Chapter 2-The Professor Calls In A Few Favors

After the disastrous lecture, Oak left to make some phone calls. First he talked to his grandson Gary. He explained about the cancellation of the discussion, which Gary was very disappointed at. Once his grandson had decided to become a researcher, he often worked as the Professor's leg man. While Oak compiled the data, Gary went out to observe and record data on Pokémon. His skills as a trainer kept him safe, and gave the Professor a different perspective on the interactions between people and Pokémon.

When Ash had related the story about the Genesect in New Tork City, it was Gary that went out to observe the new Legendaries in their new home. For the moment, only six people knew where the Genesect had built a nest: Professor Oak, Gary Oak, and the people that had shared Ash's adventures in the large city. Oak had carefully orchestrated the failed lecture as way to introduce the Pokémon to society slowly. Ash had stressed that while the new bug/steel types weren't blasting everything that came upon their paths anymore, they were still very paranoid. Guess being used in evil experiments could do that.

Professor Oak sighed while hanging up the phone. He wanted this whole mess with the Genesect solved already. He was much more interested with the psychic Pokémon who had stood between the rampaging bug/steel types and utter destruction. Ash was positive that the mysterious savior was a new Mewtwo, and a girl at that. She if it was a she also seemed to have a second form like the Genesect. Once he had more data, he fully intended to talk with Professor Sycamore about the newest evidence of Pokémon Mega Evolution. Oak was glad that the first Mewtwo Ash had met couldn't Mega Evolve. That psychic type was powerful enough, if Ash's adventure at Mt. Quena was to be believed. Wiping out a whole squad of Team Rocket's memories reveals a scary amount of power.

This new Mewtwo seemed quite friendly with other Pokémon. What's more she wasn't as hostile to humans like the previous Mewtwo Ash had met. The trainer had been quite proud that by the end of the adventure, the psychic was willing to call him by name. Leave it to Ash to befriend another human hating psychic type. Oak amended that thought. Leave it to Ash to stop and befriend any human hating Pokémon that crossed his path. Sometimes Oak had to wonder if there was some truth to that Shamouti prophecy…

Oak shook his head in disgust. He needed to focus on the here and now, and leave the mythology to Professor Juniper. What should he do about this whole mess? If those media personal where to run ram shod over him, a well-known researcher, then they would tear apart Ash Ketchum. However, if he did nothing then they would find the trainer anyway, but without his protection. So who could he trust with Ash's secret, but also keep the swarming Growlithes at bay? Then the answer hit him like a stampeding Tauros. For the first time since the fiasco, the Professor grinned. A few dial tones later, and one of his oldest friends picked up.

"Hello! McClain speaking." A strong male voice came out over the phone.

"Derek? Derek McClain?" Oak wanted to verify it was his friend, before he made another slip.

"You called me!" Oak had to laugh. Derek fell this gag every time. "Oak you old Arbok in the grass did you want to gab, or should I go ahead and hang up?"

Oak stopped laughing. He could always rib the man later, better not to rile him up before asking a favor. "I have a proposition for you McClain. How would you like an exclusive with person the whole media wants a piece of?"

Now the man just sounded skeptical. "You mean your mysterious source? Why would you give up such a valuable resource to a no-name channel like Pokéworld? The only show that gets any rating is our news program."

"Which is run by your daughter if I remember." Oak could practically see his friend puffing up in pride, even from all the way in Saffron city.

"Of course!" The proud papa claimed. "Go Go Porygon! is a major hit. Roxy works hard to provide interesting news from all over the world. Anytime she interviews adventurers like Kidd Summers for example, our ratings go through the roof."

Oak couldn't resist another jibe. "Which means all five people that watch got their money's worth."

"Hah-hah. You certainly know how to hit below the belt there Oak." The man on the other end grumbled.

Oak scratched the back of his neck in awkwardness. He hadn't meant to hurt the guy's feelings. "Ah, sorry about that, however I might know a way to fix that. How hard would it be to set up a broadcasting set on my property starring the trainer the whole world wants to meet?"

"What's the catch?" McClain grumbled. The deal sounded too good, for there not to be some sort of trap in the fine print.

"You don't invade the kid's privacy. His home life is off limits, unless he invites you in. If there's something he doesn't want to talk about, then don't press it. If other stations want in, they can piggyback off your station. For a fee of course." Oak needed his friend to agree to this. Ash's right to privacy depended on this.

"Of course." Great, his friend seemed amused. "So the trainer who is the 'he' that has spotted more Legendaries than anyone else alive? One of your snot-nosed brats with dreams of being a Pokémon master?"

Ouch. McClain wasn't a former news hound for nothing, and his daughter had blossomed under his tutelage. He should've known that the guy would pounce on any hint he let slip. "Yes. 15 going on 16, and I don't want this ruining his career. He's a very promising Pokémon trainer, and after this whole broadcast is over I want him to be able to continue his journey without an entourage."

McClain on the other end sighed. "I don't know if that's possible Oak. Every reporter in the world wants a piece of the action. I'm not sure there is a normal after this. His every move will be watched, if not by the media, then by the G-men."

"Lance is an honorable man. I trust him to keep his distance." Oak reassured his friend, before moving the conversation back on track. "That's only one of my conditions McClain. Only your crew is allowed to interview my source. If anyone wants to air the broadcast, then they follow these rules: 1) Any requests for interviews come to me first. 2) Outside of interviews they leave my source alone. And 3) If they fail to follow these rules then they lose all possible future interviews. Plus I will persecute to the fullest extent of the law for infringing upon the rights of a minor. When he's older I will sue for slander, stalking, and invasion of privacy."

"Uh-oh. Papa lion is coming out. Down boy, sheathe those claws, and I'll behave I promise." McClain laughed, while Oak blushed. "I get it Oak. You want the kid protected. I'll do my best. Now when can we start? How did you meet? And most important what's his name?"


Ash Ketchum stretched, boy was he glad to be off that cramped plane. Coming home was great, but the traveling could be murder.

"Pika? Pikachu." Ash's yellow friend tilted his head to one side. Ash took that to mean he was worried if his trainer was alright.

"It's fine buddy. Just a little sore. That flight seemed to take forever." Pikachu nodded in agreement, and jumped onto his perch on Ash's shoulder. "We've got some time until our connecting flight. Shall we grab a snack, and check on everybody at home?"

Pikachu nuzzled his trainer in response, and they walked towards the videophones in the airport's main terminal. There was a bit of a line, so the duo decided to grab some grub first. A protein bar for Ash, an apple for Pikachu, and one ketchup packet for a reward for his partner later. While grabbing the food, he noticed a T.V. hanging by the tables for customers. Two reporters were arguing on screen. The arguing looked quite heated. He couldn't hear their voices, but a caption at the bottom of the screen read 'Mysterious Legendary Source: What Oak Doesn't Want The World To Know'.

"What do you think that means Pikachu? Pikachu?" His little buddy wasn't on his shoulder. Where? Oh no. A certain lightning shaped tail was sticking up from a pile of ketchup packets. "Pikachu!" The yellow Pokémon unearthed itself from the pile, a packet in its mouth. "Buddy you know that those are supposed to be a treat, not a whole meal." The trainer could hear a muffled "pikapi" and a few other words he couldn't quite understand. "Forget it, and drop the ketchup now." Pikachu shook his head in denial, and dashed out of the shop. "PIKACHU!"

Ash ran out of the shop, forgetting that he still had unpaid merchandise in his arms. He was so focused on his Pokémon, that he didn't even hear the shop keeper yelling after him. After a high speed chase, Ash was closing in on Pikachu. He dropped the food, and jumped. One flying tackle later, he managed to pry the packet out his partner's teeth. Just in time for security personal to escort them back to the shop.

Once they paid, and then apologized they were free to go. Ash carried a pouting Pikachu back to the phone booths. He called his mother first, and was quite perplexed when she told him to call Professor Oak. Before he could ask why, she had hung up. What was eating at his mother? Was one of his Pokémon sick? Was the Poké Professor sick? Or Gary? Wait was that last one necessarily a bad thing?

Ash shook his head, and dialed the Oak's residence. Two rings and a very snotty voice answered the phone. "Yeah?" The video popped up, and yep the face of Ash's first rival appeared. "Oh, Ashie boy. You ready to start cleaning up the problems you've caused all of us?"

"Me?" Ash said astounded. "What could I have done? I haven't even been on the same continent!"

"Excuses." Gary sneered. "And next time you run into a Legendary, mention if they have any long distance attacks. That red one almost took my head off."

Ash crossed his arms and glared. Pikachu copied him, sparks flying from his cheeks. "What part of hates human, extremely powerful, and paranoid doesn't scream to take precautions?"

"Whatever." Gary shrugged, which infuriated the duo more. "Gramps wanted to talk to you. Think you can handle staying on the line for a minute Ashie boy?" Gary left, calling for his grandpa. Ash and Pikachu finally relaxed. A few moments later the elder of the Oak family got on the line.

"Ash?" The professor looked pretty haggard. Pikachu noticed too, and jumped back onto his perch on Ash's shoulders. This didn't look too good. "Ah good. Listen Ash I need you to come home. There's trouble brewing, and I need you here in person."

Ash tilted his head to one side in confusion. "I was heading home anyway Professor, so that's not a problem, but what's going on?"

The professor pinched his nose. "It was my fault. I let slip some hints that you were the one that has provided a lot of my data on Legendary Pokémon."

"Chu pi pika a Pikachu?" The yellow Pokémon asked the professor.

"Yeah I'm with him. How is that a problem Professor?" Ash had never exactly kept it a secret that he collected data for both of the Oak researchers. All of his friends knew, heck most of his rivals had commented on it once or twice.

Professor Oak sighed. "I'm not sure what the big deal is either. It's not like most of the Legendaries weren't covered in the media, because let's face it that they only show up when the world is about to end." Ash and Pikachu nodded. "However, the media is in a frenzy about this whole hullabaloo. I have a friend that will run damage control, and he wants to send his daughter and a camera crew to meet you. Now no other members of the media know who you are yet, but they will once this broadcast gets out there. I have it on good authority that several media stations will be piggybacking off of it, but the only crew that comes to Pallet Town is from my friend McClain."

Pikachu and Ash looked at each other, having a silent conversation with their eyes. Pikachu gestured for his friend to talk. The professor certainly couldn't understand him like his trainer could. "Okay" Ash started hesitantly. "What do you want us to do about it then?"

"I need to cash in a few favors from you. I want you to show McClain's crew around Pallet Town. Bring them over to the ranch. Introduce them to some of the Pokémon. Answer their questions, but I made it clear that if you don't want to talk about something then they back off. Hopefully this will calm down the media, and then we can all get back to normal around here."

Ash felt his stomach drop, and he could feel the tension in his partner too. He didn't have a good feeling about all of this.


Phew, another chapter done. I really felt the episode about Porygon in season 1 of the anime got the short end of the stick. So I really wanted to find a way to give Porygon some screen time in this fic. I asked a friend for some advice on the name for my reporter, and when I came up with the name Roxy McClain he told me it sounded like an exotic dancer. *Laughs* Some friend huh?