//------------------------------// // Chapter 34 - Home, Family and a Dream // Story: Little Lost Raichu // by CommanderX5 //------------------------------// Little Lost Raichu - Chapter 34 - 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.