Ch.7 - Reunion - Pt.2
A Little Adventure in Alola
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Chapter 7
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Reunion - Pt.2
Ash watched two of Giovanni’s lackies, ones that seemed very familiar, activate their jetpacks and escort their boss over the sea. He quickly looked at Astra with a look of pity as the trainer just dropped to her knees, either tired or shocked by the experience. While he had had his own bad experiences with Team Rocket in the past, most of the time they were more of an inconvenience rather than a serious threat. Astra however seemed to have some sort of history with them, one involving dead parents and… some sort of an organization.
Actually, the more he learned about Astra, the more he wanted to meet her. Pikachu had already told Nica quite a lot about him, and Nica most likely told Pikachu a lot about her trainer. Now was his turn to get to know her.
He shook his head as his attention focused on Pikachu, who, ironically, was now on Astra’s shoulder, the same as Nica was on his. More than a week ago he was going crazy with worry, wondering what the heck had happened to his partner and his other pokemon, yet, in a sense, being summoned to another world kept them safe from the invasion that took place three days ago. “Pikachu…” he said as his eyes started to water and his throat suddenly became dry.
Astra stood from her knees and turned around as both trainers once again faced each other, this time with no outside distractions as the surrounding pokemon formed a circle. Emily, Lillie and Lana keep a respective distance as well.
Both pokemon jumped from the trainer’s shoulders, now standing next to the humans and across each other.
Ash looked between Astra and Pikachu. While he wanted to learn more about this amazing trainer, his desire to reunite with his dearest pokemon topped that immediately. He dropped to one knee and spread his arms in an inviting gesture.
Nica looked between her trainer and Pikachu, both showing signs of hardships and battles by their bruises and cuts. It had been more than a month since she had last seen her trainer, yet she knew that they would reunite sooner or later. Her mind filled with stories that just waited to be shared and the good news of successful mission she volunteered for. Still, there was also Pikachu who had to face the dangers of Alola, most likely searching for her. She wanted to embrace her hero and reveal her feelings to him.
Astra looked between Ash and Nica. She wanted to rush and hug her precious partner, to once again feel her soft fur and affection while congratulating her for a job well done. In fact, she felt the extreme desire to tell Nica how incredibly happy and proud she was. However, the presence of Ash Ketchum filled her with hesitation and anxiety. Her job was to escort and reunite the Pikachu with his trainer, but interacting with the trainer she admired wasn’t something she was looking forward to. Taking the example from Ash, she knelt and spread her arms, inviting Nica to jump into her embrace while keeping a respectful distance from the other trainer.
Pikachu looked between Ash and Nica. It was a fact that he missed Ash, that he wanted to reunite with him as seeing him in one piece despite the ongoing invasion filled him with joy. However… not long ago he experienced something else, he started to like and care for Nica and he felt terrified that she would be dead. His heart raced as seeing Nica alive felt even more important than reuniting with his trainer. Now when he had to choose who to hug first, his worry for Nica’s life proved stronger than his desire to accept Ash’s invitation.
As both trainers awaited their partners to jump towards them, Nica looked at Ash, then at Pikachu and then at Astra. She smiled brightly as an idea came into her mind. She wrapped her tail around Ash’s belly before charging forward, pulling the confused trainer alongside her as her three hurting paws proved strong enough.
Pikachu ran towards Nica, only to stop upon noticing that she was pulling his trainer. He took a step back while Astra blinked in confusion.
With a cheerful “Chuuu!” Nica jumped towards Pikachu, grabbing him with her left forepaw. She leaped towards Astra, pushing herself into her embrace before pulling her tail. A mere moment later, she nuzzled her trainer’s chin while also nuzzling Pikachu’s cheek, her paw and tail wrapped around their necks.
Pikachu ended up trapped, from one side feeling the strong affection of the enthusiastic Raichu as she nuzzled him without a care in the world, on another side he was pressed into Ash’s chest.
Ash felt Pikachu’s side and Nica’s back press against his chest as his hands ended up wrapped around both pokemon and the female trainer.
Astra’s face became red as she ended up hugging two pokemon and her hero, struggling not to faint while finding her predicament both pleasant and uncomfortable at the same time.
Nica kept everyone close with the help of her tail, which was now wrapped around everybody, not allowing anyone to leave. “Astra, I did it, I completed my mission and saved Equestria! I finally got the chance to use my skills and power and I kept those ponies safe and made many great friends! I was helpful! I did good, I did great. You’re proud of me, right, right? Please tell me you’re proud.”
Astra felt tears slide down her cheeks. She had faith that her partner would overcome the danger, but seeing her in one piece and admit her great success, it filled her heart with pride. “I’m proud Nica, I really am. To think you could achieve it on your own.”
She closed her eyes and pressed her face against Nica’s cheek, tightening the embrace. All those years filled with hardship and challenges, all the years where her partner endured one struggle after another, all the painful training she had condemned herself to. All that power and skill finally put to great use, saving countless lives while keeping a nation free from slavery. Moments like this were what gave her life meaning. “And the moment you returned, you risked your life to free us from the gigantic beast, giving us hope of saving Alola and pushing back Team Rocket. I am beyond proud. I’m the most proud trainer in existence.”
“R-really!” Nica asked with a squeaky voice before bursting into a cry of joy, feeling as if her heart was about to explode.
Not wanting to interrupt the reunion, Pikachu started nuzzling his trainer’s chest. “Ash, I’m so happy we’re finally together. I’m really sorry I left you on your own, especially now when you needed me more than ever.”
“It wasn’t your fault. There was nothing you could do, so don’t feel bad about it,” Ash said as he rubbed the back of Pikachu’s head and then in between his ears. They looked at each other with teary eyes before hugging each other again. “What’s important is that we’re together again. What’s more, not only did you help save Alola from that large monster, you made great friends. I am just happy everything is finally going right.”
“You don’t have to say that again. It’s actually nice to be able to talk with you, I can finally tell you how much I appreciate you as a trainer, your good heart, and your dedication to help others improve.” Pikachu grinned, adding in more relaxed tone, "It certainly outweighs the times when you get clumsy or make some dumb decisions."
“Gee… thanks,” Ash responded.
Pikachu smiled sheepishly as he pushed himself away from his trainer’s hug. “Please, don’t be angry, but… truth be told… I didn’t miss you as much as I thought I would.”
“Huh?”
Pikachu sighed. “Let’s just say that Nica did her best to make my stay in Equestria as pleasant as possible.” He blushed and tapped his paws together. “She… she made me feel similar… to how I felt when I was around you. I’m sorry.”
Ace’s ears perked up as he smiled from his spot on Starlight’s back.
“Why are you sorry for that?” Ash smiled. “I’m actually glad you two got along so much that your stay was pleasant. The last thing I wanted was for you to go crazy with worries like I did.” He looked at the Raichu as her head was still very close to his face. “Nica, I can’t thank you enough.”
The Raichu looked away from her trainer, her attention now on Pikachu who looked at her at the same time.
With some difficulty in turning while trapped in the large hug, Pikachu raised his forepaw and gently touched Nica’s face, noticing black marks on her eyes. In fact, her whole body looked beaten up as even her ears seemed creased. Her fur and cheek was more red than usual and her right forepaw looked especially nasty. “What… what happened to you?”
“Nothing really. After Ace saved me from drowning, he ended up captured by Team Rocket while throwing me to the Pokemon Center,” Nica started.
“Drowned?” Pikachu asked before glancing at Ace on Starlight’s back, who waved at him as his body looked as if subjected to torture. If he wasn’t trapped in a hug, he would jump at Ace to deliver a hug of gratitude. “Thank you! Thank you for saving Nica!”
<You’re welcome!>
Ash spoke up, “We worked together to rescue Ace, fighting three Ultra Beasts, and I must say, Nica knows the meaning of teamwork.” His pokemon nodded in agreement, so did most of Astra and Emily’s pokemon.
Nica blushed at the praise before continuing, “And here’s the best part. I challenged Mimikyu, who at this point had the power of Totem Pokemon on his side, to a duel. It was a long intense fight, I tell you.”
“Mimikyu? Power of Totem Pokemon? Did he beat you so hard?” Pikachu asked, remembering his encounter with the little powerhouse. To this very day he had still failed to defeat him in a straight fight. “And you managed to defeat him?”
“Of course I did, who do you think I am?” Nica asked, taking some of Pikachu’s lessons as she decided to allow herself to display at least a tiny bit of pride. “I actually managed to outplay him thanks to my trusty tail and use his rage to my advantage. I tried to talk some sense into him, but he just threatened that if I evaded his Z-move, he’d use it against Ace instead. I was forced to let him hit me with ‘Never-Ending Snuggle.’ It… kinda hurt, like… a lot.”
Pikachu gasped, staring in disbelief. More than once he had witnessed her durability, yet she still managed to surpass his expectations. Nica was like a combination of a selfless heroine and a walking shield.
“I bested that meanie and got that team that has been harassing you for years into prison. You’re finally free! I am so happy for you,” Nica said with an enthusiastic smile on her face.
Pikachu opened his mouth, but closed it immediately after. He didn’t deserve to meet this Raichu, nor to be in her presence. She called him a hero, yet in reality he was out of her league.
NIca withdrew her tail, freeing everyone from the forced hug.
Pikachu jumped onto Ash’s shoulder, nuzzling the side of his cheek while looking at Nica in admiration.
“What about you? You seem beaten up as well?” Nica glanced at Rainbow Dash, who looked even worse.
Dash stood on her rear hooves and started punching the air. “A lot of fighting against pokemon with exploding heads, pokemon that looked like walking buildings.” She spin kicked. “We ended up chased by the enemy boss and his lackeys while using nearby water to our advantage.” She wiped sweat from her forehead. “I feel as if I have had a week-long dose of adventure. Pity my wing got broken in the middle of it. It kind of stinks.”
Astra added as she looked at Ash, “I got to cooperate with your Pikachu, and I must say, he’s well trained and incredibly talented. Very durable considering his fragile body.”
Ash was about to respond, but Pikachu beat him to it.
“Hey, I wanted to evolve! You’re the one who didn’t let me,” Pikachu complained.
“Wait, what!?” Ash flinched. He grabbed Pikachu with his hands, staring at him in disbelief. “You wanted to evolve?”
“Really?” Nica asked.
“I did. We were outmatched and I wanted to find you. Astra suggested the use of a ‘Thunderstone’ to increase our chances.” He frowned and crossed his forepaws. “But she took it away before I could use it.”
“Because I didn’t want to evolve you against your will,” Astra pointed out.
Pikachu pressed his little paws against Ash’s hands, pushing himself free as he spun in mid-air and gave the female trainer an angered glare. “It wasn't against my will!”
“Really?” Astra asked before reaching for small pouch inside her backpack. She took out the ‘Thunderstone’ before presenting it. “Go ahead, use it, be my guest.”
“Well…” Pikachu looked at the green stone with a lightning bolt as he started rubbing his arm nervously. “Maybe another time.”
Astra raised her head arrogantly. “See. Now when the crisis is over and Nica is with us, you want to stay as a Pikachu. I rest my case.”
Nica dropped her paws and head, whimpering sadly. “Awww… so no long-tail-fencing sessions. Don’t raise my hopes up only to dash them. That’s… a bit mean.”
“What… I didn’t mean,” Pikachu said in panic before shooting Astra a raspberry. Not that he didn’t like her as he actually felt strong respect and trust towards her, but she was just too careful, not reckless enough for his liking. Actually… maybe that wasn't the case. “Astra.”
“Yes?”
“Thank you,” Pikachu said with a warm smile. “When you took two powerful blows for me and Dash, it was very brave of you. I don’t know what would have happened if you didn’t.”
“I just… did what was important. I had armor and shield, using it to keep you both safe was the right thing to do,” Astra said as she massaged her arm nervously.
“Well, if you ever decide to evolve, just tell me. It’s your call,” Ash encouraged as he lowered himself to pat Pikachu’s head. He looked between Nica and Astra before adding, “Astra. Thank you for keeping my Pikachu safe. I appreciate it more than you think.”
The female trainer blushed, hiding it desperately be looking to the side and at the sky.
Ash stood up as competitive flame was lit in his eyes. “By the way, after seeing what your Raichu is capable off, I can tell that you’re a really great trainer. You really have to tell me all about your adventures and your goals. Maybe we can help each other achieve them.” He gestured at surrounding pokemon. “Once this crisis is over, I want to have a battle with you.” He looked between his Pikachu and Nica, who now stared back in panic. “I bet my Pikachu would love to have a one-on-one fight against your Raichu. It would be sooo epic. Right Pikachu?”
“I pass,” Pikachu said as he crossed his hands and looked to the side.
Nica sighed in relief before giving the smaller pokemon a grateful smile.
“See, he would love… wait… Pikachu, I think I heard you wrong,” Ash said as he ducked and exposed his ear.
“I said I’m not interested. I would love to train with Nica if she’s fine with it, but I don’t want to fight her,” Pikachu said with a firm nod, only to yelp in surprise when Ash brought him up to his face.
“Are you really my Pikachu?”
“What? Of course I am.” He started shaking his little paws in aggravation. “Why would you think that?!”
Nica chuckled at the scene before her, only to feel the hand of her trainer on her shoulder. Her senses quickly picked up an aura of growing regret. She turned around, now seeing guilt on her trainer’s face.
“Nica, I want… I want to apologize,” Astra said as her partner tilted her head to the side in confusion. “When I shared my ideology with you, I also tried to teach you how to be humble. I didn’t want pride or arrogance blind you, so I tried to teach you humility. I wanted for you to strive to be better by knowing that there’s always someone better, someone to take example from.” She looked to the side. “I had no idea that my action caused you to suffer from an inferiority complex, to feel a lack of accomplishment and sadness for years.”
Nica blinked before looking at her smaller friend. “Did Pikachu… mention it to you?”
Astra nodded. “He told me how bad it got. If I knew it got that bad, if you even mentioned it… Nica, I am so sorry… I know it is too late to fix my mistakes, but if I can do something to repay you, just tell me, and know that I truly regret what I did.”
Nica stood on the tip of a single paw, stretching herself in order to pat her trainer on the shoulder. “To be honest, it was my fault. You had the right idea, it was I who took your teachings out of proportion. I had no idea it was even an issue in the first place, and I already got better thanks to Pikachu and my pony friends. Besides,” Nica booped her trainer’s nose, “I love everything you taught me no matter the hardship it caused. I love who you helped me to become, and most importantly, I love you as my trainer and partner.” She embraced her trainer’s neck, feeling her hands warp around her back. “Why wouldn’t I forgive you a tiny mistake when I am grateful and happy for everything else?”
“Nica…” Astra said before closing her eyes, allowing herself to be lost in the affectionate hug.
What was once a room reserved for Twilight and her experiment had now become a chamber containing a portal to another world.
Ash stared at the portal with growing interest and with Pikachu perched on his shoulder. “So what you’re saying is: I can use this portal to visit your home and come back whenever I wish?” he asked as the alicorn pony and Torracat stood by his side.
Nica, Ace and Ninetales stood further back as bruises and cuts were no longer present on their bodies, all pokemon healed after a solid rest in the Pokemon Center.
“Of course, though I’ll need to recharge it from time to time with my magic. Since there’s no magic in Alola, my reserves don’t recover, so I’ll need to do it from the other side,” Twilight explained as she patted the trainer with her wing, pushing him forward encouragingly. “Go on, test it out.”
“Sure, sure, but I need to ask you about something,” Ash said.
“Yes?”
“First, can I keep one of those translating collars for my Pikachu and Torracat?”
“Sure,” Twilight said with a warm smile before standing on her rear hooves while taking a closer look. “Still, this one seem somewhat damaged, a side effect of wearing it during battle. We’ll need to replace those cracked gems with new ones.”
“Sounds good to me,” Pikachu said in approval. “I’ll be sure to take it off before any battle.”
“What’s your other question?” Twilight asked.
“Well…” Ash tapped his fingers together. “You said that you couldn’t find Rowlet and Lycanroc when you tried to get all the pokemon back to Alola. Why is that?”
“Simple. Maud Pie must’ve taken him on some exploration and they lost track of time while I lacked time to look for them. As for Rowlet,” she shrugged, “I have no idea where he has gone. Derpy said he was no longer with her when she woke up.”
“Then we’ll just have to find them,” Ash said with an enthusiastic shake of his hand.
“We can ask my friends to help us out, I’m sure you’ll like them. Pity that Astra is too busy preparing an attack plan to join us,” Twilight pointed out as her ears drooped.
“No kidding. To make it worse, I can’t even help her because of the hostages, and it may be just me, but I get the impression that Astra has been avoiding me.”
“She must be stressed about responsibility as fate of Alola now rest on her shoulders,” Twilight said.
Nica raised her eyebrows. “S-sure… let’s leave it at that.”
“Hey, Pikachu. While we’re in Equestria, I’ll be counting on you and Twilight to show me around. Also, if you learned anything from Nica about Astra and her adventures, tell me about it. I really want to get to know her better.”
Nica ran over and gestured at Pikachu with her paws while shaking her head.
“Sure.”
Nica’s ears drooped, so did her paws. She could only imagine Astra’s panicked reactions and Ash’s fanboying rush.
Torracat took a few steps forward before turning around, now looking up at Ninetales. “I… I wish you the best of luck. I know that you’re skilled and strong, but I can also tell that you’ll face extreme danger.” He lowered his head. “I wish I could come with you.”
<Heh, like I need a rookie like you to get in my way,> Ninetales said before correcting himself. <Well… maybe calling you rookie is a bit too harsh. You’ve certainly upgraded to experienced combatant under my guide, but you still have a long way to go.>
“Don’t die, please,” Torracat said with a pleading voice, his eyes displaying nothing but worry.
Ninetales rubbed the top of smaller’s pokemon head with his long thin paw. <Me, die? Who do you think I am? Furthermore, I don’t plan on dying until I talk with Arcanine about your training sessions and until we teach you how to use ‘Flare Blitz.’ Better enjoy your vacation in Equestria, kiddo, because you’ll get no breather from us.>
“That’s reassuring,” Torracat said as he rubbed his taller friend’s paw.
<What about me,> Ace asked as he spread his forepaws in invitation. <I’ll risk my tail and neck too. Can you give me some good wishes, pretty please.>
Nica glanced at the fire cat pleadingly, unnoticed by her brother.
Torracat frowned in annoyance. “F-fine… but only because you did a fine job beating that giant and saving Nica. Just don’t get used to it.” He approached and stood on his rear paws, hugging the self-levitating Raichu who immediately trapped him between his paws. “I… I wish you great victories and a safe return. Let the water you like so much aid you in sweeping those Rocket members and beasts away. Hit them with the power of a storm and a tsunami.”
<Thank you! Now that’s what I call an inspirational goodbye!>
Ash observed the friendly exchange with a warm smile, though understanding only his pokemon. “Good luck, I know you’ll succeed.” He walked towards the portal.
“Pikachu!”
“Huh?” Pikachu asked, his attention now on Nica. He jumped onto the floor. “You already said your goodbye, but I don’t mind doing it again.”
Ash turned around, observing the exchange while standing close to the portal with Twilight by his side.
Nica took off her translating collar, and she did so with Pikachu’s one. Now sure that their talk wouldn’t be understood by Ash, she spoke. <Pikachu, it is not really another goodbye. I just… I just wanted to do and tell you something very important, something I wanted to do but lacked courage until now.> She rubbed her forepaw nervously. <I felt that I wasn’t good enough to even tell this to someone as amazing as you, but I changed my mind.>
Pikachu blinked before nodding. She seems to be making progress, but she still has a long way to overcome her overwhelming humility. He stood on the tips of his tiny feet, stretched up to place his forepaw on her shoulder and gave her an encouraging smile. <Go on, you have my full attention.>
Much to his surprise, he felt Nica’s tail wrap around his belly before raising him very close to her head. What followed was not anything he expected. He felt Nica’s lips press against his, delivering him a firm, direct, and very strong kiss. It wasn’t an attack move, but a real affectionate approach.
His cheeks became red and his eyes wide as he could only stare ahead, his heartbeat increased in speed. A few seconds later, he was released from the kiss, now staring at Nica’s blushing but proud face.
“She… kissed you!?” Ash asked as he stared in shock.
“Oh, how lovely,” Twilight commented. “I must say, they look adorable together.”
Ace stood on the tips of the white patches on his rear paws and started a cheerful dance atop his levitating tail. Torracat hesitated at first, but a moment later followed his example.
<Ever since my trainer told me about you and your achievements, I have been admiring you, and after I met you and got to know you better, my admiration only strengthened. In fact, this kiss is what I have felt towards you for a while.>
Pikachu felt his feet touch the ground and tail release his belly. He looked up, his mouth agape as he was lost for words.
<However, while I could sense your respect and admiration in turn, I didn’t sense your affection or anything that would tell me that you felt the same way as I did. What’s more, I didn’t feel good enough for a hero like you, so I stayed silent, but no more.>
<You… you love me?> Pikachu asked, not realizing that their experiences lead to such affection. Now that he thought about it, he did feel great as long as he was in Nica’s presence. As long as she was around, he didn’t miss his trainer all that much, and when her life was in danger, he felt as if his heart was about to break. Is he feeling the same?
<I do.> Nica nodded, only for her ears to droop as she continued in a somber tone, <However, while I sensed your admiration and respect, I could tell that you didn’t love me, nor were you interested in starting any deeper relationship. I mean… I was giving you subtle signals, but I understand; you desire thrills, challenges and adventures, and you don’t feel ready to go through this path yet.>
Pikachu took a step back. How was he supposed to answer a statement like that? A moment later he noticed Nica’s paw land on his shoulder as she gave him a cheerful… yet forced smile.
<While I love you, I understand you don’t feel the same, and I am okay with that. Furthermore, with your bad experiences with Raichu, I bet you would prefer a female Pikachu anyway.>
Both Ace and Torracat stopped dancing, now shaking their heads at Nica while Ninetales slammed his forepaw against his own face.
<Once you feel accomplished after facing countless adventures and challenges, when you’re finally feel ready to find true love, I am sure you’ll find a Pikachu worthy of a hero like you. I could even give you some tips.> Nica grabbed Pikachu by his side while gesturing over the room. <There’s a place called ‘Pikachu Valley’ in Alola that’s filled with more than a hundred Pikachu, so many wonderful females to choose from.>
<Pikachu Valley?> Pikachu asked as his confused brain still tried to comprehend what the superior Raichu was telling him.
<It is a paradise for Pikachu. I visited it once, but every Pikachu was giving me the cold shoulder, making me feel like I don’t belong there, but I know that they’ll welcome a hero like you with open arms. You’ll find a worthy Pikachu for sure.>
Ash and Twilight looked at each other, wondering what the duo had been talking about while Ace and Torracat held each other, ready to burst into tears.
<Now go and enjoy yourself with your trainer. I am sure you both have a lot of catching up to do, and I swear, by the time you come back, Alola will be free from Team Rocket’s influence. Have fun!>
Pikachu’s eyes became wide as he finally understood what Nica had tried to tell him, but before he could even come up with an answer, he ended up pushed into the portal. The moment his little feet made contact with Equestria's soil, he shook his head and ran back in, but Nica was nowhere to be found.
Ace looked at him with pure disappointment and tears in his eyes. <I… I… I feel as if a glorious and luxurious ship just sank before even getting the chance to sail on the endless sea called ‘romance’. This is a horrible feeling. Pikachu, why didn’t you say a word?>
Pikachu took a step back as Torracat approached him and hissed in his face. <Once you decide to search for a female Pikachu to have an egg with, you better make sure it is a damn good Pikachu. Anything less would be insulting to the Raichu you just turned down.>
<B-but… I…> Pikachu’s ears, head and paws drooped as his body suddenly felt a lot heavier. All this time he never for a moment considered the idea of having a relationship with the amazing Raichu other than friendship. Now that I think about it, I tend to ignore this kind of stuff a lot, he thought, remembering other pokemon which made advances towards him, specifically one particular Buneary. He whimpered sadly, feeling as if he had missed out on the opportunity of a lifetime. If there was a counting device that would go up by one each time he screwed up, it would no doubt jump up by a hundred.
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So we have another thing Ash and Pikachu share in common, the are blind to when someone likes them.
All Nica needs to do now is shoot him in the knees 120km away *finishes chapter* or not.
I didnt think Pikachu could get the Ability, Oblivious?
9921356
If so, then Ash has it too
9921232
Eeyup.
And it's quite unfortunate. Unlike other pokemon who showed affection towards Pikachu (love of first sight, being up to his face and somewhat onboxious), Nica take it way more seriously and Pikachu was really happy when he was around her (if not for her, he would miss Ash a lot more). Nica not only showed him respect and made him happy, but also proved to be a great training and fighting partner, pity he didn't consider taking it as more than just friendship.
9921356
Hahaha, so true. Do you think Pikachu will start taking this kind of stuff way more seriously after what he just experienced?
9921405
Self-sacrificing? You mean her admiting her love, yet allowing Pikachu to find a female Pikachu to be with once he'll feel ready for deeper relationship?
9921480
Lol.
9921606
Well considering how close those two are I am not surprised that it would happen.
i get the odd feeling that this story isn't going to be the last one in the line
Welp, nothing happened this chapter!
Just kidding, this chapter was great. Glad to see they're finally getting closer than just two awkward electric rats.
9921669
Well, you're both right and wrong at the same time.
There will be a one-shot story called "Chu and the Storm" that will take place during King Storm invasion (basically a big time skip after events of this story), but this one-shot will be a close-up to the Nica series.
As for "A Little Adventure in Alola", this story have only bonus chapter and epilogue left (bonus chapter will be the confrontation between Astra and Giovanny that so many wanted to read).
9921775
Awkward, why do you call them that? They are over the "awkward" phase since the last story. In fact, now when Nica admited her love and also said that she understand that he doesn't love her and gave her blessing to find a female Pikachu in the future, their future discussions would get awkward pretty fast.
9922308
well what's with the sequel hook of Ash and gang going to Equestria?
you just gonna leave that plotline open?
9922308
I've still seen it as an awkward phase, as...well, Nica has serious problems in terms of moving on with things.
9922342
I'm sure there are other stories where Ash goes to Equestria. Besides, aside "Little Lost Raichu," the sequels were receiving little attention and rather poor upvote/downvote ratio. There's no reason to drag it longer. I already introduced almost all elements I wanted, so Ash looking for Rowlet and Lycanrock will happen off-screen.
9922371
What do you mean? Please elaborate.
9922385
I mean Nica likes to take the hard way in moving on with anything.
I said it before and I say it again: you good sir is at your best when your write slice of life.
Though to be fair the battle between Nica and mimikyu was the best of yours, and one of the best I read on fimfinction. Sadly I can't put my finger on what made better than the rest. But I hope final battles between Guardians and Team Rocket will be on the level.
ok so...great chapter, i would say something else but my words fail me at the moment
9923993
Listen, stuff that are said in anime or in Pokedex I take with a grain of salt, and more often than not they apply to specific examples rather than being an overal rule.
For example, you say that Raichu is more agreesive than Pikachu due to having more electricity stored in its body, but at the same time Raichu is much bigger than Pikachu, so wouldn't it mean that more electricity is spread more evenly?
Another thing is that, isn't ammount of electricity pokemon have be affected by its training? Ash's Pikachu for example, he have enough raw power to rival or even overpower fully evolved pokemon, so if Ash's Pikachu is stronger than lots of Raichu, wouldn't it make him super agreesive? Certainly doesn't seem it to be the case. What I try to say is that the more electric pokemon train, the stronger their electricity, but this also mean that electric pokemon can adapt to having stronger electricity, preventing them form being agreesive.
Third, if I remember correctly, Pikachu was overcharged in many scenarios, like in preparation to fight with Onix, or by random lightning (sometime the creators of the show forget that Ash Pikachu's ability is static, not volt absorb or lighting rod. But wouldn't being overcharged make him far more agreesive?
Next, if having so much electricity leads to increased agreesion, Raichu can just often discharge it in order to calm down, and by this example, it means that Pikachu also needs to discharge often to keep his agreesion low, which we don't see happen often in the show. In fact, Ash's Pikachu doesn't seem to have issue with having a few episodes in a row where he barely uses any electricity, and he's his usual sweetheart regardless.
Nica's personality is affected by her personal believes and experiences. She started as a adventure seeking prankster but developed into something else. Even if strong electricity would increase her agreesion, she have an extreme ammount of self control and can remain calm when provoced. As for her training, it greatly improved her durability and stamina, and while she have large reserves of electricity that allow her to fight for a very long time, she adapted to it.
First, I believe that it is envoroment that decide which Raichu he would become, not location. For example, becoming Alolan Raichu help them get from one island to another by surfing on or above water. Ash's Pikachu didn't interact with water all that much and he wasn't in Alola all that long. If he evolved, he would evolve into regular Raichu because this is something he got used too the most. Long story short, since he spend years in other continent and only a few months in Alola, he wouldn't become Alolan Raichu.
Second, why would it leave him at disadvantage? Gaining 'Psychic' power would give him strong toll to attack ground type pokemon at a distance, who have weak special defense but strong defense and are immune to electricity. Futhermore, levitating above ground can be helpful in evading ground-type attacks (the fact that Alolan Raichu can't get ability levitate is a massive oversight). And yeah, sure, he would have difficutly to adapt to self-levitating and using Psychic attacks, but considering how quickly he learn stuff in the anime, it wouldn't be an issue for long.
To be fair, Pikachu is pokemon's mascoth, so it gets a lot of perks and tolls and celebrity threatement, so in a sense, both anime and games are biased in favor of Pikachu and against Raichu, so I see nothing wrong in being in favor of Raichu, it balances things nicely.
Ignoring the obviously biased item that double Pikachu's attack and special attack and doesn't work for Pichu or Raichu, in the game, Raichu's stats are far better in all areas, even speed. In the anime we have Pikachu who have plot armor and is not only agile and powerful, but also as durable as Snorlax, so it is obvious that all Raichu he face would be less agile and less skilled than him. I blame it on Ash's Pikachu being more talented and better trained, not on his evolution having less speed and agility. The only thing that would work in Pikachu's favor is his smaller size, but lets be honest, in Pokemon size doesn't matter. Giant pokemon like Onix can evade attacks just fine, and even Snorlax was given a lot of agility for absolutly no reason, so yeah, I don't take pokemon's size to be that big of a factor. In fact, Raichu as final evolution is considerably small when compared to large pokemon like Charizard, and Charizard can evade blows just fine.
Only because in the game they wanted to balance stone-evolutions (you evolve pokemon super early, you are stuck with terrible moves), but lets be honest, pokemon went far ever since, and there is no longer a reason to give such restriction. Also, in the anime there are no TM's and stone-evolved pokemon can learn moves just fine. I think a better balance is just make stone-evolved pokemon learn strong moves really late, so it would encourage players to evolve them later, not remove them complitly. This feature makes stone-evolved pokemon far inferior to pokemon that evolve naturally.
Nope. They introduced levels early on in the anime since the show was just starting, but they abondoned this concept in future seasons. There is no such thing like levels in the anime and pokemon can be as strong and skilled as they need to be for the sake of the plot. If you tried to apply level-up system to pokemon episodes, everything would make far less sense that it already does.
Also, if I remember correctly, moves like Hyper Beam, Focus Blast and a few others can't be learned by Pikachu, but they can be learned by Raichu, so yeah...
I don't know why you decide to go so heavily with arguments against Nica and my take on Raichu in general, but your arguments doesn't hold much water in my personal opinion. Also, I take liberty of adapting rules both from game and the anime based on which fits better into the story and makes more sense (I take most rules from the anime though since game gives way too many limitations).
Another thing is that Pikachu has been getting celebrity threatement way too much as it is, which is why I wanted to show that Raichu isn't inferior or more agreesive like the anime is trying to show (Pikachu vs Raichu episodes were made to give Pikachu a reason not to evolve, so obviously they would paint Raichu in bad light).
Finally, the only reason why Nica is as strong, fast and skilled as she is now is because of Ash's Pikachu. If I wrote this story many years ago, Nica's feats and powers wouldn't be anywhere as great as they are now. However, ever since Pikachu defeated Regice in 1 vs 1 fight, draw with latias (or was it Latios), a dragon/psychic type legendary, defeated Serperior in clash of raw power despite being crushed in wrap for a few minutes, ever since he defeated Tyranitar, Metagross and had a lot of strength left to hurt Charizard in a row, and recently how he defeated Tapu Coco, even overpowering it in clash of Z-moves, I had to power-up Nica accordingly. Legendary pokemon are no longer as special as they used to be, and if Ash and his Pikachu are outclassed by Elite Four members (something show again and again in every season), there wouldn't be much sense if partner of Pokemon Master, strongest trainer in the world, would not be miles away from unevolved Pikachu.
Please take some time to reconsider my answers to your arguments before replying, Thanks in advance.
Another great chapter.
However, you stated Litten and Torracat when i believe you meant Ace and Torracat and you spelt Buneary wrong. You got the n and e mixed up.
9926814
Fixed, thanks.
This feels like the worst kind of goodbye ever since she didn't even let him speak for himself 😩
I would have enjoyed it more if she had not said anything and he stayed clueless.
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This isn't a full goodbye yet, but rather "farewell" or "see you later" since Nica is going to face most important battle in her life and is sure to see Pikachu again once it is over.
To be fair, Pikachu will have one more opportunity to talk with Nica after the battle with Team Rocket, one more meeting before their trainers will go seperate ways, so Pikachu have some time to prepear a proper response. In other words, it will be up to Pikachu not to screw this up.
9921606
I not surprised that the Pokémon that under a trainer who doesn't get the concept of love would be totally clueless about it. Trainers influence their Pokémon a lot more than they realize.