Epilogue ( + link to the sequel )
Little Lost Pikachu
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Epilogue
With Celestia’s sun no longer on the horizon, only a few flickering candles and the magically supplied glow filled the map room with light. The lavender and blue shine from Starlight and Twilight’s magic was reflected by the memory gems dangling from above, illuminating the room with a collage of colors similar to that of a disco ball.
Twilight sat in her respective seat with a hay sandwich on a plate before her, a humble supper for the humble princess.
Starlight snagged a seat close-by, choosing the one with Rainbow Dash’s cutie-mark decorating it. A few electric burns were visible on her forehead and chest.
On the opposite side, taking Fluttershy’s throne, were two tired creatures still exhausted from their intense training regimen. Both had a vegetable salad and a slice of strawberry cake on their side of the table.
Standing on the bronze tips of her rear paws, Nica eagerly reached for the cake slice, taking another quick bite as the frosting smeared around her mouth. Even though she still had a few bruises and stray patches of dirt decorating her fur, only her head and bubble-like cheeks were visible across the table as she chewed the food with a big smile on her face. Her long, flexible tail flapped left and right in delight while her rear legs trembled a little from the training and weight lifting they had just recently endured.
The yellow, mouse-like pokemon laid flat on the table next to his plate, his legs stretched in four different directions while his fur was soaked in sweat. His breathing was quick and ragged as he fought against the overwhelming desire to close his sleepy eyes.
“So let me get this straight,” Starlight mumbled, rubbing the burns on her fur. “Your teamwork was not only enough to pierce my strongest barrier with a single attack, but was also able to knock me out?” She looked at both chu’s with a proud smile. “And after you placed me in my bed, you both continued your training alongside Litten and Ninetales? I must say, I am impressed.”
Nica licked the frosting from her mouth and gulped, her trusty magical translating collar decorating her neck as a slight blush bloomed on her chubby cheeks. “Well, I wouldn't call it a single attack. Me and Pikachu used a combination of my ‘Volt Tackle’ and Pikachu’s ‘Quick Attack.’ She paused, glancing down in thought. “Actually, after we touched each other’s cheeks, we were able to charge one another with electricity, making each other faster and stronger the longer we powered our combined attack. If we struck your barrier separately, it would have most likely resisted us.”
Twilight nodded in understanding. “Sounds similar to the spell that Starlight created.” She pointed at herself and her student. “When we used it to channel our magic into you or Pikachu, your durability, speed and power increased immensely, even if only for a limited time.”
“Exactly,” Nica said. She showed her teeth in a wide smile and explained, ”During my adventures with Astra, I learned that when two electric pokemon work together, they can accomplish some incredible things.” She looked at the exhausted Pikachu, her grin growing even larger. “My hero is not only really strong, but was eager to cooperate, making our teamwork that much stronger.”
Pikachu pressed his trembling forepaw against the table, pushing himself to a sitting position with a large huff. “I just… I just wish…” He took a deep breath. “I wish I had at least half of your stamina.” He wiped sweat from his forehead. “While I loved every second of our training, it became harder for me to keep up the longer it lasted. I still can’t believe you managed to keep a smile on your face the entire time!”
“Oh, I’m sorry,” Nica said as her ears drooped. She looked down in guilt, murmuring, “I should have gone easier on you.”
“No way!” Pikachu shouted, jumping up in alarm. He stumbled for a moment, nearly falling to the side, before steadying himself and looking at Nica. “Pushing myself to my limits is what makes me stronger!” He shook his head. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.” He sat a moment later, too tired to stand.
Starlight grinned and spoke up, exclaiming, “Considering that soon you’ll reunite with your trainers, there’s nothing wrong with going a little overboard.”
“It’ll no doubt made your time together more memorable,” Twilight cut in.
“I couldn’t agree more,” Pikachu said as he looked at the Raichu with a mix of happiness and respect. Nica returned the glance in kind.
The Raichu climbed onto the table, held her forepaws on her hips and spoke in a teasing tone, “So when you push yourself to your limits, it’s fine, but when I do it, everyone is worried. How is that fair?”
Pikachu and the others rolled their eyes.
Starlight stepped from the throne, walking along the side of the table until both pokemon were in hoof’s reach. “And to think that only a few days ago you two couldn’t even talk face to face, and now you’re the best of friends!” She sighed, shaking her head. “All that drama for nothing.”
“Drama, whatever are you talking about?” Nica teased, plopping herself down beside Pikachu. Getting comfortable, she wrapped the black cord of her tail around her hero’s belly, using the lightning tip to support his shoulder. Much to her surprise, Pikachu crawled closer, supporting his other shoulder against the side of her belly.
Starlight stood on her rear hooves, placing her forehooves on the rounded table before her with a dull thud. “Nica,” she began, her expression becoming serious. “For the past month you’ve been here with us, I’ve seen the pain you’ve endured due to your inferiority complex and humility. No matter how hard you worked to protect and serve the creatures of Equestria, including us, you always believed it wasn’t enough. It hurt to watch you beat yourself up day after day for doing so much more than anyone asked for, and frankly, deserved.” She paused, gesturing towards the Pikachu curled up at her side. “To think the one you’ve admired all this time helped you take the first step to overcoming it.”
Twilight gulped, quickly finishing the sandwich before glancing at the smaller pokemon. “I must admit, you possess a very competitive nature and your unfortunate experiences with two mean Raichu left a very bad impression of your evolution. I’m glad that Nica was able to show you a better side of your evolution and help you overcome your jealousy.” She looked at Dash’s throne and added, “There is nothing wrong with being competitive and trying to do your best, but if taken too far, it can bring out anger and depression.”
Nica and Pikachu looked at each other. No “thank you” was needed as their stares alone showed their gratitude.
Starlight spread her forelegs, wrapping both pokemon into a firm hug. “I won’t say goodbye yet, because I plan to explore these islands of yours.” Leaning down to Nica, she whispered, “I’ll learn first-hoof what it’s like to be a trainer and make you proud.”
“And I’ll be cheering you on,” Nica responded as she wrapped her tail around Starlight’s belly, tightening their embrace.
“Alola is very welcoming,” Pikachu said, allowing himself to be squashed into the embrace. After the grueling training session, he simply couldn’t resist the mare’s strength. “I’m sure they’ll welcome ponies with open arms. Oh, and thanks for the translating collars. I bet everyone will flip when they can understand our speech.”
“You’re very welcome.” Starlight released both pokemon from the hug, giggling as Pikachu stumbled for a moment and fell to his side.
“Oof,” Pikachu grunted, landing on his stomach. His limbs quivered as he tried to push himself up, but to no avail. Nica dashed over and gently pulled him to his paws, standing beside him as the smaller pokemon thanked the Raichu with a quick ‘thanks.’
“Haha, sorry about that,” Starlight said, flashing the pokemon an apologetic smile. She went to pat Pikachu on the back but stopped when she spotted his concerned expression. “You okay?”
“Yea, it’s just, I… I hope Ash didn’t take our disappearance too hard…” Pikachu murmured to himself before distracting himself with the dazzling gems swinging from the ceiling. ”Hopefully when we tell him about the adventures we had and about Equestria, it will make up for making him worried.”
“Don’t feel bad. It wasn’t your fault you were summoned here and it’s not like you could return earlier.” Nica grabbed Pikachu and hauled him over to the edge of the map, attempting to carry the pokemon to his guest room. “Better get some rest. We’ll have one extra training session tomorrow morning, and I think I’ve figured out how to improve your fighting style a tiny bit. It would make me happy if my teachings could help you and your trainer even a little bit.”
“It is always about helping others, isn’t it?” Pikachu asked from his somewhat awkward position. “Ash really likes meeting strong pokemon and skilled trainers. I am sure he’d love to meet you and your friends. We can even get our trainers to meet each other.” Pikachu clapped his paws together in excitement. “Imagine if we could travel together! That would be fantastic.”
Nica leaped onto the floor, now walking towards the exit. “I… don’t think that will work.”
“Huh, why’s that?” Pikachu asked, giving his friend a confused and slightly saddened glance.
“Well… do you remember how much I was afraid of you learning more about me… afraid you would grow jealous of me and see me as a rival to overcome?” Using her tail, she opened the double door, waving farewell at the ponies who soon returned the gesture. She shut the door with her tail and walked through the hallway. “Astra has similar fears. She’s determined to avoid the heroic Ash no matter what.”
Pikachu smiled and poked Nica’s nose playfully. “Then we just need to help her open up to him. If we work together, we can do anything.”
Nica nuzzled Pikachu’s nose with her own. “You can count on me.” She looked at the ceiling, now deep in thought. While she grew to enjoy her hero’s company over the past four days, feeling much more than simply respect and friendship towards him, she could sense his emotions in turn. While the time was running out and part of her wanted to tell her hero what she really felt before their paths would split, she didn’t sense similar feelings from him. If he only saw her as a great friend, she would only hurt him and possibly ruin their friendship by trying to make it anything more.
She looked down at the smaller pokemon in her arms, who had already departed for the land of dreams. She stared warmly at his cute little smile, wishing she could hold him like that much longer. There was still some time before they would find their respective trainers and say their goodbyes. She needed to make the decision by then. Should she stay silent and let them go their separate ways as great friends? Or should she reveal the feelings she had tried so hard to suppress, knowing that he would most likely not return them?
Efficiently opening the door to Pikachu’s room, she leaped onto the bed, slowly and gently placing the exhausted and bruised pokemon onto the soft pillow. “Maybe I can convince my trainer to visit yours often… assuming you don’t leave Alola anytime soon.” She looked at the window of the guest room, then back at Pikachu. Not only had she met and befriended the superior hero, but also made friends with Twilight and other gold-hearted ponies. Finding time to visit them all was no doubt going to become a headache, but it was worth the trouble.
Nica smiled. “Sweet dreams.”
Starlight looked away from the closed door, picking up the empty plates from the table with her levitation. “So… we’ll finally explore the world that raised such powerful and kind creatures like Nica. I have to admit, I’m feeling a bit nervous. And you? Are you nervous or excited?”
Twilight spread her wings, flew over the table and landed in front of Starlight, their muzzles now only a few centimeters away from each other. “Just look at my face and tell me.” She grinned, her teeth shining white as flames burned in her eyes.
Starlight took a step back, chuckling nervously. “Well… I’m not sure if I would call it a nervous or excited smile, but it certainly isn't the face of mercy. It looks as if you’re ready to blow away anyone who gets in the way of your exploration.” Starlight shuddered. “I’m scared to think of what would happen if someone ruined your notes.”
Twilight giggled before flying for the exit. “Finally my work will bear fruit. I think I’ll invite Ninetales and Rainbow Dash to join us.”
Starlight nodded. “I’ll go to Sugarcube Corner tomorrow morning to ask Litten as well. Ace is staying with Coco at Rarity’s, but as Emily’s partner, we should take him too. He could help us navigate alongside Nica and Pikachu.”
“Agreed,” Twilight said. She opened the door with her magic, but as she was about to take a step forward, she stopped and glanced at her student. “By the way… wasn’t Astra’s Gliscor living with us? I haven’t seen him at all in the past few days.”
“Now that you mention it, I also haven’t seen him. Maybe we can ask our friends to look for him while we’re away.”
“Good idea,” Twilight said as she rubbed her chin thoughtfully. “I hope that wherever he is, he’s not in any trouble.”
“For justice!” Gliscor shouted, sharply gliding towards a raging creature. Below the pokemon sat a massive beast, sporting a thick, impenetrable shell on its back like a turtle. Four tree trunk legs sprouted from the shell, holding the creature up off the ground as moss coated its back. As Gliscor darted closer, a snake sprang out of hiding from within, opening its mouth for a brutal blow.
Using ‘Acrobatics,’ the pokemon dodged left and right in the nick of time, avoiding the beasts fangs before descending upon them, using his scorpion like tail to deliver a devastating strike. With a boost of speed, he zipped around each of beast’s body parts, leaving sliced marks on its neck, snake-tail and legs.
“And for good measure!” He slammed both of his clawed hands into the ground, causing the earth to shake and split apart under the massive turtle. The heavy beast bounced against the walls of stone and dirt before crashing at the bottom. “Can’t jump over ‘Earthquake’ with that heavy shell? Your reign of terror is over.” He scanned the area for any other possible threats, sensing nothing but rocky mountains all around. While only the stars and moon were present in the sky, the lack of visibility was no issue for him.
“Wow, that was quick. I must say, you’re efficient.”
He landed and rubbed the back of his neck, giving a polite bow in greeting. He was now staring at white-yellowish mare with her mane and tail split into a collage of pink and blue. Three candies were present on each flank as the ponies cutie mark. “Thank you for your praise, Dame Bon Bon. I am glad I could aid Nica in her effort in making this world a safer place.”
“Pity we don’t have more fighters like you. Our agency that was supposed to keep monsters in check is now nothing but a joke when compared to what it used to be. Our best ponies are long retired and we haven’t had any good recruits to train in decades. As hard as it is to admit, we’re nearly useless now,” Bon Bon muttered as she opened her saddlebag. “Here’s your payment. There was a bounty for capturing this creature. It was particularly nasty.” She grabbed a small pouch with her teeth.
“I shall take only half and share it with Captain Nica. Keep the rest for yourself,” Gliscor said as he patted his armored chest.
Bon Bon nodded before placing the pouch of bits back in her saddlebag. “That’s generous, considering you did most of the fighting. How about we split the reward at the local inn and return to Ponyville. Your friends must be missing you.”
Gliscor shook his head before pointing at a large mountain in distance, or rather at some sort of settlement at the top. “I can’t return yet. I shall visit that place and see if they need any help.”
“That place?” Bon Bon sighed. “That, my friend, is where the griffons live. I’ve heard that they are mostly mercenaries and all they care about are bits. But if you’re determined, search for a griffon named Gabby. She was in Ponyville once and she’s the nicest of the bunch.”
“I shall. Thank you for the advice, Dame Bon Bon. I shall search for Lady Gabby and offer her my services.”
The pony rolled her eyes. “Has anyone told you that you’re too formal?”
“Too many to remember.”
Bon Bon chuckled, patting the pokemon on the back. “Why am I not surprised.”
Fluttershy yawned, sleepily making her way upstairs with her left wing spread out to the side. Once in her bedroom, she approached her bed before glancing at the fluffy creature resting on her wing. The white vixen was curled into a ball, perched in between her yellow feathers. A feeling of nostalgia overcame her.
“It seems Nica is not the only one who likes to sleep on wings,” Fluttershy murmured before gently placing the little creature on top of one of her pillows. She gently nuzzled one of the pokemon’s cheeks and whispered, “Good night, my little Vulpix. Sweet dreams.”
As she perched herself on the bed, keeping some distance from the ice pokemon, she looked at the ceiling and slipped under the covers. “I’ll need to teach her some more about self-control. Poor Angel.” She lay down on her side and closed her eyes, ignoring the slight chill that came from the ice pokemon at her side.
In the meanwhile, one trembling white bunny held a blanket around his body, desperately trying to warm himself up, while buried within numerous pillows in his basket. Specks of frost formed white, bushy eyebrows on his forehead as a few stray icicles hung from his ears. While his pride and ego demanded he fight for Fluttershy's attention and show the newcomer her place, teasing, taunting and pranking the ice pokemon certainly didn’t end as he expected.
Angel raised his shaking head, and peeked from underneath his blanket at the window. He shivered just thinking about the large, flower monster that slept next to the rabbit dens outside. After being turned into a living icicle by a little fluff ball, he certainly didn't feel like becoming a fertilizer anytime soon.
Deep inside Sweet Apple Acres, rested a quaint tree house. A thick, shaggy carpet was stretched across the floor, sporting a little filly and a ghost pokemon. The mare had a single pillow propped underneath her and a blanket tucked over her small form, as Mimikyu dozed off beside her, both sleeping beneath the starry sky. What looked like a recipe for disaster was in fact a sleepover between the harmless filly and the powerful ghoul. A strong blush was present on Mimikyu’s costume and a small smile was decorating his stomach.
Scootaloo and Mimikyu’s cheeks were pressed against each other.
Suddenly, a faint buzz alerted the ghost pokemon. Mimikyu’s eyes shot open as he spotted a hungry mosquito in the dim light, making a beeline for the sleeping filly. A black destructive claw shot out from under its costume, crushing the little bug into a bloody pulp before it got the chance to suck some of the pony's blood.
<Goodnight,> Mimikyu whispered.
Far underneath the ground rested Maud, who was in a deep sleep. She was surrounded by a collection of shimmering rocks that provided light to see by. A trusty Lycanroc lay on the carpet by the bed’s side as the pony’s forehoof was resting on top of his head, no doubt from the petting session they had right before they felt asleep.
<So… looks like we’re going home soon,> Ace mumbled as he sat on his tail and floated before the riverside, gazing at the water’s ripples as he tossed a stone.
Indeed, spoke a familiar voice in his mind. A large starfish was floating on the water before him.
<Pity we can’t stay longer. Helping Coco with her shop and playing with Rainbow Dash was a total blast! Pinkie Pie also seemed fun to be around, what with all her random parties and cheerful smile. So sad I won’t get the chance to get to know the other ponies better.>
It makes little difference to me, Starmie answered, remaining stoic. The dim shine of the moon was reflected by the ruby on it’s stomach, casting a crimson glow on the Alolan Raichu's face.
Ace lowered his head and sighed. <I hope I can convince Emily to befriend that heroic trainer. If they could spend time together, I would get to adventure and learn more about his Pikachu. I’ll need to think of some new tricks to impress them.”
You like him? Starmie asked telepathically.
<Of course I do!> Ace shouted, shaking his forepaws in excitement. <He’s brave, proud, playful and kind. He wants to earn respect and respects others. While it is a bit sad that he doesn’t want to become a Raichu, I can at least admire his resolve and determination.>
Does he like you and Nica?
<He definitely likes and respects me, which is super cool.> He paused and crossed his arms over his chest, growing a smug grin. <I mean… it’s not like I’m too surprised. Especially after he saw how cool my ‘Naval-Storm-Dragon’ move is.
<As for Nica...?> He pressed his forepaws against his cheeks. <I ship them.>
Ship them? Elaborate?
<Well...> Ace tapped his forepaws together. <You know… like… ummm… like getting those two together on a large luxurious ship. You wanna have great food, a wonderful view of the sunset, and a romantic atmosphere... that kind of stuff.> He held his forepaws close to each other. <I would keep them there together until…> he slapped his forepaws together, <they kissed!> He raised a forepaw up to his mouth and giggled. <Usually the process speeds up if the ship is about to sink.>
How so?
Ace rolled his eyes and spoke telepathically, Man… I really need to get you to watch 'Poketanic' one of these days. You’ll totally understand the meaning behind shipping pokemon after that.
Acknowledged, Starmie responded before swimming away.
Ace looked at the sky, and to his surprise, spotted a falling star. <Pikachu seems a bit blinded by his adventurous spirit, not interested in romantic relationships in the least.> He closed his eyes and thought deeply, Please, shooting star, grant my wish. Help my sis score a date with the hero she admires so much. I hope Nica makes the first move. He lowered his head and held his forepaws together, displaying a dreamy smile. <Ooohhh… it would be so amazing if she really did it.>
Glancing down, Ace placed a forepaw on his chin. <Hmm, I wonder. What would be their ship name. Nicachu or Pica?> After a moment of consideration, he mumbled, <I like Nicachu, but don’t know for sure. Maybe Starmie can decide.>
Ace paused and smacked his forehead. <Oh no.> He muttered, shaking his head. <I forgot to tell Starmie about ship names!> Jumping to his paws, he stood and darted after the starfishes retreating form.
<Starmie wait!>
Under the cover of night, a cream colored fox darted between buildings, searching for a particularly tasty-looking one. It wasn’t long before Ninetales spotted the bakery and snuck around back, before silently leaping in through an open window. He began to explore the sweet shop, making sure to stay as quiet as possible. Using his memory of the place, he checked the kitchen and then the rooms upstairs, spotting Popplio sleeping with the twins, a fin wrapped protectively around each one. After more searching with ninja-like steps, he slowly opened the door into Pinkie’s room, noticing Litten sleeping on the carpet next to the bed.
Ninetales stepped forwards and cringed as the floor beneath him gave a small creak. Litten’s eyes flickered open in alarm, but they quickly softened after spotting the vixen.
With slow steps, Ninetales approached the cat-like pokemon, pointing at the carpet. Upon receiving a nod, he rounded Litten and perched himself on the same carpet, wrapping a few of his tails around his little pupil. A strong blush was present on his face as he snuggled beside the pokemon, though his initial embarrassment passed as Litten began to purr in his embrace, placing his head on the foxes tails. He closed his eyes, praying that Pinkie wouldn't drive him crazy tomorrow.
Lucario sat in silence, maintaining his position as he stared at the house floating above him. From within the cloud’s walls, he could sense Rainbow Dash’s aura, feeling her exhaustion as stars speckled the night sky.
He remained still, holding his meditation pose before closing his eyes. He prefered to sleep outside of his pokeball, not bothered by the wind nor cold of the night. While he regretted he couldn’t explore the home of his pegasus’ companion, he didn’t mind sleeping outside.
The ponies… their magic… great potential… Battling, rising potential… inefficient. Peaceful talents, great development, combat talents, poor development. Ponies peaceful… pokemon competitive… skill gap massive… He opened his eyes and stood up with a clear goal, interrupting his thought process. With firm steps, he walked through the night, his direction, a forest in the distance. Forest filled with predators. Size… superior to ponies, magic and power… inferior to ponies. Pokemon, returning soon. Time limited… Dangerous forest… worth exploring, worth learning.
Staring into the distance, Scizor guarded the entrance to the Apple family home, as if awaiting an attack at any moment. His metallic ears picked the noise of an opening door from behind as he turned around, wary.
“Can’t sleep?”
He looked at Big Mac before shaking his head. The large pony sat by his side before staring at the sky.
“Nice view, isn’t it?”
Scizor turned around, observing the stars on the sky before nodding.
“Silent fellow, ain’t ya?”
He nodded again, not giving the pony much attention. He kept his eyes trained on the outside forest, determined to stay focused.
“Ah see…”
Minutes turned into an hour of silence before Big Mac grinned. “Nice to meet someone who can admire the peaceful view in silence. Good night bud.” He patted the pokemon’s back before walking back inside, returning to his deserved sleep.
Scizor crossed his hands and closed his eyes, listening for any threats while standing in front of the door.
While the elements were returned to the Tree of Harmony, taming the enraged forest, some side-effects remained as a pack of Timberwolves made their way towards the apple-filled orchard. Their wooden bodies shone with green magic in the darkened atmosphere. They crept within the trees, planning to snag a few apples enhanced with earth pony magic, though weren’t opposed to catupring more suitable prey.
The pack’s attention shifted toward some slight movements in one of the trees, their ears perking as the leaves rustled. Each Timberwolf growled in sync as some sort of creature jumped onto the ground. Its black coat perfectly camouflaged the creature into the night, yet bright gold rings encircled the creatures form, betraying its location. The pokemon gave a furious growl, his eyes blazing as he stalked closer to the wolves.
Umbreon approached with firm steps, not betraying a bit of fear. There seemed to be no magic emanating from the creature, leaving the wolves turning their noses in distaste.
The leader moved to the side, walking around this mysterious newcomer, only for it to jump in their way.
The alpha gestured with his head, giving the signal to his pack to surround the smaller creature. One eager pack member couldn’t help himself though, jumping at the critter with a desire to kill.
A black sphere shot from Umbreon’s mouth, blasting the attacking Timberwolf into splinters as resulting black flames ate away at the wood, burning it. The once proud Timberwolf reformed into a little wooden puppy, glancing around in confusion before darting away with its tail in between its legs.
Each member stumbled backwards before turning towards the forest they came from and fleeing, following the puppies example. None were interested in fighting against a creature who could damage their bodies and weaken their magic on this scale.
Umbreon raised his head proudly, before turning back and preparing himself for another attack. No one was going to enter Sweet Apple Acres on his watch.
A series of muffled noises came from under a mass of fat as Hariyama slept on his belly. His massive form crushed both the bed underneath him and the little filly that was sleeping beside him. It didn’t take long before the large pokemon ended up being thrown off, creating a hole in the wall before rolling across the road. Hariyama remained asleep, now snoring.
Lily Longsock took a quick breath of fresh air before she bit her bottom lip, staring at her destroyed bed and the hole in the wall. “Oops… Mom and Dad won’t be happy about that.”
She walked towards the hole, examining the damage. While she didn’t have much of a problem with restraining her strength at home, ending up trapped under a half-ton heavy pokemon in her sleep caught her off guard. She looked at the sleeping Hariyama covered in sand and dirt from the road. “You just had to roll onto me in your sleep.” She lowered her head and sighed. “I should have let you sleep outside after all.”
Sleeping inside a cozy cottage was a light grey mare, dozing on her belly with her wings flared out behind her while a serene smile was present on her face. Her limbs were sprawled across the bed, casting creases against the comforter, though one forehoof was wrapped firmly around a small, rounded pokemon.
With a quick roll, Derpy pressed Rowlett into the sheets, causing it to open his eyes and screech in alarm. Springing to life, the owl trashed the mare’s room, dragging the pony around as it smashed into walls, a table and the ceiling. Even with the ruckus, Derpy remained sleeping, slightly snoring as Rowlett darted around the room like an enraged rocket.
Derpy tightened her hold over Rowlett without a care in the world, causing the pokemon to turn a deep shade of purple from the sudden lack of oxygen.
Rowlett felt sweat drip down his body as he tried to gasp for air. Was the crushing hug a punishment for his outbursts? If I survive this, I will keep my outbursts in check, I swear! Please, don’t squeeze the life out of me! he prayed in his mind as his struggle against Derpy’s hold proved fruitless. Maybe I can use Leafstorm to push her away? I just hope it has an effect on this indestructible pegasus. He considered his options, hoping he wouldn’t be forced to turn his caretaker’s room into a more of a complete disaster than it already was.
Octavia looked from her comfortable spot in the bed at the pokemon, Primarina, a majestic naval creature with a love for singing. Her face displayed nothing but guilt. Was it alright to let such an artist sleep on the floor while she slept on a warm, toasty comforter?
After a moment of contemplation, she thought about her roomate. I wonder if Vinyl would mind much if I donated her bed for Primarina. Surely she wouldn’t refuse to make such a noble sacrifice? She displayed a mischievous, little grin as she stood up from her bed, taking silent steps before opening the door. Her destination, Vinyl’s lair.
<So, how’s working in the hospital?> asked Audino, only a small patch of snow white fur showing on her belly, chest and face. Pink fuzz covered the rest of her body, like a hood with an opening in the middle.
<Very quiet. Whenever I was brought to the pokemon center or volunteered to assist Nurse Joy, there were trainers left and right demanding assistance.” Blissey gestured towards the empty building. “Now, it’s just boring. I feel as if my talents are being wasted,> she responded, sitting on a bench next to her ally. <Working as a bodyguard and healer in Astra’s team is much more exciting. I am missing all the action.>
Audino looked away from Blissey, now staring at the stars in the sky, finding the view so much greater than any outdoor night back in their world. It was as if an artist had personally looked into painting the sky for them, creating the perfect canvas to share this beautiful night. <Working at the veterinary clinic is somewhat demanding. Other creatures living here seem to rely on ponies’ care a lot.>
<These peaceful ponies seem to live in a world filled with dangers,> Blissey pointed out. <If what I learned from the doctors and Nurse Redheart is true, whenever there is a great danger, everypony relies on Princess Twilight and her friends to resolve it and protect them from harm. It almost feels as if everyone placed all their burdens on that group of mares.> She looked at Audino, finding slightly difficult to turn on the bench due to her egg-shaped body. <Twilight and her friends must really care about others if they are willing to put themselves in danger just to protect them. I can understand and respect that, but…>
Blissey paused, taking a moment to find proper words. <Do you… do you think that if we leave, that Twilight and her friends will manage to keep Equestria safe?>
<What do you mean? I understand that they failed against Darkrai, which is why Nica was sent here, but they overcame all other threats,> Audino pointed out. <Besides, Darkrai wasn’t from their world. He was very powerful and had combat experience that surpassed all villains that they successfully defeated. Are you afraid that one day they may face an opponent that they can’t overcome?>
<Exactly. If we stayed here, we would be able to support them. I just think it's unfair that everyone expects Twilight and her friends to keep them safe, while she can’t count on anyone but her friends to support her. I wish she had more allies, that’s all.> Blissey explained, looking at Audino with a look filled with worry. <If Equestria was to be invaded by an army, the moment Twilight and her friends fall, Equestria would crumble right alongside them.>
<Ironic, isn’t it?> Audino asked as she looked at the mountain sporting this country’s capital. <The heroes of this world must remain strong, because if they fall, so will this nation. Yet, because the heroes are so strong, everyone depends on them too much, becoming weaker themselves.> She lowered her head and sighed. <When the Guardians were betrayed and the criminal organizations thrived from ignorance of the populace, I was sure that it was only a matter of time before they captured legendary pokemon and used them to harm our world.>
<Yet it didn’t happen,> Blissey pointed out. <Astra took the torch from her parents and did her best to weaken those organizations before they recovered and before they could become too great of a threat, becoming a stepping stone. Other trainers rose against criminals as well, and I heard that Ash made many allies who have helped him in every fight. People and pokemon in our world can rise together to fight off those threats.>
Audino yawned. <I’m getting sleepy.>
<Me too,> Blissey murmured as she yawned as well, both pokemon now supporting each other’s sides against one another. <Good night, Queen.>
<It was nice meeting those kind ponies, but this is not the place for us. Good night, Blissey.>
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I can't tell if this is ironic...or sarcastic...
9437757
Knowing Starlight, probably both.
That was a nice ending. I hope you leave the sequel separate as from what I have read so far to be a different story.
Great ending to this story! I liked that you included scenes for some other Pokemon just to see what they've been doing in Ponyville.
Going to read your other story now!
A great fic, too bad that not many found it and put a like. Congratulations. Going to read the sequel.
I'm not the only one reminded of Abathur with the speech/thought pattern Lucario is using?
9438151
Negative.
9437912
I hope as well, though 29 upvotes/2 downvotes is rather discouraging considering that most who upvoted the sequel were most likely the ones who read Little Lost Pikachu. There's also no telling how many readers of this story will bother to read the sequel. Either way, I am still clinging to my hopes.
9437920
Well, only suitable epilogue seemed one that show what everyone has been doing. I am surpriced no one commented on Nica's thought about her feeling towards Pikachu and Ace's shipping remarks, considering how many readers were into it in past chapters.
9438151
That's Astra's Lucrio for you. Spirit of Abathur is strong in this one. As the one who taught Nica how to sense aura of emotions of other pokemons, he must be really proud of her (he aided in development of the most skilled Raichu on the planet, trully a worthy achievement).
9439131 This amused me enough for me to smile, glad I'm not the only one.
9439174 see above.
9439174
Quite frankly, I thought Nica have feelings towards Pikachu was pretty cute. I would totally ship them, but I'm also nervous if things are going to work out between them, considering how oblivious Pikachu were when it comes to romance.
Still, I'm interested to see where it goes.
9439477
I'm glad to know that i got someone to smile for once.
Instead of accidentally making them cry.
9552594
Considering that Nica's flaws have deep roots that grew over the years, it is not something that could be resolved quickly, same with Pikachu.
9552702
I am sure the result of Poison Joke will catch you off guard.
9552782
Really?
9554038
What you liked so much about Ace if I may ask?
Also, from Nica, Ace and Pikachu, who's your favorite, who's number two and who's the third?
9554160
It's fine, but I'm surpriced that Ace got fifth spot.
What do you like the most about Nica, Ninetales and Pikachu that makes them hold first, second and third spot?
9577027
They just feel right.
9614530
Not Funny. 😒
9615113
no problem, always glad to help point something out since i like these stories.
9624723
So true, but best not to tell Nica about it. This would be too much 4th wall breaking.
9660713
Don't worry. I'm certain that Nica's convincing will keep Litten from causing any damage. The pokemon may have a bit of temper, but now he have no choice but to behave. (Also, my aproach to Litten's character may be a bit different than how he acts in the show.)
9660846
It doesn't make it any less ridiculous. If it was going into rage due to being hit by water which rock pokemon are weak too, it would be at least a bit believable, but going into rage for getting dirty is really streching it. From Nica's point of view, turning on friends and hurting them for being dirty is stupid and she doesn't buy it. Instead, she believes that water is responsible and others won't feel like correcting her. (Also, being dirty isn't the same as being hit by ground attack. Sure, there's a ground move involving attacking opponent with mud, but this attack is extremely weak, and I don't think getting dirty would count as that. (In my personal opinion, they went with a really stupid reason behind his rage when other alternatives would be a lot better.)
9660977
To be fair, this Raichu came out as weak and shy and these kind of pokemon are the ones that Pikachu usually encourage. In Alola however when he meet Alolan Raichu, all it took was a few words, and Pikachu went all out into the competitive mode. I mean, I can understand if Raichu are arrogant and have arrogant trainers (like Lt.Surge and Shu), and it was about pokemon battles that Pikachu do all the time, but this Alolan Raichu just said a few words that he's good at this sport, and Pikachu imidedly started the argument, trying to beat Alolan Raichu in sport that Pikachu didn't participate yet. In my personal opinion, Pikachu seem to have a very little fuze when it come to Raichu (as long as they are nice and don't look too impressive, he's not bothered, but it takes very little too get Pikachu super competitive.
9661017
...Sigh...
First off, level system was only mentioned in first season, and the anime went away from it pretty quickly. Also, stone-evolving pokemon not learning new moves is a stupid concept (it was meant to balance pokemon in game that can quickly evolve with stone, but as new genertions came in and changes were made, stone-evolutions just forced players to either evolve pokemon once they learn strong moves, or they force players to be very TM-dependant.
While the anime don't go too deep into stone-evolved pokemon and moves they learn, I think that it's stupid that evolving will lock away pokemon from learning new moves. Also, Lt.Surge's Raichu knew mega punch, mega kick and thunderbolt. Those are some very powerful attacks for a Pikchu taht was evolved too early, and I still find it odd that all it took was two attacks to take him down (and it took Raichu just 1 strong Thunderbolt to suddenly run out of electricity, when in later seasons Pikachu can spam Thunderbolt several times over without getting too tired).
Also, in the anime Shu's Raichu was using "Hyper Beam" and in later season dancing Raichu used "Focus Blast" so it is a double-edge sword. Some pokemon can't learn specific moves unless they evolve. (Though since I try not to rely on game rules too much and follow more of anime rules, I allowed Nica to learn "focus blast" back when she was still Pikachu.)
As for Pikachu being able to use Z-moves that Raichu can't... well... excuse me... but isn't Pikachu a pokemon mascoth? He gets Light Ball that was designed to make Pikachu better than Raichu, and Surfing Pikachu that you can win in Ultra Sun and Moon can't evolve into Alolan Raichu. Talk about special threatement. So yeah, I can't agree with your logic since anime clearly don't follow game rules to the letter. (While I try to take some inspiration from game, I don't go overboard with it).
Also, as Nica explained, everyone can become stronger with training, but if two pokemon train equaly hard and one is evolved, it only makes sense that the evolved one will have the advantage due to have stronger body. What Nica is trying to say is that even if Pikachu can be stronger than many Raichu with enough hard work, it doesn't change the fact that his smaller and more fragile body is holding him back (if he trained just as hard as a Raichu, he would be able to become stronger and keep his trainer and friends safer when facing great dangers and legendary pokemon).
9661475
I m not making him look like a rookie, I am just using what the show presented.
If you rewatch many fights where Pikachu get hit really hard, in a lot of cases it is counter-attack.
Pikachu run at Onix to deliver an 'Iron Tail' attack, Onix evade to the side and slam Pikachu into a bunch of rocks.
Pikachu run at injured Onix to defeat him, Onix open his mouth and hit him with "Screech" which apperantly in anime does damage, and Pikachu is slamed against a rock.
Pikachu try to hit (lv5 Snivy, not long after defeating Regice in 1vs1) with Iron Tail, he miss, and then get anihilated by Leaf-tornado.
Pikachu is attacking opponent with 'Thunderbolt,' and after his opponent evade, it hit Pikachu with a lot of force. (And it happened in plenty of battles).
Pikachu attack Serperior with 'Electro Ball,' 'Quick Attack' and 'Iron Tail' and misses due to opponent's flexibility, he get smacked by "Dragon Tail," then "Energy Ball" and then is trapped in "Wrap."
There are a lot of fights where Pikachu get hit over and over, and it almost always happen during enemy counter-attack, so while I know that Pikachu have skills and talent, I decided that this is a weakness in his fighting style that I'll implement in this story. I know you may see it as him looking like a rookie, but my intention was just to show weakness that Pikachu struggled with all this time. (Pikachu as unevolved pokemon need to put a lot of power into his attacks so they could do solid damage, and when you attack with so much power, you sacrefice a bit of your defense, which means that whenever Pikachu is focused on striking his opponent with a lot of force and this opponent evade and counterattack, this is when Pikachu tend to receive most of the damage, which is something that Nica is trying to help with.
Long story short, I took a weakness in Pikachu's fighitng style base on lots of fights where Pikachu take damage and I tried to implement it into the stroy (and since Nica specialize at more defensive fighitng style and have more experience, she can point out when Pikachu leave himself wide open). If I failed to present it in such a way, I'm sorry, but I don't know how to present it differently.
9661497
Can you read what you just wrote. You seem extremely focused on defending Pikachu that you don't notice it. Pikachu was with Ash for 3 and half a year at this point, while Nica was with Astra 8 years and challenged herself at every turn.
How can Pikachu have more experience and fight more opponents (who don't seem to even train regularly unless before a big battle) than a pokemon who delayed her evolution for greater challenge, a pokemon that train extremely hard every single day and a pokemon who has been facing challenges twice longer as they started their adventure 4 and a half years ealier than Ash did.
I am really getting tired of the "Pikachu needs to be more OP" stuff. I know that he's pokemon mascoth and I know that he had plenty of chances to shine, but lets face it, Ash and his Pikachu never defeated a single Elite Four member. (3 of Ash's Pokemon with Pikachu at the end could barely scrach Flint's Infernape, a pokemon that Nica fought and defeated in order to help Astra accomplish her goal, and there's still more than 3 years after that where Nica improved her skills and trained hard to stay in shape). I'm trying to be as fair as posible to Pikachu in my story, and I trully believe that I didn't make him any weaker than he is in the show. (I don't take into account Pikachu's best moments, I take into account how strong and skilled he was at all time, and I believe that there should be a big gap between unevolved Pokemon with 3.5 years of experience and a fully evolved pokemon with 8 years and stronger determination to train hard).
9661597
Whenever it is the case, in my story this title is indeed real. Since each region have 1 champion, Pokemon Master would be the best of the best, like no one ever was. But yea, if you have many champions, it only makes sense that they would face each other to determine who is the best trainer in the world.
9661725
To be fair, Nica did grow weaker to what she was capaible off before arriving in Equestira. However, after all the hardship she had to face when Darkrai decided to make his move, Nica regained a lot of her strengths, and since she started training very hard again, she's once again in top shape.
Also, in pokemon world, Nica and Astra came to an agreement where Astra keep Nica company whenever she train so hard so that she can either aid her with help of Blissey or escort to the Pokemon Center. And Astra will be there ready to interfere if training will become too dangerous. In Equestria however, Nica didn't want to worry anypony so she started training in secret as her night and morning routine. You could say that this aproach is very risky since her trainer isn't there to supervise, but in the end it was her choice.
(On a side note, when I was writting this story, I suspected that interaction between Nica and Pikachu won't be easy, because lots of people seem to have mindset that Pikachu should be OP, that evolution shouldn't matter, and stuff like that. It is actually a bit depressing that no matter how hard I tried to make interaction between those two fair and balanced, many will still say how everything Nica and Astra does is bad and everything Ash and Pikachu do is good.)
9663066
I doubt he would want to become an Alolan Raichu. Pikachu seem too fond of using his Iron Tail and his fighting style, and wouldn't want to switch from running/jumping into self-levitating. Alolan Raichu have stronger sp.atk but weaker atk.
Still, in case if he decided to become an Alolan Raichu, I am sure Nica's brother would be able to help him instead.
9663229
I do rather say that it is more of Nica's influence on him. He no doubt admire his sister and learned a thing or two by trying to emulate her.
9663277
Alex's lines are cool and I felt one such line would fit Ace's personality perfectly.
9663402
They may be similar in concept, but are very different in practice.
First, mega-evolutions are only for specific pokemon (sometmes they help weak and abandoned pokemon become important again, but quite a lot it is just a powerful and popular pokemon becoming even more powerful. Not really a fan of tham for that reason.) Also, in the show even if mega-evolution is result of trust between pokemon and trainer, and in many cases mega-evolved pokemon either rebelled against their trainer or looked very uncomfortable. I think even some pokedex entries state that mega-evolving often cause pokemon to build up rage faster and that they may be in pain.
Z-moves may also require trust between trainer and pokemon, but unlike mega-evolutions they don't affect pokemon's personality or in any other negative way, and most importantly, every pokemon can use them, not just the "powerful and popular ones" so I like concept much more. It seem both a lot more healthy for the pokemon and it is allowed to all pokemon equaly rather than to selected elite.
I don't remember this to be shown or stated in either game or in the show. Are you sure you didn't make it up?
9663459
Funny you say that considering that Astra and Nica's philosophy is also about having skills that match up pokemon's power. They believe that if pokemon evolve for the sake of power, they may not be challenged as much and may lack in terms of skills, which is why evolution had to be earned and she work very hard to make sure that she's skilled enough to make best use of her power. This comes back to her issue with the Royal Sisters. Nica believed that beings possesing such power should at least put some efforts into attaining some skills so they can use this power well.
In any case, it is not just about Nica being a pacifist, but she also don't like bulling, and in her eyes bulling can happen when a more evolved pokemon beat up on the unevolved one and then brag about it. In fact, two Raichu acted in such a way towards Pikachu, which caused a distaste towards his evolution. Nica just wish for battles to be fair, fun and for both pokemon to respect each other and enjoy themselves, but she also fears that if one opponent have an advantage, by it type advantage or evolution, it would cause annoyance instead.
Also, Ace didn't like the idea, though for different reasons. If he fought Pikachu while beging more evolved and with his Psychic typing giving him a big advantage, it would make him feel like a bully if he won and as a phatetic losser if he lost. It just wouldn't be fun for him. Pikachu just need to accept that not all pokemon share his view of what a fun battle is.
9663465
I think you keep forgetting about one important fact. In the show Pikachu was always with Ash duing battles and was receiving commands. In here he acts on his own without anyone to guide him. You keep saying that I make Pikachu look like a rookie, but you didn't even once think about the fact that he's without trainer's support. While Nica had to become more self-sufficient and is used to comming up with strategies of her own since her trainer often broke under preassure, Pikachu rarely had an opportunity to fight independindly and be very efficient about it.
You underestimate Ace. Unlike Nica he's more of a glass cannon that hit really hard and have plenty of useful tricks at his disposal. Also, it doesn't matter how durable Pikachu is, it just felt bad for him to hurt Nica's hero in such a way. Also, stat'wise Pikachu's special defense is really low (only 50 when compared to Alolan Raichu's 85), so even if anime made Pikachu incredibly durable, Ace had right to fear that he would go down quickly to such an olsaught.
I just finished reading this tonight, and... well I really had to sleep on my thoughts for this story. As much as I enjoyed the first, my reaction over all to the sequel is very... mixed. There was a good amount of stuff I loved here, but also a lot of moments that made me put the story down for a bit. I'll start with the good: Getting to meet Astra's team was a very interesting and enjoyable part of the story, seeing the friends that helped Nica along her journey and continually supported her. The addition of Ash's Alola team and Emily's team were surprising and I felt that each one had a very unique character that made them stand out. Their interactions were always highlights of the story that really made me feel like these pokemon had bonds and were making new bonds with Ash's team.
Now, my biggest issue that spans through the entire story is pretty much a lot of the big interactions with Pikachu and Nica. Several times through the story, I did not believe that this was Ash's pikachu. The biggest example being his PTSD moment when battling Nica; I didn't believe it and that made me set the story down for several hours. That did not feel like the Pikachu I'd been watching on screen for 20 years. And moments like those popped up several times through the story. It just sometimes felt like the author misunderstood some of the parts of Pikachu, especially his choice to not evolve. It has always been, as I understand it, Pikachu will always strive to not only be the strongest pikachu, but to be able to surpass any Raichu without evolving. And with how the anime works, I don't doubt it's possible, yet this story tries to treat evolution as a requirement for that strength, and if that's a misunderstanding on my part than I don't feel it was properly explained in the story. In a world full based on the games, I would believe that evolution would be required, but in the anime based world, I've yet to see absolute evidence that Pikachu's goal is in vain.
However, one I felt was enjoyable of a character was Litten. I was surprised to see he was treated as a bigger secondary character in this story and it was a very nice choice. He was spunky, sarcastic, teasing, just so expressive through the story that I smiled every time he showed up. Him creating a master-student bond with Ninetails was a very fun thing to see, especially with how Ninetails had been characterized in the last story. I only know of Litten's sad backstory of the anime (since I haven't watched a lot of the Sun and Moon anime), so going in with no previous information on Litten left me feeling like a know this character now. It actually makes me want to watch the show a little to see if the characterization is on point, which even if it isn't I think I'd prefer his portrayal here.
And on to my second gripe with this story: Nica. Oh, Nica, she was a wonderful yet depressed Raichu in the last story, yet here... I didn't like her for several points in the story. Her peaceful nature mixing with Pikachu's adventurous/battle-fueled nature was not very enjoyable. Especially in her insistence on "fair" battles. That was the most annoying part of her character in this story. Without even meaning to, she came off as arrogant, dismissive, condescending. Arrogant for believe that pikachu would never stand a chance against her power to the point where she wanted to hold back and have him be given a power boost, Dismissive towards pikachu's feelings on evolution where it came off that her beliefs were the only right ones, and condescending for how she treats her opponents in battle. In pikachu's situation, I would have just told her to shut up and fight, and if I'd lose, I'd lose. I understand that Nica is supposed to be this super tank of a raichu, but the portral here doesn't make for an enjoyable read and almost comes off as Nica would curb-stomped Ash's pikachu which I wouldn't believe for a second.
But even with all that said, Nica and Pikachu's relationship was enjoyable outside of battling and philosophical differences. When hanging out, playing together, walking about, it was an enjoyable blooming friendship. My biggest reason to continue to the next story is to see if this does bloom into something more as their fellow teammates have been hinting at. It was a very cute relationship that really kept me going through the story. I wanted to see them grow together and it was nice how they could start to bring out the best in one another (like any good couple).
In conclusion, I'm very mixed on my enjoyment for this story. Where with the first, I feel like I could re-read at any time "cover to cover", as they say, if I were to return to this one, I probably would skip around a lot to the parts I enjoyed. There was still a good amount to like in this story, but as I said parts that just made me have to put it down and cool off. It might be a while before I get to the third story, but I will start it here soon and find out how the ponies and pokemon get along in Alola. Thanks for the story and for reading my comments. Have a nice day.
9968777
I know that this part may seem to be introduced by me as an author while not being part of the main pokemon story, but to be fair, the creators of pokemon always favorited Pikachu as it is pokemon mascoth, and by giving him an excuse not to evolve, they put Raichu in a very bad light, even making it seem like Raichu is stronger but slower and stuff, which didn't make any sense because size rarely matters in pokemon battles, and even large pokemon like Onix and Charizard didn't have trouble evading attacks despite being so much larger than Raichu. Even in game they gave Pikachu exclusive lightball to make it better than its evolution. Also, correct me if I am wrong, but in Alola it took Alolan Raichu to say only a few words how he's best at this sport, and Pikachu imidedly took it personally and went into rival mode. Now, I could understand it with Surge's Raichu since it was a big challenge to overcome, and with Shu's Raichu as he was a very arrogant trainer and his Raichu didn't hesitate to shot hyper beam in opponent's face. However with Alolan Raichu Pikachu was the one who started the conflict and wanted to win in a sport he never participated in against someone who trained it for years.
I simply decided to go different rotue and show that Pikachu's motivation and goal to prove stronger than his evolution isn't just 100% good, but has flaws as well, and that it overstayed its welcome. And that it causes more bad and good when interacting with a Raichu like Nica who is an opposite to all Raichu that Pikachu faced before.
Listen, the way evolution is shown in Pokemon Anime is just weird. When you have Charizard, do you think they would ever have Charmander keep challenging Charizard to show that it can be stronger without evolving? No. Do you think they would allow Charmander to defeat many Charizards and be stronger than tham? No, because Charizard is cool and even gets 2 mega-evolutions instead of one. But with Pikachu it is different, he's pokemon mascoth, so obviously they will make him stronger than a Raichu, more durable than a Snorlax and still let him maintain his signature speed (only for his powers to be gone in new region and make him start from scratch).
My way of seeing evolution is that it is mostly improvement, gaining a stronger body.
Can pre-evolution grow stronger than his evolution, of course, because this is what training is about. Even pokemon with weaker body can become more durable and stronger if he train harder and face greater challenge, or if he's motivated more.
Can pre-evolution defeat his evolution of both pokemon trained as hard, faced similar challenges and are equaly motivated? No. Beacuse if both fighters are evently matched, the one with stronger more improved body will win.
Pikachu's goal to show that he can become stronger than many Raichu, he accomplished it countless of times as he keep defeated legendary pokemon, pseudo-legendary pokemon, and is an extremely talented powerhouse that keeps growing stronger at quick pace. He showed that he don't need to be a Raichu to defeat even more fierce opponents and greatest challenges.
Pikachu's goal to show that he doesn't need to evolve to become stronger than his evolution however doesn't make sense. No matter how strong he'll become and how hard he'll train, he would still grow stronger and more durable if he evolved, and if Raichu he face train as hard or even harder thn him, than he'll never win, and if he would win, it would automaticly mean that evolutions are worthless. Why not remove all evolutions and not let pokemon stay in their baby-forms if they can become powerhouses anyway? Pikachu could even become a Pichu and still be skilled and powerful enough to defeat Regice and Tapu Coko. I mean, if he tries to prove that he can become stronger than a Raichu, he could as well be a Pichu that tries to prove that he can be stronger than a Pikachu.
The way I see it, when Pikachu first faced Surge's Raichu and decided not to evolve to defeat him, and won, this was the day he evolved, in a sense. He mentally gained powerful motivation to become the strongest Pikachu, one that can win without evolving, so in a sense he became a Raichu because he gained motivation that let him fight as hard as one. If Ash's Pikachu evolved and lost this motivation, he would become weaker, because he wouldn't train as hard and do his best, so evolving would hurt him more than help. However, if he evolved but had something different motivate him just as hard, a goal that would let him train and work as hard as a Raichu as he do as a Pikachu, than he would indeed become a lot stronger and more durable, because he would have stronger body, but he wouldn't take this power for granted and wouldn't become more lazy and less motivated because of it.
This is what I tried to introduce during interactions between Ash's Pikachu and Nica, and considering how easily and eager Pikachu was to challenge Alolan Raichu after hearing only a few prideful words, I don't think it is a stretch to have him react the way he reacted in the story. Being hit by a Hyper Beam in the face and nearly dying that way seems like a legit reason to react agreesivly when in similar scenario.
Also, it is worth pointing out that Ash's Pikachu ended up beaten incredibly hard a lot, yet despite that he rarely ended up in critical condition. Fight against Surge's Raichu and Sho's Raichu wasn't even third as brutal as many other fights where he was struck with incredibly powerful attacks in a row, yet only during fights against Raichu he ended up in crtitical condition in the Pokemon Center. Don't you think that's odd? That out of all brutal fights and merciless beating, only the ones against Raichu put his life in danger?
Long story short, I got tired of the Pikachu vs Raichu concept as something purely positive and how much favoritism Pikachu was getting as Pokemon Mascoth. I wanted to balance it with flaws and show a situation where Pikachu's biggest motivation can actually be a flaw rather than help. Also, in many situations Pikachu's life was in danger and life of his friends when facing legendary pokemon and dangerous situations, and if he was a Raichu and was still as motivated as he's now, their chances of survival would be higher. I believe this is something worth pointing out.
See, here's the biggest issue and the reason why I wrote this the way I did. The whole "Pikachu is the best" is really overdone and hammered in the show way too much. You wouldn't believe Ash's Pikachu would lose to Nica easily if she went all out, but the question is why? Because the show presented him as more powerful than a Raichu, super quick and agile, and yet still more durable than a Snorlax as he can take more and stronger hits than his opponent and still win?
Let's me introduce fats:
Ash was a trainer for around 3-4 years at this point, so his Pikachu have 3-4 years of battle experience. Pikachu always do his best because he have strong motivation, but he also is super talented, as he only need a few hours to improve to a point that he can overcome opponents he previously lost against. And yes, he did face and won against some pseudo-legendary and even legendary pokemon in 1vs1 battle.
However, when facing Elite Four members, even this Pikachu didn't stand a chance and was curb-stomped. One time agianst Cloister which was weak to electricity, another time by Gengar, and another time against Infernape who already faced and defeated two of Ash's pokemon. Which also mean that in anime Elite Four is an extremely powerful force and that one elite four pokemon can defeat a legendary pokemon on their own.
Now lets see facts about Nica:
For the first 2 years she faced strong opponents not as Pikachu but as Pichu, which make fights a lot harder and challenges even greater due to limitation of her body.
After becoming a Pikachu she still had to fight while at disadvanage for extra challenges, figth against criminals, and at one point she had to rechallenge Regice, Regirock and Registeel for half a year until she finally beat them all in a row (with time to recover in between battles that is). While Ash's Pikachu defeated Regice on his first try.
In other words, Nica as a Pikachu was as strong, if not stronger at this point when Ash's Pikachu fought against Brandon's Regice for the first time.
After evolving into Raichu as a reward, which made her even stronger, Nica continued to work hard, maybe even harder, than she failed to save human's life, which in turn made her go insane on training.
For the next years she started training harder and more often than Ash's Pikachu ever did while also having body of a Raichu which was stronger, faster and more durable. The training was so intense that she nearly died on many occasions, and in order to survive, her body sacreficed some of her raw power to greatly improve her durability and stamina. Nica even adapted fighting style to take best advantage of it, so while she doesn't have burst power that Ash's Pikachu have, she can win even hardest fight over long span of time.
Even Nica's motivation is far stronger than Pikachu's, which is why she won't give up until there's even a little bit stamina and life left in her.
With five years of experience, Nica helped Astra best elite four, which had no difficulty defeating Ash and his Pikachu at this point. Then they managed to defeat other champions and gain title of pokemon master.
Do you trully believe that Raichu with 8 years of experience with stronger motivation, more intense and more frequent training, wouldn't easily beat Pikachu if she went all out? Heck, the reason why I made Nica so OP is because Ash's Pikachu has been shown to be insanely powerful in the show. The greatest feats Pikachu achieved, the more I had to raise bar for Nica.
Also, you need to keep in mind that Nica is sensitive. She can feel other pokemon's anger, dissapointment and so on, emotions that pokemon often feel when they're lossing one-sided battles. Because of that Nica's motivation to fight is her most limiting factor.
If she face weaker opponent, he motivation drops so much that she can barely force herself to hurt weaker opponent, but when she fight agianst incredibly powerful opponent or if others lives are at stage, her motivation grows so much, that she'll win even against opponents who surpass her. (In other words, she's very bad against weaker foes, but extremely good against stronger ones and in dangerous situations).
You may think it was arrogant of her, but is just who she is. It is true that Nica couldn't respect Pikachu's desire for challenge and go all out aginst him as he wanted, but at the same time Pikachu didn't understand Nica's fears and dislike of unfair battle. It is a bit sad that you saw fault only in Nica when it was meant to go both ways. Also, considering the way Ash's Pikachu reacted to other Raichu who defeated him, it was fair for Nica to fear how he would react to her if she bested him, and unlike other fights where Ash's Pikachu could overcome his opponents with skills and speed, against Nica it wouldn't work, and if it did work, it would be the largest plot armor in existence. Ash's Pikachu would then need to easily win against elite four pokemon and let Ash become Pokemon Master if he managed to defeat more evolved, more motivated Raichu with 3 more years of experience, making evolutions absolutly pointless.
Maybe it is my fault beacuse I failed to presented my intentions in correct way, but I wanted to avoid the favoritizm that pokemon show give to their mascoth. In here I wanted to present both pokemon for having flaws and shortcomings evenly. It is actually really sad that after reading this, you put all blame on Nica and say that Pikachu did nothing wrong, and that all arguments Nica made about the way Pikachu view evolution are flawed, but I suppose this is to be expected. Ash's Pikachu is pokemon mascoth and main start of the show, so it's obvious that challenging his believes and trying to show flaws in them would be meet with dislike and resistance.
I suppose this story would be more enjoyable if I didn't try to challenge what the pokemon show presentes and the believes of Ash's Pikachu, but at the same time I would have to remove the conflict, and the thing about conflict is that it needs resolving. Without it, Pikachu and Nica would become friends without anything holding them back or anything they could improve in each other.
I still believe that Pikachu's main motivation is flawed and the way evolution was presented in the anime shows a lot of favoritizm to the pokemon mascoth, and I believe that those should be challenged. Maybe there was a better way I could've written this conflict and the philosophical differences between Nica and Pikachu to give my points across while keeping it enjoyable, but how, I have no idea.
As for the sequel, don't worry. It will focus more on the elements you liked while keeping what you disliked to the minimum, so you don't need to be afraid of reading it.
Out of curiosity, if you were writting this story, how else you would write the part that you didn't like. I know that you enjoyed the rest, so this would stay, but the part where Nica and Pikachu's believes are at the colission course, how would you write it? How would you change it? In this reply I told you what my intention was, so now the question is, how would you present it in more enjoyable way and NOT make it so that Pikachu is 100% in the right and Nica is 100% in the wrong? Would you be able to go pass your bias towards Pikachu and all insane powers and plot armors that the show gave him? Or is introducing this conflict just impossible without making this story more difficult to read?
9971731
I wouldn't know. As I briefly mentioned, I have not watched a lot of the Sun and Moon anime. From what little I saw, I wasn't enjoying it like I did X and Y, so I haven't kept up on it other than following the changes through Ash's roster.
I believe I would have liked it more if Nica's beliefs were just as equally challenged. I defended Pikachu a lot in my review because I felt that in this story, it put Nica in nearly 100% of the right without giving Pikachu anything to defend his beliefs. A lot of the time for Ash's team, his Pokemon evolved when they needed to and I think that's something that could have been used for Pikachu's defense when Nica was calling out his beliefs on evolution. And to back up what I'm saying about Nica being in the right, I have to ask what changed for Nica in this meeting? How did the philosophy of her hero affect her? Because from what I remember reading, the only thing about Nica that really changed was she was starting to get past her self doubt, but there wasn't any give and take from their talks of evolution. There was nothing showing she was thinking, "maybe he was right about something" to go along evenly with Pikachu's change to his beliefs.
If it could be more evenly distributed between the two pokemon, it would have been more enjoyable because then no matter which of them you identify with more, someone is being affected by the exchange. As for battling, I think it would have been better to have Pikachu also challenge her on "unfair" battles, continually trying to press her into the battle without him needing a handicap or her holding back. Sure, have her instantly beat him down, but it would have been more in Pikachu's character to go for that all out battle even if it would defeat him easily. Heck, that could be some additional conflict that Pikachu gets fed up with Nica in battle because she's holding back and no matter how hard he pressed she wouldn't give him the fight he was asking for. That would have been a very interesting back and forth and could have led to Pikachu needing to meet with Nica's team individually to learn ever more about Nica from the eyes of her oldest companions. It could also lead to Nica having to talk with Pikachu's teammates to learn what they know about Pikachu. A conflict that leads to more of those interactions that I loved so much in this story.
But yeah, that's how I think it could be fixed is if both Nica and Pikachu were shown to have their ups and downs where as in it seemed very one-sided towards Nica against Pikachu. Still, I plan on beginning reading the next story later today, and if what you said is true then I think I'll be enjoying myself much more. Thanks for everything!
9971819
To be fair, I thought that exchange where Pikachu helps Nica get over her inferiority complex and Nica helps Pikachu get over his rivalthy with his evolution was a fair trade. If it would be changed so that both Pikachu and Nica's believes are challenged equally and they both learn form it, there would also need to be something that would balance Nica's inferiority complex. Like, what can Pikachu learn from Nica in exchange for helping her overcoming her issues. Would he learn to be less competitive or take it less personally? There needs to be something to balance that.
After all, if both sides would alter their psyhological believes, both sides should also affect each other in positive way. When Nica learn to not be so hard on herself for not doing enough helping, Pikachu also needs to learn something, and other than his fixation over his evolution, the show didn't present me with much of a flaw to explore here.
How about a challenge than. While I don't like rewritting stories that I alredy wrote long time ago, I can make you a deal.
After reading this series to the very end, which shouldn't be a big problem as since the sequel is shorter than this story, you can rewrite some scenes from this story which you really didn't like, be it the battle itself or the philosophical exchange. And if I'll find what you write to be good enough and work well with the story (like the change doesn't make it fell out of place), I can try to rewrite some stuff too base on your ideas.
It is just an offer though. If I am to go back to this story and make changes to it, I would rather not do it on my own.
9971933
That's a very intriguing offer. And I'm willing to take you up on it. I have just finished reading the sequel to this and I very much enjoyed it. So, when I have some spare time, I'll put some thought into working out a different take on those scenes and message a link for you to see them. Does that work out for you?
10010444
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To be fair, this was the only episode where magic was introduced and it was never expanded upon (and most wreird stuff in the show so far has been either fault of Psychic powers or Ghost pokemon), so I don't think it is enough to make magic as part of the pokemon world (it felt more like alchemy if anything else). Also, that transformation lasted so short that I doubt Pikachu would even remember it.
10030614
I haven't really read the updates/edits since I finished this story long ago and the sequel. I suppose that new readers would get more out of them though. Just my thoughts.
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Fixed, thanks.
10038936
I removed the bold. I had it there just to show which part of the chapter I expanded upon for those who alerady read it since I made some changes here and there.
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10079301
Wow... thanks for pointing it out. The funny thing is, I already fixed all those issues on my goggle docs long time ago and was planning to upload it at the same time as I would upload the improved chapters. It must've slipped my mind. Anyway, I uploaded the changes, feel free to check them out.
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Changed to:
How's now?
10341422
Originally, Pikachu vs Ninetales fight never happened, and this fight took place much ealier in the story. However, since Pikachu didn't know Nica well enough, he refused to stop fighting and it lead to some strong drama.
11218145
I know that in pokemon anime it doesn't matter all that much, but in Ace's case, he is considering the advantages and disadvantages of fighting pokemon.
Against Pikachu not only he has the advantage of being fully evolved, but he also has Psychic typing, giving him a powerful STAB move Psychic that is very powerful and hard to evade (not resisted). While he resists all of Pikachu's moves except Quick Attack (which, in my opinion, is more about speed than power. Anime makes it look way stronger than it should be, especially since Pikachu isn't a normal type).
However, Ace also is fully aware that pure electric pokemon is weak only to ground, but Psychic/Electric is also weak to Dark, Ghost, and Bug moves. He knows that while he is more versable offensively, he is more screwed defensively.
So long story short, Ace pays attention to type advantages. He fears and doesn't like fighting opponents that know Dark and Ghost moves, considering that it ends up with the opponent literally biting him with the move Bite or Crunch. At the same time, he doesn't feel comfortable fighting Pikachu with odds stacked in Ace's favor. In the anime, Gengar destroyed Raichu with the move Psychic, and Gengar isn't even a Psychic pokemon. Ace refuses to fight not because he doesn't respect his opponent, but just because it would make him feel like a bully. (If Pikachu suggested to Ace to not use Psychic attacks in this battle, it would most likely change his mind, but it didn't happen. Also, I doubt Ash's Pikachu would ever suggest to his opponent not to use their full power).