//------------------------------// // Ch.17 - The Water Bender - Pt.2 // Story: Little Lost Pikachu // by CommanderX5 //------------------------------// Summoning of Chu - Chapter 17 - The Water Bender - Pt.2 “A legendary fight between a charismatic, tail-surfing Raichu and a brave, heroic Pikachu!” Ace shouted enthusiastically, flying numerous circles in joy around him before leaping into the sky. His stubby paw was pointed high into the air as he struck a heroic pose, using his telekinesis to stir up a small wave. The water droplets danced through the air, reforming at Ace’s base and creating a crown underneath his paws. With a flick of his paw and twitch of his ears, he unclasped the Nica’s collar, remembering it’s electric-absorbing properties. He tossed it to Dash, who easily caught it with her wings. he cried, dancing atop his tail as he began his own recount of the upcoming battle. His cheeks sparked in anticipation, setting the ring of water around him alight with an electric charge, now able to flow freely without being absorbed by Nica’s neckband. Rainbow Dash flew in front the two, chanting as she view the two pokemon psyche one another up. “Yeah, let’s do this!” Pikachu threw Ace’s black glasses towards Rainbow Dash, who snatched it from the air with her hoof this time for safekeeping before firing up his own lightning in response, displaying a confident grin. With a series of, “Pika, Pika, Pi’s!” the pokemon released a strong ‘Electro Ball,’ using a large burst of his stored power. Smirking, Ace dug his tail into the wave’s current and used its pressure to push himself higher, allowing him to effectively avoid Pikachu’s powerful yet slow blow. Ace persisted, adding more and more hype with every word. He sent his own electric-powered surf in return, his ears sparkling with a bright aura as he commanded the waters forwards with ‘Psychic.’ He watched as Pikachu jumped high into the sky, just in time to avoid the devastating damage from his combo move. He watched in pride as his wave crashed into the shore, sending sand, dirt, grass, and rubble flying everywhere. What was once a serene coast line was now nothing more than scarred earth, showing testimony to the destructive power just released upon the land. Litten scuttled backwards immediately, his fur on end as he stood witness to the massive blast. Huffing, he stalked away, heading towards safer grounds as the riverside became several meters wider, expanded by Ace’s attack. He attempted to hide the fear blooming in his eyes with an unflinching stare, one which he soon turned on the Raichu. Glancing up, Ace focused his attention on Pikachu whose cheeks flared to life, unleashing a devastating ‘Thunderbolt’ from above a second later. He gritted his teeth yet refused to back down, holding in his cry of pain as he felt the electricity jolt through his body. Sputtering, he stumbled back, surprised at just how strong his friend was. Even with his type resistance, a barrage of burn marks were scattered about his belly and face, showing scars from the attack he just endured. With a loud shout, he unleashed his own ‘Thunderbolt,’ overpowering Pikachu’s attack while gifting the smaller pokemon with even more scorch marks in return. Ace narrowed his eyes as his rival began falling towards him with a brightly glowing tail. His body was coated in electricity, soaking into his tail and combining the strength of hard steel and wild, powerful lightning. Huh, not bad, bud, Ace thought, perking his ears. If I’m not mistaken, that looks like a combo from Nica’s arsenal. He propelled himself higher, climbing the wind as he rose head on meet Pikachu’s challenge, all the while continuing with his personal monologue. he shouted, taking a step back and relying on the tense muscles in his rear paws to keep him steady, as his ears shone, prepping for a counter attack. The moment Pikachu swung his metallic tail, he blocked the attack with a raised forepaw, wincing as he felt the shock echo through him, though he didn’t budge against the resisted impact. Using his other forepaw, Ace grabbed Pikachu’s tail, keeping him immobile as the caught pokemon squirmed and wiggled, desperate to break free. Seeing the hero’s surprised gasp, he unleashed a powerful ‘Psychic,’ sending his pre-evolution crashing into the ground at extreme speeds, sparing nothing for the eager opponent. A pain filled grunt escaped Pikachu’s mouth, muffed by the the earth stuffed into his face as the hero layed pitifully on his back, covered in a variety of bruises and buried under rocks, soil and plant debris. Ace bit his bottom lip, his ears drooping to his sides at the feeling of guilt building in his chest, being forced to watch Pikachu struggle to dig himself out from the rubble. Unlike his durable sister, his fighting style was one of a glass cannon, focusing on technique and raw power rather than stamina. Using a full power and non-resisted ‘Psychic’ was no doubt very painful for the unevolved hero. He landed on the ground and lowered his head, now staring down at the floor with a saddened expression, dejectedly rubbing his paws back and forth in the sand. He closed his eyes, not bothering to evade the incoming electricity as his fur accumulated a few extra burns. Both Pikachu and Rainbow Dash darted over, gazing questioningly at the Alolan Raichu. Pikachu gasped in surprise before standing on the tips of his rear feet, supporting his bruised forepaws on Ace’s belly. Their eyes met, Pikachu being forced to move constantly just to keep eye contact as Ace tried desperately to look away. “What? But… why?” he asked, trying his best to ignore the harsh ache in his back, though the occasional crack in his voice gave it away. “You were so into it a moment ago.” Ace picked Pikachu with his paws and gently placed him on his tail, the two now sitting next to one another as Dash watched from above. With a flick of his wrist, he levitated the translating collar from the pegasus’ hold onto his neck, before placing the black shades back onto Pikachu’s face. He sighed and said, “I just… realized something. We both resist electric and steel attacks, but my ‘Psychic’ and ‘Surf’ would be devastating against you. Just like Nica said, fighting you would be too one-sided thanks to my typing and evolution.” Pikachu’s ears drooped and he couldn’t help but feel a bit annoyed at the implication. “Are you assuming I was going to lose to you that easily?” Dash frowned, flying around to face Ace. “Listen here bud. Don’t think you can win just because you have an advantage. Overcoming the odds is what great athletes do.” She crossed her forelegs and huffed, sticking a hoof before the hovering pokemon. “You may look cool…” She paused, looking over the bruised Raichu once more, before adding, “And be super chill, but I’ll be cheering for him to defeat you.” “That’s the problem!” Ace sighed, pushing the mare’s hoof back down at her side. “Let’s assume I do win, which honestly, wouldn’t be difficult due to my advantages; it would be a sour victory, making me feel like a big, bad rival bullying a weaker opponent.” Dash’s angered glare, softened, now replaced by confusion. “And if I lost against an unevolved pokemon whose attacks I actually resisted, it would make me look like a pathetic loser. No matter how you look at it, I would end up getting the short end of the stick.” He glanced down at his paws in disappointment, pouting. “I’ll be playing the role of the mean rival. This is the worst!” Pikachu looked at him in pity and patted his shoulder consolingly. “Being a stronger opponent wouldn’t make you mean or bad, at least in my book.” “Or mine,” Dash added. Ace raised his head and shrugged, giving the two an unapologetic glance. “Sorry, but I refuse. In the end everyone cheers for the underdog, while I would be nothing more than an obsolete obstacle for you to overcome. No fun in that.” Pikachu grumbled. “So now all the Raichu I meet refuse to fight me for the sake of being a good sport. Just my luck!” He stood up and jumped, spreading and shaking his forepaws in annoyance. "Screw my rivalry towards my evolution, I just want to have a great fight! Is that too much to ask for?!" He landed on the same spot of Ace’s tail he had occupied moments before and crossed his arms, mumbling to himself in frustration. Dash leapt from her cloud and pushed it closer to the levitating Raichu. She sat on the white puff, stared at Ace with an eager expression and inquired, “So in other words, being both psychic and electric type makes you way stronger, right?” Ace narrowed his eyes and shook his head, giving the mare an incredulous look. “Are you kidding? Sure, it increases my offensive arsenal and gives me strong resistances to fighting and psychic attacks.” He grabbed the pegasus’ muzzle and stared her down, meeting her shocked gaze head on. “But instead of having one weakness… now I have four!” “Four?” Dash asked, tilting her head to the side. “Is that bad?” “Um, is that even a question?” Ace exclaimed, throwing his paws into the air in disbelief. Unknowingly, he pushed Pikachu to the very edge of his tail before stalking back and forth the remaining space, circling around the mare at the same time. “Do you have any idea how much stress I endure whenever my opponent uses a super effective move against me? When I'm battling, the moment I see my foe open their mouth, along with that terrifying dark aura surrounding their sharp teeth, I can’t help but cower. I’m a glass cannon, not a flipping tank, for Arceus sake!” He booped the mare’s muzzle, before twisting around in the blink of an eye and grabbing Pikachu’s head in turn, staring him down with an unwavering intensity. “During pokemon battles, how does it feel getting hit by a super strong ‘Crunch?’ The feeling of them sinking their teeth into your fur?” “Uh, it’s certainly not enjoyable,” Pikachu began, before being released by Ace. His face smashed into the Raichu’s tail, though the pokemon didn’t seem to notice as he continued floating around, ongoing with his rant. “Now, imagine that move being super effective,” he turned to glare at the pegasus still rubbing her snout and continued, “when you’re now a psychic type, as well as electric. Not to mention, when someone throws a ‘Shadow Ball’ out of nowhere, or a bug type moves like: ‘Signal Beam,’ “Bug Bite” and ‘Bug Buzz.’ The list goes on and on! Even fighting and psychic pokemon that I often resist have moves like ‘Payback’ or ‘Shadow Ball’ as coverage.” He paused, slumping atop his tail as his ears drooped at his sides. “In plenty of cases, I’ve ended up as the underdog because of that.” He stood up and inspected himself, muttering, “Not to mention, why do so many moves I’m weak to involve biting me? Do I taste that good or something?” Ace glanced at Pikachu. “Having only one weakness… is a luxury I no longer have,” he mumbled, before lowering his head and bumping noses with his pre-evolution, setting off a gentle ‘clink’ as his eyes pressed against the tinted glasses. “How many times has someone used a strong ground-type attack against you?” “R-rarely…” Pikachu replied, swiftly pulling his face back from the Raichu’s head. “Besides, if you’re skilled enough, I’m sure you can find a way to counter it. My sister does it all the time.” He held up a singular, stubby paw as if counting from a checklist. “‘Earthquake?’ Just hump in the air to dodge. ‘Dig?’ Just ‘Iron Tail’ the arena and knock your foe out or flood the ground with ‘Surf.’” He paused, stroking his chin for a moment before shouting, “Now that I think about it, there aren’t even many ground type attacks to choose from.” Litten raised his head, mumbling, “Fissure, Earth Power, Bonemerang… Need I go on?” “They’re all the same!” Ace pouted, crossing his arms across his chest. “To be honest, I don’t even remember the last time anyone used Earthquake against me.” “Well… now that you mention it, I don’t think I was ever attacked with ‘Earthquake.’ The move ‘Dig’ was the one I faced the most,” Pikachu stuttered, giving a nervous chuckle at the intensity in the Alolan Raichu’s eyes. “There we go. Do you see what I’m getting at?” Ace patted the electric mouse’s head. “Cherish your nearly weakness-free typing, Pikachu. Cherish it…” “S-sure…” Litten chuckled. “Cherish it indeed.” He gave a nasty look towards the water, grumbling about it dousing him from earlier. “Double typing means different strengths yet more weaknesses at the same time… got it,” Dash noted with a nod. Ace levitated up higher into the air and turned around, now staring wistfully at the water. “Don’t look so down, Pikachu. I still plan to impress you. Trust me, it will be fun.” Using the move ‘Surf,’ he summoned several wild waves to appear on the water’s surface. As if commanding the elements themselves, the sun shone through the transparent substance, causing a blinding sheen to shine through them. “Hold onto me,” he suggested, narrowing his eyes and setting his sights on the massive breakers before him. Pikachu did as he was told, now standing behind Ace while balanced on his tail, a single paw clutched around the Raichu’s waist while the other held his glasses steady. Ace flew towards the waves with reckless abandon, bouncing from one to another. Though fast, he elegantly darted through the water’s terrain, manipulating each wave with an unmatched control as he skillfully surfed over and around them. As he went, the Raichu would throw in an occasional trick, causing Pikachu’s stomach to drop as he did a variety of somersaults, flipps and dives. Pikachu’s pupils shrunk in alarm as he saw Ace’s ears flash, a familiar silver aura coating them, the trademark glow reminding him of the powerful beating he received just minutes ago. Seconds later, a shaft made entirely of liquid rose, larger than everything else, yet they only went faster as they got closer. Shouting, Ace called, “Here we go!” as they spiraled within the tunnel of water, though when they emerged, all Pikachu could feel was an exciting rush of adrenaline, causing him to smile in joy. Ace glanced at his passenger, whose face, thankfully, displayed excitement rather than fear. “Take a deep breath, we’re going in.” He surfed along a big wave, shooting into the air like a jet before diving into the water with a great force. Both pokemon’s ballon-like cheeks were filled with air as they explored the bottom part of the river, gazing in fascination at the multitude of creatures, many unlike ones in their own world. The depths of the stream turned out to be pretty boring though without any strong water types dwelling beneath the surface, and Ace wasn’t sure if he could even communicate with the fish. Several seconds later he emerged from the water and released his breath, carrying a drenched Pikachu on his shoulders, their post-battle burns and bruises no longer noticeable due to their wet fur. “Not much to explore here it seems.” “Maybe, but diving was still fun,” Pikachu said with a big smile, attempting to lighten the mood before withdrawing his paws from Ace’s sides. He spread his limbs out wide in attempt to maintain his balance on his own. Holding out his paw, he extended the glasses back to Ace, who took them with his magical grasp. “Thanks bud,” Ace said as he slipped them on. “No problem,” Pikachu responded. “It seems you have a great sense of balance.” He grinned, raising his paw for a fistbump. “Let’s find out how good mine is.” “That’s the spirit,” Ace said, meeting his friend’s bump. He leapt into the air, laughing as he heard Pikachu struggling to hold, much less stand on his own two paws as he bounced from wave to wave. Pikachu gritted his teeth, tilting left and right as he gripped Ace’s tail, desperate to keep himself from falling. After several seconds, he narrowed his eyes and lunged forwards, grasping the Raichu’s mid section before pulling himself to his tiny feet. His eyes narrowed, showing full concentration as he managed to stay standing, enduring each twist and turn from the water’s wild waves. “Not bad,” Rainbow Dash called, flapping her wings now. “How about I increase the difficulty with a tornado?” Ace turned to look at Dash, who now flew next to him with an excited smirk. Ace tilted his glasses down and shook his head, asking, “Increase difficulty? Tornado?” He narrowed his eyes and grinned, pushing the shades back up. “Bring. It. On!” It didn’t take long for ‘Equestria’s fastest flyer’ to get started as she rapidly flew around the stream, kicking up streams of wind and the occasional pocket of water. “Woohoo!” She cried, flapping harder as the tornado really started to spin. “This reminds me of the move ‘Whirlpool,’ but this one seems much stronger,” Pikachu commented before pointing at the wild waves that now howled along with the wailing winds. “We’re in for a ride. Are you sure you can surf like that?” Looking back at Pikachu, he laughed, patting the pokemon on the head. “Have you forgotten who the best surfer is? Sure I can, or should I say ‘challenge accepted.’” Ace bit his bottom lip in concentration as he dove forward, breaching the outer layer of the tornado and began surfing around the inner rings. As he moved higher and higher, the air became unpredictable, flying to the left when assumed it would strike to the right. Around thirty seconds later, his tail pressed against the surface of the waterspout, digging a deep gash into the wind’s defense, soon surfing on the rounded wall of air and water as his body naturally tilted to the side. Hearing Pikachu’s yelp, he glanced to the side in alarm and noticed him falling, crashing into a strong wave of water with a small splash. He followed, diving into the liquid and swimming deeper into the water before grabbing him and emerging above the surface. “Heh, sorry about that. Got kind of carried away with those awesome currents. You okay there, buddy?” He helped Pikachu up between his paws, staring at his face in concern. “I’m fine, thanks to you,” Pikachu responded, grateful as he wiped some small droplets remaining from his last diving session. He pushed himself free from Ace’s hold while stepping onto his tail. He turned around and spread his forepaws, trying to maintain balance once more. “Your underwater speed is incredible. Way above my swimming speed.” Ace gently grabbed Pikachu’s shoulder with the white patches on his paws and maneuvered him before him, pressing down to avoid a repeat of what just happened. With a shout, he continued to climb up the waterspout again, holding nothing back now that he had the hero secure in his grasp. The overwhelming noise of ravenging wind and flying water filled the area, drowning out almost all attempts for conversation, until Ace called out something that was quickly snuffed out by the wind. “What?” Pikachu cried. “I said, that’s why I love being an Alolan Raichu. The moment I evolved and gained ability the to surf in the air, I started to wonder if I could use it to surf on and underwater, especially after I spent so long exploring and hanging out with my friends under the water’s surface.” “And it helped?” Pikachu asked, shouting to avoid being muted by the raging winds. “You have no idea. When I was still a Pikachu, I was really good at swimming compared to my family, and even some other slow water pokemon, but most naval creatures could spin circles around me. When I evolved, I could surf on the surface of water with no loss in speed, and even exploring underwater doesn’t slow me down much, due to being able to ride atop my tail. I even managed to learn how to use the move ‘Surf’ from my other buddies.” Ace displayed an overjoyed smile, cupping his paws together. “In other words, my dream came true.” “I’m happy for you,” Pikachu added, though his attention was focused on the summit of the tornado, the top that was rapidly approaching the two. Both spotted Dash’s smirk as she circled the top, giving constant energy for the windstorm to consume. “We’re almost at the peak!” “Which means… it’s time for our big finish!” Ace chanted before narrowing his eyes. His ears flashed and with a single swipe of his paw, the tornado burst apart, sparkling into a dazzling display of falling droplets, as if it was raining. The pegasus blinked in confusion, finding herself trapped in a silvery aura. She struggled to flap her wings, though they were stuck, and her raging tornado was gone, having seemingly vanished. Before she could panic, the magical grasp had disappeared, giving her full mobility once more Litten glanced up, but not in time. Releasing a feral screech, he sprinted farther in towards land, yet wasn’t fast enough. The water assaulted him, drenching the poor cat-pokemon once more as he desperately tried to shake himself dry, muttering dirty things about the Alolan Raichu at the same time. “Thanks, Dash. It sure was one exciting ride,” Ace exclaimed, pushing his glasses into to place atop his nose as he held a bulky paw up, similar to that of a thumbs up. Dash repeated the gesture, though faced some limitations. He went for one last dive, using one paw to scout ahead and his other to keep his passenger in place. Emerging, he spit out a small stream of water and levitated towards the shore. Pikachu jumped from the Alolan Raichu’s tail and started bouncing in place, hopping atop his tiny feet. “That was great.” He called, “Again, again!” Ace smiled at the enthusiastic Pikachu. “Sure, but how about we watch Dash show us some of her tricks for now.” He gazed at the approaching pegasus, shooting her a good natured smirk. “I wouldn’t want to outshiner her now, would I?” “Haha, you wish! Sounds good to me, though,” Dash responded as she now hovered above the ground with slow flaps of her wings. “I’ve showed you my tornado, and most Wonderbolt tricks require teamwork and other pegasus’ for starters. Maybe I should pull out my Sonic Rainboom, or should I leave the best for last?” Ace leaned back, propping his paws underneath his head and gazed back at the mare. “I don’t mind watching your best trick first. Show me what you’re made of!” He cheered. “But don’t be too blown away when I show you my best moves!” “Haha, please.” She struck a pose mid-air, tossing her spectrum mane back and forth. “It takes a lot for me to be blown away.” Ace watched in joy as Rainbow Dash took off, darting into the sky. With a yelp, he jumped as he felt something beside him, but relaxed as he saw Pikachu make his way on his tail, joining him willingly. Smiling, he moved aside for the hero to get comfy, and they both looked on in excitement as the first sparks of a rainbow ignited within the atmosphere.