Little Lost Pikachu

by CommanderX5

Ch.16 - The Spa and the Surfer

“As I was holding my ground against the Everfree’s resident Ursa Major, the Poison Joke’s curse thought it would be hilarious to change me from a Raichu into a Pichu… in the middle of combat!” Pichu declared, shaking his head in annoyance as he stalked back and forth on the raised platform. Standing beside the massive container, one paw was reserved for holding his translating collar against his neck, while the other waved wildy in the air, emphasizing each word the pokemon spoke. “A view flooded with stars trapped in a titanic, transparent paw would be the last thing I ever saw before being crushed, if not for Nica.”

The tiny Raichu, currently half the size of her hero, circled around the pool with relaxed strokes, her face radiating with pride as Pichu continued with his story.

Litten, perched on a massaging table, listened to the story from afar with concealed interest. He purred as the pony’s hooves gently massaged his back, slowly easing out the variety of knots.

Pichu pointed at Nica. “Just in the nick of time, she was able to grow to my normal size by putting aside her insecurities and actually acknowledging her own heroic deeds.” With a warm smile, he added, “And she did it all just to save me.”

With a small jump, he dove into the bucket and swam over to Nica, squeezing her in a tight embrace. Ignoring the Raichu’s blush, he continued with his tale. “We were just about to put that beast in its place until the Wonderbolts and a couple of our friends came to our rescue. They blasted the guy with a couple well-aimed moves before giving us both a lift out of the forest.”

“I’ve already heard this story from Nica, yet it still shocks me all the same,” Fluttershy mumbled with a worried look on her face. “I’m glad that it had a happy ending. I don’t know what I’d do if either of you were badly hurt.”

Coco glanced up at the bucket in pity, her ears drooping while her eyes on were watering, on the verge of tears. “To think… that you had to endure such a scarring experience…” She whimpered before whispering, “After all you did for Leaf and me, it would break my heart if something happened to you. I-I… ” She began, though was unable to finish as the words became lodged in her throat.

<Please don’t feel sad, Miss Coco,> Nica said in a soothing voice, yet all the other ponies could hear was “Rai, Raichu, Rai Rai.”

Pichu looked down and to the side at the massive container filled with steaming water, or rather at the ponies relaxing in it. Their heads were propped against the gigantic pool’s rim, held just high enough to avoid being dropped into the liquid as most of their eyes were shut in peaceful bliss. Starlight kept staring back at the Pichu in excitement that surpassed that of even Pinkie Pie, while Coco sought comfort in Fluttershy’s embrace, snuggled under one of Fluttershy’s extended wings.

He glanced at Ace with a hint of annoyance, watching as the Alolan Raichu rested atop his longest limb, maintaining a relaxed posture with his forepaws tucked under the back of his head. His glasses were propped atop his button nose, occasionally adjusted with his telekinesis as he drifted halfway in the water, supported by his tail. “Hey, are you even listening?” A small part of him felt jealous as well, wishing he could use his own tail as a personal bed or transportation.

Ace raised his glasses with his psychic power and opened his left eye, giving Pichu a lazy grin. “Of course I am. I may not look like it, but I assure you, I’ve heard every word.” He withdrew one paw from under his head and gently stirred it through the water. “I believe we were at the part where the Wonderbolts escorted you two out of the Everfree?” Turning, he raised his forepaw and poked the collar on his neck. “Thanks for letting me borrow your translating gadget, sis. Talking with others with telepathy is nice and all, but only for private discussions. It gets kinda awkward in larger groups.”

<You’re welcome!> Nica shouted, before swimming over to Pichu with a smug smile.

Pichu looked at his smaller friend. “What?”

<You know you can get yourself a tail like that if you spend a month or two living in Alola,> Nica said while swimming in place before him. <Assuming you’ll surf on the water a lot to offset your experiences in other regions… and maybe also change diet to more sugar-based. Your body needs to want different adaptations to make it work.>

“What… but I…” He sighed. “You sensed my jealousy, didn’t you?”

<Guilty as charged,> Nica admitted with a nod, smiling sheepishly.

“Being able to levitate on one’s tail is not only really cool, but it has lots of utility like surfing on wild waves and performing aerial tricks. Not to mention just relaxing like this,” Ace said, butting in to their conversation. “If you evolve in Alola, you certainly won’t regret it.”

Oh come on! First Nica showed me how kind and understanding Raichu can be, then demonstrates how fast and agile she is, along with her flexible tail. Now her brother is joining in! Why do they have to make evolving so appealing? I’m not ready to take that step yet, and they’re certainly not making it any easier, he thought while swimming in lazy circles inside the bucket. He looked at the little Raichu, rolling his eyes at her enthusiastic grin, only to squint them shut as a brilliant light began emanating from Nica. His own body began to shine similarly a moment later.

He felt soft, damp fur press against him and soon heard the noise of breaking wood. When he finally opened his eyes, he found himself trapped under Nica’s belly with fragments of the bucket scattered around. The water from the bucket swarmed out, now streaming into the bigger container holding everyone else.

<S-sorry!> Nica yelped before pushing herself off of Pikachu. <I had no idea the effects would be reversed so fast!>

With the heavier pokemon no longer weighing down on his back, Pikachu stood up on his paws, shaking his fur like a dog, and scattering a barrage of water droplets in the process. Nica took his example, though jumped down before shaking herself, to avoid splashing anyone else. Those caught in Pikachu’s mini rainfall blinked in surprise, though Ace didn’t seem to mind.

Starlight’s horn ignited as she levitated Pikachu’s collar over and attached it, the band fitting perfectly.

No longer feeling so wet, he started examining his features, checking his limbs, belly and back for any changes. His rear paws were still tiny, but much longer than a Pichu’s stubby legs. His forepaws and tail had stretched, becoming much lengthier and familiar. He quickly touched his own face and neck, ensuring they were back to normal as well, before a big smile formed on his face. “Finally!” He stretched his rear legs for a moment before performing a flip mid-air, stopping and balancing himself on a single foot with ease. “Much better. Being Pichu and Raichu was interesting, but for now I’d rather stay like this. I think I’ve changed forms enough for one day.” He took a step back, only for his feet to slip on the watery surface of the raised platform. He slid towards the large container, yet for some reason didn’t slam head-first into the water.

Blinking in confusion, he noticed a lightning shaped tail wrapped securely around his belly. Looking behind him, he spotted Nica and gave her a grateful grin, murmuring, “Thanks.”

<You’re welcome!> Nica smiled, retracting her tail before walking over towards the mirror.

Pikachu felt his feet make contact with the platform, before glancing over and peeking at his reflection. He patted his fur down, placing his paws on his hips and giving the mirror a smug smile while standing next to Nica. “I really missed this form, even if I was only a Pichu for less than a day.“ His attention focused on the Raichu’s reflection. “And I must say, I certainly prefer seeing you as the big, mighty and heroic Raichu you are.” He nuzzled Nica’s side, pressing his cheek into her soft fur. “Being tiny doesn’t suit you. You’ve overcome way too much hardship to look like anything less.”

Nica lowered herself onto four paws and nuzzled him in return, giving him a loving squeeze with her tail at the same time. <You’re too kind,> she responded, stepping to side before pointing at herself. <Personally, I don’t mind being smaller.> She rubbed her forearm, adding, <What I meant to say is… as long as I don’t need my full power to protect anyone, and as long as I get to keep my tail, I don’t mind being way smaller than others. It can actually be pretty enjoyable.>

“No surprises there,” Ace said as he levitated towards the edge of the container, catching their attention. “I bet you would love to shrink yourself at will just to make fights against weaker opponents fair. That’s the sis I know and love.” Noticing the two share a subtle glance, he narrowed his eyes and looked at Pikachu, asking, “Did you challenge her to a fight by any chance?”

Pikachu rubbed the back of his neck and smiled nervously. “Hehe, y-yes…”

Nica bit her bottom lip before looking to the side, whistling while she avoided eye contact with the curious Alolan Raichu.

Ace glanced between them both, tapping his chin and gazing at the two in bewilderment. “Why do I get the impression that something big has happened that I’m unaware of?” When both remained silent, staring down at the ground, he huffed and darted over to Nica. “Come on sis, what are you hiding from me?”

Starlight laughed from the other side of the container, watching the awkward display. She raised a forehoof from the water and pointed at the blushing pokemon. “You have no idea about the drama and misunderstanding those two went through.”

Pikachu and Nica wildly flailed their forepaws in the air, wordlessly begging Starlight not to reveal anything about that particularly embarrassing event. The mare saw them and smiled, giving the two an evil grin.

“Oh, do tell,” Ace inquired with full interest, oblivious to what was going on behind him.

“Celestia, where do I start?” Starlight chuckled as both Nica and Pikachu facepawed. “Maybe at the part where Nica learned that the one Pikachu that happens to fly through the portal is the one she has admired all this time, or maybe I can tell you about what happened after she learned that her hero had a strong disliking to Raichu due to a couple terrible experiences with his evolution, making him in turn not want to evolve.” She shrugged. “But in short, Nica was afraid that her hero would hate her, while Pikachu thought he offended her, which lead to a seemingly never-ending game of cat and mouse.” Pointing in Pikachu’s direction, she leaned closer. “He later challenged her to a pokemon battle, trying to prove that he wouldn’t be jealous of her no matter what happened.”

“Pokemon battle?” Coco asked, tuning in. “That sounds a bit dangerous,” she muttered, sinking deeper into the container.

Out of nowhere, Pinkie popped up from underneath the water and gasped in excitement before grabbing Coco by her shoulders, their cheeks colliding. “Applejack and Rainbow Dash told me all about it! It involves two pokemon attacking each other and two trainers telling them what to do by yelling at them while taking cool poses. Rainbow Dash said the battle between Nica and Ninetales involved lots of crazy explosions of electricity, stone-melting, creating large craters and stuff like that.”

“Oh my…” Coco and Fluttershy murmured in unison, each holding a forehoof in front of their gaping mouths.

Starlight rolled her eyes, quickly pulling away Pinkie with her levitation before she would scar the two sensitive mares for life. “Pikachu refused boost of magic and Nica refused to battle him unless he meet this condition. Lucario suggested he should fight Ninetales instead. It was going well… for a time.”

Ace sat on his tail, still listening eagerly while sinking half of his belly into the hot water. “Wait, so you’re telling me ponies can increase a pokemon’s power with their magic? Now that’s awesome! Seems a lot better than the move ‘Helping Hand.” He chuckled. “And certainly more useful than yelling ‘you can do it!’ over and over as some energetic trainers tend to do.”

“Hey! Hearing encouraging words in the middle of a hard fought battle usually gives me the strength I need to keep going, not to mention a reminder of the strong bond between the trainer and the pokemon. Ash always gives me the determination I need to keep fighting,” Pikachu muttered in protest.

“Still, no matter how ‘encouraging’ his words are, it won’t help you much when you’re knocked out. Besides, nothing can beat a magic boost that strong if it lets you hold your ground against a survival and combat master like Nica,” Ace pointed out, giving his sister a proud grin.

“Well, I can’t argue with that,” Pikachu said as his mind provided him with images of being quickly outmatched once his opponent started giving it all, an opponent who praised Nica for being even tougher. Furthermore, for the next days he saw enough of Nica’s skills to see the big picture, and he could tell that the female Raichu could do even better with enough motivation. If anything, motivation and lack thereof seemed to be Nica’s greatest strength and also her greatest weakness.

“Even fighting Mega-Evolved pokemon didn’t push me as hard as fight against Ninetales once he got serious. I should’ve accepted Nica’s idea from the get go.” He rubbed his chin, thinking deeply with closed eyes. “I wonder if this magic boost would make me as strong as if I evolved and than mega-evolved. That would be a unique experience,” Pikachu said, earning Ace’s intrigued stare.

The Alolan Raichu frowned and crossed his forepaws. “To think that so many powerful pokemon have gained mega-evolution, all while it is still out of our grasp.” He peeked at his sister. “I hoped if anyone, Nica, with Astra’s help would succeed in finding the first Raichite stone, leading to them being the first Mega evolved Raichu. Pity they failed. I would have looked amazing as a mega pokemon.”

Nica shook her head. <I… I didn’t, and still don’t like that idea. Many mega-evolved pokemon I have faced in battles seemed uncomfortable in their new forms, a few even in pain, leading to outbreaks or uncontrollable tempers. It must be extremely unsettling to have to switch back and forth into a different form. It’s all just forced and unnatural. While I could debate if all normal evolutions affect one’s personality all that much, mega-evolutions certainly do, especially considering how fast they build up their anger. It’s rare to find a pokemon who can handle that kind of evolution, even fewer who actually enjoy it.> She smiled. <Being able to use Z-moves is all I need.> She glanced at Pikachu, giving him a mischievous grin. <Besides, I know a certain someone who just couldn’t resist trying to tackle a Mega-Raichu head on just to prove a point.>

Pikachu puffed his chest, tapping on it with a single paw. “Most likely.”

<I wouldn’t want something as silly as that to ruin all the hard work we went through to get you over your dislike of your evolution,> Nica responded, poking his side with a small frown present on her face.

Pikachu narrowed his eyes and shot Nica a challenging glance, taking a deep breath before blurting out, “And if I promised I would do it just to challenge myself and have fun without taking it too personal and without trying to prove anything?”

“Well…” Nica smiled sheepishly, tapping her forepaws nervously against each other. “The outcome would probably depend on how much you surpassed Mega-Raichu in terms of skills and experience.” She forced a smile. “But I can say for certain that you’ll try your hardest to keep your word.”

Pikachu nodded firmly, “I sure will. I suppose it will come down to how enjoyable that such a fight would be.”

“In any case.” Starlight coughed, catching everyone’s attention while giving Ace an annoyed glance. He merely responded with a sheepish grin, motioning for her to continue. “As I was saying, we tricked Nica into having a nice, relaxing bath with Pikachu so they could resolve their problems with a simple discussion,” she glared at the two, ignoring their embarrassed chuckles, “without having one of them run away before things could be worked out. It worked like a charm.”

“So diplomacy in warming water saved the day. Now that’s a solution I can get behind.” Ace slapped his forepaw against the water playfully, splashing a small portion up into the air. Using the move ‘Psychic,’ he directed it at Nica’s face with a grin, mocking a fake frown as his sister easily blocked it with her tail. “The entire world, or uh universe,” he sputtered, glancing over at the ponies resting within the container, “would become a much safer and more peaceful place if all diplomatic meetings and negotiations would take place in bathtubs. Hmm, or maybe a spa would be the best place.”

Pinkie laughed, moments away from sinking underwater in her fit of giggles if not for Fluttershy’s wing holding her up. “Bathtub negotiations, that’s a good one.” She jumped from the water and sat on the edge of the container, tossing her damp hair to the side before waving her hooves in the air. “I can see it now: Princess Cadence and Shining Armor taking a bath with King Sombra while negotiating the empire’s independence. Thorax relaxing in a hot tub with Queen Chrysalis in an attempt to reform her. Or Princess Celestia bathing with Nightmare Moon while trying to convince her to abandon her quest for vengeance.” She laughed some more, nearly falling over. “Oh Ace, you’re a real knee slapper.”

“I have no idea who any of those people… er, ponies are, but they sound very important,” Ace responded, giving the laughing mare a confused look. He simply shrugged his shoulders before standing up on his tail and levitating himself out of the water, now hovering in front of Nica and Pikachu. “Speaking of important figures, I couldn’t help myself but notice a shared look of admiration between you two.” He put on his black glasses and added, “It’s really nice to see that the respect isn’t one-sided.”

“Of course I respect her. She’s definitely earned it more than once,” Pikachu said, noticing Nica’s brilliant smile from the corner of his eye. He held forepaw on his chest and added, “To be honest, I constantly feel as if I am the one undeserving of her incredible admiration.”

Nica looked between him and Ace and shook her head, cutting of her hero before he could say anything more. <Of course you deserve it.> She sealed his mouth shut with a bronze patch of her paw before he could respond. <And before you say anything, I’ll admit, at first I admired you based on rumors of your trainer’s victories, but over time I’ve had the honor of witnessing your incredible bravery, kindness and dedication.> She raised his chin with her paw and looked into his eyes. <I don’t care if you have less experience than myself. It is what you do with what you have and your personality that I care about. I see you as a hero, and so far, you haven’t disappointed.>

Pikachu opened his mouth, but closed it quickly, his words lodged in his throat.

“Awww… that was so touching.” Ace sighed, holding his forepaws together in dreamy fashion, before plastering him beside his cheeks.

Coco glanced at the small tears in Fluttershy’s eyes in confusion, quickly leaning over and whispering into Fluttershy’s ear. “Uh, what did she say?”

“Nica has been idolizing this Pikachu for a while, though mainly based on rumors of his trainer’s achievement. Even after spending so much time with him, and getting to know him better, her admiration hasn’t diminished one bit,” Fluttershy answered. “She still looks up to him as her hero and they respect each other more than ever now.”

“Awww… that’s so cuteee!” Pinkie shouted before bringing out the heavy artillery.

Pikachu’s moment of silence was interrupted the moment he noticed a small cannon stationed in between Pinkie’s hooves, the fuse already lit and burning. “Get down!” He tackled Nica to the side, only for harmless confetti to shower over them, blanketing both in a layer of party supplies, and an extra Pinkie piled on top.

“False alarm, hero. Next time, leave this kind of stuff to the professionals like my sister,” Ace said with a chuckle as he levitated Pinkie off, before attending to Pikachu and Nica. He poked Pikachu’s side and looked at him with a smug smile painted on his face. “Unless you just used it as an excuse to get…” he leaned in closer, whispering, “a more intimate touch with her, if you know what I mean.” Taking off his black glasses and winking, he floated away, laughing at Pikachu’s stunned expression as both Litten and Nica’s ears perked up, able to hear the two’s conversation.

Litten laughed. “I wish. I’ve been their number one fan from the start bud, believe me.”

Both Pikachu and Nica blushed in embarrassment, still standing right beside each other without daring to look the other in the eyes.

Ace levitated his black glasses from his eyes and balanced his rear legs on the back side of his tail before grabbing Pikachu with his physical grip and placing him on the second half.

Pikachu turned around and looked at Ace in confusion. “What’re you doing?”

“Taking you for a ride, obviously… duh.” Ace rolled his eyes. “You’re someone Nica admires and praises, and I really want to get to know you better.” He placed his forepaws on his shoulders and said, “So, what better way than for us to have a little outdoor adventure? You know, some fun in the sun, if you catch my drift?”

Pikachu pointed at him accusingly. “You know you could’ve just asked if I wanted to ride along before you snatched me up like that?”

“Sorry, I couldn’t help myself!” Ace shouted before plopping down atop his tail and clenching the white patches of his forepaws in excitement. “Having a real hero ride with me on my tail, now that’s amazing!”

Pikachu turned around before taking his example and sitting, wondering how they both managed to fit on such a limited space. He squeezed his paws even tighter around the base, before glancing at Ace. A moment later he felt the Alolan Raichu’s forepaw grab him, holding him securely in place as he began to zoom in tight circles around the spa.

“Listen buddy. Nica has admired you for so long, and she even got the chance to spend time with you. I want some of that too. I’d even be up for a pokemon battle so I can see what Nica’s hero is really made of.”

Pikachu’s ears perked. “Pokemon battle?” He smiled, his eyes sparking in competitive joy. “Sure, I would–”

<Stop right there!> Nica shouted with a firm stomp. The moment they stopped on the platform next to the mirror, she stepped in front of them and declared, <There will be no unfair fights on my watch.>

Pikachu and the tail-surfing Raichu’s ears drooped.

“But siiiisss... “ Ace moaned, but before he could finish Nica cut him off.

<No buts!> Nica said, pointing at them accusingly. <Not only are you a Raichu, which gives you an upper paw in terms of raw power and durability, but being a psychic type lets you bypass certain resistances. Your opponent would have no such luxury in a true battle.>

“Ugh… fineee mooom,” Ace grumbled in annoyance. He turned around to the left to peek over at the party mare. “Is there any beach or a big collection of water in the area?”

“Sure,” Pinkie said with an energetic nod, hopping over to the pokemon. She looked at the ceiling while tapping her forehooves against each other. “There’s the main river going through Ponyville,” she started, twisting her body and using the front curl of her cotton candy mane to point to the left, “the lake where I chillaxed with Rainbow Dash,” she continued, flipping upside down and pointing behind her with her hind leg, “and the secret lake under the Everfree Forest called Mirror Pool where I once made a hundred of clones of myself.” With that, she popped up and grinned, briefly hopping atop her four hooves.

Pikachu, Ace and Nica gave Pinkie an odd stare.

The party mare smiled, taking a deep breath, but before she could speak Pikachu bounded forwards and covered her mouth, giving a sheepish smile as Pinkie continued talking even with the pokemon’s paws and belly blocking her mouth. “Yeah, we would love to hear the story but maybe some other time?”

“Mmm…” she mumbled through his fur. Pikachu released it a moment later, landing on the platform.

“Ok then, back to the topic at paw. Is the body of water big or small?” Ace asked.
 
“Hehe, paw!” Pinkie giggled. “I see what you did there!”

“Pinkie…” Pikachu began, though before he could get much farther, the pink mare’s face became extremely serious, as the party planner sat down deep in thought.

“Well,” Pinkie held her forehooves close to each other. “If I tried to throw a water-park themed party, I would probably fail.”

“Water-park themed party, now you’re speaking my language!” Ace exclaimed as he levitated closer and nuzzled Pinkie’s cheek.

Fluttershy spoke up, ”We have a pool in Ponyville, but not a very big one. As for the river, it is thin and shallow in most places, not very safe for swimming. If I may suggest something, a picnic on a grassfield or on a hill would be fun too.”

“Picnic? I’ll pass. I can’t show the heroic Pikachu a good time without a solid source of water,” Ace said with a frown as he crossed his forepaws, slumping down atop his tail.

Litten spoke up, “Congrats Pikachu, your fanclub now has two dedicated Raichu instead of one. Have fun with that.” He sat and started licking his fur, the spa pony once massaging his back now absent.

Rarity gave a wide smile and raised her forehoof, as if in a classroom. “Actually, if I may add an idea, my parents and my younger sister live next to a riverside, which is quite deep and wide. Maybe it would suffice for your ‘Water-park themed party.’”

Pinkie facehooved. “Oh right, there is, how could I forget!? Maybe some near-the-water-fun party can become a thing after all. I’ll get to planning that right away.” Without a moment to wait, she dashed towards the exit, a small trail of confetti trailing after her.

“I like her,” Ace noted, watching the mare dash away.

<So do I,> Nica said. <She’s caring, noble, selfless, and bakes the best of sweets. I think only Fluttershy and Master Gabby are kinder than her, though she and Master Gabby certainly bests Fluttershy in their endless energy.>

Ace turned towards his sister and added, “How about this? Coco deserves the best outdoor vacation, and since you’re super kind and all, you can–”

<Look after her?> Nica asked, finishing his sentence.

“Bingo!” Ace shouted in joy as he circled around his sister, grabbing Pikachu once more and placing him on his tail on the way. “And I’m sure Rarity and her pegasus friend would be delighted to help as well.”

“The name’s Fluttershy.” The shy pegasus smiled, swimming closer to the visiting fashionista before holding out her hoof for a quick shake. “Coco, do you like animals, nature, tea or picnics?”

“Well, uh… I’m not really sure if I like them or not. I’ve spent most of my life in a big city and I wasn’t much for outdoor activities.” She flashed a grin at Fluttershy. “But they sound lovely, so I would be delighted to give them a try.” She rubbed her shoulder nervously. “Just… no scary animals, please.”

Fluttershy giggled. “Don’t worry, none of my animals are scary.”

“Well, not everyone seems to be very fond of bears like you are Fluttershy,” Rarity pointed out, giving the pink-haired mare a specific look.

Fluttershy merely laughed, turning to Coco and ignoring the ghastly white color her fur took on. “Oh, Harry is a big sweetheart.” She cooed. “I bet you’ll end up loving him!”

Rarity sighed. “Still, I insist we start with a quick tour of Ponyville, then have a tea party and picnic at the very end.”

“Sounds good to me,” Fluttershy chirped, climbing out of the water with careful hoofsteps, before turning around and extending a helpful hoof to Coco, who was struggling behind her.

“Sounds like fun,” Coco added, stepping out from the water with the pegasus’ help. They both extended their hooves to Rarity who gladly left the water.

“Hot baths certainly are refreshing and relaxing, but spending too much time in the water always leaves my skin pruney. It’s simply unhealthy for one’s fur, especially when you are expected to keep such high standards in the beauty industry,” Rarity ranted, quickly examining herself and her friends for any blemishes.  

“I wish I could deny your words, Rarity,” Ace spoke up, “but diving for too long affects both my fur and skin in a negative way as well.” The Alolan Raichu shivered. “Ugh, it pains me to say anything wrong about water.”

“Considering that Twilight is but a day away from finishing her spell, I want to spend as much time as possible with Nica before I have to say goodbye,” Starlight said with a determined expression as she climbed out from the container and levitated over a towel. She quickly got to work on her wet fur. A few spa ponies trotted out seconds later to bring a couple more, handing them to Rarity as she distributed them out evenly with her magical aura.

“She’s leaving already... “ Fluttershy muttered, her ears drooping in disappointment.

<I’m not leaving right now, so please don’t be sad. Besides, I’m sure I’ll be able to come back and visit soon,> Nica reassured the mare as she grabbed Fluttershy’s forehoof between her paws, giving a kind squeeze. <Twilight promised her portal spell would let me visit Equestria again, so please, don’t feel sad.> She gave Fluttershy her warmest smile, snuggling up with her before giving the mare a massive neck hug, wrapping her tail around her body.

“That’s great!” Pikachu spread his forepaws and waved them cheerfully in the air. “I’ll finally be able to reunite with Ash. He must be going crazy in my absence. I hope he somehow manages without me looking after him.”

Nica released Fluttershy and approached her brother. <I suppose leaving you both to have your ‘guy-time’ and bond with each other in private isn’t such a bad idea. I’ll catch up with Coco in the meanwhile and show her a good time with some of Ponyville’s best attractions. Maybe we can we can even have a yummy taste testing at Sugarcube Corner with some of Pinkie’s best treats!> Nica sighed, already drooling at the prospect of sweet snacks. She snapped out of it quickly, before throwing a serious stare in Ace’s direction. <I expect you to show him a good time. You need to be both nice and respectful, he deserves it after all he’s done.>

“Oh, stop it already,” Pikachu said with a shake of his forepaw and a slight blush. “You’re seriously giving me too much credit.”

Litten chuckled, watching the two pokemon’s display. “So Pikachu took some of Nica’s humility for himself while giving some of his pride in return. I certainly approve.”

“Will do sis,” Ace replied, giving her a salute. “Anyways, do you want your collar back?” he questioned, quickly unclasping his collar and handing it towards his sister.

Nica shook her head, pushing it back into his paws. <Fluttershy understands me, so she can translate my words for everyone else. You can keep it for now, or at least until you have your own.>

“Thanks sis, you’re the best!” Ace said before nuzzling Nica’s cheek. He grabbed his black glasses with his paws and flew towards the exit, only to stop next to Litten who was perched on the massaging bed, sighing in bliss. “Hey buddy, wanna join? We’re gonna be playing at the river for a bit and surfing on some sick waves.”

“Me? Join you and play in the water?” Litten raised an eyebrow at the surfing Raichu, giving the pokemon a distasteful glare. “Oh sure, I would love nothing more than to go drown in my most potent weakness.” He frowned at Ace’s obliviously happy expression, muttering, “Swimming though a river of pain and suffering sounds like just my cup of tea. You two have fun, but no thanks.”

“Come on, you have no idea what you’re missing scaredy-meow.” He grinned, poking the cat’s side before jumping back as Litten swung his claws, hissing. “Fire typing or not, water can be a blast to play with. Think of it as a mix between training and fun. If you want to become strong, adapting to your weakness is a must.”

Litten was about to respond, but a massive crash from the back captured their attention, briefly distracting each of them from their current debate. An overly muscular stallion burst through the walls, shattering a section of the foundation as he flexed his pecs, flapping his comically undersized wings in anticipation.

“Yeaaaaaa!!!”

Pikachu whispered into Ace’s ear, both wincing as they tried to zone out the pegasus’ screaming. “I’ve encountered many pokemon with weird body shapes, and as a Pichu my head was always a bit too big for my little belly, but this stallion is on a completely new level.” Glancing back, he looked backwards at the stallion’s thin, brittle legs somehow still supporting his massive torso and belly. Small cracks were indented into the floor as he stomped around, his wings fluttering behind him. How those tiny wings could support such a large mass was beyond his comprehension, leaving him with a headache as he tried to figure it out.

“Agreed,” Ace whispered back with a nod.

Bulk Biceps approached Litten, now towering over the cowering kitten as the once brazen cat stared back with a nervous smile. “Kitty like massage?” the hulk asked, standing on his rear hooves before stretching out his forelegs. An unsettling series of cracks followed as the massage worker popped each bone, tilting his head side to side, in sync with his body. “First five minutes of extra strong massage free of charge!” He cheered, stalking closer to Litten with an eager grin.

Litten bit his bottom lip, glancing once more at the gigantic stallion before pushing Pikachu off of Ace’s tail with a huff and taking his place in seconds. “Swimming sounds lovely!”  He howled, overshadowing Pikachu’s “Hey!” before chanting, “Go, go go!”

“Your wish is my command!” Ace cried, speeding off as Pikachu shook his head and bounded towards the levitating Raichu who took off from the spa like a rocket.

Panting, Pikachu darted behind them, shouting out, “Wait for meeeeeeeee!”

Nica leapt down from the tall platform resting next to the container of water, her attention focused on the depressed stallion, currently sitting slumped against the wall. Seeing his drooped ears and sensing an overpowering aura disappointment, she jumped onto the massaging bed and stood on the tips of her rear paws, giving the pony a wide smile. <There, there… > she said as she gently stroked his cheek. <I’ll gladly accept your massage! In fact, it would be an honor.>

“What did the long-tailed critter say?” Bulk asked, gazing questioningly at the pokemon currently rubbing his cheek.

“She would like to take Litten’s place and let you massage her,” Fluttershy said as she walked downstairs alongside the other ponies.

Rarity looked between Fluttershy, the pokemon, and the massive stallion before trotting over and whispering in the Raichu’s ear. “Ummm… Nica, darling. You do realize what you are getting yourself into, correct?”

<Of course I do,> Nica reassured, soon collapsing on her belly and supporting her chin atop her forelegs. <Start when ready.>

Bulk Biceps displayed a toothy smile before jumping onto the massaging table and pressing his hooves into her soft fur. The floor trembled with each of his powerful steps, the massage table barely able to resist snapping in half under the massive pressure.

Nica closed her eyes and smiled, wincing with each pound, feeling as if she was repeatedly struck with a powerful ‘Rock Smash.’ <Yes… that’s the spot.>