Prologue
Raichu for Hire
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Prologue
Mayor Mare looked between the Raichu’s resume and the Princess of Friendship herself, gazing at her in confusion. “So, if I understand you correctly, a representative of a pokemon species called ‘Raichu’ somehow migrated over the ocean and ended up in the Everfree Forest, someone sealed her memories with dark magic, and now she’s living with you under your care.” After receiving a nod of confirmation, she asked, “And you want to register her as a mercenary and want to find her a job?”
“Correct. I even suggested her that ‘Help for Hire’ or ‘Hero for Hire; would be more appropriate, but she decided that the title ‘Mercenary’ sounds cooler and have more weight to it…” Twilight chuckled nervously. “Now, I know it may sounds insane, but…” She was cut off.
“This is Ponyville, it is hardly the weirdest thing I have heard, but I need to confirm if the data and abilities listed here are accurate,” Mayor Mare said and poked the paper, her eyes on the picture of a smiling long-tailed critter standing on one rear paw with her forpaws spread out. Not the most professional picture, but certainly filled with enthusiasm. “Your friend’s name is ‘Nica’, her weight is around 25 kilograms and she is 0.67 meters tall.”
“Exactly,” Twilight said with a nod. “I checked her parameters today personally.”
“The list of her abilities is as follow:
Ability to produce and unleash powerful electricity without the need of a stormcloud.
Ability to reach three hundred twenty five meters of height with a single jump.
Ability to sense the aura of emotions of other creatures.”
Receiving a nod, Mayor continued. “As for Strengths:
Advanced Combat skills, Extreme Stamina, Durability and Reflexes.”
“It’s the truth,” Starlight said before smirking. “Yesterday Nica started training Twilight in the art of self-defense. If you doubt our words, we can invite you to one of their combat exercises. Miss Mayor.”
“Starlight, this is personal,” Twilight commented.
Mayor Mare sighed. “I’ll take your word for it.” She kept looking at the picture. How did something this small and innocent-looking have the ability to train an alicorn in self-defense? Certainly something worth looking into in her spare time. “And if I read it correctly, she has a very calm and friendly personality and loves helping.”
“I can vouch for that,” Starlight said with a firm nod.
“According to her weekly reports, Nica has been trained in combat by a human trainer so they can defeat and arrest those who abuse pokemon powers. Even if she didn’t recover all of her memories yet, it was her idea to become a mercenary so she can be as helpful as possible,” Twilight said and next pointed to the Raichu’s picture on the resume. “We made a collar for her to absorb electricity so she wouldn’t cause any painful accidents. I also recently visited the royal archives in Canterlot in search for translation spells, and improved her collar with them. She can now communicate with us as long as she wears it.”
Mayor Mare nodded. “On the scale of how unbelievable it sounds from one to ten, I give it seven. To be honest, if it was somepony else, I wouldn’t give this a second thought, but since Miss Nica is under your care, Princess Twilight, I’ll register her as a mercenary.” She stamped the document and next lead the two ponies into a room surrounded by shelves from all sides. “I heard Miss Ditzy was trying to hire somepony to help her for a while, but no one was brave enough to take the job. If your friend is really durable, it would be a good place to start her career.”
“What kind of job exactly?” Starlight asked.
“For example; keeping her from causing accidents during her visit to stores selling antiques and porcelain.”
Twilight’s wings spread and waved. “Stores with antiques are my favorite. I had no idea Ditzy was into it.”
Starlight asked, “Is there anything else?”
“Not at the moment I’m afraid,” Mayor Mare said. “Your friend would have better chances in a big city.”
Twilight grinned. “Thank you, Mayor Mare, I appreciate your help.” She levitated over the stamped document and went outside with Starlight by her side.
“Goodbye, Princess Twilight, and Starlight Glimmer, I wish you luck.” The moment the door closed shut, Mayor Mare lowered her head and massaged her forehead. This headache really gets annoying. I can hardly stay focused on the job.
“What do you have in mind?” Starlight asked.
“A long-range teleportation spell of-course. Canterlot, Las Pegasus, Baltimare, Fillydelphia and Manehattan. If Nica wants a job that ponies are afraid to do, I’m sure she can find it there.”
Starlight rubbed he foreleg. “That’s ambitious. I think I’ll stick with Ponyville and ask Maud and Applejack if they could give her a job.”
“Huh? It’s not like you to be so cautious,” Twilight commented.
“I was really worried about Nica this past week. Let’s just say I don’t want her to leave me again.”
Twilight embraced her student with a comforting wing. “I know how you feel, but if she’s your friend, you need to trust her more. I still remember how hard it was for me to let you go, and you decided to stay.”
“I suppose you’re right.” She looked her mentor in the eyes as smile formed on her lips. “We should hurry up. I don’t want to leave Trixie in the castle for too long.”
“Come on Starlight, I’m sure they’re doing just fine.”
“Trixie requires assistance!” the mare shouted, struggling against the chains.
Nica was sitting on a pillow in the library next to the rounded table. Just a moment ago the Great and Powerful unicorn was showing her so called ‘breathtaking spectacle’, only to end up shackled in chains a minute later. So much for the Great Unicorn Escape, Nica thought as she stepped from her pillow and approached the mare. “Are sure you need my help? Can’t you teleport free or blast the chains with your magic? Starlight could do it with ease.”
The mare growled. “Don’t tease Trixie and help her!”
The long-tailed pokemon rolled her eyes. If she was asked for help by any other pony or creature, she would have jumped at the opportunity. Yet, after listening to Trixie’s story, her unfair accusations and use of a dangerous artifact for revenge against Twilight, who saved her life by stopping a rampaging Ursa, and overall arrogance in her voice, she didn’t feel the urgency to help her right away.
“What are you waiting for, help Trixie this instant!”
She sighed. It seems a simple ‘please’ is outside of her vocabulary. She raised her long tail towards the chains, thinking back to her last dream. If her returning memories were accurate, a gigantic worm-like metallic monster called ‘Steelix’ was teaching her how to turn her own tail into a boulder cutting weapon.
Nica bit her bottom lip and focused, mimicking the technique she used as a Pikachu. As she’d hoped for, her tail flashed brightly, suddenly becoming heavier, stronger, and looked to be covered by metal. With a careful and slow swing, she struck the chains, cutting a few of them with ease while leaving a small cut in the crystal floor. She took a step back and gulped. One false move and her tail would sink into this pony’s flesh.
Drops of sweat started to fall down her forehead as she was striking each chain as carefully as she could, freeing Trixie several half a minute later.
“Ah, much better,” Trixie said and stretched herself. “That’s an interesting trick you got there. Starlight told Trixie that you can use electricity, but she didn’t mention your tail could cut metal.”
Nica focused on releasing power from her tail, waiting for it to return to normal before she shot Trixie a sheepish smile. Using electricity to destroy the chains crossed her mind, if not for the risk of shocking the pony as a side-effect. “I learned how to do this from my dream last night. My memories are still recovering.”
“W-wait… are you saying you improvised?” Trixie’s face turned pale and she chuckled nervously. “W-well, it worked…”
Feeling growing awkwardness in the air, Nica asked, “Why do you keep lying about yourself?”
“W-what?”
She returned to her pillow, gesturing for Trixie to sit on the other side. The mare did so hesitantly. “Why do you keep calling yourself great and powerful? Why such arrogance? Instead of thanking the pony who saved your life, you started threatening her like a rival, even though she’s superior to you in magic a hundred times over.”
“W-what… Trixie’s not inferior to Twilight when it comes to magic!”
“Another lie, why do you keep lying?”
The unicorn slammed her hoof against the table. “Trixie doesn’t like where this is going.”
Nica took a deep breath, regretting that she didn’t know how to prepare tea as having two teacups would certainly help in the coming conversation. She climbed onto the table and sat on it, now looking directly at the unicorn mare. “Wouldn’t it be easier to just humbly accept your limitations and celebrate what you accomplished?”
Trixie raised her head arrogantly and held forehoof on her neck. “Trixie is a great and powerful magician who saved ponykind from their ultimate doom… with some small help from Starlight, Thorax, and Discord… that’s the truth.”
“If you’re great and powerful, shouldn't you have saved ponykind many times over like Twilight and her friends did? This is what powerful beings like yourself should do after all, they should protect those who can’t defend themselves and use their powers to their limits,” Nica pointed out.
“W-well…”
“What I’m trying to say is that; if you were just a normal illusionist who doesn’t possess great magic or superpowers, but managed to play an important role in saving a country, it would make you amazing.”
“Huh?” Trixie asked, her mouth agape. “What?”
“But if you’re a super powerful unicorn as you claim to be, helping Starlight to save everypony isn’t anything special.”
Trixie kept staring at the large critter in confusion, her mind a mess. I would be amazing… if I saved the day while not being great and powerful? What does she mean by that?
“What’s a more impressive feat? A powerful warrior saving a village by easily defeating a large monster? Or a normal pony who ran into a burning building to save one life while putting himself in peril?”
Trixie rubbed top of her head. “Defeating a monster… I suppose? I mean… it’s more spectacular.”
Nica shook her head. “Even if said experienced warrior defeated the beast with little risk? The pony running into the building could end up burned alive or have permanent burns.”
“I suppose you have a point,” Trixie said. “Even if it wouldn't be as spectacular, it would still require a lot of courage.”
“For Twilight and her friends who possess great powers and wield powerful artifacts, saving Equestria is something they’re used too, but for you, a pony with plenty of skills but without powerful magic…”
“It was something special?” Trixie asked, receiving a nod of confirmation. “Actually, the fact that our magic couldn’t work inside the hive meant that Trixie’s skills were even more helpful.”
Nica smiled and approached, step by step until she reached the edge of the table and embraced the unicorn’s neck. “I think what you did was really brave and heroic. The fact that you entered the changeling hive and did your best while being defenseless was incredibly brave and noble. You don’t need to be great and powerful to be great.” She whimpered. “To be honest, my powers are stronger than yours, yet I wish I was half as useful and great as you were.”
Trixie’s eyes watered as she immediately embraced the Raichu, her heart melting like a block of ice in the middle of the desert.
“Nica, Trixie, I’m back!” Starlight said as she walked through the hallway, wondering what her favorite duo was up to.
In a cloud of smoke, Trixie appeared in the middle of the hallway with Nica emerging from under her cape. She took off her hat and performed a polite bow. “The not Powerful but still a little Great Trixie welcomes you back, Starlight Glimmer. How was your day?”
“T-Trixie… are you feeling okay?”
“Better than okay. Thanks to meeting with your skilled companion, Trixie has seen the errors of her ways.” She rubbed the top of Nica’s head, who returned the gesture by rubbing Trixie behind her ear with her tail, which the mare clearly enjoyed while showing a pleasant smile. “Trixie can’t wait for Twilight to come back so that Trixie can apologize, thank her for saving Trixie’s life, and publicly admit that Princess Twilight Sparkle is the most talented and powerful scholar in the land.”
“What have you done!?” In a rush of panic, Starlight levitated over the Raichu, her muzzle touching Nica’s nose. “I leave you for half a day,” she took a quick breath, “half a day! And you already broke Trixie!"
“Is that a good or bad thing?” Nica asked.
“Certainly good,” Trixie said with a wide smile.
“Certainly bad!” Starlight shouted with an expression of pure terror on her face.
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Eh, I say leave the prequel link, there's not really any other good way to link stories on this site. Just have it explained in the description.
Ooook... was it really necessary to repeat the entire chapter from the main story? It's a fairly good chapter, and the whole Trixie thing was really heartwarming and funny to read, and to re-read, but I don't see... why is it here. I was fully expecting for new "story" to appear right after the Mayor Mare scene, maybe ponies from around Ponyville reading Nica's resumee on a public bulletin board or something. Setting up at least some of her future jobs. Something like that.
I'm not sure 'mercenary' is the right term for what Nica's being, but good for her regardless.
Never got into Pokemon, had to research what a Raichu is and was only half interested in the story.
Now I'm going to binge the series.
You amazing author you.
Though in all honesty, that sudden character progression really hooked me on this story. It's the stuff of a great storyteller.
Keep up the good work ^^
(But I can't binge it all tonight sorry.)
8818850
The last person I expected to see a comment from, but I can't be too surprised since it's a Raichu fic. Is Brave New World still alive, in any sense? Hope you've been better, as well.