Little Lost Pikachu

Chapter 13
-
Reunion

Nica awoke after a solid night’s rest, stretching her stiff muscles. She released a long yawn, still dreaming about her peaceful nap. It had been about two weeks, or maybe even more, since she was able to fall asleep without losing consciousness from exhaustion. It seemed that recently she was constantly being pushed to her limits. She examined her fur, not finding any remaining bruises from her recent adventure within the Everfree’s depths.

Hopping to her paws, she noticed Fluttershy and her rat friend were nowhere to be seen. Instead of being tucked away on the mare’s soft wings, she was comfortably placed on one of of her pillows, a small blanket made of Fluttershy’s pink mane pooling around her paws. Folding the miniature comforter, she plopped it on her pillow and jumped over to the window sill. The morning sun seemed to smile upon the land as gentle rays of light shone down, warming the chilling wind and enchanting the outside scenery.

Among Fluttershy’s garden, she could spot the pegasus tending to her crops, frollicking around numerous bunnies and birds, with even a bear standing off to her side. Angel Bunny was not pleased, hopping in place with a scowl as he glared daggers at the current creature Fluttershy was paying attention to. Wow, Angel certainly is possessive of Fluttershy. I wonder if I got on his bad side already.

Hopping onto the floor, she sqeezed herself under the closed door and made her way downstairs, landing on her durable hind legs for every jump she took. Passing multiple bird houses, she leapt atop a nearby residency, holding onto the structure with her tail.

Before she began swinging, she peeked inside the house, making sure she didn’t disturb any creature who lived inside. When the interior proved empty, she started swaying back and forth, seconds later jumping and alternating from home to home as she made her way closer to the door. With a final launch, she flew forwards and landed, hooking her tail around the knob and pulling it open.

She ran through tall grass before leaping onto a nearby log, using her momentum to then vault herself closer to the mare. A few sparks were released into the air, catching the pegasus’ attention. <Fluttershy! Do you need help with anything?> She walked over to the mare and her audience of critters, a calm smile present on her face.

“Oh, hello Tinychu!” Fluttershy responded, lowering herself to the ground. She gently booped muzzles with the shrunken pokemon in a silent greeting.

Nica’s face flushed crimson as the neighboring critters chuckled at her nickname. Angel looked positively furious, stomping his furred paws against the soil as she sensed little quakes under her tiny feet. Nica glared at Fluttershy before retorting, She sighed as Fluttershy gave her a pleading look, finally adding, <Fine, you may call me Tinychu.> She ran closer and hopped atop her shoulder, quickly burying herself in her cotton candy pink mane. <So, what are you doing?>

“Well, poor Harry here didn’t get enough to eat this morning, so I’m getting him some fresh food to enjoy.” Angel Bunny snorted in annoyance from behind, slowly munching a carrot while staring daggers at the bear. “There’s no feeling worse than operating on an empty stomach.”

Without a word, Fluttershy handed her a small apple slice, pre-cut earlier for her other, tinier creature friends. She grimaced at the sour taste as she munched on it for a bit, gazing around at the scenery, watching the numerous animals frolic and run about the clearing. Her ears twitched as she picked up on a high pitched squeaking, a feeling of anger and frustration following.

Glancing to her right, she noticed two mice bickering, one standing possessively over a pile of nuts and berries. The other kept attempting to snag some, only egging on the first. Things were escalating fast, and when the second prepared to bite the first, she jumped into action.

Without a second thought, Nica darted over to the rodents, pushing herself in between the feuding pair. When she threw herself in the middle of the mice, she took the brunt of the second’s attack, wincing as she felt the razor sharp teeth dig into her smaller frame. With a grunt, she dug her rear paws into the ground and pushed the mouse back, ignoring the sting in her arm.

<Mister, I understand you may want some nuts, but that is not how you get them!> She scolded. <Attacking a friend is never ok!> She twirled around, now glaring up at the first mouse. <And you. I understand you like having a lot of food, but with that much you should be willing to share. If anything, I’m sure Miss Fluttershy would be more than happy to give you both some of hers.>

As both mice looked down at her in confusion, she began gesturing at them, the food and Fluttershy, using paw gestures while writing on the ground with her tail to fill the needed words. Their heads ducked low to avoid eye contact, lowered in shame. She could sense a strong feeling of regret, washing over both animals as they realized what she was meaning to say.

One mouse stepped forwards and snatched a nearby stick, drawing his name into the soil.

After walking around the scratchy letters etched into the ground, Nica was able to make out the name Daniel. The second copied his moves and wrote down her own name, Bella. <Now, how did this all start?> She wrote the question with her tail, taking careful steps between each letter. She watched as both mice began attempting to act out their argument, Bella continuously waving her paws in the air while Daniel was digging a small hole in the ground. A bit later, she was finally able to make out what they were attempting to say.

So, if I understand their gestures correctly, they both started collecting together, but Daniel suddenly became very possessive over the pile the moment Bella tried to split it in her favor, Nica thought as the arguing duo started squeaking at each other again. She approached the arguing mice and separated them with the help of her tail.

With their attention on her, Tinychu looked up at them with a look of disapproval. She stood on her rear paws, placed forepaws on her hips and shook her head. She waved her forepaw at the mice. <You should be ashamed.> Using her tail, she wrote another message, this one pointing out Fluttershy’s kindness and care.

Sensing regret, both critters started muttering squeaks in an apologetic tone before hugging each other. Tinychu turned around and dashed back over to the pegasus, who was currently tending to a variety of plants. Leaping atop her back, a tiny eep escaped the mare’s mouth.

She ran over and squeaked into her ear, <Um, Fluttershy. I’m sorry if I scared you but I was wondering if you had someone extra snacks left over for these two critters. They got into a little argument over some snacks.>

“Oh dear, I hope everyone’s alright,” Fluttershy whispered, bending down to fetch some of the edibles piled beside her.

Nica jumped down, landing next to the pile. She stood on tips of her rear paws and puffed her chest. <Don’t worry, I took care of it. I’m dependable when it comes to diplomacy,> she said as her body nearly tripled in size, her inner thoughts of her inferiority pushed aside for the moment. Fluttershy gave a small smile, pleased that Tinychu was praising herself for once.

Seeing as Fluttershy was about to reach out for the cheese, Nica simply smiled and leaped towards it herself, slicing two fragments with her ‘Iron Tail.’ With one fragment wrapped by her tail and another held with her tiny paws, both being slightly bigger than her, she performed a giant jump, launching herself over to the waiting mice with little difficulty. She handed them the food as both gave a smile and darted off, adding the snacks to their shared stash.

“So, I was thinking that we could stop by the spa and see if the cure is ready, if you’d like,” Fluttershy began, crouching down. She outstretched her wings, inviting Tinychu to hop on top of it. Within seconds, Tinychu was nuzzling the soft feathers, finding them somewhat smaller than before.

<That’d be great! I like being tiny, but I would feel awful if I was unable to help someone because I was too small.> She glanced down at the fluff she was snuggling with.

The mare giggled as she set aside the collected food. With Tinychu curled within her wings, she began the trek back to Ponyville.

Nica’s head peeked from behind the soft feathers as her lightning-spiked tail stood out from the spread wing, a wide smile shining on her face. From all snuggling sessions, cuddling exchanges and naps on puffy plumes, the ones she experienced yesterday were definitely the best. Even though she didn’t push herself hard enough for her usual standards, choosing to visit Fluttershy instead, it wasn’t anything she couldn’t catch up with. Worth it… so worth it!

She grasped the mare’s delightfully dreamy feather and nuzzled it affectionately, taking advantage of her little size before she would receive the cure.

Tinychu looked over towards the source of voice, quickly noticing her friend Starlight, as well as the heroic Pichu who was perched atop her back, both looking massive from her perspective. She dashed towards the edge of the outstretched wing, balanced herself on her long tail and waved her paws enthusiastically. <Hey, Pichu, over here!> As she had hoped for, both Starlight and Pichu turned their heads, spotting her little frame. They both gave a cheerful grin and sauntered over, lowering their heads to get a better look.

<Hey Nica. Did you had fun during your mini vacation from training?> Pichu asked curiously, noticing the glow in her eyes.

She gushed, gently cuddling a lone feather while Fluttershy blushed and ducked her head down.

<Oh, so that’s where you snuck off to. I should have known,> Pichu teased before leaping without warning onto the expanded wing, causing it to shudder due to the added weight. Nica stumbled, quickly losing her balance and collapsing into Fluttershy’s forest of feathers. He sat down next to her, gently picking her up with his forepaws.

She shook her head, dispelling Pichu’s newfound fears. <Of course not. You convinced me that there’s nothing wrong with being a bit proud of your accomplishments. I may not be on your level yet, but I’ve had a fair share of struggles and achievements in my life. I’ve helped a lot of people and pokemon alike, and I hope those I helped will continue to pass on that kindness.> Her size doubled in an instant, a light glow sparking and flickering out as fast as it came. She gave a warm smile as she grew to the size of Pichu’s pink cheeks.

Starlight gazed at Fluttershy with a raised eyebrow, smirking at the pegasus’ shy grin. “Let me guess; Snuggling and cuddling all night?”

Fluttershy nodded. “Add a couple games, storytelling and extra nuzzling times three.”

“That much, wow.” Starlight leaned towards Nica, gently bumping the ‘Tinychu’ with her muzzle. “You sneaky, little sweetheart. You couldn’t help yourself, could you? Although, I think it’s my turn.”

Nica didn’t respond verbally, but instead approached on her rear paws and embraced Starlight’s muzzle, rubbing it with her tail. Starlight could only resist the temptation for a few seconds, before she gave up and levitated the fluff ball against her furred cheek.

“Primarina and Fluttershy had their fun, now get ready for Starlight’s session,” the unicorn cheered, speaking in third person.

Nica laughed. <The more the merrier.> Though, their fun didn’t last for long as they arrived at the Ponyville spa a few minutes later.

Once again perched on Fluttershy’s wing, she eagerly looked at her traveling companions, as they all took in the room’s interior.

Littered around the room in a horseshoe loop, were gigantic beds, each topped with a calming coral pink mat and fluffed pillows. Warmed towels were draped over the edge, making Nica’s body tingle, but sadly, getting a massage was out of the question at her current size.

A massive wooden container sat in the middle of the room, circled by a set of stairs and an elevated platform. Swimming around in the enclosure would be a blast, especially with all her friends, but she wouldn't be surprised if they provided her with a smaller basket, to fit her shrunken state. Artistic vases were propped amongst the room, housing wild flora which added a decorative charm to the building. Once she regained her normal size, she would make it a top priority to treat her hero to a day at the spa, making sure he experienced all the attractions this place had to offer.

“Hey, look at that. Our brave heroes are back from their dangerous adventure, having learned many important lessons along the way,” a voice teased, hidden behind Pinkie’s poofy mane. Litten’s head popped out, following his earlier banter, until his eyes widened in shock at having spotted their different appearances. His flame-themed collar rested snug around his neck. “And apparently being changed by the experience in more ways than one.”

Nica peaked over towards the source of voice from the edge of Fluttershy’s extended wing, blushing as the cat’s stare focused on her.

<You have no idea.> Pichu rolled his eyes before jumping from Starlight’s back onto her head, addressing the fire-breathing pokemon from the higher ground. Starlight merely sighed, adjusting herself so he didn’t topple over. <To make matters weirder, I think it was more irritating being a Pichu rather than being a Raichu. I prefer larger paws and a longer tail over having an oversized head that drags me down. Also, while I managed to ignore it, being zapped whenever I used an electric attack got a bit annoying after a while.>

Litten gasped. “I would have never expected to hear something like this from you, especially with all the shenanigans you pulled with Nica over your dislike of evolution.”

<What can I say, my outlook shifted a bit.> Pichu shrugged, hopping off Starlight’s head and onto the floor.

Litten glanced at Nica and said, “I was going to ask you guys if you would be up for a game of tag, but now I’m wondering what you two have been up to yesterday.”

Fluttershy draped herself across the massaging table with her left wing still spread. “Game of tag? Nica and I played it already. I must say, it was the cutest game I’ve ever had the honor of playing!” She giggled as Nica nodded her head in agreement.

Pinkie Pie ignored the discussing creatures as she displayed a wide, toothy smile. Her body trembled uncontrollably, as her eyes sparkled. She was barely holding herself together, seconds away from exploding at all the cuteness stuffed into one tiny pokemon. “So… so… so itty-bitty-adorable! I was told you could change your size, but didn’t expect you would be that small!”

Nica observed as Pinkie Pie mysteriously moved a forehoof in her direction, only to notice a collection of tiny-sized cupcakes resting on her sole. They had lightning-shaped borders twisting around the cupcake liner, each topped with mouthwatering chocolate icing. She took one with her forepaws, grabbing the largest treat which was nearly as big as her head. <Thank you!> she shouted before sinking her teeth into the frosting. Being tiny sure comes with benefits, she thought, taking another bite before licking off the excess icing that dotted her nose and cheeks.

Starlight opened her saddlebag and peeked inside. “I brought translating collars. How about we call the spa ponies to bring in the antidote, and then Nica and Pikachu can tell us all about their adventures.”

Everyone nodded in agreement, as Litten jumped down and stalked up to Nica, a mischievous smirk present. He hopped onto the massaging table before climbing onto the spread wing, perching himself on the soft feathers while whispering, “So, which name do you prefer? Pica, or Nikachu?” The Raichu blushed, taken off guard, but before she could retort, a loud ‘bang’ filled the spa. It alarmed a variety of workers who dashed into the room, their attention now focused on the unexpected guests who stood in the main lobby.

The door was flung open behind them, showcasing a unique trio. The first was a creamy yellow mare who was being pushed forward with some unknown force, currently blushing and hiding behind her aqua-colored bangs. Her turquoise eyes were ducked down, highlighting a lavender collar that sat snug around her neck, a rosy red scarf poking out. A small flower was pinned into her hair, matching her first accessory, with a posh hat accented with a lone crimson feather that was stamped as her cutie mark.

Alongside her sat Rarity, though rather than walking, she was placed atop a floating couch, a hoof over her mouth as she whispered profanities to herself. Her mane was coiled into tight curls, and her eyeshadow was sprinkled over her eyelids, though a small streak of blue darted to the left, as if she was pulled away half way through her makeup routine. The sofa she was on held a light silver glow, shimmering in the air.

Finally, a small creature popped through the door, hovering on its own tail. Its ears were pointing up, the same glow coating them as the couch. The pokemon had a deep ocean color washing amidst its eyes, seemingly reflecting the sea itself as its body held a similar frame to Nica. Stubby, rounded paws were held to the side, sporting dark tangerine fur as the end of each limb was dusted in white. Each cheek had a yellow dot, matching its dulled lightning bolt shaped tail, which rocked back and forth in the air, riding the air currents. A confident grin was present, shining back to all the shocked occupants.

“Coco Pommel? What are you doing all the way here in Ponyville?” Pinkie questioned, tilting her head to the side. “And with company?” She gasped. “So you’re the new pony and pokemon in Ponyville my pinkie sense warned me about. Why didn’t you tell me you were coming for a visit?” She stood on her rear hooves and spread her forelegs wide, somehow summoning a small batch of confetti out of thin air. It rained down atop of her as a party hat was mysteriously placed atop the mare’s head. “This calls for a welcome party!”

“Oh um, I’m just… visiting.” Coco shook her forehooves dismissively while displaying a sheepish smile. “Please, don’t bother. This trip was very last minute.”

Litten looked at the third guest from beside Nica with a look of disbelief. <Another Raichu? And an Alolan one? This is quickly turning into a ‘Chu’ family reunion or something.>

<Family reunion?> Nica murmured to herself before her eyes became wide. <Could he be...?>

“Rarity, forgive me for asking, but since when did you start riding your fainting couch?” Fluttershy mentioned from her perch on a massaging table.

Rarity groaned before shooting a deadly glare to the creature levitating next to her… the tail-surfing Raichu. “This method of transportation was forced upon me! I had no choice,” she claimed dramatically, falling back with her hoof thrown across her forehead.

It seemed like a fun and fast way to get us into the spa at the time. I had no idea it would stir up such a fuss, the pokemon responded, speaking directly to Rarity with his telepathy while rubbing the back of his neck. He looked over to the mare with an embarrassed smile.

“Apology accepted. Just try to think before you act next time,” Rarity said as she crossed her forelegs.

No promises! the pokemon replied, smirking as he set the couch down and floated closer to the onlookers.

“And since when can Raichu float on their own tail?” Starlight asked as Pichu looked at the intruder, a weary expression showing.

Nica rubbed her eyes, recovering from shock and made sure she wasn’t dreaming. She slowly walked closer, gasping in surprise. <Brother, is that you?> She ran atop Fluttershy’s wing, hoping to climb onto her head for a better view. She stopped as the Alolan Raichu started levitating towards her, slightly shocked he noticed her meek presence. She waved her forepaws and asked once more, <Ace... is that you?>

<Nica?> Ace muttered before his blue-silvery eyes sparkled with happy tears, as if coated in glitter.. <You… you… you are…>

Without letting his sister finish, Ace flew over and snached her from Fluttershy’s wing, giving her a tight squeeze. Litten jumped off the mare’s wing with a huff as Fluttershy fell back in surprise. <You’re ok!> He shouted, twirling in random circles. He hugged her even tighter as Nica grinned, excited to see her kin as well while ignoring the crushing aspect of this embrace.

<So you were concerned about me?> she teased, popping out of his grasp and onto his shoulder. She giggled before asking in a baby voice, <Did you miss me?> She poked his nose as he blushed, before he snatched her once more.

Ace stuttered. He replaced his sheepish smile with a goofy smirk and balanced her on the white patch of his forepaw. He soon began rubbing her belly with the other paw, then with his tiny nose, and then pressed her into his cheek, nuzzling her without mercy. <Who’s an adorable little sis? Yes you are, yes you are. Oh, I will remember this day for the rest of my life!>

<Lucky me!> Nica shouted in annoyance while her voice ended up muffled, lost among his endless orange fur.

“You’re Tinychu’s brother… I mean, Nica’s brother?” Fluttershy asked, laying on the floor from his earlier outburst. She stood up, shaking her wings out and pulling them to her sides, no longer needing to support Nica. “It’s nice to meet you. I’m always happy to meet members of the cute ‘chu’ pokemon species.”

Ace’s ears flashed a shiny silver as he levitated Nica from his paw. He placed the white edges on his cheeks and exclaimed, <Tinychu! Oh sis… why didn’t you tell me you were rebranding from overwhelmingly cute to weapon-grade adorable?> He perched her on his paw once again as his nose was but a minimeter from her face.

<Excuse me, but did you call her your sister?> Pichu repeated, now staring at the levitating pokemon with his full attention. <So you're her brother?>

Nica glanced at her hero with a wide grin forming on her face. This was a perfect opportunity to introduce her hero to a family member, an opportunity she was willing to take. I can only hope Ace doesn’t do something silly and ruin the moment, she thought, rolling her eyes at her kin’s former antics, only to end up pressed against his chest in a tight hug.

Ace looked down at the Pichu. <So not only Astra and Emily’s pokemon ended up in this world. Interesting.>

Nica pressed her tiny paws against her captor, her muscles burning as they tried to push her away from the upper part of his belly. The force of his paw was simply too strong thanks to the size difference, as she sighed and submitted. Though luckily, he ended this battle and kept his forepaw raised in front of his face.

The smaller pokemon simply glared at Litten, his face flushed, before focusing back on the Alolan Raichu.

<But first, explain your new size. I really want to know what caused you to become cuter than you already were,> he continued, placing Nica atop his paw once again.

Nica stood on the tips of her rear paws and placed her forepaws on her hips. <My size was altered a few hours after I touched a flora found in the Everfree forest known as poison joke. It’s a blue speckled flower that casts a ‘joke’ on whoever comes in contact with it, and it chose to change my size depending on my self-esteem.> She puffed her chest. <However, thanks to my survival skills, durability and reflexes, I managed to pull my weight despite my miniscule form.> She raised her chin proudly. Her size increased second by second as her tiny frame became too large for a single paw. Standing on a single leg, she leaped down onto her brother’s tail. She stood on tips of her rear legs, balancing herself.

The Alolan Raichu scooched over to add more room for his sister, his eyes widened in shock. <Wow... I can’t believe it! You actually bragged about your amazing abilities. This is spectacular.> He held his paws towards the sky in a praying motion. <Thank you Arceus for this miracle!>.

The little Raichu repositioned herself, climbing up Ace and standing atop his forepaws once more. Each of her rear legs were balanced on a white patch on each of Ace’s forepaws. She pointed accusingly at him and asked, <I’m changing my size at will, and that’s what you’re focused on?>

<Let’s get real. Pokemon changing size, neat. Tons of ‘em can do that with the move ‘Minimize.’ You praising yourself, now that's impressive! I still can’t believe it’s happening. I feared this day would never come.> He flew over to Pichu, exclaiming, <Pinch me! I must be dreaming!>

Nica rolled her eyes. <Let’s just say that my self-esteem has increased after my last adventure.> She pointed at the Pichu sitting on the floor and said, <And my friend is actually a Pikachu. He just became a Pichu due to the poison joke. The joke played on him was de-evolving. He never wanted to evolve into a Raichu, because of bad past experiences, so the flower instead turned him into a Pichu.>

<Ace, do you remember the heroic Pikachu I told you all about, the one I’ve admired forever?>

Ace nodded. <You mean Ash’s Pikachu, yes…> He gasped and looked at Pichu in shock. <You don’t mean…>

Ace smirked as Nica spotted a small spark of excitement glow in his eyes, the very thing she had been hoping to see. Making sure her brother and her hero would become great friends was something she was looking forward too. Two of the most important pokemon in her life being best buds was a dream come true, one she didn’t want to wake up from. Nica, focus! Priorities first. She shook her head before asking, <Sooo… brother. Since I now know that you were summoned into Equestria like the rest of Emily’s pokemon were, care you tell me what you’ve been doing all this time?>

Ace smirked. <Sure, but once I’m done, I want to know about the adventure that seemingly boosted your pride overnight, along with your thousand out of ten cute factor. Oh, and I also want in on that nice, hot bath!>

Little Lost Pikachu

by CommanderX5

Ch.13 - Reunion