Nica didn’t want to recover.

After a moment of stroking her tail, she perched herself on the leaves with Pharynx nowhere to be found. She closed her eyes, only to open them again. After a few minutes of lying and star-gazing, she stood up and walked towards the desert, hoping that an hour of running and fresh air would calm her down. The air at night near the changeling’s hive seemed colder than the one in Ponyville, but she liked it this way. It reminded her of home and family.

“Can’t sleep?”

Recognizing Pharynx by voice alone, Nica stopped running and turned around, her eyes adapted to the night just enough to notice a dark silhouette as the changeling’s black chitin camouflaged his presence.

“I sensed your depression from miles away. Was it a harsh memory returning, or is it for some stupid reason and you’re just acting like a crybaby?”

Nica frowned and turned around. While she usually tolerated Pharynx’s mean remarks, this time she wasn’t in the mood.

“So it is something serious.” In a burst of green flames, he turned into a Raichu. Once close enough, he raised Nica's chin with his paw, now looking into her eyes.

Nica sat and perched herself on the sand as her ears drooped.

Pharynx nodded, still standing and on guard as if expecting an ambush.

Nica continued in a sombre tone, She took a deep breath, grabbing her tail and rubbing it nervously.

Nica nodded, caught of guard as she stared at her changeling friend in confusion.

Pharynx explained.

Nica whimpered. She wiped more tears that slid down her cheeks.

Pharynx rubbed the back of his neck nervously. Until now he didn’t care about others’ feelings, with his brother being the only exception. Keeping the hive safe and running was the most important thing. But in this one case he felt something he hadn’t experienced for a long time: pity. Astra’s parents performed their duty, only to fall to the cunning strategy of their enemies. Astra herself, while still young, had enough courage and dedication to seek vengeance and continue where her parents failed. He had to respect that.

He looked back at Nica, sensing even stronger depression than before. Considering how strong this Raichu was, she no doubt performed her duty and fought by Astra’s side for a long time, earning her evolution against the odds. There was no reason to cry over a comrade who lost her parents, it wasn’t her fault after all… so why was she still so sad over it?

Pharynx sighed and approached Nica, looking to the side as he placed his paw on her shoulder. It was what the soft creatures did to cheer each other up, right? He could at least try doing the same if it meant improving a fri—partner's morale.

Nica smiled lightly and pressed the side of her face into Pharynx’s fluffy chest, who groaned in response, but didn’t resist.

Author's Note

Poor Nica, reliving sad moments of her life in her dream must be hard for her soft heart, luckly Pharynx is there to cheer her up.

Well... maybe cheer up is a strong word, but at least he's trying, which is a big atchievement for the warrior veteran. Instead of stealing love, he's learning more about compassion, baby steps.

On a side note, it sure must be warm to have a Raichu performing role of blanket, lucky Pharynx.

Chapter 17 - Dreams...

Author's Note

Since Nica in this chapter is staying a few days in the hive, interacting with Pharynx and other changelings off-screen, I decided to dedicate this chapter mostly to Nica backstory in her dreams.

Usually, not all that much time pass in Nica's dream during one night, but since it will be a few dreams combined together, the ammount of events that take place will be considerable.

For those who doesn't care much for the dream scenes and prefer to read the events that takes place in Equestra, I appologise. For those who are interested in Nica's past, you'll see Nica and Astra entering season 1 teritory (Kanto region). Enjoy.

Chapter 17 - Dreams...

Little Lost Raichu

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Chapter 17
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Dreams...

With a resolve to grow stronger and continue her parents’ work, Astra participated in trials set by captains in the Alola region, defeating four Kahunas in order to gain more experience. The pleasant atmosphere of the popular vacation spots and friendly residents helped in dealing with her depression, if only a little bit. What kept her going the most was her goal though. If she wanted to defeat those who outsmarted her parents, she needed to be ready for anything.

Nica didn’t bother with any relaxing activities as she had her own share of fun, like performing a Z-move called ‘Gigavolt Havoc’ alongside her trainer after clearing the electric trial. The part where a tiny and weak being like her unleashed a gigantic thunder against gigantic foes, only to see their shocked faces upon their defeat was priceless. Handling such power while so unevolved proved quite painful, but it was a small price to pay.

What Nica found odd was the fact that the only Z-moves her trainer learned were the electric and fire one. Apparently, mastering the use of the ultimate attack called a Z-move required a strong bond between the trainer and their pokemon… as well as a ridiculous and humiliating-looking dance. The bond between her and Astra was strong as they were partners, cooperating, communicating and even exchanging points of view with each other. But Astra and her mother’s Ninetales never got along. Apparently, a common desire for vengeance and united goal was enough for them to work past their differences and master a Z-move. It wasn’t the most healthy and pure relationship, but still an improvement.

With no Pokemon League in the Alola region, Astra’s next destination was a Pokemon Center in Kanto, where she registered herself for the Kanto League. Her first serious adventure with countless trainers who would compete with her for the trophy and fame.

During a training exercise before said adventure, Nica glanced at her fellow team members with pride.

Ivysaur, a grass and poison type pokemon who earned his evolution during a third trial during the Orange League thanks to his teamwork with Happiny. His sleeping powder and endurance let him play a supportive and defensive role on the team.

Chansey, a pokemon who earned her evolution during a fight against the champion of the Orange Islands. A nearly unbreakable wall as long as opponents used special attacks. She was Ivysaur's best friend and looked after the team with care, kindness, singing and hugs.

Ninetales, a fully evolved pokemon with several years of experience that had belonged to Astra’s mother. He brought power and speed to the team, as well as aggression.

Starmie, who was gifted with a water stone to evolve after defeating a totem Wishiwashi on its own. For a small starfish to defeat a gigantic naval beast was no small feat, especially if said giant beast was made of a hundred smaller creatures merged together. Starmie was a big starfish now with an even bigger ruby and a golden ring in the middle. A balance between endurance, offensive, power over water and psychic and ability to heal its own wounds made it the most reliable pokemon on the team. Still not a talkative one, though.

Merely looking at the team filled Nica with excitement. Sooner or later, a chance for her to prove herself would come, and then she would evolve herself in pride.

The spot for a sixth member was still free, and at one point Astra even considered catching an Alolan Grimer. Quite a cheerful fellow for being a moving green piece of toxins and poison with yellow lips, two large hands and no legs. Being both dark and poison type not only gave greater coverage in terms of offensive, being dark type also provided immunity to psychic, which otherwise would be devastating against a poisonous pokemon.

Astra gave up on the idea though, as Ivysaur was already a poison type, and a fear of choosing between two of her pokemon in the future proved too great for her.

Nica didn’t mind though. A walking bag of poison with no idea what personal space was definitely wasn't a good combo.

Nica was perched on her trainer’s shoulder, distress still present on her face. Apparently, the next badge on the line was the thunder badge, and seeing countless pokemon covered in bandages in the Pokemon Center left a poor first impression. It wasn’t fear she felt but rather guilt.

Fresh trainers who had just started their journey and tried to earn this badge had many opinions about the Gym Leader, but two were common. The first one was that the Gym Leader was some sort of war veteran, and the other was about his electric pokemon ‘Raichu’ being a merciless bully.

Nica’s ears drooped. A few years ago she often bullied her brothers and sisters, sometimes even picking on young flying pokemon who couldn’t even fight back. But now…

“A war veteran. My father was a general and a war veteran as well. I wonder if they knew each other,” Astra said, stepping into the gym as two people in biker’s outfits greeted her.

“Sir, you have another challenger, a young girl this time,” the woman said, examining Astra from top to bottom.

“She even has a Pichu on her shoulder. Should I test her pokemon in a fight to see if she’s worth the trouble?” the man said, his arms crossed as his jacked failed to hide his torso.

“Don’t bother,” Lieutenant Surge said, standing to his full height. With firm steps, he approached and towered over them.

Nica looked up at the giant in confusion, surprised that a human could even grow to such size. It wouldn’t surprise her if Mr. Surge challenged a Rhydon to an arm wrestling match from time to time. The man before her wore a green uniform and gloves, yet most of his torso and muscles were exposed. A necklace was present on his neck and his hair was blond. The most outstanding feature proved to be his size as Astra’s head didn’t even reach his arms.

“Listen, kid.” He patted the girl’s head with his large hand. “While I like being challenged by cute girls, I don’t go easy on challengers.” He pointed at Nica, whose belly was smaller than his finger alone. “This is a Gym where trainers come to earn their badges, not a nursery. So how about you leave and train a bit, and then come back once your pokemon grown up a little. Alright?”

Nica narrowed her eyes and gritted her teeth. Ten seconds. All she needed was ten seconds to send this bag of muscles into a nursery. On the other paw… was hurting someone just because they teased her really okay?

Astra kept staring at him with unchanging glare, not saying a single word.

“Those eyes… I know that kind of look,” Lt. Surge said, lowering himself to the trainer’s level. “I saw it many times during the war. A young girl like you shouldn’t…” He sighed and stood up, walking towards the battle-area. “Come at me with everything you have. Let’s get this over with.”

Nica blinked in confusion and looked between the Gym Leader and her trainer as one question kept repeating itself in her mind; ‘What just happened?’ The attitude of the Gym Leader made an unexpected turn.

“Go Raichu! You know what to do!” Lt. Surge shouted, throwing his pokeball.

Raichu shouted.

Pichu nearly lost her balance on her trainer’s shoulder as her attention focused on the pokemon before them. So this was what her final evolution looked like. Big, but not too big, strong-looking, confident, and equipped with a cool-looking tail. Becoming something like that was certainly worth fighting for.

Lt. Surge patted his pokemon on the head and spoke, “My Raichu beat six rookies this week, unless you want to be number seven, I suggest taking it seriously.”

“Funny, considering that you’re the one who doesn’t take it seriously,” Astra said before picking Nica from her shoulder, holding the Pichu in front of her face. “Watch very closely, partner. I’ll show you what happens when a pokemon evolves just for the sake of power without skills to back it up.”

Nica nodded before being placed next to her trainer’s leg.

Raichu frowned and started punching the air in aggravation.

Nica looked to the side. This Raichu reminded her so much of herself… and she didn’t like it in the least.

“Starmie, I need you for a little demonstration.”

Lt. Surge and his pokemon blinked in confusion while his assistant gasped. The awkward atmosphere and dead silence lasted for several seconds.

“What kind of fool sends a water pokemon to battle an electric one? Is this meant to be a joke?”

Astra shook her head. “I’m just returning the favor. Why should I take you seriously if you’re sending your weakest pokemon into battle?”

Raichu shouted before rushing into the stage as bolts started to escape dots on his cheeks. His tail slapped against the floor of the battlefield.

Lt. Surge frowned. “Fine, I’ll play along. Raichu, finish it with a ‘Thunderbolt’!”

Pichu observed the attack that headed towards Starmie with full curiosity, finding it to be… underwhelming. Her own ‘Thunderbolt’ had a lot more force behind it.

“Use ‘Calm Mind’,” Astra commanded with a bored tone as a white aura surrounded the large starfish, partially protecting the water pokemon from the electricity. Starmie ended up pushed back half a meter, but held its ground.

“Your pokemon has tough defenses, but my Raichu will break them. Attack with even more power!” Lt. Surge commanded as his Raichu gritted his teeth and did as he was told.

“Block the electricity with water,” Astra commanded.

“What? You can’t block… wait… is it working?” he asked as stream of water scattered most of the electricity around, which in turn damaged the floor, walls and ceiling of the arena. While some bits of electricity seemed to travel towards Starmie, it proved too weak to even leave a burn.

Astra placed her hands on her hips and explained, “Ironic, isn’t it? While water pokemon are very weak to electricity, pure water has very low conductivity. Electricity uses all kind of impurities inside the water to travel through it, so if a water pokemon can summon a stream of extremely clean water, it will mostly shield them from a direct attack.”

Lt. Surge rubbed his chin, his first time encountering such an unexpected strategy.

“Of course, for a water pokemon to summon hundred percent clean water is extremely hard, so it can be used only defensively and requires a lot of practice,” Astra explained, her theory proving true before her very eyes. “And Raichu, thanks for participating in my little experiment.”

Raichu woke up from his shock and shot Astra an annoyed glare.

“If I can’t break your defenses, I’ll go around them. Raichu, cover the entire room with electricity.”

Raichu followed the order, damaging the floor and causing glass in the windows to shatter.

“Starmie, use ‘Calm Mind’, and follow it up with a ‘Recover’,” Astra commanded, her posture and tone of voice calm despite lightning and loud noise filling the room.

Nica kept observing the battle with full interest. Should she encounter multiple enemies, spreading a ‘Thunderbolt’ in such way was a decent strategy, worth memorizing.

The smoke of the attack descended, revealing Starmie whose burns were vanishing one by one.

“Raichu, attack with ‘Thunderbolt’ again. Overpower its recovery, keep on the pressure!”

Raichu’s breathing was heavy and his paws trembled. His attempt to attack again ended in failure as only a few small bolts escaped his cheeks.

Astra crossed her arms. “Here’s something funny. My Pichu can use ‘Thunderbolt’ several times in a row and still have the will to fight. Seems someone in the room has very little stamina.”

Lt. Surge gritted his teeth. “So you saw through all the weaknesses of my Raichu before the battle even started. I don’t know if I should be impressed or annoyed that you’re toying with me.”

“One ‘Hydro Pump’ should do it. End this pointless fight, Starmie.”

Nica looked at Raichu in pity and shook her head, feeling sorry for what was about to happen.

Raichu took a step back and his ears drooped before being struck by a powerful stream of water. A loud thud followed as he was sent flying through the wall, landing on his back outside of the Gym while losing consciousness.

Lt. Surge recalled Raichu back into his pokeball and clapped his hands. “Well played, but how did you know?”

Astra chuckled. “Know what? That this Raichu isn’t a veteran? It was simple really.” She shrugged and shook her head. “It is a Gym Leader’s job to evaluate the strength of a trainer and increase or lower the difficulty accordingly. If you used your most experienced pokemon, no trainer who just started their journey would stand a chance to earn your badge. You simply caught a Pichu or Pikachu in haste, evolved it quickly, taught it strong attacks and used it against newcomers. Without stamina, pokemon can’t use powerful attacks for long, and without getting hurt, pokemon can’t get tougher.” She pointed at the officer accusingly. “I bet you didn’t even train your Raichu, just to give inexperienced challengers a fighting chance.”

Nica looked up at her trainer and gasped. Ever since Astra had found the graves of her parents and became determined to avenge their death, she’d changed. Whether this change was for better or worse she couldn’t tell yet.

Lt. Surge clapped his hands again and next laughed. “True, so true. You have no idea how many babies visit this town. What Gym Leader would I be if I didn’t give them a fighting chance?” He winked. “This doesn’t mean I’ll go easy on them. They still need to learn that being a pokemon trainer is not a walk in the park. It’s my job to separate babies from future champions.”

“Since you know that I’m experienced, can you bring in your ‘A’ game? I won't accept your badge unless I earn it in a real battle,” Astra said and stretched.

“I like your spirit. But before we fight seriously, can you tell me more about yourself? I want to know more about a cute girl who not only isn't afraid of an butt-whooping, but knows how to give it in kind.”

Astra smiled and held her hand on her chest. “My full name is Astra Longshot. I’m a daughter of Penny Longshot and Jeremy Longshot.” Nica noticed the shock on the Gym Leader’s face before her trainer asked, “My father was a high ranking officer, did you know him by any chance?”

“Well… I’ll be darned…” Lt. Surge said, holding his hands on his hips. “You’re the daughter of the good ol’ Colonel. Seems he taught you well.”

“So you know him?” Astra asked, her attitude shifting and her eyes now filled with hope.

“Of course I do. During the war I hated the guy. I thought he was a spineless coward for being too careful and for leaving many good man to die.” He cleared his throat, “But then I found out that he predicted many traps laid by the enemy, and while his indecisiveness cost us a few small battles, he kept his forces healthy and in high number to deliver a deciding blow when it mattered the most.” He laughed and crossed his arms. “That good old colonel didn’t care about losing battles, as long as he could end the war with minimal casualties. I heard he got promoted, and after the war he became a leader of some big organization. How’s the old geezer doing by the way?”

Astra’s smile vanished as she looked at the floor. “He's dead. Alongside my mother. They fell while fulfilling their duties.”

Lt Surge took a step back and sat down on the floor. His eyes closed for a moment in a respectful silence. After half a minute, a simple question left his mouth. “Who?”

“That’s what I’m trying to find out. My parents hid me around three years ago, fearing the worst. The police accused my father’s subordinates of betraying him, but I think someone shifted the blame.” She took a deep breath. “That’s why I need to become stronger and avenge them. I won’t let anyone suffer like I did.”

“That’s a big burden, kid, you think you can handle it?” Lt. Surge asked before standing up. His face firm and impassive.

“Maybe not now, but I’ll be ready to lift it eventually. It doesn’t matter if it will take a year or more, but sooner or later I’ll overcome any obstacle.”

Lt. Surge chuckled. “I can see some of the colonel’s blood shining in you. I’ll ask my old friends if they can look into details of his death, call a favor or two.” He looked at his assistants. “But for now, let’s give your parents respect with a pokemon battle in their name.”

Nica glanced at her trainer and nodded. The fight ahead was going to be tough, and she wouldn’t have it any other way.

Nica stretched herself, repeating her usual morning routine before picking up a few berries she found in the forest. She wasn’t a fan of the taste, but it still beat whatever the changelings had to offer. Her attention quickly shifted to the moving saddlebag.

Not wasting a moment she opened it, picking up the tiny Starlight, who perched herself on the bronze edge of her paw.

“Finally! Do you have any idea how hard it was to contact you for the last five days? You were either sleeping like a rock or away!” Starlight shouted, waving her tiny hooves in aggravation. “Do you even know how worried I was? I had nightmares of terrible events happening to you. I was even ready to prepare a long-range teleportation and search the hive from top to bottom!”

Nica’s ears drooped. Being so focused on her task while interacting with Thorax’s brother made her forget about reporting her progress to her caretakers. She gently placed the tiny Starlight on a leaf and knelt, bowing in apology, her forehead now pressed against the leaves.

“Hey, stop that!” Starlight shouted, pushing her tiny hooves against Raichu’s head, encouraging her to stand up. “I know you’re sorry, and that whatever you were doing had to be very important. Just tell… write your progress and worries from the past days. I solved a friendship problem once, so I can give some advice.”

Nica stood up and dug herself into the saddlebag, pulling out her writing equipment. With a quill in one paw and a scroll in the other, she started writing. Upon feeling the doll’s hooves on her leg, she picked the tiny pony with her tail and slid down onto the top of her head.

Starlight took a few steps, tilting herself forward on the edge of Nica’s head as her eyes were focused on the scroll. “Who’s Pharynx?” After waiting for the Raichu to write an answer to her question, she continued, “So let me get this straight. When you arrived here, you challenged Pharynx to a fight to earn his respect and defeated him. Next three days you spend patrolling with Pharynx while gaining his trust, and he even cheered you up at one point.”

“And the hive got way calmer for it.”

Nica and Starlight looked to the side, noticing a few approaching changelings. Two of them were typically green, but the third one stood out. His shade of green was much darker, and his armored back was blue. In terms of size he seemed slightly taller than the other two.

“Ever since Pharynx and Nica started spending time together, he stopped unleashing his frustration on the others. It’s like a vacation.”

The darker yet still green changeling spoke up, “I wasn’t sure if Thorax was a proper leader, telling us to abandon the old ways, but Nica convinced him to allow courses of self-defense for volunteers.”

Raichu said, writing her words on the scroll for Starlight to read.

“She even took it upon herself to teach self-defense,” the third changeling spoke up, his wings buzzing in excitement. He looked at the tiny Starlight on the Raichu’s head and continued, “You should’ve seen her! She was so enthusiastic when showing us how to dodge, or when she made herself into a moving target for us to shoot at, or when showing us how to use weight and size of our opponent against them. And whenever she hurt a changeling, even if by accident, she was so apologetic and caring.” She looked up with a dreamy smile. “I still remember your soft bronze paws gently stroke my bruised foreleg. Learning how to fight from you is like a sport, it’s so fun and not stressful at all.”

The taller dark-green changeling spoke up, “At first I felt conflicted, but then I learned how to protect those I care about without being a jerk, and then boom, I transformed into this.” He gestured at his new features. “I don’t need to feed on love, and I feel way stronger than before.”

Starlight placed her forelegs on Nica’s tiny nose, looking into her larger eyes from her upside down position. “Defeating and befriending Thorax’s brother? Teaching the changelings self-defense? And you did it all on your own?”

Raichu’s face turned red as she lowered her head and covered it with her paws.

Tiny Starlight slid down onto the stack of leaves, now lying on them with tears forming in her eyes. “S-so p-proud.” Her words too quiet to be heard by anyone else.

Nica relaxed her tensed muscles and thanked the changelings for their cheerful words, waiting for them to leave before returning Starlight onto her head.

“So you started to like fighting, didn’t you?” Starlight asked.

Nica said, writing her words on the paper.

“Still, the friendship problem hasn’t been resolved yet. Do you have any plan of action?”

Raichu continued writing while smiling cheerfully.

“A giant monster appeared near the hive recently and started eating all the plants, and you want to convince Thorax and his brother to cooperate with you and each other to deal with it?” She rubbed her own chin and next rubbed Raichu behind her ear with both of her hooves. “You know what, it may actually work. I say, go for it.”

Raichu nodded, once again forcing Starlight to fall from her head. She caught the tiny mare with her paws and next gently rubbed her little belly.

“N-no… stop… oh, okay, fine, you can snuggle me for a moment, but please, don’t make me worried again.”

Raichu said, enjoying the moment before paying Thorax a visit. The kind-hearted leader seemed hesitant at the idea of fighting, preferring to lure the monster away, but the concept of fixing his relationship with his brother changed his mind.

All that left for Nica to do was convince Pharynx... which took much longer than expected. As her subtle suggestions didn’t bring any effect, she held her forepaws curled under her neck, displaying a puppy stare. Something that in the past would only annoy the officer actually worked, which showed that he actually cared.

The operation ‘Beast Hunt’ was going to commence tomorrow morning, and all of her efforts were leading to this very moment.

She still had some time left to participate in the ‘Craft Time’, and who knew, maybe she would find this activity to be enjoyable. For a creature destined to fight, I sure find enjoyment in a lot of non-combat activities.

Rivals, many people had them as most trainers competed with each other for the same prize. Winning a tournament, becoming a champion and maybe even achieving the title of ‘Pokemon Master’.

Still being a Pichu in her dream, Nica more than once encountered a specific trainer who decided to become Astra’s self-proclaimed rival, aiming for similar badges while always being a step ahead.

After winning a Soul Badge in the ‘Fuchsia Gym’, Astra’s next destination required swimming over water to an island. Not that it was going to be a problem for the young girl as Starmie was more than capable of transporting her over a great distance, and she still could pick up her trusty kayak if necessary.

“So you earned your sixth badge this quickly, I didn’t expect any less of you.”

Nica’s attention focused on a trainer who stood on the shore as if waiting for them while Astra stopped in her tracks.

“We seem to encounter each other quite often, and I still don’t know your name. May I know why I deserve such an honor?” Astra asked sarcastically with crossed arms.

“Don’t sell yourself short. The first time I've meet you, I knew you were an experienced trainer.” He fixed his hat, wearing a bronze jacket and long grey trousers. Six pokeballs were present on his belt. “My name’s Johnny Milson. When I started my journey as a trainer, I earned nine badges and participated in the Kanto League, ending up among sixteen qualified trainers before losing on the first round. I trained a whole year while improving my strategy and my team, waiting for another go at the Kanto League.” He pointed at Astra. “I can beat any rookie now, but you’re not a beginner. That’s why I have been keeping my eye on you.”

“Say no more,” Astra said with a satisfied smile, a chance to fight against an experienced trainer would help her measure her team’s strength. “My name’s Astra, Astra Longshot.” She pointed at her shoulder. “And this is my female partner, Nica. If you’re looking for a challenge, we’re willing to oblige.”

“P-Pichu… seriously?” Johnny took a step back, his boots sinking slightly into the sand. “I thought it was your mascot. If she’s your partner, why hasn’t she evolve into Pikachu or Raichu yet? Is she mad at you or something?”

Astra shrugged. “She just needs to earn her evolutions, but we’re in no hurry.”

Nica puffed out her chest. Pichu or not, she had been beating stronger pokemon for more than a year.

“Alright, then how about I’ll show you my partner,” he said, sending a bronze pokemon with a large mustache and two spoons in his hands.

“Alakazam? I see your Kadabra has evolved since our last encounter,” Astra pointed out.

“He did indeed. He’s now the strongest pokemon on my team and will ensure my victory at the league. If anything, beating your team will be a good warmup.”

Alakazam asked, displaying his spoons as if they were weapons of mass destruction.

“If that’s the case, how about we start with a battle between partners. What do you say, Nica?” Astra asked.

Pichu jumped from her trainer’s shoulder, running towards her opponent with bolts escaping her cheeks.

“And for the sake of a fair fight, I won’t use my Z-moves.”

Nica bit her lip and slowly looked behind, her face pale.

“A Z-what now?” Johnny asked in confusion.

Nica looked forward and up, staring at the fully evolved all powerful pokemon, feeling pressure by merely standing nearby. She gulped and her ears drooped. Her fear proved well founded as her tiny body ended up smashed into numerous rocks while enduring a few tons of pressure. Her ‘Thunderbolt’ proved too weak to overcome her opponent’s ‘Recover’ move, while the gap in power between them was too big for her skills to compensate.

As time passed, Nica fought against the Alakazam again and again, ending up defeated by his might. Their deciding encounter took place during the Kanto League. After a series of preliminary rounds, a tournament between the sixteen best trainers had started, each having eight or more badges and more than half a year of experience.

Despite having only five pokemon, overcoming the two first tournament fights didn’t prove to be a problem as the Kanto League seemed to be mostly filled with new trainers this year. There were two exceptions, though. One was Johnny Milson, who earned his spot among best four trainers and was now facing Astra in the semi-finals. The other one was a mysterious trainer from Hoenn whose four years of experience and fully evolved team teared through the League with ease, becoming a crowd's favorite.

Astra and Johnny faced each other with a large crowd cheering for them.

Nica stepped onto the battlefield, this one flat with no outstanding features, finding her surroundings disappointing for the epic battle to come. As she expected, she was greeted with the smirking Alakazam.

Your spirit is strong and admirable, but your body is feeble. I shall end our battle quickly out of mercy, Alakazam communicated telepathically, echoing his message in the Pichu’s mind.

Nica smirked.

Chapter 17.5 - ...and Evolutions

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Chapter 18 - Trixie’s Comeback

Little Lost Raichu

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Chapter 18
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Trixie’s Comeback

Nica shouted as she jumped from Pharynx’s back a hundred meters above the ground, like commandos leaping from an airplane without a parachute. As expected, her legs hit the soil softly as she now stood in front of the large entrance into the Friendship Castle. Twilight and Starlight were already awaiting her arrival at the entrance.

“Nica, you’re back!” Starlight shouted and galloped in excitement.

The pokemon ran into Starlight’s embrace, jumping weakly enough not to tackle the unicorn into the door, though Starlight’s hooves left short trails in the dirt. Their faces blushed as they embraced each other in a vice grip. Nica’s paws and cheek pressed into the unicorn’s neck, and she felt hooves sinking into the fur on her back. Her long tail waved from excitement.

“I missed you sooo much!” Starlight shouted, tightening her hug.

Nica responded. Was it selfish of her that she had a fun time helping and interacting with the changelings while missing the delicacies that ponies feed her with?

Starlight released Nica and looked at another Raichu who was holding a saddlebag between his paws. Blinking in confusion, she asked, “Are there two of you now? What’s going on?”

Twilight spread her wings and flew closer. “As appealing as meeting another member of Raichu’s species is, I don’t think that’s the case.”

In a burst of green flames, Pharynx returned to normal and reasserted the saddlebag on his arm. “Sorry to disappoint.” He approached with firm steps, his head raised authoritatively. “My name’s Pharynx, chief of the patrol in the Changeling Swarm and Thorax’s brother. You must be Princess Twilight Sparkle.” He glanced at the unicorn. “...and of course your famous student, Starlight. It takes serious guts to infiltrate the hive.”

“Correct, I take it that Nica told you about us,” Twilight said, landing in front of the changeling while raising her foreleg in a welcoming gesture. She lowered it a few seconds later as the changeling refused to shake it.

“She gave quite a few words of praise, but didn’t provide any information that our intelligence didn’t gather in the past,” Pharynx responded and saluted. “I must thank you personally for sending Nica to assist us. It’s nice to know that our new allies are dependable.” He turned to Starlight and added, “As for you, while I don’t approve of ruining the plans of our previous ruler and overthrowing her, I’m grateful that you assisted my brother. The hive no longer suffers from hunger thanks to his leadership.”

“Y-you’re… welcome.” Starlight lowered her head to Nica’s ear and whispered, “He’s a walking example of formality, what’s up with that?”

Pharynx frowned and looked down at Nica. “So… was I understanding and kind enough just now?”

She nodded and smiled widely.

Starlight’s eyes widened and she immediately lowered her head, examining the Raichu’s features. She pointed at several small bruises. “You’re hurt!” She stomped in aggravation. “Who did this to you?”

Twilight glanced at Nica’s injuries before noticing some burns on the changeling. “What happened to you? Were you attacked? Do you need aid?”

Pharynx poked his armored chest with metallic thuds. “We just had a friendly duel to sharpen our skills. Your little helper is a natural at combat. She even defeated me after I transformed into this superior form.” He glanced at Nica with a grin. “But unlike our first battle, this time I gave her a solid challenge.”

Nica’s ears drooped as she looked away from the ponies’ judging stares.

“Yet another battle, you say?” Starlight asked with a raised eyebrow.

Pharynx lowered his hoof. “Oh, right, I forgot you ponies disapprove of violence.” He walked towards Nica and patted her on top of her head. “Don’t worry. Your little warrior knows how to be gentle as much as she know how to kick flanks and hides. She fought only for the good of the swarm and to sharpen our skills.” He patted her back, pushing her forward from the impact. “She helped me get along with my brother and worked diligently when teaching self-defense.”

“That’s good… I guess,” Twilight said hesitantly. In a rush of returning enthusiasm, she spread her wings and smiled. “Nica, I have great news. While you were on a mission, I took the liberty of visiting the royal archives to create a translation spell.”

Nica’s ears perked upward and her eyes were now on a pointed box at the entrance. Twilight’s horn lit up with a lavender aura and opened the box, levitating some sort of grey metallic attachment over. She exposed her paws, allowing for said metal to land on the bronze patches.

“Attach it to your nametag and wait for the magic to happen,” Twilight explained with glee.

“Go on, you’ll love it,” Starlight encouraged.

Nica nodded before doing as she was told. The pupils in her eyes shrank as her collar shone brightly. The metallic attachment merged with the collar and vanished among the light. After taking a few calming breaths and blinking in confusion, she poked the collar and asked, “What was that all about?”

Pharynx took a step back, his face filled with curiosity.

“It worked, it worked!” Twilight shouted before hovering in mid air in excitement, clapping her forehooves. “We can understand you now, at least as long as you wear your collar. No more need for writing messages.” She landed and shook her forehoof. “I mean… writing is almost as important as reading… so don’t give up on it.” She held her forehooves together. “Please?”

Nica looked at Starlight and asked, “Is this true, can you understand me?”

“Of course I can. Think of it as a reward for a job well done.”

In a rush of excitement, Nica bent her legs for a few seconds and jumped up like a rocket, taking several seconds before landing in the same spot as her paws sank into the soil with a loud thud and weak quake. She pulled her legs from the dirt and performed a few tiny jumps while waving with her paws. “Thank you, thank you, thank you!”

Pharynx rolled his eyes. “Pity you didn’t equip her with this device a week ago. It would have saved me the need to transform into a Raichu just to talk… On the other hoof, I would never gain a powerful and agile form capable of attacking with electricity. Forget I said anything.”

“You’ve changed quite a bit since we first met you, we’re so proud,” Twilight said, embracing the pokemon with her wing.

‘Proud’, this very word caused caused tears of joy to form in Nica’s eyes and her mouth to shake. The pleasant warmth she felt reaching a critical mass.

“Sorry to interrupt, but I need to return to my hive. There’s still a lot of work to be done.” Pharynx opened his saddlebag and picked up several scrolls, throwing them towards the alicorn. “Lady Nica is tired of being a burden and wishes to take action to earn her keep. Outside of her weekly report, she listed all planned activities on the checklist.”

Nica nodded energetically. “I did! Oh, I’m so excited.”

“I bid you farewell and wish you luck, you’ll need it,” Pharynx said with a grin before waving at Nica, who returned the gesture. His wings buzzed as he flew away.

“Wait! Don’t you need to rest and recover? You flew all the way from the badlands while covered in bruises!” Starlight shouted.

“I’ll rest in the hive. Don’t underestimate the stamina of my improved body,” Pharynx shouted before shapeshifting into a black pegasus for a slight boost in speed, quickly vanishing on the horizon.

Starlight looked away from the changeling and gave Twilight a curious glance. “So, what did she write?”

Twilight levitated the checklist over to Starlight and looked at Nica in shock. “You can’t be serious.”

“Oh, but I am serious,” Nica responded, bouncing on her feet in a cheerful dance. If she was serious, her carefree and cheerful actions said otherwise.

Starlight took a closer look and read aloud, “Step one - train with the Princess Twilight Sparkle to improve her combat abilities and reflexes. Step two - become a mercenary and find various jobs, (Pharynx suggests to pick the most dangerous tasks to fully utilize my talents). Step three - protect national heroines from potential threats like Queen Chrysalis.” She lowered the checklist and gasped. “W-what happened to you… this last week? You weren’t like this before.”

Nica calmed down and raised one paw in a lecturing gesture, her face suddenly serious. “This last week I learned a lot about my past from my dreams, and now I know that my duty was to assist my trainer in protecting others. I also practiced my combat skills and re-learned how to use ‘Thunderbolt’ and “Volt Tackle’.” She placed her forepaws on her hips and looked at the alicorn with a judging stare. “I believe that those who possess power have responsibility to use it the best they can, and I’m going to help with that.”

“What are you talking about? I’m always diligent when studying magic,” Twilight said, taking a step back.

Starlight sat next to her mentor and nodded. “Exactly.”

Nica looked between them and pointed at Starlight, “You’re a unicorn, correct?”

She nodded in confusion.

“And you were a unicorn once, but you evolved into an alicorn, correct?”

“I did… wait… evolved?” Twilight asked and rubbed her chin. “I’m not sure if it’s a correct term considering–”

“Alicorn magic is more powerful than unicorn magic, right?” Nica asked, her tone surprisingly serious.

“It is,” Twilight said with a nod. “With the magic of four alicorns, I went toe to toe with Tirek, who had the power of half of Equestria in his grasp. Also, alicorns have earth pony magic and pegasus magic as well, not that I use those all that much.”

Nica approached Starlight and looked her deeply in the eyes. “If alicorns are more powerful, shouldn’t Twilight surpass you in raw power?” She stood on the tips of her rear paws and grabbed the unicorn’s cheeks. “Please, be honest with me. When you took over a village or when you tried to have your revenge, you faced Twilight’s magic. Who won?”

Twilight blushed and covered her face with both wings.

Starlight raised her head, freeing herself from the Raichu’s hold and started whistling. After several seconds as Nica’s eyes were still looking into her very soul, she sighed and said, “First, I stole her and her friend’s cutie marks, making them defenseless. During my revenge, I defeated Twilight a few times in a row while levitating myself at the same time.” She gave her mentor an embarrassed smile. “Sorry about that.”

“It’s fine…” Twilight said, her voice showing a lack of self-confidence.

“And why did you win against someone more evolved?” Nica asked, her paws once again on her hips.

“Because…” She rubbed her forearm nervously. “I trained in combat magic a lot… My power gets stronger with my emotions… and unlike Twilight, I never hold back.”

“Exactly,” Nica said firmly. She turned and pointed at the alicorn. “Princess Twilight, you’re a national heroine with many great friends who’re counting on you. As an alicorn, you’ve a lot of raw power. Your skills may decide the well-being of those you care about.”

“Oh…” Twilight took a step back, her mouth agape. “I… can’t argue with that logic.”

Nica nodded. “I believe that those with greater power or who are more evolved need to work hard to make best use of their powers and talents.” She poked her own chest. “That’s why I volunteer to train with you. Your defenses, your reflexes. I won’t rest until you master practical use of your powerful magic.”

Twilight chuckled nervously as drops of sweat appeared on her face. “Y-yes… that’s great…”

“What about me?” Starlight asked.

Nica shook her head. “Sorry, but I think in your case, you need to learn how to hold back rather than get even stronger.”

Starlight’s ears drooped. B-but… I want to test your newly gained abilities… and a friendly duel would be fun… She sighed in disappointment.

A battle between Nica and Twilight at the outskirt of the town ended up filled with defensive barriers, thunderous noises, bolts of electricity, beams of magic, and several tons of pressure squeezing the pokemon. Though Starlight couldn’t help but wonder how much time Twilight and Nica spend apologizing to each other.

It didn’t take an expert to figure out that Twilight’s magic greatly surpassed Nica’s electricity in terms of power, and even ‘Volt Tackle’ wasn’t strong enough to break through the magical barrier. In terms of skills and agility, however, the pokemon showed a full dominance.

After escorting an exhausted Twilight to her bedroom, Starlight did the same with her little friend, perching the large critter on the bed. It didn’t take long before a familiar spider climbed onto Nica’s belly.

“Where are my other friends?” Nica asked, looking around her room in confusion.

“Oh, about that. The rat got in an argument with the cockroach who returned back into the basement. The rat left for Fluttershy’s a day later since you weren’t around, but I’m sure he’ll come back to see you again.”

Nica nodded, carefully perching her head on the pillow.

Starlight nuzzled the critter and stroke her cheek. “Goodnight and sweet dreams, you deserve a rest.”

“Goodnight, Starlight, and thank you for caring for me. I appreciate it more than you think.”

Starlight gave Nica a warm smile before leaving the room, now trotting through the dark hallway and deep in thought.

You’ve changed a lot over those two weeks. At first you were so scared of me and of your own abilities, always doing what we told you to do without question. And now you’re bold enough to challenge Twilight to a battle so she can better protect her friends.

She looked at the ceiling, thinking, What memories have you possibly recovered that changed you this much? I can’t wait to check your report.

Starlight grinned. If we’re really going to set you up as a mercenary, we’ll need to leave the castle for a day or two, and I know just the pony who can keep you entertained. I’m sure you both will get along with each other just fine.

After an unfortunate meeting with an elite hitman in Kanto, the Johto region became their next destination. Three months wasn’t much time to earn badges for the upcoming league, especially with Gym Leaders bringing in their A game against an experienced trainer like Astra.

Nica didn’t mind. For the first time in years, her battle against pokemon commanded by Gym Leaders didn’t seem extremely unfair. This time, her body was capable of taking a hit or two. It didn’t mean she could take it easy, though. Being a Pikachu meant she had to train even harder to properly utilize her improved powers and be worthy of them.

However, reaching the league wasn’t their only goal. During their investigation, they found out about Team Rocket’s activity who were still recovering from their many losses against the Guardians’, trying to replace their lost outposts in the Johto region.

Raiding two such outposts to slow down Team Rocket’s growing influence left Nica and her trainer with a feeling of satisfaction, at least until they delivered some low ranking members to the police. The attitude the local police force had in dealing with Team Rocket seemed odd at best. Were they underestimating Team Rocket, not seeing them as a threat? Or was there a pressure from the higher-ups not to take action against this criminal organization? It was difficult to tell. Something didn’t seem right.

There were however three big positives that took place during their journey.

First one being the evolution of both Chansey and Ivysaur.

Earning a Plain Badge from Gym Leader Whitney seemed to Nica like a battle between two brick walls, and Chansey pulled her weight despite her feeble defenses. Also, Chansey had a very pleasant singing voice, like a lullaby that Nica’s mother sang to her whenever she was hurt or depressed. As difficult it was to stay awake, Nica couldn’t help herself but listen to Chansey’s voice in pleasure while being reminded of her caring family.

Defeating Gym Leader Pryce to earn the Glacier Badge gave Ivysaur a hard time, forcing him to push his very limits while holding up against the devastating cold. In short, the evolution was well earned.

The second one was the addition of a sixth team member, Gligar, a bat-like creature with claws and a poisonous stinger at the end of his tail.

Nica’s relationship with Gligar was… a mix of respect, awkwardness and fear… for a lack of better words. While her electric typing always put her at advantage against a flying pokemon and at a disadvantage against the ground type, the idea of a flying/ground pokemon with immunity to electricity gave her a headache. Not to mention that seeing or feeling a move ‘Earthquake’ used in action send chills through her every bone. The weirdest part however was…

Gligar said with a salute, standing proudly with the rest of the squad standing in line behind him.

He turned around and lowered himself, placing his wing on the ground.

In short, the sixth member of the team was a walking description of formality with no idea what ‘chill out’ meant.

The last and best part however was learning how to use ‘Iron Tail’ from a gigantic pokemon called Steelix, which her trainer befriended without capturing. Being a tiny creature while having a teacher as tall as a building made of hard metal and weighing a few tons felt somewhat awkward. Still, it was nowhere as weird as practicing balance under a small waterfall.

“Rise and shine in the bright presence of the Great and Powerful Trixie!”

Nica’s ears twitched and she rubbed her eyes. Someone was waking her up, it was a given, but it didn’t sounds like Starlight, Twilight, Spike or Pharynx.

Using her right paw for support, she sat and blinked sleepiness from her eyes. She poked the collar on her neck to make sure it was there before asking, “Who… are you?” She pointed at the unicorn wearing a cape and a pointy hat. “I’ve never seen you before. Are you an intruder or a thief?”

“Intruder or thief? Don’t insult Trixie with such petty accusations.” She stood on her rear hooves and spoke in an excited tone, “I am the Great and Powerful Trixie and Starlight’s Closest and Bestest Friend!”

“Really? She didn’t tell me about… oh wait… you’re that magician who helped her and Thorax deal with Queen Chrysalis.”

“Oh, so you have heard of Trixie’s greatest accomplishment.” She held her forehoof on her chest. “Trixie is touched.”

“You talk weird,” Nica pointed out, receiving an annoyed frown in return.

“Speaks a creature who, according to Starlight, can only use the same words over and over without a translating collar.”

“Fair enough.“ Nica looked at her belly and next at the spider who was resting on a web in the top corner of the room, making sure her friend was safe. “If you’re looking for Starlight, you mistook the rooms.”

“Trixie wasn’t looking for Starlight, but was asked by her to entertain you for today.” She raised her head in pride. “After reading your report, Twilight and Starlight went out to find you a job. She tasked Trixie, her most competent friend, with accompanying you and taking care of this castle. And our time will be magical!”

Nica’s eyes widened and she opened her mouth with a smile at the sight of colorful fireworks. She clapped her paws cheerfully. “More, more!”

“Can’t get enough of Trixie’s fireworks? Now that’s what I can call an audience with a good taste,” Trixie said before causing more fireworks to explode in the room. These ones being bright yellow, red and blue. “How about we move the show into a more spacious room?”

Nica nodded before hopping from the bed, flying over Trixie’s head and landing on her back. “Sounds great, teleport us when ready.”

“T-teleport?”

Nica nodded. “Yes, teleport. You keep saying how great and powerful you are, so you must know how to disappear and reappear across great distances. Twilight and Starlight do it all the time.”

“T-Trixie is not in the mood,” the mare said with a nervous smile. “How about a pleasant walk while we get to know each other better?”

“Sounds good,” Nica said in excitement. She sensed that her ride felt nervous for some reason, but decided to ignore it for now. “Sooo… what kind of heroic accomplishments have you achieved? Outside of helping Thorax defeat the evil Queen.”

“Well… Trixie did vanquish an Ursa Major…”

“Why are you lying?”

“W-what? Trixie’s not lying…”

Nica narrowed her eyes and crossed her arms. “Your aura of emotions tells otherwise. My changeling friend gave me a few lesson how to tell if someone’s lying based on their emotions.”

Trixie bit her lip. “W-well… Trixie admits it… It was Twilight who saved Trixie that day from an Ursa Minor… but Trixie was too focused on her wounded pride and thought of Twilight as a rival.”

“So in other words, playing a part in defeating Queen Chrysalis was your only heroic accomplishment,” Nica said in disappointment. There seemed to be something arrogant in the way this mare was speaking, and she didn’t like it one bit.

“N-no, of course not,” Trixie said.

The long-tailed pokemon climbed onto Trixie’s head, perching herself on the hat, and looked the unicorn in the eyes from an upside down position. “Lying again, are we?”

“Alright… it was the only heroical deed Trixie did,” she admitted in annoyance. “Stupid lie-detecting abilities of yours.”

Nica backflipped, perching herself on the long star-filled cape. “So, how did you and Starlight meet?”

“Oh, that’s a very long and touching story… it all started in the spa…”

Mayor Mare looked between the Raichu’s resume and the Princess of Friendship herself, gazing at her in confusion. “So, if I understand you correctly, a representative of a pokemon species called ‘Raichu’ somehow migrated over the ocean and ended up in the Everfree Forest, someone sealed her memories with dark magic, and now she’s living with you under your care.” After receiving a nod of confirmation, she asked, “And you want to register her as a mercenary and want to find her a job?”

“Correct. I even suggested her that ‘Help for Hire’ or ‘Hero for Hire; would be more appropriate, but she decided that the title ‘Mercenary’ sounds cooler and have more weight to it…” Twilight chuckled nervously. “Now, I know it may sounds insane, but…” She was cut off.

“This is Ponyville, it is hardly the weirdest thing I have heard, but I need to confirm if the data and abilities listed here are accurate,” Mayor Mare said and poked the paper, her eyes on the picture of a smiling long-tailed critter standing on one rear paw with her forpaws spread out. Not the most professional picture, but certainly filled with enthusiasm. “Your friend’s name is ‘Nica’, her weight is around 25 kilograms and she is 0.67 meters tall.”

“Exactly,” Twilight said with a nod. “I checked her parameters today personally.”

“The list of her abilities is as follow:

Ability to produce and unleash powerful electricity without the need of a stormcloud.

Ability to reach three hundred twenty five meters of height with a single jump.

Ability to sense the aura of emotions of other creatures.”

Receiving a nod, Mayor continued. “As for Strengths:

Advanced Combat skills, Extreme Stamina, Durability and Reflexes.”

“It’s the truth,” Starlight said before smirking. “Yesterday Nica started training Twilight in the art of self-defense. If you doubt our words, we can invite you to one of their combat exercises. Miss Mayor.”

“Starlight, this is personal,” Twilight commented.

Mayor Mare sighed. “I’ll take your word for it.” She kept looking at the picture. How did something this small and innocent-looking have the ability to train an alicorn in self-defense? Certainly something worth looking into in her spare time. “And if I read it correctly, she has a very calm and friendly personality and loves helping.”

“I can vouch for that,” Starlight said with a firm nod.

“According to her weekly reports, Nica has been trained in combat by a human trainer so they can defeat and arrest those who abuse pokemon powers. Even if she didn’t recover all of her memories yet, it was her idea to become a mercenary so she can be as helpful as possible,” Twilight said and next pointed to the Raichu’s picture on the resume. “We made a collar for her to absorb electricity so she wouldn’t cause any painful accidents. I also recently visited the royal archives in Canterlot in search for translation spells, and improved her collar with them. She can now communicate with us as long as she wears it.”

Mayor Mare nodded. “On the scale of how unbelievable it sounds from one to ten, I give it seven. To be honest, if it was somepony else, I wouldn’t give this a second thought, but since Miss Nica is under your care, Princess Twilight, I’ll register her as a mercenary.” She stamped the document and next lead the two ponies into a room surrounded by shelves from all sides. “I heard Miss Ditzy was trying to hire somepony to help her for a while, but no one was brave enough to take the job. If your friend is really durable, it would be a good place to start her career.”

“What kind of job exactly?” Starlight asked.

“For example; keeping her from causing accidents during her visit to stores selling antiques and porcelain.”

Twilight’s wings spread and waved. “Stores with antiques are my favorite. I had no idea Ditzy was into it.”

Starlight asked, “Is there anything else?”

“Not at the moment I’m afraid,” Mayor Mare said. “Your friend would have better chances in a big city.”

Twilight grinned. “Thank you, Mayor Mare, I appreciate your help.” She levitated over the stamped document and went outside with Starlight by her side.

“Goodbye, Princess Twilight, and Starlight Glimmer, I wish you luck.” The moment the door closed shut, Mayor Mare lowered her head and massaged her forehead. This headache really gets annoying. I can hardly stay focused on the job.

“What do you have in mind?” Starlight asked.

“A long-range teleportation spell of-course. Canterlot, Las Pegasus, Baltimare, Fillydelphia and Manehattan. If Nica wants a job that ponies are afraid to do, I’m sure she can find it there.”

Starlight rubbed he foreleg. “That’s ambitious. I think I’ll stick with Ponyville and ask Maud and Applejack if they could give her a job.”

“Huh? It’s not like you to be so cautious,” Twilight commented.

“I was really worried about Nica this past week. Let’s just say I don’t want her to leave me again.”

Twilight embraced her student with a comforting wing. “I know how you feel, but if she’s your friend, you need to trust her more. I still remember how hard it was for me to let you go, and you decided to stay.”

“I suppose you’re right.” She looked her mentor in the eyes as smile formed on her lips. “We should hurry up. I don’t want to leave Trixie in the castle for too long.”

“Come on Starlight, I’m sure they’re doing just fine.”

“Trixie requires assistance!” the mare shouted, struggling against the chains.

Nica was sitting on a pillow in the library next to the rounded table. Just a moment ago the Great and Powerful unicorn was showing her so called ‘breathtaking spectacle’, only to end up shackled in chains a minute later. So much for the Great Unicorn Escape, Nica thought as she stepped from her pillow and approached the mare. “Are sure you need my help? Can’t you teleport free or blast the chains with your magic? Starlight could do it with ease.”

The mare growled. “Don’t tease Trixie and help her!”

The long-tailed pokemon rolled her eyes. If she was asked for help by any other pony or creature, she would have jumped at the opportunity. Yet, after listening to Trixie’s story, her unfair accusations and use of a dangerous artifact for revenge against Twilight, who saved her life by stopping a rampaging Ursa, and overall arrogance in her voice, she didn’t feel the urgency to help her right away.

“What are you waiting for, help Trixie this instant!”

She sighed. It seems a simple ‘please’ is outside of her vocabulary. She raised her long tail towards the chains, thinking back to her last dream. If her returning memories were accurate, a gigantic worm-like metallic monster called ‘Steelix’ was teaching her how to turn her own tail into a boulder cutting weapon.

Nica bit her bottom lip and focused, mimicking the technique she used as a Pikachu. As she’d hoped for, her tail flashed brightly, suddenly becoming heavier, stronger, and looked to be covered by metal. With a careful and slow swing, she struck the chains, cutting a few of them with ease while leaving a small cut in the crystal floor. She took a step back and gulped. One false move and her tail would sink into this pony’s flesh.

Drops of sweat started to fall down her forehead as she was striking each chain as carefully as she could, freeing Trixie several half a minute later.

“Ah, much better,” Trixie said and stretched herself. “That’s an interesting trick you got there. Starlight told Trixie that you can use electricity, but she didn’t mention your tail could cut metal.”

Nica focused on releasing power from her tail, waiting for it to return to normal before she shot Trixie a sheepish smile. Using electricity to destroy the chains crossed her mind, if not for the risk of shocking the pony as a side-effect. “I learned how to do this from my dream last night. My memories are still recovering.”

“W-wait… are you saying you improvised?” Trixie’s face turned pale and she chuckled nervously. “W-well, it worked…”

Feeling growing awkwardness in the air, Nica asked, “Why do you keep lying about yourself?”

“W-what?”

She returned to her pillow, gesturing for Trixie to sit on the other side. The mare did so hesitantly. “Why do you keep calling yourself great and powerful? Why such arrogance? Instead of thanking the pony who saved your life, you started threatening her like a rival, even though she’s superior to you in magic a hundred times over.”

“W-what… Trixie’s not inferior to Twilight when it comes to magic!”

“Another lie, why do you keep lying?”

The unicorn slammed her hoof against the table. “Trixie doesn’t like where this is going.”

Nica took a deep breath, regretting that she didn’t know how to prepare tea as having two teacups would certainly help in the coming conversation. She climbed onto the table and sat on it, now looking directly at the unicorn mare. “Wouldn’t it be easier to just humbly accept your limitations and celebrate what you accomplished?”

Trixie raised her head arrogantly and held forehoof on her neck. “Trixie is a great and powerful magician who saved ponykind from their ultimate doom… with some small help from Starlight, Thorax, and Discord… that’s the truth.”

“If you’re great and powerful, shouldn't you have saved ponykind many times over like Twilight and her friends did? This is what powerful beings like yourself should do after all, they should protect those who can’t defend themselves and use their powers to their limits,” Nica pointed out.

“W-well…”

“What I’m trying to say is that; if you were just a normal illusionist who doesn’t possess great magic or superpowers, but managed to play an important role in saving a country, it would make you amazing.”

“Huh?” Trixie asked, her mouth agape. “What?”

“But if you’re a super powerful unicorn as you claim to be, helping Starlight to save everypony isn’t anything special.”

Trixie kept staring at the large critter in confusion, her mind a mess. I would be amazing… if I saved the day while not being great and powerful? What does she mean by that?

“What’s a more impressive feat? A powerful warrior saving a village by easily defeating a large monster? Or a normal pony who ran into a burning building to save one life while putting himself in peril?”

Trixie rubbed top of her head. “Defeating a monster… I suppose? I mean… it’s more spectacular.”

Nica shook her head. “Even if said experienced warrior defeated the beast with little risk? The pony running into the building could end up burned alive or have permanent burns.”

“I suppose you have a point,” Trixie said. “Even if it wouldn't be as spectacular, it would still require a lot of courage.”

“For Twilight and her friends who possess great powers and wield powerful artifacts, saving Equestria is something they’re used to, but for you, a pony with plenty of skills but without powerful magic…”

“It was something special?” Trixie asked, receiving a nod of confirmation. “Actually, the fact that our magic couldn’t work inside the hive meant that Trixie’s skills were even more helpful.”

Nica smiled and approached, step by step until she reached the edge of the table and embraced the unicorn’s neck. “I think what you did was really brave and heroic. The fact that you entered the changeling hive and did your best while being defenseless was incredibly brave and noble. You don’t need to be great and powerful to be great.” She whimpered. “To be honest, my powers are stronger than yours, yet I wish I was half as useful and great as you were.”

Trixie’s eyes watered as she immediately embraced the Raichu, her heart melting like a block of ice in the middle of the desert.

“Nica, Trixie, I’m back!” Starlight said as she walked through the hallway, wondering what her favorite duo was up to.

In a cloud of smoke, Trixie appeared in the middle of the hallway with Nica emerging from under her cape. She took off her hat and performed a polite bow. “The not Powerful but still a little Great Trixie welcomes you back, Starlight Glimmer. How was your day?”

“T-Trixie… are you feeling okay?”

“Better than okay. Thanks to meeting with your skilled companion, Trixie has seen the errors of her ways.” She rubbed the top of Nica’s head, who returned the gesture by rubbing Trixie behind her ear with her tail, which the mare clearly enjoyed while showing a pleasant smile. “Trixie can’t wait for Twilight to come back so that Trixie can apologize, thank her for saving Trixie’s life, and publicly admit that Princess Twilight Sparkle is the most talented and powerful scholar in the land.”

“What have you done!?” In a rush of panic, Starlight levitated over the Raichu, her muzzle touching Nica’s nose. “I leave you for half a day,” she took a quick breath, “half a day! And you already broke Trixie!"

“Is that a good or bad thing?” Nica asked.

“Certainly good,” Trixie said with a wide smile.

“Certainly bad!” Starlight shouted with an expression of pure terror on her face.

Author's Note

Link to the side-story - "Raichu for Hire" which take place between chapter 18 and 19

Bonus - Raichu for Hire - Pt.1

Author's Note

For those who decided to skip on the side-story "Raichu for Hire" I decided to upload this bonus chapter containing the most important (plot-wise) events from the side-story in an unique format.

Bonus - Raichu for Hire - Pt.1

Little Lost Raichu

-

Raichu for Hire - Pt.1

<<< Day 1 - Location: Ponyville>>>

One tree and a solid kick with her rear hooves was all it took to fill two baskets with apples. Applejack was about to pick up the baskets, but stopped, massaging her forehead. Darn headaches. She stomped before attaching the baskets to her sides. Ah’ll fall behind schedule, if this keeps up…

“Hey, Applejack! Guess who’s visiting!”

Applejack’s train of thought was interrupted as her eyes rested upon the approaching group, or more specifically, on the passenger on Pinkie’s back. “Well, well, well, if it ain’t the lost hungry Raichu? Ah haven’t seen ya for two weeks or more.” She approached, her eyes fully focused on the waving critter.

Without any warning, the pokemon climbed onto Pinkie’s head and leaped forward, tackling and embracing Applejack’s neck. Her hooves dug short trails as she refused to tip over.

“There, there, Ah missed ya too, but it was just two weeks, no need to get so sappy,” Applejack commented.

“I’m so sorry! After all you did for me, I forgot to thank you! I was so focused on my own problems that I forgot about you! I’m really, really sorry!”

Applejack was about to respond, but words ended up stuck in her mouth. She gazed upon Raichu as if seeing a ghost, her mouth agape. “Ya… ya can speak… without repeating yer name. Since when?”

Raichu released the farm mare and took a few steps backward. “Oh, right… about that…”

Pinkie leaped forward, landing with her forehooves on the pokemon’s head as she looked at Applejack in excitement. “It’s all thanks to Twilight and Starlight. At first, they made Raichu a collar to restrain electricity as Nica -Raichu’s name is Nica by the way- had no idea how to control her powers. The collar failed spectacularly and she electrocuted a bunch of fillies and colts at school by accident caused by an overwhelming amount of limb-pulling and hugs.” She took a quick breath and continued, “Using stronger magic, Maud’s gems and Rarity’s fashion, they made another collar which was strong enough to keep her electricity from escaping, and it worked. Recently, Twilight improved the collar even more, and now Nica can speak our language as long as she wears it. Isn’t this great? No more writing messages or body-gestures, no more ‘Raichu’ being repeated over and over. I couldn’t contain my excitement when I found out about this. Now it’s your cue to be excited, Applejack.”

Nica opened her eyes and said in annoyance, “What she said,” tilting her head.

Seeing as most of Pinkie’s weight was now pressed against Nica’s head made Applejack wonder how she was still able to stand. “Ummm… Pinkie… would ya kindly step from our little friend?”

“Oops, sorry.” Pinkie jumped backward, withdrawing her forehooves.

“It’s alright,” Nica said, massaging back of her neck before giving the party mare a patient smile. She lowered her head and tapped her forepaws nervously. “Miss Applejack… When I was hungry, hurt and scared, I stole your apples, but you and Apple Bloom forgave me and fed me. You cleaned my fur and took me to doctor. You introduced me to Starlight, who damaged the seal blocking my memories, and her mentor gave me shelter at her castle.” She took hesitant steps forward and looked up with puppy eyes. “I want to thank you for everything you’ve done for me, and apologize for being a pest. I was so focused on fitting in–”

Applejack sealed the critter’s mouth with a hoof. “Say no more. Ah just did what was right, and ya behaved yerself better than any rodent Ah’ve ever met.” She lowered her head to the critter’s level. “Yer welcome to visit anytime ya want, and Ah’m glad yer likin’ it here.”

She blushed. “You’re too kind. To be honest, I came here to ask if I can repay your kindness in any way.” Nica puffed her chest and poked it with her paw. “If you need a helper or worker, I’ll do my best.”

Applejack eyed the long-tailed creature from top to bottom. Never before had any critter, pest or rodent ever offered to work for her. Rats, bunnies, beavers and fruit-bats… her interactions with animals usually ended in disaster. “Well… Ah think Ah can think of somethin’ ya can help with.” The pokemon looked back at her with glee.

Pinkie poked Nica’s shoulder and spoke up, “I need to go back to the bakery for now. You memorized the way to Sweet Apple Acres, right?”

“I did, thanks for showing the way.”

“No biggie. I’m always happy to help a friend. Good luck at your first job, miss mercenary.” Pinkie giggled and bounced away, vanishing behind the lines of trees and bushes.

“Mercenary?” Applejack asked in confusion.

“Long story,” Nica said before standing up on the very tips of her rear paws while holding her forepaws curled in front of her belly. “So, how can I help?” Her tail started swinging back and forth as she stared with eagerness in her eyes.

“Applejack, wake up.”

“Huh, what?” Applejack stretched herself and fixed her hat, now staring at her brother. Not wasting a moment, she pushed herself to a standing position and swung her foreleg enthusiastically. “It sure was a nice nap, Ah feel strong and ready.” She looked around in search for her little assistant. “Where’s Nica?”

“She left. All our chores are done already.”

Applejack laughed before poking Big Mac’s chest. “Good one, big brother. But seriously, where’s Nica?”

“Ah told ya, she left the farm. Ya slept for four five hours, and she’s done all your chores already.”

“W-what!” Applejack gasped. “Ah slept for five hours?” She stood up on her rear hooves and looked around, her attention focused on the upper part of the trees among the green sea of leaves. Most of the apples in the area were gone. “Yer serious?”

“Eeyup,” Big Mac said with a nod.

“She did seven hours worth of chores in five?”

“Eeyup?” Big Mac chuckled.

“What’s so funny?” Applejack asked, now seeing the grin on her brother’s face.

“It seems Nica beat ya at yer own game.”

Applejack groaned as she struggled to push words through her throat. “Seems she did.” She swung her foreleg. “Ah have an idea. Ah’ll bake some apple pies for Nica to thank her, she’ll love them.”

"Ah'm sure she will." Big Mac chuckled nervously. "Just... don't forget to add lots of sugar."

"Extra sweet cakes for a sugarcube like Nica"? Got it," Applejack said with a firm nod, earning a satisfied smile from her brother.

“Pinkie Pie! Where are you?”

Pinkie flinched and slipped on a bar of soap, slamming her head into the slippery floor of the bathroom. Cheerful laughter of two very young ponies filled the room. After a moment to shake the stars from above her head, Pinkie glanced at the foals, a little pegasus and unicorn whose faces were visible among the bubbles and water.

Knowing better than to leave the troublemaking duo alone in the bathtub, she slowly opened the door and asked, “Nica, is that you?”

“Yes! Where are you?”

“Over here! Just go upstairs and look for the open door!” Pinkie shouted before her attention once again focused on the children. The moment Nica peeked inside, she grabbed her by the shoulder in a side-hug. “Perfect timing! I need help and I need it now!”

Nica gasped, staring into their blue and bronze eyes. Those weren’t normal fillies and foals, but tiny adorable defenseless toddlers. Their heads… are sooo big, and their bellies so small…

“The Cakes got an order for a large delivery and they tasked me with a foalsitting job, but I could really use some backup. So, are you in, or are you in?”

Nica blinked in confusion before glancing into Pinkie’s eyes as she struggled to comprehend the meaning behind her request. She slowly turned her head to look at the tiny ponies and bit her bottom lip, her eyes becoming as wide as plates. “Oh no…” She pushed herself free from Pinkie’s hold and started walking backward. “Oh no, no, no, no, no…”

“What’s wrong?” Pinkie asked.

“What’s wrong?” She gulped before giving Pinkie a panicked stare. “What’s wrong?! Did you forget that my last encounter with a bunch of fillies and colts ended up with me,” she held forepaw on her chest, “electrocuting them!” She hyperventilated. “My heart nearly broke that day, and I was lucky that no one was seriously hurt.” She pointed at the two tiny ponies with her trembling forepaw. “And after all that, you want me to take care of the most tiny and vulnerable beings, are you insane?”

Pinkie shrugged. “Bygones are bygones, besides, you now have that neat collar, and you got waaay better with your jumping. Besides, the young Cakes seems to like you already.”

Nica looked down, now watching as the little unicorn climbed up her leg before nuzzling her belly, sinking herself into her white fluff. A moment later she felt the light pegasus land on her head and start chewing her ear. Nica whimpered, wishing that she would rather face a giant beast in the Everfree Forest.

“Cute plushy…” Pumpkin Cake said as she climbed up her shoulder and next poked her nose. “Funny plushy.”

“Soft plushy,” Pound Cake said as he rolled on the pillow attached on her tail.

Nica resisted the urge to cry and her lips started shaking. Should she dare to let a single scratch to appear on those precious little beings, jumping down from a cliff –preferably into sharp rocks– as punishment would be the next thing on her agenda.

Pinkie placed Pound Cake in his bed and said with angered tone, “Now go to sleep, young mister, and think about what you’ve done. You’re very strong for your age, so you need to be very carefully with your pounding.”

Pound Cake lowered his head in shame.

Pinkie glanced at Nica and turned around, looking at her in confusion. Pumpkin Cake was being gently swayed back and forth on the pillow-tail, as in a crib, while Nica’s calm singing filled the room.

“Raichu Rai, Raichu Rai, Raichu Rai Rai Rai Rai Rai, Raichu Rai, Raichu Rai, Rai Rai Rai Rai, Rai Rai…”

“Is that… a lullaby?” Pinkie smiled and started shaking her head left and right to the rhythm of the calm song. Once sleeping Pumpkin Cake was taken from tail-pillow and placed on her bed-pillow, she approached and said, “You have a very pleasant voice, you should consider singing more.”

Nica picked up the collar and tied it on her neck. She looked up at the party mare and blushed. “My mom often sang to me whenever I felt depressed or was hurt. To be honest… I didn’t remember all words. I thought my singing would work better if nopony could understand me.”

Pinkie chuckled and next rubbed top of Nica’s head.

“By the way. Do you know if there’s any cliff, or a large pile of very sharp rocks nearby Ponyville?”

“Nope, but my sister may know, why do you ask?” Pinkie asked with a shake of her head.

Nica’s ears dropped as she started tapping her forepaws together. She glanced at the bandage on unicorn’s knee and answered, “N-no reason…”

“Ummm… did you have an accident?” Twilight asked as she pointed at a few bruises on her fur, most of them being on the wide belly, though a few were present on her forehead, left cheek and on each of her limbs.

Nica shook her head. “No accident… I just…” She rubbed her forearm nervously. “Let’s just say that I ended up testing my durability. Turns out that falling from a hundred meters of height into a pile of sharp rocks made of granite caused waaaaay less damage than I anticipated.”

Twilight rolled her eyes. “You know. If I didn’t know you as well as I do, I would be really worried about your well-being.”

“Where I come from, pokemon put themselves in danger all the time and become tougher for it. If anything, getting hurt is helping me in the long-run,” Nica explained. With a large portion of my memories still missing, I can only imagine what kind of brutal battles I endured to become so tough.

“I see.” Twilight cleared her throat and said firmly, “By the way, while you were away, I had an interesting invitation from the ‘Not Powerful but still a little Great Trixie’ for a show, which turned into a public apology before a large crowd of ponies.”

“It did?” Nica asked, feeling a sudden rush of pride. Great work, Trixie, I knew I could count on you.

“She not only apologised, but also publicly announced my superiority and even bowed to me. And no, she wasn’t brainwashed or hypnotised, I checked!” Twilight’s wings started flapping at quick pace, creating a soft breeze for the pokemon to feel. “I felt as if my view of the universe itself was shaken, as if I rediscovered Pinkie’s weird abilities all over again. Even facing powerful villains and protecting Equestria with my friends didn’t prepare me for miracles like that!” She took a deep breath and lowered herself to Nica’s face. “And something tells me you put your paw into it.”

Nica nodded. “I simply exchanged my ideology and moral values with her.” She displayed her teeth in a cheerful smile. “There was something in big ego and arrogance that annoyed me for some reason. I’m really happy I helped Trixie find a better way in life.”

Twilight looked to the side and giggled. “I swear, your humble and cheerful personality is contagious.”

Nica stared at the princess curiosity and asked, “Soooo… are you going to ask me how my day was or something?”

“Oh… right… I completely forgot.” Twilight’s wings spread and her tail started flapping left and right. Curiosity overpowered her worry. “So, how was your day? Find any jobs? Were you good at them? Do tell, do tell.”

Overwhelmed by Twilight’s excitement whose muzzle collided with her nose, Nica tripped over and was now staring at the alicorn while lying on her back. “I will tell you, just give me some space.” She gently pushed Twilight’s muzzle with her paw, took a sitting position and spoke up, “I helped Applejack and her brother… Big… Mac... was it… I carried the baskets and tail-bucked the trees so Applejack could rest.”

“Tail-bucked?”

Nica nodded before pointing at the yellow part of her tail, which turned grey-metallic for a few seconds. “I can send power into my tail to make it harder and stronger.” She performed a fake swing. “One weak slam made apples fall from each tree.” She beamed. “I even helped Big Mac make a pear pie and we ate it together. It was delicious!”

Twilight clapped her forehooves in applause. “That’s great. There’s always plenty of work on the farm, how long were you working there?”

“I’m not sure, five hours, maybe six. Time goes very quickly when I’m having fun.”

“Wait, so you were having fun while doing Applejack’s labor?” Twilight asked, receiving a nod of confirmation. “Well, that’s a first... Anyway, how much did Applejack pay you for your work?”

Nica tilted her head to the side in confusion. “Was I supposed to get paid?”

The discussion continued as Nica reported her today’s activities, resulting in a lecture from Twilight.

“...Now listen, Nica. I know you were just helping Applejack and Pinkie for free because they are your friends, and it’s something I absolutely approve. But... should you get a real job, don’t forget to ask about payment, okay? Ponyville may be full of trustworthy ponies, but I wouldn’t want anyone to take advantage of you.” Twilight gave the large critter a patient smile and patted her on the head. “Let’s go to sleep. Hopefully you’ll have more luck tomorrow.”

“Not so fast!” Nica shouted as she pointed at the alicorn accusingly. “What about your training? Did you forget?”

Twilight chuckled nervously as she released Nica from her levitation. “Oh… that…”

“You’re a national heroine and an alicorn, yet Starlight who’s a unicorn still defeated you with her skills. And Chrysalis is still on the loose!” She stomped. “I swore I would help you improve for your own good, and tonight…”

“Y-yes?” Twilight asked, taking a step back.

“I’ll teach you, how to dodge.”

Twilight gulped.

<<>>

After failing over and over, the time to turn the table around had come in the Johto region. With a full team of six, four fully evolved, they teared through the tournament, defeating the less experienced opposition easily.

It was an odd feeling for Nica. Two years of battling against more powerful opponents while being a tiny feeble Pichu, their team always handicapped and outnumbered, sent to face against opponents who had type advantages. The moment she and the rest of the team evolved, the moment all the handicaps has been lifted, nothing could stand in the way of their victory. It felt like climbing up a tall mountain for hours with a heavy stone tied to her back, only to take a long rest and get rid of the stone halfway. Reaching the peak suddenly became a breeze.

Winning the tournament in Johto was only the first step, though, as it gave Astra the privilege of fighting the Elite Four. Only by defeating four elite trainers, would they be allowed to challenge the champion of Johto for his title.

The first opponent to face was Bruno.

A quick glance at the large screen above the crowd provided Nica with informations she needed to know how the battle was going. Astra’s Blissey, Starmie, Gligar and Venusaur were defeated, as well as Bruno’s Onix, Machamp, Hitmonlee and Hitmonchan, leaving her and Ninetales to defeat the Golem. A quick look at the numerous scratches on the sturdy shell told Nica that he wasn’t at full power.

“Nica, attack with ‘Iron Tail!”

She did as she was told, running towards her weakened opponent while charging power into her tail. It didn’t surprise her that the Golem used ‘Earthquake’ against her, the very ground becoming her enemy.

“You know what to do.”

Nica narrowed her eyes and jumped, landing on her opponent’s shell while grabbing his head. After enduring and evading ground type attacks over and over, she learned that the best counter against them is to jump very high or to jump onto her opponents. They couldn’t target her with ground attacks as long as she wasn’t on the ground after all.

She followed up with ‘Iron Tail’, pushing the Golem into the cracked ground.

“Keep attacking!”

Nica nodded and delivered another ‘Iron Tail’ before landing on the ground in front of the trapped opponent.

“Golem, use ‘Steamroller’!” Bruno commanded as his pokemon climbed up from the crack, hid in his shell and rolled, crushing any rock which got in his way.

Nica gulped. She already ended up rolled over by a Golem while still being a Pichu. Even after her evolution increased her size, the Golem who was now charging at her still looked bigger than the last one. It was gigantic. Using her speed, she jumped to the side, evading the attack.

“Don’t slow down, crash into the hill!”

Nica looked behind, only to see the Golem hit the hill, filling the stadium with a rain of stones. Caught off guard, she braced herself for the impact, closing her eyes as a few stones twice her size struck her. The moment she pushed the rocks off her body, she gasped, the pupils in her eyes shrank. Her body sank into the ground as she ended up rolled over by the gigantic ball of destruction.

After a night of recovery in the Pokemon Center, Nica learned about the result of the fight from her trainer.

Thanks to Ninetales speed and experience which he used against the weakened Golem, Astra defeated her first Elite Four member, yet winning only thanks to a six vs five number advantage.

Other Elite Four members who watched the battle from the VIP seats picked up on her weakness quickly, defeating her while taking away her opportunity of becoming a Johto Champion.

The loss didn’t break their resolve, quite the opposite. More determined than before, they set up their eyes on the Hoenn region. After besting a member of Elite Four, no badge proved enough of a challenge to slow them down.

Nica stretched her limbs and yawned, quickly welcoming the new day. Her newly recovered memories still fresh in her mind. Any bruise from yesterday was no longer present on her spotless fur.

Much to her surprise, a rat she befriended a week ago climbed onto her shoulder and nuzzled her cheek. She returned the friendly gesture with a smile and next glanced at the sun on the horizon, feeling a pleasant warmness in her heart.

Not only were her memories more and more complete with each passing day, but today she had another opportunity to prove herself useful. As long as it didn’t involve foalsitting, she was looking forward to her next jobs.

<<< Day 2 - Location: Manehattan, Coco’s Store>>>

Coco Pommel observed the city from the window of her store, seeing nothing but dirt and graffiti covering the walls of nearby homes, or a group of angry and arguing ponies wearing dirty and damaged clothes. Fashion crime probably not being their only offence.

Whatever she earned from her hard work went to pay the thugs, which kept her stressed and on high alert. A white-bordered lavender sailor collar with a scarlet tie decorated her neck, which she rubbed over and over out of stress.

“How… how could I end up in this mess?” She struggled to resist bursting into tears. Her career and well-being were at risk due to her hasty decision. All of her bits and resources she had became this very shop. She couldn’t sell it, and leaving it would leave her sleeping on the street.

Her ears perked upward and she flinched, screaming in panic upon hearing knocking at her door. She raised a forehoof up to her chest, hyperventilating. She approached her glass counter and asked, “W-who’s t-t-there?”

“It is me, your friend Rarity.”

Coco Pommel smiled with an open mouth, dashing towards the door. She opened it quickly and embraced her friend. “Rarity, I’m so happy to see a friendly face!” She released her friend and started walking back and forth. “It was terrible, Rarity, just terrible. I thought I was making the best decision of my life, opening my own little store, only for it to turn into a nightmare.” She sat and held her forelegs near her chest under her neck like a pleading puppy. “Those mean ponies… they were so scary.”

“Now, now,” Rarity said, patting her on the shoulder. “You do not need to worry any longer. When I heard about your trouble, I could not leave you to those savages.” She pointed at the long-tailed critter sitting patiently in front of them. “I brought a solution to all of your problems.”

Coco blinked in confusion, gazing at the pear-shaped creature who smiled cheerfully and waved at her. She looked Rarity in the eyes and asked, “Ummm… do not get me wrong, I appreciate any help… but how can this cute little animal help me?”

“Oh darling, I know her appearance may be deceiving, but trust me.” She punched the air with her forehoof. “Under her soft appearance lies a powerful warrior with a heart of gold.”

“R-really?”

The critter stood on her rear paws swung her tail like a sword. “I won’t let anyone hurt you, I swear.”

Coco looked between the critter and Rarity’s smiling face before gesturing for them to enter. “Please come in and make yourselves at home.”

Nica perched herself on the sofa with both mares sitting by her sides.

The earth pony raised her forehoof towards the critter. “Nice to meet you, Miss Nica.”

The pokemon took a deep breath and performed an elegant bow. “The pleasure is all my, Miss Pommel.” She grabbed the hoof and shook it. “I must say, your tie looks so elegant.”

Coco blushed. “Oh… thank you sweetie.” She lowered her head. “Your collar is elegant as well, a true masterpiece that fits your colors perfectly.”

“It is so elegant thanks to Rarity’s hard work and Maud’s generosity,” Nica said, poking gems on her collar. “Maud Pie shared her collection of gems, Twilight and Starlight magically made them absorb my electricity so I wouldn’t hurt anyone by accident, and Rarity turned it into this precious collar.” She pointed at the metallic tag with ‘Raichu’ written on it. “Twilight improved it recently to translate my language. I can talk with you as long as I wear it.”

“Translate? Absorb electricity?” Coco asked.

“My species name’s Raichu and I’m capable of using electricity, so I need something to restrain my power so I wouldn’t hurt you or any other innocent creature. Also, according to ponies, when I speak, all they hear are words made of the name of my own species, but Twilight’s improvement changed that.”

“Oh, I see…” Coco said, her face showing growing interest. “You look a bit chubby, but you’re definitely incredibly cute. I love those cute funny ears of yours, and your tail is very impressive. I find it hard to believe that someone with your adorable features is capable of hurting anypony with electricity.”

Nica blushed. “Thank you, I get that a lot.” She chuckled. “I must say, you look adorable yourself. Your blue-teal mane, your blue eyes, the color of your fur…”

Rarity cleared her throat, breaking the discussion. “I apologize for interrupting, but I need to take my leave very soon and I would like to say something before that.”

Coco raised forehoof to her mouth and looked to the side. “Oh, but of course. Please, do speak Lady Rarity.”

The unicorn pointed at the large critter and explained, “Miss Nica may look adorable, but she is battle-hardened and possesses the ability to use electricity for combat. She was looking for a job, and when I learned of your terrible situation, I thought she could become your bodyguard.”

“Oh…” Coco said, taking her eyes away from Rarity to look at Nica. “You want to work for me as a bodyguard? But you are so small…” she poked her belly, “...and soft.”

“Don’t let my size deceive you, Miss Pommel, I assure you that I can protect you from any danger.” She puffed her chest proudly. “Lately, I started teaching Princess Twilight self-defense. I can evade her incredibly powerful spells, and I even managed to break her barrier recently. Furthermore, according to my memories, I fought a few hundreds battles while being way smaller than I am now.”

“R-really?” Coco said, her eyes wide.

“R-really?” Rarity said and gasped. “You held your ground against Twilight Sparkle?” The moment Nica nodded, Rarity walked towards the exit. “I believe that settles it. I will be leaving back to Ponyville. I wish you both the best of luck, farewell.”

The moment the door closed, Nica looked Coco in the eyes and asked, “So… ummm… can I…”

“You’re hired!”

Coco’s ears dropped and blush on her face became even stronger. “Ummm… Lately, I have been under alot of stress… Will you allow me… to rub your cute white belly? It would relax me.” She looked to the side in panic. “I mean… if you don’t want to.”

“Sure,” Nica said, approaching on her two feet before wrapping her tail around Coco’s belly, lifting her up. Walking on four legs with a bit of struggle, she approached the sofa, perching the confused pony on it. She climbed up, perched herself on Coco’s legs and exposed her belly. “I love nuzzling, cuddling and belly rubs, and I have gained a few hours of experience in this field under Fluttershy’s guidance. In other words, my fluffiness is at your disposal.”

Coco blinked in confusion. After explaining her embarrassing request, this was certainly not an answer she’d expected. She carefully touched the fluffy white belly with a tip of her hoof, gently rubbing against it, her nerves calming down. The creature on her legs had closed eyes and bit her tongue, radiating in satisfaction. Coco exhaled and smiled warmly. Not only had she gotten herself a bodyguard who –in theory– was going to save her business and protect her from mean thugs, but her bodyguard was the cutest and most cuddly creature she could’ve wished for, surpassing even her most pleasant dreams.

Could her day get any better?

<<< Day 3 - Location: Manehattan, Coco’s Store>>>

“That’s…. a lot of customers,” Nica commented.

“What can I say. Ponies here aren’t exactly rich and I sell practical clothes cheaper than anywhere else. I don’t earn much income with such prices, but I’m happy to help those with less luck than me.”

Nica nodded before approaching the exit, wrapping her tail around the stallion’s rear leg. “Excuse me… ummm… sir, but I believe you should pay for those first.”

The stallion with two punching gloves as a cutie mark and muscular legs turned around and shot the pokemon an angered glare. “And if I don’t want to pay for it, what will you do about it? Small fry.” A big green jacket with pockets with zippers lay on his back.

Nica lowered her head and sighed. She untied her collar and next pulled the stolen clothes away from the stallion’s back with her tail.

“Give those back if you know what’s good for you,” the stallion said, pinning Nica to the floor with his heavy hoof.

Coco observed the scene from behind the counter, a trembling foreleg was raised up to her face. The reason why she didn’t fear of thieves coming at night being due to some ponies stealing her work openly during the day. Her income had been poor for the past week as she couldn’t stand up against the intimidating figures. Oh dear… this isn’t good. As much as she wanted to yell at the stallion to release her bodyguard, she couldn’t get the words through her throat, her legs feeling as if they were made of jelly. Suddenly, bolts of electricity surrounded the stallion who lost his balance a moment later.

Nica wiped dirt and dust from her uniform before placing forepaws on her sides. Her words sounding more like, “Rai Rai Rai Raichu Raichu, Rai Rai Rai,” to the surrounding ponies.

“You little…” He slammed his foreleg against the pokemon’s head, only for it to be blocked by her shining tail. “What’s your tail made of, some kind of metal?” The tail wrapped around his foreleg and more electricity went through his body.

Nica picked up her collar from the floor and put back on her neck. “As I was saying, you’ll now pay for those clothes and apologize to Miss Coco. Do we have an understanding?”

“Ugh… fine,” he said and groaned, picking up the jacket from the floor and murmuring annoyed words to himself quietly.

Coco Pommel felt her heart increase in speed with each of the stallion’s steps. She gulped, forcing a smile as the muscular pony now sat in front of her counter.

“How much for these?”

“T-ten b-bits… plus a hundred bits for all the other clothes you took from my store without paying the other day.”

The stallion groaned and was about to slam his hoof against the glass, only for a metallic tail to intercept it. The thud like a mace colliding with a sword followed.

Nica crossed her forepaws and shook her head, the black glasses still present on her eyes.

“Fine!” He took a small bag of bits from his saddlebag and threw it at Coco, yet instead of hitting her head, the bag was grabbed by pokemon’s tail. “I’ll never buy anything here ever again.” He turned around and left the store, his head lowered as one could imagine a dark cloud floating over it.

“T-thank you…” Coco said, still feeling the rapid beating of her heart.

<<< Day 3 - Location: Manehattan, Police Station>>>

The police station in the Manehattan, a big place filled with ponies in blue uniforms, a few cells which from time to time contained a criminal or two. With most of the officers patrolling the large city, a few were left to accept complaints and reports of crimes.

A box with donuts and cup of coffee lay on a desk with one slightly relaxed unicorn officer sitting behind it. A mustache was present on his face. He levitated his coffee cup back onto the desk and stood from his seat, his attention now focused on five stallions and three mares covered in tattoos, bruises and burns who entered the station, numerous bags were present on their backs. “Who are you, what’s the meaning of this?” One thing was sure, it wasn’t a group of innocent citizens.

The stallions and mares groaned in annoyance, none but one interested to speak.

“My name’s Smackdown, a member of the Crushers gang. We… want to surrender ourselves.”

The police officer stared at the group for a few seconds before checking a small stock of paper under his deck. He heard the name Crushers a few times before, so no doubt he would have some data about them, yet he couldn’t lower his guard just yet. He glanced over the group and asked, “And if I may ask, why are you surrendering yourselves. What’s the catch?”

The stallion walked to the side and pointed down.

The officer blinked in confusion, staring at a long-tailed creature with silly-looking ears wearing a black suit. A grey tie and blue collar with a few shining white gems were present on its neck and sunglasses covered its eyes.

“Hello, officer, my name’s Nica, and I work as a bodyguard for Miss Coco Pommel.” She gestured at the group of ponies. “This gang was demanding protection money from my boss, so I raided their hideout and convinced them to surrender themselves.” She climbed up onto the back of a nearby stallion and pointed at the bags. “All bits and items they stole are in these. I hoped you could help return them to their rightful owners.” She yawned a moment later.

The officer kept staring at the critter for a few seconds before looking at his desk at the half-empty cup. “I swear, once I find out who accidently put drugs from the evidence room into my coffee, he’ll clean the bathroom and toilets for months.”

<<< Day 4 - Location: Manehattan >>>

“Please, explain,” Nica begged, giving her a stressed smile. “Did the mob ponies cause this fire?”

Coco nodded before galloping in the direction of the flaming building, Nica following by her side. “According to the Police Chief, the mob demands protection money from each building, amount depending on how wealthy are ponies living in it. If some residents refuse to pay, others needs to pay more, so as the result they often fight among themselves.”

Nica glanced at the flaming building and asked, “Is that what happens when they fail to pay enough, the mob sets the entire building on fire? That’s insane and cruel!”

Coco nodded. “And terrifying… According to what Blue Cross told me, the mob has five skilled pyrocasters who can set flames that spread even on metal and rocks. The police already have plenty of evidence, but are too afraid to use it.” Her breathing became heavy. Despite being an earth pony, she was still a peaceful mare whose main focus was on perception and precision, not athletic activities. She glanced at her bodyguard with pleading eyes and said, “You’re very fast, right? Can you–”

“On it!” Nica shouted. Using her tail, she cut the back of her collar to get it off before speeding up, leaving the pony in dust.

After a moment of coughing and shaking her forehoof in an attempt to push the dust away, Coco finished, “–inform the firefighters.” She picked the collar from the street and stared at Nica who kept running with aura of electricity surrounding her. The pokemon kept repeating her name at rapid pace. “Wait, she won’t…” Coco blinked as Nica ahead of her jumped, piercing the wall. “She just ran into a flaming building,” Coco said calmly before raising forehoof towards her heart. She screamed, “She just ran into a flaming building!” Placing a forehoof on her forehead, Coco fainted.

The Chief of the Police stationed nearby Coco’s store with a small group of his subordinates as he awaited Coco’s decision, hoping to gain cooperation from her bodyguard. An innocent looking critter with enough raw power to force gangs to surrender being just who he needed to capture the boss of local mob.

It was only a matter of time before the mob would find the behavior of the police to be suspicious, so the sooner he could get his answer, the better.

What came as a surprise was smoke coming from the mafia’s territory.

Not wasting a moment, he organized his squad and galloped towards the burning building, passing street after street. The firefighters seemed to be heading in the same direction, pulling large containers with water.

The biggest surprise however was what was awaiting them. Beside a panicked crowd of ponies gathered around the burning building, Miss Nica, the bodyguard he needed for a special mission, was now standing in the middle of the street covered in burns. Miss Coco by her side.

With firm steps and an impassive stare, he approached the large critter who seemed to notice him.

Nica approached in his direction as they now stared at each other in silence.

“Where are those responsible?” Nica asked, her eyes narrowed while the collar was present on her neck.

“I take it you’re willing to cooperate in taking them down?” Blue Cross asked, doing his best to keep his emotions in check. The critter before him looked as if it had been running through hell and deserved his pity and respect, but now was not the time to show it.

“Where are they?” Nica asked again.

“They are most likely in their headquarters. I would advise not going after them until you recover,” Blue Cross suggested, only for the critter to jump towards his head. Burned rear paws anchored themselves against his chest, burned forepaws were on his cheeks and a tiny black nose was pressed against his muzzle. The oval eyes of the critter were filled with rage and determination. She wasn’t going to step down.

“I’ll be battle ready in ten minutes! Now, where are they?”

<<< Day 4, Location: Manehattan, Mafia’s HQ >>>

A tall orange unicorn in a grey suit eyed the city from the top of his building, which would be considered as a skyscraper by some due to it having no less than thirty levels. Only a few constructions in Manehattan surpassed his own personal fortress.

His attention focused upon a burning building in distance, a fine example for fools what defying him would cost them. Between him and the outside was a reinforced glass window, hard enough to stop even the strongest pegasi from assaulting him from the air. One of perks of being the top dog in this big apple called Manehattan was a nice view and very competent security.

He massaged his forehead and groaned upon experiencing yet another headache, a sore reminder that maybe he wasn’t the top dog after all. He approached his comfortable armchair and sat in it, his eyes now staring at a single note.

“Either live in a blissful ignorance, or your life is forfeit,” he read it aloud in angered tone. For a unicorn, he was not a fool, possessing both powerful magic, vast knowledge and street smart. Ever since his headaches started a few days ago, he investigated them, finding out that part of his memories were sealed by dark magic while some mysterious curse was regularly draining a small portion of his magic, like a parasite feeding off his power.

Sealing someone's memories wasn’t new in the world of crime, a useful and more merciful method of dealing with someone who knew too much. It didn’t take a genius to find a connection between memory loss, headaches and his magic being drained. “Stupid curse,” he said to himself and unleashed his anger on a pony statuette of himself, shattering the marble stone into tiny pebbles. Someone powerful cursed him with dark magic while sealing his memories of the event.

Not long after researching a spell to remove the curse from himself and his pyrocasters, a mysterious note appeared in his very room. Someone way above him in power and cunning was warning him, and he knew better than to ignore it.

He sighed before once again looking at the burning building in the distance, the very sight improved his mood.

“Sir, it’s an emergency!”

The unicorn looked towards his door, which were slammed open as his trusty subordinate rushed in, his forehead covered in sweat and his breathing heavy.

“Calm yourself this instant, Tombstone. You’re shaming our family by panicking like that.”

“S-sorry boss.” Tombstone took a moment to catch a breath before saluting. “Our family is under assault. You need to escape before it is too late!”

The boss stared at his subordinate as if he went insane. Tombstone was one of his toughest earth ponies, always wearing a grey suit with black stripes sitting on his back, which often got dirty whenever he was assigned to beat someone into submission. This time however his suit was covered by burns, and so was his face.

Taking a deep calming breath, he asked, “How many attackers? Are they from the police, or a bunch of rival gangs gathered together? How much progress have they made into my fortress?” He placed his forehooves on the desk before him, staring at his subordinate with a calm and collected posture.

“J-just one and small, sir, but insanely dangerous. This beast use its own tail like a sword and blasts room after room with electricity.” He took a few quick breaths. “The police arrived later and started cleaning after it, taking the unconscious enforcers into custody with no resistance.”

The boss raised an eyebrow. Merely joking like this would earn his subordinate a tombstone of his own, so as ridiculous as it sounded, it couldn’t be a prank.

“The pyrocasters tried to burn it with no effect. That creature must be fireproof or something. One of your lieutenants was defeated already while another one formed a defensive line on the twelve floor.” Suddenly, both stallions felt weak trembling under their hooves and heard noise of breaking glass. “Well… I think his line has been breached just now.”

The boss lowered his head and held it on both of his forelegs, which were supported against the desk. “One bad thing after another,” he said to himself before glancing at the note. Whoever was coming couldn’t be sent by this mysterious figure who messed up with his memories, but was probably someone of the same league.

He raised his head and glanced at his subordinate. “Our family doesn’t run away with our tail between our legs. If we’re fated to fall today, we’ll do so in combat.”

Tombstone nodded before approaching his boss, sitting next to him. “If this is your wish boss, I will fight by your side.” His panicking voice was now filled with determination while breathing returned to normal.

The boss gave his subordinate a satisfied smile. This kind of attitude is what he expected from his family.

Seconds felt like minutes as noises of battle became louder and louder, only to turn into a dead silence. Half a minute later, a shining thunder-shaped tail cut the door in half and next pushed it aside. A small pear-shaped creature with a long tail and rabbit-like legs walked inside. Despite bruises and burns covering nearly the entirety of its body, it didn’t show any sign of weakness.

The boss facehooved before laughing in a creepy way. “So… the powerful Del Gambino family is fated to fall… to such a tiny being. The fates truly couldn’t play a more cruel joke on me on this very day.”

The critter approached, staring back with narrowed eyes filled with rage.

“Boss… Sir Gambino, please be wary. When it arrived at our doorstep, we were fooled by its innocent appearance. Before we knew it, a third of our forces were knocked out by electricity.”

Gambino chuckled. “I see. Size isn’t always the symbol of strength, or else the dragons would have burn down Equestria a long time ago.” He shook his head. “Still, I can’t let everything end this way. What’s your name, intruder?” As he awaited the answer, his attention focused on a small saddlebag attached to the critter’s shoulder. The intruder opened it and picked up a collar, only to put it on its neck.

“My name’s Nica and I am a Raichu.”

“I wish I could say it is a pleasure to meet you, Lady Nica, but it would be a lie. Despite your meekly appearance, you managed to defeat my strongest subordinates and overpowered my entire family by yourself. I feel a great respect towards your strength and great sadness that we are on opposite sides.” He stood up from his armchair and rounded his table, now staring at his opponent with an even look. “Before we exchange blows, may I ask what reason you have to fight us? If we offended you in anyway, I would be willing to apologize and repay in return for your neutrality.”

“It’s not about me, it’s about all the ponies you hurt. Criminal organizations grow in strength at the expense of weak and innocent, which is why I’m more than willing to take them down!” She pointed at what was left of the burning building out the window. “So many lives would have been lost if I wasn’t there to help, and I fear that not everypony made it out safely.” She pointed at him accusingly. “I’ll use all of my power to take away yours so you can’t ruin any more lives.”

Gambino raised an eyebrow. “While I find your motivation to be a bit of a cliche and over-idealistic, I can’t deny the determination and willpower I see in your eyes. You’re not somepony trying to play hero. I can tell that you’re emotionally invested in taking me down.” Gambino crossed his forearms. “Still, defeating me wouldn’t bring you any benefits. Would you agree to remain neutral or side up with me? I can give you riches and a position of pow–” He failed to finish as the critter’s tail slammed into the floor with great force and a loud thump. His attempt of negotiation did little but enrage the intruder further.

Tombstone approached his boss and took a fighting stance in front of him, ready to defend him with his life.

Gambino rubbed his cheek and said, “I see how it is, but before I unleash my power against you, would you tell me what kind of being are you. I have studied the royal archives in Canterlot quite intensively, so I know numerous species that live in Equestria and on the borders. You, a being called Raichu, don’t seem to be from around here.”

Nica stomped. “I see no reason to tell you anything, and even if I wanted too, I am still recovering my memories. There’s much I still don’t know about where I come from and myself.”

“Wait… recovering memories?” His horn lit as he performed a quick scan of the critter in front of him, who took a fighting stance in response but didn’t attack. “So your memories were also tampered with…”

“What do you mean, also?” Nica asked, blinking in confusion. Her tail raised threateningly.

“It matters not. Maybe I will tell you if you defeat me,” Gambino said before vanishing in a flash of teleportation, reappearing behind the critter. He shot a beam of magic towards the back of Nica’s neck, damaging the collar by accident as it fell onto the floor. He smirked before grabbing the creature with his levitation and throwing her against the reinforced glass. He grit his teeth, putting all his power into his horn before unleashing a powerful beam, which pinned Nica against the glass while continuously burning her belly. A loud painful "chuuuuuu..." filled the room.

One crack, a second crack, the reinforced glass broke as the long-tailed creature fell from the thirtieth floor. Despite the long distance, a thudding noise reached his ears. As he approached the window to see if the intruder was flattened, his ears picked up an odd noise, as if “Rai” was being repeated over and over, followed by the noise of broken walls.

He flinched out of reflex as Nica pierced the floor before him, and he could see an aura of electricity surrounding the intruder. He raised a barrier, yet it broke the moment his opponent tackled it. A bright explosion blinded him as he felt electricity go through his bones and muscles, only for him to be pinned to the floor by much smaller being.

Bonus - Raichu for Hire - Pt.2

Little Lost Raichu

-

Raichu for Hire - Pt.2

<<< Day 5, Location: Ponyville, Friendship Castle >>>

“Twilight, Twilight, where are you!?”

“Over here!” Twilight shouted from her spot behind the table in her library, an open book levitated in front of her face. It didn’t take long before Pinkie Pie and Starlight ran inside.

“You really really really need to read this!” Pinkie shouted before throwing a newspaper onto the table.

“You won’t believe what happened!” Starlight shouted as she clapped her forehooves, her face filled with excitement.

Twilight lowered her book and started reading the newspaper before pointing at the numerous pictures. “You mean Rarity’s punk mane’s style? I already knew about it since yesterday.”

“No, turn on the page,” Pinkie suggested, turning the page for the princess before once again bouncing in place from excitement.

Twilight’s neutral face turned into one of shock while her eyes became wide like plates.

“A small but brave bodyguard protected a clothing store from a gang.”

“The long-tailed critter called Raichu rushed into a burning building and saved numerous lives.”

“Miss Nica assisted the police in fight against the mob by defeating and arresting leaders of the Del Gambino family, ending their reign of terror!”

Twilight’s mouth opened agape, suddenly out of words.

“Isn’t this the coolest news you’ve ever read?” Pinkie asked.

“I must say, it is certainly a very strong way to start her career as a mercenary, don’t you think?” Starlight asked. She wiped liquid pride from her eyes a moment later. “Just a week ago she solved a friendship problem in the changeling’s hive, and now she’s up there kicking flanks and taking names. So proud…”

Pinkie stopped bouncing and waved a hoof in front of Twilight’s eyes, and then poked her in the side, making the alicorn fall. “Well… that’s certainly one way to react.”

<<< Dreams and Memories >>>

A frozen cave filled with crystals. Not the most original location to hide, but certainly a fitting place for the legendary Articuno, a flying pokemon ruling over the power of ice.

Luckily for Nica and her trainer, walking on slippery surfaces wasn’t new to them.

Nica and Eevee walked side by side ahead of their trainer, scanning the area for possible traps or Team Rocket Grunts.

“That’s odd,” Astra said while wearing a warm white coat on top of her usual clothing.

Nica asked, glancing at her trainer for a moment. Eevee took her example.

“According to Lt. Surge and his mole in Team Rocket, one of three elite hitmen was tasked with the capture of Articuno. Since its location was discovered recently and we timed our arrival perfectly, I expected to encounter the enemy already, yet all we found were explosives planted at the entrance and a weird device filled with poisonous gas. I expected traps or guards in our way.”

Nica said, not expecting her trainer to understand her without help of their trusty notepad.

“Quick, hide,” Astra commanded before hiding behind the closest ice-covered structure.

Nica and Eevee followed their trainer and peeked from behind their cover. One human was standing at the entrance into a tunnel while wearing a purple coat and gasmask. Suspicious grey and purple smoke seemed to be escaping from the chamber ahead.

Suddenly, a silvery beam escaped from the chamber, creating ice on a crystal wall. The noise of battle became louder and louder.

The human at the entrance sent out four pokemon. One looking like two merged heads filled with holes.

“Weezing, you funny goofball. The moment Articuno leaves its little gas chamber, hit it with ‘Sludge Bomb.’ Hit fast and hard for your mommy,” the female voice commanded.

The second one looked like a blue shell covered by spikes, this one Nica remembered encountering in the Alola region.

“Toxapex, my dear rose with thorns, ready your ‘Venoshock’ and show no mercy.”

The third one looked like a large snake.

“Arbok, my little sweaty, ready your sludge wave, show no pity and don’t let Articuno escape.”

The last one looked like a large stock of toxins in three colors; pink, green and yellow. This one no doubt being an Alolan Muk.

Nica shivered. The last time she encountered such a beast, it tried to hug her. This one would no doubt do far worse than that.

“Muk, my pearl among the toxins, be a dear and unleash a ‘Gunk Shot’ at the legendary pokemon the moment you see its face.”

Nica narrowed her eyes. The noise of screeching pokemon became louder, and she could hear pain present in those screeches.

“Three, two, one, now,” Astra said before quietly sending her own pokemon into battle.

Twelve empty bottles of antidote were lying on a pile next to at least forty unconscious Grunts. Adenium and Ninetales were nowhere to be seen.

Covered in bruises, Astra and her team stood in front of the majestic shining blue bird, whose body wore several battle-scars as well.

“This place is no longer safe for you, you’ll need to find another home,” Astra said, maintaining a respective distance from the legendary pokemon.

Nica said from her spot on Articuno’s neck.

Articuno shoot Astra a suspicious glare, and next pointed at trainer’s belt with its wing.

“You can put your worries at ease, I’m not interested in capturing you, nor any other legendaries. A power of legendary pokemon shouldn’t be wielded by a human,” She held hand on her chest, “more or less an inexperienced youth.”

Articuno lowered its wing, no longer as wary as before. It screeched,

Nica leaped from Articuno and ran towards Astra, using a pen and notepad to translate Articuno’s words.

“I’m honored you view me as worthy, but I wish to accomplish my goal with my knowledge, the strength of my loyal team, and the aid of my trusty partner, Nica.” Astra said and next approached, raising her hand towards the large bird. “However, I’ll gladly become your friend and ally. Should any of us end up in trouble, let’s help one another.”

Articuno held its wing against its beak, chuckling. It spread its wings and flapped with great force, spreading wind through the cave before flying away, leaving behind a single blue feather which landed in Astra’s hands.

Astra waved a farewell before glancing at the unconscious Team Rocket members, and next looking at her bat-like pokemon in pride. After a moment of securing the precious feather and searching her saddlebag, she picked up a ‘Razor Fang,’ and next placed it in Gligar’s claws. “While outnumbered, you fought against the odds with all your might and emerged victorious, watching for your allies. You used Earthquake only when no member of the team was close enough to be hurt by it. You deserve to evolve.”

Gligar looked at the item before his eyes started watering. He closed his eyes, stood tall and saluted.

Nica looked at the ground/flying type pokemon in pride, only for her ears to pick up the noise of footsteps. Turning around, she noticed Ninetales walking towards them with Adenium unconscious on his back.

Nica said, running towards Ninetales and staring in satisfaction.

Ninetales spoke in a serious tone, his eyes narrowed and his sharp teeth displayed.

Nica massaged her forehead. And everything was going sooo well…

<<< Day 6, Location: Ponyville, Friendship Castle >>>

“Hey Twilight, you’ll never guess what happened,” Starlight said as she trotted in place, now staring at her mentor who was sitting on her throne with a half-eaten hay sandwich in her magical hold.

“Let me guess. Nica did something brave that got her headline in the newspaper.”

“Well… yes, but what’s important is that she saved many lives at the iron mine between Manehattan and Canterlot. We should prepare a long range teleportation spell and congratulate her personally.”

“I’ll pass…”

Starlight blinked in confusion. “What… but why?”

“The last time I visited her, she convinced me into more of her self-defense lessons. I have been wary of every shadow as if expecting an attack ever since,” Twilight explained before taking another bite of her hay sandwich.

“Are you sure you don’t want to check on her. According to the news, she’s being nursed back to health in a Manehattan hospital due to her heavy injuries.”

Twilight spat crumbles of her sandwich and shouted, “She’s what!”

One long-range teleportation and a few short-range teleportations later, she stood in front of the hospital, feeling as if her heart was trying to escape her chest. Her quick breathing and messed-up mane being a proof of her panic-mode. She was about to take step forward, only to see Nica running outside by the main entrance, not a single bandage on her entire body.

“Twilight! I did it, I was useful again. Truly the second happiest day of my life!” Nica shouted before tackling the alicorn to the ground, her paws wrapped around her neck. “And your timing couldn’t be better. Today we’ll focus on improving your aim. Basically, shoot me with magic while I play the role of a moving target.”

Twilight levitated the enthusiastic critter off her neck before standing up. She stood on her rear legs, spread her forelegs and shouted, “Oh come on!”

<<< Day 7, Location: Canterlot Castle >>>

“Listen up you pathetic worms. My name’s Pharynx, Chief of Patrol in the Changeling’s Hive and brother of it’s new ruler,” spoke a tall dark-green changeling with two red horns and a red armored chest. His eyes narrowed and filled with authority.

Both pegasi trembled in fear, barely holding their spears raised at the suspicious intruder. The name ‘Changeling’ bringing back memories of their failure.

“After finding out how pathetic your bunch is, Warrior Nica suggested your captain to ask your new allies, the Changeling race, for support in getting you weaklings in shape, on which he agreed, and we’re more than willing to assist.”

“You… you can’t be serious! Your race invaded our capital!”

“Yes, we did, and we kicked your flanks into submission in only a few minutes. You expected an attack and prepared for it, only to display how pathetic your defenses were. Six smaller mares put up more resistance than your entire armed force.” Pharynx stomped, causing both guards to flinch. “I chose nine of my best warriors, and we’re going to teach you how to properly defend your capital. We’ll spar with you, ambush you, and fool you with our disguises until you become competent warriors. Am I clear?”

The pegasus nodded and gulped as drops of sweat fell from his head at a rapid pace. For years since graduating from the training grounds in the academy, he was performing the most boring job in the whole Equestria, only to end up lectured by a small critter and two days later be trained by the former invader. Should he be grateful that some excitement was finally introduced into his life, or curse the small critter for…

“You’re both very tall. Let’s make sure there’s some strength and durability behind your size,” Pharynx said before tackling the pegasus to the ground, grabbing his rear leg and pulling it. “Wrestling time!”

He yelped, slamming his forehoof against the carpet before yelling, “Curse you Nica!”

Princess Celestia walked towards the royal kitchen with the sunrise visible from the nearby window. The time to prepare some morning pancakes for herself and Luna was upon her.

“P-Princess Celestia…” said a pegasus guard with a salute.

“Good morning Princess,” the other pegasus said as he opened the door into the kitchen with his wing.

Celestia eyed her guards curiously, who looked back at her as if she was going to attack them at any second. Their always stoic faces being suspiciously expressive. She stopped in her tracks upon noticing a few bruises on her loyal guard from the corner of her eye. She lowered her long neck to take a closer look.

“Is something wrong, Your Highness?”

“That is what I wish to know.” She raised her clad hoof and pointed it at the bruises on the guard’s legs and chest, her eyes filled with worry.

“Not at all, Your Highness. Our Captain hired a critter who use its tail like a sword to train us in combat, and next asked our Changeling allies to further improve our skills.” He raised his head proudly and added with confidence in his voice, “It is only a matter of time before our skills improve and we will become somewhat competent at our job.”

Celestia blinked in confusion before turning towards the kitchen, slowly stepping inside and closing the door behind her. On second thought, she wasn't sure she wanted to know the details.

<<< Day 8, Location: The Crystal Empire >>>

“Hundreds, no, thousands of battles toughened me up, and I still don’t remember all of them. I have the skills to fight, lots of stamina and durability. I can use my tail to cut or shield, and I can use electricity. Fighting and training others how to fight is what I seem to be good at.” She stood up and looked Shining Armor in the eyes. “You, your wife, your sister, her student and their friends, they accomplished so much, they saved so many lives. I’m worthless when compared to them. I just want to be useful…” She wiped her watering eyes, preventing herself from crying before forcing a smile. “S-sorry. I’m talking nonsense. I’ll return to my duties.” She saluted before running away.

Shining Armor kept watching the critter dashing through the snow, creating a tiny path while pushing snow aside, as if fish swimming through water. As annoying as this Raichu creature was from the start, he could tell that she meant well. Feeling worthless, desire to be useful. It’s kind of sad. He turned towards his Empire and walked. Suddenly, he stopped and gritted his teeth. “Not again…” He sat and massaged his forehead. “Stupid headaches, they just won’t let go.” He took several breaths of cold air, waiting for the headache to end before standing up and resuming his walk.

<<< Dreams and Memories >>>

In an attempt to save Moltres from this unpredictable criminal, Nica and her trainer were ambushed instead. Despite having a better team, Astra proved herself unable to improvise in the heat of the moment, allowing the weaker trainer to overpower her with an unpredictable strategy, ghost pokemon, and paralysis grenades.

Gliscor being a main threat for the enemy ending up targeted and defeated first by the assassin's ambush.

With Nica being resistant to paralysis and electricity due to her being an electric pokemon, she was the last standing, outnumbered four to one. When everything seemed to be lost, Articuno itself flew into the battlefield, freeing the legendary ruler of fire from its shackles before rescuing Astra and her paralyzed team.

After sending a few ‘Thunderbolts’ towards the ground to slow down their pursuers, Nica ran towards Articuno’s neck and hugged it. Her trainer was perched on Articuno’s back while holding the badly-bruised Eevee in her embrace. The downside of freeing one team member being a lack of pokeball to carry him in.

Articuno asked, screeching from its lungs. With a strong flap of its majestic wings, Articuno increased its speed.

Nica nodded and sighed in relief. The hitman targeting Zapdos was known by codename “Deathblow,” and his strength relied in brainwashing pokemon stolen from the strongest trainers to do his bidding. When saving the third legendary bird, they would most likely be outnumbered twenty to nine. Having Articuno on their side certainly improved their odds.

With Lt. Surge and his friends volunteering to create a diversion with a few explosions and a power shutdown of the enemy facility, Astra’s squad snuck in under Nica’s command, freeing the legendary pokemon from under ‘Deathblow’’s very nose among the created chaos. It didn’t come as a surprise how any pokemon capable of flight were sent to chase the escapees, only to be grounded by Articuno’s ‘Ice Beams’ and ‘Blizzard’ attacks.

Astra’s plan worked… too well for her own good.

With Moltres and Zapdos rescued and their new location unknown, it no doubt enraged the Boss. It was only a matter of time before she would become a target. One think both Astra and Nica were certain off, they weren’t ready for main confrontation against ‘Deathblow’ just yet. Staying in Kanto was a suicude.

Why retreat to Sinnoh? Nica soon found out the reasons:

Being far away from Kanto, Sinnoh was free of Team Rocket’s influence and its police free from their corruption. And according to rumors, an organization called Team Galactic was slowly growing in numbers and power in this region, and they would no doubt want to keep Team Rocket away from their territory.

Articuno screeched calmly, lowering its long wing to the ground for its passengers to slide on.

Nica said with a salute. She had to admit, Articuno was a really cool and dependable ally, though maybe a little bit too serious at times. It appears that being centuries or even millenia years old makes one forget how to chill. She received a silent nod in response.

Eevee pushed himself from Astra’s embrace and ran towards Articuno’s leg, nuzzling it.

Nica blushed and hid it behind her paws. She couldn’t deny it anymore, her role as big sis was established by the Eevee himself, not something she could simply refuse when looking into those cute little eyes.

Despite Gym Leaders in Sinnoh going all out, none proved a challenge for Astra’s team and she acquired all necessary badges in only a month, leaving her with nine months before the League would start.

Being too powerful for Gym Leaders, yet too weak to face the Elite Four or Team Rocket elites, Astra and her team needed to find a way to grow stronger while avoiding unnecessary attention.

Their search for such way lead them to a secret village filled with monks who, for most of their lives, trained side by side with their pokemon. Was it to master their aura side by side with pokemon like Lucario, or was it to unleash psychic power and telekinesis with pokemon like Alakazam.

After a few weeks of continuous training, Astra showed no potential, nor did any of her pokemon except one. Her Pikachu.

When meditating and training under the monk’s guidance, Nica had no idea she would start sensing the aura of other creatures. The wisest monk, Sindel, came to a conclusion that by facing stronger opponents hundreds of times, almost never having a fair fight, Nica’s body started to improve in unique ways to compensate, and this hidden potential finally came to light during a deep meditation.

With each day of training, the aura of others became easier to sense and more clear. Whether her eyes were closed or she was turned away, she could still sense the presence of other living creatures, recognizing their sadness, happiness, anger, jealousy, compassion, admiration. A new experience which was both helpful and distracting at the same time.

It didn’t take long before she was approached by a Riolu, a pokemon whose master died during their training a few years ago. According to Sindel, this pokemon remained in the local shrine, waiting… What was he waiting for? No one knew, but now he willingly followed Nica, training with her, teaching how to use a powerful fighting move ‘Focus Blast’ while also guiding her in sensing the auras of pokemon and humans.

Then they heard rumors about the Hoenn Battle Frontier. According to the rumors, there were specific facilities in Hoenn, each with an extremely powerful trainer. They weren’t as tough as Elite Four members, but certainly above Gym Leaders.

This was it, the challenge that Astra was looking for.

As the adventure continued, Nica quickly became the only Pokemon who still hadn’t earned her final evolution, despite fighting the hardest.

The last battle facility to challenge was the Battle Pyramid, a place Nica was going to remember for the rest of her life.

Three mighty legendary pokemon were displayed in the field: A sturdy and powerful Regirock, indestructible Registeel, and shining Regice.

Nica looked up at her trainer before taking a step back, finding Astra’s grin to be very creepy.

“Nica… this is it… this is what I was searching and waiting for all this time,” Astra said before looking down at her with a wide smile. “An opportunity for you to fight against impossible odds, an opportunity for you to finally earn your evolution has come. I don’t care if it will take weeks or months, but once we’re done here, we’ll be ready to face every challenge the world has for us.”

Nica nodded before looking at the three massive giants. If each of them was as powerful as Articuno, facing them as a Pikachu was going to become the biggest challenge of her life.”

<<< Day 9, Location: The Crystal Empire >>>

“Hello sweetheart, have you seen Nica by any chance,” Shining Armor asked as he approached Cadence who was sitting on the throne. In five minutes his wife was going to hold a court and talk with her subjects, just enough time for him to ask a question or two without interruptions. “She didn’t show up at work today.”

“Oh, about that, she quit her job an hour ago.” Cadence rubbed her foreleg as she looked to the side. “Apparently, a mail-delivering griffon named Gabriella, Gabby for short, gave her a much better job offer, and she took it instead. She’s riding her back to the Griffon Kingdom as we speak.”

“Wait… she did what?” Shining ran over, taking a few steps up the small stairs towards the throne and looked his wife in the eyes. “But the amount of bits you offered her for this job was very generous. How could a griffon delivering mail earn enough bits to offer her more.”

“Actually, she will not pay her in bits.”

“Not in bits?” Shining asked.

Cadence nodded before spreading her left wing as she pointed at it. “Miss Nica asked Miss Gabby if she could be paid with wing-hugs.”

“Wing-hugs?” Shining raised a forehoof and facehooved. “So this crazy critter gave up on a well-paying and stable job in a peaceful empire, only to be paid with hugs while working in what’s left of a kingdom filled with greedy mercenaries.” He groaned. “I can’t even fathom what’s going on in that creature’s head.”

“To be fair, Nica doesn’t look like someone interested in profit. I get the impression that she just wants to be as helpful as possible while earning bits is just an excuse.” Cadence glanced at her own wing and rubbed it with a hoof. “She may also really like wing-hugs, and that overly enthusiastic super talkative energetic griffon looked very happy to give them. They seemed to enjoy each other’s company a lot.”

Shining Armor raised an eyebrow. “And you didn’t offer your own wing-hugs to convince her not to quit?”

“Oh, I did offer them, but Nica told me that Gabby’s wings are softer and her hugs are way more genuine and enthusiastic.” Cadence’s ears drooped, “To be honest, it hurt my pride a little bit.”

“Wait… you hugged her with your wing before?”

“Of course I did,” Cadence said with a nod, smiling widely once again. “Who wouldn’t want to hug and cuddle her. For a powerful critter raised for combat… according to what Twilight wrote about her in letters… she’s so sweet and innocent.”

Upon hearing a noise coming from the other side of the door to the throne room, he turned around and walked away, “First Twilight and now you. I don’t get what everyone sees in that furball.”

<<< Day 9, Location: Griffinstone >>>

Gabby sat and rubbed her stomach, hearing growling coming from it.

“You’re hungry? Wait here, I’ll go buy some food and water,” Nica said before running away, searching for the closest food-store.

“Pst…”

Gabby looked around, searching for the source of noise.

“May I bother you for a moment.”

Standing on all of her legs, Gabby approached the free space between four homes, spotting an old unicorn. It’s legs thin as if devoid of muscles, barely supporting his weight. “Oh dear. Do you want something to eat? You’re skin and bones.”

“Offering food to an old stranger, truly, you’re an exception of your kind,” the unicorn spoke in a tired tone. “However, food will not do for me. If you’re willing to help me, young lady, there’s another way.”

“Whatever it is, you can count on me,” Gabby said with a cheerful smile. Despite feeling tired, her spirit still burned strong. She approached, only for the old pony to walk backward.

“I would appreciate respect for my personal space, please.”

Gabby nodded and sat.

The stallion raised his foreleg, pointing at his horn. “You see, young lady. You may not know this, but this world is filled with wonderful magic. It may be strong, it may be weak, but it is present in many living beings. Those with magic in themselves are tougher, stronger or posses outstanding abilities. For unicorns it mostly allows spell-casting, yet it still strengthens our bodies.”

Gabby nodded, listening with full attention. “I always love listening to wise words of the elderly, but please don’t make me wait with helping you.”

He chuckled. “I will get to the point. You see, I have been traveling in search for being with such powerful magic and ask them to share a tiny bit of it with me. Earth ponies with immense strength, unicorns with unimaginable rawpower, pegasi capable of amazing feats. With help of their magic I can research a cure for my illness.” He coughed, his legs trembling as if ready to break. After a moment of breathing heavily, he continued, “I sensed incredibly powerful magic in you. Even at your age, your strength surpass that of the average griffon. You have massive amounts of durability and stamina, and posses talents to help, no matter how challenging the task. Your magic may one day rival the one of a princess.”

Gabby blushed. “You really think so?” The moment she saw a nod of agreement, she spoke, “If my magic can help you heal your illness, than take as much as you want.”

The old unicorn bowed lightly. “Thank you, young lady.”

“Who are you talking too?”

Gabby glanced at Nica who approached from behind the house with a bag of snacks in her paws. “Oh, I was just talking to this kind old gentle-pony.”

Nica approached the stallion who stepped backward the closer she got, examining him with a suspicious stare. “Why I can’t sense your aura? I can’t sense a single bit of life in you.”

“What? What are you talking about,” Gabby asked, now blinking in confusion.

Nica looked at her and pointed at the unicorn. “I possess the ability to sense auras of living creatures. Until now, everyone had one, even a little mouse. Everyone except this one.”

Gabby looked at the old pony, tallon raised up to her beak. “Ummm… what does this mean. Would you please explain?”

The stallion’s eyes closed before he tripped to the side. Nica’s tail stopped his fall, only for his body to turn into dust.

Both Nica and Gabby gasped and gazed in shock, poking the dust in confusion before deciding to leave and clear their heads.

What a pity… and here I was looking forward to making it easy for her. It seems I’ll need to do it the hard way, thought a dark figure, it’s large blue eye staring from the shadow of a damaged house before vanishing.

Nica rolled from a nest made of sticks and hay, crashing on the soft floor. Her eyes watered and her face radiated in fear. Taking a moment to stand and calm her nerves, she looked around over Gabby’s home.

For a creature with so many talents and the ability to renovate near-ruined homes, her home was certainly on the humble side. Instead of bed and chairs, Nica could see nests in a diversity of sizes. Two small nests were present around a rounded wooden table. One wardrobe filled with small bags and scarfs stood tall in the corner. Even fruits and vegetables seemed gathered on a small nest with no refrigerator to be seen.

One glance out the window at the moon told her that it was still middle of the night.

She wiped sweat from her forehead and climbed up onto the nest, perching herself on it while pressing her cheek and side into Gabby’s wing, nuzzling it. It was just a nightmare… no biggie, she thought to herself. All this time her dreams provided her with information about her past, something she eagerly looked forward too whenever closing her eyes.

This time however, her dream was filled with one repetitive scenario. Astra challenged Brandon from the Battle Pyramid to a six on six battle, and whenever one of the legendary pokemon was sent into the field, she was the one sent to face it.

Despite knowing how to use a Z-move, which would provide Nica with extreme firepower against the legendary giants, Astra refused to use it. After the battle was lost, Astra took her team for intense training, testing new strategies or making her team fight with each other to sharpen their skills. One week of training later, Astra once again challenged Brandon, sending Nica to face against one of the legendaries. Week after week, Nica experienced the incredibly strong power of Regice, Registeel or Regirock on her weaker body.

Despite growing tougher and performing better with each rematch, the painful losing continued, turning the dream into a nightmare.

<<< Day 10, Location: Griffinstone >>>

Nica opened her eyes and pushed herself to a sitting position upon hearing a scream. She looked around in confusion, her friend was nowhere to be seen.

“Gabby, Gabby!?” She leaped from the nest and ran towards the door, opening it with her tail before rushing outside. She was about to search for her friend, only for three griffons to descend in front of her, each armed with weapon.

“You’re not going anywhere,” one griffon said, holding a plank with one sharp nail raised in his tallon.

“Don’t take it personally, it’s just business,” another griffon spoke up, a baseball bat supported on his shoulder.

“We have been paid by some old rich folk to keep you from leaving. Just stay here five-ten minutes and no one will get hurt,” said the third griffon, this one the tallest while wearing an eyepatch. Metallic gloves with sharp claws were present on his talons.

Upon closer examination, Nica noticed at least ten unconscious griffons scattered around. Some sort of battle had to take place with the high possibility of Gabby’s involvement.

Nica narrowed her eyes, took a fighting stance and raised her tail threateningly, sending power into it. “Where’s Gabby? What did you do with her?”

“It’s none of your concern.”

“Be a nice little pet and wait for your master inside her home. She’ll come back in several minutes.”

“We just needed to… borrow her… for a few moments. She proved impressively strong and agile for someone smaller and outnumbered, but we had the element of surprise,” said the griffon with eyepatch before raising his metal claws. “Our employer isn’t interested in harming her, I can guarantee.”

“I don’t believe you,” Nica said and hissed. “Now, where is she?” She ran towards the griffons and swung her tail several times in one second, cutting each weapon into smaller parts before her opponents could ever react. She followed up by stopping the edge of her tail in front of griffon’s neck. After facing the mob as Raichu and fighting a legendary pokemon as a Pikachu, a few greedy griffons won’t scare me.

Two griffons looked at each other before dropping what was left of their weapons and flying away.

“He didn’t pay me enough to be cut to pieces.”

“Tell me about it. I’m outta here.”

“Hey, don’t leave me behind you cowards,” the tallest griffon spoke, not daring to move an inch with the destructive tail millimeters from stroking his neck.

“So much for the loyalty of those who work for bits. Unlike them, I won’t leave a friend, no matter if I’m being burned alive, hit with beams or crushed under tons of pressure,” Nica said, her glare showing no happiness, nor compassion. “I don’t want to hurt you, but I will to protect my friend. So, where’s Gabby?”

“I… I won’t tell. I may be greedy, but unlike other pathetic griffons, I didn’t forget about our roots. I was paid for my service and I’ll carry it to the end.” He gulped as sweat started dropping from his forehead. “I won’t sell out my employer.”

Nica groaned. Of all the greedy griffons that lived here, she just had to capture the mercenary with a sense of honor. As much as she wished to help Gabby, the idea of torturing anyone for information went against her nature. She withdrew her tail, her bluff busted.

Upon feeling a weak bite and hearing a squeaking noise, she looked down at her left rear leg, noticing Mr. Patrick next to it. “Do you know where they took Gabby?” she asked, receiving a nod and a few squeaky responses before he ran away.

Nica ran, following her little friend while adjusting her speed to the one of the rat. Now that I think about it, that weird unicorn tried to pull off something on Gabby before turning into dust. Is someone targeting her or something? She grit her teeth and narrowed her eyes in anger. Gabby was a friend, and she was going to fight to the last bit of her stamina to–

Nica pulled herself to a full stop, seeing her friend sitting in front of a house, supported against the wall. “Gabby!” she shouted, running and tackling her friend’s neck with enough force to create a few cracks on the wall behind Gabby’s head.

“Hey, careful there,” Gabby said, returning the hug before looking around. “Where are we? Why am I not in my bed?”

“You were abducted by a bunch of griffons, I think... did they do something to you?” Nica looked around and swung her tail against the air as if trying to cut an invisible foe. “If they did hurt you, I’ll… well… I’ll captured them and deliver them to the authorities… if griffons have any police and prison that is.”

“What are you talking about. I don’t remember… ouch…” Gabby massaged her forehead with her tallon.

“Does it hurt?” Nica asked, staring at her friend in worry.

“Just a headache, probably from overworking myself yesterday,” Gabby said before examining her surroundings. “But seriously, how did I end up here. Was I sleepwalking?”

Nica took a step back. What’s going on? She sat next to Gabby and rubbed her chin, now deep in thought. When that mean mob boss warned me of some mysterious being, I thought he either went crazy or was making things up, but now I’m not so sure. She glanced at Gabby with Mr. Patrick doing the same from the spot on her shoulder.

“What? What? Why are you staring at me like that?”

“So you don’t remember what happened a moment ago,” Nica asked, receiving a head-shake in response. She stood up and pulled Gabby to a standing position before climbing her back. “We need to go to Ponyville immediately and warn Twilight.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Gabby, please, just trust me on this. When I defeated the mob in Manehattan, their boss told me about some creature who puts curses on ponies while erasing their memories of the event. I fear the same happened to you.”

“Well… while what you say sounds crazy… you’re my friendly friend. Of course I’ll trust you.” She spread her large wings and bent her legs. “Hang on tightly. We’ll get to Ponyville in no time.”

Nica nodded before grabbing the griffon’s neck with her paws, holding it strongly. "Can we pick up my bag first?"

"Will do."

Nica wrapped her rat friend with black part of her tail, only to slid him into her shoulder-bag half a minute later. She felt strong wind pushing against her which was flapping her ears. Gabby’s speed proved not to be underestimated.

If what was happening was related to what happened to the mob boss and his best subordinates, more or less was related to dark magic which sealed her memories, the ponies she cared about could be in grave danger.

Chapter 19 - The Mysterious Threat

Little Lost Raichu

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Chapter 19
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The Mysterious Threat

“I’ve got you now!” Starlight shouted as she shot a beam of her magic at Twilight, who vanished in a flash of light. She looked around and jumped to the side, just in time to not get hit herself.

“Nice try, but…” She turned around and aimed, but her mentor was gone. She yelped upon feeling the weight of a young alicorn land on her back, her legs bent from the additional weight.

“Who got who?” Twilight asked, poking Starlight’s horn while standing on her back.

Starlight grinned as her horn flashed to life, creating a forcefield in an attempt to push the alicorn away before rolling over and shooting beams of magic while lying on her back.

The alicorn flew away fast enough to avoid the forcefield, zipping left and right between the beams.

Starlight’s barrage was interrupted when a lavender aura enveloped her and pressed her into the ground with great force. In response, she grabbed Twilight with her magic and returned the favor.

Both mares grit their teeth, feeling squeezed by several tons of force as neither of them could move a single muscle. After half a minute of magical wrestling while having an intimate introduction to the dirt, the aura around Starlight’s horn vanished.

“I give up, I give up!” Starlight shouted, her voice muffed by the soil she was stuck in. After a few seconds, she was pulled up and levitated in front of Twilight. If the situation was reversed, she would grin at her mentor’s defeat, yet Twilight didn’t show any satisfaction or expression of superiority.

“Well... that was… an experience…” Twilight said between heavy breaths, her legs trembling.

“It sure was,” Starlight responded, too tired to move. The moment she was placed on the ground, she lost her balance and fell onto her side. “How are you… still standing?”

Twilight shrugged. “The advantage of being an alicorn, I suppose.”

Starlight sighed. Without a powerful motivation to ruin Twilight’s life and with the gap in combat skills between them shrinking, the greater raw power and durability of an alicorn started to shine. “That’s five to three victories to you, wanna go for seven?”

Twilight shook her head. “I’ll pass. Whenever I checked in on our little friend lately, she was pushing me through lots of combat exercises. I think I’ve had more than enough.” She turned around and rubbed her chin. “Now that I think about it, most of her sessions focused on teaching me how to react to danger, or how to protect myself and those around me. Practicing my offensive magic was few and far between.”

“I think that’s just her style,” Starlight said, taking a moment to sit up despite her protesting muscles. “Nica always seemed innocent and afraid to hurt anypony. It makes perfect sense that her fighting style would be so defensive.” She forced herself to stand on her rear hooves and pointed at the sky. “Speaking of Nica, here she comes, and she’s coming back in style!” Starlight yelped, tripping over onto her back. Trying to stand on my rear hooves after enduring tons of pressure is a bad idea, lesson learned.

Not wasting a moment, she pushed herself to a standing position and approached, sitting next to her mentor. A few new small craters surrounded them from all sides as their magical practice took place in the post-Tirek battlefield. Before them landed a griffon with greenish head feathers and grey feathers, Nica was perched on her back.

“Oh… it’s you,” Twilight said, pointing at the griffon as they started to stare at each other in silence.

Starlight spread her forelegs in a welcoming gesture as Nica jumped from the griffon’s back into her embrace. She fell onto her back and bit her lip, refusing to make a single noise that would show her pain. Her hooves pressed Nica into her chest as she nuzzled her head.

“I missed you a lot. You really need to stop leaving so often.”

“But how can I prove myself useful without visiting new locations?” Nica asked before pushing herself free from Starlight’s embrace, looking her in the eyes. “Helping Miss Coco, saving lives, dealing with crime, it made me feel… as if I wasn’t worthless anymore.”

“Worthless? But you aren’t. Is this how you felt until now?” Starlight asked, filled with concern.

“K-kind of…” Nica looked to the side as her ears drooped. “The more I remembered about my past and my abilities, the more worthless I felt for not using my powers. Putting myself in danger to spare others the pain filled me with more joy than the warmest hugs and most delicious sweets.” She stepped onto the bare stone and shot Starlight a cheerful smile. “To be honest, I even felt a bit guilty for all the sweets and kindness I was gifted without doing anything in return.”

“So that’s why you reacted to the word ‘help’ the way you did.” Starlight swung her foreleg enthusiastically. “I’m happy for you.” She glanced at her mentor. “Twilight, don’t you want to…” She paused and rubbed back of her neck. “Ummm… what’s wrong between you two?”

Twilight looked away from the griffon and said, “It’s a long story. Let’s just say that Gabby’s attempt to make the CMCs happy filled me with hopes of amazing research—” she frowned, “—only to dash them entirely into a void of disappointment.”

“Yeah… sorry about that,” Gabby said, rubbing the back of her neck.

“Anyway, since you’re back, it’s the perfect time for your weekly report,” Twilight said, staring at Nica with eyes filled with expectations.

Nica took a step back and shook her head. “There’s no time for reports. There’s something important I need to–” Twilight stomped and spread her wings, forcing Nica to pause.

“As I was saying, I expect a full report on any memories you’ve recovered and of your achievements as a mercenary. Whatever you want to tell me can wait,” Twilight said in a commanding tone, her eyes narrowed and radiating authority.

Starlight approached Nica and poked her on the shoulder. “You know you won’t win this argument. Just do what she says. It will be easier that way.” Her little friend lowered her head and sighed. “Come on, don’t be like that. You left Ponyville for quite some time to help the changelings, and then left again a day after becoming a mercenary. A quick update will help us get in touch.”

Nica looked between both mares and nodded. It had been more than three weeks since she’d woken up in the dangerous forest, and more than two of those weeks she spent traveling away from her caretakers. The least she could do was share her past and experiences.

“Ummm… can I join?” Gabby asked. “I would also like to learn more about what good that chubby cutie did before working for me. I haven’t heard a fun and thrilling story in forever.”

“Sure,” Starlight said with a nod.

“I suppose…” Twilight said hesitantly. She gestured with her hooves for others to approach. “Gather around me, everyone. I’ll teleport us to the castle library.”

The group did as they were told, vanishing in a flash of light.

Starlight, Spike, Gabby, Twilight and Nica gathered around a rounded table, seated on their own pillow and with teacups and plates adorned with snacks before them.

Twilight kept reading Nica’s report, holding the scrolls in her hooves, while Nica told a shorter version to the rest of the group.

“...and that’s how I got here,” Nica finished, staring at the listening party with full attention. Even the stack of delicious-looking cream-covered pancakes on a plate before her didn’t distract her… until then. Her mouth watered as she pushed one into her mouth and chewed, making noises of satisfaction. Drops of saliva fell onto the table.

Starlight looked at Nica with a glance filled with pride.

Spike’s mouth was agape.

Gabby looked as if she was ready to explode from excitement.

Twilight’s wings flapped as she finishing her reading. “So… let’s start with a quick recap,” she said, checking earlier notes. “Your career started with you helping at Sweet Apple Acres, transporting apples or using your tail attack on the trees.”

“Iron Tail,” Nica corrected.

“After which, you assisted Pinkie Pie during her foalsitting job,” Twilight said.

“And it was terrifying,” Nica said. “I can take on any danger over taking care of those tiny Cakes.”

“Foalsitting isn’t that bad,” Gabby said before stepping from her pillow and grabbing it into her embrace. “Little ponies are so cute and cuddly.”

“But they are vulnerable,” Nica pointed out. “Well… the Cake twins seem very strong for their age, but it just makes it harder to keep them safe.”

“After your foalsitting job, Pinkie brought you to Maud Pie… Well, this wasn’t exactly a job, so we can skip it.”

“Job or not, an opportunity to practice the use of your so-called ‘Iron Tail’ while sharing stories was certainly time well-spent,” Starlight said, staring at Nica. “Maud Pie spoke quite highly of you, and she found your stories about rock-type pokemon quite interesting.”

“Get to the good part please. I want to hear it again!” Spike said, his eyes wide like plates. “Did you really crash a gang in Manehattan to protect Coco’s property and take down the mob?” He jumped onto the table and pointed at the ceiling, taking a heroic pose. “You were even named in the newspaper as a heroine of Manehattan.”

“We’ll get to it, Spike,” Twilight said, levitating the young drake onto his pillow. Spike crossed his arms and looked to the side in annoyance. “After working for Derpy, Rarity asked you to assist Miss Coco Pommel in protecting her clothing store in Manehattan.”

“Which was in the mob’s territory,” Spike said in excitement. His hands slammed on the table. “You worked for Coco as her bodyguard, defended her store from a gang, and next attacked the gang’s hideout and turned them in to the police.”

Nica nodded, her tail started swinging in random directions as she opened her mouth in a wide smile. “I did it, and it was great. Well, maybe except the part where I had to hurt those who were most aggressive.”

“But you did your best not to hurt anypony, and instead destroyed their weapons and tried to intimidate them. If that’s not what a hero would do, I don’t know what is,” Spike said.

“Exactly,” Starlight said. “I wish I was there to see it.”

“Fighting against a bunch of gangsters isn’t something I would normally approve, but in your case, I’ll make an exception,” Twilight said, giving Nica a nod of approval. “What I find horrible, however, is how the mob in Manehattan set an entire building on fire, just because not all the ponies living there paid them enough for protection.” Her ears drooped as she looked at Nica in pity. “And you just ran into this building, doing your best to rescue as many ponies as possible. Weren’t you afraid of being burned?”

Nica shook her head.

“But you avoided the flames, right?”

Nica shook her head again. “A few unicorns who worked for the mob discovered a spell that made fire spread on stone and metal while also melting them. I had to endure running and standing in flames with little space to breathe.” She climbed onto the table, raised her rear leg and pointed at the bottom of her feet. “I stepped on a melting pan. It wasn’t pleasant.”

Twilight bit her lip. Starlight grit her teeth. Gabby gasped and held her talons over her face.

Spike looked at his own legs and shrugged. “A pity you don’t have dragon scales, those would really help.”

“Moving on…” Twilight said, once again looking at her scrolls. “After your heroic deeds, you took a ten minute break before storming the mob headquarters… something that local police were afraid to do for years.”

“Correct,” Nica said with a nod before perching herself on the table.

Starlight pointed at Nica and spoke slowly, “So... after being cooked in flames, you took a ten minute break... and next stormed a base filled with merciless thugs, pyro-spellcasters and the boss himself. You fought against them all… on their home turf… while covered in burns?”

“Essentially,” Nica said, tilting her head to the side while staring at her gasping and shocked friends. “Don’t look at me like that. I had tougher battles back when I was still a Pikachu. I’m used to fighting despite being hurt or tired.”

“Speaking of your past memories—” Twilight started.

“No, no, no… There’s something the mob boss said that needs your attention!” Nica shouted in panic.

"I read about it already. He gave you some sort of cryptic warning. We'll get to the meaning behind it later," Twilight said with a dismissing shake of her foreleg, causing Nica to whimper. “According to your recovered memories, your trainer explored the main continent, traveling to Kanto, Johto, Sinnoh and Hoenn. Outside of facing Gym Leaders and participating in tournaments, you and your trainer started to target criminals who were responsible for the death of Astra’s parents.”

Nica lowered her head and rubbed her paws nervously against one another. “Those criminals corrupted higher-ups in the police in Kanto and Johto, using it to their advantage. Astra strengthened me and the rest of the team with harsh training while Lt. Surge provided us with intel, waiting for an opportunity to strike against them. We stopped Team Rocket from capturing Zapdos, Moltres, and we even befriended Articuno.”

“Interesting,” Twilight said while rubbing her chin. “This Team Rocket… I assume they didn’t take kindly to you ruining their plan?”

Nica nodded. “With Articuno’s help, we flew to Hoenn to escape Team Rocket’s elites. With the police in their pocket, there was no way any criminal we defeated and captured would remain behind bars for long.”

“Is this why you went after the mob in Manehattan, because you had experience in facing organised criminals?” the princess asked.

“It’s only one reason of many,” Nica answered. “As a fully-evolved and well-trained pokemon, I had the power to prevent the mob from harming innocent ponies. I would never forgive myself if I didn’t do something.”

“I understand the feeling,” Gabby said before biting a half-eaten cookie with her beak, gulping. “I mean, I doubt I would stand a chance of defeating mean and cruel ponies… but I would still try to help however I could.”

“Well, it worked for the best.” Twilight said. “Nica?”

“Yes?”

In a flash of teleportation, the alicorn appeared next to Nica and embraced her shoulder with her right wing. “You were in Manehattan without our guidance, presented with difficult choices, and made the correct ones. I’m proud of you.”

Starlight climbed onto the round table and rubbed Nica’s head. “Correction. We’re proud of you.”

Nica’s eyes watered and she felt warmth in her chest. Those words, those precious words. Her caretakers took her in, sheltered, fed and guided her, and after all that, they were proud. With a movement of her tail, she grabbed both Twilight and Starlight and pressed against herself, hugging them both in her own way. “Thank youuuuuuuuuuuu…!”

Gabby flew over, grabbed Spike and embraced everyone with her large wings.

After taking a minute, the group stepped from the table and perched themselves in their pillows.

“According to your story, becoming famous as a heroine of Manehattan wasn’t enough. You quickly took a dangerous job inside an iron mine that had a leak of explosive gas, assisting the rescue party,” Twilight said before her ears drooped. She lowered the scroll.

Noticing the hesitation, Spike spoke up, “And you rushed into hundreds, if not thousands, of tons of boulders and stones blocking the way, piercing through with ‘Volt Tackle’,” Spike said, waving his hands in excitement. He jumped and shouted, “And then boom, the gas exploded, blowing you up alongside all the boulders and stones that trapped the workers inside.”

Nica smiled sheepishly. “Y-yeah…”

“And you survived?” Starlight asked.

“Well, duuuh, she’s still with us, so obviously she survived!” Spike shouted, giving Starlight a sassy smile.

“W-was it painful?” Gabby asked, resisting the urge to cry, as well as the urge to wrap the long-tailed critter into another powerful hug.

“It was. With each boulder I crushed into rubble while using ‘Volt Tackle’, I felt the hard stone pierce my fur. After the gas exploded, I could barely move.”

Starlight tapped her forehooves, giving Nica a sheepish glance. “Ummm… was the pain you felt worse… than the one you felt when I damaged the seal on your mind with my magic? J-just curious.”

Nica shook her head. “Not even close.”

Starlight’s then asked, “Does this mean that crushing several boulders with your body and electricity, even being blown up, still hurt less than what I did?” Her ears drooped. She turned around, walked towards the corner of the library and lowered her head. “I… I’ll sit here for a while,” she muttered to herself.

“Please, don’t feel sad. I forgave you a long time ago,” Nica said, tapping her forepaws nervously against each other. “My memories were worth the suffering.”

Twilight rubbed her chin, thinking. “That’s fascinating. It appears that, even though your body was hardened to an unbelievable level after hundreds of tough battles, your mind is vulnerable to spells.”

Spike raised an eyebrow. “Funny, considering that spells that affect minds are very common in Equestria. Love potions, reforming spells, the alicorn amulet...” He grabbed a pancake with his claw and shoved it into his mouth, chewing it. His cheeks looked more like two purple bubbles.

“And that one time when my student took control of my friends,” Twilight said, causing Starlight to whimper in the corner of the room. “Due to high exposure, ponies are somewhat resistant to mind-affecting spells. I suppose pokemon are more vulnerable to it. No wonder someone managed to seal all of your memories.”

Nica’s ears perked upward. “Speaking of memories, can we talk about–”

“In a moment,” Twilight interrupted.

Nica crossed her forearms and pouted, tired of being shot down.

“Since you started training the Royal Guards in Canterlot to improve their performance, have you met Princess Celestia or Princess Luna by any chance?”

“No, I haven’t,” Nica answered, lowering her paws. “I met Princess Cadence and your brother when I started training the Crystal Guards though. Pharynx and his more skilled changelings agreed to cover for me in Canterlot.”

“Oh, so you met my brother and my sister-in-law,” Twilight said while taking a closer look at the written report. “I hope you got along.”

“Well… Cadence seemed to like me and allowed me to play with Flurry Heart, but I got into an argument with your brother.”

“Huh, why?” Twilight asked.

“I was just curious why he hadn’t even trained you in self-defense or assist you against some of the villains. I got carried away,” Nica said before shrugging. “He seemed annoyed, but nothing worse.”

Twilight blinked in confusion, repeating specific lines written on the scroll. “You can’t be serious.” She looked between Gabby and Nica. “You gave up on your job at the Crystal Empire in order to work for Gabby, with wing-hugs as payment instead of bits?”

Spike chuckled, nearly spitting pancakes from his mouth.

“What can I say? Gabby’s wing-hugs are the best. They are better than yours and Cadence’s. What’s more, the aura of positive emotions I sensed from Gabby was incredible, I would even dare to say it surpasses the ones I sensed from Fluttershy.”

Gabby blushed and waved her talon. “Awww, shucks, I’m touched.”

Twilight raised an eyebrow. “You just couldn’t resist helping Gabby in helping the Griffon Kingdom. It was never about the bits, am I right?”

“Guilty as charged,” Nica said with a cheerful smile. “Plus, I love being around Gabby. Not only she is extremely kind and energetic, strong and brave, but she is also an expert at helping others. How could I give up on an opportunity to work and learn from her?”

“Awww... come here!” Gabby shouted as she flew over the table, tackling Nica before wrapping her in a hug and next tickling her paws. The pokemon giggled cheerfully in response.

“Alright. Everything is noted and confirmed. We can now focus on–” Twilight was cut off as Nica pushed herself free from the griffon’s vice grip and landed on the table before her. Her black nose millimeters away from her muzzle.

“The mob boss. After I defeated him, he told me that some mysterious being put a curse on him and his most powerful followers, and then sealed their memories of that event,” Nica started, waving her paws in panic. “At first I thought he was making things up, but in the Griffon Kingdom, someone… did something, not sure what it was… to convince Gabby to share her magic with him. I interfered, and the next morning a bunch of hired griffons captured Gabby and tried to slow me down. When I found her, she didn’t remember that she was even caught in the first place.”

Gabby nodded, still hovering above the floor. “I don’t remember anyone trying to capture me, but I trust Nica, so I brought her here so we can find out what’s going on.”

Twilight took a step back and spread her wings, her horn surrounded by lavender aura. “There’s only one way to confirm this.”

Starlight approached and sat by her mentor’s side, her horn filled with magic as well. “We’ll scan you both in search for any signs of dark magic. It will also help us confirm if the seal on your memory is similar to the one Nica has.”

Gabby landed next to Nica and sat with her on the table. Both nodded. While Gabby’s face displayed nothing but worry, Nica’s face seemed filled with determination.

After intense scanning. Twilight and Starlight looked at each other and nodded. Starlight spoke first, “The seals placed on you both are very similar. Nica, yours is much stronger than Gabby’s.”

Twilight spoke next, “Your seal may be weaker, but there’s more of a dark magic influence in you, Gabby. It may indeed be some sort of curse, but I would need to do further research to learn what it does and how to remove it.”

Nica gently stroked Gabby’s wing and gave her a look of pity, who smiled at the kind gesture. She took a step forward and said, “The mafia boss told me that this curse was regularly draining his magic while causing headaches. When he tried to research a cure, a note mysteriously appeared in his room.”

“What note?” Spike asked.

Nica raised her paw in a lecturing gesture and said, “I quote: Either live in ignorance, or your life is forfeit.” She lowered her forepaw and added, “Or was it; live in bliss… I don’t remember. Long story short, it was a warning.”

Starlight rubbed her chin. “So, in other words, this mysterious being possesses the ability to use powerful dark magic. It is cursing ponies… and griffons, mostly targeting those with strong magic in them. This curse slowly drains it, and since their memories of the event are sealed, they are unaware of it happening.” She took a step back. “Maybe it even tried to target Thorax during his visit.” Her words caused Spike and Nica to flinch. She looked at Twilight in worry. “Whatever it is, it’s trying to spread this curse like an infection while doing its best to remain undetected. It must be powerful and cunning, but certainly not lethal.”

Twilight nodded before looking at Nica in pity. “But why did it seal all of your memories? Maybe it thought that by taking your memories away, it would make you defenseless. It almost succeeded in this regard.”

“That may be true,” Nica said before glancing at her own tail and swung it like a sword. When she first woke up in the dangerous forest, she was nearly powerless against beasts there, and at that moment she felt strong and skilled enough to face an entire army.

“Are there any symptoms we can use to recognize who has been infected with that curse?” Twilight asked, giving Nica a curious stare. “Outside of headaches that is.”

Nica rubbed her chin, thinking back to her encounter with the boss. Nothing came to mind.

“Well, I was feeling occasional headaches,” Gabby pointed out, receiving everyone’s attention. “I started experiencing them ever since that morning. They come and go.”

“That confirms it… It’s just one symptom, but it will have to… do…” She gasped and took a step back, her face became pale, a sudden realization was born in her mind. “Oh no.” Starlight held her forehoof over her face. “When I took Nica to meet Fluttershy, both Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie said that they started having headaches recently. I think our friends have been targeted as well. We need to warn them.”

“Not yet,” Twilight said, levitating Gabby off the table. “We should first focus on learning how to remove the curse without acting suspicious. Once we have the cure, we’ll check on our friends.” She glanced at Gabby and asked, “You don’t mind helping me discover the cure, do you?” She yelped upon being wrapped by a powerful hug.

Gabby squeaked in excitement, pulling the alicorn up while flying and cheering.

“I’ll take it as yes.”

Starlight powered up her scanning spell, using it to check the library and nearby hallways. “I don’t detect anyone except us in this part of the castle. I don't think our discussion was spied upon.”

Spike climbed onto the table and approached Nica, poking her shoulder. “So, wanna hang out while they do their research?”

Nica lowered her head. “I suppose we can,” she said and glanced at Twilight, “but only after my self-defense session with the princess.” She stomped. “If there’s an even greater threat looming over us, we need to be prepared.”

“B-but… the research…” Twilight stammered, pulling herself free from Gabby’s hold before hovering mid-air with the use of her own wings.

“I can practice self-defense with you while Twilight studies Gabby’s curse,” Starlight said, standing on her rear hooves.

“I have a better idea,” Nica sassed. “You start researching and Twilight will join you later,” Nica said, giving her friend a firm glare.

“Oh geez… you sure turn bossy when it comes to combat training.” Starlight giggled, “Though I can’t deny that I like this about you.”

The large critter looked at each of her friends with a firm stare. They were all aware of danger, the plan was formed, and it was the time to take action.

Nica gazed at the ceiling while lying on her bed. The rat and green poisonous spider were perched on her belly. With Starlight and Twilight busy with their research and Gabby helping them, and after playing a board game involving cubes and paper monsters with Spike, it was now time to rest for the next day.

So, why was she hesitating?

She sighed. The moment I close my eyes and fall asleep, I’ll no doubt continue dreaming of those painful battles against the legendaries. She gulped. All the fights she dreamed about were nothing when compared to that. Taking a deep sad breath, she closed her eyes. No matter how harsh her past was, she needed to learn about it.

Twilight glanced between the napping Gabby and her stacks of notes, and felt a hoof poke her shoulder a moment later. She looked at her student and asked, “What?”

“Should we tell Nica about the magic we detected in her?” Starlight asked.

Twilight shook her head. “Huh? But why?”

“Because, when I first scanned her that time Applejack brought her into the castle, I didn’t detect any magic in her body,” Starlight answered. “Now she seems to possess small reserves of it, mostly concentrated in her head.”

“Really?”

Starlight nodded. “Some creatures have only small bits of magic, some possess a lot of it. In terms of species, ponies have strong affinity to magic, which is what makes us so strong and capable of defending ourselves against larger creatures. In terms of pokemon however, they seem to possess a different kind of power, and they certainly don’t have any magic.”

Does this mean that on her home island and surrounding islands there's no magic, so those pokemon developed a different type of power that makes them so strong; yet after spending a few weeks in Equestria, Nica started to adapt to its magic, as well?"

“That’s a solid theory. I wouldn’t be surprised if it was accurate.” Starlight asked, “So, should we tell her?”

"I don't see why not. We have other priorities right now, but it may be worth researching in the future.”

Starlight rubbed her chin while glancing at the surrounding bookshelves. “If her body is adapting to use Equestria’s magic, I wonder what it will do. My bet would be on strengthening her electric attacks.”

“My guess is rather on her body using magic to improve her survivability.” Twilight shrugged before levitating over a blanket, placing it on the curled up Gabby, whose head and rear legs were quite close to each other. “Enough theorising. Let’s go back to our research.”

Starlight yawned and shook her head. “I think we should hit the bed and continue tomorrow. It’s getting late.”

Twilight rubbed her eyes. “I will… in a moment… goodnight.”

Author's Note

And so with the side-story done, the main story continues, sorry for keeping you waiting.

On a side note. Proof-reader PoisonClaw left due to being overwhelmed with real-life issues. Luckily, SilverDiamond and Sonik offered their assistance with the story. Hopefully we'll manage to keep the quality.

Chapter 20 - Dare and Do

Little Lost Raichu

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Chapter 20
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Dare and Do

“Again, again, and again,” Brandon said with a firm tone, his arms crossed, “you come back to challenge me, only to do the same a week later. You already defeated me in a six versus six battle and earned the Brave Symbol. Yet, you still come back, demanding a three versus three against my Regice, Regirock and Registeel.” He narrowed his eyes. “You already proved yourself as a trainer and showed the strength of your team. There’s nothing else I can give you. What are you trying to accomplish?”

Nica kept looking at the Pyramid King with full attention. His face appeared old, but also filled with wisdom and experience, also his green uniform made him look as if he was part of the army. He wore a black belt with six pokeballs, three legendaries among his team. Even after everything she had endured, fighting against such powerhouses felt almost like a nightmare.

Despite there being numerous blue seats, as if it was a miniature stadium, no audience outside of the judge was present. With the top of the pyramid closed, only artificial light remained to lit the arena.

“I and my team, we have worked very hard towards a common goal, and in order for our ambition to be realized, we must face near-impossible odds and triumph.” Astra pointed at Brandon. “You possess experience and command three legendary pokemon, a perfect adversary that will prepare us for the challenges ahead,” Astra said, giving Brandon a determined look from the other side of the arena.

Brandon frowned. “You already bested everyone from the Battle Frontier in Hoenn and have enough badges to challenge the league in Sinnoh. Your team is fearsome and battle hardened, no doubt strong enough to win against the Elite Four.” He pointed back at Astra as if to accuse her of wasting her time on repetitive battles. “I have seen your dedication to achieve victory and the battle spirit of your pokemon. You all may even be ready to defeat the champion. What else is there for you to accomplish by facing my legendary pokemon?”

“Defeating the champion isn’t enough.”

“Not enough? Let me guess, you want to participate in the Supreme League.”

“I still have unfinished business to attend to, but participating in the Supreme League is something I’m looking forward to,” Astra said with a nod. “There’s still half a year before the Sinnoh League, but only one year and two months before the Supreme League. This may be my only chance. I need to be as prepared as possible.”

Brandon crossed his arms and turned to the side. “The Supreme League takes place once every five years. It is a large tournament where the winner gains the privilege to challenge the Pokemon Master for his title. Every champion and everyone who has bested Elite Four are allowed to participate.” He sighed and glanced at Astra from the side. “So just like other challengers, you’re after fame. But did you consider what you will do if you achieve it?” His question was answered by Astra's laughter. Confused, he turned around and asked, “What’s so funny?”

Nica glanced at her trainer in confusion. Why was she laughing?

Astra took a moment to regain her composure and waved her hand dismissively. “Fame? I don’t care about fame, nor do I care about the title of ‘Pokemon Master’.” She placed hands on her hips and smirked. “My true goal lies beyond that. Gaining the title is just a stepping stone.”

“A stepping stone.” Brandon smiled. “You certainly caught my interest. Go on.”

“While gathering data from libraries in many towns, I found out that the Gym Leaders, Elite Four and the champion in each region answer to the Pokemon Master. Since pokemon are an important part of our culture, this title would give me a lot of influence.” She chuckled. “With such influence, I would be able to fight against the spreading corruption, protect trainers from criminals and weaken criminal organizations to the point where they wouldn’t pose a threat.” She tightened her fists as her hands started trembling. “I will continue my parents work in my own way. Alongside my team, we’ll protect this world from any threat.”

“So, you’re not like other trainers. You ignore fame and titles and instead look towards the future. I must say, I like your attitude.” He lowered his hands and picked up one of his pokeballs. “I will assist in the realization of your dream But first, tell me: What benefit is there in fighting my legendary trio over and over? There must be more than just a tough challenge.”

Nica kept staring at her trainer, who then glanced at her.

“Let’s just say that my partner so far managed to defeat only Articuno and your Regice in one versus one battle, which was your most vulnerable legendary.” She knelt and stroked Nica on the head. “Only after she manages to defeat your Regirock and Registeel with the skills she's learned, will she prove herself worthy of the ultimate reward.” She smiled. “And, if she’s capable of defeating the legendary trio as a Pikachu, there will be nothing we won’t overcome.”

Nica gulped and nodded. During her fight against Regice, she found out something odd. While in terms of offensive power Regice was as strong, if not stronger, than Articuno, its defenses were much weaker. According to her trainer, since Brandon abused the move ‘Rest’ for his Regice, the pokemon’s body became weaker. Getting hurt and healing naturally or via the Pokemon Center is a must for a pokemon to become tougher. Abuse of moves like ‘Rest’, ‘Recover’’ as well as potions have an opposite effect, weakening their durability.

She looked at the confident face of Brandon. Unlike Regice, his other legendaries had way more durability. Overcoming them with her frail body would be near impossible, with even a single mistake being enough to enter a world of hurt, especially with her trainer refusing to use a Z-move for the sake of challenge.

Nica awoke and raised her head in an instant, now sitting on her bed. Her face was covered in sweat and she breathed heavily. Mr. Patrick, the white rat who was sleeping on her belly, fell off from her hasty movement. She massaged her forehead and gave her little friend an apologetic stare. “Sorry…” She carefully picked Mr. Patrick up and stroked him, calming her nerves. The rat nuzzled her paw and squeaked affectionately.

After placing her loyal companion on her shoulder, she walked out of her room, stepping into Starlight’s bedroom before climbing up onto her bed and pressing herself between unicorn’s forelegs in search for comfort. While her dreams were but mere memories, experiencing the power of a legendary pokemon while being a Pikachu over and over became too much to bear.

With Starlight’s hooves wrapped around her belly and the rat now perched on the side of her head, Nica whimpered and closed her eyes, quickly returning into the world of dreams.

With a warm morning smile, Celestia stepped into the dining room with a morning cake on a plate levitating in the aura of her magic. Ever since she fixed her relationship with Luna, she agreed to split what she cooked in half with her and eat it together. This also meant no more wasted food thrown into the trash can.

With the cream-covered cake landing in the middle of the long table, Celestia levitated a small knife, cutting two slices and placing them on two plates. Approaching her sister, she sat on a pillow next to her and placed the food before them. “Bon appetit, Luna,” she said cheerfully, only to blink in confusion. “Luna, are you okay? You didn’t sleep well?”

Luna looked back at her with black marks under her barely open eyes.

Celestia bit her lip. While she was used to seeing the tired face of her sister, this one looked as if she had witnessed horrors out of this world. “Were you… having a hard time dealing with nightmares?” She spread her large wings and placed them on her sister while giving her a glance filled with worry. “Please, dear sister, if something is bothering you, I’m here for you.”

Luna sighed and lowered her head. “I often deal with nightmares, some being simple fears, others more horrific, but in the end, they were just dreams.” She raised her head and rubbed her eyes. Looking back at her sister, she asked, “But what if one such nightmare wasn’t just a dream, but a memory? What if horrors that happened were someone’s past?”

Celestia kept staring, comprehending her sister’s words. “Are you saying you witnessed somepony’s past in a dream?”

The smaller alicorn shook her head. “Not somepony, but someone. I limit my duties to protect the dreams of those in Equestria and only if I sense nightmares. This time, however, it was a nightmare of some sort of very small yellow creature. The experience I witnessed however wasn’t a dream, but ongoing past events.”

“And those memories were horrific?” Celestia asked, receiving a nod of confirmation. “How horrific?”

Luna sighed. “Imagine facing a large and powerful giant in battle. You posses combat skills and powers, but they are outclassed by your large foe. You fight, desperately dodging the powerful hit, only to be smashed by boulders, hit by powerful beams or frozen in ice.” She looked away from her sister and continued in a saddened tone, “After losing, you spend a whole week training and experimenting with new tricks and strategies, only to fight against those giants and lose again. In each rematch, you make more progress and last longer, yet each is equally painful.”

Celestia withdrew her wing and raised a forehoof over her mouth.

“Weeks turns into months as you keep doing it over and over, and at one point you become so focused and aware of danger that nothing surprises you. So tough that you can stand after many devastating blows, and so strong that even those giants start losing despite their incredible power.” Luna rubbed her wing. “This really happened. Whatever this tiny creature is, it was experiencing its past in a horrific dream.”

“I think I know who you’re talking about.”

Shocked, Luna looked at her sister and asked, “What? How? Who?”

“Twilight Sparkle sent me a few letters telling me how she took a small creature under her roof and started taking care of her. A Raichu named Nica. Her student damaged a seal blocking Nica’s memories, so she started recovering them bit by bit during her dreams.”

Luna stood from her pillow and pushed herself into her sister’s embrace. “She endured so much pain in search for power. Poor creature.”

“If you wish, I can ask Twilight to bring her to Canterlot so we can meet with Nica personally. Or, you can interact with her in her dreams,” Celestia suggested.

“I can’t deny that I’m interested in meeting this creature. While I cannot alter her dreams since those are her memories, the next time she has a nightmare, I’ll try to make contact and cheer her up.”

Celestia opened her mouth, but the noise of a slamming door prevented her from speaking. Both princesses looked towards an intruding changeling.

Pharynx stomped and shouted, “Princesses, we have a problem.”

“Problem? Please speak,” Celestia said, releasing her sister and approaching her ally. She still wasn’t sure if she should congratulate or reprimand her new Captain for letting changelings who once invaded Canterlot to train her Royal Guard.

“You let the enemy disguise herself as many different Royal Guards as she probably drained bits of you and your sister’s magic during your sleep. That’s the problem with you incompetent rulers.” Pharynx facehooved. “I swear. If Nica didn’t ask me to train your poor excuse of security, this intruder would keep getting stronger under your very nose.” He pointed out the door. “Now move your flanks and do something, Your Highnesses. I chased her away while my changelings keep track on her location, but she’s too strong for us to take her alone.”

Celestia and Luna looked at each other and nodded. They both felt a bit tired after their rest, yet neither suspected their enemy was behind it. It was the time to start a rat hunt in their own domain.

“Hey, Nica, wake up. There’s someone who wants to see you.”

Starlight tried to rub her eyes, only to feel something soft in the way. Was she holding a pillow? No, pillows weren’t fluffy. Starlight opened her eyes, waiting for the blurry vision to sharpen. “N-Nica? What are you doing here?” She levitated the rat and Raichu off her bed, now keeping them in mid-air as she stepped from the bed.

“Ummm…”

“Yes?” Starlight gave the large critter a patient stare.

“N-nightmare,” Nica said, holding her paws curled under her neck.

Starlight nuzzled Nica’s cheek before glancing at Spike, who was standing at the entrance. “Okay, Spike, what’s going on?”

Spike took a few steps forward and answered, “I’m not sure. Some very talkative earth pony from Manehattan wanted to hire Nica for a job. He said it was extremely important. I went to her room, and since she wasn’t there, I checked Twilight’s and yours.”

Starlight levitated Nica and the rat onto her back. “Let’s find out what’s going on.” She grabbed Spike with her foreleg and concentrated, vanishing in a flash.

Starlight opened her eyes, now staring at the earth pony who waited for them outside at the entrance. The double-door being half-open. She examined the stallion carefully.

Light-orange fur, a black mane with grey stripes, a green jacket with four buttons, a blue saddlebag on his right side, an unamused grumpy face. Certainly not a pony one wanted to see a minute after waking up.

“There you are! You sure took your time, and every second is precious.”

Starlight yawned, waiting for her passenger to step onto the floor. “Hold your horses. We have a situation on our hooves at the moment, so we would prefer if Nica stayed with us for now.”

“Situation? I’ll tell you what the real situation is!” He walked forward, pressing his muzzle against Starlight’s. “The author who wrote Daring Do is quitting her job! If that’s not a catastrophic situation, I don’t know what is.” He opened his saddlebag, pulling a newspaper out with his teeth before slapping it into unicorn’s face.

Starlight groaned before taking the newspaper with her levitation. “And your point is?”

The earth pony’s eye twitched. He gritted his teeth, resisting the urge to scream. After taking a calming breath, he spoke, “You’re one of Rainbow Dash’s friends, right?”

“Yes… and?”

“Did Dash tell you the true identity of the author of the Daring Do books?”

Starlight tilted her head in confusion. “No…”

The pony raised his forehoof up to the side of his mouth and whispered, “Daring Do is real, but don’t tell anypony.”

Starlight pushed away from the stallion’s face and spoke up, “Alright, first off, who are you? Secondly, what does this Daring Do thing have to do with anything?”

“Oh, right. Sorry for my manners. My name’s Quibble Pants, one of Daring Do’s biggest fans. Not long ago, I found out that Daring Do was real and that Rainbow Dash was her friend.” He approached and poked the levitated newspaper. “The problem is that, if A.K. Yearling is going to quit writing Daring Do stories, it means that Daring Do is most likely going to stop adventuring.” He stomped, now glancing at a confused Nica. “If Daring Do stops having adventures, who will stop the evil and somewhat stupid, predictable villains from finding and using dangerous artifacts? I want to find out what happened and help, but the journey may be filled with danger.” He poked Nica’s belly. “Listen here, heroine of Manehattan. I have heard and read how you took down the mob. I want to hire you as my bodyguard.”

“Well… I wish I could help, but I may be needed here…”

“I’ll pay a hundred bits, no, three hundred,” Quibble said, his face on the highest level of seriousness. “Five hundred!”

“It’s not about the bits,” Nica responded, taking a step back.

“Then how about principles? You have a chance to help me help a pony who saved villages, dispelled curses and wrote… questionable… but fun stories. Still, even if her adventures don’t make much sense and the villains are idiots, they are still dangerous. You can help me save a hero this nation needs and deserves.”

“R-really?” Nica’s ears perked up, her eyes widened and mouth opened in a wide smile. “If this pony is really a hero and may be in trouble, I’m in.”

“Now, wait a second,” Spike said and crossed his arms. “First, what you’re saying is that a book hero is real, which sounds hard to believe. Also, why do you think she wants to quit adventuring just because she don’t want to write books any longer?”

Quibble stomped. “That’s a risk I’m not going to take, that’s why I plan on confronting Daring Do directly and helping her anyway I can!” He dropped to his knees, wrapping his forehooves around Nica’s rear legs while looking at her with pleading eyes. "Please, believe me!"

Starlight groaned. Upon seeing a sheepish smile on Nica’s face as she looked to her for guidance, she asked, “You’re not believing him, are you?”

“I sensed a lot of desperation and worry, but nothing indicating a single lie,” Nica said. “My changeling friend taught me how to recognize a lie, and Quibble is telling the truth.”

“Truth or not, I don’t think taking this assignment is a good idea,” Starlight commented.

Raichu freed her legs and held her forepaws together, staring at her with puppy eyes. Quibble quickly took her example.

“Ugh… Fine. But, if it turns out to be a waste of time, quit and return immediately,” Starlight commanded, receiving a hug on the neck. “However, since you’ll be going far away, you should pack some bits, food and water for your travel.”

“Great idea! I’ll be right back,” Nica said, only to be stopped by Starlight’s hoof.

“Wait here and leave it to me,” Starlight said, vanishing in a flash of teleportation. She gathered a few bags of bits, visited the kitchen and packed a few snacks and water bottles before returning to the main entrance, putting everything she gathered into a larger bag. She teleported back to the entrance and levitated the bag onto Nica’s shoulder before embracing her in a farewell hug. “I wish you the best of luck. Come back safe and don’t make me wait too long.”

As the large door shut, Starlight walked towards her own room and her ears drooped. As she was about to step onto the stairs, she glanced at the large exit and whimpered. If not for the important research of a cure to that mysterious curse, she would join Nica on the adventure, if only to spend some quality time with her.

“...And that’s how my quick thinking prevented Daring Do from screwing up a puzzle,” Quibble said, walking through the forest with Nica by his side, his face firm and grumpy. “Maybe if she paid more attention and spent more time thinking analytically like she did in her first series, she wouldn’t activate so many traps. Also, what’s up with her breaking her wings or forgetting she can fly over and over…”

Nica kept looking at her boss, walking on all fours while keeping up with Quibble’s speed, listening with full attention. Her loyal rat friend was perched on her head. After hearing his lectures and complaints for past half an hour, she found his attitude difficult to read. For a big fan of Daring Do, he sure had plenty to complain about her, yet his aura was filled with worry. No doubt he cared about Daring Do in his own way.

“And what about Rainbow Dash, what was she like?” Nica asked.

“Oh, she was really cool, and she got even cooler after I found out that she assisted in protecting Equestria on many occasions. I also read about her from the Friendship Journal, but unlike Daring Do’s stories, it didn’t have many details about her heroic deeds, so I couldn’t compare their adventures to decide who’s more heroic,” Quibble said, taking a moment to breathe before continuing. “The bad guys she faced seemed to share a common weakness. I mean, was there even a single villain she faced who wasn’t defeated by overconfidence? I mean, why would you just stand in one place and let your opponent charge magical artifacts? Nightmare Moon, Discord, Chrysalis, Tirek… Well, King Sombra did show some initiative with his trap, and it took cooperation between Twilight, Cadence and Spike to defeat him… still, in terms of personality... he certainly lacked one.”

“I think you get off track a bit… I hoped you could tell me something about Rainbow Dash. She’s the only one of Twilight’s friends I haven’t met,” Nica said, interrupting her boss.

“Oh, sorry. To answer your question, Rainbow Dash is certainly adventurous and gets excited easily. She loves Daring Do stories way more than I do and is a great flier,” He frowned and kicked a pebble on the path to the side. “Still, for a heroine who helped save Equestria so many times, she sure forgets how strong and fast she is whenever she’s on a Daring Do adventure. I mean, she didn’t even fight back against the incompetent brainless minions…”

Quibble stopped, turned around and pointed at himself. “And me, I’m just a civilian, not a hero, and I still managed to distract the bad guys, free us, and tell Dr. Caballeron what I think of his stupid plans. I mean, I’m no hero and I still left more of a burn than Dash did.” He stomped, causing Nica to flinch. “To think I thought Dr. Caballeron was a great character with solid motivation and backstory, but when I met him eye to eye, all I saw was a disappointment.”

Nica smiled sheepishly, not understanding even one third of his speech. Upon noticing a wooden house form the corner of her eye, she pointed at it. “Is this the house of Daring Do?”

Quibble looked at pointed home and nodded. “I’ll be, we’re here already. Time sure passes quickly when in nice company.”

“S-sure,” Nica responded, forcing a smile. She followed the stallion who knocked at the door. She noticed a massive grin appearing on his face.

“Who’s there?”

“Your big fan, Quibble. We met on one of your adventures involving a temple, sand-trap and Dr. Caballeron. Do you remember me?”

The door opened, revealing a tannish-yellow old-looking mare wearing a violet cape, grey hat and large glasses. Not really a good first impression for a popular adventurer. “Quibble, what are you doing here?”

“A better question is, why are you quitting as A.K. Yearling? And does this also mean that Daring Do is quitting as well?” Quibble asked, his face now displaying pure terror. His eyes wide, mouth agape and tail started shaking left and right. “Why, Daring Do, whyyy…?” He pressed his muzzle against the mare’s one.

The mare walked backward and raised an eyebrow. “So you answered my question with a question of your own. How did you know I and A.K. Yearling are the same pony? You never saw me taking off my disguise.”

“Pfff… it was easy. As a fan, I’ve had a picture of A.K. Yearling for a long time. Your disguise is rather poor and I quickly noticed similarities between you and the pony on the picture.” He grinned. "Anyone who's ever taken a look at a picture of A.K. Yearling and one of Daring Do should be able to see that they're the same pony."

Daring Do looked around before gesturing for him to enter. “Come in.” She turned around, approaching her boxes.

Nica peeked inside, examining the decor through the doorway. There was a wooden table and chairs, a simple fireplace made of stone, one door leading to another room and stairs leading to the next floor. The most noticeable things, however, were several bags and opened boxes, as well as several odd-looking objects and maps scattered all around. I must say, not the most impressive and clean living conditions for a heroine. She walked inside, hiding behind the stallion’s rear legs.

“Are you really packing all your trophies, maps and artifacts into those boxes?” He approached the closest artifact, a golden sparkling statuette representing some sort of head. “Isn’t this an important part of the puzzle to unlock an entrance into the south-west temple that, according to rumors, is hidden and forgotten in the deepest part of the ‘Jungle of Desire’? According to the legend, whoever tries to enter the temple without this protective artifact will see their deepest desires and refuse to leave until bones remain.” He raised his head and frowned. “Not much of a hidden temple if its location is well-known if you ask me.” He glanced at Daring Do and asked, “This is certainly not something you can send to a museum if you’re planning to explore that temple. Unless… you’re really quitting as both an author and the hero.”

Daring sighed and lowered her head. “I’m not much of a hero to begin with.”

Nica looked away form the artifact and stared at the disguised mare. The aura of guilt and resignation she sensed was anything but small. The question was, what happened?

“If I was a hero, I wouldn’t destroy ponies’ property and ruin their businesses.” She took off her hat, placing on the table next to stack of maps. “I was always so fixated on finding artifacts and stopping the villains that I never paid any attention to the damage I left behind.”

Nica looked up at Quibble, seeing his judging stare. “I sense a lot of guilt in her. What should we do.”

“Huh?” Daring Do glanced at Nica. “You’re not alone? It’s not like me to lower my guard and fail to notice…” She pointed at her and asked, “Who and what is this creature?”

“Oh, right, I forgot to introduce her.” Quibble stepped to the side and pointed at the large critter. “Miss Daring Do, meet Nica. She’s a Raichu. She’s also known as a heroine of Manehattan for helping the police take down the mob, and I hired her as a bodyguard. I already told her plenty about you.”

Nica approached Daring Do and raised her forepaw, but instead of shaking it, the mare started to circle around her, examining her features. She lowered her paw and remained motionless, feeling as if she was modeling for Rarity or Coco all over again.

“Interesting. I have traveled to many exotic places, from deserts in the south to the Frozen North, yet I’ve never encountered a creature like you,” the mare said before picking up the black part of Nica’s long tail between her hooves.

“I come from another continent, I think. I’m still recovering my memories,” Nica said.

“Recovering memories?” Daring asked.

“Long story. Someone sealed my memories, probably because I saw something I shouldn’t have, but Starlight damaged that seal and I’m restoring my memories whenever I’m asleep,” Nica explained, waiting for the mare to release her tail.

“So you’ve been cursed. Sadly, I never encountered any villain or artifact with the ability to seal or restore memories. Can’t help with that,” Daring said before lowering her head, taking a closer look at the collar. “Speaking of artifacts, that thing on your neck is certainly not an ordinary collar. I have a keen eye for objects filled with mysterious magic.”

Nica rubbed the back of her neck. “After my power over electricity went out of control and hurt ponies, Princess Twilight and her student Starlight made this for me to keep my electricity in check. Twilight also improved it to let me communicate with other ponies. Maud Pie provided the rare gems while Rarity is behind the design.”

Daring Do smirked and raised her head. “You’ve sure made good frie– wait, Twilight is a princess? I never noticed.” She shrugged. “Normally, I would be very interested in learning about a creature who can use electricity, but I am no longer the adventurer I was before. I want to put this life behind me.” She poked Nica’s nose who took a step back in response. “Still, I encountered the mob in Manehattan at one point during my adventures and nearly lost my hide. They are way more numerous and more brutal than minions I often face. Even I would think twice about crossing them, so forgive me if I don’t believe a small creature like you could take them down.”

“Oh, really?” Quibble picked up a newspaper from his saddlebag with his teeth and presented it to Daring Do, pointing at the numerous pictures of Nica from different viewpoints. One of her wearing sunglasses and black jacket while standing guard at the entrance inside a clothing store, one of her leaving the store with Coco Pommel by her side, and one of her running next to the train tracks on four paws, all taken by surprise. “Read and be impressed. She beat them up on her own, not long after running into a burning building while saving ponies.”

Daring Do took the newspaper between her hooves, reading carefully. After half a minute, she lowered it and looked at Nica, her mouth agape. “You… seriously… beat them up?”

Nica nodded.

Daring Do gulped and chuckled nervously. “Do me a favor and never become a villain. After my departure, I fear not many ponies would be able to stop you if you did.”

“Villain? Me? I would never dare to use my powers in such a disgraceful way,” Nica said with a shake of her head, only to be patted on top of her head.

Quibble sat between them with a different newspaper in his forehoof. "Do you mind if I read this?"

“Sure… go ahead, read about my failure,” Daring Do said in annoyance.

Quibble placed the newspaper on the floor, skimmed it and pointed at specific article. “So that’s what made you quit? Bad press?”

“This so-called ‘bad press’ opened my eyes. Never before had I stopped to look at the messes I leave behind,” Daring Do said, only for the stallion’s hoof to seal her mouth.

Nica looked between both ponies. For a big fan, Quibble sure didn’t fear being bold.

“So, instead of going to the village where you messed up, apologizing for what you did, and explaining the danger—which you prevented—that the ponies were in...” Quibble narrowed his eyes and frowned. "You simply decided to quit, like a coward.” He withdrew his hoof, lowered his head and shook it in disappointment. “Listen. You feel guilty, I get it. But, do you really think that quitting will do anyone good? If you really feel guilty about the messes you leave on your adventures, just pay for the damage and carry on. Causing collateral damage and making up for it is is way better than quitting and letting villains curse towns and harm innocent ponies, no matter how you look at it. To be honest, I expected better of you.”

Daring Do opened her mouth, but closed it immediately, her mind now a mess.

“You’re a successful author, so surely you’ve earned more than enough bits to compensate the damage you have done.”

Nica observed Daring with full attention. The aura of guilt remained, but shifted slightly. There seemed to be something else the mare was feeling bad about at that moment.

“How about a deal,” Quibble said, his tone serious as Daring Do looked at him in confusion.

“A deal?” she asked.

“Yes.” Quibble pointed at the newspaper and then at Daring Do. “I’ll go to that village, pay for the damage you did and do my best to restore your reputation. If I succeed, you’ll continue both as an author and an adventurer.”

“W-what?” She stood up and took a step back, her mouth agape. “I can’t let you pay for my mistakes from your own pocket.”

“Think of it as good will from your fans,” Quibble said and smiled. “I’m your fan and know your real identity, and I still believe that you can do better. The least you can do is give me a chance. So, do we have a deal?”

Daring Do turned around and rubbed her chin, now deep in thought. After a minute or two, she turned around, took off her cape and spread her wings. “You’re on; however, I can’t let you pay out from your own pocket. I’m coming with you.” She picked up her cape. “Though, I better remain disguised for now.”

Quibble shook his head and displayed a sassy smile. “We’ll share the bill half and half. I may not look like it, but I have plenty of savings.”

“Can I pay one third?” Nica asked, pointing at the bag she wore over her shoulder. “The ponies at the police force and the workers at the mine were very generous.”

Daring Do rolled her eyes. “Sure, the more the merrier.” She looked over the room and added, “I better hide the artifacts and maps before we go.”

Quibble looked at Nica and said, “How about we help her?”

“Help? On it!”

Rainbow Dash galloped through the forest with Pinkie Pie by her side, the home of her hero now in view. Once they arrived, Rainbow Dash stood on her rear hooves and peeked inside through the window, but Daring Do was nowhere to be seen. She ran towards the door and knocked. “Yearling, Daring Do, we need to talk! It’s important!”

“I don’t think she’s inside,” Pinkie said, looking through the window.

“Oh no! Maybe she was captured or locked in the basement!” Rainbow Dash shouted before slamming the door open, looking over the room in search for clues.

“If she was captured, don’t you think there would be a mess inside and the door broken?” Pinkie said, poking what was left of the wooden door. “I mean… broken like it is now.”

Rainbow Dash bit her lower lip and her ears drooped. She laughed nervously. “I’ll apologise later. It’s an emergency.” She flew upstairs and opened the door into another room. Yearling wasn’t there, so she then visited the basement, flying through the house at great speed.

Pinkie sat on a nearby chair and picked up newspapers left on the table, reading while waiting for her friend to calm down. “Hey Dash, look at this.”

Rainbow Dash flew from the basement, landing next to Pinkie. She asked, “Did you find a clue?” Her wings flapped nervously.

“I did. Look at this,” Pinkie pointed at several complaints about Daring Do’s action.

Dash snatched the newspaper and read it, only to start stomping on it a moment later. “How can they spread lies about her like that?”

Pinkie shrugged. “I dunno. We can go there and ask.”

“Yes, we’ll go there and explain to those ponies how awesome Daring Do really is!” Dash stomped. “Maybe if we restore her reputation, she’ll go back on her decision to quit.” She frowned. “We just don’t know where she went.”

“Well, what about this one? Does this count as a clue?” Pinkie asked, pointing at another newspaper. “Nica ran into a burning building to save ponies and saved Manehattan from the mob.”

“W-what?” Dash grabbed the newspaper, read it and facehooved. “Oh come on!”

“What’s wrong?” Pinkie asked.

Dash stood on her rear hooves and spread her forelegs while the newspaper she held fell to the floor. “Two weeks ago when I finally managed to visit Ponyville after a series of Wonderbolt shows, Twilight told me about a Raichu that she took under her care who was now solving a friendship problem. I waited for days for her return to meet her, but she took her sweet time. A few days later I visited Ponyville again, only to find out that we missed each other as she went to Manehattan to work as a cool mercenary. And now, I find out that she was kicking flanks and being awesome!” She started stomping in anger as her face turned red. “Not only is Daring Do quitting, but I still didn't get to know that awesome Raichu. Can things get any worse?”

“Well…”

“Don’t answer that,” Dash said with a grumpy face before stepping outside.

“Hey wait, we need to fix the door you broke before we go,” Pinkie said.

Dash groaned. “Fineeee…”

Chapter 22 - Rise of the Talkative One

Little Lost Raichu

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Chapter 22
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Rise of the Talkative One

“Hey, wake up already! We’re here!”

Nica stretched her limbs and yawned, finding herself perched on Quibble’s back. The landscape filled with trees, hills, and rocky formations was replaced with endless sand. She sat up and peeked from behind her ride’s neck, seeing a town filled with square rocky buildings, tents, and one large pyramid in the background. Numerous shopping stands were present at the main entrance. It’s… so hot… She wiped a few drops of sweat from her forehead, feeling the hot air in her lungs and rays of the sun warming her from above. Cold snowy mountains… love-em… Hot deserts… not so much.

She glanced to her right at the focused and firm face of Daring Do, though most of it was hidden behind her glasses and large hat, while the violet cape covered most of her body. Nica peeked into her own shoulder-bag, only to be met with the pleading eyes of the tired rat who was supported against a bottle of water. “Are you thirsty?” she asked, catching Patrick’s full attention. He squeaked and nodded energetically.

She pulled the bottle out and opened it, dripping a bit of water into the bottle cap before holding it on the bronze edge of her paw in front of the rat, who licked the fresh water eagerly. After ensuring that her little friend was refreshed, she glanced at the bottle and licked her lips, her throat dry. After taking three gulps, she wiped her mouth and sighed in satisfaction.

Using her tail, she picked up another bottle and presented it in front of Daring Do.

“Don’t mind if I do,” Daring said, accepting the gift.

Nica presented another bottle to Quibble who pushed it aside.

“Maybe later. Priorities first.” He unlocked his saddlebag and peeked inside, only to groan. “Ponyfeathers, I forgot my newspaper. Nevermind, I can do without them,” he muttered. He looked around over the marked area, and next approached an old stallion.

Nica glanced at the wrinkles on the pony’s forehead and neck. He had a red two-layered mane and beard, and wore a headband with a small bronze jacket. His legs… so thin… Her ears drooped as she now looked at the tall pony in growing sadness, wishing for nothing but to buy him a large hay sandwich and a big stack of sweets. Poor guy.

“Excuse me, Mr… May I take a bit of your time?” Quibble asked.

“Y-yes? How can I help you?”

“I’m a fan of a pony named Daring Do and her adventures. After I read an article about her causing damage in this area, I could hardly believe it and decided to come here to learn the truth.” He held forehoof on his chest. “I came a long way and I would be very grateful for information about her.” He glanced at the damaged stand and next picked a few bits form his saddlebag, holding them in front of the old pony. “Of course, I’m willing to compensate you for your time.”

The stallion stared at the bits and sighed before taking them into his pocket. “That’s very thoughtful of you. Of course, I would answer your questions anyway, but my business took a heavy hit not long ago,” he spoke in calm voice before narrowing his eyes. “What you learn from me will possibly destroy the image of your idol. Are you still willing to listen?”

“Of course.”

The elderly pony stepped to the side and pointed at his stand: A damaged wagon with one broken wheel, several planks covering a hole, an old damaged umbrella, and some sort of box supporting the part of the wagon with no wheels. It didn’t support it for long as the stand fell apart, tipping over two baskets filled with apples. “Your idol destroyed my apple cart.” He pointed at the rubble in distance and added, “And our priceless statue!”

Not wasting a moment, Nica jumped from Quibble and ran towards the apples, gathering them together from the dusty ground with her paws and tail, putting them into the baskets. She glanced at the damaged cart and rubbed back of her neck. I have no clue how I am supposed to fix that. Having Master Gabby around would be really helpful right now.

“Thank you, little one,” the old pony said, patting her on the head. She returned the gesture with a warm smile and nuzzled his foreleg.

“Indeed, Daring Do is a menace who destroys everything she touches.”

Nica, Quibble and the disguised Daring glanced towards the source of voice, now seeing a greyish-brown stallion with a red coat covering most of his features. A white scarf was present on his neck while a grey beard covered most of his face.

Quibble took a few steps forward, taking a closer look. “You… you can’t be serious.”

“Oh, but I am. Daring Do is–”

“That’s not what I meant!” Quibble interrupted before approaching the somewhat depressed-looking Daring Do. He pointed at the hooded figure and whispered, “Please tell me you recognize this pony.”

“Of course I do,” Daring said, bringing smile to Quibble’s face. “It’s one of the worried citizens I hurt with my reckless actions.”

Quibble’s jaw dropped as he stared at his idol in disbelief. “Oh come on!” He facehooved. “Fineee… I’ll play by your stupid rules on this stupid adventure.” He turned around and forced a smile. “So… suspiciously-clothed gentlepony, what can you tell me about Daring Do?” He raised a forehoof up to his forehead in a dramatic pose. “As hurtful it is for me to listen how my idol did such horrible deeds, I can’t avert my eyes from the truth.”

Nica approached the coated stallion, sensing a large mix of auras. One in particular seemed to be malice, plenty of it. She glared up at him with a soul-piercing stare.

“I feel sorry for you, idolising such a terrible pony, but the facts are undeniable.” He gestured over the town, pointing at many leftovers of damage while ponies nodded to his words in agreement. “Daring Do ruined the lives and businesses of many hardworking ponies, not caring for their well-being, and the worst of all…” he paused as Nica’s face was but centimeters away from his muzzle, looking at him with judging stare. “Can you stop staring at me you large rat thingy,” he shouted, stomping in front of Nica who leaped back, performing a backflip. ”I mean… would you kindly stop staring at me while I’m speaking?”

“Nica, please stop bothering the nice gentlepony. He’s providing us with so much truthful information,” Quibble said with a grin.

“I… I need to collect my thoughts,” said the disguised Daring Do before walking away with a lowered head.

Nica looked at the disguised heroine in sadness, only to be pushed behind the wall of a nearby house by Quibble, his face serious and an aura filled with anger.

“I have an important mission for you, one that can save Daring Do’s reputation and restore her adventurous spirit,” Quibble said, picking up a small camera from his saddlebag and pushing it into Nica’s embrace. “That pony we just met is one of Daring Do’s recurring enemies, and by the rules of Daring Do adventures, no matter how poor, disguises always work.”

“And you want me to spy on him?”

“You catch on quickly,” Quibble said with a satisfied smile. “Do you know how to use a camera?” Nica nodded. “Of course you would. All it takes is to press of one button, after all. What about stealth, are you good at that?”

“I… think… According to my memories, I was sometimes sent to spy on criminals alongside my Gligar companion, but I was a Pikachu back then. I’m not sure if being a bigger Raichu will make it easy on me.”

Quibble shook his forehoof dismissively. “Don’t worry, he’s a Daring Do villain and we’re on a Daring Do adventure. By the rules that keep repeating themselves in her books, Dr. Caballeron is too stupid and self-absorbed to spot you.” He pointed at the camera. “Just take photos of anything that we can use as evidence against him. In the meanwhile, I’ll tell Daring Do what’s going on.”

Nica saluted. “Consider it done.”

“Great. Once you get the proof, meet me at the local inn. I will wait for you in the lobby.”

Quibble peeked from behind the building, his eyes on a hooded stallion who seemed to be performing some sort of speech in front of a crowd. “Now’s your chance, go for it.” He watched as the long-tailed critter ran towards a nearby building and jumped onto the roof. He narrowed his eyes and walked towards the desert, approaching a mare in the distance. Once close enough, he placed his forehoof on Daring’s shoulder, who kept staring at the sand in silence.

“You were right.”

“Huh?” Quibble blinked in confusion as his heroine turned around and was now stared him in the eyes.

“Compensating those ponies for the damage I did is something I should consider first. Instead, I tried to quit, running away from my responsibilities like a coward,” Daring said in a saddened tone.

Quibble looked to the side. “Listen… as much as I want to let you have such important character development and stuff, I think first you should know something important.”

“Important? I’m all ears.”

Quibble nodded before stomping, his hoof sinking deeply into the sand. “Yes, important, like, for example, the fact that this hooded pony is Dr. Caballeron!”

“Dr. Caballeron? Really?” Daring asked.

Quibble groaned. “Seriously? You have faced him over and over and over again, and you still couldn’t recognize him under that poor disguise? For crying out loud, I’ve met the guy only once and I can already tell it was him!” He held forehoof on his forehead and added, “You’re hopeless.”

Daring Do blushed strong red and lowered her hat to hide it. “Fine… I admit, I’m not the most perceptive pony.”

“Well, you were more perceptive in in your first series before you decided to push it all aside for the sake of thrills,” Quible said in annoyance. “I mean, you’re exploring dangerous temples! Don’t you think paying attention to small details is important? The number of traps you started activating grew quite a lot on your third–” He paused, and his attention shifted to two ponies in the distance. He raised a forehoof, holding it to protect his eyes from the harsh sun. “Is that… Rainbow Dash?”

Daring Do turned around in an instant, taking a moment to stare at the distance before nodding. “It is her! But what is she doing here? And who’s her companion?”

Both ponies looked up, watching as the pegasus descended in their direction. They raised their forelegs defensively, protecting their eyes from spreading sand due to Dash’s hard landing.

The pink pony jumped from pegasus’s back a moment later.

“Rainbow Dash, what are you doing here?” Quibble asked.

“That’s my line,” Daring interrupted as she jumped ahead of Quibble. “Rainbow Dash, why are you here? It can’t be just a coincidence.”

“Hey, Daring Do, it’s great to see you again! We read about…” Dash looked away form the disguised mare and asked, “Quibble? What are you doing here?”

“I asked first.”

Dash puffed his chest and said, “I’m here to recover Daring Do’s reputation so she won’t quit adventuring, obviously.”

“And I'm here to help in anyway I can!” Pinkie said with a cheerful smile. “The name’s Pinkie Pie, by the way. Hello, Daring Do, nice meeting you.” She shook Daring's forehoof energetically, causing her hat to fall off.

“Same here. When I heard that she was quitting, I decided to push aside everything and help any way I could. Seems like I beat you to it,” Quibble said with a smirk.

“Really? I didn’t think you had it in you,” Dash said.

“I was hesitant at first, but after I hired a competent bodyguard, I felt confident enough to face any danger that this scenario would involve.” He approached Rainbow Dash and poked her chest. “Good to have a fellow fan and national heroine on board. Now that the dream team is together, nothing will stop us.”

Their reunion was interrupted upon hearing a loud laugh.

Daring Do took a moment to calm down and next wiped tears of joy form her eyes. “Wow—I mean, wow—I have never felt so happy to have loyal fans like you two. It’s touching.” She forced a serious stare. “But no telling that I was acting sappy to anyone, got it?”

“Sure thing,” Dash said before flapping her wings in excitement. “So, are you both here to convince the ponies living here how awesome Daring Do really is?”

“Can we help in any way?” Pinkie asked.

Quibble shook his forehoof. “No need. I already have it covered. As we speak, my bodyguard is spying on Dr. Caballeron, gathering evidence that we can use to put down his – rather clever plan for his standards – to ruin Daring Do’s reputation.”

“Speaking of a bodyguard, who are they?” Dash asked, now staring curiously.

“A Raichu named Nica,” Qubble said.

Dash’s eyes became wide. “Did you say a Raichu named Nica?”

“Yes. After I read about how she took down the mob by herself, I knew she was perfect for the job,” Quibble said.

Dash’s eye twitched.

“I must admit, even I would be afraid to attack the mob in Manehattan. She must be really something,” Daring Do complemented.

Rainbow Dash’s mouth was agape as she stared at Daring Do in disbelief.

“Oh, so Nica is here? How cool is that?” Pinkie said before looking at her friend. “You hear that, Dashie? You can finally meet her after all this time! Ummm… Dash, are you feeling okay?”

“Okay?” Dash smiled cheerfully. “Am I okay?” She glared in rage. “Of course I’m okay.” Her eye twitched. “I have been trying to meet that Raichu for the past two weeks.” She flew up and spread her limbs. “Finally! After all this time I get to meet her!”

“What about helping Daring Do?” Pinkie asked.

“It can wait…” Dash gasped in terror. “I can’t believe I just said that! Daring, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean that your reputation isn’t important. It’s just that this Raichu I heard about sounds so awesome… ugh…”

Daring Do whispered to Pinkie, “Is she always acting like that?”

“Not really. She acts like that only when meeting ponies she admires. You should’ve seen how she reacted to the Wonderbolts.”

Nica walked on four legs with a lot of struggle as sweat fell down her forehead and cheeks, yet her head was raised in pride. The camera was safe in her shoulder-bag while Mr. Patrick was sitting on her shoulder. A large bag twice Dr. Caballeron’s size was wrapped by her tail as she pulled it, leaving a trail on the ground. While following the bad pony, she discovered that by sensing his aura, she could just follow him out of sight at all times. It didn’t take long before the bad pony led her to his hideout, say his plan out loud to his henchmen and leave more stolen goods hidden in some sort of abandoned destroyed house behind desks under the floor.

The camera proved easy to use. Her trainer from time to time asked her to do various tasks, and lucky, taking a group picture was one of them.

She stopped and sat, breathing heavily before wiping sweat from her forehead. Mr. Patrick licked her cheek and squeaked sadly at her.

“Can I help you?”

Nica and the rat looked at the earth pony, who stared at them in pity.

“That bag is four, or maybe even five times your size. I can’t just watch you struggle so much.”

Nica smiled warmly. “My paws hurt a little, so I’ll gladly accept your help.” She looked around. “Do you know where the inn is, by any chance?”

“This way.” The earth pony pointed at nearby building, which was more or less a hundred steps away. As he pressed his head against the large bag, he asked, “It sure is heavy. What’s inside?

“To be honest, I’m not sure,” Nica said before pushing herself to a standing position, pulling the large bag despite her tired paws. “My boss told me that the pony wearing the red hood is trying to ruin Daring Do’s reputation, and asked me to spy on him and get evidence against him.”

“You mean, the one who has been giving speeches on how Daring Do ruined the town?”

“That’s the one.” Nica answered. “I took some pictures of how he was stealing and transporting some green shining stuff. I also overheard him saying to his workers how he would get out of the town with glowpaz and pin the blame on Daring Do.”

The earth pony stopped and started at the bag in shock. “You… you don’t mean that inside this bag is…”

“It is. He hid all the stolen goods under the floor in some damaged building, so I snuck in when he was away and took it. Now I’m trying to deliver the pictures and this bag to Quibble as evidence so he can clear Daring Do’s name.”

The earth pony quickly peeked inside the bag before gasping. “I… I’ll be right back.”

Nica rounded the bag and gave the escaping pony a confused glance. She shrugged and opened the door of the inn before pushing the bag inside.

“Let us help.”

Nica heard an unfamiliar voice, and the bag suddenly felt lighter. A pony or three most likely pulled from the other side. With the bag in the middle of the inn, she rounded it and politely bowed her head. “Thank you.”

“You’re wel–” The blue pegasus paused and started to stare intensely.

“Oh, hello Nica! Nice to see you again!” Pinkie said as she started to bounce in place.

“So, how did the spying go? Got any dirt on Caballeron?” Daring Do asked while standing next to Pinkie.

“How did your mission go? Tell me everything,” Quibble asked while perched on a sofa, his face firm and devoid of emotions.

Nica puffed her chest and poked it. “I got pictures of the hooded pony stealing some green stuff, and next took the stolen goods from his hideout.” She poked the bag next to herself. “I brought them all here.” Nica’s proud smile vanished as her attention shifted towards the pegasus who now stared at her with a toothy smile and wide eyes while an aura of excitement grew in strength at an alarming speed. She took a step back and her ears drooped. “W-why are you staring at me like that?”

Out of reflex, Nica jumped to the side, just in time to avoid being grabbed. The pegasus didn’t give up though, making a sharp turn and capturing her between her hooves.

“So you’re Nica, that Raichu that Twilight told me about. I’ve heard so much about you. You have no idea how many times I tried to meet you.”

Nica grit her teeth upon being squeezed in a strong hug, only to be released a moment later as the pegasus flew in circles, making ten rounds in only three seconds.

“The name’s Rainbow Dash by the way. I’m sure you’ve heard a lot about me as well, saving Equestria, being a Wonderbolt and stuff.” Dash hovered above the ground and punched air. “I’ve heard that you’ve got crazy cool powers, can cut stuff with your tail, ran into a burning building to save lives, beat the mob into submission in the same day, and now you’re here clearing Daring Do’s name. That’s beyond awesome!”

“O-kay...” Nica said, her ears still dropped as she started walking backward on her two feet. While normally she enjoyed words of praise for job well done, in this case she felt different. Something about this pegasus… made her feel uncomfortable. “Actually… neither Twilight nor Starlight said a word about you. I heard about you mostly from Rarity.”

“Only from Rarity? Seriously?” Dash said, her excitement replaced with disappointment.

Nica nodded. “She told me you were always the first one to rush into danger, and while you have matured a lot, you’re still rough on the edges whenever something annoys you.”

Dash crossed her forearms and frowned. “Rough on the edges… I’ll remember that.” Her mood improved in an instant as she started flying around the critter, examining her features. “You don’t look intimidating. Fat belly, small paws and legs.” She poked her ears. “Your ears and tail look pretty cool though, especially the part shaped like lightning.” As Mr. Patrick started hissing at her, she added, “Your rat friend on your shoulder cramps your style, though. Not cool enough.” Dash yelped upon being bitten on the nose by the rat. “Fine fine, you’re cool too.”

Nica withdrew her tail from Dash’s hooves and smiled awkwardly.

“Calm down Dash. Give her some space,” Daring Do said.

“Fine…” Dash said as she landed, her ears and wings drooped.

The innkeeper approached the bag. Necklaces with pearls and green gems adorned her neck aside other jewelry, glasses were present on her face and a fancy violet dress covered most of her body. “Is this… what I think it is?” She opened the bag and her mouth opened agape.

Quibble approached Nica and exposed his forehoof. “Camera, please.”

Nica opened her shoulder-bag and did as she was told, now seeing a wide grin and sensing an odd aura. Her boss was planning something, and it wasn’t going to be anything pleasant.

The door into the inn shot open as angered crowd stepped inside, each pony armed with a random weapon, from something as simple as a frying pan to a sharp and intimidating scimitar. The tallest stallion stepped ahead of the group and pointed at the bag. “Where’s the thief who dared to steal our gifts?” He stomped, and his eyes narrowed.

Quibble chuckled and next shot Daring Do a sassy smile. “I hope you don’t mind that, today, I will be the one writing the scenario for your newest book.”

Breaking the spirit of his biggest enemy, ruining her reputation and pinning crimes on her while becoming rich, truly made that the best day of his life. At least, it was going to be after another speech—truly the best day of his life after years of trackings precious artifacts and selling them on the black market for profit. No annoying Daring Do was going to ruin his plan. With his biggest obstacle removed, only riches and victories lay ahead of him.

At least, that’s what was supposed to happen.

He stood on a platform in front of a ruined statue, wondering why an angered crowd equipped with pitchforks, torches and blades were heading in his direction. Were they expecting him to point out the location of Daring Do so they could unleash their anger on her? As much as he wished to do so, Daring Do proved her survival skills again and again. Just letting her retire and get out of his way seemed to be a safer solution.

He raised his head proudly and was about to speak, only for Quibble to step ahead and give him an angered glare. He forced a smile, struggling not to glare back at the annoying pony. Some time ago, this very colt humiliated him with his criticism, complaining over and over how foolish his plans were and about his overall incompetence. Quibble’s words still haunted his mind. Using his imagination, he pictured Quibble sinking into a pool of lava… something he typically reserved only whenever eyeing Daring Do.

“Here it is,” he started, gesturing with his forehoof for the ponies to come closer. “The remains of your… I mean, our Somnambula statue.”

“Cut the act, Dr. Caballeron. No one’s buying it anymore,” Quibble said, now standing in front of the platform. He picked up something from his saddlebag with his mouth.

Caballeron stared curiously at the picture in the earth pony’s hooves, only to bite his bottom lip.

“I got evidence of you stealing from this town and returned all of your stolen goods.” Quibble gestured at the angered ponies. “Everypony already knows about your attempts to ruin Daring Do’s reputation.”

Caballeron’s eye twitched.

Rainbow Dash stepped forward. “We told everypony how Daring Do caused all the damage, while saving the whole town.”

“And they forgave me!”

Everyone looked at the pegasus wearing her signature hat standing atop of a nearby building.

Quibble pointed at the hooded pony. “But, they won’t be willing to forgive you.”

Caballeron grit his teeth, his blood starting to boil. He was supposed to have the best day of his life, opening the door to a bright future filled with riches and artifacts. That talkative brat, however, just had to show up and and ruin it all, and he dared to look back at him with that smirk?

In a rush of anger, he grabbed a nearby stone and threw it at Quibble’s face, only for it to be intercepted by the metallic tail of a large critter. “What the?” The stone shattered into dust before his very eyes.

“You can use your tail like that? That’s so cool!” Dash shouted, giving it an amazed look. The creature looked back in embarrassment.

“I don’t believe I have introduced my trusty bodyguard, Nica,” Quibble said as he patted the head of the Raichu, who slowly lowered her tail and started watching Caballeron’s every move. “Don’t let her size fool you. She’s capable of fighting gangs and is a hundred times more competent than any of your stupid minions.”

Caballeron groaned and started backpedalling, his eyes on Daring Do. Was the situation even salvageable? He had his loyal minions hiding behind the statue in case of an emergency, but they couldn’t fight off so many ponies. Much to his surprise, the blue pegasus flew onto the platform and started digging her hoof into his chest.

“It’s over Caballeron. Your plan failed a big time!”

He smirked. “Oh, but that’s where you’re wrong.” He whistled as his four followers stepped from behind the ruins of the statue and surrounded them, and with surprisingly little effort, tied the pegasus with a rope. With a smirk, he turned towards the crowd and said, “One step forward, and you can say goodbye to this here pony.”

“Taking hostages when you’re cornered, like the rat you are!” Daring Do shouted, her wings spread and eyes narrowed.

Caballeron looked away form Daring Do, now staring at Quibble who just kept grinning at him. Why was he so calm and confident?

“Boss, can I stop holding back and attack?” Nica asked.

“There won’t be a need for that just yet. Leave it to me,” Quibble said as he walked forward, taking slow steps towards the platform.

Caballeron stepped in his way and pointed at Rainbow Dash, “I said to stay away, unless you want your friend to enter a world of hurt!”

“Don’t listen to him! Kick their flanks, Daring Do!” Dash shouted, only for her mouth to be gagged.

Quibble glanced at a grey-blue bald pony with a mustache. “Hey, you.”

“Me?”

“You work for money, right? How much it would cost me for you to punch your boss in the face?”

“Ummm… Ten bits… He doesn’t pay us much anyway.”

Caballeron blinked in confusion and next gave his subordinate an angered glare. “You wouldn’t dare.”

“Here’s twenty bits, make the punch memorable,” Quibble said as he threw small bags with bits in the pony’s direction.

Caballeron raised his forehooves defensively, yet it did little as the punch sent him flying from the platform. A hoofmark was now visible on his left foreleg.

Quibble approached the other three minions and gave them a firm stare. “Now, listen guys. You all know that, in the end, Daring Do will win anyway and kick your flanks, like she did over a hundred times before.” He pointed at the tied pegasus and added, “If you won’t free Rainbow Dash this instant, the fate that awaits you will be worse than all your defeats combined. So, will you free her?” He pointed at Nica. “Or should I ask my bodyguard to cut your limbs one at a time?”

Nica swung her tail, cutting a nearby stone half the size of a pony in half.

The three ponies gulped and did as they were told.

“What are you doing, you fools?” Caballeron asked.

“S-sorry boss. He’s… very convincing,” a minion wearing sunglasses said, fear clear in his voice. He pressed his teeth against the rope before pulling it, untying Rainbow Dash as quickly as he could.

Caballeron groaned in anger before pushing himself to a standing position, now facing the angered crowd. “Now, now… let’s be reasonable.”

Dash looked at Quibble in disbelief, her mouth agape. “W-wow… I… I have no words...” She was about to take a step forward, only to be stopped by his hoof.

“Not so fast, Dash. I know it’s a Daring Do adventure and stuff, but seriously? You just stood there in place for five seconds and let those ponies capture you?” He massaged his forehead. “I mean, come on! Aren’t you the Element Bearer who helped save Equestria while always being the first to rush into danger? I know that in Daring Do stories everyone except her is incompetent, but shouldn’t a hero like you at least try to fight back?”

Dash blushed. “W-well... “ She shook her head. “Is this even a good time to be discussing things like that?”

“Of course it is. From now on, we’re not going to follow the stupid rules of a Daring Do story, but my rules.” He glanced at the closest minion. “Hey, you, pick up that bag.” He glanced at minion wearing a hat. “And you, grab that rope.”

Both ponies did as they were told.

“Hey, stop commanding my minions!” Caballeron shouted, approaching the platform.

Quibble glanced at the bald minion and said, “Five extra bits for another punch.”

Caballeron stopped and laughed nervously. “S-six bits for not punching me!”

Quibble glanced at his bodyguard. “Nica, if he moves even an inch, slap him with your tail. Hard.”

Caballeron gulped, now staring at the smirking pokemon, not daring to move a single muscle.

Quibble looked back at Rainbow Dash and said, “Now we’re going to do it again, and we’re going to do it right.” He approached and whispered into her ear.

Caballeron looked away from the long-tailed bodyguard, noticing a wide grin on Dash’s face. He covered his eyes with his foreleg and his ears drooped at the noise of his minions being beaten up by the athletic pegasus in a direct combat.

Rainbow Dash stretched herself before looking proudly at the defeated ponies. “I must say, it was kind of satisfying.”

Quibble chuckled. “There’s no way I would allow you to be damsel in distress in the next Daring Do story.”

Caballeron stomped with both of his hooves. “Ugh… You’ll pay for this, Quibble Pants!” He turned around and ran, his minions not far behind him.

“Nica, do your thing,” Quibble said, winking at his bodyguard.

The large critter nodded before taking off her collar and giving chase, jumping over the escaping minions before spreading her ‘Thunderbolt’ over them.

Feeling the electricity seizing all control of his muscles, Caballeron struggled to raise his head, staring at feet of the critter. “W-what the…”

“Did you really think I would just let you go? I have evidence that you tried to steal this town’s most prized treasure, and plenty of witnesses of how you tried to pin the blame on somepony else.” Quibble lowered his head to take a close look into his eyes. “You and your buddies are going to jail, Caballeron.”

The crowd of ponies and Daring Do approached them from all sides.

Caballeron looked at Daring Do and next at Quibble and raised his trembling hoof. “Quibble… Pants… from now on… you’re my number one enemy. Once I’m out of prison… you’ll...”

“Blah, blah, blah. Spare me the revenge speech,” Quibble said with a roll of his eyes. “To think at one point I thought you were one of the better developed villains from Daring Do adventures. Such a disappointment.”

“I must say,” Daring Do said as she approached Quibble, giving him a proud smile. “When you told me you’d handle it without my help, you weren’t kidding.”

“You were incredible!” Dash shouted while standing on her rear hooves and spreading her forelegs.

Quibble crossed his arms. “I wish I could say the same about you both.” He gave Dash a stern glare. “I hope the whole ‘damsel in distress’ scenario won’t repeat itself, should you and Daring Do team up again.”

“Of course not! Who do you think I am?” Dash asked, her forehoof raised defensively.

Quibble ignored Rainbow Dash and turned to the adventurer. “And you, Daring Do: Why do you never lock the villains away or take them to the authorities? If you know they’ll try to get doom-bringing artifacts over and over, why do you let them go?” He frowned. “Are you afraid your stories will get boring without villains to get in the way?”

Daring Do rolled her eyes. “Here we go again. Quibble is back to normal. Well, it was nice as long as it lasted.”

"Oh, it's not over," Quibble said before gesturing to a tall stallion with a razor sharp blade between his teeth. The bulky grey pony's mane was a red mohawk, and on his flank was his scimitar cutie mark. "I decided to get a crew of my own and start adventuring, as well."

Daring Do blinked in confusion and then rubbed her eyes. “You what?”

“I noticed that all your adventures have predictable patterns and repeat themselves, so I thought, ‘why not take advantage of it?’ From now on, think of me as a rival.” He fixed his hat and stared at Daring Do with a smug face. “Instead of complaining about what’s lacking in your stories, I’ll bring it myself.”

Dash chuckled. “Okay, whatever badassery-improving drink you had, I want some.”

The group laughed cheerfully.

Nica sat next to Pinkie Pie in the shadow of a nearby house, watching the exchange from the sidelines. I wonder… If Quibble ever became a pokemon trainer, how far would he get? He seems clever enough. She looked at Rainbow Dash, feeling uncomfortable in her presence for some reason. Unlike all of Twilight’s and Starlight’s friends who showed her kindness, compassion and understanding, Rainbow Dash seemed to stand out in a negative way.

Her aura of excitement and energetic nature didn’t seem to be the problem, yet for some reason, whenever being near Rainbow Dash, she felt similar to her time in Trixie’s company: Annoyed. But why? When she first meet Trixie, she couldn’t stand her overblown ego, blinding pride, and superiority complex. Rainbow Dash, however, was acting more like an overly-enthusiastic fan, praising Daring Do, Quibble and her, so why didn’t she feel comfortable in her presence?

She shook her head. With the bad guys locked away and her job done, she had plenty of time to bond with Rainbow Dash. Some quality time together would certainly help them get along.

Nica narrowed her eyes as she looked towards the window of a nearby building, seeing a flashing blue eye for a fraction of second. The hostile aura she felt vanished in an instant. I better keep my eye on everypony from now on. I may be getting paranoid, but if there’s a risk that what I felt was the being who spreads curses, I better stay on guard.

Author's Note

And here we have it, folks. Rainbow Dash finally meet Nica, Quibble showed what he's capaible of when he's putting his mind to it, and the bad guy was locked in prison for his crime.

I hope my take on Quibble's character was to your liking. (Personally, I wasn't the fan of how this episode played out, and who's better to challenge the tropes of Daring Do story than Quibble himself).

Chapter 23 - Weakness

Little Lost Raichu

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Chapter 23
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Weakness

“Surrounded by changelings who were pretending to be us, outnumbered twenty to one, and guess what we did,” Dash said while sitting at a table with a few snacks, drinks and candles decorating it.

“Kicked their flanks?” Daring Do asked.

“Nailed it,” Dash said with a nod. She pushed a few donut fragments into her mouth with quick swing of her wing. “Even Fluttershy pulled her weight, tricking them into believing she was one of them, or making them trip over when she covered in fear. It was hilarious."

Quibble crossed his arms. “I get the impression that the ones that blocked you were the least experienced in combat among the swarm. Being beaten by a powerful spellcaster like Twilight or an athlete of your caliber is one thing, but being fooled and tripping over Fluttershy… that’s just embarrassing.”

Nica sat on a pillow, making up for her smaller size as only her head was visible above the table. Her ears perked up as she listened with full attention. While she already knew about this particular event from Thorax, learning about heroic deeds from Twilight’s friend’s perspective in nice company was quite appealing.

“They were total rookies,” Dash said with a grin. “We beat them like flies.” She spread her forelegs in excitement. “You should have seen that, Daring Do! It was epic!” She rubbed her puffed chest. “I was the one who beat the most of them, obviously. Even Twilight rapid-firing her magic beams didn’t help her reach my score.”

Nica narrowed her eyes. Here it is again. Be it facing Nightmare Moon, Discord or the changelings—she sure likes to point out how great she is. Does she think of herself to be better than her friends?

Dash picked up a glass of water, emptying half of it before slamming it at the table. She looked at Nica with a wide smile and said, “Your turn, Nica. Tell us about your amazing adventures as a mercenary.” She stared with a excited, toothy smile.

Nica rubbed the back of her neck. “They weren’t anything special.”

“Are you kidding? Of course they were special!” Dash stood up on her rear hooves and shouted, “Everypony who wants to hear Nica’s epic stories, come over! She's about to tell us her awesome adventures about being a mercenary! Lots of flank-kicking and explosions may be involved!”

Nica bit her bottom lip and her ears drooped as a few ponies who were present in the inn’s lobby approached her from all sides. She gulped and smiled sheepishly.

“Come on, tell us how awesome you were!”

The pokemon felt sweat drip down her forehead, and a big blush formed on her cheeks. She didn’t like bragging, and doing so in front of a crowd was even worse.

Nica’s eyes sparkled and her mouth was agape as she watched all the colors of the rainbow spread across the red sky with the sun descending behind hills of sand on the horizon in the background. It was one thing listening to Dash’s claims about her being the best flyer in Equestria while capable of performing a stunt called a ‘Sonic Rainboom,’ but seeing it with her own eyes was truly spectacular.

“Breathtaking..." she said to herself. I must admit, after all she has achieved, her bragging is understandable. She looked at her feet for a moment, which were slightly sinking in the loose soil. Not to mention that desert is actually nice at this hour. No scorching sun to worry about… though I think cleaning my fur from the sand is in order.

She leaped backward and covered her face protectively, sheltering her eyes from the spreading sand. Rainbow Dash landed in front of her with too much force for her liking.

“So, what do you think?” Dash asked while rubbing her chest pridefully.

“It was incredible!” Nica shouted, energetically shaking her forepaws. “I have seen many fast-flying pokemon in my life, but none of them have reached your speed.”

“Really?” Dash said with shock clear on her face. She quickly collected herself. “I mean… no surprise there. When it comes to flight and speed, I rule.”

Nica rolled her eyes.

“Speaking of speed, how about a race? I want to see your speed,” Dash said as she approached with firm steps.

“Race?” Nica asked. She pointed at Dash and herself. “But not just between the two of us, right?”

“Of course not!” Dash shouted with a dismissive shake of her foreleg. “We can start with a no-flying rule for the first round. Trust me, it’ll be lots of fun.”

Being challenged to a running race in the desert with the town in the background seemed like fun at first as her little paws pounded with the hot sand, the steps she made being covered by sand under the wind. After getting first place, however, she ended up rained upon with praise… too much praise. Pinkie Pie scored the second spot, Daring Do was third, and Rainbow Dash ended up being last. Despite the praise, Nica sensed Dash’s aura of jealousy. According to her memories, jealousy and wounded pride often motivated other pokemon to try harder, but could also lead to anger and hate on many occasions.

In round two, with flying being allowed, Rainbow Dash scored the first spot with little difficulty, and Pinkie Pie placed second. Despite running with all of her strength, Nica was slowly left behind by the athletic pegasus and party mare, barely keeping up with Daring Do as they shared the third spot in a draw.

Being able to use ‘Quick Attack’ would certainly even the odds, that’s for sure, she thought to herself. Still… how did Pinkie Pie reach such an incredible speed? It was as if she was holding back on our first race, only boosting her speed when flying was allowed. I thought I was fast, but she must be the fastest non-flying being in the world.

Despite sharing third place with Daring Do, Nica still received praise from the others, which she didn’t feel she deserved.

Various competitions and challenges, as well as an overwhelming amount of praise, followed as Dash’s arrogance and self-confidence started to shine. At first, the compliments simply embarrassed Nica, but it didn’t take long before she became sick of hearing the words “awesome” and “cool,” wishing never to hear them ever again.

Nica climbed onto her temporary bed inside the inn, perching herself on a pillow while staring at the ceiling. Now I see why I feel so uneasy in her presence and why I can’t stand her aura. Her boasting, ego, competitive nature and pride— it’s so overwhelming. She reminds me of many pokemon and trainers I met, or rather the aspect of them I dislike.

She turned around and pressed her face into the pillow as she groaned in annoyance. Still, she’s a national heroine who did a lot for her country. I wouldn’t mind her ego and boasting, if only she wasn’t praising others so much. We spent less than half a day together, and her saying how ‘amazing’ I am is driving me nuts! Jealousy, admiration, anger and so on, so many auras of emotion kept repeating themselves. She closed her eyes and relaxed herself. Maybe a solid rest will help clear my mind.

Despite being used to battling inside a massive open stadium filled with a cheering crowd and numerous video-cameras, Nica still found the sight breathtaking while feeling the importance of the event. Yet, the view seemed somewhat different this time around.

First, being much bigger herself, the crowd of humans no longer looked like a crowd of giants while the arena seemed much smaller. Secondly, she stood next to her trainer’s leg rather than on her shoulder, no longer watching her team in action from the higher ground.

The stadium itself was rounded and simple as it was host to the preliminary rounds, with a large yellow flat field before them.

“I may have lost my first round during the Unova League, but I have trained hard ever since. I won’t be stopped in the preliminary rounds! You hear?” the green-haired trainer in a kimono shouted while standing on the other side of the battlefield. “I won’t ashame myself and my family with an early loss. For the sake of my pride and honor, I will win!”

Nica observed the girl and her ears drooped. The aura of determination and self-confidence she sensed was soon going to turn into disappointment and anger.

“I apologize, but this time I cannot afford to lose. All my preparations, victories, and defeats have led to this very moment!” Astra shouted with narrowed eyes, her fist clenched. “This time, I’m holding nothing back!"

Nica looked to the side, unable to observe the one-sided battle. The negative aura she sensed from defeated pokemon only made her sad. One pokemon after another… Astra’s team rolled over their opposition without a single loss as the girl in the kimono was left with but one pokemon. No hidden training, no sending pokemon with type disadvantages, every move her trainer made was focused on achieving victory.

Despite being covered in bruises, Umbreon maintained his battle stance, ready for his last opponent to come so he could end the three vs. three battle.

“We… we won’t go down without a fight, go Dewott!”

Nica observed the last pokemon who stood in their way of victory. Sea-blue color, two shells —one on each side—black patches on its hands and feet… though upon a closer look, it was difficult to tell if the rear legs were specialized for running or swimming. The pokemon stared back with narrowed eyes with a round red nose in between them. The middle part of its body looked more like armor. A black tail peaked out from behind.

“Dewott is my partner, and has been with me ever since I chose him as a little Oshawott for my first journey. With him by my side, this fight is not lost just yet. Now it’s time for us to make our final stand, right Dewott?”

The pokemon glanced at his trainer and nodded. He turned around, picked up both of his shells as if holding two swords and challenged.

Umbreon growled.

“You’ve done enough, Umbreon. Return,” Astra shouted, waiting for the black pokemon to sit next to her legs, disappointment radiating in his eyes. “Alright, Nica. You’ll finish this.”

Nica looked up at her trainer and smiled sheepishly.

“You have a type advantage and your opponent can’t switch. Go and end this quickly,” Astra said with an encouraging voice.

Nica turned toward the battlefield and walked on her rear feet. Her eyes were still on Dewott, who didn’t show a single sign of fear, not even in his aura.

“It seems the battle between our partners will end this, though it doesn’t help that electricity has an advantage against water,” Astra commented, holding one hand on her hip.

“We may be at a disadvantage, but we’re not afraid. Dewott, use ‘Hydro Pump!’”

Dewott took a deep breath before unleashing a large jet of water.

Nica’s ears drooped, but not out of fear. She raised her left forepaw and concentrated, using ‘Light Screen’ to create a barrier against special attacks. While sending power into her tail, she moved it in front of herself, using the lightning-like part as a shield, which started shining metallic-grey. The water went through the barrier with greatly weakened pressure, striking her ‘Iron Tail’ with but half of the original force. Nica’s feet sank into the dirt as she easily held her ground against the incoming pressure.

“Perfect defense! Now, counter with ‘Thunderbolt!’” Astra commanded, one hand still on her hip while another pointed at the water pokemon.

Nica looked at Dewott, who braced for the impact, his face still serious.

Nica’s ears were still flattened against her head as she kept staring back in pity.

“Um… Nica, what are you waiting for?” Astra asked.

Nica glanced back at her trainer with a sheepish smile. She turned back towards the weaker pokemon.

Dewott’s serious face softened as he blinked curiously.

Nica nodded. She raised her tail, holding the metallic edge in front of herself. She pointed at her opponent and shouted,

“It seems your partner isn’t listening to you, I won’t let this opportunity slip away,” the girl in the kimono said before pointing at the Raichu. “Dewott, use ‘Swords Dance’ and follow it with ‘Aqua Jet!’”

Astra showed signs of worry. “Nica… this next attack will have speed and power behind it. Attack with ‘Thunderbolt’ while you still can.”

Nica shook her head and took a fighting stance, like a samurai with a raised katana ready for an opponent to make the first move. The moment the empowered Dewott surrounded himself with water and launched himself in her direction, Nica stood on her rear leg and performed a quick spin, hitting her attacker’s side with the blunt part of her tail while being pushed in the opposite direction from the recoil.

With her opponent crashing into the ground next to her, she leaped forward, attacking with ‘Iron Tail.’

“Dewott, defend with ‘Razor Shell’ and push back!”

Dewott did as he was told, picking up his two shells, as if grabbing two swords, and starting to swing. The clash between hard shell and the metallic tail sounded like a clash between two swords and a katana. Water and sparks splashed from each strike.

Astra facepalmed. “Nica… I should have known.” She sat and started stroking her Umbreon while observing the spectacle.

Umbreon cheered.

The trainer on the opposite side stared at the scene, rubbing her head in confusion.

Dewott pressed on with the attack, trying to push his right shell towards Nica’s belly.

Nica leaped lightly to the side, slapping the left shell out of Dewott’s hand with her tail before striking him in the chest. As her opponent took a few steps backward, she swung her tail under his legs, tripping him. She swung her tail towards Dewott’s head, only to stop it a centimeter in front of his nose.

Dewott stared back with wide eyes, his breathing and heartbeat hastened.

Nica said as she wrapped her tail around her foe’s hand and pulled him to a standing position, only to run towards the shell and push it in his direction. She rubbed the back of her neck as a blush appeared on her cheeks.

He pointed at her and asked,

Nica said, now holding a paw on her chest.

Nica nodded.

Dewott asked.

Nica said with a cheerful smile,

Dewott blinked in confusion and rubbed his cheek with his shell.

Nica said with a nod before taking a fighting stance.

Dewott held his hands together in front of his head before performing a respectful bow. He took a fighting stance and smiled, his face no longer as serious as before.

Nica held her forepaws together and bowed in respect as well, mimicking her opponents gesture. She raised her own tail as it started shining with power.

The crowd cheered for the combatants as noise sword-clashes filled the area once more. Some of the crowd who at first cheered for the water-type underdog now cheered for Nica instead.

With the preliminary rounds over, Astra was now among eight trainers with just three battles standing in between her and the Elite Four.

With a gigantic flying water monster called ‘Gyarados’ on the field, the best option for Astra was sending her trusty partner, having four times an advantage thanks to her electricity. After the previous fight, however, things didn’t seem so simple.

“Come on, Nica! One or two ‘Thunderbolts’ is all we need!” Astra shouted, now standing on a tall platform high above the ground, as was the other trainer.

Nica’s ears drooped as she looked upon the intimidating beast in pity. With Gyarados being both water and flying type, using electricity against it was overkill. She raised her tail and swore,

The mighty beast stared back while hovering over the pool of water in the middle of the rocky field. he asked, studying the smaller creature with narrowed eyes.

Nica held her forepaws together and performed a respectful bow before raising her metalic tail.

The battle began and Nica’s jumping ability was put to the test. She leapt over the battlefield, jumping towards and away form the massive flying best while striking it with her tail.

Gyarados answered with ‘Aqua Tail.’ Three times a large stone structure ended up crushed under the powerful blow, and the fourth strike easily overpowered Nica’s ‘Iron Tail’ and slammed her into the stone.

The male trainer kept staring with a grin on his face. “I think I won’t be switching my pokemon for this. I like where this is going.”

Nica pushed the heavy stone aside and ran away from rubble of the crushed rocky formation, continuing to fight without care. No matter how big or intimidating her foe was, she wouldn’t use electricity.

Astra massaged her forehead and next stared in silence, mouthing the words ‘not again.’

“Enough playing around. Time to show my ace in the hole!” the trainer shouted. He held a round stone with a DNA helix in the center. He spun around and struck a pose as the stone shone brightly.

Nica’s eyes became wide. She stared at Gyarados, who started shining gold. The Gyarados grew even bigger, his build now darker and more sturdy. Many fins grew on his body, with one large fin standing out on his back. A loud, intimidating roar filled the area. The mighty being fell into the pool of water with a loud splash, no longer able to fly over the battlefield.

Nica gulped before taking a step forward and clenching bronze patches at the end of her forepaws, her metalic tail raised high and ready.

“So, this is the mega-evolution I have heard about. It looks even more impressive than rumors indicated,” Astra said before looking at her partner. “Nica, Mega Gyarados is a water/dark-type and is way more powerful. You can afford to use electricity now.”

Nica shook her head.

The large beast stopped his roar and looked back at her.

Nica shouted, her eyes narrowed and ears straightened upward.

The enraged look on Mega Gyarados softened slightly.

Nica sent all the power into her tail and bent her legs, preparing for a jump. She leaped towards her large adversary, slamming her “Iron Tail’ against his massive body before pushing herself against it, just in time to avoid the move ‘Crunch,’ which had tons of force behind it. Despite striking her opponent and evading most of his attacks, there was little freedom when forcing herself into close-range combat. It didn’t take long before the Mega Gyarados crushed her between his massive jaws. She then felt his massive tail send her flying into the large rocky formation with even more strength than before.

Despite her injuries, she kept standing up. Her ‘Iron Tail’ left but scratches on the massive water-type pokemon. The battle dragged on as she evaded three powerful streams of water, only for the fourth to crush her into the stone, piercing two meters of rock as she crashed out the other side. Out of three ‘Hyper Beam’ attacks, one struck her ‘Light Screen’ and ‘Iron Tail’ simultaneously, breaking them both at the same time as her body accumulated more bruises.

Her legs refused to heed her call as she struggled to stand, glaring at her foe. Heavy-looking eyes, as well as numerous bruises and cuts on the trembling body of the large beast, indicated that he was at his limits as well.

Due to her legs sustaining injury during the long battle, jumping to evade an attack was out of the question. This left her with only ‘Thunderbolt’ to attack at long range to seal her victory. Unable to move, she stared at the charging ‘Hyper Beam’ before closing her eyes, refusing to use electricity to the very end while accepting defeat. She grit her teeth, only to scream in pain as she flew across the battlefield. She felt the back of her head slam into something hard before her senses and vision blacked out, leaving her unconscious among the rubble of destroyed boulder.

The moment she opened her eyes, Nica found herself in the embrace of her trainer, who stared at her in pity. There was no anger in Astra’s aura, no disappointment for disobeying her, only concern and worry.

“You should know better than to try to fight a water/dark mega-evolved pokemon with only your tail. ‘Iron Tail’ is an essential part of your defense, but as your only offensive tool, it’s not enough,” Astra said, stepping outside of the stadium and heading toward the Pokemon Center. “While you managed to defeat Dewott, Mega Gyarados was just too much. However, you weakened his strongest pokemon, and in the end we still had two pokemon left after achieving our victory.

Nica smiled weakly. She expected nothing less from the rest of the team.

“Speaking of the Dewott you faced… you should glance at the lower part of the audience-stand from time to time. During that last match, I think he was out of his pokeball just to cheer for you,” Astra said with a weak smile.

Nica closed her eyes and smiled cheerfully. She was certainly going to look at the audience in the next round.

Once again by her trainer’s side, Nica stared at the sandstorm that covered most of the area. Astra’s Starmie and the opponent’s Onix were hidden from their view. Apparently, the young trainer from Kanto, after failing to get enough badges in time for the Kanto League, started traveling and decided to try his luck in Sinnoh.

While lacking a strong team and experience, the young male trainer, Lauki, somewhat made up for it with creativity. The moment Astra’s Starmie was sent into the field, Onix summoned a sandstorm and hid in it while evading the water-type attacks. With ‘Dig’ and ‘Earthquake’ added into the mix, he kept on his flexible playstyle both defensively and offensively.

Nica commanded as she kept looking at the moving sand. She focused on sensing the auras of both pokemon, easily tracking Onix’s movements, even when underground.

The large rocky creature rocketed through the sandstorm, crashing into a nearby stone.

“Onix, No!” Lauki shouted as he withdrew his pokemon. He grit his teeth.

Nica tapped her forepaws together, feeling a surge of guilt. While her trainer asked her to provide support, was it fair for her to do so against a weaker opponent? She knew that it helped cover for Astra’s shortcomings when it came to improvisation and creativity, but she still felt somewhat of a cheater. She glanced at the large screen showing five defeated pokemon on Lauki’s side and none on Astra’s. She whimpered. There was nothing fair in making a one-sided battle even more one-sided.

“This is not over yet! Go, Pikachu! I choose you!” Lauki shouted, throwing his pokeball with a strong swing, like a basketball player but slightly more over the top.

Nica looked at her opponent’s final pokemon and took a step back, suddenly feeling a strong surge of nostalgia.

Astra withdrew her Starmie, crouched, and gently pushed Nica forward. “See, it is an electric pokemon. Not a water one, not a flying one. No type advantage here.”

Nica glanced at the smiling face of her trainer and bit her lip before looking at the Pikachu. She then jumped onto the stage and walked forward with hesitant steps, her ears drooped. A quick look at Pikachu’s tail was enough to discern that it was a male. Type advantage or not… being a Raichu tips the odds greatly in my favor.

“If you think your Raichu can intimidate us, you’re wrong. Right, Pikachu?” Lauki asked.

Pikachu said with a firm nod as bolts of electricity started escaping his red cheeks. His sheer determination and courage however didn’t intimidate Nica, nor made her angry. Instead, she just started back in sadness and rubbed her arm nervously. Hesitation clear on her face.

"When backed into the corner, one fights even more fiercely, and you can expect nothing less from us. At worst, we’ll apply for another league and come back stronger!” The young boy clenched his fist and swung it. “But if we’re going down, we’re going down with a bang!”

Author's Note

For those of you who ealier in the story were wondering why Nica was so peaceful and didn't like hurting and fighting, while also being really durable and athletic (which indicated that she had a lot of fighting experience), I hope this chapter will give you a lot to think about.

As always I'm looking forward to your comments. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter despite it being mostly a dream scene.

Cheers.

Chapter 23.5 - Strength

Little Lost Raichu

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Chapter 23.5
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Strength

"When backed into the corner, one fights even more fiercely, and you can expect nothing less from us. At worst, we’ll apply for another league and come back stronger!” The young boy, Lauki, clenched his fist and swung it. “But if we’re going down, we’re going down with a bang!”

Lauki’s Pikachu pointed at Nica and shouted, As several seconds passed in silence, Pikachu’s determined face softened a bit.

Nica looked to the side, not feeling comfortable in the least.

The crowd murmured among themselves, unsure who to cheer for.

“Pikachu, attack with ‘Thunderbolt!’ Show everyone your true power!” Lauki commanded.

Pikachu nodded before jumping up, sending the strongest attack he could muster.

Nica glanced at Pikachu and raised one paw, summoning ‘Light Screen’ for additional protection. She pressed her tail into the ground behind her. She didn’t blink as the weakened electricity went through her towards the soil, causing minimal damage.

“Great work! Now, counterattack with ‘Volt Tackle’ and ‘Iron Tail’ at the same time!” Astra commanded, only to be met with silence. “No… Not again!” She sat and wrapped her arms around her knees as she released a sigh of disappointment. “Fine, do whatever you want. We’ll win anyway in the end.”

Pikachu blinked in confusion.

Nica shook her head in silence.

Pikachu asked, taking hesitant steps forward. He stomped and clenched his left forepaw.

Nica said in a saddened tone. By feeling the strength behind the last attack, she knew the power difference between them. Any attempt of attacking would end up as picking on a weaker and smaller pokemon.

“Hey, stop underestimating us! Pikachu, attack with ‘Quick Attack!’ Show them that you’re not a small fry!” Lauki commanded.

Pikachu nodded before running towards Nica, picking up in speed with each passing second.

Nica looked to the side, sending a small portion of power into her tail before swinging it. The moment Pikachu’s head was about to make contact with her belly, her tail pushed him lightly to the side.

Pikachu pressed his paws into the ground, spreading dust all around while pushing himself to a full stop.

Nica stared at the sky absentmindedly.

Pikachu grit his teeth.

Nica responded as she lowered her head, now staring at the ground in guilt.

“Pikachu, ‘Thunderbolt!’” Lauki commanded.

Pikachu heeded the command, only for Nica to leap to the side, evading the attack.

Nica explained and turned around, now facing the smaller pokemon.

She slowly raised her left leg, allowing her body to tilt slightly to the side before jumping left using her right leg. The moment she landed on her right forepaw, she looked behind her and pushed herself up and backward, performing a backflip.

Pikachu blinked. <Okay… I’ll… consider it.>

Nica shouted, her tone suddenly commanding. She spread her forepaws as an invitation.

Pikachu took a step back and nodded hastily.

Nica observed movements of her opponent before jumping to the side, evading another ‘Thunderbolt.’ As she had hoped for, the trajectory of the attack shifted in her direction. The moment her rear paw made contact with the ground, she pushed herself up and in the opposite direction, performing a backflip over the bolts of electricity before rolling on the ground. She stood up on her four paws.

Pikachu started breathing lightly as he gathered electricity for another attack.

Nica’s attempt to evade this time was met with failure as one third of the electricity managed to intercept her evading maneuvers in mid-air, leaving a few tiny burns while pushing her backward. She smiled proudly and started clapping her paws.

Pikachu said as his ears drooped, his mind a mess.

“Hey, Pikachu, stop attacking without my commands! Are you doing what that Raichu is telling you to do?!” Lauki shouted.

Pikachu glanced at his trainer and rubbed back of his neck, chuckling nervously.

“Confuse this Raichu with ‘Double Team!’”

Pikachu nodded before summoning his copies, surrounding Nica from all sides who in response closed her eyes.

As several seconds passed without a single response, Lauki commanded, “Use ‘Quick Attack!'”

Nica sensed the aura of Pikachu among all the copies, performing a backflip while lightly pressing her tail against real Pikachu’s back, pinning him against the ground while the copies vanished all at once. She noticed how smaller yellow paws pressed against the ground in an attempt to push his body free from under her tail away… fruitlessly.

She withdrew her tail and helped Pikachu stand, wiping dust away from the yellow fur with the help of her forepaws.

Nica shook her head and patted Pikachu on the shoulder. She glanced at the audience stands, noticing a familiar Dewott before waving at him, who hid his blush behind his hand in response.

Pikachu smiled nervously. This was going to be a weird day.

As the battle dragged on for nearly half-an-hour, Nica struggled to stand, each of her limbs and most of her body now covered in bruises and burns. Despite her massive advantage, telling her opponent what to do to hit her and how to bypass her defenses led to her accumulating damage from numerous electric attacks and then some.

She observed her adversary who lied flat on the battleground on his belly, sweat covering most of his body. It became clear to Nica that Pikachu’s stamina was at its limits.

Nica asked, approaching as her bruised feet trembled with each step. She carefully pushed her tail under Pikachu’s belly and heaved, pushing him to a standing position, only for him to trip over onto his back.

Nica chuckled. After the first ten minutes of… friendly sparing… the Pikachu started calling her his “sensei,” no longer seeing as a rival or opponent, but more like an idol and mentor. Not that she minded. Training seemed to be the only part of battling that brought her enjoyment for those past months, and an opportunity to pass her knowledge to a young talent seemed very attractive. In fact… training another instead of fighting him left a pleasant feeling of happiness and fulfillment in her heart.

She gently picked up Pikachu with her forepaws, now approaching his trainer with struggle in each of her steps. Despite the bigger size of her rear legs, being struck twice in a row by ‘Quick Attacks’ on the bronze patch of her leg still hurt a lot.

The trainer looked her in the eyes and gently picked up his Pikachu into his arms. “Well… I can say that I found it to be weird at first, asking myself why my Pikachu started attacking on his own, doing tricks I didn’t teach him, and also why didn’t you fight back.” Lauki smiled. “But all this time you were just sharing your experience, didn’t you?” The moment he received a nod as an answer, he added, “I suppose I should thank you. As weird as you are to turn an official battle into a training session… not to mention win without fighting back, you helped me learn plenty about my Pikachu and what he can do by watching you two.”

Nica said with glee. As she started walking back to her own trainer and no longer distracted, she sensed an aura of admiration and looked around at the gathered crowd as a simple question was born in her mind. I didn't fight back or did anything impressive... so why are they admiring me?

Unlike the previous fights, the final match was against a four year veteran, Grey, whose intimidating team and merciless approach caused hundreds of gasps among the crowd more than once. Outside of power, he was also well known for hospitalizing his opponent’s pokemon… into a critical condition, often commanding his pokemon to unleash overkill blows against opponents which weren’t tough enough to endure it. It was a fight they needed to take seriously.

As Astra raised her hand for a handshake, it ended up being slapped to the side.

“Sorry, but I don’t shake hands with weaklings and lossers,” Grey said, ignoring the noise of the disappointed crowd.

“Weaklings and lossers, you say,” Astra said with narrowed eyes.

Grey looked down at Nica and said, “Of course. How else should I call a trainer who uses a pathetic pokemon like Raichu who doesn’t even listen to them?”

Nica’s ears drooped as she looked down and tapped her paws together. During this league she was doing nothing but holding her trainer back.

Grey chuckled before going to his platform, waiting for Astra to do the same. “Allow me to show you true power! Go Metagross.”

The massive blue head with four limbs landed on the area with a loud thumb and weak quake. Grey armor in the shape of an ‘X‘ being present between its eyes.

“Metagross is the one of the most powerful non-legendary pokemon in the world. I would even say it’s powerful enough to give legendary pokemon a hard time!” Grey shouted with an arrogantly raised head and crossed arms. He rubbed his nose and added, “Powerful offense, extremely solid defenses, strong steel typing and above average speed. With him by my side, I’ll overpower the Elite Four and take the well deserved title of Sinnoh champion!”

Nica narrowed her eyes. Did this trainer just say that Metagross was close to the power of a legendary pokemon? She jumped towards the arena on her own.

“Nica?” Astra asked before smiling. “It seems my partner is interested in beating your ace!”

“Partner? Raichu is your partner? Don’t make me laugh!” Grey shouted.

Nica’s ears perked up as familiar voices caught her attention. She looked at the audience, noticing Dewott dancing with his shells like a cheerleader.

The Pikachu she faced in last battle cheered for her from Lauki’s head.

Nica smiled cheerfully, feeling encouraged by words of her former opponents and new friends.

“I mean, why did you even decide to train Raichu? Of all electric pokemon, this one is probably the worst!” Grey shouted.

Nica turned towards the arrogant trainer, listening with full attention.

“Magnezone have better typing, more power and durability, and Electivire is just as strong. They both are powerhouses,” Grey pointed out, giving Nica a sassy smile. “Even weak pokemon like Ampharos and Luxray are still a better option, while Eelektross has no weakness due to his levitation.”

“Power isn’t everything!” Astra responded as she clenched her fists. “Raichu’s speed and agility aren’t to be underestimated.”

“Oh puh-lease. If speed is what you’re after, you could just get Jolteon. He’s faster and stronger, far superior to Raichu in every way. To be honest, Raichu’s whole evolution line is the worst. Even Electivire’s first evolution is stronger than Raichu’s second one.”

Pikachu on Lauki’s head yelled with all strength in his lungs. He continued while stomping on his trainer’s head who grabbed him with his hands in attempt to restrain him.

Electricity started escaping from dots on Nica’s cheeks as she narrowed her eyes and bent her legs, her tail raised threateningly.

Astra grinned and murmured to herself, “Oh please, do go on.”

Grey activated DNA helix in the center in a small rounded stone on his belt as it started to shine. His Metagross shone brightly, transforming before Nica’s very eyes. The large head was now floating above the battlefield with four limbs now looking like four large arms with three big claws on each. A large spike was present on its head.

“The power of Mega Metagross surpasses even the power of a legendary pokemon. With its might on my side, I’ll crush the Elite Four and even the champion with ease. Compared to this magnificent pokemon, your Raichu is but a Caterpie to step on. This pokemon is superior in power to nearly every pokemon in the world!”

Nica’s tail turned into metallic grey, shining with power, while bolts of electricity started appearing on her entire body. Her ears perked up, muscles tense, all senses sharp and at full alert.

Astra looked to the side, held one hand on her hip and said, “I must thank you, Mr. Grey.”

“Thank me? Whatever for?”

“For triggering my Raichu. Thanks to your long and motivating speech, Nica is finally going to unleash her full potential.” Astra chuckled. “Your words convinced her that she’ll battle against impossible odds, so now she won’t hold anything back. In other words, I won.”

Grey rubbed his nose arrogantly. “Full potential, such garbage, Mega Metagross, attack with ‘Meteor Mash,’ crush this Raichu with your overwhelming power and show its inferiority!”

Nica stood on her two feet and spread her forepaws, observing her large foe with full attention. Mega Metagross held four of his clawed hands together before charging forward, its body surrounded by a blue aura. The moment all the claws were but a centimeter in front of her belly, she grabbed them with all four paws, feeling the massive speed and power pushing her against a stone formation with force far superior to the one of Mega Gyarados.

“Mega Metagross’ ability increases the power of all contact moves. In language a trainer like you can understand, it’s over,” Grey said as he fixed his hair in a taunting gesture. “Huh, what’s that?” He asked as a large portion of electricity started to escape from the descending dust.

“You forgot that steel attacks aren’t very effective against electric pokemon, and trust me, my Raichu can take a hit,” Astra said as she crossed her arms and grinned.

The cloud of dust cleared out, revealing Nica standing strong with numerous cuts visible on her white belly. The floating giant’s eyes were closed as numerous sparks were circling all over its metallic body.

“B-but… he struck your pokemon with so much force…” Grey said, his mouth agape.

“And she paralyzed your pokemon with her ability, Static. She purposely took the full bulk of its hit on herself, focusing all her willpower to paralyze your pokemon. Not to mention that with the cloud of dust in the area, she probably added a ‘Thunderbolt’ or two while your pokemon was still blinded by it.”

Grey grit his teeth and swung his arm. “No matter, my pokemon have plenty of power, bulk and speed. Mega Metagross, use ‘Zen Headbutt.’”

“A psychic move that isn’t resisted by my Raichu and take advantage of your pokemon’s skill, I say, it would be truly devastating if…” Astra paused as Nica jumped over Mega Metagross, sending electricity against it from above. “If this attack actually hit. My partner purposely paralyzed your pokemon to slow it down, and now she can evade everything it can throw at her.”

“We’ll see about that, Mega Metagross, use ‘Meteor Mash,’ ‘Zen Headbutt,’ ‘Bullet Punch’ and ‘Hammer Arm.’ Crush that Raichu with everything you’ve got! Keep on the pressure!”

Massive explosions and quakes overtook the area as the floating metallic pokemon slammed its sharp claws and even entire body all over the battlefield, using one powerful attack after another without a break. In response, Nica jumped from one rocky formation to another, leaping to the side while keeping track of her opponent, using ‘Iron Tail’ to push her opponent’s arms or Mega Metagross itself to the side. Like a fencer evading and parrying powerful hits while using only bits of her strength, she slowly tired her opponent, finding its attacks to be… too predictable. All brute force and not a single bit of finesse. In a sense, her opponent was doing her a big favor, becoming slower and more tired at a quick pace while only occasionally giving her a few scratches.

After only three minutes, Mega Metagross crashed into the ground from fatigue.

“You have an opening, get on its back and switch to full offense!” Astra commanded.

Nica did as she was told, holding the edges of the metallic giant with her forepaws while wrapping her tail around thin part of its arms. With a loud scream, she summoned a ‘Thunderbolt’ in a flashy display.

“What are you doing, shake her off!” Grey commanded.

“I must congratulate you, Grey. You managed to make your pokemon lose more than half of its stamina in only three minutes. I’m impressed,” Astra said with a sassy smile, causing her opponent’s face to turn slightly red.

Mega Metagross endured one electric attack after another before pushing itself into the air, now moving in random directions while hovering above the ground. Little it did as Nica’s tail anchored her to his arm and provided stability.

“Squash her against the ground and rocks!” Grey commanded.

Mega Metagross turned upside down, falling towards the ground.

Using her climbing abilities and improved reflexes, Nica ran to the side, using her tail to push herself to the arm of the giant before climbing onto other side of the pokemon’s head, sending another ‘Thunderbolt’ against it.

Pikachu shouted.

Dewott shouted.

Mega Metagross flew up and rolled, repeating his previous trick, only for Nica to already climb to the other side of its head. In desperation, he flew towards the rocky formations, smashing its own body against it as the numerous stones left scratches and bruises on Nica’s fur.

Mega Metagross crashed into the ground with little energy left as its opponent clung to him, sending never-ending electricity through its metallic bones.

“Mega Metagross, return! Snorlax, use ‘Body Slam!” Grey shouted after quickly switching his top pokemon for another.

Pikachu shouted before biting his paws nervously.

Nica raised her head, staring at the descending giant while devoid of fear. Full weight and force of the attack pressed against her as her body sank into the soil, only to unleash paralyzing electricity. Dewott, Pikachu and their respective trainers looked to the side and bit their lips.

Using the full strength of her bigger limbs, Nica crawled and pushed herself free from under the heavy pokemon, returning the crushing gesture with a swing of her ‘Iron Tail.'”

Both Pikachu and Dewott wipe sweat from their foreheads and sighed in relief.

“How’s she still standing? No matter, there’s no pokemon tough enough to endure Snorlax’s Z-move. He’ll flatten your Raichu.”

Astra kept staring at the battle with crossed arms and satisfied smile. “Nica, wait for the right moment and jump.”

Nica did as she was told, observing as the giant bag of meat charged at her like a speeding train. The moment it jumped, so did she… and her jumping proved to be much higher. With a fully charged tail while performing a triple-somersault, she slammed Snorlax’s head from above, sending him crashing towards the ground while flying even higher due to the recoil. Using the momentum of her falling speed, she repeated her name and delivered a combination between 'Volt Tackle' and ‘Iron Tail’ while her large foe struggled to free himself from the ground.

“Time for a Z-move of our own,” Astra said as she performed the pose for ‘Gigavolt Havoc,’ yet nothing happened. “W-what the? My Z-crystal, what happened to it?”

Nica glanced at her trainer for a moment before looking directly at her opponent. Whatever happened to the Z-crystal, she couldn’t let it distract her even for a moment. She started a barrage of ‘Thunderbolt’s, ‘Iron Tail’s and ‘Volt Tackle’s while evading her slow and paralyzed opponent. Snorlax was called back into his pokeball.

She landed on the ground, breathing heavily. Despite conserving her stamina, fighting many powerful pokemon in a row started to tire even her.

“Go Heatran, use ‘Lava Plume’ and next ‘Magma Storm,’ fill the area with lava!” Grey commanded.

Nica took a step back, never before encountering such a pokemon. In terms of shape, it seemed similar to a Metagross. Most of its body bronze and covered by orange flaming dots, while steel armor was present on most of its head and each of its limbs. As if a mix of dirt, lava and steel.

“Nica, watch out, it’s a fire/steel type. Your ‘Iron Tail’ won’t protect you, but your ‘Light Screen’ will!”

Nica nodded before jumping onto one of the two last stone formations still present on the battlefield before summoning a barrier with her paw. Drops of sweat started falling down her forehead as lava surrounded her from all sides. She jumped up over the concentrated stream of lava. The moment she landed, she grit her teeth, struggling not to scream in pain. The stone she used as a safe island was now melting under her feet. With help of electricity, she pushed the melting part of the stone away, yet the safe island shrank in size as the result.

She glared at Heatran who stood on a large stone as well. After sending a ‘Thunderbolt’ at her opponent who didn’t bother to dodge, she waited for another ‘Magma Storm’ before using ‘Volt Tackle.’ Now surrounded by electricity and protected by ‘Light Screen,' she ran into the sea of lava, dashing through it before emerging from the hot substance, striking the Heatran with her own head. The heavy pokemon splashed against the lava of its own creation.

Nica screamed in pain as smoke was rising from her body. Despite her protection, her beaten body was now slightly scorched. Was it just lava, or maybe the pokemon she struck rapidly increased temperature of her body upon contact. She grit her teeth and opened her eyes, focusing on Heatran who emerged from the lava.

“Use electricity to keep it in the lava!” Astra commanded. “This pokemon seems to be hurting, its ability must be ‘Flaming Body’ rather than ‘Flash Fire.’ Let’s use its own lava against it.”

Nica did as she was told, ignoring her pain as she struck her opponent each time its head emerged.

“Heatran, return. Go, Mega Metagross,” Grey shouted as he pointed at Nica. “There’s little room to evade. Attack with Zen headbutt, destroy the rocky formation she’s standing on!”

Wasn’t steel type weak to fire attacks? Nica glanced at the surrounding lava and grinned as plan was born in her mind. The moment Mega Metagross slammed into the rock, she wrapped her tail against one of its arms, taking a ride. She used one ‘Thunderbolt’ after another before pushing Mega Metagross into the lava with a solid slam of her tail.

She jumped up as high as she could before sharing her foe’s fate. Upon seeing head of her opponent emerge from the lava, she started repeating her name, surrounding herself with aura of electricity before striking her foe with full might of ‘Volt Tackle’ and gravity while causing a massive splash of lava. She shook her head, finding herself standing on Mega Metagross which was sinking into lava while walls of hot liquid were closing in from all sides. She jumped up in an instant before falling into the hot substance once again.

Much to her relief, she was summoned back into her pokeball and then released next to her trainer’s legs.

With a bit of struggle, she pushed herself to stand on her trembling legs as she now observed the pool of lava from the platform. Mega Metagross emerged from it and returned back to its original form before losing consciousness.

“I have never seen you fighting with such incredible skill and dedication, Nica, you were amazing,” Astra said as she was about to rub top of her head.

Nica pushed herself to the side, losing balance in the process. She was breathing heavily and struggled to keep her eyes open. She grit her teeth upon feeling the unpleasant heat and started searching for leftovers of lava while noticing tiny flames among her fur.

Astra bit her lip upon noticing smoke still coming from her partner’s fur before turning towards the battlefield, sending Ninetales into the field who now stood on tips of its paws, balanced on a small leftover of destroyed stone.

Nica turned her head, now looking at two familiar pokemon in the audience stand who looked back at her with a mix of shock and admiration. She glanced back at the battlefield and breathed heavily. Once the lava cooled down a bit and the fire the on her fur weakened, she was going back into the field. There were still some bits of stamina and durability left in her, and she didn’t plan to rest until she used it all to the last drop.

With the golden cup trophy symbolizing their victory in Astra’s hand, Nica walked side by side with her trainer, her body still showing numerous burns. The rest of the team seemed only a little better. While Grey lacked here and there in terms of trainer skills and his team lacked in finesse, in terms of power they seemed unmatched, giving them all a hard time. Though the crowd certainly seemed happy that Grey didn’t earn the trophy in the end.

They walked through a tunnel towards the exit from the stadium with the Pokemon Center as their destination.

Nica stopped in her tracks and turned around, sensing a strong aura of malice nearby. Could it be Grey? No, if it was the case, she would sense embarrassment, humiliation and jealousy, and certainly not this amount of malice. Her ears drooped as realization struck her. She ran towards her trainer’s backpack and wrote a warning.

Astra narrowed her eyes before digging out the healing potions she had for such an emergency. Healing their team was interrupted as familiar faces and voices caught their attention. Pikachu, Dewott and their respective trainers approached, no doubt to congratulate them.

Nica bit her bottom lip. If her instincts were correct, they were but minutes away from the deciding confrontation with ‘Deathblow.’ She wouldn’t forgive herself if those two trainers and their pokemon ended up in the crossfire. She already had one death father haunting her consciousness, she wasn’t going to fail again… no matter what.

Chapter 24 - Before the Storm

Little Lost Raichu

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Chapter 24
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Before the Storm

“Are they complicated? Nah, the rules of buckball are simple,” Pinkie said as she addressed a small group of ponies while holding a red ball in her hoof. The town was in the background behind them, the pyramid was ahead, and sand was under their hooves. Rainbow Dash sat by her side while Nica, Quibble and Daring Do were sitting before them.

Pinkie marked a large square area on the sand with her hoof before placing two baskets on opposite sides. “Each team has one unicorn, one pegasus and one earth pony. The unicorns’ job is to levitate the basket on both sides.” She pulled two unicorns from the crowd and placed them on opposite sides of the sandy field. “Two earth ponies try to kick this red ball into the basket on the opposite side of the field.” She started to bounce the ball on her rear hoof before swing-kicking it into the nearby basket on the ground. Rainbow Dash intercepted the ball with a kick of her own, now hovering in front of the basket.

“And the pegasi tries to prevent the opposite team from scoring,” Dash said and crossed her arms. “Any questions?”

“I have one,” Quibble said, raising his hoof. “Is the job of a unicorn to move the basket around so that opposite team can’t score any points?”

“No…” Dash said slowly, shaking her head. “The unicorn on the opposite side is from your team.”

“If that’s the case, is it their job to move the basket around to give their team a better opportunity to strike while away from pegasi defending it?” Quibble asked.

“No…” Dash said. “They just hold the basket in place. Maybe move it a few centimeters to catch the ball, but nothing more than that. At least I think so. This is what they were doing during our previous games.”

Pinkie rubbed back of her neck. “I don’t remember the rules all that well, and Snails or any other unicorn weren’t moving their basket around all that much.” She shrugged. “To be fair, this was a new game. Maybe unicorns were allowed to be more creative with their tricks and didn’t take advantage of it, I dunno.”

Quibble frowned. “So, let me get this straight. Earth ponies have an important offensive job, pegasi have an important defensive job, but unicorns just… hold the basket above the ground? That’s all?” He facehooved. “If those are the rules, what prevents a pegasus from camping a basket? I mean, the basket is only a little bit bigger than the pony. Why would pegasi even need to fly around if they can just hover in front of the levitated basket and block it with their bodies?”

“Well…”

Daring Do spoke up. “He does have a point. The role of the unicorns in the game seems extremely limited and boring.”

“I agree,” Nica said with a nod. “Seems unfair that only two ponies out of three in each team have important roles. Everyone should be having fun.”

As the murmurs started to spread among the crowd, Pinkie looked up at Dash and said, “Can’t argue with that. Now that I think about it, why did you even fly towards the basket all this time instead of just hovering in front of it like Fluttershy did?”

Dash groaned. “Fine… how about this. Unicorns can run and move the basket on the edges of the playing area to help their team score a goal. Will this work?”

Quibble nodded. “I find it satisfactory. Though I think limiting ourselves to only three members per team also limits the teamwork and makes the game too linear. How about each team having two earth ponies and one pegasus for offense, and one pegasus for defense. It would allow better teamwork and make the game more dynamic.”

“If Mr. Quibble thinks that expanding the team would improve the game, I absolutely agree,” one earth pony said form the crowd as more ponies nodded in agreement.

“Fine, so, how do we set up the teams?” Dash asked.

“For the sake of fairness and considering Dash’s and Pinkie’s vast experience in this game, I have determined the best squads,” Quibble said with a proudly raised head.

Dash rolled her eyes. After the previous day’s display, Quibble’s opinions became near unquestionable. It wouldn’t surprise her if they picked him as a mayor or something.

Quibble pointed at the crowd of ponies while assigning them. “Rainbow Dash, team A, defense. Daring Do, team B, defense. Pinkie Pie, team A offense, Nica, team B offense.” He looked between the crowd, adding two extra pegasi, two extra earth ponies and two unicorns into teams before pointing at himself. “And I’ll be the judge.”

Rainbow Dash narrowed her eyes, giving Daring Do and Nica a challenging stare. “It. Is. On!”

After half an hour of warm up and practice, the two teams faced each other.

Rainbow Dash’s full attention rested on Nica, watching as the large critter started stretching herself, most likely preparing some super cool and badass strategy. Okay Dash, here it is: Your chance to see this famous Raichu in action and show her what you’re made of. Don’t screw it up.

Quibble pushed the ball into the air and blew a whistle, announcing the start of the game.

Both Pinkie Pie and Nica jumped at the same time while cheerful smiles were painted on their faces. While the energetic earth pony performed a backflip in attempt to kick the ball towards her flying team member, the longer reach of Nica’s tail beat her to it.

Did she just… outplay Pinkie? Dash thought, remembering the embarrassment she and Applejack endured while playing against the unstoppable Pinkie-Fluttershy duo.

The ball flew towards an earth pony from team B, who bounced the ball with his head and passed it to Daring Do.

Too distracted from the game by observing her idol, Dash failed to notice that the basket was no longer levitating behind her, but instead was levitating on the left edge of the area. Realizing her mistake, Dash flew towards it, but not fast enough. The ball Daring Do kicked went in.

“That’s one point for team B. Can team A make up for it, or will Rainbow Dash once again start embarrassing herself before her idol!” Quibble said in an enthusiastic voice as the nearby crowd clapped their hooves.

Dash groaned, shooting her talkative friend an annoyed glare. Calm down, Dash, it was just a fluke. Now this is where the real game starts.

As both Pinkie and Nica jumped up again towards the ball, both tails made contact with it at the same time, pushing it up even further. Both mare and Nica landed and performed another jump, striking the ball with their tail at the same time as the ball flew even higher. With a solid jump, Nica launched herself into the air like a rocket, wrapping her tail around the ball as she still kept flying up.

Rainbow Dash’s mouth was agape as the large critter was but a tiny dot high in the sky. She covered her eyes from the sun with her foreleg while staring up, using her sharpened sight to see Nica spinning. Dash bit her bottom lip and looked around in search for the basket, noticing it on the right edge of the area. Dash flew toward it, kicking the descending ball just in time. She aimed at the basket from so far away. Now that’s some solid aim, not to mention the spin. I need to show her my A game.

As the ball approached Pinkie Pie, the party mare bounced it with her tail while noticing the basket being levitated on the edge of the area in her direction. With a solid kick, she sent the ball into the basket before the pegasus on defense managed to react.

Nica landed and her ears drooped, only to be patted on the back by Daring Do.

“Hey, cheer up. You did great! We’ll get them next time.”

“Oh, I’m not interested in winning all that much, but I also didn’t want to fail and upset the team.” Nica smiled again. “The game is really fun though. As long as others have fun, so do I.”

Dash’s eyes widened. What does she mean, she’s not interested in winning? What kind of athlete… She paused, thinking back to Fluttershy and Pinkie, whose performance went down under pressure. What if she's like Pinkie and Fluttershy, at her best when she’s enjoying the game? Oh well, only time will tell.

The game continued as players from both teams started to run out of stamina. Even the movement of the baskets slowed down as the unicorns became fatigued.

Rainbow Dash felt sweat drip down her face and her throat dry. The scorching heat of the sun in the sky made it more difficult to concentrate. Daring Do didn’t seem to have it any better. Dash glanced at Pinkie Pie and Nica, who kept dribbling and kicking the ball while constantly intercepting each other. While Pinkie didn’t mind using her tail and rear hooves to intercept the ball, Nica relied on her tail at all time, which was shining in a metallic grey. Neither the Raichu nor the earth pony showed any signs of exhaustion.

The stalemate finally broke as Nica bounced the ball towards Daring Do, who bounced it on her head while flying towards the basket.

Seeing that Nica’s attention was now on the ball, Dash grit her teeth and flew into a course to intercept it. It was a chance to impress the large heroic critter, and she was going to take it.

Daring Do kicked the ball toward the basket, only for Dash to kick it away. The adventurous pegasus didn’t let up the pressure as she flew toward the ball and kicked it at Nica, who jumped and swung the blunt part of her tail against the ball, sending it to the basket at high speed.

With another kick, Dash intercepted the ball, feeling the impact in her rear leg. Wow… that was some serious force. Pinkie bounced the ball with her head and next kicked it toward basket on the opposite side, only for Daring Do to intercept it.

The fight of wills began as two pegasi and two grounded creatures started kicking and bouncing the ball between each other, doing their best to keep up the pressure.

Dash’s eyes rested on the ball as it sped towards the party mare. Pinkie Pie stood on her forehooves while preparing to kick the ball with her rear hoof.

Nica jumped onto Pinkie’s head and next towards the ball, wrapping her tail around it. She started spinning in mid air, unraveling her tail and launching the ball with the momentum she had gained.

Dash intercepted the ball with her belly, only to end up pushed into the basket alongside it. Her face turned green for a moment as she resisted the urge to vomit. I shouldn’t have eaten that hay sandwich before this match. She held a forehoof on her mouth and gulped.

Quibble peeked at his pocket watch before using his whistle. “Team B wins twelve to nine. Give them a big cheer!” He returned his pocket watch into the saddlebag.

The crowd, which had grown twice as large as it was at the start of the game, cheered, clapping their hooves or stomping against the sand. Everyone gathered together on the playing field, now engaged in a wide discussion with Quibble, Daring Do and Pinkie being in the center of it.

Resembling her pet tortoise for a moment, Rainbow Dash pushed the basket from her back and massaged her belly. She looked up and saw Nica staring at her in sadness.

“I’m so sorry that I hit you so hard. Does it hurt?” Nica asked, holding her forepaws in an apologetic gesture.

“Nah, I’m tough,” Dash said with shake of her forehoof. “I’m impressed. You not only kept up with Pinkie Pie for most of the game, but maybe even surpassed her, and that jumping of yours is incredible.”

Nica blushed while rubbing the back of her neck. “Oh… it wasn’t anything special.”

Dash stomped, her hoof sinking into the sand. “Of course it was special! Do you have any idea how good Pinkie and Fluttershy are at this game?”

Nica looked to the side. “Well… if you say so.”

Dash grasped Nica’s tail and poked its lightning-shaped edge. “The way you used your tail was great too. Not only did it give Pinkie a hard time in this game, but it also has lots of force behind it.” She lowered herself to critter’s legs while pointing at them. “You’re very quick and agile. How high can you even jump with those paws of yours?”

“Um… a bit more than three hundred meters. That’s my limit,” Nica said hesitantly while taking a step back.

“Three hundred! Wow!” Dash said, standing on her rear hooves while spreading her forelegs. “Flying is one thing, but I didn’t think anyone could jump that high.”

“S-stop.”

“Stop, what?”

“Stop with those praises,” Nica said while walking backward. “Ever since I met you, you keep saying how ‘special’ and ‘awesome’ I am… but I’m really not.”

Dash tilted her head to the side in confusion. “What do you mean? Twilight told me that, where you come from, creatures like you fight and compete with each other.” She approached as the critter took two steps back for each of her steps. “You’ve got some incredible skills. Don’t you want to show them off, to show how great you are?”

“No, I don’t!”

Dash stopped walking, staring at Nica in disbelief. “B-but… all your fighting skills, taking down the entire mob—You couldn’t become this strong and agile without fighting and training a lot.”

“True, I’ve fought hundreds of times against the odds and trained myself to near death…” She paused upon noticing shock on the pegasus’ face. She looked to the side and continued in a more depressed tone, “But I stopped caring about fame and power a long time ago.” She lowered her head and sighed. “If you’d stop praising every insignificant thing I do, I would appreciate it.”

“Insignificant? You ran into a burning building, saved lives and defeated an army of thugs. How’s that insignificant?” Dash asked.

Nica pointed at her as said, “And you’ve helped to save an entire country from evil spirits, villains, monsters and hostile invasions. I’m certain that I’m way more powerful and better trained than you, so by default I should also do more! Yet when compared to you, I’m nothing.” She ran away, leaving Dash staring at distance as her mind turned into a mess.

“What’s wrong? Did you two have an argument?” Daring asked.

“Daring? How did you get here?” Dash asked while performing a sharp turn.

“I came to congratulate Nica her contribution in our victory. When I noticed that you both were talking, I simply sat here and waited my turn.” Daring looked at the horizon. “So, what it was all about?”

Dash approached and looked at the concerned face of Daring Do. “I’m not sure. I was just saying how awesome she was, and she kept saying that she isn’t anything special and that compared to me she’s nothing. I… I don’t know what to think.”

“Hmmm…” Daring rubbed her chin thoughtfully. “She probably has trouble handling being in the spotlight or has low self-esteem.” She grinned. “Seems like a complete opposite to you, Dash.”

Dash lowered her head, now staring at the sand. “I just… wanted to impress her and tell her how cool she is. I didn’t want to make her upset.”

“Hey girls, what’s up with the frowny faces?” Pinkie asked as she bounced towards Dash, now standing in front of her. “What’s wrong?”

“Well… I’m not sure. Nica seemed really upset and I have no clue how to cheer her up,” Dash murmured, rubbing the sand with a hoof.

“Upset? Did she zap other ponies by accident again?” Pinkie asked, a forehoof now raised up to her face.

Dash raised her head. “Nooo…”

Pinkie sighed. “That’s a relief.” She dug her hoof into her tail, picking up a cupcake. “If you want to cheer her up, give her some sweets— she loves them. She also really likes helping and training others.”

“Training?” Dash asked.

Pinkie nodded and giggled. “Yeah. Twilight told me how Nica started training her in self-defense, and how she did the same for the changelings while solving their friendship problem.”

“Interesting,” Dash said, smirking and rubbing her forelegs.

Suddenly, they all heard a shout and saw Quibble running toward them. “Girls, we have a problem!”

Rainbow Dash, Daring Do and Pinkie Pie turned towards the panicked pony.

“Problem? Like, the kind of problem that calls for a flank-kicking?” Daring Do asked as she gave him a curious stare.

“Most likely.” Quibble presented a scroll while reading it aloud, “I quote: Unless the ponies known as Rainbow Dash and Daring Do arrive to face me where Somnambula faced her first and biggest trial in the next two hours, I shall unleash my wrath upon the town which will make the Sphinx’s attack look like an attack of a little kitten in comparison.” He pushed the scroll into Daring Do’s hooves. “And before any of you suggest that it was a joke, a pony who delivered it to me was one of this town’s residents and acted like a zombie with a dark-green aura escaping his eyes. After he delivered the message, the aura in his eyes vanished. He couldn’t recall anything that happened ever since this morning.”

“Hm… sounds like a trap,” Daring Do said before shrugging. “I can’t refuse such an invitation.” She fixed her adventurous hat and glanced at the other pegasus. “What do you say, Dash? Up for an adventure?”

“Of course! It’s not like we can allow this town to be destroyed. I wonder if we’ll face Ahuizotl this time around,” Dash said. Her excited smile vanished a moment later as she looked at Pinkie with drooped ears. “What about Nica? She is–”

“She’s coming with us,” Quibble said with narrowed eyes. “Wait for us at the entrance. I will fetch her, and we’ll join you as quickly as possible.”

“Wait, you’re coming too, Quibble?” Daring asked.

“Of course I am,” Quibble responded with a frown.

“I’ll join too,” Pinkie said with a squeak. “I didn’t get a chance to do anything helpful yet, so I’ll try to make up for it.”

The group nodded before splitting up, most heading towards the pyramid.

Chapter 25 - Fateful Encounter

Little Lost Raichu

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Chapter 25
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Fateful Encounter

“Hey, wait for me!” Quibble shouted as sweat fell down his forehead. “I can’t keep up with your speed, slow down!” He yelped in surprise before finding himself picked up and riding on his newly hired minion. “Thanks. What’s your name by the way.”

“Desert Blade,” the grey stallion responded. His build bulky, his mane a red mohawk, while razor blade was inside scabbard attached to his side. Scimitar mark decorated his flanks.

“Quite a sharp name. Why do I get the feeling that your past may be a bit dark?” Quibble asked.

“I admit, I got myself into a few regrettable scenarios when I was young… thief, desert bandit, spent some years in prison. Reformed, served as guard, scout, and at older age became a mercenary.”

“Okay… that’s way more than I hoped to learn?” Quibble said with a nervous chuckle. “But as long as your blade is there to keep me safe, I don’t mind your past.”

“You saved my hometown’s honor by dealing with the thieves. You earned my respect, my blade is your to command.”

A few drops of sweat fell down Quibble’s forehead. He shook it and displayed a confided smile.

Nica’s breathing became rapid as she ran towards the pyramid. If her suspicions were correct, Daring Do and Rainbow Dash were targeted by the same creature who sealed her memories and put a curse on Gabby and many others. Yet… something felt wrong. Until now this creature acted from the shadow, erasing every trace of its existence, so why would it start acting in the open, threatening an entire town. Whatever was going on, she had very bad feelings about it.

Rays of the sun no longer heated her back as Nica ran inside the large structure, her surroundings becoming darker with each step. Her paws no longer made contact with hot sand but instead with dusty stone. She stopped upon noticing two flashlights, one in Rainbow Dash’s mouth, the other in Daring Do’s mouth. She covered her eyes protectively with one paw as both lights flashed at her.

Daring Do took the flashlight with her wing and spoke, “You’re a bit late, we already ran through plenty of traps,” she smirked, “and it turned out that all of them were just illusions. Lava bursting from the ground, poisonous darts, axes, spears, acids, all fake.” She pointed at the flashing green eye visible at the end of the long hallway, watching.

Nica’s ears drooped and she trembled, feeling a chill going down her spine. The sinister aura of this creature being even more creepy than its appearance in the darkness.

“I don’t know why it tries to scare us with illusions if it invited us in the first place, but we can simply run or fly forward,” Daring Do said before bending her legs. She returned the flashlight into her mouth and spread her wings. She flew three meters before landing on the ground upon hearing Quibble’s shout.

“Waaaait!” Quibble jumped from his minion who took this moment to catch a breath. “What if it is a trap inside a trap? What if among all those illusions is the real thing? You would just walk into it, thinking it’s another illusion.”

“You’ve got a good point,” Daring said, her eyes narrowed and face serious.

“Nica, you’re agile and tough, can you scout ahead?” Quibble asked.

“On it!” Nica shouted before running forward, leaping left, right and up, clinging to the ceiling or parrying an incoming projectile with her tail. Every encountered projectile, weapon or enraged animal vanished upon contact. All the noises and roars are very convincing, way above Trixie’s tricks. This must be some serio– Her thinking was interrupted as fifty five dark crystals emerged from the floor, while the same amount emerged from the ceiling, all barely visible in the growing darkness as only bits of light came from flashlights held by her friends.

Out of reflex, Nica backflipped, slamming her metalic tail against one of emerging crystals to gain additional momentum. She tightly closed her eyes and grit her teeth, refusing to scream, as one of the large crystals from the floor and ceiling trapped her rear leg, pressing against her bronze patch from both sides with sharp pointy edges.

With a swing of her tail, she crushed the lower crystal, freeing her leg as she rolled on the rocky floor. Her back and belly now covered by clinging dust.

“Nica!” Dash shouted as she ran closer, looking down at her in worry with the rest catching up a moment later. "Are you hurt?"

Nica glanced at her rear leg and next at Dash, shaking her head. She stood to her three legs and next slowly lowered her hurting leg. “I’m fine… just a scratch.”

“A scratch!” Dash shouted as she examined the large crystals. “Those massive sharp rocks pierced into your little leg, and you call it a scratch?” Dash blinked before using her flashlight to take a closer look. “Wait a moment! Those look like crystals summoned by King Sombra when he invaded the Crystal Empire.”

“Sombra? Isn’t he one of bad guys you and your friends defeated?” Quibble asked, receiving a nod of confirmation from the national heroine. “Figures. Those dark crystals are certainly not part of any of Daring Do stories.”

“Are they more dangerous than typical sharp rocks?” Daring Do asked.

Dash shrugged. “I dunno, but I think Sombra placed smaller crystals on Shining Armor’s horn, preventing him from using magic. Twilight also told me that a trap made of those prevented her from teleporting away.”

“Oh… so in other words, those crystals block unicorn magic? Good thing I’m a pegasus,” Daring Do said.

“Maybe it doesn’t block just unicorn magic but magic in general. What if it took away your flight or worse,” Quibble pointed out. “I know you’re great at avoiding traps and stuff, but I think we should let my bodyguard go ahead.”

“W-what… m-me?” Desert Blade asked before steeling is nerves and narrowing his eyes. “If that’s an order, I shall face those traps head on.”

“Not you, I meant the Raichu,” Quibble said as everyone’s attention focused on the long-tailed critter.

“On it!” Nica said, only to be stopped by Daring Do’s hoof.

“Sorry, but no, evading traps is my field of expertise,” Daring Do said. “Just sit this one out and watch how professional handle it. Okay?”

“N-no, I won’t!” Nica shouted with narrowed eyes. Despite her agility, ‘Iron Tail’ and reflexes, she still ended up hurt in one of these traps. Even if the adventuring heroine knew how to dodge, she no doubt had way less durability. She couldn’t let her risk heavy injury. What’s more, losing Daring Do would give many mean creatures an opening to search and use powerful artifacts. It was only fair that someone expendable like her should take the risk.

“I insist,” Daring Do said, only for Nica to run around her and forward, deeper into the dangerous maze. “Hey!” Daring Do flew, trying to bypass the long-tailed critter.

Rainbow Dash and Quibble followed, witnessing as both the seasoned adventurer and a creature with great survival capabilities were evading fake traps one after another, occasionally encountering real traps in the shape of dark crystals emerging from the floor, or crystal darts raining at them at high speed. Both dodged and covered one another, getting to the end of the long hallway unscathed, yet the mysterious creature was no longer to be seen.

With the creepy eye, illusions and traps no longer in their way. The group made their way forward with Nica and Daring Do scouting ahead, wary of their surroundings.

“Hey, Nica, can I ask you a few questions?” Dash asked.

“S-sure,” Nica said, not daring to look back even for a moment as a flashlight was now wrapped by her tail.

“You told me that compared to me you’re nothing. Were you serious when you said that?” Dash asked.

“Of course I was. You may be incredibly fast, but in terms of survility and combat capabilities, I’m waaay ahead of you. Yet despite being weaker, your accomplishments surpass mine many times over, which makes you superior to me.”

Dash chuckled nervously. How was she supposed to respond to that? It was one thing being praised for how great she was, but this was something else. Ever since she heard of Nica’s accomplishments, she started to idolize her. For her idol to praise her while lowering her own worth… it seemed wrong.

“I don’t understand, why do you think so little of yourself?” Dash asked, her tone slightly depressed. “I admit, I’m showing off my awesomeness whenever I can, but it was my parents’ encouragement and my own ego that has driven me to be the best I can be. It gives me the courage to fail.”

Nica calmed herself as her adversary was still nowhere to be seen. “My point of view differs then. The way I see it, the more power one possesses, the more they need to achieve to prove themselves worthy of it. I just feel that I’m doing too little considering how much I can do.” She lowered her head and slowed down, her ears drooped. “As for my fear of failing… there was one time I didn’t react to danger fast enough… and a young girl lost her father because of that.” Both Dash and Daring Do gasped, Desert Blade rubbed the back of his neck and looked at Nica in pity while Quibble stared with an unfazed expression. “I stopped caring about winning and fame ever since while my fear of failing is present in me to this day.”

“Ouch…” Dash said.

“I started to hold back in fights against weaker opponents, and since I could sense sadness, anger and jealousy of defeated pokemon, I found no excitement or fun in battles. Still, whether I liked fighting or not didn’t matter, I trained myself as hard as I could regardless to make sure that I wouldn't fail ever again,” Nica continued, now walking next to Rainbow Dash, taking two steps for each one of the pegasus. “My fears and desire to be helpful pushed me over my limits, even putting my life at risk during my training. Yet, I survived, and became very tough for it.”

“I see…” Dash said, trying to comprehend Nica’s words. During yesterday’s exchange of stories, Nica left some important details out, yet now everything fell into place. In a world filled with competitive pokemon who want to become the best they can, Nica actually surpassed them all despite no longer being competitive herself.

“Wait a moment, isn’t there a paradox and irony in the way you think and act?” Quibble asked, catching everyone's attention. “You fear that if you’re too slow, too weak or not skilled enough, that you may fail in helping or saving someone, so you train yourself harder than everyone else.” As Nica nodded, he continued, “However, since you’re now so powerful but don’t get many opportunities to use your power, you feel unworthy of it. You compare yourself to others and feel unimportant, useless and insignificant because of that.”

Daring Do glanced over her shoulder at Nica and said, “Quibble does have a point. You may not always get an opportunity to be helpful, sometimes it is all up to luck. Those weaker than you may just end up at the right place and time and save the day, while you, with all your power, may try to be as helpful as possible and not get such an opportunity. You shouldn’t go so hard on yourself."

“You… really think so?” Nica asked with hesitation clear in her voice.

“Of course,” Quibble said before grinning. “I mean, not everypony has so much luck to always find hidden temples that nopony found before, or face villains stupid enough to always leave them unguarded with a trap that can be disarmed.”

Daring Do raised an eyebrow before speaking in a joking tone, “What can I say. Sometimes to make a big change you need skills, sometimes it is up to your choices, and sometimes it is up to pure luck. That’s the life of an adventurer in a nutshell.”

“Exactly,” Pinkie said as she emerged from behind Rainbow Dash, now walking side by side with everyone else with a few helmets equipped with flashlights on her back. “Meeting each other in the same town, joining forces against a corrupted princess, having qualifications to activate dormant artifacts, all leading to the purification of Nightmare Moon and us becoming the best of friends. I would lie if I said that us becoming heroines of Equestria started without some serious luck.”

“P-Pinkie, where have you been?” Dash asked.

“I noticed that the top of pyramid is sealed with a large boulder, so I thought some helmets equipped with a flashlight would help us see in the dark, so I bought some,” Pinkie said before looking ahead, noticing green light in the chamber ahead. Leaping from pony to pony, she placed helmet on each head, except Daring Do who held to her trusty hat. “Totally better than holding flashlight with a hoof, wing or mouth, or in Nica’s case, with a tail.” She attached the flashlight to Daring’s hat with adhesive tape.

Rainbow Dash patted Nica on the shoulder and gave her a warm smile. “See, you should stop thinking so little of yourself. So you rarely get the chance to save the world, no biggie. You’re trying hard and that’s what matters."

Nica smiled lightly and nuzzled Dash’s side. “I’ll… think about it.” The soft wing of the pegasus hugged her from the other side. After several seconds of a pleasant wing-hug, Nica freed herself and ran ahead, being the first to step into the suspicious chamber, quickly examining the area.

Ahead of her was a large square pool of a –no doubt toxic– substance with one small platform in the middle. Bubbles were occasionally appearing and popping on its green illuminating surface. A few loose wall-fragments and stones lay on the floor all around. Looking up, she noticed that the opening in the ceiling was indeed sealed. With the illuminating toxic substance and flashlights on her helmet as the only source of light, the visibility proved somewhat limited.

She didn’t need to see in the dark to sense the aura of living creatures, and one was in the corner of the room, its black robes barely visible among the darkness while one green eye seemed to study her every move. Her ears perked up, hearing the noise of hoofsteps as the rest of the group entered the chamber as well.

“We are here as you wanted,” Daring Do said as she approached the coated figure with firm steps. “Now what do you… you want what?”

Nica glanced at Daring Do in confusion.

“What’s wrong?” Dash asked.

“You didn’t hear him speak?” Daring asked. As everypony shook their heads, Nica included, she said, “Whatever he is, he’s speaking telepathically to me.”

“And what did he say?” Quibble asked.

“He said that I should say goodbye to you all and make peace, because I’m not leaving this place alive,” Daring Do said before giving the hidden figure a challenging glare. “Bring it on!” She stomped the rocky floor aggressively, preparing to charge.

Nica’s ears drooped, her mouth started to tremble and her face became pale. This creature wasn’t going to spread its curse, but was instead taking lethal action. She tore off her collar from her neck and pushed it towards the wall before jumping between Daring Do and the mysterious adversary, electricity escaping from her cheeks.

You weren’t supposed to be here. I have no interest in you, step aside, the mysterious voice spoke in her mind as she shook her head. So be it. If you remembered our previous encounter, you would know you won’t make a difference. Fighting me is futile.

Nica grit her teeth. Even if she faced this creature before and lost her memories for it, it didn’t matter, she wasn’t going to fail again. Too much was on the line.

The mysterious figure threw its coat to the side.

Nica’s eyes opened widely and her legs bent slightly from the overwhelming pressure of raw power. The monster itself was legless, black, irregular shape floating in mid-air. A long white hood atop its head and what seemed like a thick red collar on its neck stood out the most. Apart from its pair of claw-ended arms, the creature boasted two additional spectral limbs and a tail, all three billowing as if they were caught in an invisible storm. She found herself unable to draw her gaze from that green, sinister eye.

“You look kind of neat and intimidating, but you won’t scare me. I have beaten bigger monsters,” Daring Do said with confidence in her voice before running forward. With a swift jump, she swung her rear leg, delivering a kick against the creature’s face. Her smirk vanished as her opponent just stared back without care. Using her two hooves, she delivered a solid kick against the large chest, pushing the monster towards the wall. She followed up with a tackle, slamming her shoulder against the dark being before delivering a series of kicks. Flying up and next towards her opponent, she struck the larger creature with more force, causing several cracks to spread on the wall while pinning the monster against it.

Rainbow Dash flew a few circles before using gained speed for a finishing kick, causing more cracks to appear while pushing the dark creature deeper into the stone.

“Nice work Dash,” Daring Do said before hoof-bombing the other pegasus. She looked back at the hostile creature who pushed itself free and wiped dust and rubble form its shoulders. “Oh come on! Tell me you at least felt it!” She narrowed her eyes. “What do you mean I kick like a little pony girl. You haven’t seen even a tenth of my combat skills.”

Nica observed the ongoing battle with full attention, seeing as the dark creature was trying and failing to grab the agile pegasi with its hands. A large cake flew over her head, slamming right into creature’s face.

“Ha, got you!” Pinkie shouted.

The mysterious creature exposed its hand as a strange-looking dark/green aura started to emerge from Pinkie Pie.

“I… am not feeling well…” Pinkie said, tilting left and right, her eyes half-closed while showing fatigue.

Nica leaped towards the party mare, stopping Pinkie's fall with her paws before helping her sit.

“What’s… happening… to me?” Pinkie asked. Her foreleg started to tremble the moment she raised it.

Nica shoot glare at the hostile creature, who now held a ball of dark concentrated energy in its hand.

Magic is such an interesting tool, don’t you agree? It can be used, it can be harvested, it makes all creatures tougher and stronger, the voice once again spoke in her mind. She watched as the dark rounded ball of pulsating magic was thrown into the toxic pool a moment later. Suddenly, the green substance turned black as the chamber became much darker. Using borrowed magic from your enthusiastic friend, I ensured that any magical creature from this world will melt in an instant upon contact with the black liquid. No matter how tough they are thanks to their inner magic, the result will be the same.

Nica ran towards the large creature, her tail shining brightly. The moment another dark ball of energy started forming in its hand, she leaped forward, slapping it towards the wall as a few dark crystals emerged from it upon contact. she asked, now glaring up at the hostile creature.

Rainbow Dash and Daring Do resumed their attack. Their repetitive kicks and dodging stopped the moment evasion maneuvers caused the helmets to fall from their heads. Without any visibility, Daring Do ended up caught between two hands as they squeezed against her forelegs and wings.

Without Rainbow Dash, the strength of unity between Princess Twilight and her friends will be gone. A link of the chain broken. No bond to strengthen their magic and resolve, no powerful artifacts they can wield against me. Since I needed to chose only one, I decided to remove the pony who would be the last to surrender.

Nica asked. If Rainbow Dash was the main target, why her opponent caught Daring Do first?

Ponies with strong magic but without fighting skills are of use to me, once harvested they can’t fight back. Ponies with experience and skills will fight back regardless. After seeing how effortlessly Daring Do evaded my illusions, I witnessed something common for pokemon, something I didn’t see in ponies until now. I changed my mind and decided to remove her before she could become a potential threat.

Upon noticing as the squeezing force used against Daring Do grew in strength, Nica shouted, She grit her teeth, sending as much power into her tail as she could. Her opponent was tough. She needed every bit of speed and power to free Daring Do. One opening is all she needed.

I would if I could. Ponies are adapted to magic, resisting it to a degree, while I’m still discovering its secret. While I could seal the entirety of your memories, what I can do to a pony’s mind is limited.

Daring Do started to scream, no longer able to hold it behind her grit teeth. Her wriggling weakened with each passing second.

“Daring Do! Somepony help her!” Quibble shouted in panic while his minion stopped trembling and hid any sign of fear before grabbing his blade with his teeth.

Desert Blade charged forward, only to jump backward as a few black crystals emerged from the floor, knocking the blade from his mouth while leaving small scar on his cheek.

Dash flew up and next at the larger foe, only for her rear hoof to sink into the rocky floor instead. Lack of visibility limited her aim, and yet didn’t seem to affect the monster who managed to evade her attack.

Using the flashlight from her own helmet and the moment of distraction her friend provided, Nica lightened the hand of the hostile creature before striking it with her ‘Iron Tail,’ causing the dark creature to yelp while catching it off guard. She continued her combo, striking the second hand before wrapping her tail around Daring Do’s belly. Bouncing against the chest of her opponent, she pushed herself and the adventurous pony away, using a ‘Thunderbolt’ to stop the monster from chasing them as her legs landed on the rocky ground with a weak thud.

As the large creature massaged its arms, its voice spoke in Nica’s mind. You remember how to fight? Did you overcome my seal?

Nica’s eyes focused on the dark energy which started to grow above the hand of the hostile creature. With a loud scream and spread forepaws, she unleashed a strong ‘Thunderbolt’ as bolts of electricity flashed bright over the darkened area, yet this time her attack failed to break the concentration of the hostile creature. In a rush of panic, she held both forepaws ahead of her and focused, using ‘Light Screen’ as a square barrier appeared in front of her, and next in front of everypony nearby.

Quibble pointed at the lying party pony and shouted, “We need to protect Pinkie Pie!”

Desert Blade nodded in agreement.

Three fingers pressed against the gathered energy, causing it to spread over the entire chamber.

Nica raised her metalic tail defensively, refusing to blink. Her barrier activated, softening the incoming attack while her tail protected her head. She grit her teeth as her belly and limbs ended up receiving a few bruises, nothing she couldn’t ignore, while helmet fell from her head and melted in dark fire. Her ears perked up at the noise of painful screams.

Overcame by panic, she looked around, yet could only sense auras of fear. She looked up and used another ‘Thunderbolt,' destroying the boulder as sunlight entered the chamber. She looked around as her face became pale and her mouth opened agape. Quibble and his mercenary lay unconscious with burns visible on their fur, both lying protectively on Pinkie Pie. Daring Do and Rainbow Dash groaned in pain, struggling to stand as shrinking black flames were visible on their furs.

Don’t worry. You shall forget what transpired here, enjoying your life among ponies in bliss. No regret and no guilt.

Nica looked back at the hostile creature, who now hovered towards the unconscious ponies while a small black flame appeared above each of his fingers. With a quick run while repeating her name, Nica surrounded herself with electricity, running at the attacker on an intercepting course. She smashed the bigger creature deeply into the wall, causing more rubble to spread over the room and loud crashing noise to echo over the chamber. A few pebbles sank into the pool of dark substance.

Nica shook her head before glaring at the hostile creature while standing on its chest, both now a meter deep inside the wall. Her victory didn’t last as one finger pushed black flame towards her forehead. She leaped out of the hole before attacking with another ‘Thunderbolt.'

What is the meaning of this? Nica heard an angered voice in her mind as the dark creature emerged from the hole. Why are you still conscious, why didn’t the spell work? An odd looking wave of magic emerged, spreading over the entire room, looking similar to the scanning spell Twilight and Starlight used on her not long ago. Mental protection? Did your body adapt to the magic of this world as well? The dark creature turned towards the ponies before flying at them. I had hoped not to drag a fellow traveler into this. If you step aside, I shall not harm you.

Nica ran at the dark creature, attacking with bolts of electricity, only for her adversary to fly over them. Much to her relief, the creature was pushed back by a combined flying kick from both pegasi as their rear hooves collided with its face. Her relief didn’t last long as the attacker pressed its paw against the floor, summoning numerous small voids.

She leaped to the side and back, just in time to evade. Nica glanced at the other ponies, seeing Daring Do leaping and flying between the voids, only to end up grabbed by the hostile creature.

“Hey, hands off!” Dash shouted. Her attempt of rescue ended up with her being slapped into one of the voids. Dark energy vanished quickly, revealing her deep asleep as a snoring noise escaped her mouth.

Nica grit her teeth, feeling growing anger. Quibble, Pinkie and Desert Blade were unconscious. Rainbow Dash was asleep and would no doubt be thrown into pool of dark toxins a moment later, while Daring was captured and would be thrown into it here and now. Whatever the attacker was, it seemed capable of attacking multiple targets at once. How was she supposed to focus on defeating him and protect Rainbow Dash and Daring Do at the same time?

Charging her ‘Iron Tail,’ she ran towards the hostile creature, only for black crystals to emerge from the floor. She zipped in between the crystals and slapped her tail against chest of the attacker, yet its hold of Daring Do remained strong. The moment her feet made contact with the rocky ground, she bent her legs and charged more power into her tail while aiming at the hands holding Daring Do.

Much to her shock, the hostile creature jumped into the pool of dark substance. Time slowed down before Nica’s very eyes as her panicked mind struggled to comprehend what was happening. No… now wasn’t the time for thinking or hesitation. She already failed to save the life of a human father just because she allowed panic to distract her. She wasn’t going to let it happen again.

Without hesitation, she pressed her paws against the edge of the pool and jumped in, repeating her name while surrounding herself with an aura of electricity. The moment she crashed into the arm of the hostile creature while using ‘Volt Tackle,’ she grabbed Daring Do with her tail and pushed her up, only to feel her own body sink into the toxic substance, overwhelmed by pain while feeling burning sensation on her entire body.

“Nica!” Daring Do shouted, hovering above the toxic substance.

Ignoring the agonizing pain, Nica started moving her limbs, swimming to the surface as her head emerged. The moment she was grabbed by Daring Do’s hooves, she heard a loud yelp of pain and fell into the dark substance again. Swimming with all her might, she reached the wall of the pool and started climbing up with the help of her tail, reaching the top as dark liquid was dripping down her body.

Daring Do hovered above the floor while looking at her burned hooves, and next glanced at the large critter. “How… how are you still alive?” she asked in disbelief.

Nica shook herself and next pointed at the unconscious ponies. She pointed towards the exit before sending bolts of electricity towards the dark substance, striking the emerging foe.

While not understanding her words, Daring Do seemed to understand her paws gestures as she picked up all four ponies onto her back, running towards the exit with an obvious struggle. Nica glanced at the adventurer and forced herself to smile.

She walked backward from the pool of dark substance, breathing hastily, as her eyes rested upon the emerging creature. Yet something felt off. Its aura seemed… calm… No anger… no hostility… just disappointment.

Nica maintained a fighting stance, yet her foe simply hoovered in front of her with lowered hands as dark substance was dripping down its body. Despite numerous burns and bruises, it seemed calm and collected.

I acknowledge your power. I’m no longer interested in eliminating, nor cursing your pegasus friends. You have my full attention.

Nica grit her teeth as bolts of electricity escaped from dots on her cheeks, striking a few tiny pebbles in the process.

Calm yourself. I’m not interested in fighting you. I wish to negotiate.

Nica asked before stomping her burned paw.

Why care about beings from another world when you should think about yourself?

Nica frowned.

You already repaid your debt a few times over! the creature responded with anger before calming down. At best they view you as a pet, an inferior and less intelligent being they take care out of pity. At worst they recognize your talents and are trying to use you, no different than human trainers were using us for millenia! They may call you a friend, but you’re no equal in their eyes. The dark creature clenched its fist before slamming it against the floor.

Those ponies are little different from humans. I care little for them, but I hoped to avoid hurting a fellow pokemon, which is why I tried to keep you in blissful ignorance. Yet… you remembered how to fight, and your mind built up resistance to my newly acquired magic. I can see that you’re not a weak Raichu. You’ve become too powerful to ignore, which is why I wish to give you three choices. I’m being merciful and advise you to take my offer seriously.

Three choices? Nica started thinking back to her encounter with the mob boss, or rather about his advice. Should she be given a choice, she shouldn’t stand up against this mysterious powerful being.

She closed her eyes and shook her head, she wasn’t going to be intimidated. She sat and gave the mysterious figure an even glare.

Depends on the questions, but I don’t see why not. After all, once you hear my offer, I’m certain you’ll choose in my favor. He performed a polite bow. I suppose it’s only fair to start negotiations with an introduction. My name is Darkrai, also known as King of Nightmares.

Chapter 26 - Dark Confession

Little Lost Raichu

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Chapter 26
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Dark Confession

Nica sat inside a pyramid next to a pool of black substance with rubble and a dark creature keeping her company. Rays of the sun peeked inside through a hole in the ceiling. Saying that her mind was filled with questions and hungry for answers would have been an understatement.

Only a few weeks prior she had woken up inside a dangerous forest, covered with bruises without a single memory of her past. Worse, she didn't have even a single memory of herself. Her skills, power, abilities, all forgotten while a hungry beast with a lion’s head and a poisonous tail decided to eat her for dinner.

Ever since then, ponies accepted her and damaged the seal on her memories, and as a result she had been recovering her memories bit by bit. At the same time, she learned about ponies and their culture, all the while regaining memories about herself and reclaiming her skills.

All the pain she accidentally caused ponies, all her training to get a better grasp of her abilities, and all the attempts of being useful to her new friends: All caused by the creature before her.

I suppose it’s only fair to start negotiations with an introduction. My name is Darkrai, also known as King of Nightmares, the voice of Darkrai spoke in her mind.

Nica narrowed her eyes, once again studying the features of the monster. Darkrai was a legless, black, irregular shape floating in mid-air. A long white hood atop its head and what seemed like a thick red collar on its neck stood out the most. Apart from its pair of claw-ended arms, the creature boasted two additional spectral black tatters and a tail, all three billowing as if they were caught in an invisible storm.

she said, raising her tail threateningly. Answers to the mystery behind her appearance in Equestria and behind her missing memories were within her reach. She pointed accusingly with her forepaw.

Isn’t that obvious? Darkrai shrugged. I told you already. I don’t wish to harm you. When I traveled through the Everfree Forest towards the cottage of a pony named Fluttershy to put a curse on her, suddenly a portal appeared in the sky and a crashing noise followed. I thought I sensed the power of Dialga and Palkia coming from the shrinking portal, only to find you inside the crater.

Nica asked, blinking in confusion.

They are the rulers of time and space. I suspected that they sent you to stop me. I just laughed. Why would they send a Raichu against me instead of committing themselves? Of course, I couldn’t let you warn the ponies or try to stop me, but I also didn’t want to take your life. Then a thought crossed me: As a pokemon without any magic, your mind was defenseless. What if I sealed away your memories so you would forget about your mission?

Nica stood up, waved her forepaws in aggravation and shouted,

Oh, but I wanted to take you with me and leave you at the cottage. From what I heard about Fluttershy, she would no doubt let you live an easy life. However, a mere moment after I finished sealing away your memories, you started moving and pushing yourself against the ground. I even considered recruiting you, turning who was sent against me into my asset, but I wasn’t certain if your guilt and conscience would disapprove of my actions or not, so I simply decided to carry on with my objective. He mentally sighed. Now, I regret that decision. If only I took your abilities more seriously.

Nica sat and massaged her arm with a saddened expression on her face. Her ears drooped. In the end, this creature wasn’t completely without mercy. She was a potential threat to Darkrai’s ambitions, yet he spared her. Still, Darkrai didn’t seem to show as much mercy to Daring Do and Rainbow Dash, ready to take their lives. There was still more she needed to learn about him.

Everything was working out. You forgot your mission, and instead had a pleasant life among ponies, while I spread my curse undetected and harvested their magic for myself. At least, until now.

Nica looked up, glaring into Darkrai’s blue eye.

Nica heard a playful chuckle echoing in her mind. As a pokemon, you should know the answer, but I shall enlighten you. You see, I was summoned into this world by a vengeful being, a queen who was betrayed by her subjects. She was desperate for a powerful ally, using ancient knowledge beyond her understanding. She took the risk, hoping she could control who she summoned. She was wrong.

Nica asked, staring back with full curiosity, only for her eyes to widen at realization. Wait… Did he say ‘this world?’ Isn’t the place I come from over the ocean or something?

Darkrai turned to the side, now staring at the black substance inside the pool in the middle of the chamber. I was intrigued. A new, mysterious world was open for me to explore, and a powerful being with centuries of experience I could learn from stood before me, so I played along. I played the role of her loyal ally, telling the arrogant queen that I could help her achieve her vengeance. In return, she taught me about this world and its magic, introducing me to ancient tomes and abandoned libraries. He chuckled. She tried to use me, but in the end, I was the one using her. Thanks to her teachings, I discovered this wonderful dark magic.

Nica asked, thinking back to Rainbow Dash’s story how Cadence, Twilight and Spike saved the Empire from an evil king.

Oh yes, Sombra. I heard about him from my new mentor. A powerful pony who embraced dark magic, or rather, allowed dark magic to take control of him. He tried to control a dangerous force that led him into madness. Darkrai glanced at her and shook his head. But, in my case, it was different. Learning how to use dark magic came with such incredible ease. I didn’t struggle to control it, and it didn’t try to control me. I felt as if we were one and the same.

He chuckled. I’m a dark-type pokemon, immune to psychic-type attacks and powerful against psychic-type pokemon. When I tested my powers against a few unsuspecting ponies, I found out that my attacks are extremely dangerous against them. You saw for yourself what happened when I used ‘Dark Pulse’ against everyone in this chamber. If not for you protecting them all with ‘Light Screen,’ they would now all be at my mercy… or worse.

Nica grit her teeth before releasing her frustration as a small bolt of electricity, aiming next to Darkrai’s head.

Delicate topic? I’ll get to the point then. As a dark-type pokemon, I’m immune to spells, meanwhile my power is extremely dangerous against magical creatures. Dark magic is similar. It can prevent unicorns from teleporting, seal away their magic, make them weak, and in the case of my curse, allow me to harvest magic of living creatures whenever I wish. I felt as if dark magic was destined to be wielded by a dark-type pokemon—by me.

Nica stood up and approached on her hind feet.

As a pokemon, you should know the answer. We are beings who evolve, change, adapt, compete, fight and improve. We have reached great heights of power thanks to our struggles and perseverance. However, there’s limit to everything. Darkrai raised his hand towards the pool of black substance as green/dark aura started to return to him. A few seconds later the liquid in the pool was once again illuminating and green.

I’m one of rare pokemon who lives for millenia. Do you know how it feels to become this powerful over centuries, only to reach my limit? I have been spreading and feeding on nightmares over the land for ages. I was bored of my routine and of my limitations. He turned around and spread his arms. His voice in Nica’s mind now filled with excitement. But this land is filled with new places to explore, mysteries to solve, powerful artifacts to find, and most importantly, magic. Ever since I arrived here, I found so many new ways to improve myself and break my limits. The magic of this world makes me stronger and opens so many possibilities.

Nica stomped and clenched tip of her forepaws as more bolts escaped the yellow dots on her cheeks.

It’s in our nature, this desire to improve as much as possible, and the cunning queen just pointed out the most efficient way to do it. Why should I give up on an unlimited supply of magic? Whenever I want to experiment, create or practice a spell, I just need to borrow bits of magic from ponies or other creatures. I can satisfy my endless curiosity and desire for power for millenia to come. A sinister laughter echoed in Nica’s mind. At least this is what I thought at first before I realized something. A bigger picture formed in my mind. Harvesting so much magic all at once… on second thought, I think I’ll keep it to myself. Wouldn’t want to spoil the big surprise.

Nica asked, pointing accusingly at Darkrai.

To be honest, while I didn’t care for the ponies, I thought I could realize my goal without killing, maybe even without me coming out from the shadows, but it changed. Darkrai’s tone grew in volume, now filled with determination. What I’m planning to accomplish is no longer just for my sake, nor it is for Chrysalis and her stupid revenge any longer, but she demanded a proof of loyalty from me. Removing a pony capable of using powerful artifact in order for me keep appearances seemed like a low price to pay. He frowned. As for Daring Do, killing her was my decision the moment I witnessed her skills. Letting live a combat-experienced adventurer like her seemed most unwise.

Nica took a few calming breaths before sitting on the dusty stone.

My mentor warned me about those two, saying that ponies with such a strong connection to magic would no doubt fully resist my mind-affecting spells. Even when I sealed away memories of common ponies, how much I can make them forget depends on their mental resistance. Shining Armor was an exception, though. My arrogant mentor already brainwashed him before, and she was more than happy to assist me in dealing with his mental defenses.

Nica grinned. Darkrai couldn’t erase the memories of Twilight, Starlight, or any of the princesses. He probably wasn’t even aware that his curses and mental seals were no longer a secret. It gave Twilight and Starlight extra time to discover the cure and remove the curses and mental seals.

But, rest assured. With my curse spreading all over Equestria and even in the Griffon Kingdom, I can borrow magic whenever I want. I can weaken entire nations with a simple spell, and what’s most important, the rulers of this land don’t know about it. Though after your… intervention… I’ll need to speed up my plan.

Nica asked.

I don’t care about what that wretched queen wants! She summoned me to use me like a tool, so I’m using her in return! I’ve already planned countermeasures against her! I’m tired of us pokemon being expl... He paused as dead silence lasted for a few seconds. Apologies for my outburst. Let’s just say that what I intend to do is much more noble, even though my methods of achieving it aren’t to par.

Nica raised an eyebrow before crossing her arms.

This, I am afraid, will remain as my little secret. Darkrai placed his hands on his hips and narrowed his eye. Now, my little friend, since I satisfied your curiosity, it is time for you to hear my offer and make a choice.

Nica stood up, looking back with an even stare. Her tone of voice became calm.

I have a better idea. You can leave the ponies and join me instead. We aren’t less intelligent than those ponies, and we surpass them in combat and power. We could become the masters, rather than servants.

Nica pointed at Darkrai.

Because if you do, I will help you gain magic and become even stronger. Nica yelped as Darkrai grabbed her with one of his large hands, his other hand spinning dark-green energy into an orb in front of her face. A similar aura started escaping from his newly green eye. For a Raichu to be able to stand up against my power, you must’ve endured many years of painful and harsh training and won thousands of battles. Maybe you even managed to break your own limits. Don’t you want to go even further than that?

Nica shook her head and pushed herself from Darkrai’s hand, landing on the tip of her left foot before taking a fighting stance.

Putting your life in danger while training? That’s something even the bravest pokemon don’t dare to do. Interesting… You don’t happen to be a partner of the Sinnoh champion by any chance? Darkrai asked, his tone betraying his growing curiosity.

Nica lowered her guard and blinked before rubbing her chin. <Well… my memories are still incomplete thanks to… your merciful approach… but I think that’s a possibility. Together with my trainer, Astra, we won the tournament in the Sinnoh region, gaining the privilege to challenge the Elite Four and the champion. A few months before that, Brandom himself told us that we are skilled enough to defeat the Elite Four and maybe even the champion, and my trainer was more keen on earning the champion title more than ever before.

I see. That would explain so much. I was a fool not to make the connection when it was before my very eyes. His chuckle echoed in Nica’s mind. Tell me, how does it feel to suffer unimaginable self-inflicted pain day after day, enduring a training regime no pokemon would dare to put themselves through? Darkrai’s tone increased in volume. How does it feel to be unable to improve even further, no matter how hard you train, only to be forced to end up in a Pokemon Center a few times a day just to maintain your skills and power? How does it feel to fear that taking a break from training even for a few days will cause your skills and powers to wane?

Nica stepped backward. The sudden shift of Darkrai’s attitude was certainly not what she expected.

If you join me, I will help you use magic to become stronger. No more suffering, no more struggles. You would overcome your own limits.

Oh, so this is where your hesitation lies. How about this then: If you join my side, I shall not take a single life, nor unnecessarily hurt the ponies you care so much about. You’ll become my enforcer. I would be able to dispose of Chrysalis much easier with someone as competent as you by my side. He shrugged. And who knows, maybe if the princesses will swear their loyalty to me, I’ll let them keep bits of their leadership power. As long as they can keep ponies in check, I don’t mind allowing them to have a word or two.

Nica asked, confusion clear on her face.

With someone as skilled as you by my side, I will have no need for killing. You’ll just peacefully pacify any resident of Equestria who would rebel against me. Ponies will keep their lives as long as you can keep them obedient. Not that you’ll need to perform such a role alone. I’ll ensure you’ll have competent assistants at your command.

Nica grit her teeth and shook her head.

Pokemon didn’t mind allowing humans to take away their freedom and use them as tools. I don’t see why ponies, griffons and the changelings wouldn't learn the same. I’m sure sooner or later they’ll learn to appreciate servitude and humility.

Nica stomped. She swung her forepaw swiftly.

Darkrai frowned and turned around, now floating back to the long-tailed critter. And what of the pokemon who weren’t allowed to chose and those who were forced to serve against their will? A long sigh of disappointment echoed in Nica’s mind. And here I thought you would see things my way. Such a disappointment. If you won’t join me, I wish to negotiate for your neutrality.

I can send you back home to your world and your trainer.

Nica’s mouth closed as she stood up on her rear legs and stared in silence.

I see I caught your interest. Good. Not long after Chrysalis summoned me into this world, I looked into the spell she used, and over time discovered the means I could use to return home. With some... time consuming preparations, I can cast a spell that will send you back home and reunite you with your trainer and friends.

And before you refuse, know that those magically talented friends of yours will never find a way to send you home. It is like searching for a needle in a haystack. If you know which haystack has the needle, you’ll find it sooner or later, but if there are billions of haystacks and only one has the needle, it is another story. Without the proper books as reference, which are well hidden and under my possession, your talented friends will have no idea where to even begin.

Nica looked at the floor and rubbed her paws, her ears drooping.

If you agree to never return into this world, I’ll send you back home. If you refuse, you’ll be stuck here forever. What say you?

Nica’s eyes narrowed as she clenched bronze tips of her forepaws.

Excuse me?

She approached with firm steps as her tail raised up threateningly.

Darkrai roared in anger in her mind. I showed you mercy and spared your life again and again, despite knowing that you were sent here to stop me, and this is how you repay me? Fine, here’s your last choice. He turned around as dark energy started to form in his hand. Nica took a fighting stance in response. If you refuse to join me or remain neutral—if you’ll interrupt my plans one more time—I will use all the power at my disposal and every means available to me to turn your life into hell! I will keep breaking you until you either join me or agree to return back to your world. He clenched his hand, attacking with ‘Dark Pulse.’

Nica jumped backward to distance herself from Darkrai. While still in mid-air, she raised her forepaw, summoning a ‘Light Screen’ while charging bits of power into her tail. The moment her feet pressed against the stone, she raised her tail defensively in front of her face. Her legs sank into the rocky ground, refusing to bend despite the powerful pressure. The moment the attack stopped, she lowered her burned tail and looked around, yet Darkrai was nowhere to be seen.

She turned towards the tunnel, running inside as she followed Darkrai’s aura, still sensing his anger and disappointment. She wasn’t planning on letting him get away.

If you assist me in taking over Equestria, I shall not kill a single pony, I will get rid of Chrysalis and give you power beyond your imagination. If you agree to remain neutral, I shall send you back to your home world. If you get in my way one more time, I’ll break you with any means necessary. Those are your three choices. The next time we see each other, I will expect your answer. Choose wisely.

Nica’s ears perked upward and she flipped backward. Several dark crystals grew from the floor and ceiling in front of her, blocking her way. She surrounded herself with electricity while repeating ‘Rai’ over and over, piercing the dark crystals with her ’Volt Tackle,’ but the aura she sensed was no longer there.

With a firm stare still present on her face, she returned to the chamber where Somnambula faced the Sphinx, picking up her trusty blue collar and attaching it on her neck. Four white gems and one blue gem shined in the sunlight, while small lightning bolts decorated the collar in between.

With her magical language-translating, electricity-absorbing collar present on her neck, she went outside and next back to the city. It was obvious that Darkrai was no longer planning to lay low, and regrouping with Twilight’s friends seemed like the best course of action.

As she felt the hot sand cover her feet with each step and raised her forepaw protectively over her eyes, she thought about Darkrai’s words. He seems to think of ponies as a resource for him to use, and he certainly hates humanity, yet he showed me mercy. I don’t think he’s cruel or enjoys hurting others, but he believes that pokemon are being used as tools. What if some criminals tried to use him against his will?

She dropped her forepaws, lowered her head and sighed. Even if somewhat merciful, Darkrai still ended up in bad company, guided by a selfish queen who tried to use him. If only he’d interacted with ponies and experienced kindness like I did, he would see them for more than just source of magic.

Nica raised her head and glanced over her shoulder at the pyramid in pity. He was ready to help me gain greater power and share Equestria with me if I joined him, and was ready to send me back home if I agreed to stay away from him. I fear that he won’t hesitate to break me. The moment she noticed Rainbow Dash, Daring Do, Pinkie Pie and Quibble run in her direction, she waved at them.

As she felt two pairs of hooves and one pair of wings envelope her in a hug. She nuzzled each pony in return. I endured battles against legendary pokemon and nearly died during my training several times. Pain isn’t new to me. If I have to endure more pain and never see home ever again to protect ponies who showered me with kindness and affection, so be it. This is my choice, and I don’t fear the consequences.

Author's Note

From now on, this part of the story will take a more "Dark" and "Adventurous" aproach as Nica will face her greatest adversary and endure a lot of hardship.

Chapter 27 - Back to Ponyville

Author's Note

Greetings my faithful readers.

After some thinking and checking the feedback, I decided that the sequel "Raichu, Defender of Equestria" can't exacly stand as it's own story, nor as a sequel.

It's true that it have more dark and adventurous aproach, but in the end it feels too much like a direct continuation of events of this story rather than a sequel, so I decided to merge both stories. (I came up with a way better idea for the sequel called "Little Lost Pikachu" which will take place one week after events of this story, so removing "Raichu, Defender of Equestria" seems like the best course of action).

One of the reasons I split it into sequel was due to this story already being super long. I hope that number of chapters won't scare new readers.

I appologise for the confusion and from now on I'll keep updating this story instead.

Chapter 27 - Back to Ponyville

Raichu, Defender of Equestria

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Chapter 27
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Back to Ponyville

“So… let me get this straight,” Daring Do said as she sat on a platform with a half-repaired statue of Somnambula, the one she destroyed some time ago. Its repairs being funded partially from her own pocket. A few bandages were present on her face, hooves, and wrapped around her belly. Her attention was now on a Raichu sitting in front of her who carried a small bag over her shoulder. “You came from a different world and were sent here by powerful legendaries to stop a pokemon called Darkrai, who, for Celestia knows how long, was secretly cursing ponies with dark magic while clearing their memories of it.”

Rainbow Dash spoke up, “He was the one who sealed your memories, and since he can’t do it anymore, he tried to get you to join him.” Sitting next to Daring Do while having a few small bandages covering her burns, she rubbed her chest and said, “What’s up with the bad guys trying to get others to join them? Nightmare Moon already tried that with the Shadowbolts, like I would leave my friends to join a random group that just popped up in the Everfree Forest.”

Quibble rubbed his chin, sitting on the side in between the ponies and the pokemon, a few bandages were present on his back. Pinkie Pie was sitting ahead of him, while his minion, Desert Blade, stood by his side, both having a few bruises and bandages of their own. “Whatever the case, he’s way above any villains you ever faced, Daring Do. He saw benefit in eliminating you, had to eliminate Rainbow Dash for his accomplice, and nearly succeeded." He paused to glance at the pokemon. "Now he sees Nica as a threat to his plans and was even willing to send her back home in exchange for her neutrality.” He looked at Pinkie and pointed at her. “We saw what happened. He drained Pinkie’s magic in mere seconds, weakening her while using the gathered magic against us. If this is what his curse is about, he can hold entire towns as hostages and increase his power at will.”

“Kind of like Tirek,” Rainbow Dash said. “He absorbed everypony’s magic to grow big and strong. The difference being that this Darkrai creature isn’t growing big, but instead sneaks around a lot. Coward.”

“I don’t think he’s a coward. He’s just cunning and cautious,” Nica spoke up, her forepaw raised. “Thorax told me that… according to rumors at the hive... Tirek could be easily stopped if not for Discord’s betrayal. Darkrai however said that being a dark type made him immune to spells and how his powers are extremely dangerous against magical beings. The dark magic he now commands apparently has similar qualities. Not to mention that he managed to manipulate Chrysalis and remained hidden all this time.”

Nica stood up and patted her white chest while her tail rose up from the ground. “I’m not a magical being, nor I am weak to dark type attacks or dark magic. I should be able to match him in a fight…” She sat and tapped her paws together. “... Unless he makes himself super powerful by boosting himself with stolen magic…”

Daring Do shrugged. “I’ll fly home and check if I still have any artifacts that can be of use against him before joining you in Ponyville, but no promises I’ll find anything useful.”

Rainbow Dash looked at Pinkie Pie, who still kept looking to the side. “You’re awfully quiet, Pinkie, I mean… like… super quiet. It’s not like you. Is something wrong?” As Pinkie looked at her own rear hooves, Dash asked. “Are you still hurting?”

“N-no… it’s just…” Pinkie said, her head still lowered and her ears drooped. “When I decided to come with you, I thought I would be helpful, yet I couldn’t do anything useful. Instead, I was used by that meany to hurt you all. I feel awful.”

“Come on Pinks, you did help… ummm… well… your brought us those flashlight helmets so we could explore the dark pyramid. It was helpful,” Dash said, only for Pinkie to release a deep depressed sigh. “I’m not helping, am I?” She stepped from the platform and placed her wing over Pinkie’s shoulder. “Anyway, we need to regroup with our friends at Ponyville. I can fly us there…”

“Take Nica,” Pinkie said with a depressed tone, her mane less pink and more greyish than usual. “I would weigh you down anyway.”

Dash opened her mouth, but Quibble was first to speak, “Pinkie Pie can come with me and Daring Do.” He pointed at Dash and continued, “Take Nica for a ride. She’s three or four times lighter than an average mare, so you’ll be able to get to Ponyville in no time.”

“W-what about Darkrai? It’s risky to split up,” Dash said, her wings spread in panic.

Quibble shook his forehoof and head dismissively. “Not really. According to what Nica told us, he’s not interested in hurting ponies, and he already put a curse on Pinkie. I’m not a threat to him and Daring Do can fly. Also, if he’s serious about taking over Equestria and his existence is now well known to us, he’ll no doubt go to Canterlot and take action. You both need to warn the others as quickly as possible.”

Nica kept staring at Pinkie Pie with drooped ears. Seeing this energetic mare like this, sensing her aura of depression… she could only whimper as a sad smile appeared on her face. Taking a few steps on her rear feet, Nica pushed herself against Pinkie’s chest and nuzzled it. Using her tail, she rubbed Pinkie behind her ears and next tickled soft part of her rear hooves, causing the mare to giggle.

Pinkie hugged Nica in return. “Don’t worry about me, I’ll get back to my puffy and happy self before you know it. Now go with Dash and tell Twilight what happened.”

Nica waited until she was released before nodding. She took off the bag from her shoulder, giving it to Pinkie as a rat’s head peeked out from it. She lowered her head and nuzzled the rat’s nose. “I’ll leave you with Pinkie Pie, Mr. Patrick.”

Upon hearing squeaking noises of protest, she added, “Don’t be like that. I’ll fly on Dash’s back and I don’t want to put you in danger. Stay safe.” After hearing sad squeaking and ignoring the drooped ears and whispers of the rat, she approached Rainbow Dash who lowered her wing to the sandy ground for her to climb up. She perched herself on the pegasus’ back and wrapped her paws around Dash’s neck.

Rainbow Dash saluted. “Daring Do, Quibble, and you Desert Blade, take good care of Pinkie. We’ll wait for you either at the castle in Ponyville or in Canterlot.” She spread her wings and flew up, now flying north towards Ponyville with map in her hooves. “Hey, Nica, you’re probably still a bit tired from your fight. You might want to take a nap.”

“Says the mare who was put asleep by Darkrai’s spell not long ago. Are you sure you’re not the one who needs to rest and recover?” Nica asked, only to tighten her hold of Dash’s neck as the pegasus performed a barrel roll.

“I’m fine. I may not be as tough as a pokemon, but I’m not a pushover,” Dash said in annoyance.

“Alright. I suppose a short nap won’t hurt. My last dream stopped before a very important fight against a criminal who could use way more than six pokemon at once, each of his pokemon stolen from skilled trainers and brainwashed to do his bidding,” Nica said, catching Dash’s interest. “Since I regain my memories whenever I sleep, maybe after a short nap I’ll remember that encounter.”

“I hope so, you totally need to tell me everything about that fight once you wake up,” Dash said while slightly reducing her speed.

Nica closed her eyes and pressed herself into fur on Dash’s neck. Her ears and tail flapped under the strong wind.

“And so we meet again. I must say, you sure did your best to anger my boss. Slowing down Team Rocket’s search of Lugia in Johto, preventing our capture of Zapdos, Moltres and Articuno in Kanto, and next you made us search for you in Hoenn and Sinnoh outside of our territory.”

Nica peeked from behind a tree, observing the scene from the sideline. Her trainer Astra stood firm in front of the Team Rocket hitman, codename ‘Deathblow.’ Astra wore a shirt and short skirt, both green, large bronze boots, and no hat covered her orange long hair.

On Astra’s right side stood a young girl in a white kimono decorated in blue waves, with a water pokemon armed with two yellow shells, Dewott, by her side.

On Astra’s left side stood a young boy named Lauki with a Pikachu by his side.

Nica kept looking at both pokemon in guilt. Ever since she refused to use electricity against the water pokemon, fighting Dewott with only her ‘Iron Tail,’ she earned his respect. Her refusal to fight back against the Pikachu, defending herself and training him during an actual battle turned him into a fan. Both pokemon and their respective trainers were now facing danger… because of her.

She looked back at Deathblow. The hitman apparently refused to shave his bronze beard, and was wearing a black uniform with a big white ‘R’ mark written on it. He wore three belts, each equipped with ten pokeballs, a personal army of brainwashed stolen pokemon at his command. On the left and right sides of the hitman two large pokemon stood tall: A large metalic head with four large limbs, Metagross, and large and fat fighting type pokemon with massive hands ready to overpower any opponent in a fight of sumo, Hariyama. Both on guard and ready to defend their master.

“Who’s he? What’s going on?” the girl wearing kimono asked in confusion, her eyes narrowed. Her Dewott aimed his shells aggressively, repeating his name.

“A Team Rocket member? You guys already caused a lot of trouble in Kanto, and now you grunts dare to show your face in Sinnoh?” Lauki said as his Pikachu released a few bolts from dots on his cheeks.

“Grunt? I’m one of three elite hitmen. By stealing pokemon from experienced trainers, I earned a fortune on the black market, an elite squad of powerful pokemon, and most importantly my boss’ respect.” Deathblow crossed his arms and frowned. “Consider yourself lucky you’re a small fry. I have no use for stealing your weak pokemon.” He pointed at the trainer in the middle. “Astra, you have become a nuisance to my boss and caught my attention. The question is, will you surrender yourself and your pokemon to me peacefully and beg my boss for mercy? Or should I ask my Hariyama to snap your neck while I take your pokemon to one of our facilities where they’ll become my loyal servants?”

Astra chuckled. “Funny… to think when we first meet, I was scared of you.”

“As you should,” Deathblow said. “Too bad that this fear didn’t stop you from making the same mistakes your parents made,” Deathblow said, causing an angered expresion to form on Astra’s face to surface. “Your parents and their subordinates nearly ruined Team Rocket and many other criminal organizations. I had the privilege of putting them down, but we never found their daughter. Ever since you freed Zapdos from under my nose, I did some digging. It appears I now have an opportunity to finish what I started years ago.”

“You did what? How despicable!” the kimono girl spoke in anger and frowned.

“You took the life of her parents? I knew Team Rocket were up to no good, but that’s horrible,” Lauki paused and gave Astra a confused glance. “Wait… you really stopped Team Rocket from catching three legendary pokemon from Kanto? That’s… that’s amazing!” He held his hands in front of his face, staring in admiration.

“All she did was seal her fate,” Deathblow stated.

Astra took a few calming breaths and forced a smile. “All this time I was thinking how I can defeat a criminal who can command several well trained pokemon at once. All this time I feared I can’t defeat you in a pokemon battle, thinking of you as my biggest challenge to overcome.” She pointed accusingly at the criminal elite. “I bet you watched my battles, waiting for me to face a powerful trainer so you could ambush me on my way to the Pokemon Center while my team is still weak. Unfortunately for you, when I was watching my partner train herself to near-death while unable to stop her, an easy solution came to my mind.”

“What are you blabbering about?” Deathblow asked.

Nica dashed from behind her cover, running towards her opponent with all speed she could muster. Her tail now metalic and shining, charged with power, while bolts of electricity escaped dots on her cheeks. She ran under Metagross’ massive head, tripping it with a slam of her tail against its limb while it wasn’t levitating himself. The earth trembled upon the impact. With a swift movement of her tail, she cut the three belts and wrapped her tail around them, pulling them away from the elite hitman.

“What the—”

With a quick ‘Thunderbolt,’ she pushed the hitman against Hariyama before running towards her trainer, the prize in her possession.

“You’ll pay for this! Metagross, use ‘Rock Slide!’” Deathblow shouted before trying to grab his pokeballs, only for his old face to become pale. “You… you dared!”

Nica zipped between falling stones, not even slowing down.

“After thinking over so many strategies, the answer was so simple. All I needed was to steal your pokeballs before you could use them and your biggest advantage is gone,” Astra said as she grabbed the tree belts eagerly, a wide grin on her face. She held one hand on her hip and asked, “How does it feel that after years of stealing from other trainers to have your pokemon being taken from you? Defeated by your own technique, quite fitting if you asks me.”

Deathblow grit his teeth, but calmed down quickly. He rubbed his beard and said, “I must say, I’m impressed. Thus far I simply challenged and defeated every trainer with overwhelming force, or ambushed them when their pokemon were exhausted. Not even a champion could’ve stopped me in direct fight.” He pointed at Astra. “But you’re different, you’re not afraid to play dirty.”

Nica ran at the hitman once again, only to pull herself to a full stop, causing grass and dirt spread around her paws, her attention focused on a remote detonator in the hitman’s hand.

“Lucky, no elite ever takes action without a plan B. I placed explosives inside the Pokemon Center. Unless you give me my pokemon back and let me go, you’ll have the lives of many pokemon and humans on your conscience,” Deathblow said with a serious expression, as if an elderly playing a game of chess. “While at it, you can as well give me your pokemon and surrender yourself. You wouldn’t want all those people and pokemon die just to protect your own skin?”

“You monster!” the girl in the kimono shouted.

“You’re no ordinary Team Rocket thug after all, none of them would go this far to achieve their goals,” Lauki said, shooting daggers at the hitman.

Nica grit her teeth and bent her legs. She already had a life of a father on her conscience because she didn’t react fast enough. Not again… never again…

“I thought your pokemon were very valuable and worth taking, but in case I failed to defeat you, I was just planning to blow you up along with the Pokemon Center. I didn’t expect I would need to use it as a bargaining chip, but now that I think about it, using hostages works just fine.”

With a quick jump, Nica flew at the hitman, wrapping her tail carefully around the detonator, pulling it from Deathblow’s hand without touching the round red button. Grabbing the detonator with her forepaws, she turned around and unleashed bolts of electricity towards Deathblow’s backpack, forcing him to throw it away before it bursts into flames.

“My jetpack! You little rodent!” Deathblow paused and looked around, finding himself surrounded by multiple pokemon.

“Your jetpack was your plan C, correct?” Astra asked. “Do you have plan D or any trump card left? Or did you simply underestimate me and fall into my hands?”

Deathblow shook her head and then knelt on his both knees, his head lowered. “I have been bested. Now the question is, will you have what it takes to avenge your parents in front of witnesses. Will you sacrifice your innocence for revenge?”

Before Astra or Nica could react, one of the pokeballs on Astra’s belt opened, and a nine-tailed flame-breathing fox appeared in front of the hitman.

Nica flinched and bit her bottom lip before running in front of Ninetales. <H-hey… I know you’re angry, b-but…” She raised her tail defensively, yet the fire easily broke her ‘Iron Tail,’ burning half of Deathblow’s face who screamed in pain, holding his hands against his face. Metagross and Hariyama stepped to the side, not interfering without their master’s command.

Nica glanced at her long burned tail and next gave Ninetales an angered glare.

Ninetales growled, only to be recalled back into his pokeball by Astra.

“It seems my mother’s Ninetales wanted to leave a mark on you as punishment,” Astra said as she looked to the side, her clenched fists trembling in anger. “Also, outside of your crimes in Kanto and Johto, I’m sure the police in Sinnoh would be very interested in inspecting your detonator and disarming explosives you placed inside a Pokemon Center. As for my revenge, I’ll not rest until I hunt the most skilled members of every criminal organization.” She gestured at trainers by her side who still kept staring silently in disbelief. “I witnessed the power in possession of many pokemon trainers. I wonder how efficient your grunts will be against them without backup from elites.”

Nica glanced at her trainer and nodded. The time for preparations, challenges and laying low was over. Now was the time to “Wake up!”

Nica yawned, then raised one paw and rubbed her sleepy eyes.

Chapter 28 - Training or Overtraining?

Something has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter.

Chapter 29 - Trapped Beast

Raichu, Defender of Equestria

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Chapter 29
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Trapped Beast

Rainbow Dash paced back and forth in front of the hospital room, glancing at the door from time to time with her panicked face. Was she too slow in bringing the injured Raichu? Should she have been more forceful and decisive? Maybe she could’ve restrained the pokemon before it was too late. What was even the deal here?

That over-apologetic Raichu with low self-esteem was acting way too bold. The Nica I know would never openly use electricity against anypony for no reason. The moment the door opened, Dash spread her wings and leaped towards the doctor, nearly touching his muzzle.

“How is she? Will she be alright? Will she–” Dash’s mouth was sealed with a hoof.

“Calm yourself, Miss Dash. Your friend’s condition is stable,” Doctor Horses said with a firm unamused face. Small reading glasses were nesting on his muzzle while a white hospital uniform covered his chest and half of his body. A blue aura was visible around his horn as notepad and pen levitated by his side.

Dash took a step back and wiped sweat from her forehead, sighing in relief. She smiled warmly and clapped her forehooves. “So you saved her, great job doc!”

“Actually, there wasn’t much we could do outside of providing her with oxygen and bandaging her bruises. Her biology was vastly different from that of a pony and any attempt of operation would be too dangerous.” He waited for Nurse Redheart to step outside of the room before adding, “To be honest, I find her recovery to be miraculous.”

“Miraculous?” Dash asked.

Redheart nodded. “Miraculous is indeed a proper term to name this phenomenon. When you brought her to us, this critter was on the verge of death. Our scans indicated multiple internal injuries, her breathing and heartbeat was dangerously low. We used medication and healing magic to keep her stable, but we didn’t have enough knowledge to risk an operation.” She glanced at Doctor Horses, who nodded and spoke up.

“A few minutes later, her condition started to improve. Our quick scans indicated that all internal damage was healing on its own at a steady pace. The self-regeneration of this creature is out of this world.”

Nurse Redheart glanced at the critter on the bed before closing the door. “It is as if her body had plenty of survival adaptations. I can’t tell if it's survival adaptation of her species, or rather something she developed on her own, but it certainly is quite fascinating.”

Dash smiled nervously and chuckled. “Wouldn’t… something like training herself to that state day after day… make her heal so fast?”

The doctor stared at Dash as if she was insane before narrowing his eyes. “Are you telling me that she pushed herself to such critical condition regularly? What kind of insanely cruel being would force her to experience such torture on a daily basis?”

“Maybe guilt. She said over and over that she started pushing herself so hard after failing to save someone’s life from a burning building,” Dash answered. “She’s scared to fail ever again, so she overtrains herself.”

“Oh... “ Both Doctor and Redheart lowered their heads in sadness, now staring at the floor.

Doctor Horses stated, “Her species no doubt developed in a much harsher environment than ours or were forced to fight often for their survival. Whatever's the case, she survived her self-inflicted abuse and adapted. The saying; 'what doesn't kill you makes you stronger' fits her quite well.” He raised his head and asked, “Is there more we should be aware of?”

“Only that when she was training, she wasn’t herself. When I tried to stop her, she flipped out on me and even shocked me with electricity.” Dash stomped. “But her personality is almost like Fluttershy’s, and she’s afraid of hurting others. There’s no way she would act this way.”

Doctor glanced at Redheart, who shrugged. He then turned towards Dash and rubbed his chin. “Well… maybe repetitive self-inflicted abuse affected her mental condition. If she was repeating the same training over and over while exposed to massive quantity of pain, her mind probably started shutting down partially while allowing muscle-memory to carry on. She probably kept repeating her training regime out of routine while being unaware of it.” He shook his forehoof dismissively. “This is just a theory though.”

Dash glanced at the door in worry. Nica was awesome and brave, yet was it even worth it if gaining such durability and skills required regularly going through so much pain? As an athlete herself she knew the importance of pushing herself to her limits or even trying to break them, but even she wouldn’t dare to go this far. When thinking about the injured Raichu, she could feel an equal mix of both admiration and pity.

“Look on the bright side, Miss Dash. If my theory is indeed correct, your friend becomes unaware of the pain she endures,” Doctor Horses said encouragingly. “Though I would advise to keep an eye for her in case this happens again.”

Dash nodded. “Any idea when she’ll wake up?”

Nurse Redheart shook her head and spoke up, “Considering the speed of her regeneration, I would say between six to eight hours. I would advise against waking her up earlier since she needs rest to regain her full strength.”

Dash nodded before looking at the hospital ponies with a firm stare. “I need to go to Canterlot to meet with my friends. If she wakes up before I’m back, please tell her to head there. It’s important… like, saving Equestria level of importance.”

Doctor nodded. “I will.”

Dash saluted playfully before spreading her wings, flying towards the exit, leaving Nica covered in bandages and oxygen-transferring mask to rest in the bed.

It didn’t take long before colorful houses of Ponyville were replaced by hills and trees as Dash soared through the sky, piercing a puffy cloud which got in the way. The mighty capital on the horizon growing with each passing second. While the train was a more comfortable and stamina-saving way of transportation, it was still a two hours long travel, most time being wasted because of Canterlot being positioned on a mountain.

Without the need to take the longer path and ride in circles on the mountain, and with help of her trusty wings, Dash reached the castle in seven minutes, flying inside through the closest window. Numerous pillars passed by as she pushed the large double door into the throne room, landing with a weak thump. As she had hoped for, her friends and the princesses were gathered there, saving her needless search.

Applejack turned away from the group and approached with a smug smile on her face. “Hey there, Dash, finally back from yer adventure? Ya sure took yer time.”

Rainbow Dash tackled Applejack and hugged her while hovering above the floor. She released the farm pony and flew towards the group, only to restrain herself and land upon noticing the other princesses. She regained her composure and bowed. “Sorry for being late. Got caught up in the adventure and stuff.”

“It is understandable,” Celestia said as authority radiated from her. Golden regalia present on her neck and hooves and multicolored mane waved despite lack of wind. “We had no means to contact you about our situation, and there is not much you could have done to help anyway.”

Twilight gave Dash a curious glance. “Where’s Pinkie Pie?”

Dash stood up and said, “She’s with Daring Do and Quibble Pants. They should reach Ponyville sooner or later.” She stomped, her face suddenly serious. “Girls, I need to warn you. We’re in big trouble.”

“Tell me about it,” Applejack said with an raised eyebrow. “As ya can see, we got called to Canterlot for a reason.”

“Now, now, Applejack, let her speak first. We can update her afterwards,” Twilight said as her student Starlight nodded in agreement.

“N-no, I can wait,” Dash said before looking around. Three of her friends and both Princess Celestia and Princess Luna were sitting, gathered together in front of the steps towards the throne. Among the group of ponies was one greyish griffon she didn’t recognize. Long red carpet was present under their flanks and hooves while pillars and stain-glass windows displaying their achievements surrounded them from both sides. Two royal guards were standing motionless on their sides, scanning the area. “Where’s Fluttershy? Wasn’t she called to Canterlot, too?”

“She’s checking on Discord,” Starlight said. “We haven’t heard anything from him in weeks, and while there’s not much he can do to help us, it’s best to stick together.”

“Even Discord can’t help? Go on Twilight, tell me what’s going on! Is a new villain attacking Canterlot?” Dash asked.

Twilight shook her head. “You first, I insist.”

Dash was about to protest, but Celestia interrupted, “Rainbow Dash. If there’s a new threat we should be aware of, I would prefer to hear about it immediately. The situation in Canterlot is stable and we shall explain it afterwards.”

Luna nodded before spreading her wings authoritatively. “I must agree with my sister. What kind of threat would cause panic in such a brave athlete as thee?”

Starlight asked, her tone filled with worry, “And where’s Nica? If I remember correctly, a pony named Quibble hired her as a bodyguard so he could clear the name of some adventurer. Is she still with him?”

“First, this adventurer’s name is Daring Do!” Rainbow Dash shouted while shooting Starlight an annoyed glare. She stood on her rear hooves, spread her wings and forelegs before continuing, “She’s a hero who explores jungles and temples, find ancient artifacts, and dodges dangerous traps,” she punched the air before performing a spin-kick, “and beats villains who wants to use those artifacts for their evil schemes. She’s keeping her real identity a secret while writing about her adventures in books.”

Celestia spoke up, “So Daring Do is more than just a book character after all. I had my suspicions.”

“We got ourselves into one that one time, and Daring Do has been Dash’s friend ever since,” Twilight pointed out.

Celestia glanced at her student for a moment before looking at the athletic pegasus, her eyes narrowed. “Miss Rainbow Dash, please tell us what happened without any delays.”

“Of course,” Dash said, taking a deep breath as all eyes were on her. “The moment I found out from Pinkie that ‘A.K. Yearling’ –that’s the name that Daring Do uses when publishing her books– decided to quit, I rushed to find out what happened.” She stomped with both of her legs while her ears perked up. “It turned out that Dr. Caballeron tried to ruin Daring Do’s reputation, but Quibble saw through his disguise and sent Raichu… I mean Nica, to spy on him and get some photos for evidence.” She spread her wings and flew up, now hovering above the carpet. “To be honest, I never thought Quibble would be so epic. He took the charge, revealed evidence to the public, lead the angered crowd against Caballeron, and he even paid one of Caballeron’s minions to punch him in the face.”

“Okay…” Twilight said before massaging her chin. “Daring Do’s adventures nearly always end up having fighting scenes involving a lot of punching and kicking. Did she or Nica have to fight by any chance?”

Dash shook her head. “Well… against Dr. Caballeron, Daring Do didn’t need to deliver a single punch, and Nica stopped the bad guys from escaping thanks to her electricity. They’re now in prison thanks to Nica who found stolen goods and took pictures of them stealing stuff that were used as evidence. Quibble planned everything and things went great… at least until the next day.”

“Please, continue,” Luna encouraged, listening with full attention.

Dash landed and looked at the floor, her enthusiasm gone. “The next day we got a mysterious letter. If Daring Do and I didn’t go into the center of the pyramid, the nearby town would be in danger. As we expected, it was a trap.”

“If Daring Do is as good at beating the bad guys as you say, wouldn’t she overcome all traps and beat the villains?” Starlight asked.

Dash sighed. “This is where things gets really bad. This creature, Darkrai, he sealed the top of the pyramid and attacked us in the dark. He tried to kill us and took on all of our attacks. If it wasn’t for Nica, he would have killed us both.”

Silence overtook the throne room as everypony tried to comprehend what they just heard.

Rarity gulped, taking a moment to gather courage before speaking, “K-kill you… b-but why. Why would this Darkrai you speak of take such cruel action?” Her mane color being a mix of green, yellow and violet, a temporary replacement for her lost hair which hadn’t grown back yet. Her jacket being a mix of two shades of violet. One ring tied hair on her tail, while another decorated her left foreleg. She glanced at the princesses from time to time, most likely hoping her new style didn’t offend the royalty.

Twilight stood up and took a few steps towards Dash, now but mere centimeters away from her. “What worries me is that until now his actions were secretive and non-lethal. He simply spread the curse and erased memories of those events. Why was your case different?”

Dash pushed Twilight’s muzzle away. “How should I know? I was put to sleep during the fight and didn’t learn any more than what Nica told me.”

“Which is?” Starlight and Twilight asked in unison.

“Some stuff like Darkrai being immune to spells, how he can use dark magic. He tried to get rid of me because his mentor wanted one of us dead.” Dash’s ears perked up. “Oh, right, almost forgot, Darkrai was summoned by Chrysalis so he could help her have her revenge, but he was secretly using her instead. Darkrai and Nica are both from a different world apparently, and he even tried to recruit her... like that would work."

Twilight and Starlight gasped before they both looked at Celestia and Luna, who narrowed their eyes and nodded.

“What?” Dash asked.

Twilight looked back at Dash and said, “Ever since Nica found out that Gabby was cursed and put our attention to it, we have been researching this curse restlessly for two days. It took time and effort, but we discovered some weaknesses and a spell that can remove it. We were about to scan everypony in Ponyville, but were called to Canterlot before we got the chance.”

“Glad to be of assistance,” Gabby said as her gloomy mood shifted into a more cheerful one. She pointed at Twilight and added, “I didn’t understand anything that Twilight said during those tests, but she sure ran lots of them. I don’t feel any headaches either.”

Twilight continued, “Once in Canterlot, we found out that Chrysalis was operating in here under a disguise until recently, but our changeling friends managed to push her against the wall. If this Darkrai you speak of is responsible for spreading curses, is immune to spells, can use dark magic and is cooperating with Chrysalis, the situation is more dire than I thought.”

Celestia asked, “Is Darkrai on the way here? How much time we have before his arrival?”

Rainbow Dash spread her left wing and pointed at it. “I flew all the way from the south desert to Ponyville, and I don’t think Darkrai is a fast fellow. Even with my delay in Ponyville, I’m still hours ahead of him.”

Rarity sighed. “I feel relieved. Facing two dangerous monsters at the same time is not something I am looking forward to.”

“Speak for yerself, Rarity.” Applejack slammed both of her forehooves. “Ah don’t need no spells to beat that Darkrai with mah hooves. That’ll teach him not to spread curses on mah fellow ponies, especially mah family and friends.”

“Sorry to rain on your parade, AJ, but Darkrai’s tough. Even combining my fighting skills with Daring Do were no match for him,” Dash pointed out. “Now, can you fill me in on what’s going on here? If Chrysalis is in Canterlot, why are we still here instead of catching her?”

Celestia stepped ahead of the group and towered over Rainbow Dash, her face firm but calm. “I will explain the situation. A few days ago, my new Captain of the Royal Guard hired Nica to help improve my guards poor performance.”

“It was back when she was searching for random jobs, trying to be useful and earn some bits,” Starlight pointed out. “I was a bit annoyed that I couldn’t accompany her, so I started researching a spells that I could use to enhance her powers.” She stomped. “This time, we’ll work together, friend side by side friend, no more splitting up!”

Celestia cleared her throat, causing Starlight to blush. “As I was saying, after Miss Nica found out that skills of my guards are… greatly under her standards… she contacted Thorax’s brother to assist her.”

"His name is Pharynx." Luna raised forehoof up to her chest and said, "I must admit that I find his attidute to be way bolder than the one of his brother. His way of speaking and training methods are both very direct and sharp." Her serious look quickly shifted into a cheerful smile. “He came here with nine of his most skilled changelings to train our guards. They were the ones who sensed Chrysalis and alerted us about her presence.”

Celestia continued, “Apparently, Chrysalis was disguising herself as different royal guards, secretly draining bits of our magic whenever we were asleep. I suspect she was trying to weaken us and regain her strength, while her summoned ally was spreading curse over my subjects and Element Bearers.”

Twilight glanced at her former mentor and said, “They were acting from the shadows, waiting for best moment to strike while catching us all completely off guard. Darkrai made a mistake when he targeted Gabby while underestimating Nica, which gave us the advantage.”

Celestia continued with a worried look on her face, “We chased after the queen into the abandoned mines under the Canterlot while the Royal Guard sealed all escape routes. We thought we had her cornered, but she had a trump card.”

“Now I’m intrigued. What kind of trump card did she have?” Dash asked.

Starlight started gesturing with her forehooves as if trying to paint a large throne in the air. “Picture this. Chrysalis had a throne which nullified all magic except for the changeling’s one, which Thorax destroyed when he overthrew her. The throne shattered into tiny fragments and scattered all over the badlands. Chrysalis most likely found some fragments, turned them into an armor and kept hidden in the mine under Canterlot so she could use it to take over when the time was right.”

“Her armor wasn’t really practical in direct combat and nullified magic in only ten meters radius, but unlike the large throne, it is mobile.” Luna poked her own horn. “Our spells couldn’t reach Chrysalis, and when we tried to get closer, we felt growing weakness in our bodies. Only Pharynx and his changelings were unaffected.”

Celestia spoke up, “Pharynx and his soldiers tried to defeat Chrysalis, but secretly feeding on our magic made her strong enough to hold her ground against them. But when Chrysalis tried to break through and escape, Pharynx greatly damaged her armor.”

Luna took over. “Right now Chrysalis is protecting herself and what’s left of her armor while Pharynx, his changelings and Royal Guards sealed all means of escape. Both sides are unable to gain the advantage, so now we ended up having a stalemate.”

Starlight spoke up, “One of Pharynx’s changelings flew towards the hive two hours ago to get Thorax’s help, and so now we’re waiting for him to arrive.”

Dash blinked in confusion before pointing at Twilight. “Why didn’t you just teleport to the hive and back with Thorax?”

“I wish it was that simple,” Twilight said with a roll of her eyes. “Long range teleportation is draining, and such teleportation with a bigger passenger is even more tiring. Not to mention that the distance between Canterlot and the hive is quite big. Furthermore, I don’t remember the coordinates all that well.”

Starlight added, “If Discord was with us, it would be a different story. He’s good at transporting large groups at such distance.”

Rarity pointed out, “It would be wise to find efficient measures to teleport between Canterlot and Thorax’s home in the future, but for now we can only wait.”

“Fair enough,” Dash said, only for her ears to perk up at the noise of opening door. She noticed Fluttershy walking in hesitantly.

“R-Rainbow Dash, you’re back, and you’re okay, thank Celestia,” Fluttershy said as she spread her wings and flew over, landing in front of the pegasus before wrapping her in a warm hug.

"Thank Celestia?" Luna gave her sister an odd glance, who smiled sheepishly in response.

“I could say the same thing. So, did you find Discord?” Dash asked as everypony gave Fluttershy a curios stare.

Fluttershy released her friend and lowered her head. “I’m sorry, but I couldn’t find him. He wasn’t at home and he didn’t leave any clues on where he could be.” She whimpered. “To be honest, I feel a bit worried. I hope he’s alright.”

Dash stomped. “Great, just great. So until Thorax arrives, we can’t break the stalemate against Chrysalis, and there’s a risk that Darkrai will get here first and rescue his boss. Can’t we just rush Chrysalis and get it over with?”

Celestia shook her head. “The closer you are to Chrysalis and her damaged armor, the more vulnerable you become. I can’t allow anypony to take such a risk.”

Rarity glanced at the princess before saying, “Spike and Starlight suggested for us to share our love with Pharynx or let him feed on our magic, but… let’s just say that his unfriendly personality made us hesitant to the idea. If it was Thorax, it would not be a problem.”

Starlight added, “We came to an agreement to make it a last resort.”

Twilight glanced at her student. “Any chance you can change that spell of yours to enhance power of a changeling? If we could make Pharynx stronger, he would be able to defeat Chrysalis on his own.”

Starlight shook her head. “It would take too long. I worked on this spell in my free time for past week, and after studying Darkrai’s curse, I learned how our magic can be used to boost the power of a pokemon, which helped me perfect my spell. Changing it so it could work on a changeling would take days.” She glanced at Dash. “Speaking of which, where’s Nica? You didn’t mention her a single time.”

Dash rubbed the back of her neck. “... Well… about that… when I was searching all over Ponyville for you, she trained herself into a critical condition. She’s recovering in the hospital.”

“W-w-what!?” Fluttershy flinched and raised forehoof up to her face, her eyes wide as plates. Starlight and Twilight followed her example. “Why would she do that?”

Dash shrugged. “I dunno. She was like… in a trance. She kept training and hurting herself.” She looked at Fluttershy’s worried face, deciding to spare her the details. “I tried to stop her, but she fought back. She was waaay more stubborn than Applejack was during an apple-bucking season that one time.”

Applejack gasped. “That bad?”

Dash nodded.

Starlight lowered her head and sighed. “Great… just great… I suspected that she faced a lot of harsh battles and trained herself incredibly hard, considering how durable she always was, but I had no idea her desire to train hard would backfire. What made her so strong in the first place now keeps her in the hospital bed when we need her.”

“Darn it. If Nica is as skilled and stron’ as y'all say, she would help Pharynx and break the stalemate against Chrysalis.” Applejack stomped, causing a few cracks to spread under her hoof. She smiled awkwardly. “S-sory.”

Celestia placed her wing on Twilight and said, “Princess Twilight, you are more updated with the curse that Darkrai was spreading. If you have a plan, please, share it with us.”

Twilight looked Celestia’s in the eyes for a moment before nodding, her face now serious. She raised forehoof to her chest and said, “There are most likely numerous ponies in Canterlot that were cursed. I’ll teach Princess Celestia and Princess Luna how to remove it.” She pointed at Starlight. “In the meanwhile, I want you to remove the curse from as many ponies as possible.”

Twilight slid away from Celestia’s large wing and pointed at Dash. “I need you to gather everypony in Canterlot together in front of the castle balcony. Spike is with the new Captain of the Royal Guards at the entrance into the mines. I’ll send message asking him to spare some pegasi guards to help. Once you’re done, I’ll need you to patrol the city from the air. If you see that creature you warned us about, inform the Captain immediately.”

Dash saluted. “Consider it done.”

“Rarity, use the telescope at the balcony to search for potential threats. Applejack, I’ll teleport you to the entrance into the mine. I’m sure somepony as strong as you can be of great help in stopping Darkrai from reaching his ally,” Twilight ordered.

As each pony ran or was teleported to do their part, Fluttershy tapped her hooves together and spoke meekly. “Ummm… is there anyway I can help.”

Twilight nodded. “Can you go to the hospital in Ponyville and look after Nica?”

Fluttershy smiled widely, clearly satisfied with the given task. “Of course. I will fly to Ponyville and look after her without delay.”

Chapter 30 - Dream Before the Storm

Raichu, Defender of Equestria

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Chapter 30
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Dream Before the Storm

Nica’s closed eyelids started to shake as she tried to open her eyes, yet the pain and exhaustion still present in her body protested against it. Wherever she was, her hurting body was pressed into something soft, and attempt of moving a limb or two caused jolts of pain to go through her muscles. Instead, she relaxed herself, sinking into the land of dreams.

Nica walked by her trainer’s side with firm steps and narrowed eyes. Pikachu and Lauki followed from the left while the girl in the kimono who introduced herself as Sinori and her trusty Dewott walked on their right. The darkened tunnel finally gave up into the light of the Elite Four stadium.

It was impossible not to feel the sense of urgency and growing determination.

Nearly two years ago, back when she was still a Pikachu, she walked into the chamber of Bruno, a Kanto/Hoenn member of Elite Four. The fight itself proved challenging despite it being six versus five and Bruno’s obvious type preferences, yet other members of Elite Four who watched their match quickly picked up on Astra’s weaknesses, overcoming her calculative mind with innovative and unexpected strategies. Not that Astra expected to win, telling her that their chance of overcoming such adversaries was near impossible.

Today was different though. Astra gained experience, her team grew stronger, and she earned her evolution into Raichu after many months of struggle against legendary pokemon of the Pyramid King. Unlike the last time, Astra was beaming with confidence, saying their victory over the elites and the champion is assured. Not that her trainer overcame her weakness as she still struggled to improvise, but her strengths now more than enough made up for it.

With three members of the Elite Four of Sinnoh defeated, only the toughest member, Flint, stood in their way.

Nica examined the battleground before her. Half of the field was flat with a small pool of water in the middle part of the area. The other part was covered by heated stone with little lakes of lava flowing in its cracks.

“We shall take our leave towards the audience stands and cheer for your victory. Show Flint your fighting spirit and honor,” Sinori said, performing a small respectful bow towards Astra before walking towards audience seats gracefully.

Dewott approached and followed his trainer’s gesture, respectfully bowing to Nica before grabbing his shell, holding it before his chest. He weakly poked the tip of Nica's tail with his shell and said, He poked his own chest with his shell.

Nica smiled sheepishly.

Dewott rolled his eyes.

Lauki clenched his fist in excitement. “Astra, I knew you were going to get far, but I had no idea you would storm through the Elite Four like that. I’m looking forward to learning from you.” He turned around and ran. “Hey, Sinori, wait for me.” He waved at Astra. “I’ll cheer for your victory. Break a leg and win the cup!” He ran towards the audience stands.

Pikachu patted Nica on the shoulder, his eyes filled with admiration.

Nica blushed and tapped her forepaws.

Pikachu stomped and clenched his forepaw. He ran towards his trainer, jumping towards the audience seats before watching the field from Lauki’s head while Dewott perched himself next Sinori.

Outside of the rich crowd and multiple cameras, the vip seats were filled with other Elite Four members, the champion himself, and even the local professor seemed to grace everyone with his presence.

“My, my, you got some encouraging friends by your side. To think that those you defeated would cheer up for your victory, that’s a spark I like to see in trainers those days,” Flint said, approaching from the side rather than waiting on the opposite side of the field. Outside of yellow shirt, grey torches and black slipper, the most standing out feature proved to be his red afro.

“Meeting me in person before rather than after the battle, and by someone I heard to be the strongest member of Sinnoh Elite Four. I feel honored,” Astra said in a joking tone.

Flint shrugged. “What can I say, I always prefered a more direct approach. After I watched you in the heat of battle, I couldn’t help but want to meet you in person.” He scratched back of his afro. “To be honest, I hoped to talk with you before our battle, but I couldn’t find you anywhere.”

Astra crossed her arms. “My apologies. I couldn’t help but read some books in the local library. The silent atmosphere also helps me a lot whenever developing strategies for incoming battles.” She glanced at Flint’s belt and asked, “I heard a lot of rumors that you have an extremely powerful partner, Infernape. Shouldn’t your partner stand by your side before a big battle?”

“You got a point,” Flint said before picking up one of his pokeballs, sending Infernape into the field.

Nica observed the rumored powerhouse. Two slightly bent legs, two long hands, a thin tail, average-sized belly, and waving flames were present on the pokemon’s head. Red and white being the dominating fur colors, with addition of something like yellow armor present on each knee, shoulder and hand. His blue eyes filled with confidence.

“Is your Infernape as powerful as everyone says? Since he’s a fire and fighting type, how well would he do against Bruno’s Machamp?” Astra asked.

Flint rubbed his nose arrogantly. “Bruno from Kanto? Oh please. He may be incredibly strong, but it doesn’t mean his pokemon are unbeatable. I once had a spar with his team. My Infernape beat his Machamp and Hitmonchan in a row, and still had enough of heat to weaken Hitmonlee.”

Infernape raised his head in pride.

Nica narrowed her eyes. A pokemon of such skills and power no doubt had to endure a lot of hardship. Maybe she didn’t need to hold back against him… maybe.

Flint held his hands on his hips. “But enough about me and my partner. I want to know more about you. When I saw you and your pokemon battle, I saw a powerful flame of determination. I’m curious what keeps it lit like that?”

“For the past years I didn’t expect to get far, so instead I focused on studying and training my team. I often put them against stronger opponents, or handicapped them by sending against foes with a type advantage. I even asked my team to hold back their evolution until they had skills to properly use greater power.” Astra narrowed her eyes, giving Flint a determined stare. “However, the time for training and challenges is over. I have been preparing all this time and failing is not an option.”

“Wow, wow, wow… you may not be the most expressive with your emotions, but I can tell you’re serious about winning.” He crossed his arms and commented, “I think I know what’s going on. You’re betting everything on the incoming supreme tournament. Since it takes place once every five years with the title of Pokemon Master on the line, becoming a champion of Sinnoh is your only chance to participate.”

Astra nodded. “Correct. You’re sharper than you look.” She knelt and looked at her partner before pointing at Infernape. “Now listen carefully, Nica. As I already told you, Infernape is a fire/fighting type, which means that your ‘Iron Tail’ will be extremely hard to use for defense. Furthermore, he’s the toughest pokemon from the Sinnoh Elite Four. Fighting against him will stack odds against you.”

“Ummm… what are you doing? I mean, my Infernape is great and all, but I don’t want too much praise to get into his head,” Flint said, giving his partner a firm glance, who rubbed his chest pridefully in response.

“Oh, sorry, I was just encouraging my partner to go all out against yours,” Astra said as she rubbed top of Nica’s head, who nuzzled her cheek in return. “You see, my Raichu’s name is Nica and she’s my partner, and she’s extremely skilled. The problem is that she refuses to go all out unless the odds are stacked up against her.”

Nica lowered her head and tapped her forepaws.

Astra stood up and held one hand on her hip. “She refuses to use electric attacks against water or flying pokemon and hesitates to attack pokemon that are weaker than her due to their weaker evolution. I hoped to convince her not to hold back against a well-trained battle-hardened pokemon like your ace.”

“Really? That’s something I didn’t see before.” Flint knelt and looked Nica in the eyes, who stared back curiously. “Your partner reminds me of my friend Volker and his Pikachu. It almost feels nostalgic.” He took a closer look at the heart-shaped edge of Nica’s tail before glancing at Astra, “Why did she start holding back?”

Astra looked to the side, a blush of embarrassment on her face. “Well… let’s say that I held back on her evolution into Raichu until she managed to defeat Regice, Regirock and Registeel in a one vs one fight. For her a fair fight is only when she’s at a big disadvantage. There was also that one time when she… I think I’ll keep it to myself.” The moment Nica’s ears drooped, Astra knelt and rubbed behind her ears. “Whenever she’s protecting others or fighting criminals, she’s doing her best, but in normal pokemon battles she doesn’t want to bully a weaker opponent.”

Infernape stared at Raichu with a growing curiosity.

Flint chuckled before bursting into laughter. “Listen carefully, Nica. My Infernape faced challenges that made him tougher beyond your imagination. He’s strong and durable. Even water pokemon aren’t skilled enough to defeat him in one vs one battle.” He clenched his fist, shaking it in front of himself as one could imagine fire bursting from his eyes. Nica took a step back, her ears perked up, catching his every word. “Ever since I became an Elite Four member, my Infernape didn’t lose against one pokemon a single time. If you think you have what it takes to be the first, you better bring your A game. Anything less would be disrespectful.”

Infernape roared, sending a pillar of flames into the air. He glared at Nica and said,

Nica tapped her forepaws together, staring back with her puppy eyes.

Infernape laughed.

Nica smiled widely, clenched bronze tip of her forepaws and nodded.

Astra chuckled cheerfully. “Thank you very much for ensuring my victory, Flint. I hope it’s not too much to ask for us to start our battle with our partners.”

“How can I refuse an offer like that. You actually made me fired up for the coming battle, so you better do your best and don’t disappoint my expectations,” Flint said before walking away, approaching his side of the stage. The cheering of the crowd followed.

Nica and Astra looked at each other and nodded.

Not wasting a moment, Nica ran into the area, stopping herself in front of a pool of water. As she expected, Infernape was summoned a moment later as he now faced her from the other side of the pool. Holding her paws together, Nica performed a full respectful bow.

The fire type pokemon blinked in confusion before mimicking Nica’s gesture.

“A sign of respect before the battle, your partner is full of surprises!” Flint shouted.

“She learned it from Dewott during the elimnationary round!” Astra shouted in response.

Nica glanced at the audience, noticing Dewott cheering up for her while shaking its shells as if being a cheerleader. The crowd of humans cheered as well as slightly more than half seemed to shout ‘Raichu’ rather than ‘Infernape.’

Nica blushed and then shook her head before focusing her attention on the opponent ahead as now was not the time to get flustered over the cheering crowd. She took a fighting stance on her four paws, raising her tail threateningly while charging it with power. Bolts of electricity started escaping from her cheeks, and then form her entire body. If her opponent was indeed as powerful and thought as the rumors said, she no longer needed to hold anything back.

“Ladies first, Astra, this goes for your pokemon as well,” Flint said while holding one hand on his hip. His posture relaxed and a smirk was present on his face.

“If you insist." Astra looked at her partner and commanded, "Nica, use ‘Light Screen!'”

Nica stood on her rear legs and raised both forepaws while concentrating. A barrier formed before her a moment later. She returned to her previous stance in an instant.

“Light Screen? Sorry to disappoint, but my Infernape is more of a physical attacker. I would suggest a more direct approach,” Flint said as he rubbed his nose arrogantly.

“By all means, you first,” Astra said, her arms crossed.

Flint blinked in confusion. “You’re seriously not going to attack?”

“Isn’t this something you’re looking for?” Astra asked with a smirk. “I’ll let my partner decide when it is the best time to strike.”

“Interesting.”

Nica and Infernape kept staring at each other, both focused and waiting for each other’s move. As if two warrior searching for weakness, they waited for their opponent to lower their guard even if for a second.

Half a minute passed as loud cheering turned into a dead silence.

Drop of sweat fell down Nica’s forehead as she could feel the heat coming from the other side of the arena, her eyes narrowed.

“I see you don’t lack patience. If you so insist, we’ll strike first. Infernape, use ‘Mach Punch!'”

Nica looked up, observing as her opponent jumped over the pool of water. It took serious confidence to perform such a maneuver so close to the source of his weakness. Standing on her rear paws, she spread her forepaws in an invitation, allowing the shining fist to strike her belly with full force. Her legs and half of her belly sank into the rocky ground as cracks and loose stones started spreading all around her.

Despite the pain, she refused to scream, her teeth gritted. She quickly grabbed the fist with her forepaws while wrapping her tail around Infernape’s arm as electricity bursted form her body on its own.

Infernape closed his eyes, ignoring the electricity paralyzing his body. He raised his fist and leaped to the side, only to find out that his opponent held his arm in a vice grip. He started shaking his captured hand, but with no effect.

“Nica, use ‘Thunderbolt!'” Astra commanded while pointing at the fire pokemon.

Both Flint and Infernape grinned as electricity flashed in the middle of the area.

“You call that a ‘Thunderbolt?' Your Raichu is way weaker than I thought. Infernape, ‘Flare Blitz!'” He looked to the side and added, “I would tell your partner to release my pokemon’s fist if I were you.”

Nica didn’t need to be told twice as her trainer already warned her of the flames created by ‘Flare Blitz,' telling her what to do if this attack was used. She withdrew her tail and pushed herself away from Infernape’s fist towards his legs, wrapping her tail around them. She felt the extremely hot flames burning her tail but she struggled against it, jumping into the pool of water while pulling her confused foe. The moment Infernape’s flames made contact with the water, a large amount of steam filled the area.

“As planed,” Astra said and chuckled as everyone lost visibility over the arena, which was now covered by steam. “To be honest, I didn’t expect you would command your pokemon to use ‘Flare Blitz’ this early, more or less so close to the pool of water. Your overconfidence will cost you more than you think.”

Nica held her breath while unleashing more electricity, using surrounding water to strengthen her attack against her captive. After leaving Infernape with a few burns, she released his legs and swam towards the surface, climbing up onto the solid ground. As she expected, the fire pokemon jumped from the water into the cloud of steam, while sensing his aura made up for her lack of visibility. One weak ‘Thunderbolt’ after another, she struck Infernape with electricity, using her agility and steam to mask her own presence from counterattacks. Infernape jumped up, escaping from the steam, yet Nica found out many times during her own jumps that in air and without wings it’s difficult to evade.

Running at full speed while repeating her name, she surrounded herself with electricity, going through the steam while tracking her foe’s aura. With a quick ‘Thunderbolt,' she struck Infernape in mid-air, only to strike him with a ‘Volt Tackle.’

Infernape pressed his feet into the ground, pulling himself to a full stop as he kept standing, a few burns present on his body while water kept dripping down his fur.

The steam slowly vanished, revealing both pokemon staring at each other in silence.

Nica narrowed her eyes, glaring at her opponent with full attention. Despite paralyzing him with her own ability, throwing him into the water which he was weak to, using said water to strengthen her attack and then delivering around three weak ‘Thunderbolts’ and one solid ‘Volt Tackle,’ Infernape didn’t lose his balance a single time, standing tall and strong while ignoring his numerous burns. Her opponent no doubt endured hardship and fought against the odds like she did to get this tough, she needed to take it seriously.

“Your pokemon can see even with so little visibility?” Flint asked in confusion.

“She can indeed. It’s a small trick she learned from monks while under Riolu’s guidance. Long story,” Astra said, her attention on the fire pokemon. “I must say, I’m impressed. After so many hits your partner still stands strong and firm.”

“And what did you expect?” Flint asked, his nose raised arrogantly. “I always allow my opponents to strike first to toughen my partner. Your Raichu’s attacks are very weak, they barely did a thing.”

“Oh, I know they’re weak,” Astra said, catching Flint’s attention. “However, even weak attacks can do a lot of damage in high number, and they’re faster to pull out. My partner may not have power, but she makes it up with her combos, stamina and creativity. Not to mention that she intentionally took ‘Mach Punch’ just to paralyze your pokemon with her ability. You may not see this as a big deal, but you’ll soon find out what speed reduction of your partner will cost him.”

Flint took a step back, only to tighten his fist and shake it. “I see how it is. Infernape, enough warming up, time to go all out. Use ‘Flare Blitz!'” He pointed at the near-empty pool. “Only one of my partner’s attacks was enough to turn most of the water into steam, you won’t be able to use the same trick twice.”

Astra chuckled, holding hand over her mouth. “Nica already gained the advantage we had hoped for. She doesn’t need any more water to best your pokemon. You’ll see.”

Nica observed the approaching ball of fire, backflipping in time as Infernape created a large crater in front of her in a massive explosion of stone and dust. She performed two small backflips to gain more distance while charging her tail. Her opponent seemed to rely on direct combat so every meter of distance worked in her favor.

“Infernape, use ‘Mach Punch!'” Flint commanded.

Nica leaped back once again, landing on her rear paws while raising her metallic tail. Should a powerful attack head in her direction, evading and exhausting her foe was the way to go. Against a fast or accurate attack, ‘Iron Tail’ and ‘Light Screen’ were the best responses. Her numerous fights against powerful opponents and legendary pokemon greatly sharpened her defensive responses, while past month of brutal training mostly focused on improving her durability and the use of her longer tail.

Against ‘Mach Punch’ the situation wasn’t so simple. While weak, it was a fighting move used by pokemon with powered up punch moves. It would no doubt break her ‘Iron Tail.' Still, fast or not, it was no different than a ‘Quick Attack’ she used in the past, and more skilled opponents managed to evade or block it with correct timing.

The question was: should she listen to the fencer inside her and push the strike to the side with a slap of her ‘Iron Tail?' Her trainer told her to tank the weaker hit and wrap her tail around the attacker's fist for a counterattack with electricity, or to strike against fast but weak fighting move with a powerful ‘Volt Tackle,' but she wouldn’t improve use of her tail without taking risks.

Nica was about to tank the hit and grab her opponent with her tail, but bolts of paralyzing electricity that appeared on Infernape’s body gave her a better opportunity. She leaped to the side and spun, striking side of her opponent’s arm with sharp part of her tail while pushing herself away with the recoil.

Before her feet touched the ground, she attacked with a very weak ‘Thunderbolt,’ yet her opponent fought through the paralysis and evaded her electricity. It didn’t take long before Infernape charged at her while using ‘Mach Punch' again.

Enough of pushing my luck, I’ll practice use of my tail another time, Nica thought. The moment her feet touched the rocky ground, she ran while surrounding herself with electricity. Her ‘Volt Tackle’ collided with the shining fist of her foe as both pokemon ended up pushed backward form the recoil. Powerful ‘Volt Tackle’ greatly outclassed fast ‘Mach Punch’ in terms of raw power, creating a few bruises on Infernape’s other hand while causing him to lose focus. His eyes closed while legs pressed into the ground, shaking and struggling to keep him from losing balance.

Nica didn’t dare to lose her concentration, summoning a weak ‘Thunderbolt’ towards the cloud of dust before her feet touched the floor. As she had hoped for, the aura she sensed proved enough to aim while the cloud of dust covered her counterattack. She took a fighting stance and observed her foe with full attention as a few bruises were present on her forehead. Her opponent was still standing on his shaking legs while both of his hands hung down motionlessly, the first sign of weakness since the battle started. The moment Infernape raised his hands, punched the air, and massaged his arms, it became obvious that this was going to be a drawn out battle, but she had enough stamina to afford it.

“I can’t believe it. Your pokemon attack and act without your command, and she’s still efficient without your guidance,” Flint said.

Astra shrugged. “I prefer to create and share my strategies with my team in advance, while Nica was always better than me when improvising. We just trust each other.” She pointed at the fire pokemon. “Nica, use ‘Volt Tackle’ and ‘Iron Tail’ at the same time.”

Nica did as she was told, charging at her foe.

“Infernape, attack with ‘Flare Blitz!'” Flint commanded with a shake of his fist.

Nica charged at the ball of fire while surrounded with electricity as she and her opponent were both using powerful and backfiring attacks at the same time. With her opponent being the stronger one, the collision would certainly be favorable for Infernape. The aura of electricity shrank as Nica bent her legs and leaped to the side while pushing the fireball into opposite direction with her tail. A few burned marks appeared on the metallic surface of her long tail, but it performed its role. Running once again, she strengthened aura of electricity around her.

“Infernape, watch out, behind you!” Flint shouted.

Infernape stopped his attack, finding himself speeding up in the wrong direction. He turned around and faced the running Raichu.

“Use ‘Close Combat!'”

Following his trainer’s command, Infernape jumped at his opponent with fists raised and ready to deliver a series of strikes.

Nica turned around, changing direction of her running before jumping away from her opponent, using a weak ‘Thunderbolt’ to keep him at bay. Punch after punch, Infernape’s fists created craters on the battlefield as Nica leaped out of the way of each strike, answering with bolts of electricity. She blinked as several pebbles bounced against her face, while wind started shaking her ears, feeling but a taste of the force behind Infernape’s attacks despite actively avoiding them.

If she learned anything from her fight against the legendary pokemon back when she was a Pikachu, it was to fight carefully. A single mistake would lead to her receiving a devastating blow. Instead it was safer to switch from offense to defense depending on the situation while hoping that paralysis will give her oppenings she needs. Furthermore, while ‘Close Combat’ was powerful, it left the opponent unguarded. As long as she managed to evade the devastating blows, her opponent would be powerless against her weak but numerous counters.

“I must say, your Raichu is anything but reckless. In fact, it has been a long time since my opponent managed to outspeed my Infernape. If anything, this battle makes me fired up.” Flint tightened his fists and shouted into the sky. “Infernape, use ‘Flamethrower!’ on the entire battlefield. Heat it up!”

Nica leaped left and right, evading the flames as the rocky ground melted all around her. The air she breathed suddenly becoming hotter.

“Use ‘Mach Punch’ and next ‘Close Combat,’ keep on the pressure!” Flint commanded.

Astra observed the battlefield, panic clear on her face.

Nica jumped out of the way of the attack, only to grit her teeth as her legs made contact with the melting stone. A moment of distraction being enough to allow Infernape to get closer. Using her tail for defense, she pushed a few punches aside, as if being a fencer parrying blade of her opponent. The speed and ferocity of the attacks proved too high even for her senses while melting stone slowed down her movements. A few of the punches struck her ‘Iron Tail’, creating cracks upon its metallic surface before shattering it, leaving the yellow part of her tail with no power left.

With her tail returning to normal, Nica braced herself for the incoming onslaught. A series of kicks and punches made a brutal contact with her face, belly and limbs as yelps of pain followed. Her body became a punching bag as a finishing strike of both Infernape’s hands pushed her into the melting stone.

“Nica, use your tail to trip over your opponent and counterattack!” Astra commanded.

The long tail of the electric pokemon shot from the crater and wrapped around Infernape’s leg, tripping him over. Nica jumped from the crater and swung her tail, stopping it in front of her opponent’s face. She jumped back and took a fighting stance while ignoring the hot stone burning her paws.

“Why didn’t she attack?” Flint asked while scratching his red afro.

Astra sighed. “Even when going all out, she still can’t bring herself to strike against a lying opponent. Not that it matters, if you haven’t noticed, you’re losing this fight.”

“What are you talking about? My partner just hit yours with series of devastating blows,” Flint pointed out.

“Correction. Your partner hit mine with a very strong ‘Close Combat,’ one ‘Mach Punch’ and slightly burned her tail with a ‘Flare Blitz,’ while she struck yours with plenty of ‘Thunderbolts’ and two ‘Volt Tackles.’” Astra held hands on her hips and narrowed her eyes. “Also, while I admit that your Infernape is incredibly tough, he’s not the only one who endured pain and hardships. My partner struggled for years as Pichu and Pikachu, facing powerful foes, and after evolving into Raichu she pushed and trained herself even harder nearly every single day. She can take hits as well.”

Flint rubbed his chin, his full attention now on Nica who maintained the fighting stance, not bothered in the least by newly acquired scratches and bruises on her body. “You’re right. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but there’s a chance my Infernape may actually lose.” He tightened his fists and shouted, “Infernape, use ‘Flare Blitz!' The fight we were waiting for all this time is here before us!”

The battle continued for several minutes as both sides exchanged their blows.

It became clear that both Nica and Infernape had a lot of durability, both used to enduring a massive quality of pain and abuse.

In terms of power Infernape dominated the field, while its fist attacks were boosted by his ‘Iron Fist’ ability, giving him a large edge over Nica whose attacks proved substantially weaker.

In terms of speed and agility however the Raichu showed a full dominance, both due to her training and paralyzing electricity still present in her foe. Despite intense pain in her paws due to heat of the battlefield, she maintained her concentration, already used to the pain enough to ignore it.

Each ‘Mach Punch’ of Infernape Nica countered directly with her ‘Volt Tackle’ in a massive explosions of dust and electricity.

Each ‘Close Combat’ was meet with speed as Nica kept her distance, using her opponent’s lowered guard to counter with electricity at range. There were two exceptions though as Nica’s beaten body ended up pushed towards the wall under the audience’s seats with a solid kick, which she amortized with her own tail. Not for a moment she dared to lay on the hot ground, pushing herself into a fighting stance and not giving her opponent any openings.

Out of five “Flare Blitz’ two colided with her body, burning it from one side while rubbing it against the stone from the other, leaving trails on the battlefield.

Infernape didn’t have it any better, receiving a combo of weaker strikes for every powerful blow he delivered. His legs started to shake more and more upon being repeatedly struck with electricity, at one point giving up as he fell to his knees. Even if not as powerful as his own strikes, his injured hands could no longer hold against might of ‘Volt Tackle.'

Would Infernape’s ‘Flare Blitz’ strike against Raichu’s ‘Volt Tackle’ directly, would his ‘Close Combat’ break through series of ‘Thunderbolts’ everytime, his power would overwhelm Nica. Yet it was anything but simple. While most of his powerful hits were missing, Nica conserved her stamina, fighting patiently.

Both Nica and Infernape now stood two meters away from each other, their eyes narrowed and senses sharp. Their bodies covered in bruises and burns while Nica’s tail lied flat on the ground, creascened and with numerous marks of flame-burns. Their breathing heavy, while their limbs were shaking uncontrollably, as if ready to give up at any second.

Infernape said between breaths, his hands injured and drooped.

Nica gulped as sweat fell down her face. While the battlefield was no longer as heated, the atmosphere was still too hot for her liking.

Infernape blinked in confusion.

Infernape chuckled.

Nica said with a forced smile, one difficult to maintain in her hurting state.

“Nica, time to finish it, attack with ‘Volt Tackle’ and be ready to use that trick number nine!” Astra commanded.

Flint shouted, “Infernape, use whatever strength you have for ‘Close Combat,’ we won’t go down without a fight!”

Both pokemon looked at each other with a smile and nodded, only to charge at one another at the same time. Nica leaped to the side, evading the first blow before running around her opponent, using the exhaustion of Infernape’s legs to her advantage. While they both seemed evenly matched, Infernape used plenty of energy by missing his powerful attacks, while she conserved her own. That difference in stamina was what she needed to seal her victory.

With a quick jump, she hit Infernape from behind, causing an explosion of electricity. Unable to use her long tail, she wrapped her limbs around Infernape’s belly, unleashing a ‘Thunderbolt.' Grabbing the back or head of her tired opponents wasn’t new to her, something she got better at ever since evolution provided her with a long tail. A tactic which her trainer started referring to as a trick number nine. Lucky, her paws were strong enough as the exhausted fire pokemon had no strength left to fight back.

Infernape dropped to his knees and next fell on his face, losing consciousness as Nica jumped from his back and bowed in respect to her defeated foe.

Flint stared for a moment with his mouth agape before recalling his partner. “Infernape, you did incredibly well. I’m proud of you.” He raised his hands and started clapping his hands. “And I’m proud of you too, Nica. Not even the champion’s pokemon showed so much willpower as you did!” He rubbed his nose arrogantly with his finger. “I wish I could say the same about your trainer. She sure needs to step up and give you commands, not make you do all the work!”

Astra crossed her arms, looked to the side and frowned. “To your information, I’m more active with my other pokemon. I just trust my partner enough not to give unnecessary commands.”

“Whatever you say,” Flint said with roll of his eyes.

“Hey, Nica, take a break. You took down their ace, now allow others the chance to shine,” Astra said.

Nica looked at her trainer and her ears drooped. She sighed and ran towards the tall platform, jumping towards her trainer before sitting next to her legs. Her tense and burning muscles now allowed to rest. She observed as Starmie was summoned into the field. I must admit, this fight… wasn’t so bad. I don’t want to bully those weaker than me, nor sense their aura of depression or jealousy when they lose, but this Infernape was different. As long as my opponent have fun and don’t mind losing, I suppose it’s fine…

She glanced at her trainer’s Z-ring with a worried look. With the electric crystal not working for some reason, only a fire Z-move for Ninetales was available. Not that she needed to use Z-move with her new defensive fighting style, but questions what happened to it still plagued her mind.

Nica looked towards the audience seats, or rather at the faces of Lauki, Sinori, and their pokemon. On one side, it felt nice having more company outside of the team members. It felt… less lonely… and having an opportunity to train and share her experiences with younger talents proved quite enjoyable. On another, fear of putting them in danger didn’t leave her even for a moment. After the fight against the champion, Astra was planning to put all of her efforts in dealing with the local criminal organization. It was their role to fight those who abused pokemon’s power for crime to protect others. She wanted to take hits so others didn’t need to.

Nica opened her eyes as her blurry vision slowly sharpened. A white earth pony in a medical uniform came into her view. One thing was certain, it wasn’t a Nurse Joy. She pushed herself to a sitting position and massaged her bandaged forehead, and then pulled an odd-looking device from her face.

“I see you’re awake. How are you feeling?”

Nica poked her neck, yet not feeling any collar on it. She looked around in panic, noticing collar with magical gems lying on a nearby table. After attaching it on her neck, she sighed in relief and said, “I feel a bit stiff and a little tired, but I have been worse. Though I can’t help but wonder, why am I in a hospital bed?”

“You… don’t remember? Miss Rainbow Dash brought you here a few hours ago. She told us that you tortured yourself with body-breaking training.”

Nica shook her head. “The last thing I remember was having a few minutes of practice in front of a mountain. Next, I felt pain in my every body and softness of the bed, and then there was that dream... “

“Your friend tried tried to stop you, and you responded aggressively against her,” Redheart said before approaching the door. “Miss Fluttershy, good news. Miss Nica is awake.”

The long-tailed critter shook her head, only to gasp and raise forepaw over her mouth. “Oh no… did I hurt her? No, no, no, I have to apologize!” She stood up and looked around in panic. “Where’s Rainbow Dash? How much time had passed already?”

Redheart glanced at the clock on the wall. “You were sleeping for around four hours. Miss Dash is currently in Canterlot.”

“Four hours!” Nica shouted, her forepaws spread. “Oh no, no, no, no, I have to hurry.” Without a second thought, she ran towards the window, unlocking it with help of her tail before jumping outside.

“Wait, stop! You’re not yet fully recovered! Come back here!” Redheart shouted from bottom of her lungs, constantly calling Nica from the hospital window.

Nica ignored the nurse’s words, as well as her own bandages. She already wasted too much time and was desperate to make up for it. Should I catch a train, no… it would take too long. I’ll just run directly and climb up the mountain. It’s not that far anyway… And no more trainings until Darkrai is dealt with! With a plan formed in her head, she sped up, running straight towards the castle in distance.

“Stop this instant!”

That angelic voice… Nica pulled herself to a full stop, pressing her paws into the grass while leaving a trail behind her. She turned around, only to be embraced into a winged hug with Fluttershy’s face staring at her with tears in her eyes. The aura of worry, compassion, sadness and affection hit her like a steamroller, and a mere look at Fluttershy’s tears caused her heart to ache.

Nica's ears drooped. She slowly raised her bruised paw up to the pegasus’ face, wiping away steam of tears with the bronze tip of her forepaw. “Please… don’t cry…” Her words didn’t seem to work as stream of tears continued as she was now trapped in a silent hug.

Author's Note

Nica's brutal training may have affected her mental condition in a negative way, but it helped her reach great height of skils, durability and stamina. Now when she's facing opponents as powerful as Flint's infernape, she no longer need to hold back, which helped Astra defeat the strongest member of the Elite Four so they could challenge the champion.

Not to mention that Flint's Infernape became Nica's best sparing partner.

For those who are curious about what time this event is taking place in the pokemon anime, I can tell that around 3 years later Flint's Infernape will effortlessly beat half of Ash's team. One of the reason why his Infernape became so incredibly tough being his numberous sparing sessions with Nica as they both helped each other to improve.

I suspect that a long chapter filled with action scenes must have many mistakes I missed, so for those I appologise in advance.

Chapter 31 - Finally in Canterlot

Little Lost Raichu

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Chapter 31
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Finally in Canterlot

“Please… stop crying…” Nica said again as her heart-beat increased in speed. She licked Fluttershy’s muzzle and gently nuzzled her cheek, wishing for nothing more than to put a smile on her face.

“How can I stop when I see you covered in bruises and bandages. Why would you torture yourself like that? Why would you put your life at risk?” Fluttershy asked, her voice hoarse from her sobbing.

“To be honest… I’m not sure… I thought a bit of training wouldn’t hurt, and when I started, I couldn’t stop. I don’t remember what happened afterwards,” Nica said, struggling to resist the pressuring aura of the kind pegasus as her ears were still drooped. “I suppose training this hard is a price to pay to keep myself in shape. I need to stay tough and keep my reflexes and reactions at their best to protect those I care about. I don’t mind the pain as long as it helps everyone else.”

Fluttershy pressed Nica into the fur on her chest with soft feathers of her wings. Tears slid down from her eyes onto the pokemon’s shoulder.

“Please, don’t feel sad. I’m used to the pain, I don’t mind it,” Nica said, yet her words didn’t seem to put Fluttershy’s worries at ease.

“B-but… this is just cruel... and unfair,” Fluttershy said between sobbing. “You can’t put the well-being of everyone else over your own. I don’t approve.”

Nica sighed. “But… I want to…”

“Because of your training, you ended up in the hospital, unable to help us to deal with Chrysalis in Canterlot,” Fluttershy pointed out, staring at Nica with narrowed eyes. “No more training until Equestria is safe, alright?” The Raichu nodded hesitantly. “Good, now back to the hospital bed. You may be recovering incredibly fast, but you still need more rest.”

“N-no…” Nica started struggling, pushing herself free from Fluttershy’s embrace before landing softly on the grass. She stood on her feet while pointing at the castle in distance. “I regained more than half of my strength, I’ll be alright. I’m good at facing danger while hurt and tired.”

“I won’t allow it, go back to bed and rest!” Fluttershy commanded.

“No! I made a mistake and now I need to make up for it. I need to help!” Nica shouted.

Fluttershy landed with a weak thud. “I really don’t want to use it against you, so please, I beg you, just listen to me and rest.”

Nica held her forepaws together in an apologetic gesture. “I’ll beg for your forgiveness as much as you want, but I would never forgive myself if I didn’t help when I’m needed the most.”

Fluttershy gulped. She spread her wings and her eyes became wide.

Nica kept looking at Fluttershy in confusion, only to feel a powerful force assaulting her mind. She took a step back as she was unable to break eye contact while drops of sweat slid down her face.

“Return to the hospital bed and rest until your wounds are fully healed! Am I clear?”

The long-tailed critter clenched the bronze tip of her forepaws and narrowed her eyes. Her head started shaking with each movement as she forced herself to meet Fluttershy’s stare with her own. She stomped and shouted, “N-no! I r-refuse!” After several seconds of struggle as she overcame the overwhelming stare with all of her willpower, she leaped towards Fluttershy’s neck and embraced it while nuzzling her chin. “I’m really sorry Miss Fluttershy, but this request I can’t fulfill. As much as I hate to make you sad, being useless is something I hate even more.”

She released the pegasus’ neck and ran towards Canterlot as tears formed in her own eyes. Why was she forced to make such difficult and painful decisions? She could ignore physical pain. Being smashed against the stone, being slashed by claws or crushed under several tons of weight, all seemed so insignificant when compared to pain she felt upon refusing Fluttershy’s request. She grit her teeth. Making Fluttershy sad was horrible, but the risk of not being in Canterlot when her friends are dealing with a threat was even worse. Stupid training. I couldn’t pick worse timing. Tears started sliding down her cheeks while wind flapped her ears and tail.

“Wait, please…” Fluttershy called.

Nica didn’t dare to glance behind, already suspecting that her caring and compassionate friend was trying to catch up with the help of her wings. “I understand your concern, Lady Fluttershy, but you need to understand that I’m a pokemon. We’re tougher and more adapted to injuries than creatures from this world. I beg you, don’t keep me from protecting our friends!” Nica shouted and closed her eyes, running blindly over the hills.

“Alright.”

Nica opened her eyes and glanced at Fluttershy, who maintained a firm stare.

“But on one condition,” Fluttershy said.

The long-tailed critter slowed down and looked up at the pegasus curiously. “Anything.”

“Rest on me while I get you to Canterlot. If you’re so determined to help that you can even overcome my stare, at least save your strength.”

“Thank you!” Nica nodded before leaping onto Fluttershy’s back, perching herself on her soft fur. “How’s everypony. Are they safe? What kind of threat they're facing?” She carefully lowered her cheek onto the pegasus’ neck and relaxed herself, her tail and limbs flapped motionlessly on the wind.

“They’re safe and healthy, you don’t need to worry about them,” Fluttershy said encouragingly before wiping the remaining tears from her face. “Pinkie Pie, Daring Do and Quibble joined us in Canterlot an hour ago, and we’re still waiting for Thorax. His brother Pharynx and his changeling friends keep Chrysalis trapped in the crystal mine. We’re unsure if Darkrai is coming and how long till he reaches Canterlot, but for now we’re safe.”

Nica sighed in relief, now observing the calming scenery from her soft perch. The beauty of multicolored flowers, sea of green trees and colorful houses of Ponyville. The fresh air and clear sunny sky. Even if it wasn’t her real home, even if her trainer and her team weren’t here, she had new friends she wanted to protect. “When you said that Chrysalis is trapped, you didn’t mean she was defeated and imprisoned? Right?” Nica asked, not bothering to move her head from the fluffy neck-pillow while one of her oddly-shaped ears was hidden among the yellow fur.

“Sadly no. Chrysalis can’t escape, but we’re unable to capture her. She has some sort of magic-repelling armor or something that makes non-changeling magic useless,” Fluttershy explained in calm voice.

Non-changeling… no wonder they need Thorax help if Pharynx can’t handle her on his own. Wait… pokemon power is different than magic in this world, I shouldn’t be affected by Chrysalis’ armor. She pressed her paws against Fluttershy’s neck as her bronze patches sank into the yellow fur. She peeked from behind the pegasus’ neck at the castle on the horizon. “Can you fly to where Chrysalis is hiding?”

“What… why? We should regroup with our friends first.”

Nica shook her head. “There’s no time. Just leave me at the mine and I’ll deal with Chrysalis’ armor. The faster we imprison her, the better.”

Fluttershy sighed and lowered her head. “Are you sure you’ll be okay? Chrysalis is very powerful and you’re not at your full strength.”

Nica sat and shook her forepaw dismissively. “I’ll be fine. I trained Twilight in self-defense on many occasions. My skills were more than enough to handle her overwhelming power. Besides, I’ll have Pharynx on my side.”

“If you say so, but please, if it gets too rough, just withdraw. Don’t push yourself too hard,” Fluttershy said in a pleading voice.

Nica looked to the side at the nearby clouds as her ears drooped. According to her memories, ever since she evolved into Raichu, pushing herself too hard became everyday’s occurrence. The fact that once she arrived in Equestria she was met with kindness and friendship from ponies, rarely getting hurt, most likely affected her skills and durability in a negative way.

“Pretty please…”

The long-tailed critter sighed and rubbed her forepaw. “I… can’t make any promises, but if nopony will be in danger… I won’t take unnecessary risks.”

Fluttershy looked back at her with a cheerful smile. “Thank you.”

Spike walked through the crystal cavern under Canterlot, wary of his surroundings. Despite the presence of somewhat tasty crystals among the stone and Royal Guard in their presentable armor patrolling the area, the darkened atmosphere filled him with dread.

Once he was near the tunnel leading to Chrysalis, he peeked from behind the wall, his eyes now on Pharynx. In terms of body-shape and features, this changeling looked like a bit smaller version of Thorax with three identical white patches on his neck. However, Instead of bright-green, most of his body was dark-green, while his armored back and chest were dark-violet. Though, his light-violet eyes, thin red tail and wings took away some of the intimidation factor.

The tall changeling was pacing back and forth, accompanied by four other changelings of similar color, each wearing a dark-violet helmet and additional armor on their legs and chest.

Spike narrowed his eyes, examining each changeling guard. Unlike the reformed changelings he saw at the award ceremony, these seem to be much taller and darker, similar to Pharynx but without extra horns. Now that I think about it, only Thorax and his brother seem to have three horns. Is this a symbol of leadership?

“Are you going to hide in there for the whole day?”

Spike flinched and yelped before running from behind his cover. “S-sorry. The captain Iron Hammer was getting anxious about the situation and I volunteered to check it up. So…” he tapped his fingers together nervously, “...any changes?”

“Changes? Changes! That coward of a queen still sits with back against the corner, cornered like a rat, and doesn’t dare to make a move.” He stomped, causing a few cracks to spread on the crystalline ground. “Her magic is too strong for me to break through, even with help of my personal guard, and I can’t sneak up on her. I could transform into a massive beast to break her defenses, but it would drain my magic quickly, leaving me vulnerable for a counterattack.” He turned around and pointed at the nearby wall. “I was considering to dig through and ambush Chrysalis from behind, but breaking all those crystals and stone would make too much noise. Why is it taking my brother so long to get here?”

“He’ll come, have trust in him,” Spike suggested.

“I know, I know. Ever since Thorax took lessons from the Dragon Lord, he became more dependable, and thanks to Nica we managed to make some solid compromises. Our hive has been growing stronger ever since.”

“Well… about that,” Spike said as he rubbed the back of his head, searching for words. “Can you tell me more about what she did during her friendship mission?”

Pharynx glanced at Spike curiously.

“I mean… more than two weeks ago the map chose Nica to solve a friendship problem. It took her an entire week to resolve it, and I didn’t get the chance to ask about her adventure,” Spike said, struggling to keep an even look with the taller changeling.

“Wait, you’re Spike, Thorax’s friend from the Crystal Empire,” Pharynx said before displaying a warm smile, his voice no longer harsh and serious. He approached and grabbed Spike by his shoulder who yelped in response. “Thanks for looking after my brother and befriending him with the ponies. We’re no longer suffering any hunger issues ever since he overthrew the queen, and I get the impression that it’s thanks to that friendship and stuff.”

“Y-you’re welcome,” Spike said as he struggled to free himself with no effect.

Pharynx glanced at his subordinates and ordered, “Go check on Chrysalis and keep your eyes open. I need an opening to talk with Spike.”

“Yes sir!” Each changeling saluted before flying deeper into the tunnel.

Pharynx looked at the ceiling and spoke up, “To be honest, ever since Chrysalis’ defeat, the hive was in a big disarray. Some changelings supported change, but most were against it and didn’t respect my brother. I tried to keep changelings from rebelling and my brother wasn’t making it easy.”

“Weren’t you against the change as well?” Spike asked.

“Of course I was against it. My brother’s idea compromised the hive's security and weakened our race. I was absolutely livid, but I couldn’t deny that hunger was no longer an issue, and I remained loyal to my brother and the hive,” Pharynx said before releasing Spike from his hold. “Though, I can’t deny that all the stress and chaos got into me. I was trying to toughen those changelings who got too soft, but in the end I was just acting like a big jerk.

Spike sat next to the changeling, deciding to listen in silence.

“When I met Nica for the first time, I was fooled by her looks. I thought she was a small useless worthless critter, but to be honest, I thought the same of most non-changeling species. I was caught off guard when she challenged me to a battle to earn my respect. What’s more, she did so while not remembering any of her attacks. She took heavy risk, hoping she would regain her fighting abilities in the heat of combat.”

Pharynx lowered his head, closed his eyes and chuckled. “The moment she remembered how to use ‘Thunderbolt’, the battle quickly became one-sided. She relied greatly on agility and reflexes to counter everything I threw at her, no matter if I shapeshifted into a Chimera or a much larger beast.”

“It must’ve been hard on her,” Spike said, now making eye contact with the changeling. “While she was living with us at the castle, I noticed that she didn’t care much about getting hurt, but she was afraid of hurting others, not to mention all the drama she went through when she accidentally hurt fillies and colts at the school with electricity.”

Pharynx sighed. “Yes, I know. Day after day Nica went on a patrol with me, trying to gain my trust. She listened to my and Thorax ideas and did her best to convince us both to make a compromise. There was one time when she felt depressed due to what she did to the young ponies.” He rubbed the back of his neck, blushing. “It was the first time I was concerned about someone’s feelings. I told myself that it’s just to keep high morale of an ally, but in reality she was changing me.”

Spike smiled. “So this is how she solved the friendship problem. She gained your trust in battle and was spending time with you, trying to open you to the idea of compromise. No wonder it took an entire week.”

Pharynx shrugged. “I suppose I needed a companion to talk with and she showed me that stuff you ponies value isn’t complete garbage… oh, and she also started teaching changelings self-defense. It’s thanks to her that Thorax agreed to keep some of our fighting force. Many changelings who were willing to defend the hive transformed into a bit taller and darker form than the others.”

Spike gasped. “Oh, so that’s why your guards are taller and different than the changelings I saw at the award ceremony.”

Pharynx grinned and patted Spike on the shoulder. “They’re not just taller but also stronger. Without the need to feed on other creatures, they can use more powerful spells frequently without hunger getting in the way. They still lack proper training, though. There wasn’t much I could teach them in nine days.” He stood up and pointed at the tunnel ahead. “To be honest, if Nica and Captain Iron Hammer didn’t get the idea to ask me and my changelings to help training your pathetic excuse of a Royal Guard, I wouldn’t find out that Chrysalis was disguising herself as one of them. I wish Nica was with us and...”

Pharynx looked around nervously before jumping in front of Spike, taking a fighting stance. “Hide behind me, someone is coming.”

Spike peeked from behind changeling’s legs, his worried stare replaced with a big smile. “Fluttershy!” He rounded the changeling and ran towards the pegasus.

“Spike!” Fluttershy shouted, snatching Spike into a hug.

Pharynx observed the pegasus with narrowed eyes, only for his expression to soften. “Nica, is that you?”

The long-tailed critter peeked from behind pegasus neck and waved cheerfully. “Hey Pharynx. She didn’t injure you, did she?”

Pharynx poked his chest and raised his head pridefully. “Injure me? Are you kidding? Ever since I changed into this taller form, I got way tougher. If not for the boost that Chrysalis got from secretly draining magic from the princesses, I would have overpowered her already.”

Spike waited for Fluttershy to release him and waved at Nica. “You sure took your time on your adventure. Are you back to help us?”

“Of course I am!” Nica shouted enthusiastically before leaping from Fluttershy. “Spike, you and Fluttershy should leave and wait with the Royal Guard at the entrance, I don’t want Chrysalis to hurt you in the heat of battle.” She held her forepaws together in a pleading gesture while giving him a puppy stare, her ears drooped. “Leave… pretty pleaseee...”

Spike sighed. “Fine, fine. I wasn’t planning to be anywhere near Chrysalis anyway. I’ll message…” he paused and pointed at random spots on the pokemon's body. “What’s up with all those bandages?”

Nica smiled sheepishly, rubbed the back of her neck and blushed. “About that… I’m still hurt from my extreme training regime…” She chuckled. “But don’t worry, I can fight effectively even when hurt.” She clenched a bronze tip of her forepaw and added, “With Pharynx by my side, we’ll deal with Chrysalis with no difficulty.”

“Finally I can team up with a competent warrior,” Pharynx said before grinning. “Want me to shapeshift into Raichu and perform a team attack with you?”

Nica shook her head. “I would prefer if you used a form that can help us break Chrysalis defenses. I may be skilled and fast, but my attack power can barely break Twilight’s barrier. If you can make an opening, I can go for Chrysalis armor directly.”

“Sounds like a plan,” Pharynx said with a firm nod before pointing towards the tunnel. “Let’s not waste time and attack immediately.”

“Wait!” Fluttershy shouted, catching everyone’s attention. “I mean…” She curled slightly, “wouldn’t it be better to wait for everyone to join us?”

Pharynx looked down at Nica and said, “The last time we trained together, you remembered ‘Thunderbolt’ and ‘Volt Tackle.' Have you gained any more skills and moves ever since?”

Nica nodded and stomped. “Of course I did. I recovered a lot of my memories and got more comfortable with fighting.” She tapped her forepaws together. “I mean… I still don’t like to hurt anyone, especially those weaker than me, but Chrysalis hurt many ponies in the past.” She clenched bronze tip of her forepaws and narrowed her eyes. “I won’t hold back against her.”

“That’s what I wanted to hear. Let’s move out,” Pharynx said before flying up, and next towards the tunnel ahead. “I’ll lead the way.”

Nica turned around and waved her bandaged forepaw. “Miss Fluttershy, Spike, stay safe. Once we’re done, Chrysalis will be a danger to you no more. ”She untied the electricity-absorbing collar from her neck, picking it up with her tail before tossing it carefully towards the young drake.

Spike looked at the collar in his claws and then looked ahead as the wounded Raichu vanished in the darkness of the tunnel. Upon hearing whimpering noise, he looked at Fluttershy and gently stroke her foreleg. “Don’t worry, Fluttershy, she’ll be fine.”

Fluttershy looked down with worry visible on her face. “I hope so… It’s bad enough that she hurt herself during her training. If something bad happened to her, I wouldn’t forgive myself.”

Spike smiled encouragingly and said, "Don't worry. The one we should worry about is Chrysalis. That big bad mean queen is so getting what's coming to her."

Fluttershy smiled weakly, encouraged by Spike's words.

Author's Note

The confrontation Nica/Pharynx vs Chrysalis will take place in chapter 31.5 which I will upload tomorrow.

On a side note, with PegaVincent's help we fixed all Dash's lines in chapter 29. For everyone who found Dash's dialogue in chapter 29 to work poorly (too rich vocabulary, her saying stuff that didn't seem like Dash at all), feel free to check chapter 29 again to see if our improvements fixed the problem.

Chapter 31.5 - Cornered Queen

Little Lost Raichu

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Chapter 31.5
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Cornered Queen

Chrysalis kept staring at her traitorous changelings in anger, her horn lit in green aura as she maintained a barrier in front of herself. Using my own hive against me, the nerve of those ponies. She kept observing the features of her enemies. I don’t know if I should feel better knowing that warriors of my hive have improved, or be even more angry… She shook her head and grit her teeth. What am I even thinking. Thorax is a weak fool and those stupid enough to follow him are no better. Only ruin awaits the hive without my leadership.

She stomped with both of her forehooves, cracking the rocky floor, adding to the numerous cracks and holes that already covered the area, a side effect from her outbursts and recent confrontation with Pharynx. Everything was progressing smoothly. Bit by bit, I drained ponies and princesses magic without them even noticing it, building up my power, and my servant’s curse was spreading in most towns and cities. Months of preparations under ponies’ muzzles wasted because of my own traitorous chief of the patrol.

Frustration grew in strength as Chrysalis struggled to contain it. With black armor on her chest covered in cracks, she couldn’t afford to be blinded by rage. Her trump card she planned to use in her fight against the princesses now became her last line of defense.

She glanced at the ceiling for a moment, seeing her own distorted reflection in numerous crystals. I can’t remain vigilant and avoid sleep forever, and Pharynx is anything but cowardly. Am I really going to lose? Is my whole revenge I worked so hard to accomplish a failure? As much as she wished to deny it, her situation seemed near hopeless. With no means of long-range communication, she couldn’t call her servant to her aid.

Chrysalis looked at the cracked ground. If Darkrai doesn’t find out about my situation anytime soon, I’ll have no choice but to use most of stolen magic to summon him here, which would be a large waste. Weeks of feeding for nothing. Her train of thought was interrupted as something caught her attention, a long-tailed creature with rabbit-like legs and oddly shaped ears. Numerous bandages covered its body.

Whatever this creature was, it was approaching on four paws while staring back with narrowed eyes. Its tail with a metallic edge was raised threateningly and bolts of electricity were escaping its cheeks. Didn’t Darkrai mention that he sealed the memories of another creature that came from his world? Could this little pear-shaped furball be a pokemon as well? She calmed herself and chuckled. Pokemon or not, she wouldn’t be intimidated by a large rodent.

“Come over, little one, I won’t bite,” Chrysalis said as she licked her lips with her long tongue, a sinister smile present on her face. After being trapped for hours in this cave, having a snack to feast on was to her liking. Now that I think about it, pokemon don’t have any magic to feast on, and meat alone may not satisfy my appetite. Maybe I can use it as a hostage instead. She grinned. Yes, it would work. A small round of torture and loud squeaky screaming would no doubt break the spirit of those emotional ponies. They would either let me go in exchange for this creature’s life, or I could use it as a living shield.

Once the pokemon reached her barrier, she lowered her defenses and summoned green flames around the creature, surrounding it, only for said creature to jump through the magical flames and the strike armor on her chest with its tail.

Chrysalis leaped backward, hitting the wall with her back as fragments of her armor fell onto the ground. She summoned a barrier in an instant as her breathing increased in speed. The creature before her summoned bolts of electricity towards her barrier while bandages became mere ashes which spread on the ground. She could see numerous bruises present on its body. Does this creature think it can take me on while injured? It has no idea who it’s dealing with.

After a moment to calm down, Chrysalis laughed. “Try all you want, fool, you won’t pierce through my barrier.”

“She won’t have to.”

Chrysalis looked towards the source of voice and grit her teeth. “Pharynx, you traitor, haven’t you learnt your place? You may have been my most competent subject, and you may not be affected by the darkstone, but you’re still nothing when compared to me, your queen.”

“You may be a cunning queen, but your overconfidence cost the hive many victories time and time again. Thorax may be soft, but in time he’ll become a strong leader, and unlike you, he resolved hunger issues in the hive and made us stronger,” Pharynx said as he approached with firm steps while green aura grew in strength around his horn. In a burst of green flames, he transformed into a massive ten meters-tall beast with two long teeth and very long claws.

Chrysalis’s eyes became wide. “What, impossible. To transform into such a massive and heavy armored monster… it requires a large amount of magic. Even maintaining this form is very draining you fool!”

With a swift swing, gigantic claws collided with Chrysalis shield, which started cracking as the result.

Chrysalis’ legs bent under the impact, her face now filled with struggle. Even magic stolen from the alicorns didn’t seem tough enough to withstand an assault of such magnitude.

The smaller creature leaped backward and started running as aura of electricity surrounded it.

The massive claws struck the barrier again, and a loud noise of cracking glass filled with cavern. A strong quake followed when several tons of weight made contact with the rocky ground.

Chrysalis’ wings flapped rapidly as she flew to the side, watching as the humongous beast burst in green flames. As she expected, Pharynx’s legs trembled from exhaustion while his breathing became quick. She didn’t get the chance to comment on the energy-wasting mistake of her former subject as a massive gathering of electricity speeded in her direction.

Out of reflex, Chrysalis flew up, but the large critter predicted where she would head and jumped, slamming itself into her damaged armor as a massive explosion of electricity followed. Crystals on the ceiling and walls reflected the light over the area.

Blinded by bright light, Chrysalis closed her eyes while feeling her body sinking into the rock and crystals behind her. With a struggle, she half-opened one of her eyes, seeing the metallic heart-shaped edge of the tail to strike what was left of her armor. “You’ll pay for this!” she shouted and pushed herself free from the stone while a green aura around her horn flared into life. In a burst of rage, she shot beam after beam, yet the pokemon evaded each shot with short leaps while grabbing fragments of her armor.

Chrysalis stopped her offensive and poked her chest, only to look at it. The armor made of ancient darkstone was now in fragments and wrapped by the pokemon’s tail.

“I knew Lady Nica had the skills and power to destroy your armor. All I needed to do was to remove your defenses. It’s over,” Pharynx said with a smirk. “The power of a Raichu isn’t to be underestimated. I learned this lesson the hard way.”

With small jump, spin, and solid swing of her tail, Nica threw the fragments of darkstone towards the changeling guards. Two of them took all the fragments and flew away from the battlefield, while the other two blocked the tunnel, ready to intercept should the queen try to escape.

Chrysalis pointed at her former officer. “You exhausted your magic and made yourself defenseless to penetrate my defenses? You were my strongest warrior and your hate for non-changeling species was one of the greatest. Why would you put so much trust into this feeble being.”

“Because she earned my trust!”

Chrysalis shouted, “You have changed, Pharynx, you became soft. You will burn to ashes for your weakness.” She gathered way more magic than before, summoning a rain of green flames. Much to her surprise, her former officer shapeshifted into… another Raichu, using smaller size and greater agility to evade. The real Raichu seemed to evade her attacks with ease while protecting Pharynx by deflecting some of green fireballs with her tail.

“You even humiliate yourself by transforming into such a creature yourself. Any respect I had towards you, Pharynx, is now gone!” the queen shouted as she unleashed a wide beam. She moved it towards the evading Raichu, destroying ground on the way. They can’t evade such a wide beam for long. Let’s see if this Raichu form is worth anything when it can’t rely on its agility.

Nica ran in front of Pharynx, summoning some sort of barrier which looked like a glass screen.

Chrysalis maintained her attack. Barrier? It doesn’t matter, my magic will burn them both to ashes.

Nica grit her teeth as she held her ground. Her ‘Light Screen’ seemed to weaken Chrysalis’s attack, while her ‘Iron Tail’ she held in front of her face partially protected her from the beam. With Pharynx behind her, she didn’t dare to move, protecting him with her own bruised body.

Pharynx said before jumping up. A loud ‘Raichuuuuu!’ echoed in the cavern while ‘Thunderbolt’ struck Chrysalis with full force.

Chrysalis screamed in pain.

The moment the beam of magic stopped burning her body, Nica withdrew her tail and summoned a weaker ‘Thunderbolt’ against the evil queen, adding more burns to her hole-filled body.

“You’ll pay for this!” Chrysalis shouted before spreading a massive wall of green flames all over the cave. The changeling’s guards who observed the battle from a distance flew for cover immediately.

Nica bit her bottom lip. Evading such an attack was impossible. Without hesitation, she leaped towards Pharynx while raising her tail defensively, ready to take the bulk of the attack on herself again. She still felt the burns she acquired a moment ago, but they were nothing when compared to her battle-wounds she acquired at daily basis in the past.

Pharynx said before bursting in green flames, transforming into a large turtle-like creature before hiding himself inside his shell. The green flames went by, leaving a few burns on the solid shell while Nica hid herself from the attack behind it. One meter high and three meters wide shell proving to be a great cover.

“You think armor can save you? I have means of penetrating such defenses!” Chrysalis shouted before unleashing a thin beam of magic.

With a quick swing of her metalic tail, Nica pushed the large shell to the side, getting Pharynx out of attack course. The cutting beam left a deep trail of melted stone and shattered crystals in its wake.

More beams, green fireballs and walls of fire followed as Nica leaped left and right, evading and reflecting attacks with her tail. A few more burns appeared on her body as some of the relentless strikes hit her. Chrysalis’ attacks reminded her of her training where she slashed the falling pebbles, making it so much easier to parry and deflect while keeping her ally safe from harm.

Nica’s ears perked upward as she stood on her feet and looked up, glaring at Chrysalis with narrowed eyes. Years of experience in battle allowed her to easily recognize when her opponent was getting tired, and Chrysalis seemed to be weakening. She’s putting all of her power into her attacks and keeps up the pressure without a break. My defensive fighting style is perfect against such opponents. I can tire her out and…

“Queen Chrysalis, surrender yourself immediately!”

Nica looked towards the source of voice, now seeing a tall majestic-looking alicorn with large white wings whose very posture was radiating with authority. On the left of the tall alicorn stood Twilight Sparkle while on her right was Starlight Glimmer, all seemed eager on defeating the evil queen.

“Surrender? I won’t go down without a fight!” Chrysalis shouted as she unleashed beam of magic towards the tall alicorn.

Nica stood on her rear foot, ready to jump and intercept, but stopped herself the moment Twilight’s barrier surrounded the ponies. Once the lavender barrier vanished, Twilight focused more magic into her horn, wrapping Chrysalis with her telekinesis before pushing her towards the ground with great force, smashing the queen into the stone.

“You’ll pay for this!” Chrysalis shouted as she pushed herself free and shook rubble from her body. She summoned a rain of green fireballs.

Starlight and the tall alicorn combined their barriers as green flames splashed against it.

In a flash of teleportation, Twilight appeared behind the queen, striking her with a beam of magic from behind.

Starlight aided her mentor with beam of magic of her own, forcing the queen to scream and lose consciousness.

“That… was quite an impressive display of combat abilities, Princess Twilight,” the tall alicorn spoke in a calm but surprised voice.

Twilight blushed, hiding it with her wing. “Thank you, Princess… Nica has been training me to improve my reflexes. I didn’t think her teachings would become useful this quickly.”

Nica smiled in pride. She had expected a long-lasting battle against Chrysalis where she would need to tire a stronger opponent, patiently waiting for an opening to strike. She didn’t expect reinforcements to arrive this quickly. She glanced at Chrysalis and shook her head. In the end the evil queen wasn’t much of a threat without her army, cunning strategies and powerful artifacts to hide behind.

Alicorns and Chrysalis may have power that can rival the power of legendary pokemon from my world, but they seem to have only a fraction of their combat experience, Nica thought. That’s no doubt a weakness that Darkrai can take advantage of.

“What should we do with Chrysalis?” Twilight asked, looking at the taller alicorn in search for guidance.

“I’m not sure. Banishing her to Tartarus would be way too harsh. Now that I think about it, it has been decades or even centuries since I used the Canterlot dungeon.”

“Princess Celestia,” Pharynx said firmly as he gave the alicorn an even look. “Chrysalis was our queen in the past and we played a major role in defeating her. I demand that we be the ones to deal with her.”

“Y-you… t-traitors…” Chrysalis struggled to speak as she slowly opened her eyes. “We’ll… make you pay…” She glanced at Starlight and next at Nica. “We’ll make you suffer unimaginable agony! You may have defeated me, but this minor setback won’t save you. Before you know it, I’ll walk on the rubble of your kingdom and take back the hive that’s rightfully mine. Enjoy your victory while you still can.” Chrysalis laughed hysterically while insanity started to show in her eyes.

“Silence!” Pharynx shouted before gritting his teeth as green aura floated from Chrysalis into his horn.

“What are you doing?” Twilight asked as Nica stared at her changeling friend in confusion.

“I’m draining her magic. I’ll leave enough to keep her alive, but she’ll be powerless against us,” Pharynx said before glancing at his guards. “Immobilize Chrysalis with goo and prepare for transportation.”

Chrysalis raised her trembling head. “Pharynx, you’ll bow… bow to me. My plan is in… in motion... and no power... can stop it,” she said between her heavy breathing.

“We’ll see about that. Despite everything I still hold some respect towards you, Chrysalis, which is why I didn’t destroy your horn. Consider this a last favor of your former subject,” Pharynx responded before addressing his guards who finished covering the hooves of their former queen in green goo. “Guard her well. We’ll wait for King Thorax to arrive before taking her to the hive.”

Nica kept looking at the scene before her, her head raised in pride. While she didn’t get a chance to fight the evil queen to the very end, she still played a major role in disarming her before Darkrai’s arrival. Her ears perked up upon picking up the noise of hoof-steps. She turned to the side and looked up, now staring at the tallest alicorn.

“So you are the Miss Nica I heard so much about,” the alicorn said as she towered over the smaller creature. Golden regalia were present on her neck and hooves while a small crown was resting on her head. She held a forehoof on her chest and continued, “My name is Celestia. You have already met my sister, Luna, in your dreams. We are both princesses and rulers of Equestria. It is an honor to meet you.”

Nica kept staring at Celestia while studying her aura. There seemed to be something… motherly… about it. Aside from gratefulness and compassion, what she sensed form the princess seemed to be emotions a mother would feel for her daughter. The pleasant aura and calm voice made her feel relaxed and at ease.

Celestia knelt on one foreleg, lowering herself closer to Raichu’s face-level. Her smile warm. “Twilight Sparkle spoke highly of you in her letters, and I heard the news of how you dealt with powerful and influential mafia in Manehattan. You rushed to rescue ponies trapped in a burning building, played an important role in saving ponies trapped in the mine, and your idea to ask our changeling allies to train my Royal Guard revealed Chrysalis’ presence.”

Celestia closed her eyes and chuckled, and next pointed at the defeated queen, who stared back with undying rage. “And just now you assisted in defeating Queen Chrysalis despite your remaining injuries. Your achievements and determination are worth of great praise.”

Nica kept smiling, enjoying the words of praise, feeling like a kid who made her mother proud. Each opportunity to help she succeded at making her feel less worthless.

Celestia suggested, “If there is something you wish of me, I will gladly reward you for everything you have done for my kingdom and my little ponies.”

With her eyes on the large majestic white wings which would give Cadence and Gabby’s wings a run for their softness, Nica took slow steps to Celestia’s side. She grabbed the edge of the large wing and pulled, stepping backward until she spread the princess’s wing as much as she could. Feeling sleepy and tired from her training and recent battle, she climbed up onto Celestia’s wings, her paws sinking between the white feathers.

Twilight, Starlight and Pharynx glanced at the spectacle with full curiosity while Celestia kept looking at the long-tailed critter in confusion.

Nica walked on her four paws in circle in one spot, only to curl herself into a ball between the soft white feathers of the princess. Her long tail wrapped itself around part of the wing attached to alicorn’s side. With forepaws wrapped around her rear legs and bronze patches on her rear paws touching her nose, she closed her eyes, sinking into the land of dreams.

Celestia kept looking at the brave defender of Equestria covered in bruises and burns now napping on her wing like a fat kitten. After a few seconds of staring, she lit her horn, trying as gently as possible to take the napping creature from her wing, yet the long tail kept her in place. She glanced at the chuckling Starlight and next at her student.

“Well… I forgot to mention that Nica really loves wing-hugs," Twilight said. "Gabby told me that she was willing to work for her with wing-hugs as a payment. It’s the first time she is sleeping on somepony’s wing though.”

Starlight commented, “You offered her a reward, Your Highness, you brought it upon yourself. I suppose she decided to recover while napping on your soft wing.”

Celestia looked away from her ponies, once again staring at the cute little creature. To think someone capable of holding her ground against Chrysalis in battle would use my wing as a bed. She shook her head and sighed. My public appearances in the next few hours are going to be so awkward.

Author's Note

I appologise for the delay in uploading, it almost slipped my mind.

I also hope you all enjoyed the battle between Nica and Chrysalis. I know this fight was a bit underwhelming, but it is because Chrysalis' power alone was no match for the power of an extremely well trained pokemon. Without an army at her command and powerful artifact to aid her (her armor made of darkstone worked only on ponies' magic), the evil Queen was just no match for the good guys, especially Twilight who Nica trained for combat. (If Chyrsalis had the element of surprice on her side, she would take over Canterlot of her own thanks to her armor, but Pharynx ruined it).

Still, while Chrysalis is no longer a threat, she was still the mastermind who summoned Darkrai into this world and taught him dark magic. With puppeter out of the way, it is time for Nica and her friends to face legendary pokemon and his curse. They won a battle, but the war isn't over yet.

Also, Celestia's wing became Nica's personal bed. Best reward ever.

Chapter 32 - Sweet Nap

Little Lost Raichu

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Chapter 32
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Sweet Nap

Reaching the capital of ponies all the way from the south desert while staying out of sight was certainly a time-consuming deal. The troublesome Raichu he encountered alone was most likely capable of outspeeding him on her little feet, and the flying speed of an athletic pegasus was far superior. He had no doubts that the ponies already knew about his existence. All there was left to do was to subtly guide Chrysalis to start their take over immediately.

Luckily, his mentor told him about the crystal caverns under Canterlot he could use to get into the city. The pleasant darkness with only illuminating gems reflecting their light over the area was to his liking. To think that ponies completely forgot about this place, and their enemy was hiding under their very capital, Darkrai thought as he levitated through another tunnel, only to stop upon seeing numerous holes and cracks on the ground. Crystal fragments and a pressure of magic still lingered in the area. The walls didn’t have it any better, as if something was slammed into them with a lot of force.

Darkrai raised his hand, now holding three fingers against his forehead. So Chrysalis was discovered and dealt with… such a pity… I still had a lot of use for her. Now wary of his surroundings, he started inspecting the area, heading towards a hiding spot where he remembered the former queen to hide her trump card, armor which would let her gain an advantage over the princesses and Royal Guard. The crystals hiding it were no longer in the way while the secret spot in the wall was empty.

Darkrai narrowed his eye. The queen indeed took the armor out of desperation, yet lost anyway. The darkstone should make the ponies magic useless in a specific range. The only creatures who could defeat Chrysalis would be other changelings or… a pokemon. He held hand on his forehead again and shook his head. I was planning to get Chrysalis out of the picture once she stopped being useful. With her failure, I may as well forget about her and start my original plan. His mind provided him with images of the magical dark crystals he summoned underground, as well as ponies carrying on with their lives unaware of the curse he planted in them, a fruit of months of preparations.

If my estimations are correct, in order to drain the magic from all ponies I cursed in Equestria, I need to activate the spell from the tallest location while still being in range of all cities and towns. With so much gathered magic I should have no difficulty opening portals to my world in Canterlot and use them to summon an army of dark type pokemon. Not only will dark types be immune to unicorn spells, but they’ll follow my orders out of respect, a perfect army that will help me occupy the capital. He tightened his fist as a dark aura surrounded it. The process will alert everyone to my presence, but with my gathered magic I should have no difficulty overpowering anyone who gets in my way.

Darkrai glanced at the crystals on the ceiling. Now that I think about it, in the past I didn’t have enough magic to enhance the dark crystals so they would allow me to instantly travel between them. If I want to create a world where pokemon are no longer servants but the masters, being able to travel long distances quickly is a necessity. It may delay creating the portals a bit, but enhancing those dark crystals would become beneficial in the long run.

With the plan formed in his mind, he vanished into the shadows, now heading towards the top of the Canterlot mountain.

Celestia stood on her balcony with thousands pairs of eyes directed at her, addressing the gathered crowd. Her posture and voice were filled with an air of authority. “Ponies of Canterlot. I understand that the past hours of high alert alongside continuous examination have filled you with anxiety. Which is why I would like to share wonderful news with all of you that should put your worries at ease.”

Murmurs filled the crowd as everypony awaited eagerly for the good news, well, almost everypony. Some percent of ponies seemed to instead be focused on a little creature nesting on Celestia’s spread wing. Maintaining a firm stance and not blushing alone proved to be a challenge for the alicorn princess.

“Queen Chrysalis, an old enemy responsible for the invasion of Canterlot and capture of leadership figures across Equestria and the Crystal Empire, was captured an hour ago.”

The crowd fell into silence before a loud round of applause echoed through the city.

Celestia waited a few seconds before raising her cladded forehoof, silencing the crowd. “The threat is not over yet. In her plan for vengeance, Chrysalis summoned a powerful being from another world which has been spreading a curse among the populace. Princess Twilight Sparkle and her student Starlight Glimmer discovered the spell that can remove it, which is why you have been gathered together. Please remain calm and allow us to find and dispel this curse.” She held a forehoof on her chest and lowered her head slightly. “Your cooperation and lack of panic is essential in ensuring the safety of Canterlot.”

The murmurs echoed once again.

“In the end I would also like to express my gratitude to our changeling allies who played a vital role in discovering Chrysalis’ presence and in her capture.” She gestured for Pharynx to approach the platform, who took firm steps towards the edge, staring back with… a rather unfriendly gaze. More than half of the ponies in the crowd looked back with distrust.

“We only performed our duty as allies. I expect that ponies will pull their weight should we require your assistance, and we’ll do our best to improve the performance of the incompetent fighting force you call the Royal Guard,” Pharynx said with a firm tone, earning ire of quite many ponies as the result.

Celestia raised an eyebrow. I wish Thorax didn’t refuse to give the public speech. Pharynx is a bit too direct and tactless, certainly not the best at public speeches. She turned to the side, displaying her spread wing. “I would also like to give praise to the visitor from another world who destroyed Chrysalis’ armor while facing the rage of the evil queen, which played an important role in her capture.”

She pointed at the ball of fur perched on her wing. “Her name is Nica and she is a Raichu.” She blushed lightly. “She is currently… recovering from the ordeal…” She cleared her throat. “I have trust in her abilities. Rest assured that her power and experience will keep us safe.” Seeing a growing confusion among the ponies, she turned around and walked inside the castle, releasing a breath she didn’t even notice she was holding. Her changeling ally walked by her side.

She was quickly greeted by friendly faces.

“Pharynx, you can’t insult the Royal Guard in front of the crowd of ponies,” Thorax said as he addressed his brother.

“I was just speaking the truth, what’s wrong with that?”

Applejack looked to the side. “It ain’t easy bein’ honest. Ya need to consider others feelings first.”

Thorax shot the princess an awkward smile. “I’m sorry for my brother’s behavior, but he’s getting better.”

Pharynx looked to the side and groaned.

“It is quite alright,” Celestia responded with a warm smile.

Fluttershy stood on her rear hooves and kept looking at Raichu. “During our cuddling and hugging session, Nica used my wing as a pillow for a few minutes, but didn’t ask me to let her sleep on it. I must say, I’m so jealous.” She held both forehooves on her cheeks and added in a squeaky voice, “Sooo cute…”

“I hope it wasn’t too embarrassing, Princess,” Twilight said in concern.

“Well… maybe a little, but I will manage,” Celestia said as she felt her spread wing getting a bit stiff. “Where is Luna? Did she go to sleep?”

Twilight shook her head. “She’s patrolling the city alongside Rainbow Dash, Daring Do, Rarity and Pinkie Pie. Now that Chrysalis has been defeated and we’re removing the curse from ponies of Canterlot, we expect Darkrai to make a move.”

“And we’ll remain here to help as well,” Thorax with with a toothy smile. “I mean… if he’s resistant to your spells, changeling magic may be most helpful.”

Celestia glanced at her little passenger and said, “There’s also a possibility that he lied when he told Nica about being immune to our magic. Regardless, we need to stay on high alert.” She spread her other wing and gently touched Twilight’s back. “Lead the way, Princess Twilight. It took me a while to learn how to use that spell of yours, and I will assist anyway I can.”

“Thank you,” Twilight said with a smile as they made their way through the door.

Met with a salute of her Royal Guards outside, Celestia approached the numerous ponies, who performed a quick bow.

“You’re finally here, Princess,” Starlight said as she wiped sweat from her forehead. “There are waaay too many ponies for me to handle.”

“I will do what I can, my little pony,” Celestia said as her horn lit in a golden aura. One scan after another, she examined her subjects in search for presence of dark magic.

Starlight approached and looked at the spread wing, her mouth started to tremble and her eyes sparkled.

“Yes, yes, I know, she looks really cute, but I would appreciate not to stare at my wing as if it was a museum exhibition,” Celestia said, blushing. The majority of her subjects couldn’t help themselves but stare at the creature on her wing, some releasing noises like D’awww and similar or looking at the sleeping creature with a dreamy smile. Even my centuries of experience didn’t prepare me to mask my emotions while nesting another creature on my wing.

Starlight scanned a few ponies before stroking Raichu with her hoof and whispering to the princess. “She’s sleeping so peacefully.”

Celestia glanced at the curled ball, feeling it wriggling on her wing for a moment. I hope so. According to Twilight, each dream is more like memory of her past, and Luna told me some of them were painful nightmares. I hope this time it won’t be the case.

Nica stood on her four feet while in a fighting stance, her tail raised while the thunder-shaped end was covered in a metallic grey. The Infernape she faced two months ago now stood before her while ready to strike. A damaged plain fighting stage being the background of the training.

Ever since Astra defeated the champion of Sinnoh and gained such an important title, she has been using her new privileges, convincing the Elite Four to take action against Team Galactic. Gathering intel about local criminal organizations, their motives and goals, trying to gain cooperation from the local police and even international police alike became her main focus.

With her trainer busy, Nica decided to step up in keeping herself and the rest of the team in shape. Wearing the belt with her trainer’s luxury balls on her belly, she repeatedly sparred with Flint and his pokemon. More experienced at improvising in the heat of battle while lacking in the vast knowledge her trainer possesed, Nica focused on what she still liked in pokemon battles, teaching, learning and training.

With all of her pokemon and four of Flint’s pokemon tired after numerous practices of team attacks, dodging and beam struggles, it was now her turn to improve the use of her tail.

“Infernape, Mach Punch!” Flint commanded.

Nica leaped backward while swinging her tail, her timing proving slightly too slow as the fist of her opponent struck her belly, pushing her a few meters away. Her feet pressed into the cracked stadium as dust spread around the bronze patches of her rear paws. She maintained her balance, her tail raised once more.

“Use Mach Punch again!”

Nica waited a second before swinging again, this time a bit too early as her metalic tail struck her opponent’s fist, breaking immediately. She grit her teeth, feeling pain in her tail, yet refusing to take her eyes away from her taller training partner. It seems I’m not the only one who keeps improving. Also, parrying his hits sure is harder when he’s not paralyzed. She narrowed her eyes and concentrated, balancing herself on the tips of her rear legs.

Flint placed his hands on his hips. “You’re quite determined with your training, Nica, and quite smart for a pokemon. While I find your trainer’s commanding abilities to be… a bit underwhelming for a champion, I can’t deny that she knows how to train her pokemon. She not only pushed your skills to limits I never witnessed in my life, but also encouraged a lot of individual thinking in you.” He shook his head. “To be honest, I think you would do fine becoming a pokemon trainer while being a pokemon yourself.”

Nica didn’t lose her concentration while ignoring the praise. With Infernape becoming faster and more skilled with his attacks due to their training, she needed to improve her timing and the use of her tail in order to keep up.

“Fine, fine, Infernape, keep using ‘Mach Punch.’”

Nica waited to the last moment before leaping backward and swinging her tail, pushing the fist of her opponent aside. She followed up by pushing her metallic tail against the belly of her opponent. The moment her feet touched the ground, she started hopping up cheerfully with forepaw raised into the sky.

She kept cheering and hopping in place as she thought back to the time when she was still a Pikachu, learning how to use ‘Iron Tail’ for the first time. Now that I think about it, when I was a Pikachu, I could swing my shorter tail a bit faster and I quickly learned how to use it for fast combos, mastering the use of it in only four to five months. After becoming a Raichu, my ‘Iron Tail’ gained more reach but I couldn’t swing it as quickly.

Nica stopped her cheerful dance, moving her long tail in front of her to look at it and rubbed her chin. When I make this comparison… I can see the pattern. Shorter tail I had as a Pikachu was much easier to use and quick to master, but when I evolved, my longer tail become slower and harder to use. However, while it is way more difficult to master, it gives me so many defensive possibilities. It feels as if it became way-harder to train but a greater reward kind of thing.

“Are you ready to practice use of your tail to defend yourself against ‘Close Combat’ or not?" Flint asked while rubbing his afro. “You seems distracted.”

Nica blushed and rubbed back of her neck.

“I got no idea what you just said, wanna write it in a notepad?” Flint asked.

Nica lowered her head and sighed. Despite knowing how to read and write, the language barrier still remained. I envy psychics and legendary pokemon capable of communicating telepathically. It’s so convenient. She glanced at two other trainers, Lauki and Sinori, practicing with their own pokemon on the other side of the arena. With Astra being busy, their befriended trainers decided to stick with her instead in order to improve.

Oh... right, I promised Lauki’s Pikachu to help him get better at using his ‘Iron Tail’ techniques. I suppose once I exhaust more of my stamina and acquire a lot of combat wounds from my training with Infernape, I would be able to train with him on a more equal ground.

“Hey, everyone, I got great news!”

Nica turned towards the source of voice and took a step back. The one shouting was her trainer, Astra, and the tone of her voice seemed more enthusiastic than ever before. Wait a moment… is she… dancing from happiness… that’s not the booksmart always focused long-term strategist I traveled with all this time.

Astra approached the gathered group with a few spins and amateur dancing moves, which earned confused and shocked glances from everyone in the large damaged arena. “I have amazing news!” With a wide grin, she looked at each trainer before staring down at Raichu with happiness radiating from her eyes. “The police gained a very important intel about the activity of pokemon hunters. Apparently, the hunters made some sort of a very big deal with the Team Galactic leader.” She grabbed Nica and raised her above her head. “And the police chief asked me personally to assist in their capture. The operation starts tomorrow. We have an opportunity to deal a devastating blow to two large criminal powers in this region. Isn’t that amazing?”

Nica smiled widely. An opportunity to put herself in danger and put all of her skills to use in order to protect others. She waved her forepaws cheerfully.

“Flint, you’ll join me on this, and I won’t accept no for an answer!” Astra commanded.

“S-sure. As long as I can get more of such cheerful emotion into your usually stoic and calm personality, I’m in.”

Astra and Nica rolled their eyes.

“Oh, I almost forgot.” Astra spoke up with a hint of worry in her voice. “The police chief warned me that the hunters are armed with a very dangerous weapon that can turn pokemon into stone, and there’s a risk that the device hunters use to return pokemon back to normal may not be with them in one of their vehicles… Sooo… any volunteers to take the risk and destroy those weapons before we attack with full force?”

Lauki walked away while his Pikachu hid behind a nearby stone. Sinori looked to the side and whistled while her Dewott was covered in sweat, most likely due to internal struggle between determination to protect others and fear of becoming a statue. Flint tilted his head to the side and smiled sheepishly while his Infernape took a step back.

Nica’s cheering became even more enthusiastic as she shouted,

Nica felt her paws make contact with hot sand and hard stone as she ran through the road made on a stone formation near the desert. Behind her stood her trainer and Flint, while ahead of her stood a group of armed and well-equipped pokemon hunters.

Behind the pokemon hunters were damaged armored vehicles, all destroyed due to the heavy firepower of Astra and Flint’s pokemon working together. Each wheel melted and engine busted.

Nica narrowed her eyes as she zipped left and right, swiftly evading each petrifying beam as if her life depended on it, each beam leaving a bronze shining mark on the road. With a loud shout, she summoned a ‘Thunderbolt’ to spread across the road, a trick she memorized from watching Lt. Surge Raichu years ago, hitting all the hunters except their leader who jumped onto a nearby vehicle. Now close enough, she jumped towards the hunter who was on the left, slicing his stone-turning blaster with her tail. With each weapon being attached on the hunters’ hands, she started jumping from head to head of her enemies while destroying their weapons.

Her ears perked up upon hearing a noise coming from the top of the vehicle, evading in time as a beam petrified the hunter from his head down to his legs. Despite being so close to other hunters, Miss J kept firing her beam at her. Does she have no concern for her own men? How can she use such terrifying weapons against her own followers? She grit her teeth, countering the beam with her own ‘Thunderbolt.' She glanced back at Astra and Flint as their pokemon were now standing in line, ready to attack. A smirk appeared on her face. With all petrifying weapons but one destroyed, her less agile allies could fight with nothing to fear.

“First you damage our expensive equipment, and now you’re destroying our weapon before bringing in your main force, impressive,” Miss J said with a clap of her hands. She shrugged and shook her head. “Who do I have the pleasure of eliminating?”

“Flint of the Elite Four. I’m here under the champion’s orders to put an end to your crimes!” He clenched his fist and shouted in anger, “I heard about your crimes from the police! You’re not simply stealing or capturing pokemon for money. Your actions caused a lot of pain to the populace and ruined many lives. You crossed the line!”

J pointed at the female trainer with orange hair. “Should I assume that you’re the new Sinnoh champion. Interesting.” She held her hands on her hips. Fancy-looking goggles hid her eyes while a confident smile was present on her face. Her uniform and long skirt were dark-violet, her gloves, boots and clothes under the uniform displayed a strong red.

Each of J’s subordinates seemed to be wearing a grey uniform, which seemed to act like a body armor.

Nica glanced at her trainer, who for some reason seemed fixated on some of the pokemon hunters. She could sense a strong aura of anger and disappointment. The Ninetales seemed to give the hunters a similar stare, his aura similar as well. Something was really wrong.

“The silent treatment? Well, I am not surprised.” J snapped her finger as a large quantity of powerful-looking pokemon filled the road. “Even the Sinnoh champion and member of the Elite Four don’t stand a chance against my elite crew.”

Lauki emerged from behind his rocky cover with Pikachu on his shoulder. “She’s not alone.”

Sinori dropped material with stones painted onto it, only now being visible among the stone wall. Dewott stood by her side. “I don’t know how much our aid can accomplish, but I can assure you, Miss J, the local champion isn’t as outnumbered as you think.”

“Two more trainers make no difference. If anything, you’re just an inconvenience.” J chuckled. “I wonder how much money we will get for pokemon of the champion herself on the black market. It should no doubt make up for the destroyed equipment ten times over.”

Astra kept approaching with firm steps with Ninetales by her side, not intimidated in the least despite being outnumbered by two to one. She pointed at one of the hunters accusingly. “Emily, is that you? How dare you dirty your good name and pride of a Guardian by working for Pokemon hunters!”

“Wait… you know my name?” Emily asked in confusion.

“How could I forget it?” Astra looked at Emily angrily. “One time my dad was showing me where he was working back when I was eight, and my mom was busy with her duties and far away, he asked you to give me a tour. You even showed me a pokemon battle in the training area. Even after all these years you still haven't changed your team and fighting stance.”

Astra placed her hands on her hips while glancing at each of Emily’s pokemon. “Your powerful and durable attackers; Primarina and Arcanine, both knowing four strong moves with coverage against many types. Your touch tanks; Hariyama and Alolan Muk. And of course your trusty supporter Audino, most likely still using ‘Reflect’ and ‘Light Screen’ to support others.”

Excadrill raised his clawed hand and poked his chest with metallic thuds.

Astra looked at the ground/Steel pokemon. “Are you Emily’s new pokemon?”

Excadrill nodded.

J chuckled. “So you’re familiar with the Guardians.” She snapped her finger. “Jimmy, Dawis, Delta, Milan. Show the pokemon champion that the Guardian organization is nothing but history.” Her order caused a few of her followers to take hesitant steps forward, their pokemon followed.

Astra held a hand on her chest as tears started forming in her eyes. “It’s me, Astra, the daughter of your former bosses. Does the name of the brave Guardian, Penny Longshot, and name of your commanding officer, General Jeremy Longshot, mean nothing to you now?”

Emily took a step back and pointed accusingly. “B-but they hid you somewhere... for your safety. You managed to leave your hiding place and became a champion on your own?”

“I did. I took fate into my own hands, used all available resources and trained a powerful team who willingly assisted me in realizing my goals. To the very end I did everything in my power to avenge my parents and continue their work.” She grit her teeth. “Which isn’t something I can say about you.”

Emily stomped and yelled, “And what did you expect? When your mother and father were killed by the assassins, the police higher-ups blamed it all on us with fake evidence. We were betrayed by those we protected, hunted and treated like rats on false charges!”

Delta crossed his arms and spoke up, “Kanto and Johto higher ups turned on us. Those who avoided capture had to flee to other regions. Some of us struggled to find a different job while hiding our identity, others became pokemon trainers while a few kept fighting crime on their own, yet for trainers and combatants like us, earning money to feed ourselves while in hiding wasn’t easy.”

Emily continued, “We were betrayed and our faces are on the wanted list. Even in other regions it would be only a matter of time before others would look upon us as criminals. Why should we fight on the side of the law that turned on us?”

J chuckled, which turned into a loud laughter as she held fingers on her forehead. “One’s loss is another’s gain. In the past Guardians were like International Police, but way more numerous and better equipped, capable of fighting side by side with technology surpassing my own. Now some of their members work for me, making capture of even legendary pokemon for my customers a breeze.”

“Legendary pokemon? What does she mean by that?” Astra asked, giving the hunters an angered look.

Nica jumped backward and looked between her trainer and the hunters. The aura of guilt and regret she sensed skyrocketed.

Astra took a few calming breaths before speaking in a sad tone, “I admit, I can’t imagine what it must feel like to be betrayed, but I know the feelings of losing loved ones, it leaves a void and desperation to fill it with something.” She held a hand on her chest. “But I can’t stand and watch how proud soldiers who worked alongside my parents are now those they fought so hard in the past. I beg of you, join me. It’s not too late!”

Flint looked at Astra with shocked expression. “Are you crazy? They are pokemon hunters working for the most dangerous criminal in the Sinnoh region. You can’t be considering…”

“Shut up!” Astra shouted at Flint in anger before once again addressing the hunters. “I have become a champion and gained a lot of influence, and the police here respect me. If you’ll join my side and help me stop J’s plans, I will be able to clean up your good name. It’s your only chance to start anew and-”

“Don’t listen to this naive kid,” J said before shooting a petrifying beam at Astra, which was burned to a crisp by Ninetales ‘Flamethrower’ attack. J groaned before shooting again, only to jump from the vehicle to evade more flames coming from Ninetales’ mouth. Pokemon from both sides now more than eager to fight each other than before.

“Make a choice. Will you start anew and help me continue my parent's legacy, or do you prefer to work for someone who doesn’t hesitate to shoot or even sacrifice her own followers for her own gain?”

Nica grinned as the five former Guardian members turned against their boss in an instant. It seems Miss J isn’t good at inspiring loyalty. The loss of skilled members and petrifying weapons will cripple her organization, a proper punishment for someone so selfish and cruel.

Emily ran towards Astra and spoke up, “Our employer was the leader of Team Galactic and hired us to capture a legendary pokemon named Darkrai so they could use it as a trump card in the realization of their goals. We weren’t told any details about their plans, but they’re most likely still trying to use technology to control him against his will. If we hurry, we can stop them before their brainwashing procedure is complete.”

“Traitors!” J shouted as she shot a petrifying beam at Emily, which was deflected by Nica’s metallic tail. Her weapon ended up damaged a moment later by Dewott’s shell attack and Lauki’s Pikachu ‘Iron Tail.’ Using the commotion of the raging battle, J retreated, abandoning her crew who quickly ended up behind bars… with a few exceptions.

The former Guardians were in possession of valuable information about J’s organization and her customers, as well as experienced and strong pokemon teams.

Was it going to be an agreement to put the former Guardians on ‘Witness Protection,’ allow them to work alongside the police as part of a ‘Criminal Reformation Program,’ or some other method? Astra was going to fight to earn her parent's followers a second chance.

Luckily, the backing of Sinnoh Champion had a lot of weight behind it, while provided information proved most useful, making the police chief more willing to making a compromise.

Nica asked, receiving a firm nod as her team member destroyed the door in front of them, causing an explosion while the falling door hit the floor with a loud thud.

She glanced at a large bat-like pokemon with large wings and scorpion-like tail.

Picking up a luxury ball from her belt, she threw it into the laboratory, summoning a large green creature with massive flower on its back.

“Darkrai, destroy…” The scientist wearing a labcoat paused in mid sentence as his eyes became heavy, his hand struggling to hold a device responsible for controlling of the legendary pokemon. Bits of sleeping power now reaching his nose.

Nica held her breath before jumping forward, slicing the device in the scientist hand with her tail.

She shook her head from whatever sleeping powder landed on it and ran towards Darkrai, damaging whatever mind-controlling and restraining devices were present on his body with electricity and ‘Iron Tail.’ She looked up in worry and asked,

Darkrai massaged his forehead before his voice echoed in Nica’s mind. I… I’m free… thanks to you… He raised his hand, summoning a ball of dark energy while aiming at the sleeping scientist. His projectile ended up pushed aside by Nica’s tail who now gave him an angered glare.

Silence… do you have any idea what those humans did to me? They hunted me restlessly like prey for weeks, turned me to stone, tortured and experimented on me. Darkrai grabbed Nica with his two hands and looked at her with a soul-piercing glare. It’s not enough that they enslave so many species of pokemon and make them do their bidding, now they’re trying to modify us and take away our free will. I’ll never forgive them!

Nica could see her fellow team members gathered together, ready to free her if necessary. Her ears drooped as she looked back at Darkrai in pity. She held her forepaws in a pleading gesture.

Darkrai placed the Raichu on the closest table and lowered his hands. And where’s your trainer now. Why are devices used to manipulate pokemon on your belt?

She did… she entrusted you with her pokemon and this mission? Darkrai glanced at the pokeballs, and next at every pokemon present in the room. Aren’t you just a pet to her?

Nica shook her head and placed forepaws on her hips. She poked her chest.

Darkrai’s sinister chuckle echoed in Nica’s mind. In other words, due to her equal treatment, you become capable of leading a pokemon team of your own, showing leadership and initiative. I wonder… all pokemon species already possess superior power, but not many possess intellect to rival the humans. He turned around while holding both hands behind his back. Your initiative and leadership skills however are similar to the ones of a human. I wonder… if more pokemon were like you, would it be possible for pokemon to become the masters for a change with humans listening to our will.

Nica smiled sheepishly.

Of course. Lead the way outside… leader.

Nica nodded, only to feel something poke her shoulder, yet no pokemon stood by her side.

Nica slowly opened her eyes and yawned. After a moment to stretch her limbs, she lied on the side and looked at the sky, finding it surprisingly dark. Wait a moment… from what I read in books that Twilight gave me to read, ponies can control the weather, why would they… She sat on the soft wing and gasped. The sky was indeed dark while a large gathering of dark clouds started circling above the Canterlot mountain.

She glanced at the princess, who looked back at her in worry and nodded.

“You’re not mistaken. Darkrai is on the top of this mountain, commanding dark magic of incredible power.”

Nica looked at the sky once again and narrowed her eyes. Bolts of electricity escaped her cheeks. It was clear that the translating collar was still in possession of Fluttershy, not that she needed it. In order to fight Darkrai, she needed access to her full power. Suddenly, her eyes became wide in realization. Did Chrysalis summon and tried to use for her vengeance the same Darkrai that the Pokemon Hunters captured and Team Galactic tried to brainwash?

Her face softened. She now understood Darkrai’s motivation a bit better. First Team Galactic, now Chrysalis. So much negative influence… Her ears drooped. If her theory was correct, she was about to fight the same legendary pokemon she saved in the past.

Chapter 33 - Battle and a Choice

Little Lost Raichu

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Chapter 33
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Battle and a Choice

“Girls, girls!” Pinkie shouted as she ran across the empty Canterlot streets, only to bump into Rarity as they both rolled into a wall. “Sorry!” She pulled the fashionista to a standing position before hopping in front of her. Panic still present on her face.

“What is the rush? You seem more hyperactive than usual,” Rarity said as she wiped the dust from her chest. “Should I assume you found out where Darkrai is?”

“I did, I did, at least I think I did,” Pinkie said in haste before pointing at her trembling tail. “My Pinkie sense tells me that something very, very, very bad is about to happen on the top of the mountain. I need to alert everyone!”

Rarity nodded. “I will go to the castle and tell the princesses.” She poked Pinkie’s chest. “Daring Do, Rainbow Dash and Luna are still patrolling the city, can you find them and tell them to regroup at the castle?”

“On it!” Pinkie said with a salute before vanishing in a cloud of dust. As she now stood on the roof of a restaurant, she pulled a megaphone from her tail and shouted, “Rainbow Dash! Princess Luna, and the pony whose name I can’t speak aloud in public, I have important news!”

As she had hoped for, the patrolling ponies were now flying in her direction, yet something odd caught her attention. Her ears drooped at the view of dark clouds forming in the sky as they started circling over the mountain. If this doesn’t indicate dark forces and powerful magic, I don’t know what does. She lowered her head in disappointment. “So much for my early warning being useful.”

Celestia gestured for her subjects to enter the castle while her guards assisted with crowd control. Raichu, a guest from another world, was now perched on her back, allowing her to finally move her stiff wing. “Please listen to the Royal Guards as they temporarily accomodate you inside the castle. There is not enough space for everypony, so I encourage to seek safety inside your homes or evacuate by train.” She looked at her subjects in concern. There was no telling if the walls of the castle would guarantee her subjects safety.

“Ummm… excuse me, Princess,” Fluttershy said, catching her attention. “Since Nica is awake, I thought she may need this.” She hovered above the ground while presenting a collar with her hooves.

Nica shook both her head and her forepaw dismissively.

“Alright, if you say so, just be very careful.” Fluttershy tapped her forehooves together. “Though maybe if I talked with him, I could convince him to give up on his plans of conquest. And if that won’t work, I could try to use my stare.”

Nica said before approaching Celestia’s flank, now looking at Fluttershy from the edge.

“B-but…”

Nica said before holding her paws together while using her puppy stare.

Fluttershy sighed and lowered her head. “Alright… to be honest, I’m a little scared, but I don’t want to leave my friends. Can you protect them from harm?”

Fluttershy whimpered.

Nica rubbed the back of her neck as a blush appeared on her cheeks.

Celestia kept observing the exchange, wishing she had Fluttershy’s talent to understand what the repetitive use of ‘Rai’ and ‘Raichu’ meant. “Twilight Sparkle.”

“Yes Princess?” the smaller alicorn asked as she ran over immediately.

It seems some things do not change. Celestia pointed at the darkened sky and asked, “You studied the curse alongside Starlight. Is there any weakness we can exploit?”

“There are some indeed,” Twilight said before standing on her rear hooves while raising her forehoof in a lecturing gesture. Her wings spread to help with her balance. “While Darkrai can temporarily steal magic from ponies he cursed, there are limitations. The first one is that they need to be in a specific range. I suppose absorbing others magic from the higher ground expands such range and make the flow of magic faster and more efficient.”

Celestia nodded, listening with full attention. Her passenger who peeked from behind her neck seemed interested as well.

“While stealing magic from one pony who’s close and in field of vision is very quick, doing so to numerous ponies and other creatures is much more time consuming. The distance between the cursed pony and Darkrai also slows down the transfer.” Twilight paused before lowering herself, now standing on four hooves instead of two. “In other words, since we substantially reduced the amount of cursed ponies in Canterlot, the amount of magic he’ll get quickly from here will be low, while taking magic from ponies in other towns will be time-consuming. It should give us a lot of time to stop him before he becomes too powerful. The faster we strike, the better.”

Celestia nodded while gifting her former student a proud smile. “Great work, Princess Twilight. Anything else?”

“Well… since Darkrai is using dark magic, maybe he’s vulnerable to whatever worked against Sombra. If I remember correctly, Cadence’s magic kept him at bay while the Crystal Heart defeated him.”

Celestia nodded. “I see. We can use the Crystal Heart as our last resort, and I know a spell that I can use to my advantage. It is regrettable that we didn’t consider to ask Princess Cadence to help us. Hopefully we can handle Darkrai without her.”

“I also have a trump card we can use,” Starlight said as she approached, a grin on her face. “Finally awake Nica, you really need to stop doing everything on your own.” She spread her forehooves in an inviting gesture.

Celestia felt paws press against the top of her head before the long-tailed critter leaped over her head, tackling Starlight to the ground.

“I had enough of sitting at the castle while you keep trying to be useful on your own. This time, we’re going to work together, and that’s final!” Starlight said while hugging the Raichu in a vice grip as they both nuzzled each other’s cheeks.

The darkening sky blocking the rays of the sun, overwhelming magic floating into his body and a view of the land that would soon be ruled by pokemon. Saying that he felt a surge of excitement would be an understatement. After centuries of spreading nightmares and feeding off the dreams of humans and pokemon, after watching from the shadows as more powerful races willingly gave up their freedom to weaker but more intelligent species, the prospect of a big change filled him with thrills.

I can feel it, I can feel this wonderful magic enhance my powers. No more spreading curses from the shadows or feeding on scraps. A mental laughter followed. He raised both of his hands, summoning orbs of dark magic which grew in size. I will share this precious magic with other pokemon, helping them surpass their limits. I’ll guide other pokemon species to improve not just their skills and powers, but also their intellect. Maybe one day, we’ll come back to our world, more intelligent, better organized and strengthened by magic, ready to liberate pokemon from human’s influence.

Darkrai clenched his left fist as the gathered magic spread in random directions. Numerous dark crystals hidden in each town grew in size as a result, pulsating with power.

So many pokemon species willingly cooperated with humans, assisting them with their powers, asking only for their guidance and care in return. Yet humans become too greedy, not satisfied with what we had to offer. Experiments, brainwashing, artificial modifications, cloning and so on. So many times natural order was put at risk by their attempt to capture legendary pokemon. But this ends here. We’ll make a nation of our own.

He mentally frowned as his attention focused on the approaching ponies. Three of them had both horns and wings, known as alicorns, each possessing magic which would rival that of the most powerful pokemon. One levitating unicorn who Chrysalis seemed to hold a grudge against. Two pegasi he tried to eliminate inside the pyramid. He narrowed his eye upon noticing the Raichu on Celestia’s back.

So you’re here to face me, Nica. Hear my plea and don’t do something you’ll regret. Darkrai spoke to Nica in her mind. The time for you to make a choice has come.

Are you the Darkrai I and my team saved from Team Galactic?

Darkrai’s eye became wide as he stared at Nica in surprise. So you remembered. Yes, I’m the one that those filthy humans tried to use. I was aware of my every action, yet couldn’t control my body and defy my so called masters. I could only watch as they used my body for meaningless destruction.

Is this why you spared me when I first arrived in this world? Nica asked.

When I saw you in the crater covered in bruises, I was reminded of the time when I was saved by a Raichu leading a team of her own, which is why I showed mercy and sealed your memories. I doubt I would do the same if a different pokemon was sent to interrupt my plans. He shook his head. Back then I didn’t think you were the same Raichu who came to my aid. I admit, it was foolish of me not to make this connection.

It’s not yet too late. If you abandon your ambition and leave the ponies alone, they’ll forgive your wrong-doing. I beg you!

Darkrai looked at the dark orb in his other hand, which was half the size of his entire body. Even if I’m grateful to you for saving me, I can’t give up now. My noble goal, my ambition… I won’t abandon them. I’m about to make a massive change that will benefit our kind. If I have to sacrifice the freedom of pony races to accomplish it, so be it. Yet should you join me now, we can ease the occupation of ponies.

I made up my mind to protect my friends and aid them. You claim you want to liberatre pokemon from humans, yet to accomplish this you threaten ponies’ freedom. I won’t join you, nor will I return to my world as long as you are a threat here, Nica responded.

Darkrai mentally sighed. Not often had he felt pity and depression towards other creatures, even when watching their worst nightmares, yet repaying his saviour with torture and agony was something he hoped to avoid all this time. So be it. As much as I hate it, I’ll abandon all my mercy towards you. If it’s worth anything, I’m sorry.

He ignored Twilight and Starlight’s beams of magic as they splashed against his body, not even making him flinch. Upon noticing Celestia and Luna’s beam heading towards part of the mountain two meters under him, he summoned dark crystals, shielding the tip of the mountain from the attack. Are they trying to make me lose my balance by attacking my footing. Futile.

Darkrai raised his head, his attention now on the two pegasi, one flying up at an increasing speed while another being on an intercepting course with him. As much as he wanted to get rid of the troublesome pegasus, he couldn’t let anything distract him from charging his magic. His attempt to swat her away like a fly ended in failure due to her agility.

“What’s the matter? You can levitate centimeters above the ground but can’t fly well? Too bad,” Daring Do said as she rounded him before delivering a kick against his back.

Darkrai mentally chuckled. A few dark crystals shot from top of the mountain, forcing Daring Do to evade while yelping in surprise. Using this distraction, he turned around and slapped the pegasus away. With one hand still gathering magic from more than a thousand ponies, he concentrated his pokemon power in the other hand. By tightening his fist, he attacked with ‘Dark Pulse.’

“Ponyfeathers!” Daring Do shouted as she flew down, trying to escape the wave of darkness which was quickly catching up. In a flash of teleportation, Twilight appeared and caught her, vanishing a moment later. “Nice save, thanks.”

Twilight stared back with a large smile. “Once this is over, can you sign my collection of Daring Do books?”

“S-sure.”

Twilight squealed.

Darkrai observed the alicorns, awaiting their next move, only to hear a loud noise coming from behind. Fool… He pulled small fragments of gathered magic before turning it into a protective aura. A massive rainbow-colored explosion followed as Rainbow Dash now fell down the mountain while covered in black flames.

Daring Do caught the falling pegasus while getting burned herself by merely holding her. The tallest alicorn dispelled the flames a moment later with a golden flash of her magic.

The three alicorns and levitating unicorn started circling around him, sending another barrage of spells. Twilight’s beam of freezing magic, Starlight’s fireballs, Celestia’s brightly shining wave, Luna’s balls covered by violet flames and Nica’s ‘Thunderbolt.’ Ice attack, fire attack, and other elements. They’re trying to convert their magic into different types to bypass my immunity. Time to show them that pokemon aren’t just powerful but skilled as well.

Darkrai floated to the side, zipping in between the attacks while away from the mountain. His hand still raised as the orb of magic kept growing little by little. He was about to use ‘Dark Pulse’ with his other hand, only for a ‘Thunderbolt’ to change direction while attacking constantly, damaging his body. Twilight vanished in a flash of teleportation, only to shoot a large fireball from behind.

He turned around, unleashing ‘Dark Pulse’ while destroying the fireball, forcing Twilight to teleport away before being overwhelmed by his dark-type attack. That lavender princess is acting faster than the others while being more aggressive. I thought only Daring Do had combat and survival experience among those ponies while Twilight Sparkle was more of a scholar. Did she actually train for combat rather than read books?

He turned around, using another ‘Dark Pulse’ to stop the incoming attack. While Luna’s violet balls of fire and Starlight’s freezing beam vanished quickly, the bright light from Celestia’s horn pierced his attack while damaging his body. Darkrai held his left hand on his chest while still feeling the burn. His right hand trembled as it struggled to keep the gathered magic stable. A spell that’s super effective against me? Interesting. So light magic which is most efficient against dark magic has similar properties to fairy type attacks which are dangerous against me. I’ll be sure to remember that.

I can’t wait any longer, I need to act now. He grabbed the massive orb of gathered magic with both of his hands, casting a large spell. One hundred portals three times the size of a pony appeared in Canterlot. Some appeared on roofs of buildings, some high in the sky, some on the streets. Perfect. Thanks to the amount of magic gathered all at once I won’t simply summon one pokemon at a time. In a few minutes the portals will stabilize and bring in thousands at once.

More light magic was summoned against him as Darkrai evaded each attack, his speed increasing now when nothing was there to distract him. He stopped mere meters in front of Celestia and summoned ‘Dark Pulse,’ catching the princess off guard, yet two obstacles got in the way. The first one being ‘Light Screen’ summoned by the Raichu on the princess’ back, another being the darker alicorn who took the bulk of the attack and still managed to hover in mid-air despite her burns. Silvery regalia melted from the princess’ body.

So Luna isn’t as vulnerable to my power as other ponies. Is she familiar with dark magic enough to gain such resistance? Interesting. His train of thought was interrupted the moment Nica’s long tail made contact with his head, hitting it with the metallic edge. Despite Nica now falling from thousands of meters of height to the ground, all she cared about was to hit him with a quick ‘Thunderbolt,’ and was then caught in mid-air by Daring Do.

He felt a chilling cold on the lower part of his body as Starlight’s spell froze half of him, and a bunch of levitated boulders sped in his direction.

Enough! Darkrai felt a growing rage. His opponents found a way to go around his type advantage, each alicorn possessing raw power surpassing his own while also outnumbering him greatly. Skills alone were not enough to earn him victory. He levitated towards Canterlot with both hands stretched down, his mind focused. At least half of the portals vanished as the magic used in creating them flew into his body. He could always gather more magic to recreate those portals later, but who would convince the confused pokemon to take over this capital if he were defeated?

Surrounded by a large aura of magic as ice started melting from his body at rapid pace, he flew towards the princesses, his speed greater than before. By summoning ‘Dark Pulse’ he destroyed the boulders, annihilated the barriers created by Luna and Twilight and burned them both greatly. Light magic summoned by Celestia left but a few small bruises on his body as he ignored the pain. Nica’s electricity spread against the aura of protective magic without any effect.

Darkrai pointed his fingers at Celestia before casting another spell, enveloping the tallest princess in dark fog as crystals grew on her wings and horn. He turned towards Daring Do as Nica jumped from her back, surrounded by an aura of electricity.

Darkrai floated in the sky, watching as Nica’s ‘Volt Tackle’ made contact with the powerful magic surrounding his body. After a few seconds a big explosion followed, resulting in Nica falling down while receiving damage without doing any. You surpassed me in training and skills, Nica, but no matter how hard you train, you became a prisoner of your limits, while I can grow stronger thanks to dark magic. If you join me now, your defiance will be forgiven. You’ll become more powerful under my guidance.

I don’t care about power built at the cost of others, I refuse, Nica responded before being caught in Starlight’s levitation.

Darkrai shook his head as his attention focused on the remaining portals.

Nica looked at Starlight, her ears drooped. She rubbed a few bruises present on her forehead. In every battle, as long as she could do at least small bits of damage, she could hold her ground for a long time, slowly but steady tiring her opponent, yet in this case her powers were completely useless.

“You look distressed, and I can tell what you’re thinking, but don’t worry, I got this.” Starlight glanced at Luna and shouted, “Princess Luna, I need your help over here!”

The darker alicorn flew over, slowly, while supporting her unconcious sister by her shoulder. The unconscious Twilight Sparkle was safeguarded in her aura. “It better be important, Starlight, I need to escort my sister and Princess Twilight to safety.” She gave both alicorns a look of pity. “I can still fight, but Darkrai’s magic and power combined knocked out my sister and her former pupil in one blow. It melted our barriers like it was nothing.”

Nica stretched her forepaws and whimpered, wishing she could stroke the injured princesses. She resisted tears from forming in her eyes.

Luna frowned and narrowed her eyes. “Quibble’s suggestion to keep Thorax and Pharynx in the city with an ambush is backfiring. Now we can’t even damage Darkrai, more or less ground him.”

Starlight grinned. “Have you forgotten about my trump card? We’ll defeat fire with fire.” She looked up at Darkrai who was now ignoring them. “Or in this case, we’ll defeat a pokemon enhanced by magic with our pokemon enhanced by magic.” She looked at the confused princess and added, “Just follow my lead. I’ll direct mine and your magic to enhance our Raichu.”

Nica blinked in confusion before gasping.

“I don’t know why you’re so worried, but just trust me on this, alright?” Starlight levitated her onto Luna’s back before lowering her head.

Nica nodded hesitantly as Starlight’s horn was now a few millimeters above her forehead, surrounded by a magical aura. Her mind provided her with the memory of Starlight doing something similar a long time ago, back when she tried to break seal that blocked her memories while causing her unimaginable pain and mental trauma. She gulped as her breathing increased in speed. A lot has changed and Starlight was now her best friend, and she wasn’t going to let past fears get in the way.

She clenched her forepaws and refused to close her eyes as she watched the aura of magic leave the ponies before her while surrounding her body. Her eyes became wide. Such an odd experience… I feel… warmth… power.... as if my body was charged by lightning. No… overwhelming amounts of electricity bring struggle and pain and is difficult to control. This magic feels way more stable and pleasant. Her body started glowing in a mix between white-blue and midnight aura.

Nica glanced at her forepaws and next examined her rear legs, feeling as if her little limbs could lift a far greater weight than before. Instead of trembling under four hundred kilograms of weight, they felt capable of lifting a few tons. She looked behind at her tail which now radiated with power as if ready to slice a castle in half. Not a moment passed as she felt bolts of electricity escape her entire body, slightly hurting the princess she stood on as Luna’s face showed pain.

I never felt like this before… all this power is just begging me to be unleashed. Nica looked at Darkrai in the sky and narrowed her eyes. If there was something she took to heart from her trainer’s teachings, it was that the more powerful one was, the more they needed to accomplish to be worthy of said power. If she failed to stop Darkrai now with all this power entrusted to her, it would mean she was nothing but a failure.

Upon noticing that the aura around Starlight vanished from fatigue, she caught the unicorn with her tail and placed her on the princess’ back.

“Thanks,” Starlight said as she wiped sweat from her forehead, struggling to keep her tired eyes open. “I saw your training with Twilight and memorized the attacks you used. Do you want to strike with a ‘Thunderbolt?’”

Nica shook her head. To ground her opponent she needed something stronger.

“That attack where you run while surrounded by electricity, ‘Volt Tackle’ was it. Would this work?”

Nica nodded energetically.

Starlight gave Luna a sassy smile, who rolled her eyes and asked, “Let me guess, we need to make a path for our small but powerful ally?”

“Bingo.”

Luna sighed. “Sure, like being covered in burns, barely having any magic left, keeping my sister and Twilight Sparkle in my levitation while having two passengers on my back wasn’t hard enough already.”

“Point taken,” Starlight said as she grit her teeth, shooting a few beams at the nearby mountain before levitating half a hundred small stones, keeping them one to two meters distance from one another.

Nica looked at the stairway made of floating stones leading up to Darkrai as her ears perked up. A large smile appeared on her face. I get it. It’s not exactly something to run on, but I can build up ‘Volt Tackle’ with short leaps. It should work. She glanced at Starlight, nodded, and then bent her legs, leaping from Luna’s back onto the closest levitated stone.

One, two, three, she leaped from one stone to another at increasing speed while repeating ‘Raichu’ at a quick pace. A large aura of electricity surrounded her, only to grow in size as the yellow bolts mixed themselves with a midnight blue aura of magic. With four short leaps each second, she reduced the distance from her opponent.

Haven’t you learned that your attacks are futile? Darkrai’s voice echoed in Nica’s mind as she could see the ball of dark energy being summoned in his hands.

This was it, she needed to strike with everything she had. With a final jump, she launched herself towards her opponent like a rocket. Putting more stress upon herself, she raised one paw, summoning ‘Light Screen’ a second before ‘Dark Pulse’ spread in her direction. With the shield weakening special attacks and the protective barrier created by her ‘Volt Tackle,’ she pierced through the dark wave. With a final swing of her metallic tail, she struck against Darkrai’s protective aura, combining the two attacks.

Nica grit her teeth, feeling as if her muscles burned at this very moment. While ‘Iron Tail’ protected her from recoil damage while increasing her piercing power, using three enhanced attacks in a row so quickly put a lot of strain on her body.

A massive explosion followed, three times bigger than before as Darkrai now slowly falling to the ground with Nica's paws wrapped around his neck.

One of the important lessons she learned during her fights against a strong opponent was to not waste a single opportunity. With a swift spin of her body, she swung her tail down against Darkrai’s chest, creating a shockwave while pushing him towards the city. She followed up with a quick ‘Thunderbolt,’ ignoring the growing pain in her muscles and cheeks. She didn’t dare to take her eyes from her opponent even for a moment as Darkrai crashed into the street with great force, tearing apart half of the nearby buildings from the impact alone.

The burning sensation she felt in her muscles turned into intense pain, only to become an agony as Nica forced more enhanced power into her tail. She grit her teeth and closed her eyes as her ears drooped. Her forepaws trembled. Her battle-hardened body barely handled continuous use of powerful magically enhanced attacks without a longer break in between. With her tail once again covered by metal while surrounded by a magical aura, she used the momentum of her fall to strengthen her impact. Waiting till the last second, she struck Darkrai, causing numerous cracks to spread across the street, stones to emerge and a short-lasting quake to follow.

Nica’s closed eyes were producing tears of pain and a loud scream escaped her mouth as she rolled in mid-air, only for her paws to press against the roof of a restaurant. Drops of sweat fell down her head, her legs trembled and breathing became heavy as she slowly opened her eyes. She wiped sweat and tears from her face and sighed in relief. I may have a lot of endurance and stamina, but even with that my body is barely able to handle such power. I need to be careful with my combos for my own sake.

Darkrai destroyed the rubble weighting on him with dark magic before pushing himself from the deep crater which was four times the size of his body. The aura of dark magic surrounded him once more, though this time being so much thinner than before. He scanned his surroundings in search for Nica as his guard was up. How did she manage to summon such power? Did she take the ponies’ magic as well… no… maybe they shared their magic with her willingly. His thoughts were interrupted as one… no… two Raichu charged at him from different directions while attacking with bolts of electricity.

In an act of reflex, Darkrai floated backward, seeing two ‘Thunderbolts’ colliding with each other. The third ‘Thunderbolt’ however didn’t miss, penetrating his magical aura while adding more and more burns. He glanced at the attacker, a Raichu who stood on top of a restaurant with crossed forepaws. Confused, he failed to react to the other two Raichu who struck his chest with double ‘Volt Tackles.’ His hands started to tremble while the aura of magic around him shrank in size, now barely visible.

In desperation, he hit the ground with his fist, summoning dark crystals which struck both Raichu at the same time. His damaged foes bursted into green flames, revealing their true forms. Thorax, Pharynx, why are they here? Wait… they were responsible for the defeat of Chrysalis... He levitated to the side in time to avoid more bolts of electricity, only to be struck by them anyway. Nica is predicting my movements and has enough power to penetrate my defenses. I need… I need more magic! He spread his hands in desperation and focused, summoning magic from all remaining portals as they shrank and vanished in mere seconds. Waiting two to three minutes for the portals to stabilize was a luxury he didn’t have.

With his aura of magic once again wide and powerful, he summoned a rain of dark crystals at both changelings. As he expected, their green barriers cracked under continuous impacts. Nica quickly jumped to their rescue, slashing the dark projectiles with her tail at a quick pace. Seven crystals destroyed per second out of ten. Her skills are far greater than what I remember when she rescued me. No matter. Her ‘Light Screen’ is worthless against physical attacks, and her tail can’t last forever.

“Leave them alone this instant!”

Darkrai glanced over his shoulder, noticing creatures he recognized. Rarity, Applejack, Fluttershy, even the griffon with powerful magic, Gabby. Using one of his hands, he attempted to activate the curse he placed on them, only to fail. My curses… were they removed… but how did those ponies discover the spell that can dispel it… unless. His eye became wide, now it all made sense. The reason why he gained far less magic than he should, why the Element Bearers he cursed were now free of his influence. Nica figured out what I was doing and warned them somehow. No… this can’t be happening!

Darkrai felt rage growing in him. Losing Chrysalis, his curse being dispelled, the presence of changelings. His enemies prepared for his arrival far better than he’d expected. Had his arrogance and confidence in his power become his undoing? He didn’t need to wait long for this question to be answered as Gabby grabbed one of his arms from behind, holding it in a vice grip. A lasso wrapped itself around his other arm. His struggle failed as both griffon and the farm pony showed incredible amounts of strength.

Using his immobilized arms, he summoned dark flames onto his body, burning Applejack’s rope and the griffon. He heard Gabby’s scream of pain, yet she refused to let him go. He summoned a black orb of magic and aimed at the griffon’s face, only for the noise of cannon fire to reach him and for creamy cake to block his vision.

“Don’t you dare hurt Gabby or any of my friends, you meany!” Pinkie shouted as she kept firing one cake after another, keeping him blind. “This is for using my magic to hurt my friends. Do you have any idea how terrible I felt knowing that what made me special was used to hurt others? I felt horrible!”

The moment Darkrai wiped the cream from his face, his field of vision was covered by some sort of material. The moment he burned it away with his magic, another one covered his vision.

“Take that you ruffian,” Rarity said with anger in her voice. “I heard what you tried to do to Rainbow Dash, and as her friend, I am very upset. Prepare for a well-deserved reckoning!”

Darkrai felt his free hand be immobilized again as he heard whimpers of pain coming from Applejack.

“I may not be the best leader material, but I am trying my best,” Thorax said as he aimed his horn and shot a beam of green magic. “Nica once told me that the more power we have, the more we should accomplish to be worth of it. Hurt me all you want, but I’ll use my power to stop your plan!”

Pharynx gave his brother a proud glance before aiding him with a large ball of green fire.

Gabby released Darkrai's hand and pulled Applejack away before the changeling's magic could hit them as well.

Darkrai yelled in pain while the aura of magic started shrinking once more. The moment the material covering his face burned away, he saw Nica leaping from one roof to another, only to jump from the roof of the restaurant in his direction, an aura of magic and electricity surrounding her. Both ‘Volt Tackle’ and ‘Iron Tail’ struck him at the same time, pushing him into the ground with massive force. The moment he opened his closed eyes, he found himself in the caverns under Canterlot while his body and muscles ached in agony. The aura of magic he gathered from thousands of ponies was gone.

In an act of desperation, he struggled against the pain and levitated towards the shadows, vanishing in the darkness. A dark crystal… I need to get to a dark crystal. It didn’t surprise him when he heard the noise of paws making contact with the rocky ground. Nica was after him and somehow sensed his presence.

Using his knowledge of the mine as he traveled through those tunnels numerous times in the past, he made his way to the dark crystal he hid in the mine long time ago, which was now pulsating with dark magic. Now the question was, did he manage to turn worthless crystals into magical devices that would let him travel long distances, or did his experiment end in failure like many times before. In a leap of faith, he pushed himself towards the crystal, grabbing it, only for his being to be sucked in. His body reformed in front of the crystal he hid inside the old ruined castle in the Everfree Forest.

With pain still present in his body, he hit the floor, now lying motionlessly against the cold stone. Nica… I tried to spare you… I tried to keep you in blissful ignorance… I even offered you means to return back home or to cooperate with me… yet you threw it away and ruined my plan… but it’s not over yet. With great struggle, he pushed himself towards the wall, supporting his tired body against it. The ponies should recover their magic in two to three days, and there’s no way they can remove the curse fast enough as it took me months to spread it. I’ll just need to try again in a different location, build my army away from the princesses and changelings.

He clenched his trembling fist, cracking the wall with a solid punch. Until then, I suppose I’ll focus my powers and resources into breaking you, Nica. When I’m done with you, you’ll beg me to return you to your own world or to join my side. He closed his eyes, now waiting for his body to recover.

Nica poked the fragments of dark crystal with the bronze tip of her forepaw. The moment Darkrai touched a large dark crystal, he vanished while said crystal shattered into tiny pieces. Twilight and Starlight are very smart, I’m sure they’ll know what happened here. She took a few steps backward and lost her balance, now lying flat on her back. The aura of magic which surround her body shrank in size.

With her eyes now staring at her own reflection present in the crystals on the ceiling, she allowed her tired body to relax. Controlling so much magic for the first time, more or less doing so while using a few attacks at the same time sure is exhausting. I’m lucky the battle ended so quickly, or else my stamina wouldn’t last. Her limbs lay motionlessly on the stone as she allowed her aching muscles some time to relax. I need to ask Starlight to boost my powers more often so I can get used to it. This time I was lucky my friends were supporting me, but I fear that next time, the number advantage may not be on my side.

Author's Note

PLukol draw art of Nica fighting Darkray. Enjoy.

Here's link to this art on deviant.art.

Chapter 35 - Parental Hunt part 1

Little Lost Raichu

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Chapter 35
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Parental Hunt part 1

Fear and guilt were two emotions which Nica felt in an overwhelming amount as she ran towards Sugarcube Corner. Drops of sweat slid down her face as the griffon wrapped by her tail increased her weight five times over or more. Not that she dared to slow down. Gabby put herself in danger by protecting others. Leaving her so injured to Darkrai’s mercy was out of the question.

The overwhelming fear she felt wasn’t about the danger she was facing, but rather what was about to happen to the parents and caretakers of the ponies she had befriended. The pupils in Nica’s eyes shrank from realisation. What if the pokemon summoned by Darkrai targeted the young Cakes? Two tiny adorable, vulnerable, defenseless, precious little ponies would end up hurt or worse.

She grit her teeth and closed her eyes as her paws started moving at a much faster pace. Her face became red from the effort as her breathing couldn’t keep up with her struggle. Her ears perked up upon hearing the noise of an explosion while smoke became visible behind the line of homes.

With a sharp turn, she jumped onto the roof of a two-floor high house, placing the griffon and her bag on it. She leaped down, landing in front of Sugarcube Corner while scanning the area. The entrance was replaced with a hole, and two similar holes were present on the walls. For some such scenery would look as if someone ate a hole in the wall due to its sweet appearance, but numerous cracks indicated that this wasn’t the case.

Out of reflex, she lowered her head as a destructive beam shot from Sugarcube Corner, flying over her head while striking the building behind her in a big explosion. A cloud of dust spread as Nica coughed a few times before leaping away. She looked up and wiped sweat from her forehead. The roof was still stable and her friends weren’t caught in the explosion.

Nica looked towards the source of voice, seeing a pokemon of similar size emerging from the rubble of the damaged house. The moment the dust was no longer in the way, she examined its features.

Height? A bit bigger than her. Build? Much thinner.

Fur color? Dark-violet with two white claws on each leg and two fingers on each hand. One of its ears was red while something looking like three large red feathers performed the role of its tail. Something that looked like a long but thin golden coin decorated this pokemon’s chest and forehead.

Nica said to herself as her memory provided her with an image of such a pokemon. If I remember correctly, it is a dark and ice type. Very quick and strong but has fragile defenses. Her ears perked up and she turned towards Sugarcube Corner, noticing two more pokemon jump outside. Another Sneasel and… Weavile?

She took a step back. Weavile was another step of Sneasel’s evolution. Similar typing and attacks, but slightly taller and equipped with three claws on each hand. Weavile is incredibly fast and strong, a perfect assassin… this is bad. She took a fighting stance, raising her tail threateningly while charging it with power.

Weavile pointed his claw at the emerging creature.

Two large bear-like creatures stepped outside, one of them covered in bruises and cuts while the other was was breathing heavily and held his paw on his chest.

Two Ursaring? What’s going on?

“Nica, is that you?” Pinkie asked as she peeked through the hole in the wall while two cryings little ponies were in her embrace. “Those creatures were making a big mess and captured us, only to start fighting each other. I don’t know what’s going on, but try to distract them while I get the young Cakes out of here!”

Nica nodded before looking between the agressors. If the dark/ice type pokemon called the Ursaring a traitor, it meant that both normal types were on her side.

Ursaring shouted and roared in rage.

Weavile said before pointing at the Raichu. He stomped.

The other Ursaring stomped.

Weavile said before jumping while a dark aura surrounded its claws.

Calculating the speed of her opponent, Nica ran and jumped on an intercepting course, swinging her long tail. The noise of a clash between metal and claws echoed as ‘Iron Tail’ made contact with ‘Night Slash,' both pokemon ended up pushed in opposite directions from the recoil.

Weavile pointed at Nica and shouted,

Both Sneasels nodded before jumping at Raichu while swinging their claws.

Nica took a fighting stance on her two feet with her tail raised and ready. With steel types being resistant to normal attacks, her ‘Iron Tail’ was more than enough to defend against the ‘Slash’ attack, but she could do better than that. Waiting for the right moment, she leaped lightly to the side, evading the first strike. With a swing of her tail, she pushed the clawed hand of her other opponent and struck his belly, like a fencer pushing aside an enemy sword before going for a direct hit.

With one opponent pushed away, Nica jumped onto the other Sneasel’s back, wrapping her rear legs around his belly and forepaws around his neck. She wrapped her tail around both hands, preventing Sneasel from slashing her limbs in an attempt to escape. With her foe unable to move, Nica shouted, unleashing ‘Thunderbolt’ against him.

shouted the other Sneasel as he used ‘Ice Shard’ from a distance.

Nica withdrew her tail from her opponent’s hands, now using it to shield her own back as the ice attack broke into pieces from the impact.

Sneasel groaned before charging at Raichu, his hand raised and ready to attack with ‘Slash.’

Nica stepped from her opponent, who was now covered in burns, and used him as a shield as the ‘Slash’ attack struck him instead. Sensing panic in her other opponent, she used her metalic tail for an all out offensive, pushing aside his claws before hitting his legs and belly with repetitive strikes. Ice types have plenty of weaknesses, steel attacks included. It’s over. She looked at both unconscious pokemon in anger. As much as she despised using a dirty tactic, those pokemon were willing to torture defenseless little ponies, they got what they deserved. Much to her surprise, some sort of rune appeared under both pokemon as they vanished in an instant.

Ursaring spoke up, catching Nica’s attention.

Weavile shouted in rage and stomped.

Ursaring said before opening his mouth as an orb filled with power started to grow. The other one followed his example.

Nica glanced at the large pokemon. I recognize this attack. They’re trying to use ‘Hyper Beam’! She looked at Weavile who was now running in their direction. ’Hyper Beam’ is extremely powerful, but pokemon using it need to recharge afterwards, giving their opponent an opening, and Weavile is way too agile to be hit… She grinned and started running towards her opponent.

He raised his hand as a dark aura surrounded it.

Nica leaped forward and landed on her left rear foot, standing on the tip of her leg. Her forepaws spread in invitation. As she had hoped for, Weavile was more than willing to attack her belly. With a weak push of her rear leg, she evaded ‘Night Slash’ while the claw struck the ground instead. With her opponent’s claw stuck in the ground, she wrapped her tail around his arm.

Weavile’s arrogant expression now shifted into pure panic as he struggled against the tail, trying and failing to free his hand.

Nica held her ground, her limbs trembled as she struggled against her opponent’s strength.

Weavile’s eyes became wide before two powerful beams overtook him, only for his bruised body to return back into his world.

Nica massaged her tail, which received a few bruises as it got caught up in the explosion. She looked at the approaching Ursaring and said, She bowed, humiliating herself in front of the larger pokemon as her flat posture was now in their shadow.

Nica stood up and gave the friendly pokemon a warm smile. Her good mood didn’t last long though as her fears returned with full force.

Both Ursaring looked at each other before nodding. he poked his own chest, <...you can count on us.>

“Is it safe, can we come out?” Pinkie asked before stepping from behind a nearby home as the heads of young ponies peeked from her puffy tail. She glanced at the holes in the walls and commented, “The Cakes aren’t going to be happy about that.”

Nica ran over and looked up at her with a panicked stare while shaking her forepaws at a rapid pace. She paused and touched her neck. She turned around and jumped onto the roof, picking out a pen and notepad from her bag while checking on her little friends. She picked up a bag onto her shoulder, wrapped Gabby with her tail and jumped down. Her feet hit the ground with a loud thump as they supported the additional weight. She ran forwards gasping Pinkie Pie as she placed Gabby and bag in front of her.

“G-G-Gabby! What happened to you?!” She started trotting in place while her mane lost some of its usual brightness. “What to do, what to do?”

Nica bit her tongue as she kept writing in her notepad as quickly as she could, considerably lowering her writing quality. She pushed her excuse of writing into Pinkie’s hooves before running towards Sweet Apple Acres, only to start jumping from roof to roof in an attempt to save time, leaping faster than ponies ever could. Applejack’s family is very strong, but their farm is far and I have no clue where Rarity’s parents are living. I have no choice but to trust Pinkie Pie and both Ursaring to do their part.

The party mare tilted her head to the side as she tried to make something from her friend’s writing. “Take care of my little friends… and take Gabby… to… hospital, will do,” she said with a nod. After a moment of reading, her eyes became wide as plates. With drooped ears, she looked up at the large pokemon and then towards the lines of homes. In a cloud of dust, she vanished, only to reappear with Rarity by her side as she slapped the notepad into her face. “Read!”

Rarity removed the slippers present on her hooves and said, “Pinkie, you just pulled me out of my bed, only to…”

“I said read!”

“Alright, alright,” Rarity said as she started reading the notepad, only for her to unleash a warcry which caused the Ursaring to tremble. With a firm stomp she flattened the notepad, and next shot the large bear-like creatures an angered glare. “You two, with me. I will lead the way and I expect you to keep up, even if you need to destroy everything in your path! Am I clear?”

Both Ursaring nodded hesitantly.

Rarity pressed her muzzle against Pinkie’s nose. “Take Gabby to the hospital and make sure she’s safe.” She levitated over the bag with the spider and rat inside. “Keep her pets safe as well.” She stood on her rear hooves and smashed her forehooves together. “Celestia help me when I am done with whoever dares to threaten the well being of my mother, father, and my precious little sister. Oh, it will certainly not be a pretty picture.”

Nica zipped between numerous trees, making her way to the barn with the help of her little paws. Now with nothing to weigh her down, she took full advantage of her high stamina, her breathing stable despite non-stop running and jumping for the past several minutes.

Her marathon was interrupted by a strong quake… and then another… and another.

Curious, she leaped lightly onto a nearby tree, remembering to restrain the strength of her jumps in order not to launch herself into the air like a rocket. The moment her head emerged from between the leaves, she gasped and her forepaws started to tremble. Her heartbeat skyrocketed. A gigantic four-headed beast was making its way towards the barn while crushing numerous apple trees with each step.

Without hesitation, she jumped forward as far as she could, resuming her run the moment her feet touched the grass. Once the barn came into her vision, she jumped, bypassing the fence as she was flying several meters above the ground. As she scanned her surroundings, familiar figures caught her attention.

With a swing of her not-yet-metallic tail against the wall of the barn, she used the momentum of the recoil to land before the Apples.

“Watch out, another one!” shouted an elderly pony as she swung her pitchfork threateningly.

Nica took a step back in time before the edge of the pitchfork managed to strike against the bronze patch of her rear foot. She smiled sheepishly at the elderly mare whose extremely thin limbs caused an uneasy feeling in her chest.

“Calm down, Granny, she’s a friend,” Applejack said as her brother nodded alongside his signature “Eeyup.”

Nica gasped upon seeing numerous bruises and cuts on Applejack and Big Mac, as well as two unconscious beasts behind them. One having a massive scorpion tail and face of a lion while most of its neck was covered by a rich mane. This is… the Manticore… Is this the one who tried to eat me when I first arrived in this world? She held her forepaws together and shivered at the unpleasant memory. Being pushed into the ground, smashed against a tree and slashed on her belly was certainly an unwelcoming experience. The other beast had the heads of a tiger and a goat, while the snake served the role of its tail. I remember Pharynx shapeshifting into one of those when I tried to earn his respect in a battle. Poor ponies, forced to deal with such predators without the help of electricity.

Another quake interrupted her train of thought as it reminded her of the approaching doom.

“Ya have any clue what’s goin’ on?” Applejack asked before pointing at the unconscious beasts. “Ah was about to start mah mornin’ chores when those monsters just appeared at the farm and tried to hunt us while some sort of dark-green smoke was escapin’ from their eyes.” She pointed at the four-headed giant. “And thin’s just got worse and worse. We better pick up Apple Bloom and–”

“Applejack, Big Mac, help!”

Everyone ran towards the source of voice, only for a large group of wolf-like creatures made of wood to jump from the underground apple-storage, startling everyone except Big Macintosh. Fragments of wood of the door scattered next to the barn.

“Heeelp!”

Nica narrowed her eyes, noticing Apple Bloom being held in one of those monster’s mouths. With a growing sense of urgency, she ran to save the young earth pony, only for other creatures to get in her way. Without time to fully charge her tail, she jumped over the predators, only to be tackled by one of them in mid-air and pressed against the wooden wall of the barn. Her paws ended up struggling against the mouth of her opponent who tried to sink its teeth into her flesh, while a green substance was dripping onto the grass. The smell picked up by Nica’s tiny rounded nose was anything but pleasant.

“Out of the way you rotten Timberwolves!” Applejack shouted as she tackled the Timberwolf away from Nica, only to strike it with both of her rear hooves as its entire body shattered into wooden pieces.

A loud thud followed as four other wooden beasts ended up crushed by Big Mac’s body slam.

Nica gazed at the scene with her mouth agape. Did those ponies just kill? No… the wooden fragments merged together, creating little wooden puppies that whimpered and ran away.

“Don’t just stand there, we need to save Apple Bloom!” Applejack shouted with anger clear in her voice before chasing the remaining Timberwolves.

Nica didn’t need to be asked twice as she followed Applejack and got ahead of her after a few seconds. Her tail now charged while bolts of electricity escaped her cheeks. Much to their shock, the distance between the escaping wooden monster and the towering four-headed beast was shrinking as one large head started lowering to the ground.

Nica summoned a ‘Thunderbolt,’ which shattered the wolf-like creature into tiny pieces of wood while leaving a few burns on Apple Bloom’s fur. The young pony yelped and rolled on the ground.

Nica grit her teeth and narrowed her eyes, feeling as if her heart was trying to escape her throat. The massive head before her opened its mouth, ready to gulp the young earth pony. Without hesitation, she jumped… right into the beast’s maw.

As the large head grabbed Apple Bloom alongside a considerable amount of dirt, Nica wrapped the young pony with her tail and pushed her outside, just in time before the large jaw closed shut. Now surrounded by darkness, Nica felt the large tongue push her to the side, only for massive teeth to press against her body. She closed her eyes as a loud scream of agony escaped her mouth. A set of teeth, each one the size of a pony, was striking against her body.

Applejack picked Apple Bloom up from the grass, throwing her onto her back before increasing the distance between them and the massive monster, her face showing mental pain and regret, her teeth grit and ears dropped.

“Nica! She’s in danger!” Apple Bloom shouted as she pushed herself from her sister’s back, only to be wrapped by her hooves.

“Calm down!”

“How can Ah calm down? She’s bein’ chewed because she tried to save me! It’s mah fault! We have to help her!” Apple Bloom screamed as she pressed her forehooves against Applejack’s hold.

“Do ya want her sacrifice to be for nothin’? She saved ya so ya can live!” Applejack shouted as the pony in her hold stopped wriggling and started crying instead. She looked up at the head with a sad smile, seeing movements indicating the chewing of her brave friend. As much as she wanted to help, what could she do? She had strength, sure, but any attempt to climb up the beast and open its mouth would result in the other mouths targeting her. There was no telling if her kick against the head would be enough, and trying to hit one of its gigantic legs would only tickle at best.

Her eyes became wide upon noticing bolts of electricity surrounding the large head in a bright spectacle. “Wait here Apple Bloom. Ah’ll try somethin’.” She ran towards the giant, reaching its back with a few quick jumps. Using all strength of her rear hooves, she struck the neck of the monster as her hooves left hoofprints against the thick flesh. She repeated her action again and again...

Nica had to admit, while it wasn’t the first time she was struck with attacks like ‘Bite’ or “Crunch,’ something she experienced while being still a tiny Pichu, none could rival being chewed by teeth of such size and force. Luckily, her ‘Static’ ability activated as paralyzing electricity gave her an opening to strike back. Using ‘Iron Tail’ against the large teeth and next unleashing two ‘Thunderbolts’ from inside certainly did some damage. Most of her body ached but she ignored her pain.

Suddenly, the head she was stuck in moved as gravity started to pull her towards the throat. She anchored herself against the tongue with her legs, feeling the slimy saliva making her fur even more wet and clingy than before. The head moved again as she started falling in the opposite direction as rays of light came inside through a small opening. With a swing of her tail against the upper part of the mouth, she forced it open, now falling towards the ground.

Stretching her rear leg down, she landed softly on the grass, only to grit her teeth and close one of her eyes upon feeling a strong surge of pain. A quick glance at her leg showed a cut left by the monster’s teeth.

“Ya okay down there?” Applejack shouted from the higher ground.

Nica looked up and forced a smile. She endured more during her past fights, not to mention that her regular training always put her in much worse conditions. With one exception though; having her rear leg trapped between two sharp teeth and squeezed with so much force was certainly the worst. Good thing my feet weren’t as tiny and thin as they were when I was a Pikachu, or else my poor leg would no doubt break under such pressure.

She shook herself. While she was used to pain, being covered by saliva was certainly a new experience, and she wasn’t looking forward to being eaten again anytime soon.

Her peace of mind was interrupted as a loud roar echoed through the farmland, and a massive stomp made her lose her balance and fall onto her back. While one of the heads was now lying flat on the ground and covered by burns, the other three still stared at her with green eyes.

“Apple Bloom, take Granny Smith somewhere safe and hide. Ah don’t think our barn is safe anymore!” Applejack shouted.

“Will do… watch out!”

Seeing three heads speeding towards the farm mare, Nica ran with all her speed, building up a ‘Volt Tackle’ as the aura of electricity around her grew in size. Her rear leg sent jolts of pain with each step.

The first head missed the mare as she jumped to the ground. The second one collided with Applejack’s rear hooves as they hit each other, the head ended up pushed back while the farm mare rolled on the ground from the recoil, stars circling over her head, her Stetson hat no longer present on her head.

With a quick jump, Nica launched herself against the side of the third head, preventing it from gulping the pony while leaving a large burn on its cheek. She landed on the ground on her three legs, keeping the injured one raised. She grit her teeth, gathering electricity before unleashing it with a loud shout of her name, attacking the same head she hit before with a ‘Thunderbolt.’

As two heads now lay motionlessly on the ground, the two remaining heads rushed at Nica, both jaws open while displaying their large teeth.

Nica smirked, waiting for the right moment before jumping over the speeding heads as they hit the dirt instead. She spun in mid-air and swung her tail, striking one of the heads with ‘Iron Tail.’ Using the recoil of her attack, she pushed herself towards the other head, now standing on one foot on its massive muzzle. Both eyes looked at her with crossed sight, one eye being twice as big as her entire body. She glanced for a moment at the green eye, considering to strike it with her tail, but decided against it. The risk of permanent injury to this creature was just too great.

The head she stood on started to move, trying to shake her off. Unable to maintain her balance on just one leg, she leaped backward, landing on the top of the beast’s head while wrapping her tail around its ear. Despite using only three legs for support, her tail kept her stable. She followed up with ‘Thunderbolt’ going from her tail towards the monster’s head.

The other head opened its jaw and launched in her direction.

With a grin, Nica released the monster’s ear and waited until the teeth were about to close on her. With a backflip, she evaded the attack as the large teeth sank into the other head. Taking this opportunity, she leaped forward, spinning in mid-air before delivering ‘Iron Tail’ directly against the forehead, which in turn only pushed the teeth deeper into the other’s head flesh. She wrapped her tail around the monster’s ear and unleashed electricity, one ‘Thunderbolt’ after another as both heads started falling towards the ground.

The rest of the body followed suit as it lost its balance, and the giant monster fell to the side while cracking the earth underneath it.

“Ya… ya… ya defeated a Hydra!” Applejack stated as her mouth was agape, Apple Bloom sitting by her side. “Ah can’t believe mah eyes.” She picked up her hat from the ground and reasserted it on her head.

Nica took a few deep calming breaths and wiped the sweat from her forehead. She leaped onto the ground, landing on one foot as she didn’t dare to lower her injured leg. Now limping, she approached Applejack on her three legs. Without adrenaline to keep her going and a sense of urgency to distract her, she felt most of her body ache in pain. Each second she was being chewed caused damage, and fighting against the Hydra only made it worse.

“Ya don’t look so good. Ah’ll get the bandages and…” Applejack paused, narrowing her eyes and pointing ahead. “You!”

Nica turned around and narrowed her eyes, now staring at Darkrai once more. In one hand he held an unconscious Spike, his scales covered in cracks. In another hand he held a still conscious dog, who whimpered in pain and looked with tired eyes, bruises and burns present on its body.

Who will you choose? Will you save Applejack’s loyal pet, or will you save Twilight’s loyal pet? Try all you like, one of them will die, Darkrai’s voice echoed in Nica’s mind. Of course, I’m willing to let them both go and recall my allies and servants from hurting ponies if you’ll join me or return back to your world.

“Spike, Winona? What did you do with them?” Apple Bloom asked as tears fell down her eyes.

Nica sensed a large surge of anger and fear coming from Applejack, as well as a massive aura of depression coming from Apple Bloom. While she didn’t get the opportunity to interact with the dog called Winona yet, she could tell that she was someone important to the Apple family, and seeing those sad puppy eyes, white patches on her thin paws, white bruised belly and burns on her bronze fur hurt Nica’s heart. The fact that all that pain was caused because she resisted Darkrai’s conquest only made it worse.

“If ya hurt them anymore… Ah’ll… Ah’ll make ya pay, ya hear?!” Applejack shouted while holding Apple Bloom with her foreleg.

Nica lowered her wounded leg to the ground and charged power into her tail as bolts of electricity escaped from the dots on her cheeks. She closed one eye as started running at full speed. She jumped, hitting Darkrai hand which was holding Spike, and next pushed the young drake with her tail towards Applejack who managed to catch him.

You made your choice, now time to face the consequences, Darkrai said in Nica’s mind as an orb of darkness formed in his now free hand.

Nica’s attempt to repeat her trick with Darkrai’s other hand failed as he levitated away from her. With another jump, she grabbed her opponent’s hand before covering Winona with her own body. A massive surge of pain exploded on her back, causing a few tears to form in her eyes. With a swing of her ‘Iron Tail’ against the black hand, she freed Winona from his grab.

The dog understood her gesture and ran towards Applejack.

Nica followed Winona while glancing behind, seeing Darkrai charging another attack. With a quick leap, she turned in mid-air and summoned a ‘Light Screen.’ The moment ‘Dark Pulse’ spread through the air as if it was a wall of black fire, Nica pushed herself backward with her non-injured leg, landing in front of both Apples and their dog. She unleashed her electricity, which failed to stop the attack as it was about to hit them. Without hesitation, she jumped towards the wall of black flames while hitting it with ‘Iron Tail.’ Her metallic edge quickly gave up to the black flames while ‘Light Screen’ weakened the impact which burned her.

Struggling, she stood up on her trembling legs while her body was now covered in burns, her tail included. She looked behind at the Apples who were spared the experience. Winona ran over and scowled sadly before licking her burns.

Nica said as she gently stroked the dog’s head with her trembling paw, her injured leg still raised above the ground.

Why are those creatures so important to you? Can’t you see they’re using you? As long as your talents are useful, they take care of you, but in the end they view you as a pet.

Nica frowned, now standing on her three burned legs while glaring at her enemy.

You would have easily defeated the Hydra and hold your ground against me if those creatures didn’t hold you back. You’re covered in wounds and burns only because you shielded them with your own body.

Nica stomped. One of her eyes closed as she tried to ignore the pain in her body.

“Ah’ve had enough. Apple Bloom, take Winona and Spike with ya and get Granny to safety. Ah got some bone-breakin’ to do,” Applejack said as she approached the Raichu and bent her legs, rubbing one of her forelegs against the ground threateningly. “Darkrai, ya crossed the line. Ah won’t hold back on the beatin’ Ah’ll deliver to ya!”

Darkrai narrowed his eyes as Nica could sense an aura filled with disappointment and annoyance. If you joined me, pokemon would rule Equestria, use magic to become stronger and form a nation of our own. As long as you would pacify any attempt of rebellion, no one would need to get hurt or killed. Darkrai’s voice grew in volume and anger. If you allowed me to return you back to your world, you would reunite with your trainer and real friends. All this suffering happens because you’re getting in my way.

Nica started sobbing as her voice became hoarse. She glanced at Applejack.

Darkrai mentally chuckled. I see. I wonder, would the ponies still want you around if they knew that their families are in danger because of you? He turned around while holding his hands behind his back. You must feel very tired, but don’t think you can just put your tired body on a soft pillow. Twilight’s parents in Canterlot may not live another day if you do. He started levitating towards the Everfree Forest, not bothering to look behind.

If you somehow manage to save the parents of the princess, you should ask her to bring you to Cloudsdale, a large city made of clouds which floats in the sky. The lives of Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash’s families will rest in your paws. Let’s see how long can you push yourself before you’ll understand that joining me or returning back to your trainer are the best options.

“Hey, get back here!” Applejack shouted as she ran after Darkrai, only for dark crystals to emerge from the ground and block her path. With a solid kick, she shattered one of the crystals into pieces, but Darkrai was nowhere to be seen.

Nica wiped tears from her eyes before looking at the city on the horizon. There was no time for breaks. She started running, but Applejack blocked her path with a simple jump.

“Now hold on there partner. Yer not goin’ anywhere till ya rest in mah barn and pay a visit to Dr. Fauna,” Applejack said as she looked back with gratitude in her eyes, her smile cheerful. “Ah… Ah can’t thank ya enough. Thanks to ya, Apple Bloom and Winona are safe. Ah’ll never repay ya for what ya did, but…”

Nica walked around Applejack. The aura of gratefulness she sensed, all Applejack’s compassion, she didn’t deserve any of that. There was no time for rest either.

“Hey, stop, Ah said ya need to rest!” Applejack shouted as she tried to grab her.

Nica leaped forward before unleashing bolts of electricity, which hit the ground in front of the farm mare. She shot Applejack a glare and next resumed her run towards Canterlot, limping. She endured worse, fought while way more hurt and trained despite exhaustion, she had enough stamina to run there and climb up the mountain.

Now that I think about it, I can’t run at full speed with an injured leg, and if I’m to defend anypony, I need more strength. Darkrai is obviously trying to tire me out. She turned slightly and ran towards the train station, only to follow the train which left the station. Despite her injury, she caught up with the passenger wagon and climbed to the top, plopping down her tired, bruised and burned body while breathing quickly. Her aching muscles finally earning some rest.

Could she trust Darkrai’s words? Was it safe to leave the families of her friends behind? Was she going to reach Canterlot in time by train rather than running there directly? Was Rarity’s family safe? Were Gabby and Spike going to recover? Many questions formed in her tired mind as a surge of depression overcame her. Not only did she remember that her father was no longer alive, now the lives of the families of national heroines and her friends were in danger, all because of her. The moment I get an opportunity, I need to ask Twilight what to do. It is her and her friend’s families that are in danger, and it is their kingdom that Darkrai is trying to conquer. They should be the one to decide if I should return back to my world and ease Darkrai’s rage.

Chapter 36 - Parental Hunt part 2

Little Lost Raichu

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Chapter 36
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Parental Hunt part 2

“Nica, you’re back!” Astra shouted as she embraced her in a warm hug. “You have been absent for two weeks! I hope you enjoyed your reunion.”

Nica pressed herself into her trainer’s chest, seeking comfort in it.

“Is something wrong?” Astra asked.

She withdrew her head and forced a smile. She was placed on the ground a moment later and gifted with a notepad and pen. Her trainer sat in front of her as the noise of rushing water reached her ears.

“While you were spending time with your family, we made a lot of progress. We finished a full check up of my entire team, got a lot of useful machinery working and looked into the crystal I used for the ‘Gigavolt Havoc’ Z-move.”

Nica’s ears perked up, now listening curiously.

“You see, it turned out that because you started training yourself to near-death, forcing many changes in your body, as well as developing a different fighting style as a Raichu, our crystal we earned from the electric trial transformed to suit your new style.” Astra held a hand over her mouth and chuckled. “I wonder, should we call it Raichuium Z, Raichunium Z, or perhaps Nicaium Z… Nicarium Z has a nice ring to it.”

The long-tailed pokemon rolled her eyes.

“In any case, I need you to participate in some tests to get the Z-move working again. Guardian technicians found some equipment that was used to study pokemon combat abilities. Apparently, aside from fighting crime, my parents organization researched how training and evolutions affects a pokemon’s power, as well as how to enhance equipment to allow humans to fight alongside their pokemon as equals.”

Nica asked as she tilted her head to the side. She didn’t need to write any question as her trainer was more than willing to share more information.

“Follow me, I’ll show you something.”

Nica followed her trainer into the laboratory, the always white monotone walls now having been decorated by yellow lightings similar to the last part of her own tail, as well as decorations looking exactly like her ears. She blushed, realizing where her trainer took inspiration when decorating this room.

Upon seeing some sort of a metallic glove which was big enough to cover half of a human arm, she jumped onto the table and pointed at it.

Astra turned around, taking a closer look. “Oh, that. It’s just a device the Guardians created to study changes made by pokemon evolution. Since some pokemon can evolve with the help of evolution stones, they developed a device that can revert the progress… with some limitations of course.”

Nica asked as she tilted her head to the side.

Astra pointed at a small opening, as if part of an ancient puzzle where one would need to attach some sort of gemstone into a hole in the wall to unlock a secret passage. “To explain it simply, if I placed a ‘Fire Stone’ on this spot and next touched a Vulpix with this glove, he would transform into a Ninetales.“ She pointed at a small knob with image of small pokemon and a big pokemon next to it. “After I would turn this switch and touch the Ninetales again, I would revert him back to Vulpix while the stone would regain its properties.> She shook her head. “And before you ask, no, I can’t revert your evolution. If I used this device on you in the past, I could transform you between Pikachu and Raichu, but now it’s impossible.”

Nica nodded in understanding. Now that I think about it, those who are afraid to evolve for some reason or just want to challenge themselves can make good use of this device. They could evolve whenever facing a very powerful opponent or when lives are in danger. A boost of power could decide between life and death, and they could revert their evolution once the crisis was over. She closed her eyes and smiled. I wish it could work on me. Not that I don’t like being a Raichu. I earned my evolution after years of hardship while fighting against the odds, and I really really love my multitasking tail. She opened her eyes and tapped her forepaws together. However… I often end up facing weaker opponents, and fighting them makes me feel like a bully. Becoming a Pikachu for the sake of fairness or simply to challenge myself would be really nice. Oh well…

“Do you remember those blasters that the hunters used, the ones that can turn pokemon into stone?” Astra asked as she picked up a small launcher with a hand attachment, presenting it to Nica. “This device may not be as useful as it can’t trap pokemon with a single shot, but it is much cheaper to mass-produce.”

Astra pointed at a small knob atop the firearm. “I can swap between five attack mods. Heater mod allows it to shoot a very accurate laser which works like a fire attack. Freezer mod was developed based on ‘Ice Beam.’ Stunner mod is based on ‘Discharge,’ useful for crowd control. Combat mod is capable of shooting a ball of energy which was based on the attack ‘Focus Blast,’ as the result it shoots slower projectiles, but they are much stronger and have fighting properties.” She shrugged. “Don’t ask me how they managed to pull that off. Human’s creativity with technology is scary sometimes. Our pokeballs are capable of transporting several tons of weight on trainer’s belt after all.” She pressed a red button under the knob as a short sword emerged from the lower part of the device.

Nica flinched, her mouth agape. The aura on this sword, it’s so similar to the one I have when using ‘Iron Tail.’

“Finally, the steel mod. It allows me to attack and defend with a steel type attack at close range,” Astra said before taking off the device and next pointing at the long tail. “I’m sure an expert like you can teach me some fencing techniques.”

Nica nodded energetically. If she loved something about pokemon battles, it was teaching others.

“And here’s another part of the Guardian’s arsenal,” Astra said as she presented a large crowd control shield with a hand attachment, a few buttons at fingers range were at the back of the shield. “This device uses a generator to summon a barrier which was based on the move ‘Reflect,’ a barrier based on one of your moves you like so much, ‘Light Screen,’ and finally, it can strengthen this shield’s durability which was based on a move ‘Iron Defense.’ Long story short, criminals who often targeted trainers rather than their pokemon were powerless against well armed Guardian members.”

Nica displayed a smug face, held forepaws on her hips and shook her head.

Astra rolled her eyes. “Now, I know what you’re trying to say. You probably said stuff like; You’re inexperienced in combat and will need to train a lot.” She clenched her fist and slammed it against the floor, leaving a tiny dent in.

Nica looked down, feeling weak trembling under her rear feet while her ears picked the noise of shaking glass.

“I gained a lot of strength thanks to my work under the tan Nurse Joy from the Orange Islands, and I had some opportunities to use it during our adventure. Hopefully with some practice I can handle myself in close combat.”

Nica grabbed her notepad and pen which she held wrapped by her tail, and a moment later presented her writing to her trainer.

After reading the paper, Astra blushed and rubbed the back of her neck. “R-right… agility and evading are important as well… And considering that four mods are for ranged attacks, I would need to work on my accuracy.” Astra returned the shield onto the table, knelt on one knee and said with embarrassment clear in her voice. “I know it may sound ridiculous, but… do you think you can… ummm… teach me how to improvise?”

Nica asked as she tilted her head to the side. Her eyes became wide at the realization. She pointed at her trainer accusingly. She quickly wrote her words on the paper.

Astra read the message. She poked the tips of her fingers while looking to the side. “Well… it’s just… I always had my strengths and weaknesses when it comes to pokemon battles. I thought that what I lacked was experience and that I would learn how to improvise in the middle of combat like many trainers do, but it didn’t work.” She pointed at Nica. “You on the other hand developed a lot of individuality as my partner. Thanks to your harsh training and since nearly every fight you faced was against the odds, you started finding various ways how to win while outclassed.” She chuckled as her weak blush turned into strong red. “ I know it is a bit ridiculous for a pokemon to train their pokemon trainer… but… will you at least give it a try? Please.”

Nica held both paws on her mouth before falling onto her back and bursting in laughter, all of her worries temporarily pushed aside. She rolled across the floor before feeling pain on her face and belly.

Nica yelped in pain as a long “chuuuuuuu…” escaped her mouth, her face, limbs and belly now stuck against the stone. With the help of her tail, she pushed herself free and fell onto the train tracks. She grit her teeth and closed her eyes as her injured leg touched a wooden tie.

She whimpered and balanced herself on a single leg before looking up, finding a mark in the shape of her own body left on the stone above the tunnel. Taking a nap while riding on top of a train, not one of my brightest ideas. She lowered her head, drooped her forepaws and sighed.

Her ears perked up and she immediately looked up. This was the Canterlot mountain and the train needed to make a few circles before reaching the city, a waste of time she couldn’t afford. Maybe my harsh awakening was a good thing. Using the rear leg which she balanced herself on, she pushed herself up several meters onto the stone surface, climbing and leaping up at a quick pace. The fact that one of her legs didn’t recover yet prevented her from reaching a third of a kilometer with a single jump, but her other legs still had the strength to carry her on. After three minutes of climbing, she ran into the city.

Her visit in the hospital… turned into a complete disaster as both Twilight Sparkle and Princess Celestia were no longer in their beds while nurses and doctors tried to attend to her wounds. As much as she hated doing so to ponies who tried to help her, she scared them away with bolts of electricity, purposely missing her weakened attacks. The family of the princess was in danger, and there was only so much she could do when wrapped by levitation fields.

I wish I knew where Twilight’s parents are living, I would... Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of explosions in the distance. With a firm jump, she landed on top of a five-floor tall building, this one made of more solid material than the ones in Ponyville. Hopping from roof to roof, she made her way towards the scene, examining the area from the higher ground.

Two angered unicorns covered in cuts and bite-marks stood in the middle of the street with numerous craters and literally tons of rubble around them. The surrounding buildings were no doubt in need of some repairing services in the near future. The most noticeable however were four unconscious creatures covered by rubble that she recognized as Mightyena, a dark type pokemon with a mix of black and grey fur. Four clawed paws and sharp teeth adding to the intimidating factor.

The fact that both unicorns managed to fend off four pokemon resistant to their magic meant three things: First, the unicorns used fragments of the architecture from nearby buildings as weapons, which explained a massive amount of rubble covering the street. The second one being that Mightyenas weren’t well trained, after all Darkrai boosted by magic from thousands of ponies managed to take down two alicorns with a single ‘Dark Pulse,’ and cuts on those two unicorns meant they endured a few attacks. Finally, it meant that both unicorns had a lot of raw power.

“Another one on the roof!” shouted the female unicorn.

“On it!”

Nica flinched as beam of magic pierced the roof she stood on before her very eyes, almost hitting her. Suddenly, she felt a force of magic levitate her and pull her towards the ponies. Windows and hole in the wall passed by from the corner of her eye. Her little black nose ended up pressed against white/grey muzzle of the angered unicorn mare.

“Who do you think you are, attacking our city and ruining our lives. First you put our rulers and my very daughter in danger, and now you’re after local citizens. What do you have to say for yourself?”

Nica smiled awkwardly as she held her forepaws together under her neck like a scared kitten. Her ears drooped. The mare before her had a mane similar to Twilight’s mane, but with white and violet stripes instead. Without a translating collar on her neck, she went with the second best offering of peace she had in mind and licked the mare’s muzzle.

“Do… do you think you can avoid consequences by acting all cute?” the mare asked, only to be licked again as Nica displayed her puppy stare.

“Hey, honey, look at this,” the stallion said as he pointed at the injury on Raichu’s leg. “I didn’t cause it with my magical attack, did I?”

Nica shook her head.

“Well… you certainly look more innocent than those beasts that attacked us earlier, and you don’t seem dangerous,” the mare said as the aura on her horn shrank, and the pokemon in her levitation was carefully placed on the road.

The long-tailed critter balanced herself on one rear foot.

“You look terrible, sweetie. Here, let me help you. The name’s Twilight Velvet by the way,” the unicorn said as she lowered her horn towards the wounded rear paw, sending bits of her magic into it.

Sweetie? Nica felt tears forming in her eyes as memory of her own mother surfaced in her mind, bringing back the harsh memories with it.

“You poor dear, does it hurt?” Velvet asked. “You’re covered in burns and bruises, what happened to you.”

Nica lowered her head and sighed in relief, the parents of the princess didn’t need her help after all.

“My name’s Night Light… wait a moment, didn’t I see your picture in a newspaper? Are you the one who took down the mob in Manehattan?”

she responded with a simple nod and wiped her tears with her bruised forepaw.

Twilight Velvet raised her head as Nica could swear she saw stars in her eyes. She ran into the house and returned with a pen and notepad in her levitation. “You’re that heroine who risked her life by saving ponies from a burning building and fought against the mafia. That was extreme! Can I have your autograph? Pretty please?”

Nica smiled sheepishly. Her ears perked up at the idea. She grabbed the notepad and pen, writing intensively.

“I asked for an autograph, not for your biography or any kind of super long story,” Velvet said, staring back in confusion.

Once done, Nica handed over her notepad and pen before examining her injured leg, her attempt to lower it to the ground resulted in a surge of pain. It seems their magic isn’t enough. I suppose as healing potions are less efficient on tougher pokemon, healing magic would be no different. I’ll just need to wait for the wound to heal naturally.

Velvet lowered the notepad, her mouth agape. “You… you were under the care of our daughter all this time, defended Canterlot against the dangerous pokemon, and now you need our daughter’s help to get to Cloudsdale and protect the families of your friends?”

Nica nodded.

Velvet grinned before looking at her husband. “Do you know what this means honey?”

“That our daughter and her friends are facing great danger again?” Night Light asked.

“No, I mean… that too.. but most importantly, we’re going on an adventure!” Velvet shouted, standing on her rear hooves while spreading her forehooves. One of her forelegs accidently made contact with her husbands face who fell unconscious onto the damaged road. “You have no idea how long I wanted for the opportunity to help my daughter with one of these crazy things.”

Nica looked at Night Light in pity before smiling nervously. That’s Twilight’s family alright, I shouldn’t expect anything else.

“Mom, dad, are you okay? What happened here?”

Nica looked towards the descending alicorn. And here comes the star of the family. Perfect timing.

After a long exchange of information and a quick teleportation between Ponyville and Canterlot to inform Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash about the situation, a group of ponies appeared in a flash on the solid white road made of clouds. Twilight, Starlight and Night Light plopped down from exhaustion as drops of sweat fell down their heads, their breathing heavy.

Nica took a few steps as bronze patches of her paws sank into the soft surface, as if walking on feathers. A part of her mind begged her to simply lie on the soft clouds and allow her aching body to recover. She ignored the silent voice and glanced at her injured leg, slowly lowering it towards the cloudy ground. It still hurts, but not as much as before, and all those clouds are at least soft enough to run on. She raised her rear leg, deciding to not use it for running just yet.

“Finally an opportunity for me to protect Equestria and fight side by side with my daughter, I can’t wait!" Velvet said as she started trotting in place in excitement, ignoring bandaged cuts still present on her fur.

“Now, now, calm down honey,” Night Light said as he placed a forehoof on his wife’s shoulder. “Remember, we don’t have wings, and a cloud walking spell will last only a few hours. Let’s keep the risk-taking to minimum and stay away from the edges.”

Starlight stood up and wiped sweat from her forehead. “Chill out, we can always levitate ourselves if necessary. Fighting and levitating at the same time isn’t that hard after some practice.”

Twilight raised an eyebrow. “I can confirm what Starlight said from personal experience.”

“Wait for us!”

The group looked up at the approaching pegasi. Rainbow Dash flapped her wings at a rapid pace while Fluttershy was wrapped by her forehooves.

“Okay, Twilight, so what’s the plan?” Dash asked as she released Fluttershy, and they both hovered in mid-air with slow flaps of their wings.

Twilight held a forehoof on her chest and took a deep calming breath. “Alright. Here’s what we’ll do…” She paused upon hearing loud screams of panic.

The group looked towards the source of screams, seeing numerous pegasi flying in panic, escaping from some sort of bird-like creatures covered by shining steel. Some explosions of electricity flashed in the background.

“Alright, change of plans,” Twilight said as she pointed at her pegasi friends. “Rainbow Dash, I know you’re very fast, but you may need strong magical support. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but take my mother with you.”

“Sure,” Dash said before giving the mare a sassy smile. “Just don’t slow me down when I’m kicking flanks left and right.”

“Slow you down? My daughter and son may be the powerhouses in the family, but my magic isn’t all that far behind. I’ll kick more flanks with my magic than you can count,” Velvet said with a proudly raised chin.

“I like you,” Dash said, grabbing the unicorn mare by her stomach before flying away.

Fluttershy stomped, her forehoof sinking in the cloud. “What about me? My family is in danger and I can’t stay here and do nothing.”

Nica nodded in agreement as she narrowed her eyes. Fluttershy next to Gabby was the sweetest and most cuddly pony she had ever met with an angelic aura of kindness and compassion radiating from her at all times. She would lay down her own life without hesitation to keep the parents of such a kind pony safe. Furthermore, seeing Fluttershy with a broken heart over the fate of her family would be the most horrible experience.

“Nica, Starlight, escort Fluttershy to her family and do your best to protect them,” Twilight said authoritatively.

“On it.” Starlight saluted.

Nica said with a nod.

“In the meanwhile, I’ll try to protect as many ponies I can from the attackers and regroup all the panicked pegasi,” Twilight said before looking at the blue unicorn. “Dad, I’ll need your help on this. I mean… you can support me from afar since you’re still hurt and all, but I’ll feel safer with you around.”

Night Light smiled and grabbed his daughter by his shoulder. “Don’t worry. I may not be much of an adventurer, but I’ll use my magic the best I can. I got your back.”

“And I got yours,” Twilight responded with a trustful smile.

Rainbow Dash’s fast flight was stopped as bolts of electricity went through her every bone while shocking the mare in her hold. She and Velvet yelped in pain before crashing into the clouds.

“Alright, who did that?” Dash asked as she pushed herself to a standing position before wiping white puff from her face. As a weather manager being electrocuted isn’t new to me, but I gotta say, this was so much stronger than what a thundercloud is capable of. She scanned the area in search for enemies and noticed a large bird covered by steel now hovering in mid-air, only for three smaller creatures to jump from it.

Dash’s mouth was agape and she rubbed her eyes in disbelief. The pokemon before her however weren’t part of some weird dream. She could recognize that long tail and white fluffy belly everywhere, there was no mistaking it. Before her stood not one, but three Raichu. “What’s going on?”

A loud ‘Chuuu’ escaped the pokemon’s mouth as three ‘Thunderbolts’ were unleashed in her direction. She raised a foreleg up to her face protectively, but the electricity hit a barrier instead.

“I got your back,” Velvet said before shooting a beam of magic at the pokemon before her, missing. “Also, you owe me for this.”

With a massive boost of speed gained by using ‘Quick Attack,’ a Raichu ran on the cloudy surface, spreading white puff in his wake.

As the barrier vanished, Rainbow Dash flew at the Raichu at full speed, delivering a kick with her rear hoof, which collided with his head. Dash grit her teeth and closed her eyes as she felt a rush of pain in her leg, her body ending up pushed back as she rolled on the cloud. The Raichu was pushed in the opposite direction with a hoof mark on his forehead, but his feet pressed into the cloud as he maintained his balance, holding his ground.

The other Raichu attacked with ‘Thunderbolt,’ which missed due to Velvet’s levitation pushing Dash out of the way.

“Thanks, I owe you two favors, now,” Dash said with a grateful smile.

With all three Raichu focusing their attack on Twilight Velvet as her shield started to crack, Rainbow Dash started circling around the pokemon, creating a tornado which distracted them from attacking. “How do like that?” Her jaw dropped as the three pokemon just kept staring back at her, not affected much by the strong wind. She zipped left and right, evading bolts of electricity. One thing was certain, it wasn’t going to be an easy battle.

Chapter 37 - Invasion of Chu

Author's Note

Warning, this chapter goes a bit into dark teritory when it comes to Nica. Those of you who really like Nica and have trouble reading scenes where she suffers should aproach this chapter carefully. You have been warned.

Chapter 37 - Invasion of Chu

Raichu, Defender of Equestria

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Chapter 37
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Invasion of Chu

Nica sat on Starlight’s back while wary of her surroundings, occasionally glancing at the worried face of Fluttershy. Her ears drooped at the very sight of pegasus’ saddened smile.

“Slow down, Fluttershy, we need to be careful!” Starlight suggested as she followed the pegasus while a few drops of sweat formed on her face.

Nica’s ears perked up. She stood up and jumped with the help of her three legs, pushing Fluttershy to the side in time to avoid bolts of electricity.

Fluttershy yelped before landing on the cloudy road. “Oh dear… what was that?”

Nica took a fighting stance in front of the innocent pegasus, her attention on an armored bird as three familiar figures jumped from its back.

Three Raichu took a fighting stance, though she could sense an aura of hesitation from the one on the right.

“Well, look at that,” Starlight said as she grit her teeth. “It seems Darkrai sent pokemon of the same species as you. The nerve of him.”

Nica turned around and gestured with her forepaws, shaking them and pointing at cloudy homes in distance.

“You want us to go ahead while you distract them?” Fluttershy asked.

Nica nodded.

“B-b-but… fine!” Starlight shouted with a frown. “We’ll wait for you at Fluttershy’s house, so don’t take too long.”

Nica nodded. Upon noticing as one of the Raichu attacked the yellow pegasus with ‘Thunderbolt,’ she intercepted with a ‘Thunderbolt’ of her own.

The Raichu in the middle held one forepaw on his hip while another raised in front of his face.

Raichu on the left shrugged.

Raichu on the right tapped his forepaws together.

Nica shook her head.

the Raichu in the middle said before shaking his head.

The Raichu on the left asked,

Nica lowered her guard, no longer standing on her three legs while in fighting stance, but instead balanced herself on one.

The Raichu on the left blinked in confusion.

The Raichu on the right spoke up, his ears drooped.

the Raichu in the middle asked as he gave his ally a stern look.

The Raichu in the middle stomped, spreading white puff under her foot.

the Raichu on the left nodded.

The Raichu on the right tightened his forepaws. He stepped to the side, now watching from a new stop at the abandoned restaurant.

the Raichu on the left said before turning his attention to Nica.

Nica narrowed her eyes and took a fighting stance. Her metallic tail raised threateningly. She leaped to the side to avoid one ‘Thunderbolt’ before raising a forepaw ahead of her. With a deep concentration, she summoned ‘Light Screen.’ Another ‘Thunderbolt’ struck her body, yet she refused to blink as the attack was both resisted and weakened.

Both Raichu charged at her, one gaining speed by using a ‘Quick Attack.’

Nica waited a moment before swinging her tail, timing her strike. Her metallic tail struck the Raichu’s side, changing his course while leaving a bruise. With her attention on the other Raichu, she blocked an incoming ‘Mega Punch.’ She wrapped her tail around the forepaw of her opponent and spun, pushing one Raichu into another. She bit her bottom lip as her wounded rear leg pressed into the cloudy surface during her spin.

As both Raichu attacked with ‘Thunderbolt,’ Nica zipped left and right, charging at her foes while building up a ‘Volt Tackle.’ One of her opponents summoned copies of himself with ‘Double Team,’ yet the aura of anger Nica sensed told her which one was the real deal. With a quick jump, she smashed her head into the Raichu’s belly, causing a big explosion of electricity.

Sensing and hearing the other Raichu attacking from behind, Nica raised her ‘Iron Tail’ defensively. She deflected the ‘Tail Whip’ and parried ‘Mega Kick’ before hitting her opponent in the stomach. The Raichu in front of her ran at her with a ‘Quick Attack,’ which she evaded by leaping to the side as her opponent collided with his own ally by accident.

With a quick ‘Thunderbolt,’ she hit both of her opponents, covering their bodies with burns. Attack power may not be my strongest point, but it is still above those two. They seem to be lacking proper training and didn’t even experience a little bit of of the beating I endured. She balanced herself on one rear leg and pointed accusingly.

one Raichu asked.

Nica held a forepaw on her own chest and lectured, She held forepaws on her hips and shook her head.

Nica groaned. Bolts of electricity started escaping form dots on her cheeks.

Nica charged at her opponents on her four legs, ignoring the pain in her wound. She leaped to the side to evade ‘Mega Punch’ and next combined her ‘Volt Tackle’ with her ‘Iron Tail,’ easily overpowering the ‘Quick Attack’ of her opponent in direct contact. She tanked a ‘Thunderbolt’ and answered with her own. Their skirmish lasted no longer than an extra minute as both Raichu lost consciousness and vanished before her eyes. Her own body gained a few more bruises, but nothing too bad.

With her attention on the third Raichu, who now trembled in fear, she approached and asked,

The Raichu nodded. He tapped his forepaws together, his head lowered in shame. He looked to the side.

Nica’s angered face softened as she patted the fellow Raichu on the shoulder, giving him a warm smile.

Nica said with a nod.

the Raichu responded before rubbing the back of his neck.

Nica chuckled. She shook his forepaw before running away.

Spitfire and her fellow Wonderbolts flew from one spot to another, their spotless uniforms covered by burned holes or ripped to shreds. Their yellow lightning which decorated their uniforms now burned by the real deal. She glanced at her comrades and asked, “How are you holding up there, Fleetfoot, Soarin’?”

“Been better,” Soarin’ said as he massaged his foreleg.

“My muscles are aching a bit, but I’m still ready to kick some flanks,” Fleetfoot said as she slammed her forehooves together, her wings flapping at a quick pace.

Spitfire nodded before scanning the floating city. The situation isn’t good. If I remember anything from biology lessons, it is that pegasi are well adapted to weather hazards like cold and electricity. Not to mention that the Wonderbolt’s uniforms are made from material that repels electricity and are magically enhanced for greater durability, yet those critters somehow unleashed electricity strong enough to penetrate them. She gulped. Despite their speed, training and electricity-repelling equipment, even her team couldn’t repel the invasion of several long-tailed critters flying on armored bird-like creatures.

She narrowed her eyes and pointed down. “I see one, get ready to dive and intercept.”

“Yes sir!”

Nica kept running as she scanned her surroundings, yet her friends were nowhere to be seen. This is bad, this is bad, I completely forgot where Fluttershy’s parents are supposed to live.

Her search was interrupted the moment she heard a cry. Noticing a young pegasus supported against a wall, she approached her. The pegasus before her had a few burns, no doubt caused by electricity. The filly’s forehooves were wrapped around her knees while her sobbing face was supported against her forelegs. She seem to be the same age as Apple Bloom… poor thing. How could any Raichu hurt such a poor little filly?

Nica approached with hesitant steps on her three legs and gently nuzzled the filly’s cheek, only to be smacked with a hoof.

“Help, help!”

Nica took a step back and massaged her cheek with her bruised forepaw, her ears drooped. Her voice only seemed to make it worse as the filly started trembling in fear.

“Get away from her, monster!”

Nica looked at the approaching pegasus and leaped to the side, evading his hooves. The angered pony shot her a hateful glare before picking the young pegasus into his embrace.

“Sssshhhh… It’s okay… no mean creature will hurt you anymore.”

Nica felt an uneasy feeling in her heart. If she didn’t defy Darkrai, none of this would’ve happened. She looked around, seeing a few more pegasi stare at her in anger before flying away while the aura of fear and hate she sensed was making her sick. In her depression, she failed to react as something struck her from behind. She felt the full speed and weight of a pony press against her bruised back as her face sank into the cloud.

“Got you!”

she shouted before pushing the pegasus away with her tail. She backflipped before another one managed to grab her.

“You know the drill. Beat it hard enough and it will vanish. This is what happened with the last two,” Spitfire commanded before circling around Nica, so did two of her subordinates.

Nica raised her tail defensively as it shined in a metallic grey, her senses now on full alert. The ponies before her had a fair share of burns and injuries while their uniforms were in disarray. Some of their goggles had cracked surfaces on the glass. The aura of hostility only confirmed their intentions.

With a flap of her tail, she blocked a punch from behind, and next she gently pushed aside the pegasus’ rear hoof before it could make contact with her head. One strike after another, she parried the attacks of her opponents as their movements became faster than before. Her words were clearly ignored as the pegasi started attacking more aggressively. Nica whimpered as two more pegasi in damaged uniforms arrived at the scene.

“This one is way tougher than the others. Everyone, get ready perform a star maneuver!” Spitfire commanded.

Nica gulped as the four pegasi now circled around her. Drops of sweat fell down her face. While the last fight against the two Raichu didn’t result in any significant injury, it still drained some of her stamina, and attacking with ‘Volt Tackle’ was always a double-edged sword. This time however she couldn’t even fight back. Hurting ponies she was supposed to protect was inexcusable.

“Now!” Spitfire shouted as four pegasi started flying at the long-tailed creature as if drawing a star.

Nica leaped left and right, parrying hooves with her ‘Iron Tail’ as her muscles were aching with each of her step. She bit her bottom lip as one of her evasion maneuvers resulted in her landing on her injured leg. This moment of distraction gave an opening for the fifth pegasus who kicked a black cloud, summoning lightning as it struck her head.

“Get that tail under control!” Spitfire commanded as two male Wonderbolts grabbed the long tail and pulled it.

Nica yelped as she found herself pulled into the air. One ‘Thunderbolt’ was all she needed to free herself. No… I can’t hurt my allies. I can’t. She started wriggling, yet her strength proved no match against the athletic pegasi. Using her tail to pull herself up, she evaded one of the pegasi, only to be kicked by the captain herself. One strike after another, she felt as if her body became a punching bag.

“Oh come on, vanish already!” Spitfire shouted in aggravation. After a few seconds of building up her speed, she struck Nica’s cheek, her forehoof colliding with the yellow dot.

Nica grit her teeth as she held back her electricity from shocking the pegasus, keeping it in her body. The agony became unbearable as she screamed in pain.

Fleetfoot followed Spitfire’s example, aiming at the injured leg. Her rear hoof struck it with a lot of force.

The pupils in Nica’s eyes shrank as she screamed again, and this time it lasted for several seconds as a few tears slid down her cheeks.

“Sir, ma’am,” Soarin’ said, catching Spitfire’s attention. “We hit this creature with everything we had, yet it still refuses to vanish… This feels really uncomfortable.”

Spitfire rubbed the top of her head with her wings keeping her in mid-air. “I don’t get it. Whatever magic summoned them into Cloudsdale vanished after a bit of beating. What’s different with this one?”

“I don’t know, but maybe it isn’t hostile,” Soarin’ pointed out

“How can you tell?” Spitfire asked.

“Well, it didn’t use electricity against us a single time. Until now we managed to defeat only two of those creatures, and their electricity ruined our thunder-proof uniforms. This one seems more agile than the others, yet it isn't even attacking.”

“Ponyfeathers!” Spitfire bit her lip. “Everyone, stop!” she commanded. “Release it immediately.”

Nica’s face made contact with the soft cloudy ground, her belly and legs followed suit. With the help of her trembling forepaws, she raised her sobbing face to look at the pegasi. Their aura no longer as hostile as before.

“Hey, you, you’re not one of the invaders, are you?” Spitfire asked, her glare judging her every move.

Nica whimpered before pushing herself to stand on her three legs, her fourth leg refusing to rise as it now motionlessly lay on the cloud. With struggle clear on her face, she walked away, her limbs trembling with each step. Tears fell down from her face and sank into the cloud.

“We’re sorry... “ Soarin’ said as he approached with slow steps. “There’s a hospital nearby, we could…” His path was blocked by Spitfire’s foreleg and her disapproving glare.

“Even if this one is not hostile, it is still one of them. We can’t waste time getting it aid when other ponies suffer,” Spitfire said before spreading her wings authoritatively as she addressed her fellow Wonderbolts. “From now on we’ll stick together. Everyone, move out!”

Soarin’ gave the injured cleature an apologetic glance before leaving with his team.

Nica heard the pegasi fly away, not that she cared as she kept searching for Fluttershy’s house. Each of her steps difficult to take. She looked at the nearby ponies with tired eyes, sensing mostly hate and fear. She sensed pity among some ponies, but none dared to approach.

She sighed, wondering what hurt more: Her broken leg, or her aching heart? While facing challenges and fighting against the odds made pain her second nature, something she was used to and could ignore, anger and hate was something she couldn’t handle. If given a choice, she would let a giant boulder squash her rather than look at an angered glare of another creature. Still… Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash’s families were in danger. She couldn’t let self-pity stop her from doing what she could.

Starlight blinked in confusion as she stared at the scene before her. Fluttershy’s father, a green pegasus wearing a blue sweater with a white mustache, his mane looking like rolled ice cream, was now sitting in front of a square table. On the other side of the table on a few pillows sat a Raichu with cup of tea between his paws. Why am I even surprised? This is Fluttershy’s family we’re talking about. She massaged her forehead. Her idea of a quick rescue certainly didn’t involve interrupting a tea party.

Fluttershy alongside her mother stepped out from the kitchen with a female Raichu in between them as they all laughed cheerfully.

“When I heard you all may be in danger, I was so worried. I’m really glad everything turned out alright,” Fluttershy said before stroking the Raichu with her hoof. “Thank you, little one. What you did was very brave and it means a lot to me."

“Hey, Fluttershy,” Starlight called as she gave the mare a curious look. “Since you finished your quick chat,” she gestured at a Raichu drinking tea at the table, “can you explain to me what’s going on?”

Fluttershy nodded. “Of course. It turns out that Darkrai stole magic from some cursed ponies in Cloudsdale and used it to summon many Raichu and a few Skarmory to invade the city. He ordered some of them to hurt my and Dash’s families and hold them hostage.” She sat and clapped her forehooves cheerfully. “But the Raichu that were sent into this house couldn’t bring themselves to hurt my family.” She glanced down at the female Raichu who looked back with a cheerful smile. “These pokemon told me that my family was so kind and innocent that they couldn’t bring themselves to hurt them. They don’t care about the power that Darkrai offered and are willing to face his wrath, but hurting my mom and dad is out of the question. They’re even willing to protect them.”

Starlight rubbed her chin. “It seems not all pokemon summoned by Darkrai are interested in conquest. Until now only dark types showed blind loyalty to him.”

“But of course. Every creature is different,” Fluttershy pointed out.

“Well, I suppose it’s good for us. If Darkrai is trying to create an army, there will be infighting among their ranks, and once all curses are removed, he won’t even have enough magic to summon anyone. If we manage to hold out long enough, victory will be ours.”

“Hey, Fluttershy, are you there?”

“Rainbow Dash?” Fluttershy asked as she peeked through the window.

Starlight walked outside, noticing Rainbow Dash in the company of two blue pegasi. The tallest one was holding Twilight Velvet between his hooves. Rainbow Dash and the mare next to her each had a Raichu riding on their backs. “Let me guess, they found your parents too kind and innocent to hurt.”

“Nope,” Dash said with a shake of her head.

“My name’s Windy Whistles and we just happened to have those cuties at our doorsteps. We couldn’t help ourselves from giving them a tour of our house, share some snacks at the kitchen and show our daughter’s achievements. They proved to be really good listeners,” Whistles said as the Raichu on her back nodded energetically.

Twilight Velvet glanced at Whistle and said, “I like your enthusiasm, we should hang out sometime. How about a mountain climb? No magic and wings allowed.”

“Sounds like fun,” Whistle said with an energetic nod.

Dash shrugged. “We were having a bit of a hard time fighting some Raichu on our way, but those two came to our aid. What about you. Any problems?”

Fluttershy walked outside with a female Raichu by her side who kept nuzzling her foreleg. “Not at all. These brave creatures refused to hurt my family and had a tea party instead. They’re on our side now… at least until the summoning spell runs out of time.”

“That’s great! Hey… wasn’t Nica with you, where is she?” Dash asked as everypony started to look around.

said a Raichu on Dash’s back as he pointed in the distance.

Fluttershy started trotting towards Nica, only to stop as her face turned grim. “What… what happened to you and your leg? You look horrible!”

Nica ran forward with tears in her eyes, pulling her leg, and then leaped into Fluttershy’s embrace, pressing her crying face into her soft chest.

“You poor, poor dear…” Fluttershy said as she stroked Nica gently, and next added her wings into the hug.

The group looked at Nica in silence as even the summoned Raichu stared in pity.

The hug continued as Nica slowly departed into the land of dreams, leaving her aching body in Fluttershy’s embrace.

the Raichu next to Fluttershy said before gasping at realization. She ran over and pushed herself into Fluttershy's embrace in order to hug and nuzzle her injured daughter from the other side, licking Nica's bruises. Her eyes quickly started producing tears as the very look of her mutilated daughter filled her heart with pain.

Chapter 38 - The Last Peaceful Dream

Something has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter.

Chapter 39 - King of Nightmares’ Final Gamble

Lost Little Raichu

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Chapter 39
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King of Nightmares’ Final Gamble

As usual, Nica woke up in her bed, her bruises no longer present on her body. She stood up from her pillow and glanced at her rear leg, raising, lowering and stretching it without feeling any pain whatsoever. She sighed in relief and stretched before leaving the room in search for her friends.

If I remember correctly, I fell asleep in Fluttershy’s embrace, but not much else then that. I hope her family is safe. After checking the most important rooms in the castle, she found Twilight Sparkle sitting on a pillow inside the library. Two large stacks of books were present on the rounded table.

Without a moment to waste, she ran over and poked her leg. Clearly being ignored, she stood on tips of her rear paws while looking at the table. A notepad and pen were lying on it. Without hesitation, she grabbed the notepad, only for a hoof to slap her paw and return the notepad to its previous spot.

Nica flinched and massaged her forepaw, her ears drooped upon receiving a disapproving glare from the princess, who simply frowned at her and returned back to reading.

Nica asked, yet not a single response came from the princess as silence overtook the room. She climbed onto the table, held her forepaws in an apologetic gesture and lowered her head, yet the mare before her simply turned the page of her book while ignoring her. She approached on four paws, trying to look the princess in the eyes whose full attention was focused on a book.

She waved in front of Twilight’s eyes, only to be wrapped by a lavender aura and thrown onto the floor.

Nica stood up and whimpered before feeling movements and hearing growling from her white belly. She massaged it and licked her lips, feeling quite hungry after her recent battles. she said hesitantly before leaving the room. The aura she sensed, Twilight’s eyes and the silent atmosphere felt so… cold.

After stepping down the stairs and entering the kitchen area, Nica found Spike with claws covered in flour holding a large spoon. She approached and smiled. After waiting a few seconds as the young drake ignored her, she said, She walked backward before turning around. As she was about to open the fridge, her ears perked up and she withdrew her forepaw before a spoon struck it. She glanced at Spike who shook his head and gave her a glare of disapproval.

Nica whimpered as her tummy growled once again. Approaching the long wooden table, she pointed at fruits in the baskets, receiving a shake of disapproval. She pointed at cookie jar, Spike shook his head. She pointed to a glass of water, Spike shook his head.

As hungry as she was, it wasn’t her food and she wouldn’t dare to eat or drink it without permission.

As she returned back to her room, she started feeling… sadness… as if small needles were slightly poking her heart. Her caretakers and friends were angry at her… but worst of all, they didn’t speak a single world to her. Did something terrible happen to Dash and Fluttershy’s family? Was she too slow to protect them? She gulped, deeply wishing it wasn’t the case.

Taking her saddlebag with bits she earned during her numerous jobs, she jumped from the window before heading towards the market area. It was only fair she would buy food with her own bits rather than be a burden to her friends.

she called a stand-owner as she pointed at a few cherries, only for the mare to hiss at her. One stand after another, no pony accepted her bits as her ears seemed to drop more and more each time. Upon noticing Applejack standing next to several baskets of apples, she ran over and waved, only to back down upon receiving a hateful glare.

B-but… didn’t I save her dog and younger sister? Why is she angry at me? Nica thought before raising a forepaw over her head. What if Fluttershy and Dash’s families are indeed dead and all of their friends now blame her for it. After all, if not for her, Darkrai wouldn’t have targeted them in the first place.

Resisting the urge to cry, she ran towards Sugarcube Corner. Pinkie was always kind to her and generous with sweets. If anypony would be understanding enough to tell her what happened and allow her to buy something to eat, it was her.

Nica’s face collided with dirt and hoof marks were present on her back. Being kicked out from the Sugarcube Corner by the cheerful pony was certainly not what she expected. To make matters worse, not a single word was spoken. All she saw was a cold glare.

A depressed sigh escaped her mouth the moment droplets of rain started to fall on her head. Hungry, thirsty and depressed, she sat in the dirt with a lowered head, watching her own paws. All ponies and even her friends hated her. In an attempt to get rid of the thirst at the very least, she opened her mouth and exposed her tongue, trying to get some clean water into her dry throat...

A thunderous noise echoed as Nica face was struck by lighting, leaving a few bruises on her face.

Now somewhat panicked, she looked up, seeing a few pegasi next to black clouds, each looking at her in anger. Kick after kick, they caused more lightning to burn the ground as Nica evaded their hits, now running away with tears sliding down her cheeks.

The ponies do not want you anymore, they hate and blame you for everything. After everything you have done for them, they are so willing to cast you aside.

Nica stopped and looked around as her fur became more and more wet under the rain which kept following her wherever she went. The source of the mysterious voice was nowhere to be seen.

They may act nice towards you as long as you’re useful, but the moment things go wrong, their gratefulness is thrown out the window. But you can leave it behind. Say a word, and you’ll be back with your trainer and team, away form the ungrateful ponies.

Nica felt her tears mixing with droplets of the rain. She narrowed her eyes and shook her head. N-no… I recognize your voice. They may hate me, but it’s your fault. I can’t leave until your ambition is stopped.

So be it.

Nica blinked in confusion, finding herself traveling through the badlands under the hot merciless sun as her four paws were making repetitive contact with the burning sand. Was she trying to escape from Equestria? How long had she been traveling? Many questions were born in her mind.

Nica’s breathing became heavy and her throat dry. Raising her head to look up alone proved problematic as rays of the sun were stronger than ever, as if the heavenly body was purposely lowered in her direction. When ponies said the princesses can move sun and the moon… was it true… are they punishing me? Despite enduring countless fire attacks in the past, the heat and sun rays were leaving burns on her fur, the dehydration only worsening the matter.

Minutes dragged like hours as each step became harder to take. Suddenly, an oasis caught her attention. Without hesitation she ran, creating a cloud of dust behind her. She jumped towards the water and touched it with her burned paw, feeling cooling relief she desired so much.

She stood up and lowered her head, ready to finally fill her dry throat with the precious water, only for something to push her away.

“Don’t you dare!”

Nica blinked in confusion and gasped. Before her stood an angered Fluttershy with a few critters and a white bunny keeping her company.

“Because of you, I lost my family, my home, and now I need to hide from Darkrai’s wrath in the middle of nowhere. I and my animals need the water from this oasis to survive, find your own!”

More tears fell down her cheeks, which evaporated upon touching the sand, as Nica kept looking at Fluttershy in shock. So I… failed… She grit her teeth and closed her eyes. If I didn’t try to distract those Raichu but simply run to her parent's home, maybe I would… I would…

“Leave, begone!”

Nica could tell that something was wrong. Never before had Fluttershy displayed such cruelty, but her overwhelming guilt kept her from thinking about it. Instead, she ran away, leaving the oasis and the angered pegasus behind. Her cooled paw once again heating up upon contact with the sand.

Why didn’t you refuse to listen to her? You could say no and drink…

Nica shouted as she kept running without break. She slowed down as sweat now covered her face. It’s my fault… that Fluttershy is in danger… If she needs that water, I won’t drink a single drop.

Your humility will be the end of you, the voice said in her mind.

The scenery shifted in an instant as Nica found herself in the changeling’s hive, yet her stay didn’t last long as she was forced to evade green fireballs shot by black changelings.

Wait a moment… didn’t changelings evolve… Nica thought, but couldn’t concentrate as more and more attackers arrived at the scene.

“King Thorax ordered us to banish you from our territory, should you show your face. Get lost before you bring wrath of Darkrai upon the hive.”

Nica ran away, not daring to provoke the large army. Something seemed wrong… but… wait… what was she thinking about?

All members of mane six, Starlight, the Cutie Mark Crusaders and even the griffon Gabby who only recently regained her consciousness were present inside the room, staring at the wriggling pokemon in panic.

Winona, Mr. Patrick and venomous spider looked at them as if begging them to help their friend.

“I apologize, Princess, but nothing I do is working. I can’t explain it, but more and more bruises keep appearing on her body while the condition of her leg is worsing. The bandages and pills are pointless.”

Twilight and Starlight narrowed their eyes and nodded at each other before scanning their friend.

“That’s odd… I can’t detect any influence of dark magic. Whatever is happening to her, it wasn’t caused by a curse or any other spell,” Twilight explained.

“Maybe it’s some sort of pokemon power,” Starlight suggested. “I mean, Nica didn’t have any magic in her when she arrived in Equestria, yet her body was incredibly durable. Maybe Darkrai has some sort of non-magical power that is affecting her.”

“This may be the case, but the question is, how do we stop it,” Twilight asked before using a healing spell, a field of magic she wasn’t too familiar with. Starlight assisted as well. After half a minute, they wiped sweat from their faces. “It’s no use, we can’t heal it. Our magic can only slow down her worsening condition.”

Pinkie looked at the suffering critter with drooped ears. “Poor Nica. She looks as if she’s having a terrible nightmare.”

“Wait… a nightmare?” Twilight said while giving the party mare curious glance. “I may be wrong, but maybe she’s being attacked through her dreams. We have to wake her up!”

“On it,” Dash said before grabbing Raichu between her forehooves and shaking her. “Hey, wake up! Don’t you dare die on us, you hear!” She shouted into the critter’s ear… with no effect.

“Careful, her leg,” Fauna pointed out

“S-sorry,” Dash said as she lowered Nica back onto the pillow.

Twilight and Starlight focused their magic on Nica’s mind.

“It’s no use,” Twilight said with shake of her head as her wings drooped. “If we can’t wake her up soon…”

Pinkie dashed into the room with a bucket of water, splashing it over the critter and the bed.

Twilight, Gabby and Fluttershy blocked the splashing water with their wings while everyone else blocked it with their hooves. Their hopeful expression vanished as Nica kept suffering, still asleep.

“Nooo…” Gabby said in low sad tone as she stood on her rear paws and held talons in front of her face.

More time spent in the desert as her body became weaker and more dehydrated with each minute, Nica reached some sort of settlement with wooden constructions and a large quantity of apple trees on the horizon. A crowd of ponies armed with pitchforks and burning torches surrounded her in an instant. As much as she wanted to run, the hot sun and sand burned all of her stamina. No saliva was left in her mouth and no drop of sweat could appear on her body. Tied up and pulled by two stallions, her dry body was pulled against the sand.

“We caught her, now release the hostage.”

Nica raised her trembling head, struggling to keep her eyes open. Before her was Darkrai with an earth pony by his side. He had a mustache, and a silver star on his jacket. Said pony seemed to be some soft of important figure.

Look how quickly those ponies are willing to exchange your life for one of their own.

NIca sighed, her body too dry and tired to resist. And why should they. They don’t know me.

Your friends would do the same without hesitation. What’s the life of a pet when compared to the life of a pony. It doesn’t matter how many heroic deeds you perform or how much you do for them. The life of a useless citizen will always outweigh yours.

Nica kept responding in her mind. At least it will give my death meaning.

Fool, can’t you see that your humility is dooming you? You’re not a tool whose only duty is to serve others.

I’m tired… leave me alone! Nica responded as she felt her heart being on the verge of breaking. How could everything fall apart so quickly? Until now she was accomplishing so much, using her powers to protect national heroines from harm and fighting for their kingdom. She was fulfilling the role she chose for herself, she was given an opportunity to use her abilities for the greater good. And here she was now, hated by those she protected, by her very friends. Fluttershy’s family passed away because of her. In a sense her life had no more meaning. How could she return back home and tell her trainer of her failure? Not that staying would accomplish anything either.

Nica whimpered, her face and belly now lying flat against the dirt with Darkrai towering over her. Her mind a mess. As much as she wanted to cry, her dry eyes were incapable of producing tears.

“Begone!”

Nica’s ears perked up as a beam of midnight-blue magic struck Darkrai, pushing him into a wooden home with dust and broken planks covering the area.

The night princess descended in all her might while covered by her usual regalia.

“This isn’t reality but a dream, one he bent to his will,” Luna said before her firm face softened, replaced by a look of pity. She turned to Darkrai with rage in her eyes. “Thou dares to invade the dream realm and use it to harm the innocent mind of our honorable guest?! Thou shalt pay for thy insolence.”

“Insolence?” Darkrai asked as he levitated towards the princess slowly, his voice now eoching in the dream. “I’m the nightmare king, the dream realm is my domain. It’s a place that I rule!”

Luna stomped. “It is my domain as well, and my duty is to protect my subjects from nightmares. You’re a manifestation of everything I fight against, a reminder of my darker self that I once had become.”

Darkrai created a dark orb with his hand before unleashing his power against the princess, who blocked it with a barrier and next tied her opponent with white rope.

Luna knelt to Nica and gently touched her forehead with her horn. “Your suffering is over, brave Nica. Return to your friends…” She glared at Darkrai who freed himself from his shackles. “I will deal with him.”

“She can’t leave yet. I’m not done with her yet!” Darkrai shouted.

Luna stomped and spread her wings authoritatively. “Does your cruelty have no end? Is torturing this poor soul really the only way to satisfy your desire of vengeance?”

“It’s not about vengeance, it’s an act of mercy.” Darkrai shook his tightened fist. “She stands in the way of greatness I want to bring to the pokemon, and she keeps refusing to join my side or return back to her world. I am doing everything I can to get her out of the way without killing her.”

“Do you still believe you can win? Your chance of victory was taken away with your defeat in Canterlot.” Luna shouted, “If you really care about Nica, stop this torture!”

“What are you talking about? I may have underestimated you ponies, but next time I will take magic from ponies and open portals in secret. Without Nica’s help, you can’t stop me.”

Luna shook her head. “More than half of the ponies you cursed are healed. Scholars from Canterlot are removing it in every city.”

Darkrai levitated back. His eyes wide open.

“We learned of your strengths and weaknesses. The families of the Element Bearers are together and safe. Twilight even informed me that not many pokemon share your desire for conquest.”

Nica pushed herself to a sitting position with her trembling legs, her mouth agape. So Fluttershy’s family is safe after all. Everything turned out okay… She glared at Darkrai with anger. She could forgive a lot, but not crushing her poor heart with such terrible lies.

“Face it, you’re fighting a lost war.”

Darkrai chucked, and next laughed, yet it wasn’t a happy laughter but one of insanity. He placed his fingers on his forehead as if he had a headache and spoke, “Are you saying all this time, all this time I have been trying to break the fighting spirit of Nica, it was all for nothing.” A dark aura surrounded him. “I have been torturing the very pokemon who saved me for nothing.” With a shake of his hand, he send wave of power in Nica’s direction. “Begone!”

Nica opened her eyes and her breathing was heavy as drops of sweat covered her terrified face.

“Nica!” numerous voices shouted in the room.

The long-tailed critter blinked, now seeing faces of all her friends staring at her in shock while their aura filled with happiness and relief, yet something else caught her attention, an overwhelming amount of pain.

She was wet, covered in bruises and lying on a pillow while her body ached like never before. Despite resting until now, she felt as if she didn’t sleep in days as her tired eyes were half-closed. Not that she would dare to shut her eyes again as part of her mind feared of the horrors that awaited her. With a bit of struggle, Nica sat up, her legs trembling and hurting with each movement, yet one leg refused to heed her call.

“I’m sooooo happy!” Fluttershy said as she gently picked her up and wrapped her into a winged hug. Gabby approached from the other side, adding her own wings to the embrace while another Raichu slid between their wings to wrap forepaws around her belly. The mare, pokemon and griffon nuzzled her from two sides.

In any other circumstances Nica would be overjoyed. Wing hugs were favorite and she loved Fluttershy and Gabby’s company. What she experienced now was the biggest and warmest wing-hug in her life... so why did it feel so dull?

“Nica, is something wrong?”

She looked at Fluttershy with tears escaping from her eyes, her stare devoid of emotion.

“Please, say something. Are you in pain, hungry, thirsty? Why do you look so sad?”

Nica looked away, not bothering to respond. Her body felt heavy and as if pierced by numerous needles. Even if her dream was a lie, even if everything that Darkrai showed her was fake, it still wounded her fragile little heart. She couldn't help it but sob as the warmth of Fluttershy and Gabby she sensed didn’t bring her any joy.

“Maybe she’s hungry,” Pinkie said as she pulled cupcake from her tail, presenting it to the critter. “Go on, chew up. I want to see that dreamy smile again.”

Nica kept staring at the cupcake before shaking her head.

“No cupcake… how about a creamy cake?” Pinkie vanished in a cloud of dust, only to dash into the room with a slice of cake on a plate balanced on her tail. Rich white cream with strawberry on top. She smelled the cake “Mmmmm… looks so gooood” before presenting it to the critter with her forehooves.

With a slow movement of her trembling paw, she pushed the plate away.

Pinkie gasped. “This… is terrible! Hugs, sweets, you love them, why can’t you smile?” Her puffy mane lost some of its brightness and puffiness, and her ears drooped. She placed the plate with the cake slice on the table, lowered her head, and rubbed the floor with a hoof.

the other Raichu said from her spot on the bed, her eyes filled with concern and her ears drooped.

Applejack and Rainbow Dash grit their teeth.

Starlight lowered her head.

Apple Bloom approached and looked up into her eyes as she was still in Fluttershy’s embrace. “Miss Nica…”

Nica looked down at the filly as her mind barely registered her presence.

“Miss Nica… Ah wanted... Ah wanted to thank you.” Apple Bloom stood or her rear hooves while placing her forehooves on Fluttershy’s foreleg. Her eyes now on level with Nica’s. “Ya were always so nice, always energetic and helpful. But when Ah saw ya jump to mah rescue when Ah thought Ah would never see mah family ever again… ya saved me.” Her eyes watered. “Ah owe ya mah life, and Ah’m really sorry ya were chewed by that mean monster.”

Nica kept looking with an emotionless stare, yet her mind provided her with a memory of sharp teeth squeezing her body and leg. Even now her rear leg hurt the most as it refused to move.

“Family is important for us Apples, and ya kept us safe,” Apple Bloom said.

Applejack lowered her head and spoke up, “If somethin’ happened to mah little sis… Ah… thank ya. In mah eyes, yer like part of the family now.”

“Like another older sister. Thank you big sis. Ya saved Winona too. She’s family too,” Apple Bloom said while displaying the brightest smile she could muster. She nuzzled Nica’s cheek. The dog approached, stood on rear paws and licked her nose.

Nica kept looking at the cheerful filly, sensing a strong aura of gratefulness. The way the filly spoke, the way she looked back at her… it felt as if she did something meaningful. A little smile grew on her face, if only for a few seconds. Her shattered heart mending a little.

“She smiled,” Pinkie said with a wide grin as she clapped her forehooves.

Noticing the smile, Starlight approached and looked Nica in the eyes. “Don’t you see. Thanks to you Darkrai and Chrysalis didn’t conquer us. The curse that Darkrai spread will soon be gone and we now know how to deal with him. Equestria and our families are safe thanks to you, you’re the real hero!”

An emotionless stare remained for a moment before being replaced with a smile, this one slightly bigger than the last.

Starlight felt a warm feeling in her chest. It was obvious that Nica’s spirit was broken and body was weak, but there was a chance for recovery. Being helpful and making best use of her power gave Nica purpose in her life. If they could help her realize how much she had accomplished, it would aid to her recovery.

“Lady Nica, due to the chaos we ended up facing, I completely forgot to inform you that Miss Coco sent a letter,” Rarity said, opening her saddlebag. She unwrapped the letter with her magic and levitated in front of her face. “I quote: Dear Nica, I hope you are doing well and I wish you the best of the best. Thanks to your hard efforts, my little store turned from a complete disaster into a success, and young Leaf is more than happy to work for me and is proving a very capable sweetheart. We’re happy together. He still has some old behaviours as just yesterday he stole a pocket watch from a customer, so I scolded him and asked him to apologize. Not that I can blame him, being raised and used by shady gang didn’t leave the best example. I am even considering adoption, but it is a heavy decision to make.”

Rarity looked at the letter in confusion. “Leaf? Adoption… I will need to visit Miss Coco and hear the full story.”

“Keep reading,” Starlight said as she observed Nica’s smile.

Rarity nodded and cleared her throat. “Thanks to you, the most dangerous part of Manehattan became much more peaceful and ponies living there no longer need to fear of being burned along with their house. I and Leaf, we would like to thank you from the bottom of our hearts and we hope you are doing well. Please visit us sometime, and if you do, I would really like to make you a new jacket. Best wishes, Your former boss, Coco Pommel.”

A weak giggle escaped Nica’s mouth, which in turn brought relief to Starlight.

Fluttershy and Gabby wrapped their wings around Nica once more, who nuzzled them back in return.

“Sooooo cuteeee…” Sweetie Belle said in low tone as she held her forehooves on her own cheeks.

Mr. Patrick climbed up Gabby’s leg and wing before reaching Nica’s face and nuzzling her nose.

The cheerful barking of Winona filled the room.

Their happy interaction were interrupted by a weak quake.

“Excuse me.” Everyone looked towards Windy Whistle who flew inside through the window. “I’m really sorry for interrupting the moment, but I thought you may be interested in a dark figure gathering magic on top of this castle.”

The door shot open as Twilight Velvet ran in. “A few pokemon, the ones that beams of magic don’t work against, are loose inside the castle.” She glanced at Twilight and asked, “I think we can handle them, but you don’t mind if I pull a few pillars from your castle and slam them against the enemy?”

Twilight rolled her eyes. “As long as you’ll leave at least four in each hallway. It would be bad if the ceiling fell on our heads.”

Applejack stomped. “No time for jokes. What do we do, Twilight?”

“Isn’t that obvious!” Starlight shouted, stomping as all pair of eyes were now on her. “Rarity, Pinkie, Applejack, go and help our parents deal with the intruders. You can’t fly so best fight inside the castle.”

“S-sure, Ah can do that,” Applejack said.

“I wish we still had the help from those bear-like pokemon, but I shall do my best,” Rarity commented.

“Can I help?” Gabby asked as she tapped her talons together.

Twilight nodded. “You proved very tough during the Canterlot battle. If you’re willing to keep our families safe, I won’t stop you.”

Grabby screeched in happiness before shaking her tallon enthusiastically. “You can count on me, Princess. I don’t like hurting anyone, but I won’t allow them to hurt the ponies either. Crusader Gabby to the rescue!”

Starlight turned to Fluttershy, her eyes narrowed. “You, Dr. Fauna and Nica's mother, I need you to keep Nica and the fillies safe and in comfort.”

“S-sure,” Fluttershy said as she tightened her wing-hug over the long-tailed critter.

The other Raichu nodded.

Nica’s ears drooped and she looked at the floor in shame.

“The rest, with me. Once we capture Darkrai, this nightmare will finally be over,” Starlight said before vanishing in a flash of teleportation, reappearing at the top of the castle next to the fountain. Before her floated Darkrai with a large orb of magic in his hand, though this one way smaller than the one he had in Canterlot.

So you ponies came for me after all. Princess Luna told me as much, Darkrai’s voice echoed in Starlight’s mind.

Starlight stomped aggressively, rubbing the roof with her hoof. “I don’t care what motivates you or what kind of stupid taking over the world plan you came up with. I’m tired and annoyed of seeing how you keep torturing my friends. I’ll end it here and now.” Twilight Sparkle appeared next to her.

Rainbow Dash, Windy Whistles and Gabby flew up and hovered in mid-air.

That’s alright with me. Princess Luna told me in the dream domain that I lost my last chance of victory and that I cause suffering for nothing, so I made a decision. He showed the magic gathered in his hand. I drained whatever magic was left in the ponies I cursed. I will attack as long as Nica is in no condition to stop me. No retreating, no more acting from the shadows. Either I defeat you and take everyone in this castle as hostages and next overthrow your princesses in Canterlot, or I’ll fall trying. Victory or defeat, no turning back. He narrowed his eyes. If I emerge victorious, I will send Nica back to her world whether she likes it or not. She's in no condition to resist me.

Starlight grinned. “Would you like to hear something funny and sad at the same time?”

Darkrai blinked.

“We were willing to convince Nica to accept your offer in order to stop her suffering. All the torture you put her through in her dream, it was all for nothing in more ways than one,” Starlight commented with anger clear in her voice.

Darkrai kept staring at her before massaging his forehead and next started staring at the horizon in distance.

Starlight expression softened a little as her enemy didn’t make any move. There seemed to be hesitation… and regret, in the way Darkrai was acting. He had a few opportunities to get rid of Nica back when she was still lacking most of her memories and couldn’t defend herself. “You know, I would feel bad for you if I didn’t hate you. Now, will you step down and surrender, or do we need to do it the hard way?”

Darkrai shook his head. Don’t say foolish things, pony. I went too far in order to achieve my ambition. You expect me to believe you and those I hurt would extinguish their flames of hatred so easily? He tightened his other fist and shook it. No, this battle need to last until one side can fight no more.

Chapter 40 - Combat and Diplomacy

Lost Little Raichu

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Chapter 40
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Combat and Diplomacy

Starlight grinned. “Would you like to hear something funny and sad at the same time?”

Darkrai blinked. Why was this pony interested in jokes before a battle that would decide the fate of their country?

“We were willing to convince Nica to accept your offer in order to stop her suffering. The torture you put her through in her dream, it was all for nothing in more ways than one,” Starlight commented with anger clear in her voice.

Darkrai kept staring at her before massaging his forehead. His ambition, his plan to bring pokemon to Equestria and share the gift of magic with them as they would form a nation of their own. All beyond his reach. And now it turns out that the ponies were willing to convince the Raichu to accept his offer and return home. All the torture he put his saviour through, all meaningless?

He started staring at the horizon in distance. His conviction, his determination to accomplish his goal had been weakening with each encounter with Nica. Everytime he made her suffer, part of him felt regret and guilt. Even after offering pokemon a chance to improve and become something greater didn’t seem to win their loyalty as they turned against each other. What if Luna was right? What if his failure at conquering Canterlot took away his opportunity to take over Equestria, and his efforts afterwards were meaningless?

Starlight’s expression softened a little as she stared at him curiously. “I would feel bad for you if I didn’t hate you. Now, will you step down and surrender, or do we need to do this the hard way?”

Darkrai shook his head. Don’t say foolish things, pony. I went too far in order to achieve my goal. You expect me to believe that you and those I hurt would extinguish their flames of hatred so easily if I simply surrendered? He tightened his other fist and shook it. No, this battle needs to last until one side can fight no more.

“Stop!”

Darkrai turned towards the source of the voice and raised his hand over his forehead, noticing two more figures descending from the sky.

“Your mentor who summoned you, Chrysalis, is in our custody. Forget what she taught you and cease fighting,” Thorax said as he hovered above the ground, his horn aimed and charged.

“Thorax had told me what you have been doing all this time,” Cadance said as a blue aura surrounded around her horn. “I hurried to Ponyville as quickly as I could to aid my sister in law. I had no idea I would encounter you so quickly.”

Darkrai narrowed his eyes. He raised his hand, charging ‘Dark Pulse’ before unleashing it.

“Cadance, watch out!” Twilight shouted as she launched herself into the air.

Cadance raised a bubble over herself and her changeling ally as the wall of black flames scattered against it.

What? Darkrai thought in shock. This wasn’t an ordinary barrier which melted upon contact with dark magic, but something that resisted it.

“Thank you,” Thorax said before shooting a green fireball towards Darkrai’s dark orb of gathered magic. Darkrai's attempt to evade failed as two pegasi grabbed both of his hands, keeping them in place with all their might.

The moment the gathered magic vanished in green flames, Darkrai felt cold as the lower part of his body ended up covered by ice. He glanced behind, seeing two beams of freezing magic immobilizing him. With a wave of his hand, he summoned ‘Dark Void,’ which caught Twilight and Starlight, leaving them deep asleep as the alicorn slammed into the roof with her head and belly. Perfect, now all I need is to use the move ‘Nightmare’ on them and next recover my wounds with ‘Dream Eater.’ His plan was ruined as a large surge of pain overcame his chest. Cadance’s beam of magic caused even more damage than Celestia’s spell.

Rainbow Dash and Whindy Whistle grabbed both Twilight and Starlight, taking them out of his reach.

Cadance’s magic… it feels as if I was fighting a fairy type. What makes her more dangerous than Luna is that she can not only take the hit, but dish it too. This I didn’t predict. He looked at his hands. Losing most of gathered magic was also unexpected. Those creatures kept improving their strategy with each battle and are finding weaknesses of my magic. Summoning black flames, he burned away the ice and made a hole in the ceiling before levitating into the castle.

Using the shadows of the hallway, he hid his presence, waiting for the alicorn to pass by. He started passing door after door while hearing the noise of battle between his servants and the parents of the Element Bearers.

“Are you sure they’ll be alright?”

“Of course they will. Rainbow Dash is with them.”

Darkrai turned his attention towards a nearby closed door. I can no longer afford to take any chances and underestimate my opponents. Hostages will give me the edge I need. After charging an orb of power in his left hand, he slammed the door with his right hand and levitated inside, hearing the screams of panicked ponies.

Three fillies grabbed and held each other, trembling.

The pegasus responsible for taking care of animals held Nica with her forelegs. She covered her with her wings protectively. “S-stay away…”

Dr. Fauna took a fighting stance with an angered dog growling by her side.

Another Raichu jumped from the bed, landing ahead of doctor and the dog. Her eyes narrowed as bolts of electricity were escaping not just from her cheeks but also from her tail.

You’ll serve me as hostages. Cooperate and no harm will come to you, Darkrai spoke in each mind as he raised hand, charging up a dark orb in preparation for an attack.

Nica pushed herself from Fluttershy’s embrace, yelping in pain while landing on her face. She pushed herself to a standing position with three trembling legs before raising her tail defensively. She grit her teeth as her tail shone in a metallic grey for a few seconds before returning back to normal.

Nica's mother said before unleashing 'Thunderbolt,' aiming for the black orb. Darkrai blocked the electricity with his other hand, not allowing it to destroy his means of attack. A small burn appeared on his arm.

Darkrai looked at the hostile Raichu. You call this an attack? You may be her mother, but your power is nothing in comparison.

Nica's mother jumped towards his arm, grabbing and biting it with her teeth before attacking with another 'Thunderbolt' as a bright spectacle forced the ponies to cover their eyes.

I summoned you and I can send you away, begone! With a shake of his hand, Darkrai pushed the Raichu onto the floor, whose strength wasn’t big enough to even hold to his arm. It became obvious that this Raichu didn’t experience many battles. With a snap of his fingers, he summoned small rune under the inexperienced pokemon.

Raichu looked turned towards her daughter, stretching her forepaw towards her, vanishing from the room. The rune on the floor disappeared as well.

Nica growled before once again attempting to call upon her 'Iron Tail,' losing balance as the result. She stood up on her three trembling legs before gritting her teeth. Small bolts of electricity appeared on her cheeks and disappeared just as quickly. Her breathing hastened as great suffering was painted on her face.

Darkrai struggled not to look away. The very pokemon who saved him in the past and ruined his recent plans was still willing to defend the ponies. To make matters worse, her body was covered in bruises from top to bottom, her tail and body mangled and dry, sapped of energy, while one rear leg was lying flat on the floor. Her eyes were like a bridge into her soul showing nothing but pain and desperation. Those were the eyes of a broken pokemon, both physically and mentally.

You do realize that you’re standing by your willpower alone. I drained your life-essence while invading your dream, something I didn’t do intentionally but had no control over. He levitated closer and aimed his dark orb. No pokemon would dare to fight in such a condition, let alone remain conscious. There’s no more power in you that improves your durability. In the worst case scenario you’ll die. In the best… your tail will melt permanently. Are you still willing to defy me in such a shape?

Nica glanced at her tail in worry, observing it for a few seconds before narrowing her eyes. She looked back at him and nodded. She took a few quick breaths, Another breath. Her body shook left and right as she nearly lost her balance, using her tail for support before raising it defensively again.

And you’re willing to sacrifice even your own tail? Darkrai asked, each of Nica’s words draining away his motivation to fight.

Nica gulped. Her clenched forepaws trembled as her voice alone showed signs of suffering.

Apple Bloom jumped in front of Raichu. “Nica saved mah life. If ya want to hurt her, ya need to go through me!”

Fluttershy rounded them both and spread her wings protectively as her body was shaking in fear. “I won’t let you hurt her anymore, you meany. She protected us all this time, now it is my turn to protect her. I won’t let you melt her cute long tail she loves using so much!”

Darkrai levitated backward, staring back in confusion. Were those ponies really willing to sacrifice their own life to protect a pokemon. Wasn’t she just a pet to them?

“Leave Nica alone!”

Darkra levitated to the side, evading Applejack’s slam as the mare pressed her hooves into the floor, stopping in front of him.

“Ah owe mah sister’s life to Nica. Ya’ll get to them over mah dead body!” Applejack shouted, her fur covered in cuts which added to the intimidation factor.

Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo stepped from behind Fluttershy hesitantly, sitting next to Apple Bloom.

Dr. Fauna gulped, too afraid to move. Winona didn’t show any signs of fear as she barked at Darkrai, now standing next to Applejack.

Mr. Patrick climbed up Winona, hissing at him from the top of her head.

Darkrai’s hand started to tremble. Was he wrong about the ponies? It was nothing like Chrysalis described them. Thus far they proved themselves so much different then Chrysalis, fighting side by side with the pokemon rather than command her to do the dirty work, and now they lined themselves to protect her. He slammed his fist against the wall as it cracked from the impact. Was there any point to his conquest anymore?

Nica rounded the ponies, pulling her broken leg as she looked at him with a firm stare. There seemed to be a flame of determination lit in her oval pupils.

What are you talking about?

Nica’s body started to shake as Applejack supported her with her shoulder.

Darkrai mentally sighed. I admit, I start believing more and more that my conquest is no longer achievable. This is my final stand. Either I achieve my goal or fall trying.

Nica shouted as tears fell down her cheeks. She pointed accusingly before tilting forward, but the farm mare kept her from falling over.

Darkrai levitated forward, which alerted Applejack and her dog. I don’t want to fight a lost war. I don’t want to hurt when conquest is out of reach, but I can’t turn back. Ponies will never forgive me. They’ll hunt me relentlessly. I caused too much harm to make peace.

Nica lowered herself to three legs and forced a step forward, not daring to take her eyes away him. She took a deep breath.

Fluttershy gulped and nodded. “Nica speaks the truth.” She held forehoof on her chest. “Make the first step and stop fighting, forgiveness and peace isn’t yet out of reach.”

Applejack gasped. “What? Ya kiddin’, ya want to forgive this monster after he tried to kill our families?”

Fluttershy shot Applejack an angered glare. “Nica is the one who begs for it. I know it is hard, but at least try to hold back your anger for her. Let’s get this nightmare behind us.”

Applejack frowned. “Ugh… fine.”

Darkrai narrowed his eyes as he glanced between ponies and next looked down at the determined pokemon. Am I to believe that you will forgive me too?

Nica grit her teeth as more tears fell down her cheeks.

“I found him!” Rainbow Dash shouted as she landed at the entrance, the damaged door was lying on the floor. “Hey, leave Fluttershy alone!”

I hate to fight a lost cause, so I’ll consider your words, Nica, but I refuse to be contained. He charged what was left of his magic and slammed into the floor, creating a summoning star-shaped rune. The floor flashed with a bright light. Instead of summoning multiple weak servants or creating a portal that could summon an army permanently, he put everything into bringing in the strongest dark-type pokemon his magic could afford.

A four pawed dark creature with shining golden rings painted on his body appeared in the room.

Darkrai raised his hand at the pegasus before him. Umbreon, I command you to clear my path and distract my pursuers as I withdraw from this castle.

The Umbreon glanced at him before examining his surroundings, his eyes now fixated on the injured dry Raichu.

Nica blinked in confusion. She tried to walk forward but lost balance instead, hitting the floor unceremoniously with her face. She continued crawling while pulling one leg behind.

Umbreon ran over and licked her cheek. His glanced at the broken leg as his panicked face shifted into one of pure rage. He growled.

“What’s goin’ on?” Applejack asked, earning a hostile glare from the dark creature. Winona hid behind her in an instant and whimpered in fear.

“Umbreon and Nica know each other,” Fluttershy said. “He wants to know who hurt her friend.”

Applejack grinned and pointed at Darkrai. “If yer angry, look behind ya. This dark monster tried to break yer friend over and over, even hurtin’ her in her dream.”

Umbreon looked Nica in the eyes.

Umbreon turned around and glared back with pure rage.

What are you doing. I commanded you to clear my path. Obey.

Without hesitation, Umbreon howled as toxins escaped his body, assaulting Darkrai who raised his hands defensively. Everyone ran for cover as ‘Dark Pulse’ smashed Darkrai through the wall into the hallway.

With a desperate shake of his hand, Darkrai banished his summon, feeling weakness in his body. The ‘Toxic’ attack drained his lifeforce with each passing second.

“Wow…” Dash said before glancing at Raichu. “Your friend?”

Nica nodded.

Dash trembled. “Ssshhhh… you have scary and strong friends. Remind me not to get on their bad side.”

Nica glanced at Fluttershy, raising her forepaw in her direction.

Fluttershy nodded, picking her up before flying outside.

Seeing as Darkrai was levitating towards the shadows, Nica shouted,

Darkrai turned around, staring back with an aura of guilt and resignation still as strong as before. What seemed new however was fear. Being attacked by a dark-type pokemon certainly caught him off guard. Again and again I was proven that I was wrong about ponies, and torturing you makes me sick. Whatever it is worth, I’m sorry.

If they won’t try to hunt me, I will leave them alone.

Nica shouted.

Darkrai a held hand on his chest. I swear!

Nica forced a smile, watching as Darkrai once again levitated towards the shadow.

“Wait!” Fluttershy called. “Where is Discord?” She waited for an answer. “Well… you better!”

Rainbow Dash rubbed back of her neck in confusion. “We aren’t letting him go, are we?”

Darkrai vanished in the shadows of the hallway, disappearing from their sight just a moment before a large group arrived.

“Where’s Darkrai?” Starlight asked as she stomped against the floor.

“He vanished in darkness and stuff,” Dash pointed out.

“In this case, a magical scan should reveal his location,” Starlight said as her horn lit, so did Twilight’s.

“Please, don’t,” Fluttershy said, receiving confused stares. “Nica convinced him to no longer bother anypony or try to conquer Equestria, as long as we won’t try to hunt him.”

“Are you kidding?” Starlight asked before looking Nica in the eyes. “You seriously want us to let him go?”

She nodded before looking Fluttershy in the eyes and spreading her forepaws.

“Is something wrong? Do you need something?” Fluttershy asked.

Nica said between breaths. She felt warmth once again fill her broken heart as soft wings pressed against her back while her face was pressed into Fluttershy’s fluffy chest.

After half a minute of pure pleasure, she was placed on Fluttershy’s spread wing where she perched herself, curling into a ball with the exception of her broken leg which she didn’t dare to touch. All suffering, mind games, fighting, stress, depression, dangers… she could finally put it all behind her. She was sooo done. The only thing she wished for now was a peaceful rest.

The feeling of soft feathers touch her broken aching body being the best experience she had all day, as if jumping into a poll of water after spending a week on the desert without drinking a single drop of water, which in fact she experienced in her recent nightmare.

The group gathered around Nica, who finally earned her blissful rest. A few small cuts were present on Gabby, Rarity and Applejack.

“Soooo… that’s really it… no more fighting?” Twilight asked. “I mean… I’m always up for a peaceful solution, but it just seems too good to be true.”

Fluttershy smiled warmly. “Oh, but it is true. I saw it with my own eyes. When Nica started talking with Darkrai, he was losing the will to fight. He really did care about her.”

“Ah still think he deserves a solid beatin’, and Ah wouldn’t trust him as much as Ah could kick him,” Applejack said before shooting the long-tailed critter a pitiful glance. “But Ah trust Nica. If he’ll leave her alone, Ah’ll try to ignore his attempt to crush mah family with monsters.”

“All's well that ends well,” Rarity pointed out. “I believe that Darkrai lost his chance to take over during battle in Canterlot, but he could not accept it. Now with no hope for victory he should leave us alone, I hope.”

Starlight stomped. “I still wish I could make him pay, but if he really cared about Nica, his actions must have been hard for him.” She groaned. “Still, I’ll not forgive him anytime soon. He should have learned when to give up a long time ago.”

“I dunno, it took a while before you learned when to give up, Starlight,” Dash said, receiving annoyed frown in response. “Kidding, kidding.”

Cadance embraced Twilight with her wing. “I’m really sorry that you had to deal with someone dangerous and I didn’t help. I just wish somepony told me sooner.”

Twilight sighed. “I know I should have informed you… but you and my B.B.B.F.F. are running an entire Empire, and it would become an easier target if you left it. Until recently I didn’t even have the idea that your magic would give us such an advantage.” She glanced at the tall changeling. “Thanks Thorax. Your timing and initiative couldn’t be better.”

Thorax smiled sheepishly, raised forehoof up to his face to hid little blush and chuckled. “T-thanks. I’m glad I could be helpful.” He looked at the sleeping pokemon in sadness. “I wish I could’ve been there for Nica when she needed it. She helped my swarm so much, the least I could do is to keep her from harm.”

Gabby wrapped her wing over Thorax and nuzzled his cheek. “I know what you mean. I wish I could do more than I did, but we got a happy ending. Let’s forget the bad and cheer for the good.”

Pinkie’s smile widened. “Girls, you know what it means?” She stood on her rear hooves and spread her forelegs, throwing confetti over the group. “It calls for a party!”

“Ssshhh…” Apple Bloom shook her head. “Nica needs quiet as she’s sleeping. Ah’ll pick up the blanket."

“Sorry…” Pinkie responded, whispering, "a party."

Fluttershy chuckled as the pokemon perched on her wing received a yellow blanket with apples inscribed onto it. Patrick the rat climbed up her foreleg and perched himself on the blanket covering Nica’s back. “Soooo…. cute.”

“Sweet dreams,” Pinkie said before delivering a quick little kiss on the pokemon’s cheek.

Darkrai peeked from the shadow of a tree as no pony seemed to pursue him. The toxins on his body slowly weakening, so did the pain he felt. So she convinced them after all. It seems the ponies are more understanding than I gave them credit for. It seems listening to Chrysalis was a mistake after all. He raised his hand towards the friendship castle. The seal I put on you, I have no more use for it. Let it be my first step to apologize. He raised his hand up to the part of his body which covered his face. I wonder… maybe pokemon and ponies can live together without being exploited like they are with the humans. Maybe they can improve with magic with peaceful means. I… I have much to think about.

Without any more delays, he levitated towards Canterlot with crystal cavern being his destination. It was his home in this world after all, what better place to plan his next move. One thing was certain, exploiting ponies was no longer an option. Perhaps I should explore this world and learn it’s secrets and magics with peaceful means.

Nica felt a surge of memories returning, as if a veil covering her past was lifted in an instant. Her and her trainer’s attempt to fight the corruption in Kanto and Johto, preparation for the supreme tournament.

Each participant at least once in their career defeated the whole Elite Four. Did they still hold their title of the champion or lost, it didn’t matter as only strong pokemon, clever strategies and experience were placed in the battlefield.

Astra’s team wasn’t behind the competition as each pokemon was with her through her entire journey from the moment of their capture, only occasionally swapped as she tried to give everyone a chance. The team itself proved small enough to receive proper training and gain a lot of experience, yet vast enough for each member to be strategically swapped depending on the opponent in the next round.

The rules of supreme tournament weren’t as simple. Each qualified participants ended up facing nine random opponents, after which the judges chose sixteen or eight best candidates. The less lost battles and the better performance and display of skill and power, the higher their change. This time the roster of participants wasn’t big, resulting in eight trainers getting into round two.

No matter how bad the situation, Nica gave it her all, not daring to drop from pain or exhaustion until the victory was assured. Their dream depended on it.

After gaining the title of ‘Pokemon Master,’ Astra’s first public announcement was warning about the growing influence of criminal organizations and the danger they possessed, encouraging all Elite Four members to use their skills and strong teams to actively protect their region and pokemon trainers from dangers.

In a world filled with pokemon, the title of the Pokemon Master proved to have heavy weight, giving her easier access to important intel, cooperation with gym leaders, Elite Four and champions, and even with the police.

Of course, becoming the Pokemon Master meant that the title of the champion in Sinnoh was open, which was taken by Flint, and soon was won by a female trainer with Garchomp as her lead.

Gaining more power and influence only motivated Nica and Astra to work harder as they struggled to clean the names of the Guardians, which higher ups from Kanto and Johto police resisted in order to save their own skin, resulting in big distrust between Pokemon Master and police in these two regions.

Yet despite their efforts, one thing kept repeating itself. No matter how much damage and how many elite members of criminal organizations they defeated and locked in prison, a less experienced trainer who still didn’t win a single tournament, put an end to Team Magma and Team Aqua by stopping their master plan.

No matter how much they accomplished in protecting the world from danger. It pales when compared to the achievement of Ash Ketchum, his friends and partner, who again and again interacted with legendary pokemon. Each disaster ended before Astra and Nica even reached them.

Each time a weaker and less experienced trainer managed to accomplish the impossible, always being in the right time and right place, it hurt their pride. The feeling of worthlessness deepened as they both felt incompetent in comparison.

It didn’t mean that Ash was the only with such adventures as Astra and Nica interacted with Palkia and Dialga, stopping a disaster in different timeline or in another dimension. Not that it was anywhere near the accomplishments of the weaker trainer.

One day the powerful duo summoned them into a cave filled with crystals, informing about Darkrai’s disappearance and important mission that would follow.

“So let me get this straight,” Astra said as she stood tall in front of two legendary pokemon, each having very long neck and tail. Their body looking as if partially covered by armor. “A few months ago you felt a big disturbance, which was followed with disappearance of Darkrai. Your long investigation lead you to leftovers of dimensional portal and after two months you managed to track down the way to another world?”

Nica looked at her trainer while listening with full attention. With both legendary pokemon using telepathy, she could only guess what they responded in her trainer’s mind.

“You both traveled to this new world, but your attempt to investigate created panic instead.” Astra placed her hands on her hips. “I’m not surprised, Darkrai is really good at hiding. No wonder it took the pokemon hunters so long to track him down.”

Dialga screeched, as if confirming her statement.

“Unable to find him, you traveled into the past and next into the future in search for clues, only to discovered that the entire nation has been taken over by pokemon with Darkrai as the new ruler. To make matters worse, he had unimaginable power, a power you’ve never seen before?”

Nica’s ears drooped. Could this be the same Darkrai she once saved. What would make him enslave an entire nation?

“You both tried to reason with him, and he swore to one day return to this world and free pokemon from enslavement.” She pointed at both giants. “You tried to take him back by force, but with his newly gained power, he overpowered the both of you?”

Nica raised forepaw up to her mouth, gasping. While Darkrai was a legendary pokemon, his power was nowhere near Palkia and Dalgia. She herself, while capable of facing mega-evolved pokemon and even legendaries like Regirock, Entai and others, she would still have a lot of difficulty defeating Palkia or Dalkia on her own, and no chance at all if they teamed up. What kind of power was hiding in this different world?

Astra chuckled. “I must say, I feel honored that you would task my partner with such an important mission. However, I can’t help but wonder if one of Ash’s pokemon wouldn't be a better choice? He has proven himself again and again after all.” She narrowed her eyes. “W-what… no… of course I trust my partner. I trust her with my life. I’m… I’m just pointing out other alternatives.”

Nica lowered her head and tapped her forepaws together. No matter how hard she worked, her hero would always surpass her. To make matters worse, it turned out that Ash wanted to become the Pokemon Master, it was his biggest wish, and while he didn’t beat a single Elite Four member thus far, there was a chance he would one day challenge them. The idea of standing in the way of a superior trainer’s dream, more or less facing her hero in combat, made her feel terrible, yet she knew that holding back against them would only hurt their pride.

In the end she and her trainer weren’t interested in fame but pursued power and ways to use said power to protect those who couldn’t defend themselves. Weakening crime organizations and helping legendary pokemon in danger was their biggest desire, yet their motivation proved enough for them to defeat the best trainers in the world and acquire title they didn’t care about.

Ash Ketchum on the other side, his top goal was to become the Pokemon Master, but instead of winning tournaments and besting the Elite Four, he again and again interacted with legendary pokemon and kept the world safe.

There was nothing in the world she and Astra wished for more than to accomplish half the superior trainer did.

“Hey, Nica!”

The long-tailed critter looked at her trainer, now awoken from her thoughts. “Yes?”

“It turned out that while Palkia can send other pokemon into this new world, the travel itself is incredibly dangerous. Even for legendary pokemon, going into this other world will leave them very drained and injured. Sending ordinary pokemon would result in flattening them upon their arrival.”

Nica stomped and raised her clenched forepaw.

Astra glanced at the legendary pokemon for a moment and nodded before looking at her again. “Long story short, since we worked together with them in the past, they’re trusting you with this task. You need to investigate this new world, gather clues, earn the trust of its residents and warn them. Stop Darkrai and capture him if possible.”

Nica nodded, staring back with a growing determination.

“The reason why they chose you is due to your extreme survivability, your experience in dealing with criminals, and independence. You’ll go on this mission alone, so your thinking and skills will be necessary. Also, unlike Palkia and Dialga, your cute appearance is more trustworthy, which will make it easier to get residents of this world to cooperate. Your ability to write may come in handy too. After two months of time, Palkia will arrive in this other world and look into your progress or to take you back.”

Suddenly, she was wrapped in a hug.

“This isn’t forced upon you. If you wish, you can refuse, but if you’re really willing to do this mission on your own, remember this, I’m proud of you. You have become everything I had hoped for. Even if we aren’t anything special, I’m still happy how far we got.”

Nica wrapped her forepaws around her trainer’s neck. Together or separated, she was going to work as hard as she can. She was powerful after all, the idea of not being useful with all her power was unimaginable. Even if she could never accomplish half as much as her hero, an opportunity to protect an entire country was like the most precious treasure. When she’ll return, she will finally be able to raise her head in pride.

Nica opened her eyes and pushed to a sitting position, overflowing with energy. Did she sleep one night or an entire week she couldn’t tell but what she felt was indescribable. As if changing from a dry flower into a well-watered tree, or as if her body was tore apart, only to put together better than before. Even after recovering from her training when she pushed herself to near-death didn’t made her feel so revitalized.

A lot still weighed on her heart, the pain of betrayal where ponies she tried to protect hurt her, or the vision of her friends and even kind Fluttershy being mean to her, but it balanced itself thanks to her success. Due to her efforts, she played a big role in saving a nation, nearly crushed by the obstacles before her. Losing her memories and ending up at Darkrai’s mercy wasn’t part of the plan, but despite her drawback, she pulled through.

After a round of stretching, she noticed the blanket… most likely made by the Apple family, as well as a basket filled with apples, a few plates with sweets, muffins and cupcakes and a few best-wishes notes on the table.

She picked up a note and read aloud,

Nica picked another note, reading it aloud.

Nica felt tears sliding down her face. All pain and mental trauma she experienced… worth it… if only to read the grateful words of a single filly. Not that the Apples weren’t grateful to her before, but there was a difference hearing it while feeling as if her body was going to shut down at any moment, and reading it while recovered.

She picked up three more notes. she blinked, trying to read the unrecognizable words written in obvious haste and excitement. <Helping feels so great, am I right? And I hope in your case that despite all the hardship you faced, it was worth it in the end. As for me, I loved being helpful and I’m sad I couldn’t keep your from harm. Cheers, and keep looking forward to more wing-hugs and belly rubs in the near future, Gabby.” Nica chuckled, her griffon friend truly was a familiar spirit.

With a growing smile and warming heart, she read the last note.

Nica took a few quick breaths before nuzzling each and every note. She leaped from the bed and trotted on her two feet, no longer feeling pain with each step, only to stop upon noticing Pinkie Pie standing in the middle of the hallway.

“Nica, you’re awake!”

Nica smiled widely and ran at Pinkie, who grabbed her in mid-air with one foreleg and dashed towards the throne room, pushing her inside. The noise of an explosion put her on guard as she raised her tail defensively, only for confetti to fall onto her back and face. “Achoo!” she sneezed, shaking her head before seeing all of her friends inside the room with the rounded map. Get better signs and additional decoration filled the area. The most noticeable however was a massive strawberry cream-covered cake.

In a rush of excitement, Nica balanced herself on her rear feet and jumped, only to push herself from the roof with help of her tail before head slamming into the cake. The cream splashed over every quest as Nica’s head emerged from the cake as she licked her lip. A cheerful laughter filled the room.

Author's Note

And so this is the final chapter of this very long story.

For those who wanted to see Darkrai suffer for all he did, I appologise, but it isn't something that Nica would want. While she didn't forgive Darkrai, she prefer to end this conflict rather than punish the one who tortured her.

I also said there wouldn't be any more past-dreams, but I was a little mistaken as Darkrai removing memory seal form Nica resulted in her having one final rush of past memories.

The very next week I will upload Epilogue of this story and Prologue + chapter 1 of the sequel. Link to the sequel will be in author notes of the epilogue.

(I hope you all enjoyed this story, as long as it was, and I am looking forward to your comments. As for the sequel, it will once again focus on slice of life element, but I can tell you that Nica will finally be forced to face her humility and her inferiority complex in it and get a big character development as she will share main character spot with the very one she admires so much. I hope despite this story being so long, you'll still be willing to give the sequel a chance).

Cheers.

Epilogue (+Link to the sequel in author notes)

Little Lost Raichu

-

Epilogue

“Hey, Chrysalis. Wake up.”

The former changeling queen opened her eyes and pushed her tired body to a sitting position. Her once large and impressive bed was now a bed of leaves, her horn covered with green goo, and scarcely any magic at all flowed through her weakened body. “What… what do you want, Pharynx? Are you going to mock me again for my overconfidence?” She glanced at the black bars of her cell, feeling like a beast inside a cage and barely able to sneer.

"I would advise against celebrating just yet. It is only a matter of time before you are locked in a cage, and I look forward to the day when I can mock you for your poor choice of allies." She grinned. “Unless you will free me now and join my side. Then I may forgive your foolishness.”

Pharynx smirked. “Your summoned ally, Darkrai, failed to take over the Canterlot and failed to strike against the families of Element Bearers. After his attack on Twilight’s Castle, he gave up on his conquest entirely.” He tapped the cell bars with his forehoof.

Chrysalis eyes became wide. “You… you’re lying.”

“If you don’t believe me, why not sense my emotions?”

Chrysalis pushed herself to standing position while taking a fighting stance. “Why?!”

“Let’s just say one particular creature played a major role in stopping him.”

“Who?!” the former queen shouted.

“It will be easier if I showed you,” Pharynx said before surrounding himself in green flames. His tall body now replaced by a long-tailed fluffy creature.

Saliva sprayed from Chrysalis mouth as she flung herself against the bars, roaring in rage.

With a movement of his forepaw, Pharynx booped the queen’s muzzle. He withdrew it before it could be bitten and then shocked the queen with bolts of electricity.

“What are those?” Twilight asked, looking around the room in confusion. Several books, tattered and worn with torn pages and unpatched cuts on their covers, lay scattered around. Twilight Sparkle moved among the damaged books, picking them up with the greatest of care while trying to bring order to the mess. A note sticking out of one book caught her attention, and she muttered while she unfolded it, "If I ever catch whoever mistreated these books..."

As she read the note, a wide smile began to appear on her face, growing even larger when Spike and Starlight Glimmer walked into the room.

"What's with the mess?" asked Spike. "I don't remember our library having any books in this poor shape. Did you dig these up in the Castle of the Royal Sisters or something?"

“Not at all, these are Darkrai’s gifts,” Twilight said as she spread her wings. She stood on her rear hooves and clapped her forehooves. “There are also notes with guides of how to create a portal to the pokemon world. Do you know what it means?”

“R-res…”

“Research!” Twilight shouted enthusiastically, spreading her forehooves.

“Called it,” Spike said with crossed forearms as Starlight chuckled cheerfully.

“Thanks Fluttershy,” Discord said as he stepped from his cage and stretched his long thin limbs. He glanced at the tamed Cerberus, who licked Fluttershy affectionately before being rubbed on his cheek by her forehoof. Yet there seemed to be one more creature, one he never saw before and who was waaay too tiny and cute to be a resident of Tartarus. “And who’s your little companion.”

“She introduced herself as Nica. She’s a Raichu, one of a pokemon species from another world,” Fluttershy said before gently pushing the long-tailed critter forward. “Nica, this is one of my friends, Discord. A spirit of chaos and disharmony.”

Nica approached and balanced herself on her tail, raising herself to Discord’s hand before shaking it.

“Charmed,” Discord said before whispering to Fluttershy’s ear. “Another world? Did I miss something while I was locked in here?”

“Quite a lot,” Fluttershy said as she gestured for her him to follow her.

Discord frowned as he walked next to his friend, alongside the large three headed dog called Cerberus and a little fluffy critter with quite unique features. “I really don’t like when I can’t use my powers. Walking is so annoying.” He looked at his friend. “So, Fluttershy, what happened while I was away?” he asked, listening with full attention.

“A creature from the pokemon world, Darkrai, tried to take over Equestria in secret. Luckily, thanks to Nica, we defeated him in Canterlot before he could summon more pokemon to invade. He then tried to target our families and use me as hostages.”

“W-what?” Discord clenched his a claw. “Is this Darkrai a tall black figure commanding dark forces, speak in others minds and is not affected by power of this place?”

Fluttershy nodded.

“Not only did he lock me, he tried to hurt you and your family? The moment I get out of this place, I’ll make him pay.”

“Ummm… about that… He gave up on his ambition to take over Equestria, and when he told me where he locked you, he mentioned that he recreated armor from the darkstone and advised against any attempt of revenge. We also agreed to leave him alone.”

Discord’s head turned red and he spread his hands in anger. “Oh come on! Do everyone have some sort of anti-magic device those days? It’s really getting old.”

“Now what about you, how did you end up in Tartarus?” Fluttershy asked as she looked up at him with drooped ears and worry in her eyes.

Discord blushed and rubbed the back of his neck. “Well... about that… a few months ago I sensed a disturbance, the same I sensed when Tirek escaped. This time I was more than willing to lock him back in this place, but in the end it was a trap.”

“Trap?”

“Yes, a trap. Darkrai freed Tirek and used him. He just wanted to see how Tirek drained magic from ponies to create his own curse that would let him take ponies magic whenever he needed it. Together, they lured me to Tartarus.” He kicked a loose pebble. “And I took the bait. Apparently, in Tartarus all magic is disabled and all creatures from the outside are weakened depending on their size. No magical being or even the largest dragon can defeat Cerberus and escape this place as they become completely defenseless.” He groaned. “But this Darkrai, he had power not affected by this place.”

Fluttershy glanced at her own closed wings. “Oh… so that’s why I felt so much weaker ever since I came here, and my flight was so slow.” She glanced at Cerberus with a warm smile. “I’m lucky the big friendly doggy was nice enough to let me free you and even escort me. Thank you.”

Cerberus howled with middle head and wagged his tail.

Fluttershy looked at Raichu and added, “It seems this place doesn’t affect you, Nica. That’s good to know.”

Nica glanced at her own tail as it turned into a metallic grey. With a quick swing, she cut a nearby stone in half.

“What happened next?” Fluttershy asked.

Discord shrugged. “Isn’t it obvious. He locked me in this place and mocked me, saying that my magic is even weaker than the magic of an alicorn. He gave me this boring lecture how my chaotic magic is just strong against nearly everything, but everything has weaknesses, me included.”

She looked up at him.

“Why are you repeating your name over and over?” He glanced at Fluttershy. “Translation, please.”

“I will tell you later. What happened next?”

“He betrayed Tirek and locked him in his cell and then he left us to rot, and it was soooo boring!” The moment they left the Tartarus after Fluttershy said goodbye to the guarding three-headed dog, Discord flew into the air and shouted, “Yeeeessss, freedom at least!” Numerous fireworks shot in all direction. “I feel sooo much energy that I need to unleash! Oh, what to do, what to do."

“About that,” Fluttershy said, catching his attention. “I told Nica about you, and she asked if you can play with her in…. a specific way.”

“Specific way, do tell.”

“You see. Recently Nica regained all of her memories, and one of exercises she started doing with her trainer… long story… it was that her trainer would randomly attack her by surprise in various ways when she least expected it, all just to keep her on high alert so she wouldn't be caught off guard by criminals or assassins.”

“Yes, and?”

“You can teleport and summon whatever you want. She wishes to play with you and see if she can defend against your surprises. Just don’t go too hard on her,” Fluttershy said.

Nica turned around while charging her tail with power and shaking her forepaws in excitement.

Discord shrugged. “Sure, why not.” He snapped his claws as a tomato flew at Nica from behind, which splashed upon being hit by her metalic tail. He snapped his claw again as a sink fell from the sky, only to be cut in half, each part hitting the ground next to the little critter with a weak thump. “Okay, this is actually fun.”

Nica stood on her four paws and shot him a challenging glance.

Fluttershy watched with a happy smile as more objects started to fly at Nica from random directions. A piano ended up blown to pieces by electricity. A baseball bat with bat wings was intercepted by Nica’s tail as the pokemon did not feel comfortable slashing in half something that looked like a sentient object. A rain of beach balls fell from the sky as Nica zipped in between them. Forty tons of wood in the shape of a large ship fell from the sky… wait… a ship! Fluttershy bit her bottom lip and her tail shot upward from shock, only for Nica to strike the ship with ‘Volt Tackle,’ piercing through the wood while reaching the top of the crow’s nest. What was left of the ship crashed into the ground, creating a massive pile of wood and ship-fragments.

Discord laughed before summoning a pirate hat and eyepatch onto Nica’s head. “You’re good. I feel we’re going to be good friends.”

Nica laughed as well before running through the forest as numerous massive objects fell from the sky, each ended up evaded or destroyed by the enthusiastic pokemon. The earth trembled as each impact was stronger than the last.

Fluttershy lowered her head and shook it. Only Nica would find fun in evading Discord’s magic while not afraid of danger. Those two are going to get along sooo well.

“You’re still on it?” Starlight asked as she entered the room with a magical collar levitating by her side. “You have been working on that spell for a week.”

“I’m almost done… oh, I see you finished the translating collar for Nica. Great work,” Twilight said with a proud smile.

“Oh, this one? It’s just a spare copy. She really loved her previous collar and Darkrai melted it, so Rarity agreed to help me make two of them just in case,” Starlight said before pointing at it. “Electricity absorbing white gems, blue collar with yellow lightning in between each gem. Also, this new tag has ‘Nica’ written on it instead of ‘Raichu.’ Certainly an improvement.” Her ears drooped and she tapped her forehooves together. “Ummm… does she really need to leave us already?”

Twilight shrugged. “It is her decision. Maybe we can create a stable portal that will let her travel back and forth. She could visit us and we could visit her, but it’s her call after all.”

“Fair enough.”

Twilight nodded before gesturing over the library. “There are way too many books here that would be at risk. I made all the preparation in front of the castle.” She levitated the damaged book over, taking one last glance before returning it to the table. “I triple checked everything, the time has come. Let’s go.”

In a flash of teleportation, she appeared outside, her student joining her a moment later. “Let’s do this!” With one large white crystal supported against the grass and a star-shaped rune drawn on the ground, she focused, sending everything she had into the crystal in a steady stream of magic. Once her legs trembled and she wiped sweat from her forehead, she said, “And the final touch.” With a small beam shot towards the crystal, it shattered into several pieces, each levitating in random direction as one remained near the castle, turning into a portal.

“Ummm… should it scatter like that into multiple portals?” Starlight asked.

Twilight shook her head. “N-no, it was supposed to make only one.”

Suddenly, something fell down from the portal which vanished a moment later. A large grey bat-like creature with crab-claws instead of hands and scorpion-like tail landed before them.

Twilight and Starlight looked at each other, their eyes wide.

“That’s a lot of portals. Was this supposed to happen?” Starlight asked.

“Of course not!” Twilight responded in panic.

Starlight shrugged. “We’ll need to mass-produce lots of translating collars for this. I’ll go grab some gems from Maud and go to Rarity.” She vanished in a flash of teleportation.

Twilight stood on her rear hooves, spread her wings, raised a forehoof into the sky and shouted, “Darkrai!”

A tall black levitating creature looked at the sky from a damaged tower in the middle of the Everfree Forest and chuckled mentally. It seems my little surprise is out of the bag. Let’s find out if pokemon can indeed gain magic and cooperate with ponies by peaceful means. I’m certain Miss Nica will appreciate their company. Reading-glasses were present on his covered face and a book with skull inscribed on the cover was held by his hand.

He looked at one portal which opened nearby above the forest. From what I saw in her dreams, Nica always admired a pokemon she’d never met personally, only hearing of his achievements. All her humility and low self-esteem comes from comparing her and her trainer’s achievements to those of Ash and his partner. Blinded by it, she diminished her own worth.

He turned around, levitating deeper into the tower as he made his way downstairs, surrounded by pleasant darkness. I wonder, once she’ll meet the very idol she admires so much and see him for who he really is, will it cure her of humility, or will she end up filled with disappointment? Or maybe they’ll just have a good time. Whatever the case, I hope you’ll be having fun, Nica. Think of this opportunity to meet your idol as part of my apology to you. Enjoy.

Now in a darkened room, he lit up a candle, supported his body on a large pillow and opened his book. I must admit, even spreading nightmares or taking over a nation pales in comparison to a good lecture. He relaxed himself, enjoying the accommodation provided by the old castle. While some of it seemed to be renovated some time ago, there still seemed to be plenty of secret passages and rooms, a perfect creepy castle to spend his post-taking-over-the-world retirement with occasional exploration trips and search for mysterious artifacts.

The moment his little feet hit the ground with a weak thump, he examined his surroundings in confusion as many questions were born in his mind:

First, where is Ash and his other friends?

Second, why was he sucked into some sort of portal out of nowhere?

Third, why the surrounding trees looked nothing like the ones in the forest he visited so many times. Was he even still in the Alola region?

Trees with broken branches which were shaped like large hands and trunks in the shape of ghostly faces stared at him. Even bushes added to the spooky atmosphere with thorns growing from their branches. Was this forest haunted by ghost pokemon or something? Dealing with a Mimikyu was already challenging enough.

He lowered to his four paws and looked around, now on guard. Wherever this place was, it could be dangerous.

Author's Note

Thank you all for having patience to read so for into this story. I hope despite the leight and shift from Slice of Life into Dark/Adventure, it was still interesting to read. Please upvote if you have not (if this story deserve it) and leave a comment ( if you feel like it).

But most importantly, here is the link to the sequel where Nica will finally meet her idol and show your support for the series. (And no, this time prologue and epilogue are not the same. Prologue continue from where this epilogue ended but from perspective of a different character).

Special thanks to "georg" for last day proof-reading of the epilogue. And DrakeSlayer for pre-reading it.

Cheers.

Chapter 1 - First Contact

Little Lost Raichu

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Chapter 1

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First Contact

Fluttershy kept staring at the entrance into the Everfree Forest, deep in thought. Just two minutes ago ‘something’ appeared in the sky, followed by a loud tremor, yet it didn’t remind her of any of Discord’s tricks. “I hope no animal got hurt," she murmured, imagining a poor, helpless and injured creature in the dark forest in need of her help.

A rapid rustling from deep inside the forest made Fluttershy jump up, spread her wings, and hover above the grass, not too far as she wanted to be out of reach of whatever was heading in her direction but still close enough to help.

"P-please stop," she called out, which seemed to have no effect on the speed of the creature. A moment later, whatever it was burst out of the forest and dashed in a blurred cloud of dust and flying twigs. Before she could even blink, it was gone, and she fluttered down to the ground to check the trail. After all, something running that fast might have been injured, or maybe it could have been Rainbow Dash, although the athletic pegasus didn’t usually like to fly that close to the ground.

She landed and examined the trail, comparing her forehoof to the steps on the ground. “It couldn’t be Pinkie, this creature is way too small.”

“Hey, Fluttershy!”

Startled, she jumped to the side and looked up, sighing in relief at the sight of familiar faces. “Oh! Hello Twilight, Spike. You startled me.”

“I’m sorry,” Twilight said, landing in front of her.

“It’s alright. Are you here for the picnic?” she asked.

“About that…” Twilight rubbed back of her neck. “I’m really sorry, Fluttershy, but I need to investigate the phenomenon that took place above the Everfree Forest. Can we schedule our picnic for another time?”

“The portal is gone, Twilight, so there’s not much left to investigate,” Spike pointed out.

“True, but maybe there’re some traces left, or a witness,” Twilight responded.

“Witness? Great idea! We can ask a monster or two while they try to devour us,” Spike said sarcastically with crossed arms.

“Actually, this sounds like a really good idea, Spike, excluding the part with us being devoured," Fluttershy said, clapping her forehooves. “I heard a loud crashing and felt a tremor coming from the Manticore’s hunting ground, so we could ask one,” she said and pointed slightly to the left from the main entrance into the forest. The moment she glanced at her alicorn friend, she asked, “Ummm… Twilight, do you have glitter in your eyes?”

Twilight just kept staring with sparkling eyes, her teeth exposed in a wide smile that would send most of Ponyville's residents scurrying for cover. "That's great!” she shouted and grabbed Fluttershy in a quick hug, regardless of her friend's yelp of surprise.

"Twilight, I don't think–" Fluttershy's protests were cut off when Twilight flew up, bringing her friend along.

“Please, you have to lead me there. You calmed the Manticore once and you can ask if it saw something.”

“S-sure… but what about that little creature that came from the forest?”

Twilight released Fluttershy and gently levitated onto the ground. Looking down at her, she asked, “What creature?”

Fluttershy shrugged. “I’m not so sure, it ran really really fast,” she said and pointed at the horizon behind her. “The poor thing was running this way and seemed so frightened. Do you think it was scared by whatever crashed into the forest?”

Twilight flew up and glanced at the pointed direction, holding a forehoof above her eyes to protect them from the sun. She narrowed her eyes, noticing a small dust cloud moving across the numerous hills and in the general direction of Sweet Apple Acres.

Fluttershy flew up next to her friend. "Should we go see if we can help this creature, or do you think we should warn Applejack first?"

“Nah,” Twilight said with a dismissive shake of her foreleg. “Applejack is tough and capable. She can handle it,” she said before turning around and looking proudly at the Everfree Forest. “Let’s stop wasting time and investigate! You’re up for it, right Fluttershy?” she asked, hoping that her research won't lead them to an Equestria-ending threat.

“S-sure…” she said with a hesitant nod.

Raichu kept running as fast as her little legs could carry her, climbing or sliding down hills without a break.

Drops of sweat fell down her forehead, mixing with tears on her cheeks. Her eyes were closed as tears blurred most of her vision. Her breathing was fast but stable. Bruises, scratches, exhaustion and hunger didn't matter now, all overshadowed by a desire to escape death.

It took very little running before Raichu reached another forest, but these trees were far different than the ones she had just left behind. These were apple trees, filled to the leafy tops with ripe fruit.

Of course, it would’ve helped if she hadn’t run directly into one.

A loud crashing noise boomed through the air, followed by a long “Chuuuu!” muffled by the wood Raichu ended up stuck in.

It took a little bit to pull her head out of the tree she had struck, which was tilted to one side with a few roots sticking up out of the dirt behind her. Once the stars cleared out of her vision, she wiped tears from her eyes.

She glanced back. No sign of her pursuer.

She looked up. A lifetime supply of apples hung there, tempting her growling tummy.

She peeked behind once more, making sure that no beasts were approaching. Relieved, she lowered her head and gave out a deep "Chuuuuu".

Without much of a struggle she pushed herself free, landing on her back. Then she saw the splintered mark of her impact on the tree, with bark split away and a distinct impression of her body, all the way up to the ears. It was like watching a Raichu decoration made out of bark, flattened up against the tree with legs spread in opposite directions.

"Not again!" She gave an angered shake of her paws, wondering if all of her luck had vanished when she lost her memories.

She stood up and massaged her arm, surprised that her pain was barely noticeable after her recent accident. In fact, she didn't even feel even feel all that tired despite her recent marathon. I’m physically strong and have a lot of stamina… lucky me, she thought before her belly growled again. Strong or not, it doesn’t help much in dealing with hunger.

She lowered herself and gritted her teeth, concentrating on the bright red apples at the top of the damaged tree. Annoyed, hungry and determined to get the apples in an instant, she decided to skip on the climbing and go directly for the price with a single leap.

Crouching down further, she focused all of her energy into the highest jump she could muster. The tree was very tall, and she was planning on reaching the tantalizing apples on her first try.

"One," she muttered, giving one last quick glance behind her just in case another monster was sneaking up.

"Two," she added, turning back to the delicious apples and trying not to drool.

"Three!" She jumped... with unexpected and unwanted results.

Instead of reaching the closest apple-laden branch, she smashed head-first into and right through it, scattering twigs and apples in all directions. Unfortunately, it didn’t stop her ascent. Her entire body passed through the treetop and continued to rise, carrying along a few small twigs and leaves, some stuck between her ears.

Raichu brushed the leaves away from her face and tried to blink away the confusion.

Then she looked down.

It was a particularly bad decision.

There was an enormous amount of 'down' under her, and growing rapidly. The towering trees were quickly shrinking before her very eyes, turning into small dots.

“No, no, no, no. This isn’t happening!”

She held paws on both sides of her head in panic. “Please, let it be a dream!” Her body made contact with a white cloud, leaving a hole in it. She shook the white puff from herself and shouted, “Can I stop flying already!?”

After what seemed like forever, gravity finally caught up with Raichu, making her situation go from bad to worse.

"I take it back!" she shouted, waving her paws in a panic as she began to plummet. "Flying is good! I don't want to fall!"

Applejack trotted through her orchard with a cheerful smile and a spring to her step that was getting dangerously close to Pinkie Pie's joyous leaps and bounds. With all of her chores done for the day, she could relax and enjoy herself for a few minutes, or maybe even an hour. The sun was warm on her face, the air clear and filled with the scent of apples, and the napping spot under her favorite tree awaited. Nothing could possibly spoil her good mood on this fine day.

Except a thick branch crashing down on her head.

"Ouch!" she shouted, staggering around for a moment until she could get her hat pulled back up from where the branch had shoved it. Or at least what was left of Applejack's best hat. "Consarn it, Rainbow Dash! That ain't funny!"

She narrowed her eyes and scouted in search of the culprit when her attention was caught by the blur of a creature flying across the sky

Sprinting into a gallop, she charged toward where the consarned, hat-destroying varmint was headed.

The open area next to the Cutie Mark Crusaders' clubhouse was a fine place for Apple Bloom. It had enough open soil, sunshine, and cloud-based irrigation to implement a plan that would both honor her mother and add variety to the Apple family collection of profitable products. And what better product to plant than pears?

She finished digging the most recent in a line of holes before rooting around in her seed bag, which was actually only a small green bag she had found around the house and tied against her side with a few pieces of twine. Still, 'seed bag' sounded better than 'something dug out of the trash' when thinking about it, so she kept the optimistic name in mind while dropping a few pear seeds into the hole and covering it back up.

After giving the new seeds a dash of water from the tin bucket she had been dragging around, she patted the muddy ground and spoke in the most reassuring, motherly tone of voice she could manage.

"Ya’re gonna grow into a fine pear tree. Tall and strong, just like the ones Buttercup planted. She was mah mother, and Ah'm gonna take good care of ya, just like she did for her trees. Ah promise."

She picked up the watering can with her teeth, only to drop it as something far up in the sky caught her attention. Normally, anything that high would be a pegasus or a large bird, except whatever this was didn’t appear to have wings. Even for Ponyville's standards, a flying wingless critter wasn’t something she would ignore or consider normal. It wasn’t flying for long though.

Apple Bloom bit her lip and her heart began to pound wildly. "Hang in there, Ah’em comin’!” she shouted, bursting into a sprint as she almost tripped over the seed bag, so she tossed it to one side with her teeth and resumed her gallop in the direction of the poor critter.

Raichu was gritting her teeth and keeping her eyes tightly closed as she braced herself for the impact. Her mind was already imagining all sorts of terrible things that were going to happen after she landed, with breaking her legs being the highest possibility.

She hit the ground with a strangely weak thud, lacking both the deafening crash of impact and the anticipated agonizing pain.

What?

She remained with her eyes closed for a while longer, just in case she had not really finished falling, but after a while she opened one eye and took a peek. Confused, she opened both eyes and held her forepaws against her chest where her heart was still rapidly hammering away. Hundreds of trees filled with apples surrounded her on all sides, without a sign of pursuit from whatever it was that had been chasing her.

She lowered her head and glanced at her hind legs, which were sunk into the ground up to her paws, but otherwise intact. Moving carefully, just in case she had broken something and didn’t realize it in the shock of impact, she raised one leg out of the clinging dirt and flexed it back and forth. Then after a few moments when the anticipated agony didn’t occur, she repeated her motions with the other leg until she was standing rather unsteadily on the grassy ground.

Raichu sighed in relief. It seemed that falling from great heights — and apparently crashing into the ground — was no great threat to her. Her forepaws and ears were hanging down in depression. She stomped and said in a tired voice, “I’ll never jump ever again.”

After a moment to calm herself, she noticed numerous apples lying on the grass. She whimpered, dropped to her knees and smashed her head into the dirt with a firm faceplant.

I could have avoided all this trauma by just looking around. I give up…

With the growling of her stomach cheering her on, she picked up an apple, holding the red fruit firmly between her bronze paws. She opened her mouth, showing four tiny fangs in her shining teeth. Oh please let nothing interrupt this moment! she thought before sinking her teeth into the apple. Tears of joy fell down from her eyes as she started chewing.

It’s… a bit sour, but also very juicy… maybe I don’t like sour food, she thought, finding it odd that she knew so little about herself that she had to relearn her likes and dislikes. Sour or not, it’s soooo filling. She swallowed and quickly took another bite, chewing fiercely while regretting she couldn’t just gobble up the whole apple at once. Several more bites followed in a similar manner before she heard incoming steps, which only made her chew faster and grab a second apple. Her ears perked up on their own accord, tracking the approaching creature.

"Drop that apple this instant, ya' apple-stealing varmint!"

Raichu looked towards the source of voice, seeing a tall, four-legged creature wearing a broad-brimmed hat. Even if not as big, it was angry enough to scare her almost as much as the beast she’d faced before. Those green eyes blazed with fury, and the aura around it only added to its intimidating stance.

“Ah said, drop that apple before Ah make ya!” the farm mare said with firm steps and narrowed eyes.

The tree's caretaker circled around Raichu while examining the area, her sharp green eyes seeming to take inventory of every fallen apple or broken branch. It only took a few moments before her attention shifted toward the tree Raichu had plowed into earlier, most probably because it was leaning noticeably to one side and had both a chunk of missing bark and a large broken branch.

The aura of menace grew around the hostile caretaker, and Raichu could do little but tremble at the sight of it.

“Critters stealin’ mah apples is one thin’, but damagin’ mah trees and throwing branches at mah head Ah won’t stand for! Ya got ten seconds to start runnin’, or Ah’ll throw ya from mah farm mahself.”

Rachu held her ground and her ears flinched. “I won’t!” she shouted. Her stomach needed food, and she wasn’t going to take it any longer. She took a few slow calming breaths, feeling somewhat better after unleashing her frustration. Her ears perked up as she picked up the sound of hoofsteps, those less loud.

She quickly noticed a smaller creature who seemed similar to the taller one. Is this… her child? Raichu glanced at the half-eaten apple between her paws, feeling a surge of guilt. I may be hungry, but it’s not my food. I can’t steal from a family. It’s wrong. Her ears drooped while she carefully placed the remains of the apple on the grass before her. She took a few steps back, held her forepaws together and lowered her head apologetically.

“I’m really sorry. I’ll leave your teritory and will never come back.”

Applejack frowned, but she did calm down slightly. Usually, pests ran off with or without whatever apples they were stealing. This one was obviously trying to apologize. The moment Raichu glanced back at her, she saw sincerity in those egg-shaped oval brown eyes.

“Why’re ya so mean, Applejack, it’s not like ya,” Apple Bloom said from Applejack’s left side, catching her attention.

“Not like me? A week ago Ah had to spend three hours negotiating with that annoyin’ Mister Beaver! This here pest assaulted mah trees and threw a branch at me,” she responded with a firm stomp, which only made the large critter tremble in fear.

“Maybe it was scared? She’s hungry and hurt after all.” Apple Bloom approached the long-tailed critter and pitched her voice as calm as she could. “It’s okay, little one. There’s nothin’ to fear.”

“Wait, what?” Applejack said, taking a few steps forward and looking at the pest, only now noting the numerous bruises and scratches across it. Like a hot iron anvil, guilt struck her in the guts. She took off her damaged hat and held it against her chest. “Ah’m really sorry…” Being close enough, she heard growling sound coming from this critter’s stomach and said, “Ah think Ah’ll allow ya to eat a few apples. No harm in that.” She observed her sister, who sat next to the still-apologizing creature.

“Go ahead, eat up.” Apple Bloom grabbed a full apple from the grass and placed it in Raichu’s paws.

The creature responded by repeating her name, placing the apple between filly’s forehooves and taking a step back.

“No, it’s alright, ya can have it,” Apple Bloom said, trying to give the apple once more, but the little critter pushed it back and kept shaking its head.

Applejack watched this exchange in confusion. This was the first time she had seen a pest refusing free food, let alone while being hungry and injured. She rubbed her chin, thinking, When sittin’, this here critter only reaches Apple Bloom’s chin. There’s no way someone this small would have strength to damage mah tree, more or less throw a branch so far away. Ah really messed up. With slow steps and a compassionate smile, she approached and looked down at the visitor, who now stared back at her with more curiosity than fear.

“Ah’m really sorry for yellin’ at ya. As much as Ah dislike when critters steal from mah farm, Ah ain’t goin’ to let someone hurt go hungry,” she said and exposed an apple on her forehoof. “Please, accept mah hospitality.”

Raichu kept staring at the apple, occasionally glancing between the mare and filly who were encouraging her to eat. The aura of anger was nowhere to be seen, replaced by something warm and pleasant. Was she sensing their compassion? Not that she needed any sixth sense, because a mere glance at their faces told her more than enough.

She sniffed the mare's hoof before slowly taking the apple.

“Eat up. Mah apples are best of the best. They’ll fill ya in no time.”

“Ah agree, eat as many as ya need,” the younger one spoke.

Raichu nodded and took a bite, and another, and another. Once only the core remained, she was given more apples until her hunger was satisfied.

She exhaled with a satisfied “Chuuu,” sitting and massaging her belly with her other paw placed on the grass for support and ten cores of eaten apples scattered around her. She wiped her mouth and glanced at the filly, who kept staring at her with a cheerful smile. It seemed only polite to return the smile with one of her own. "Thank you so much!"

They did so much for me… and after I tried to eat their property... I have to do something to show my gratitude, she thought, considering the best course of action. Betting on her instincts, she got up, took a few steps forward, stood on tip of her hind legs and nuzzled the filly’s muzzle. Hearing the filly’s laugh only encouraged her further.

“Ah must say, ya’re really cute,” the filly said while rubbing her head.

Taking it for a gesture of affection, Raichu climbed up onto the filly’s back and rubbed the top of her head in return.

“And ya’re funny too,” the filly said. “Ah’m Apple Bloom, Cutie Mark Crusader and an earth pony. It’s really nice to meet ya.”

“And Ah’m Applejack, Apple Bloom’s older sister,” the farm mare said as she picked up Raichu from her sister’s back so she could look at her eye to eye.

“My name’s Raichu… I think,” she responded and displayed a genuine smile, finding safety between Applejack’s hooves. Meeting those two ponies turned to be the best thing to happen to her… ever. It felt as if her life started inside the crater in that scary forest with no past to cling onto.

Applejack placed Raichu on the grass gently and turned around, pointing at her own back. “If ya want to come with us, hop on. We need to get ya to the vet. She’ll help ya get better.”

The filly nodded in agreement.

Raichu kept starting at the mare’s back before nodding. She was about to hop on, but stopped herself and shivered, the memory of her last jump still fresh in her mind. She smiled awkwardly before climbing onto Applejack’s back… very slowly. I feel… odd... she thought, now perched on Applejack’s fur with her paws wrapped around her neck. She felt a familiar pleasant warmness, as if she experienced something like this before.

She closed her eyes and nuzzled Applejack’s neck. With her past remaining a mystery and with present events a nightmare, being so warmly accepted gave her a ray of hope for the future.

“By the way, why are ya repeatin’ ‘Raichu’ or “Rai’ over and over? Is this yer name?” Applejack asked.

Raichu’s eyes opened in an instant. “I do what?”

Chapter 6.5 - Struggle

Little Lost Raichu

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Chapter 6.5
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Struggle

With Raichu’s memories regularly returning in her dreams, and with fragments of it resurfacing because of outside stimulants, many holes appeared in between. Though it seemed only a matter of time before such holes would be filled.

Not long after her defeat and capture, the Pichu was brought into some sort of bunker built into the mountain, quite impressively camouflaged. From the outside, it looked like a waterfall, but after taking a few steps into the rushing water, a cave revealed itself, leading into a secret entrance. The walls and door of the bunker were wide and reinforced, while the natural stone served as both camouflage and additional protection, separating those hiding inside from outside threats with walls of steel and stone.

The insides of the bunker were painted in white and were very spacious, from a large kitchen, food and water storage, to a library and several bedrooms. A few rooms were filled with machinery, not that she had a simple idea of what said machinery was for. One thing was certain, it wasn’t an ordinary human house.

It turned out that the girl was the only human on the island, living inside the bunker with Ninetales as her only companion. Was this girl abandoned? And why was the powerful fire-breathing fox even around if she disliked this human so much?

The answer to those questions had to wait as Raichu opened her eyes, awoken by the noise of rushing water.

“Either you fell asleep from all the stress, or the sleeping spell had some late side effects,” Starlight said, stopping the rushing water with her magic since the bathtub was half-full. She released the critter and the writing equipment from her magic, placing them on the carpet. “Let’s get you cleaned up.”

Raichu lowered her head and tapped her forepaws together. While Starlight assured her that ponies would forgive her, it didn’t change the fact that she still hurt them. It seemed so unfair. She received kindness and care despite failing over and over again. She didn’t deserve it.

“Hurry up and jump in. It would be impolite to apologize to the ponies you hurt while covered in dust, don’t you think?” Starlight asked, checking the temperature of the water with her hoof.

Raichu bit her lip at the infamous word ‘jump’. The bathroom seemed clean, and she wasn’t planning to cover the floor with rubble. She carefully climbed into the bathtub, sinking into the steaming water. Apologizing is a good start, but it won’t make up for what I did, and what if I hurt the ponies again? Her thoughts were interrupted by a sponge and soap rubbing harshly through her fur and ears. Starlight’s magic was certainly more forceful than Twilight’s, and she could feel it here and now.

“This reminds me of the time when I met Trixie. We both thought that ponies wouldn’t overlook our mistakes and would blame us for our past,” Starlight said, now gazing at the ceiling. “Oh, good times. From my experience, ponies are very quick to judge, but even quicker to forgive… s-sorry.” She withdrew the soap, which she accidently pushed into the critter’s mouth.

Raichu burped a few bubbles before slapping her paw against the water, sending a weak splash towards Starlight’s face playfully. The unicorn returned the gesture, greatly lowering the tension at the same time.

“Here’s an idea,” Starlight said. “Try to remember what caused your electrical surge and recreate it inside this castle… not in this bathtub that is.” She cleared her throat. “If we can learn what caused it, we may also learn how to prevent it. In the meanwhile, I’ll make some solid efforts in making the strongest electric absorbing magical runes I can. I won’t underestimate your hidden powers again.”

Raichu displayed an honest smile for the first time since her terrible deed, loving the idea. Or was it just the hot water relaxing her this much?

Thinking back to her experience with the fillies and colts, she felt power inside of her building up whenever under physical stress, like being pulled by her limbs or strongly hugged. She felt a similar sensation before when Pinkie Pie had hugged her. Now that she thought about it, she had a surge of electricity when struck by the beast’s claws, but forgot about it in the heat of the moment. Unleashing electricity seemed like some sort of defensive mechanism of her body when threatened.

Raichu’s eyes shot open. She placed her forepaws on her cheeks and rubbed them harshly. She gritted her teeth and lowered her head. The bolts of electricity started to travel through the water.

“I told you not in the bathtub!” Starlight took a few steps back. “Did you figure something out?”

The critter nodded and pointed at the yellow dots on her cheeks.

“So no cheek touching or cheek nuzzling, t-that’s great.” Starlight’s ears drooped in disappointment, though Raichu couldn't tell the reason behind it. “It’s quite useful information, now you know what to avoid the most,” she said, resuming the cleaning process. With Raichu’s belly and paws clean, she could focus on getting the dust and spiderwebs off her back, but avoiding Raichu's face and the dangerous spots on her cheeks.

Raichu turned around, finding the harsh cleaning somewhat pleasant, as if it was a strong massage on her stiff back. Squeezing herself into a crack in the wall was proving to have been bad for her bones. She rubbed her wet chin, now deep in thought, Avoid the most, I don’t think so. She narrowed her eyes. I’ll find a safe spot and force surges, one after another, until I learn how to keep them in check. No matter how long it takes.

“And… done,” Starlight said, levitating the critter from the bathtub onto the carpet with drops of water sliding down at a fast rate. Starlight’s horn lit as she summoned a strong wind, forcing Raichu to press her paws against the side of the bathtub for support. The towel levitated over, wiping Raichu from her legs up to her neck quite forcefully, yet slowing down once reaching the face. “Now you’re clean and refreshed. I hope I wasn’t too harsh.”

Raichu shook her head, only to have the short jiggling of her cheeks trigger something that made the fur on her entire body puff up, like some giant orange puffball. Seeing as the unicorn started to giggle, she joined in. Her worries pushed aside.

“I need to take a bath as well. If you’re tired or hungry, feel free to visit the kitchen or your bedroom. Just don’t leave the castle for now, okay?”

Raichu nodded, standing on the tips of her rear paws in an effort to open the door. After stepping outside, she glanced at the writing equipment on the floor, deciding to leave it behind for now.

Raichu stopped in her tracks and pupils in her eyes shrank as something gave a sharp yank to her tail

“S-sorry.”

The door opened, releasing the second half of her tail.

Raichu furrowed her brow, giving her own tail a disappointing glare. Thus far it had proved to be completely useless, only getting in the way, something that wasn’t going to change anytime soon.

After reaching the kitchen with several short sprints, Raichu climbed up toward the sink by using the shelves as stepping stones while holding an empty glass cup with her paw.

Crying for so long had left her dehydrated, so every gulp of water felt extremely refreshing. One gulp after another, she finished the glass, wiped her mouth and sighed in satisfaction.

she said to herself, clenching her paws and narrowing her eyes. She returned the empty glass back onto the shelf, climbed down and left the room. There was one very spacious area inside the castle between the main entrance and the stairs, a perfect spot for what she was about to do.

She looked around, seeing walls on all sides, but far enough away as to not get damaged.

After breathing in and out, she raised her paws up to her cheeks in order to rub the yellow dots. What she felt was but a taste of the struggle ahead of her. Even keeping her eyes open proved to be a challenge when the power started building up, demanding to be unleashed. She gritted her teeth, keeping the electricity from escaping as a few bolts started to flash on her cheeks.

She rubbed her cheeks even harder, feeling a growing pain as the electricity surged inside her. Her forepaws started trembling and her eyes closed on their own. Only a few seconds passed as the surge of electricity burst from her body, spreading through the spacious room.

Raichu dropped to her knees, breathing heavily. Drops of sweat fell down from her face. Taking a moment to collect herself, she stood up and examined the area. No damage was present on the walls or the ceiling as her surge had failed to reach it, though the red carpet under her legs received a few burns.

She blushed and bit her lip, stepping from the carpet while still maintaining a distance from the wall. she said, rubbing the dots on her cheeks even harder than before. After a few seconds of keeping the power inside, the pain returned, even stronger than before. A few tears slid down from her tightly closed eyes.

She unleashed the electricity and dropped to her knees, this time taking a little bit longer than before.

Breathe in, Breathe out. She stood up and raised her trembling paws to her chest, feeling her heart beating at a faster pace. Her last attempts proved that she could keep the electricity inside with her willpower alone. Now was the time to see how much she could really handle. She ignored her headache and the aching belly, repeating her training.

Five seconds, seven seconds, ten seconds. Raichu fell to her knees, lowering one paw to the floor for support, but the electricity didn’t leave her body. Adding more strength into her little paws, she rubbed the dots on her cheeks violently as the pain turned into agony. She screamed a loud “Chuuu…” and rolled in pain as tiny bolts of electricity started to form on her entire body, from her long tail up to her face.

More seconds passed until she released a strong surge on the spacious hallway, this one several times stronger than the last. Her scream stopped alongside her surge as sweat covered her entire body. She lay on her back and looked at the ceiling, still feeling leftovers of pain.

she said to herself between her breathing. I can’t believe I’m thinking this… but I would take crashing into the ground or being slashed by the giant beast over this anyday.

While her previous experiences confirmed that she had a lot of durability and stamina, as well as a strong resistance to pain, two things seemed to be extremely difficult to handle: Starlight using magic on her mind, and keeping electricity from escaping.

She rolled and stood up, once again putting all her willpower into her training. This time blurry vision was added into the mix. A scream of pain and a massive surge of electricity later, she lay flat on the floor.

Was it normal that the room was spinning as if she was on a carousel?

Raichu resisted the growing urge to puke. She wanted to stand up and continue, but should she? Her body felt weak, her insides begged her to stop and the room was still spinning. The pain she felt before wasn’t something she was looking for. How much screaming would her jaw even endure?

She lay on her belly for several seconds, not feeling like standing up. Befriending the cold floor seemed much more attractive.

Raichu grit her teeth and pushed herself to a sitting position. Just an hour ago she had caused so much pain to many young ponies, and it was her responsibility to make sure it won’t happen again. Even though Starlight ensured her that the new collar would be able to handle her surges, she wasn’t planning to leave it to chance.

Or maybe the pain she experienced was just the self-inflicted punishment she desired? For spreading pain, she deserved pain.

“I can’t believe you believed her, Spike. I expected better of you,” Twilight said in disappointment, walking back towards her castle with the baby dragon perched on her back, her home only a hundred hoofsteps away. “I gave the C.M.C. permission to visit, but not to take Raichu into the school full of kids. She wasn’t ready yet.”

“Well… I had my suspicions, but those gems looked so delicious…” He lowered himself, pressing his belly and chin onto Twilight’s neck, with his hands hanging down in defeat. “I’m really sorry… I had no idea it would turn out like this.”

“We’re lucky nopony was seriously hurt. Cheerilee isn’t happy though.” Twilight groaned. “Even if Scootaloo was mostly at fault, this wasn’t the good first impression I had hoped for. I don’t want Raichu to hide from the public because of rumors and angry parents.”

“I would worry more about Raichu’s reaction. She looked devastated before running away,” Spike pointed out. While Scootaloo had been punished to write on the blackboard ‘I won’t bring dangerous animals to school’ fifty times over and over again, Raichu had fled towards the center of the town and it was up to them to find the scared critter. Luckily, the eye witnesses pointed them towards the castle, saying that a weird, long-tailed large rabbit ran towards it. “Maybe we should ask Pinkie Pie for help in cheering her up.”

Twilight was about to respond, but a loud scream caught her attention. Spreading her wings, she flew towards the castle until she spotted a small hole in the large door. Feeling a rush of adrenaline, she lit her horn and opened the double door, landing on the carpet with a weak thump. “Starlight, what happened?” she asked with her attention focused on the fragments of wood lying on the floor, including a few burned marks on the carpet and Raichu lying on the floor on her belly. Starlight was standing next to the critter.

“It’s… a long story,” Starlight said, rubbing her foreleg nervously. “In short, I managed to cheer her up and convince her that she’ll be forgiven after an apology. And I assume she was trying to learn how to control her power.”

Raichu raised her head, looking at the alicorn with tired eyes. Her face fell back onto the floor.

“This scene can be taken out of context in sooo many ways,” Spike said, jumping from Twilight’s back.

The princess gave Starlight a curious glance. “I’d like the long version of the story, please. The very long version.”

Chapter 13 - Pokemon and...

Little Lost Raichu

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Chapter 13
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Pokemon and...

“Enough is enough,” Starlight said as she walked in the direction of the castle. A blue aura of her magic was present on her horn and was wrapped around Nica’s tail, pulling it.

Raichu’s four paws were pressed into the ground, resisting with all their might while leaving trails in the soil.

Starlight looked up at the sky, admiring the moon and the stars as it calmed her down. For the past two days she had assisted in preparations for arrival of Dragon Lord Ember, and many residents of Ponyville had volunteered to assist as well. The unexpected part however was how Spike took over the leadership role from Twilight, who in turn followed his instructions and assisted directly.

It was clear that this event was important to Spike, most likely due to his relationship with Ember and the role he played in choosing the next Dragon Lord.

Starlight glanced at the resisting Raichu and shook her head. When it came to enthusiasm and willingness to work hard, this large critter proved herself to be above even Spike’s level of dedication, assisting restlessly wherever she could. What exactly was motivating Nica was difficult to figure out. Maybe it was a matter of honor? Maybe willingness to repay their kindness? Or maybe she had a personal agenda. Whatever the reason, such dedication was difficult to ignore.

“I know you want to help, but even you don’t have limitless stamina, you need to rest,” Starlight said before pulling Raichu closer to her head.

Nica asked and crossed her arms.

Starlight sighed and shook her head. Despite Raichu assisting whenever possible for two days straight, she didn’t seem tired in the least. Well, Nica looked sleepy as she struggled to keep her tired eyes open, but when it came to energy, she still had plenty to spare.

She grabbed Raichu with her foreleg and focused a teleportation spell, vanishing and reappearing inside Nica’s room. She caught the critter with her magic in an instant and placed her on the bed. “Everything is almost ready, and there’s still plenty of time left before Ember’s arrival. I know you want to help, but you don’t want to greet our honorable quest while half-asleep, do you?”

Nica’s ears drooped and she nodded hesitantly.

Starlight smiled and rubbed Nica behind her ear, and next did the same with the critter’s wide belly. As Starlight expected, she was rubbed under her chin by Raichu’s tail as the critter returned the favor every single time. It was a give and take, and both sides enjoyed the experience.

Mr. Patrick climbed up Raichu’s back, sat on her shoulder and nuzzled her cheek, a warm welcome for a hard working critter.

“It seems your newest friend missed you a lot,” Starlight commented before patting Raichu on the head. “Good night and have sweet dreams. And no sneaking out of the castle, got it?” The moment she noticed a nod, Starlight vanished in a flash of teleportation.

Now being in her own room, Starlight approached her mirror and gazed at a few attached pictures of her with her friends. Opening the saddlebag, she levitated out a picture she made yesterday of herself with Nica hanging from her neck, both looking at the camera with a wide smile while waving at it.

Holding a forehoof on her chest as she felt pleasant warmness, Starlight attached this newest picture in between two pictures: One with her and Trixie and the other with her and Maud Pie.

She approached her bed and sat on it, thinking about today’s events. Thanks to her possessing powerful magic, her tasks focused mostly on levitating several tons of materials or advanced transformations. However... being powerful didn’t mean she had unlimited magic, it just meant she depleted her reserves quickly by using a lot of it at once.

In a sense, the situation with her partner was reversed. While Starlight could levitate several tons and deal with difficult tasks very quickly thanks to her rich arsenal of spells, Raichu’s strength didn’t surpass that of somepony like Apple Bloom. Relocating a few flower pots, painting difficult spots to reach, gardening and so on. All smallest tasks were left to the enthusiastic critter. What Nica lacked in size and strength she made up with extreme agility and stamina. If something small needed to be done, it was done quickly, and the critter worked for hours without a single break.

Starlight sighed. While she admired Nica’s enthusiasm, she couldn’t help but feel that this critter was using only a fraction of what she was capable of.

After sparing several minutes to play with her little friends, Nica allowed her tired eyes to close. Without adrenaline keeping her going, it took only moments before she once again saw herself as a tiny Pichu in her dreams.

In only a few weeks, her human trainer had gathered a team made of four pokemon and they were now a force to be reckoned with. Still, it was a very weak team when compared to the competition. Trainers who started their journey at age of ten after two years already had a team of six and a lot of experience with two or three tournaments behind them.

Still, Astra had a massive advantage when it came to theoretical knowledge. She had memorized types, strength and weaknesses of nearly every registered pokemon in the books inside the bunker and possessed a vast knowledge of hundreds of attacks. It was only a matter of time before she would catch up in terms of experience.

Pichu approached Astra as they were now observing the island from the top of the snowy mountain, seeing the entire landscape, the ocean and even some clouds beneath them. The sun descending behind the horizon reflected its light among the water while the sky turned bronze.

“You seem excited today. I bet you can’t wait for us to leave this place and visit the Orange Islands, am I right?” Astra asked as she looked down at her partner.

Pichu raised her head and nodded energetically. Had the time finally come? Was the real journey actually going to begin?

“Sadly, I must disappoint you. There’s still a lot to do before we’re ready to face the outside world.”

Nica took a step back and tripped on the slippery ground. After a moment to reassert herself, she shot her trainer an annoyed glare. It had been two years already since Astra was left on this island, why was she still not ready to leave?

“If I was on an ordinary adventure, I would have left this island already, but what if my parent's enemies are up there? I have a team, but it would be overpowered easily by an experienced criminal,” Astra explained before gesturing over the landscape ahead of her. “This island is filled with many pokemon, some weaker, some stronger, but it is a perfect training ground. I’m sure we can find experienced pokemon who can teach you and the rest of the team stronger attacks.”

Pichu calmed a bit and nodded. She had to admit, even with ‘Nasty Plot’, knowing only weak moves like ‘Thundershock’ and ‘Quick Attack’ did little favors when it came to the offensive. She could use her charm to lower the morale of an attacking enemy, but even this wouldn’t let her last long against a powerful opponent. Still, she could learn new tricks away from this island, so staying here much longer was quite disappointing.

Ninetales, who kept watch from behind a boulder, rolled his eyes.

The following weeks were filled with a diligent training as Astra challenged residents of the island to train with her team.

During the training, Nica learned of her trainer’s style.

First, whenever they encountered a weaker pokemon who wouldn’t put much of a fight, Astra deployed a team member who had a type disadvantage against it. And Nica couldn’t even count how many times she had to fight against a foe who was somewhat resistant to her electricity.

Second, Astra shared food and aided defeated pokemon, gaining respect and befriending many of them. Not that pokemon needed such aid, but they appreciated it anyway.

Third, Astra was on the lookout for pokemon with stronger attacks, and often negotiated for said pokemon to teach their attacks to specific team members. At times, it almost felt as if the young trainer thought of pokemon as equal and intelligent beings during their negotiations, only to end up disappointed from time to time.

And finally, Astra didn’t allow her team members to evolve.

Raichu’s rest lasted longer than usual as she was making up for one sleepless night, and so her dream continued a bit longer.

Still being a Pichu in her dream, Nica once again stood next to her trainer on the top of the mountain, watching the island from the higher ground. Despite enduring half a year of harsh training as her trainer ensured that every single fight would be against a stronger opponent, she was still eager to battle more. Her weak attacks were replaced by more powerful ones.

Astra sat and placed Pichu on her knee as they looked each other in the eyes. “The time has finally come. From tomorrow morning we’ll start working on a wooden boat, and with the maps I found in the bunker, we should reach Orange Islands in no time.”

Nica’s smile widened and she started jumping up and down. Ten meters, twelve meters, thirty meters, fifty meters, her jumps became higher until her body started flashing with a bright light. Her body finally began to evolve as she was going to become bigger and stronger. She was going to look just like her parents, no longer as tiny and feeble.

“Stop, don’t evolve, please!” Astra shouted, snapping Pichu out from her excitement as the bright light vanished.

Still being a tiny Pichu, Nica landed softly on the snow and glanced at her trainer in confusion. Using a notepad and pen, she wrote a simple question.

‘Why?’

Astra sighed and sat at the edge of the cliff with Nica sitting next to her. “I suppose you deserve an explanation.” She shook her head. “As I was training alongside you, becoming stronger myself, I started thinking. In order to succeed as a trainer and to accomplish my goals, I need an ideology of my own, something to push me forward.”

Pichu nodded, her ears straightened upward as she listened with full attention.

“My mother always trained with her pokemon and was very adventurous, while my father relied on long-term strategies and prepared for everything in advance. I was taking their example to be as smart and well-read as my father, and to become strong and have a powerful team like my mother. But in the end I fear it’s not enough.”

Nica asked, not that her trainer would understand her.

Holding her knees with her hands while staring at the water on the horizon, Astra spoke, “My ideology is as follows; I believe that power equals responsibility, and one needs to prove that they deserve more power. If you’re weak, there’s not much you can do, but if you’re powerful, what you do may decide between life or death of others.”

Pichu nodded, it made sense. Her parents and other Pikachu always protected the herd from threats and watched over the unevolved ones.

“My father was a very clever man and had a small army under his command, while my mother was very strong, and they did their best to keep criminals from all regions in check. They had power and used it to the fullest.” Astra continued, “Once my team will become stronger, we’ll need to keep others safe from criminals. It’ll become our responsibility.”

Nica rubbed her chin, thinking. In the end she wants to follow her parents example. I’ll need to train extra hard to keep her safe. She blinked in confusion. Did she actually care for the well-being of her trainer? It was not like her to care for others.

“However,” Astra said, capturing Nica’s attention, “having more power means that everything will become easier, and this is a risk that I’m trying to avoid.” She pointed at Pichu and gave her a serious look. “At the moment, you’re in a baby form, which is extremely weak. Because of that every opponent you face is stronger, every fight is a challenge, but once you evolve, such fights will become easy.”

Pichu nodded. Evolving would make her stronger, and dangerous opponents would become a breeze to defeat.

“Evolving gives pokemon a quick and big boost in power, because of that many pokemon stop training as hard and improve slower. Everything becomes easier, so why work as hard as before?” Astra asked, her tone very serious.

Pichu asked, as she had to agree. Thus far every fight has been extremely difficult, every opponent was stronger, and it gave her a lot of room to improve. Not for a moment had she been allowed to be reckless or make a mistake.

“I believe that one needs to prove their worth to deserve power, that’s why I expect that you and my other pokemon will hold off with evolution for the time being. Only by defeating extremely powerful opponents before facing near impossible challenge will you prove that you’ll be capable of using greater power to the fullest.”

Pichu nodded and narrowed her eyes. If she needed to prove that she could use full potential of her evolution, she will. She’ll count on her comrades to do the same.

“Still, there’s a catch,” Astra spoke up as she tightened her fists in determination. “Should you or a member of the team prove worthy of evolution, you’ll need to train even harder than before. Greater power is worthless without skill and dedication to back it up.” She rubbed the top of Pichu’s head and continued in a much calmer tone. “You’re my partner, Nica, so I’ll expect more from you than from the rest of the team. You need to give others a good example. You’re second in command, should a criminal knock me out, so I’ll push you harder than the others. Are you willing to handle such responsibility? Or would you prefer if I didn’t go harder on you than the rest?”

Nica looked away from her trainer and stared at the sky, thinking. Her trainer had great expectations of her, and she would need to work harder than the others to meet them. In a sense, it was an honor to receive such treatment. She wasn’t just a follower, she was the human’s partner. She smirked and then smiled. Being Astra’s partner was going to be a challenge, and she loved challenges. She turned to her trainer, tightened her fists and nodded with confidence radiating from her face.

“Perfect. Now would you kindly wake up already?” Astra said as her face shapeshifted into Starlight’s.

Raichu yelped and rolled from the bed with her pillow landing on her head. The vision of the pony before her was still blurry.

“I warned you that not sleeping for two days would have consequences. It is afternoon already,” Starlight said before levitating Nica to a sitting position. “Nevermind that, I need your help.”

Nica said before rubbing her eyes. She approached and looked up at Starlight with expectation in her eyes. Her tail swung left and right in excitement.

Starlight raised an eyebrow. “The word ‘help’ seems to motivate you into action similar to how catnip affects a cat.” She turned around and gestured with her forehoof. “There’s no time to waste, follow me.”

Nica nodded and followed Starlight, now trotting next to her while feeling a rush of excitement. This was it, another opportunity to help. Thus far she was but a burden and ponies provided her with food, shelter and love. Every opportunity to repay them was precious, like water in the desert.

Starlight stopped in front of the entrance into the library and looked at the critter. “Alright, here’s the situation in a nutshell. One of Spike’s friends, Thorax, came for a visit today and we need to keep him and Ember separated.”

Nica nodded, listening with full attention.

“He’s a leader of the changelings, but he’s a softy, so I’m sure you both will get along. I don’t care how, but keep him busy. Use your natural charm, weaponized cuteness or whatever you can to keep him from leaving the castle. Can I count on you?”

Nica saluted. When she was asked to help, she didn’t expect this kind of task, but it sounded very important.

“Perfect, I’m counting on you. I need to join Spike and keep Ember entertained, so best of luck,” Starlight said with a shake of her foreleg before vanishing in a flash of teleportation.

Filled with confidence, Nica stretched her rear legs to reach the handle before opening the door into the library. As she stepped inside while walking on her four paws, she noticed a few small changes.

The first one being an oddly high number of random chairs in a diversity of sizes and shapes.

Second was the presence of a green creature with long orange horns on its head, chilling up in a very soft-looking armchair with very, very relaxed posture. This had to be Thorax that Starlight mentioned.

With a sense of duty as her guide, she approached the creature, noticing a transparent tail sticking up from under its legs. Thorax’s belly looked more like a green chestplate armor, and three white gem-like objects were decorating its neck. Taking a deep breath, Nica said, She raised a forepaw up to her mouth. There was no point in speaking since Thorax wouldn’t understand her anyway. She needed to make herself seen.

“Huh, what?” Thorax said, scanning his surroundings in search for the source of the voice.

Nica approached the armchair while walking on her rear paws. she shouted and waved.

Thorax looked down from his comfortable spot. “Oh… hello little one.” He lowered his head to take a closer look. “I sense a lot of excitement coming from you, and I was getting bored. Would you like to play with me to pass the time?”

Nica nodded before climbing up onto the armchair. She sat on Thorax’s leg and nuzzled his hardened chest.

The changeling laughed cheerfully and started rubbing Raichu’s back with a green hoof. “I’ve never seen a creature like you and I must say, you’re cute and soft, and you have a nice and genuine smile.” He pointed at the collar with five gems decorating her neck. “Whose pet are you anyway?”

Nica shrugged.

He raised a small tag on the collar, noticing that ‘Raichu’ was written on it, and this name escaped her mouth a few times just a moment ago. “Are you communicating by repeating your own name?”

Nica nodded hesitantly. She looked to the side and sighed, now regretting that no scroll and quill was nearby when she needed them.

Thorax smirked. “I think I have a solution.” In an instant, his body burst into green flames.

Nica flinched, landing on the floor as her eyes stared at the green fire. Was this pony... creature burning alive? In her dream she witnessed how her water-type friend put out the fire with a water attack, but the closest water source was the kitchen or the fountain at the top of this castle. But she had to do something? No, wait... the flames vanished on their own, revealing...

She blinked in confusion and next rubbed her eyes.

Chapter 21 - Life and Death

Chapter 21 - Life and Death

Little Lost Raichu

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Chapter 21

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Life and Death

“Regirock, use ‘Stone Edge’!” Brandon commanded, his forearms crossed.

Nica bent her legs as if preparing for a race, her eyes not blinking as she watched large stones burst from the ground before her, one after another. Waiting for the attack to get closer, she dashed, zipping between the emerging stones. She had memorized the pattern of the attack after seeing it used against her so many times.

“Use ‘Focus Punch!’”

Nica’s ears perked up upon hearing the loud noise of heavy steps and crushed rocks. She backflipped onto the closest boulder to get a better view of the attacker.

“Use ‘Thunderbolt!’ Keep your distance!” Astra commanded.

Nica attacked the giant with bolts of electricity, slightly slowing it down. She grinned and jumped from the boulder she stood on, zipping between stones while sending power to her tail. Once close enough, she leaped towards Regirock’s legs and spun, swinging her short tail against one of its legs with a powerful loud impact. Regirock knelt a moment later.

“Regirock, hold her in place and follow up with a ‘Hyper Beam!’” Brandon commanded.

Nica rounded the legs of the giant, evading its large rocky limbs. She backflipped and struck the giant with her ‘Iron Tail’ from behind. Her trainer may not have been the best at improvising, but she had enough experience to make up for it.

“Change of plans. Use ‘Shockwave’ and follow it up with ‘Hyper Beam!’”

Nica pressed her tail into the ground and braced herself, feeling electricity go through her body. Most of the electricity went through her tail into the ground. She backflipped, not allowing her foe to grab her as her eyes were now focused on the gathered ball of power. She stood up on two feet and waited, her senses sharps and muscles tense. Remembering how much time was needed for the legendary pokemon to charge the ‘Hyper Beam’, she jumped out of the way, evading the destructive beam while the explosion and dust covered half of the battlefield.

“Now’s your opening! Use ‘Focus Blast’!” Astra commanded.

Sensing the aura of her opponent despite a lack of visibility, she spread her forepaws and focused an orb of energy of her own. The moment she started falling, she pushed it towards the grey cloud. She heard an explosion a second later.

Just as she landed, she started dashing, repeating ‘Pika’ over and over as a wave of electricity surrounded her. She jumped into the dust, only for the rock giant to be thrown out from the dusty cloud and crash into the battlefield with a loud quake.

Nica landed on two feet, breathing lightly, as a few bruises were now present on her face. As she expected, the rocky giant stood up and stomped, ready to continue.

“I must say, your Pikachu… I mean, Nica… just keeps impressing me.” Brandon praised before lowering his hands, only to clench his fists and swing his left arm. “Regirock, use ‘Stone Edge’ again. Cover the entire battlefield.”

Nica looked around. With numerous boulders and stones all around her from the previous ‘Stone Edge’, free space to evade was somewhat limited. With a quick jump, she landed on the tallest stone, only to jump onto another and another, keeping her distance from the ongoing attack. With three massive rocks emerging from three sides around her, as if ready to trap her, she jumped up, speeding towards the ceiling.

“We got her. Use ‘Hyper Beam’ and aim where she’s going to land!” Brandon commanded.

Nica grit her teeth. Against a legendary pokemon while being a Pikachu, there was little place for mistakes. With the powerful beam on the way to strike her, she needed to minimize the damage as much as possible.

“Nica, defend with ‘Iron Tail’!” Astra commanded.

Nica nodded. With steel types being resistant to normal attacks, her ‘Iron Tail’ was tough enough to absorb a big chunk of the damage.

The moment her tail collided with the beam of destruction, a massive explosion followed. Her body fell from the cloud of smoke, now covered in bruises from her legs to her head. She backflipped in mid-air and spread her forepaws, gathering energy. If she learned anything from her fight against the legendary pokemon, to win she needed to use every opportunity. Despite feeling pain in every muscle, she needed to push through it and take the opening.

With ‘Focus Blast’ fully charged, she pushed it at Regirock, only to crash into the ground with her face. After a moment of struggle as sweat fell from her forehead, she stood up, her legs trembled against her will. She looked at the descending dust, revealing the giant in all its glory.

“Regirock, use ‘Focus Punch’!” Brandon commanded.

Upon seeing limbs made of stone tremble with each step, Nica smirked. She was getting close and needed to push herself a bit further.

“Nica, use ‘Thunderbolt!’ Wait for him to lose focus and then counterattack!” Astra commanded.

Nica looked to the side at the numerous stones filling the battlefield, directing her ‘Thunderbolt’ at the gathering of stones. One after another, the large stone towers started falling in Regirock’s way.

With the giant piercing one stone obstacle after another while spreading dust all over the area, Nica charged another ‘Focus Blast.’ The moment Regirock was close enough, she jumped to the side and struck the right leg of the mighty giant with her attack. With her foe struggling to turn around and move, she sent one ‘Thunderbolt’ after another, feeling growing pain and exhaustion but pushing against it.

After achieving victory over the rock giant for the first time, she rested a few hours before Astra challenged Brandon again, sending her to face a giant made of ice, Regice, whose poor durability didn’t last long against her ‘Iron Tail’ and ‘Focus Blast.’ After another long break she fought Registeel who she bested already in the past, evading its hits and putting it to its knees with her electricity.

Nica ignored her battle-wounds and stared at the green shining stone with yellow lightning inside. After months of struggles, pain, harsh training, learning tricks and evading beams and boulders, finally the ultimate reward was presented to her.

How she had accomplished this miracle she still didn’t know. Each incoming attack she saw in advance and reacted to in time. It felt as if her body acted on its own. Her senses were never sharper.

She raised her forepaw, slowly moving it towards the thunderstone while a wide smile appeared on her face. Her eyes sparkled in joy. All her struggles and challenges led to this very moment.

Upon touching the stone, she started to shine, and felt her body change. She closed her eyes and enjoyed the experience. Her forepaws grew only a bit, gaining bronze patches at the edges. Her little rear legs, however, grew up significantly, now feeling so much tougher and more solid. She could see her trainer becoming smaller before her very eyes. Her tail felt odd, as if becoming a different limb all together.

The moment she opened her eyes, she examined her new features, looking at each of her limbs and then at her long tail. Tears of joy started to fall from her eyes. Never before had she felt so sturdy, so powerful. She stomped with her foot, slaming the ground with more force than she could as a Pikachu, and next moved her tail with a few experimental swings.

“Congratulations on your victory! Even after all hardship you faced and challenged I put in your way, you triumphed. I take it you’re happy.”

Nica turned to her trainer and leaped forward, tackling her a few meters away with a hug. She nuzzled Astra’s cheeks while holding her paws around her neck.

“Wow, your grip sure got stronger!” Astra closed her eyes. “Go on, squeeze me as hard as you like, you deserve it.”

Nica released her trainer and tested her tail, wrapping it around Astra’s hand while helping her to stand. She felt scratching behind her ear as her trainer picked her up. Curious, she moved her tail towards Astra’s ear and rubbed behind it. It may take some time to get used to, but longer reach sure comes in handy.

Upon hearing clapping, they both looked at Brandon, noticing his surprisingly smiling face.

“So, all this was not only to improve the skills of your team, but also to push the very limits of your Pikachu before evolving her.” He crossed his arms. “I also asked around a week ago and found out about your studies with the monks. I must say, when you set your mind on something, you spare no time, resources or effort.” He laughed very loudly. “So, where is your sight pointed now? There are still three months before the league in Sinnoh.”

Astra stood up to her full height and smirked. “It took years of preparations and laying low, but now I feel ready to face my pursuers.” She looked Nica in the eyes and added, “All there’s left for me is to help my partner to adapt to having a longer tail. Once she learns how to use ‘Iron Tail’ defensively, we’ll crush even the worst of them.”

Nica grinned. All that time, her trainer often showed a lack of confidence when facing elite criminals or the Elite Four. She was a trainer who knew when victory was out of their reach. However, Astra's attitude changed as she sensed her trainer's confidence, which was stronger than ever before.

“If that’s the case, it is time for a farewell. I must say, I will miss seeing your face each week at the opposite side of my arena. Oh, and if you want to fly back on your befriended Articuno, visit Noland’s Battle Factory.”

“Noland? Why?” Astra asked.

“You took so much time rechallenging me, and Articuno needed a place to hide. It appears that it started bonding with Noland over the past few months.

Nica rolled her eyes. When she thought about it, she and her trainer were so busy with training that they left the legendary pokemon to its own devices. I suppose it's a good thing. It’s never bad to have more friends.

Astra placed Nica on the floor and pointed towards the exit. “Let’s go. Our team is stronger than ever, and nothing will stop us now.” The electric crystal on her Z-move ring started shining for a moment, which ended up unnoticed by the excited trainer.

Nica punched the air with an uppercut, shouting

Nica ran through the flames inside a burning building, rescuing whoever she could while her trainer and the rest of the team helped elsewhere. Starmie played the most important role in keeping the flames from spreading to the lower floors.

With her bigger size, stronger limbs and more flexible tail, she didn’t have too much of a problem with carrying a scared pokemon or a grown up human if necessary. Her hardened body proved to be tough enough to ignore the fire while ‘Iron Tail’ allowed her to keep the bigger, heavier creature raised above the floor. No matter how hard she would land when jumping from the windows of a tall building, she would still keep those she rescued above her head as long as she had enough power to maintain her ‘Iron Tail.’

Upon hearing screams for help, she ran into a kitchen with a family surrounded by spreading fire, who were filling glasses with water before throwing the water at the fire, a desperate yet fruitless effort.

Using her electricity, Nica sent a ‘Thunderbolt’ to make a passage hole in a few walls. she shouted, gesturing with her paws for the humans to follow her. Her ears perked up upon hearing a noise of cracking. She turned around and the pupils in her eyes shrank. Several wooden shelves stuffed with clothing covered by flames fell through the unstable ceiling. Overwhelmed by panic, she took too long before jumping to their rescue. Both mother and father pushed the child away before ending up under the heavy weight and fire.

Sirens filled the area, coming from fire trucks, ambulances, and police cars.

Nica observed one ambulance leaving before sitting and covering her head, her ears drooped. Her legs sank in the water flowing in to the sewers.

“What're you thinking about?" Astra asked, approaching slowly from behind. “Are you still blaming yourself for what happened?”

Nica ignored her trainer as a stream of tears fell down her cheeks.

“You did your best and saved many lives. The daughter, Milenda, outside of a few burns she’s fine. The mother will survive as well… despite her… injuries.”

And the father? Nica thought, not needing to hear the answer as she already knew the truth.

Upon feeling the hand of her trainer on her shoulder, she slapped the hand away with her tail and made a 180° turn, now glaring at her trainer in anger. Her breathing fast. She pointed at Astra and shouted, Her trainer stared back at her in shock, taking several seconds before presenting a notepad and pen to her before stepping backward.

Nica grabbed the notepad and pen, writing in haste as her writing became blurry and messy. She threw the notepad at her trainer and shouted,

Astra took a moment to read before starting back in shock, her mouth agape. “Are you insane? I put you through the hardest and most painful training I could. Every fight and challenge pushed you to your limits.” She knelt, looking at Nica in terror. “You struggled more than any other member of the team, maybe even more than any pokemon under any trainer’s guidance. If I trained you even harder, it would have put your life in danger.”

Nica frowned and turned around.

“You have become very powerful and extremely skilled, capable of defeating legendary pokemon. There’s probably no fight you can’t win now. Even if you failed once, you still did everything you could,” Astra said, spreading her arms in attempt to embrace her.

Nica leaped to the side and shook her head. She looked at her trainer with watering eyes, feeling her throat become dry. She turned around and sighed. Her trainer did everything she could, but it wasn’t enough. She needed to push herself even harder, only then would she never fail again.

Luna approached the shining star indicating a nightmare, turning it into a door with her magic. Stepping inside, she entered a familiar dream. Her attention focused upon a badly wounded creature lying in a hospital bed, covered in bandages with oxygen mask placed on its mouth. The device next to the bed showed heartbeat and other data, with a few cables attached to the injured critter.

“That’s odd… wasn’t she yellow before? Why is she bigger and so different?” Luna asked herself before focusing on a spell. A transparent Raichu was pulled from the wounded critter, and than its transparent body regained full color.

“Greetings, Nica.”

The critter looked back at her in confusion, and next at the Raichu in the hospital bed. “W-what’s going on? Who are you?” She took a step forward, carefully examining her features. “You look… like Twilight… but bigger and with a different color? What’s up with your mane? It keeps moving.”

Luna knelt, lowering herself to the large critter before holding a forehoof on her own chest. “My name is Luna, and it is my responsibility to protect my subjects from nightmares. I came to aid you in time of need.”

“Nightmare?” Nica asked before looking at the ongoing events in the background. No doubt some time passed as the nearly-dying Raichu recovered enough to escape from the Pokemon Center by the window, running towards the nearby mountain to continue her training.

“With the help of my magic, you became aware of your own dream. You can now spectate instead of experiencing it,” Luna explained.

Nica nodded, watching herself using ‘Thunderbolt’ on a wall of stones, forcing a bunch of small pebbles to rain on the ground. With a quick jump and swift movement of her tail, the Raichu turned several pebbles into dust and used ‘Thunderbolt’ on all the stones she missed. Despite her efforts, more than half of the falling stones hit the ground unharmed. The time passed quickly as she repeated her training over and over, her legs trembling from exhaustion as she struggled to stand.

Despite heavy injuries still present on her body, the dream-Nica used ‘Thunderbolt’ to cut a large boulder from the stone wall. Using ’Volt Tackle’ she smashed the boulder, only to hit the hard ground while screaming in pain. Despite the injury, she kept standing up, using whatever stamina she had left before collapsing. With another boulder falling down, she used ‘Volt Tackle’ once again, only for the aura of electricity to vanish mid-way. Her body ended up smashed into the ground with the boulder pressing against her. The earth trembled under the impact.

With the leftovers of her power, dream-Nica pushed the large stone to the side with ‘Iron Tail’, only to lose consciousness as drops of blood started falling from the side of her mouth. The next scene took place in hospital bed once more with Nurse Joy doing her best to keep her alive.

“Why, why were you pushing yourself to near-death? Wasn’t the training that your trainer put you through painful enough?” Luna asked, looking at her with pity. “Is your desire for power this strong?”

Nica’s ears drooped. “It’s not about the power. I just…” She looked to the side. “It’s my fear of failure…”

“Fear of failure?” Luna asked while observing the following events. The dream-Nica kept sneaking away from her trainer to train herself, even fighting against her own team members who tried to stop her. Luna rounded the real Nica and raised her head, now looking into her oval eyes. “Can you tell me more?”

“When I evolved into Raichu, my trainer assured me that I was skilled enough to face every challenge, yet because I didn’t act fast enough, I failed to safe the life of a father.” Nica’s eyes started watering. “Since that day, I learned that I need to be even more skilled to properly use my powers. I stopped caring about winning or growing stronger, all I wanted was to never fail ever again.”

Luna nodded before looking at the scene before them, listening with full attention.

“Nica… I just… I want to make a deal,” Astra said with desperation in her voice as she was sitting next to her injured partner. Despite forcing a fake smile and composed attitude, there were signs of desperation and insanity visible on her face.

Dream-Nica looked back at her, staring curiously while unable to move due to numerous bandages.

“I believed you had the potential and will to become the strongest and most skilled, so I challenged your resolve whenever possible. I wanted to teach you how to win fights without relying on the power of evolution, so when you finally evolved you would overcome even the strongest adversaries. When I shared my ideology with you, I had no idea you would put my words so deep into your innocent heart.”

Astra’s eyes watered. “Because of my training and what I’ve said, you decided to train yourself to near-death and proved to me that I can’t stop you no matter what I do. I can’t lock you away—my pokeball won’t hold you, and no amount of sweets or pleading changed your mind.” She sighed. “So instead of trying to stop you, I decided to support you.” She stood from her chair and raised Raichu’s head gently, looking her deep in the eyes. “In return, allow me to accompany you. I’ll use all of my medical knowledge to keep you alive and escort you to the Pokemon Center.” Her eyes started to produce tears at a faster rate. “Please, I beg you! I know I bottle my emotions all the time, rarely showing them, even in a hard battle, but I really care about you and the team. After all we went through together, I would never forgive myself… if you… please…” Astra’s voice broke and wavered.

The answer to Astra’s request became apparent in the following days. The whole team formed a large circle as their trainer Astra commanded to specific team members to attack another, while ordering what defensive maneuver the targeted pokemon need to perform. Occasionally Astra commanded another pokemon to defend their team member, trying to improve their cooperation and prepare them to defend one another from danger.

When the team felt too tired to continue, dream-Nica still had stamina to keep going. Together with Astra, she approached the side of a mountain to start her brutal training.

Just like before she pushed herself too hard as Astra took her to the Pokemon Center, using knowledge acquired under the tan Nurse Joy to provide first aid if necessary. Despite being tired, Blissey shared some of her vitality with the unconscious pokemon on the way.

“You want to know something interesting?” Astra asked in a saddened tone as she talked to her partner who was once again perched on the hospital bed. The moment dream-Nica looked back at her with a satisfied smile, she said, “Both pokemon and humans possess a power that keeps us alive, which is why the more we get hurt, the tougher we become. However… if a pokemon or human is pushed over their limits, exhausting every bit of their stamina and life energy, our bodies become vulnerable.” Astra looked at the ceiling and continued, “Bleeding is a rare sight, as no pokemon dares to fight or train to this point, knowing their life would be on the line.” She stroked Nica’s cheek. “But this risk is what you choose for yourself. I won’t leave your side. I’ll keep you alive no matter what.” The Z-ring flashed again for a moment.

Luna looked away from the scene and embraced the real Nica with her wing, pressing her cheek against her fur. “Is training and fighting really part of your species’ nature?”

“I think so. Becoming stronger was my desire from my youth, and I found fulfillment under Astra’s guidance. Most pokemon I met shared such desire, with some exceptions of course. But, when I started changing little by little, so did my priorities. After I evolved into Raichu, I was more interested in protecting others and helping my trainer accomplish her goals.” She lowered her head and whimpered. “After I had an opportunity to save another life and failed, however, I no longer desired to become stronger just for the sake of being stronger, nor was I interested in winning battles. Making sure that I’d be useful and never fail when it mattered became my motivation for pushing myself… more than I should.”

Luna chuckled. “Such an irony. You live among species who want to improve themselves, yet you ended up as one of the most powerful among them not because you wanted power, but because you had a different and selfless motivation. Is the desire to be useful and fear of failure still driving you forward?”

“It is,” Nica responded with a saddened tone. “I may be away from home, but my goals haven’t changed. Ponies showed me so much kindness and affection. I wish nothing more than to be useful to them, and I fear of failing them.”

“Do you miss home?” Luna asked.

“Not really.”

Luna’s eyes widened as she asked with shock being clear in her voice, "Why? Why would you not miss your home and friends?" She withdrew her wing and looked at the pokemon in confusion.

Nica shrugged. “I’m not sure. Maybe because my memories haven't fully recovered yet, or maybe because I know that my trainer would want me to help others as much as I can. By being useful to ponies, I realize her ambitions, despite our distance.”

Luna chuckled. “That’s an interesting way of thinking.”

The princess and Nica kept watching the events before them unfold as something new happened. After two months of near-death experiences, Nica’s attack power… decreased. ‘Thunderbolt,’ ‘Volt Tackle,’ ‘Iron Tail’ and ‘Focus Blast’ became weaker, which seemed odd. Shouldn’t training make a pokemon stronger? In return, however, Nica’s durability and stamina increased to extreme level.

According to Astra’s theory, Nica using every bit of her stamina and life-energy over and over forced her body to make a desperate countermeasure. By weakening her attack and special attack, it greatly increased her survivability.

With this development, Astra and Nica came to an agreement that an update to their fighting style was necessary.

Nica weakened the force behind her attacks, and instead started using them more often, creating combos on the offensive. Whether it was to combine ‘Volt Tackle’ with ‘Iron Tail’ or to use ‘Iron Tail’ for defense and quickly counter with ‘Thunderbolt,’ her fighting style became more defensive and flexible.

In terms of attack power, Nica was now slightly weaker than she was as a Pikachu, yet her superior stamina let her use attack moves in greater numbers without getting tired, more than making up for her new weakness. In a sense, her new weakness turned into a great strength.

Two weeks before the Sinnoh League, Astra and Nica went toward the league grounds to participate in preliminary rounds, only to be ambushed by the invisible hitman called ‘Phantom.’

Nica’s ‘Iron Tail’ intercepted each pokemon or weapon attack directed at her trainer or team members, be it slamming aside ‘Shadow Ball’ or grabbing and throwing back paralyzing grenades. Using her ability to sense Phantom’s aura, she struck against the invisible assassin while destroying his camouflaging equipment. The team of ghost pokemon who defeated Astra’s team before ended up quickly and easily overwhelmed.

“Wow…” Luna said, her mouth agape. “Never in my life have I seen such a display of speed and reflexes. You were an incredible bodyguard.”

The real Nica chuckled, giving the princess a patient smile. “I’m shocked myself. A year ago, back when I was a Pikachu, we tried to prevent this elite hitman from capturing Moltres. He and his team defeated us in a one-sided battle. I can’t believe how much the tables have turned. Also, it seems that I learned how to use some sort of barrier and used it to protect my team from special attacks. I’ll test it out as soon as I can.”

“I suppose after fighting three mighty giants over and over for months, changing into a much more powerful form, and even training yourself to near-death would be enough to turn the tables,” Luna commented.

“My team improved as well. Speaking of improving...” Nica stood up, walked forward and turned around, now staring up at the princess eye-to-eye. “Would you be interested in lessons of self-defense?”

“W-what?” Luna stood up and raised her foreleg defensively. “Self-defense?”

Nica nodded before pointing at Luna accusingly, her eyes narrowed. “From all the stories I heard, you and your sister are the most powerful ponies in Equestria, yet despite all this power, you never do anything when the danger arises, or you fail.”

“Excuse me?” Luna said, offended. She stomped. “Watch your tone. You may not be my subject, but I won’t take such accusations lightly.”

“Even if those accusations are the truth?” Nica placed her forepaws on her hips and said, “Princess Twilight and her friends saved you from being Nightmare Moon and reunited you with your sister. You must feel grateful for all they did for you.”

“Of course I’m grateful. Twilight Sparkle is my dear friend, and I respect Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash for their bravery and heroic deeds.”

“If that’s the case, why don’t you repay them? Why don’t you protect them from danger? Why don’t you fight by their side?” Nica asked, her tone sharp and filled with disappointment. “You are more powerful than Twilight, and her power is already far greater than the power of a legendary pokemon like Articuno or Regirock. Was there a single time you protected your subjects when Equestria was in danger with that magic of yours?”

“Of course I have…” Luna said with an annoyed frown. “Tantabus for example. I fought valiantly in the dream realm to stop it.”

“What’s Tantabus?” Nica asked.

“A creature I created to punish myself in my dreams, but it went out of control and grew in power. It became large and strong enough to escape to the real world, but I…” Luna corrected, “I mean we… stopped it.”

Nica narrowed her eyes and shot the princess a judgemental glare. “So, in other words, it was a creature of your own creation, and by saying ‘we,’ that must mean that you had help. Please, be honest. Did Twilight and her friends assist you in this fight?”

“Yes, they did,” Luna said with a nod. “I was too focused on maintaining a collective dream to fight, so the ponies of Ponyville used their imagination to fight Tantabus. In the end, Twilight and her friends convinced me to forgive myself for my past mistakes, and when I overcame my guilt, my creation returned to me and was no longer a threat.”

“So, you stopped a threat you created, and your subjects did most of the fighting. Once again, Twilight and her friends helped you while you never returned their kindness by helping them whenever they faced great dangers.” Nica turned around, showing her back to Luna. “I’m sorry, Princess, but if I was in your place, I wouldn’t be able to sleep well until I repaid my saviors’ and defended them with my live.”

Luna opened her mouth to respond, but closed it immediately after. She still felt offended by Nica’s accusations, but the more she thought about them, the harder it came to deny them.

“What about others threats? I’m sure there were many opportunities to protect your subjects while returning the favor to your friends.”

Luna took a deep breath and spoke in a calmer tone, “I was still asleep during Discord’s attack, who spread chaos in Ponyville and hid the Elements. Only Twilight and her friends could turn him into stone, so there was not much I could do anyway.”

“Just because only they could use the Elements doesn’t mean only they could find them. In fact, being the bearers just made them main target. Searching for the Elements or distracting Discord from targeting the mares who could defeat him was the least you could have done,” Nica said as her ears drooped. She turned to the princess and stared at her with saddened smile.

Luna continued, “I was willing to assist against Sombra, but my sister convinced me to let Twilight handle it by herself. She needed to prove herself capable of taking up big responsibilities in the future.”

“If you were willing to take action, were you at least ready to save her if she failed?” Nica asked.

Luna remained silent as she looked to the side. As much as she didn’t want to admit, she never returned Twilight’s kindness. She took her friendship for granted and started relying on her and her friends to resolve every problem. Where was the honor in that?

“What about the changeling invasion? Did you face a single changeling while Twilight and her friends faced an entire army of them?” Nica asked.

Luna grit her teeth and closed her eyes. As someone who once bore the Element of Honesty, she couldn’t lie to herself anymore, even if the truth hurt. Her performance in recent years whenever a threat had arisen was terrible. To make matters worse, she owed Twilight and her friends a massive debt of gratitude, one she didn’t even think to repay.

Nica crossed her arms. “I believe that the more power one possesses, the more they should do to protect others. I find you and your sister’s performance very disappointing.” She smiled. “That’s why I’m willing to train you. I can teach you how to defend yourself and others by training you the very important ancient art of… dodging…” She chuckled. “...among other things. Joking aside, after my training, you can cooperate with Twilight and her friends, protect them from danger and defend yourself from any villain who would try to capture you.”
She waved her forepaws in excitement. “And you can show your gratitude to your friends this way. It’s a perfect plan."

Luna raised her head. Despite feeling as if her pride had been severely wounded, she could do little but stare into the enthusiastic oval eyes of the large critter. “I appreciate your concern and find your suggestion intriguing, but shouldn’t we focus on helping you overcome your nightmares first? ‘Tis my duty after all.”

Nica shook her head. “My problems are unimportant. Teaching you how to defend yourself and those you care about, and how to make the best use of your power, this is way more important.” She held a forepaw on her chest and added, “My problems and my well-being are insignificant when compared to those of a national ruler.”

Luna was about to protest, only to end up pushed out from the dream. After finding herself in the endless space filled with stars symbolizing ponies dreams, she came to a single conclusion, someone awoke Nica from her slumber.

She kept staring into endless space for a few seconds while considering Nica’s words. It was clear to her that this brave little creature—driven by guilt and fear of failure—was carrying a heavy burden of self-inflicted responsibility. “I may not have known her for long, but dreams and memories don’t lie. She shares her trainer’s beliefs and stands strong by them, ready to train herself to critical condition and put herself in danger for the sake of others.” She lowered her head and rubbed her foreleg. Her ears drooped. “I sympathise with her beliefs and can’t deny Nica’s words. Twilight and her friends showed me friendship, helped me in times of need and did Equestria a great favor many times. What kind of princess and friend I am if I can’t do anything in return?” She stomped and narrowed her eyes. “If Twilight and her friends will once again fight for the sake of Equestria, I shall fight by their side.”

Chapter 34 - Home, Family and a Dream

Little Lost Raichu

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Chapter 34
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Home, Family and a Dream

Watching the clear night sky covered by shining stars while being held in the embrace of a helpful and kind griffon, certainly a reward in itself after a long harsh battle against a powerful foe. With the chaotic and important battle behind her, Nica was now soaring over the trees towards Ponyville while sensing Gabby’s excited and cheerful aura, the calming atmosphere putting her mind at ease.

With a few minutes of flight left before they would arrive at the friendship castle, Nica thought back to recent events, or what she would call ‘damage control.'

The image of Princess Celestia, Twilight Sparkle and Rainbow Dash covered by bandages and lying in the hospital beds was still fresh in her mind.

Due to the fact that the athletic pegasus wasn’t a spellcaster and was the least affected by Darkrai’s magic, she was the first to wake up and receive cheerful words from her friends, as well as Nica’s enthusiastic hug.

I must admit, earth ponies are tough. Applejack endured what put Rainbow Dash in a hospital bed. And Gabby, her magic and willpower must be extremely strong since she was affected by Darkrai’s magic longer than the others and is now carrying me to Ponyville with no sign of discomfort. It seems not only unicorns and alicorns can possess powerful magic.

Nica glanced at the castle on the horizon with a look of pity.

Now that I think about powerful ponies, with Celestia still being unconscious, poor Luna had to take charge of Canterlot. She may be more resistant to dark magic than others, but she was still hurt in battle and spent a lot of her magic to boost my power. I don’t envy her, taking charge while hiding her exhaustion and wounds.

She sighed and looked towards Ponyville once more.

Luna was busy and Twilight was still unconscious, so that left Starlight as the only unicorn with the knowledge and skill to examine the crystal fragments we found in the mine. According to her theory, Darkrai used the crystal as a means of long-range transportation, but it seemed to be a one-time use device. To make matters worse, Starlight had found a trail of dark magic leading into that scary forest.

Nica’s imagination shifted to a pony named Quibble Pants, who proved bold enough to stand up to Luna’s authority and said in a firm tone, “Instead of waiting for Princess Twilight Sparkle to wake up and save Equestria, how about making a good use of your scholars from the school for gifted unicorns to get rid of the curse. You don’t need to keep sending the same heroes to do all the work and protect Equestria, you have talented subjects who should move their lazy flanks and do something for a change.”

Nica grimaced. Quibble certainly had a sharp tongue, but he often made a good point. To think that all it took was for Starlight to teach the scholars how to detect and remove the curse, and next assign each scholar an escort from the Royal Guard and a pegasus chariot. She smiled in satisfaction. While I’m flying to Ponyville, perched on Gabby’s back, those educated unicorns are moving to other cities to cleanse them from Darkrai’s influence, changing what should take weeks to pull off into a chore lasting only a few days.

Nica closed her eyes, now analyzing the weaknesses and strengths of ponies that she learned about. I feel sorry for the princesses. Despite possessing all this power, being both magical ponies and spellcasters only made them way more vulnerable to Darkrai’s power, as if having two types that are both weak to the same attack, making them four times weaker against it. I hope they get better soon. She thought back to the joyful moment when Princess Celestia and Princess Twilight opened their eyes, yet were still in no condition to leave their beds or receive any hugs. Both Starlight and Daring Do insisted on them resting for the night in the hospital, letting Luna and the scholars to handle the crisis for now.

I’m not sure what they meant saying that Luna would need to lower the sun and raise the moon. That sounded bizarre. Nica rubbed her chin. There was still much she didn’t know about this world.

With a weakened Darkrai in the Everfree Forest, my friends, the brave and proud national heroines are on their way back Ponyville to gather some supplies and rest. They’ll search the Everfree Forest tomorrow morning, and I will assist the best I can. No matter the danger, no matter the obstacle, I’ll protect them with my life. Nica opened her eyes and raised her head, now looking at her long tail. With her combat abilities restored, she knew how to defend herself against the monsters and predators, as well as protect those she cared about.

“We’re here,” Gabby said as she flew into the castle through the balcony. “So, where’s your room?”

Nica climbed down from Gabby’s hold, now feeling the cold floor under her paws. The magical collar was once again present on her neck. “Follow me.”

Several seconds of running later, she pulled the handle, opening the door into her room. She ignored the bookshelves, table and mirror, her attention now on the bed. She climbed up onto the soft surface of the bed, noticing one of her little friends sleeping on the pillow. “Hello, Mr. Patrick, were you missing me?”

The rat raised his head and looked back at her, only to jump from the pillow and climb up onto her shoulder, nuzzling her cheek.

“I’ll take that as a yes,” Nica said before glancing at the upper corner of the room, noticing spider webs with her befriended green poisonous spider nesting on it. Upon hearing a squeaky noise and feeling the tongue of the rat licking a bruise on her face, she added, “Don’t worry, I’m fine. I didn’t get hurt as much as I exhausted myself today. One night of sleep and I’ll be at my best once more.”

“You have a life-sized doll of Twilight Sparkle?” Gabby asked as she approached the large plushie.

“Y-yes…” Nica said and tapped her paws as a blush appeared on her cheeks. “My friend Lily Longsock won it for me at a festival during a test of strength. Sadly, as huggable as it is, it’s nowhere as soft and warm as the real deal.”

Gabby held a talon over her mouth and laughed. “You and your love for hugs and wing-hugs. I guess it’s one of the qualities I really like about you.” She spread and pointed at her bruised wing. “If you want a wing-hug, I’m happy to serve.”

Nica nodded. “Sure, there’s nothing better than a warm hug before sleep.” She was quickly wrapped by her friend’s wing while feeling the warmth of her chest. The rat on her shoulder struggled to free himself from the strong embrace, only to lower his chin in defeat, his face unamused.

“I can’t wait for tomorrow. We’ll explore a dangerous forest while working as a team and protect Equestria. It will be so much fun!” Gabby shouted in excitement while stomping in place, her wings spread. She squeaked cheerfully like a little mouse.

“Calm down or you won’t get any sleep.” Once free, Nica patted the bed with her forepaw. “Want to sleep with me?”

“I thought you would never ask,” Gabby said before climbing onto the bed, perching herself against the pillow while placing the Raichu on her spread wing.

Nica circled herself against the soft feathers, which she found to be as soft as Celestia’s wing. Her little rat friend took a napping spot on the side of her belly. Lost in the pleasant softness, she pressed bronze patches of her rear paws against her fluffy belly and dived into the land of dreams.

After delivering a large blow against both the Pokemon Hunters and Team Galactic, while two hitmen from the Team Rocket elite were stuck behind bars away from their boss's corrupting influence, Astra’s next goal became to rebuild her parents organization, or at least something similar. To accomplish that they needed to set up a base of operation.

Their first destination was ruins of the Guardian base in Alola. There was still some equipment that the misguided police officers didn’t bother to take away, as well as some tools located in the underground laboratory. Luckily, two out of five of the Guardian members that joined Astra’s side were experienced technicians who knew the value of the abandoned equipment. Using large pokemon for equipment transportation as well as a rented ship, they made their way towards the island where Astra’s parents had hid their daughter inside a secret bunker.

Despite being well-read and very intelligent for her age, Astra was still young, not daring to touch the expensive and complicated machinery inside the bunker, but the Guardian technicians quickly found it to be extremely useful. With food, crew, and resources at their disposal, Astra’s hiding spot was slowly being turned into a functional base.

“Of course you can, I have nothing against letting you see your family,” Astra said as she read a note written by Nica. They both stood next to a waterfall which hid the entrance into the bunker. “You’re my partner, you don’t need to ask for such permission. Besides, I don’t think we’ll be leaving anytime soon.”

asked Lauki’s Pikachu as he ran over, hopping in excitement.

Dewott said with crossed hands and a firm face.

Nica said with a nod. While most of her team looked up to her in respect, seeing her like the leader, and Umbreon still called her an older sister, it felt nice to interact with pokemon who acted more like friends than anything else. Well… aside from the Pikachu idolising her a bit, but it wasn’t that bad.

Pikachu grinned before commenting,

Dewott frowned in annoyance.

Nica looked up at the tall mountain covered in snow, her home where she grew up alongside other Pichu. It had been years since she interacted with her herd and she had a lot to tell them.

“Wait Nica, take this.”

She glanced at her trainer, noticing a small bag in her hands, which Astra put on her shoulder.

“I thought you might have wanted to visit your old friends, so I packed some sweets you love so much, feel free to share them. I also packed a surprise that they may be interested in.” Astra knelt and hugged her partner, who more enthusiastically returned the favor. “Have fun.”

Nica said before waving at her trainer and then making her way to the mountain. Climbing up… proved far easier than she remembered. In the past when she was a Pichu herself, it took many short jumps and tiresome climbing in the cold weather, making it a tough exercise. Now as a battle-hardened Raichu with larger limbs and capable of reaching two hundred meters of height with her strongest jump, reaching the top seemed so easy in comparison. The cold blizzard waving her ears and tail being nothing when compared to powerful ice attacks she'd faced before.

Upon noticing that her friends were struggling to keep up, she wrapped both Pikachu and Dewott with her tail before jumping up from stone to stone, slowed down only a little bit by their combined weight. Once high enough, she released her friends and looked back at them, only to see Pikachu’s shocked face.

Pikachu said while massaging his arms.

Nica nodded, not bothered by the raining snow and strong wind in the least. Her ears were half covered by snow.

Pikachu nodded before giving Dewott an annoyed glare. Dewott patted him on the head while giving him a sassy smile.

Nica rolled her eyes. Her friends had developed a rivality of sort, yet it was a healthy kind with a few snarky remarks being used back and forth. As long as jealousy and anger weren’t involved, she didn’t mind.

Nica looked towards the source of the voice, which seemed very familiar.

Nica looked between both Pikachu before walking forward on her two feet. Bronze patches on her rear legs sank into the snow with every step while the blizzard continuously assaulted her face. The Pikachu before her took a fighting stance and narrowed their eyes.

One of the Pikachu started to chuckle while another one blushed.

Bush Ball asked.

Nica nodded energetically in return and said, A cheerful smile was present on her face. She started approaching once more, only to stop as both Pikachu still seemed wary of her.

Bush Ball asked.

the other Pikachu commented.

Nica rubbed the back of her neck, blushing. She held her forepaws together in a pleading gesture and lowered her head slightly.

The silence lasted for several seconds before Bush spoke up,

Nica asked as she raised her head.

the other Pikachu said with a cheerful smile.

Nica said as she followed her brothers, taking one step of her bigger rear paw for every two of theirs. The fact that the snow didn’t cover half of her body was certainly a big change ever since her youth.

After minutes of climbing, they reached the entrance into a cave, noticing a large group of Pichu and Pikachu seeking heat around a fire red pokemon Magby. A few apple cores lay on the snow nearby.

Bush shouted, catching everyone’s attention. He pointed at Nica and her group.

Nica gulped as she now became the center of attention, judged by numerous pair of eyes. Half of her brothers evolved already, and many new young faces were visible among the crowd. Her face displayed shock the moment she felt the forepaw of her befriended Dewott on her shoulder. She glanced at his confident face and sighed.

One of the Pikachu Nica didn’t recognize spoke in an elderly voice, He crossed his arms and glared back in distrust.

Lauki’s Pikachu said as he stepped ahead, giving the other Pikachu an angered glare.

Nica took a step back, suddenly feeling a bit like an outcast as a sad smile appeared on her face. This is not how she imagined her reunion to go. She scanned the crowd in search for her parents.

asked another Pikachu, this one a little bit taller than the others and with a heart-shaped edge on her tail. A few pears and berries were in her embrace. She placed them on the snow and pointed ahead of her. She displayed a cheerful smile and gestured with her forepaws. She glanced at Magby.

Nica kept staring at her mother. Her calm friendly voice, her kind personality and compassionate stare. She didn’t change in the least. Nica clenched her paws and stepped forward, now looking at her herd in determination. After taking a deep breath, she held her forepaws together in apologetic gesture and half-bowed.

Everyone blinked in confusion, so did Nica’s companions as they gave her confused stares.

She turned to another Pikachu and lowered her head. She lowered her head towards a Pichu. She continued addressing each her member, naming her pranks, even those she got away with without anyone knowing about. Her ears remained drooped for the entirety of her apology.

Nica said, only to notice that her mother was approaching her with a shocked expression. She dropped to a full bow, nearly touching the snow with her face.

The older Pikachu stared with his mouth agape, only for his side to be bumped by another.

The older one rubbed the top of his head and answered.

Nica felt her chin being raised by paw of her mother, only to be greeted by her compassionate eyes.

Nica asked, only to be wrapped in a hug and raised above the ground. She had to admit, her current predicament was weird indeed. While she felt her mother’s forepaws squeeze against her forward libs and sides in a display of love and felt her mother’s head press against her neck, being raised above the ground in front of her friends and entire herd despite the large difference between her and her mother’s size felt very awkward. Not to mention the struggle her mother’s forepaws had to face to support her weight, or the difficulty her mother’s tiny legs had to overcome in order not to lose balance.

Nica ignored all the stares, freed her forepaws and embraced her mother back as her chin touched the top of Pikachu’s head.

After several seconds of the awkward embrace, she was placed back on the snow.

Her mother sat, giving her trembling legs a well-deserved break.

Pikachu said as she examined Nica’s limbs, and then stood up and grabbed her tail. She placed her forepaws on her hips and added,

Nica rubbed the back of her neck and blushed.

She giggled.

Nica said with a cheerful smile, feeling as if her heart warmed up like a little sun.

She asked as she addressed the crowd. All Pikachu and Pichu nodded in agreement.

Nica’s ears drooped as a sigh of disappointment left her mouth. So much for getting what I deserve for my wrongdoings. She sat in the snow and added,

Pikachu said before standing on the tips of her tiny feet and nuzzling her daughter’s face. She turned towards other companions and asked,

The Pikachu poked his chest proudly.

Dewott approached, gently picking up Nica’s mother's forepaw and kissed it politely, only to release it and perform a polite bow.

Pikachu blushed and shook her forepaw.

Nica blinked in confusion. Should she encourage her friend’s behavior, or should she be afraid that he was acting a bit too friendly? She decided to stick with the first. She glanced at the bag on her shoulder and unzipped it. she said before giving her mom some chocolate, only to hand over some candy to the rest of her herd.

Pichu asked as he climbed up onto the small bag to peek inside.

Nica looked deeper into the bag, only to bite her lip.

Pichu asked.

Nica lowered the curious youth onto the snow with her tail and smiled awkwardly.

Nica’s mother said as exposed her forepaws.

Understanding the gesture, Nica gave her bag over to her mother. After all, in order to leave evolution as an option to choose, something was needed for Pikachu to carry the stones in without touching them. Looking around, she asked, As most of Pikachu dropped their ears, including her mother, she asked,

Nica sensed a massive aura of depression coming from her mother, as well as small similar auras from some of herd members. Her ears drooped and she felt her throat become dry. Her forepaws started to tremble.

Pikachu pressed her head against Nica’s chest and spoke in saddened tone. Tears sank into Nica’s chest.

Dewott and the befriended Pikachu gave her a look of pity while the Raichu felt tears slide down her cheeks on their own.

Nica wrapped her larger paws around her mother’s back in a strong hug, almost squeezing her as they both hugged each other and sobbed for the following minute. Nica’s eyes became wide as she felt a large surge of pain go through her entire body. The scenery of her dream became unclear and distorted.

Nica yelped in pain, flying from her bed. Her back and spread limbs sank into the surface of the wall as cracks spread around the impacted area. Now awake, she glared at the intruder who interrupted her sleep, seeing none other than Darkrai himself. On the other side of the room lay an unconscious griffon covered in burns while dark crystals were piercing her wings.

Have I interrupted at a wrong time? Darkrai’s words echoed in her mind.

With a slam of her tail, she pushed herself free, landing on the floor with her two feet. Her eyes narrowed and ears raised upward in aggravation while her blood started boiling in anger. She slammed her tail against the floor as if it was a whip.

Darkrai glanced at the unconscious griffon. I simply tried to squash your little pet as part of your punishment for ruining my plans, but your griffon friend woke up and got overprotective. A few claw marks were present on Darkrai’s chest.

Nica looked at Gabby in panic as the head of a rat emerged from her protective talons, who started squeaking sadly while nuzzling the griffon’s beak a moment later.

Without hesitation, the long-tailed critter tore off her magical collar as bolts of electricity started escaping her cheeks. The yellow part of her tail started shining in a metallic grey. She bent her legs while observing her opponent’s movements.

Darkrai narrowed his eye and started floating towards Gabby, his hand raised in her direction. Sticky webs shot into his face from a poisonous spider, who was now standing next to the mirror. Darkrai tore away the web from his face and flew towards the spider, ready to grab it with his hand, only for bolts of electricity to hit his hand and push him aside.

I gave you a chance again and again to join me or return to your world, but you spurned my mercy. Whatever happens to your friends from now on will be on your paws, Darkrai said as he raised his hand, summoning an orb of dark energy.

This was the opening she waited for. With a swift jump, she spun while swinging her tail, slaming the dark orb into Darkrai’s face as his own ‘Dark Pulse’ forced a yell of pain.

Both of Darkrai’s hands were now covering his burned face.

Using the opportunity, Nica swung her tail once more, piercing her opponent through the wall. She followed up with a quick ‘Thunderbolt’ which pushed Darkrai into the grass with great force, slamming him into ground while creating a crater. She glanced at Gabby and her little friends. She paused, remembering that without her collar non-pokemon wouldn’t understand her.

She leaped backward and then ran towards the hole in the wall, jumping through the hole while repeating her name. Now surrounded by electricity, she landed on the ground and ran towards Darkrai, who struggled to stand. Her body made contact with his in an explosion of electricity. She ignored the bruises on her face as she pressed her metallic tail against her opponent’s neck. A few drops of sweat fell down her face while her breathing became slow and heavy.

I see you fight even harder when the lives of others are at risk. Though I wouldn’t waste your time with me if I were you, Darkrai’s voice echoed in Nica’s mind as a sinister laughter followed. My servants are paying a visit to the families of your friends. Applejack's family, Rarity’s family and Pinkie’s caretakers. Who knows what will happen to them if… His voice was silenced the moment bolts of electricity went through his body.

Tears fell down from Nica eyes as she ran towards the castle and jumped into her own room, picking up Mr. Patrick the rat and befriended spider into her bag and next putting it on her shoulder. She wrapped her tail around the unconscious griffon and jumped to the ground. Her legs bent due to the weight of the griffon adding to her own. With Pinkie’s caretakers in their bakery being the closest, she ran with all speed she could muster. She wasn’t going to let others feel the pain of losing their parent… no matter the cost.

Darkrai floated into the room of the fellow pokemon, his attention on the abandoned magical collar. You won’t be needing this. Summoning his magic, he surrounded the collar with black flames, melting even the crystals. So much for being able to communicate with creatures of this world. Now, what else can I do to break your spirit?

“Nica, what happened? What’s up with all that noise?” spoke a young drake.

Darkrai narrowed his eyes. It seems I just got my answer. You may have skills capable of defeating me and posses an incredibly tough body, but your mind is fragile. Let’s find out how long you can watch the suffering of those dear to you before your will to fight me will extinguish.

Author's Note

And so Nica reunite with her family and herd in her dream, all matured and grown up. Actually, she's the most grown up since her family and friends never encountered a thunderstone before.

I hope you all enjoyed this reunion (as long as it lasted). I'm looking forward to your feedback.