"Good morning people! This is Sinnoh! The Radio of Today. Here's your lovely host Marie Woodland!" I chuckled at the upbeat reporter. It's her energy, it's just contagious. "Today we have a very special guest: Ace Ranger Ash Ketchum!" Pre-recorded cheers and applause were heard in the background. "Thank you very much for accepting our invitation."
"Hi, thank you for having me." Came the polite response.
He was clearly nervous... or at least, nervous for me. Comparing his usual upbeat behavior with this calm response, it's easy to tell.
"So, Mr. Ketchum..." started Marie but Ash cut her off gently.
"Please, call me Ash. Mr. Ketchum is... my father."
"Ok, then! Ash, first I would like to thank you for capturing Hunter J. I think I speak for everyone when I say, we will be sleeping much easier now that she isn't out there poaching our pokemon." Marie thanked him.
I shared a proud smile with Delia, as Ash's pokemon cheered excitedly.
"I was just doing my job, as were many other Rangers. It was only because we all worked together that we were able to complete the mission successfully." Ash answered.
It was a polite response, something that many people of high positions would say. I know that he means it, but others that don't know a thing about Ash might think he's lying. But the thing with Ash is that he says it with so much conviction and honesty that one can't do anything but be charmed and believe it.
"I know that you can't tell us much about the mission, as it is confidential. But can you tell us more about what it means to be a Ranger for you? Something tells me that your answer will be different than anyone else's before you." Marie asked him, excitedly.
"Well... I am a very weird Ranger." He answered, chuckling, making us all laugh. "I'm honestly a living trouble magnet! Since my first year traveling, I've stumbled upon every possible disaster known to both humans and pokemon alike. I'm not joking! It's the Arceus damn truth!" He protested as Marie laughed at his response, but I could hear the amusement in his voice. "It was only when I saved a Larvitar egg, around my second year, that I became an honorary member of the Rangers' force. Since then, I've been doing the same thing as before, help if I find trouble... which happens more times than I am willing to admit." More laughing, I could see many of Ash's pokemon sweatdrop at that. Surely recalling a certain memory. "Helping Rangers I meet with a mission and work alongside the police force when needed. I believe my situation is kind of different, as I work directly under the Ranger Commission. I travel to wherever I want, and they call me for any missions that need help, whenever I am close to them."
"So, does that mean that you didn't come to Sinnoh to apprehend Hunter J?" Marie asked surprised.
"No... don't get me wrong. I am all for aiding in the capture of any poacher. But I wasn't asked to come and help in Sinnoh. I simply chose to come to this region to travel and catch new pokemon. The Ranger Commission gave me the mission after finding out where I decided to travel next." He answered.
"Wow, that is a surprise." She said honestly. "Can you tell us why you do it?"
"I don't understand, why I do what?" Ash inquired confused.
"Why you help strangers? Before becoming an official Ranger, it was not your duty, yet you still risked your safety and sometimes life helping strangers and wild pokemon." Marie explained.
"Well, I would like to think that anyone would do it. Give a helping hand to someone in need." His true to Arceus response silenced us all. The fun atmosphere turned into a serious one. "I can't really give you an answer. I act before I think most of the time. Whenever I see or hear anyone in trouble, I am running before I know it. Though you could say it is in my blood."
"Your blood?" Marie inquired.
"Yeah... my dad... he used to be an Ace Ranger too. He was about to become a Head Ranger before he passed away on his last mission. I didn't get to see him much, he was always traveling around saving pokemon all around the world."
"He sounds like you," Marie told him kindly, her voice much gentler now.
"Yeah, mom tells me that all the time. I've never felt closer to him, then since becoming an Ace Ranger." I moved around the table to hug a crying Delia; Ash's words brought back too many emotions.
"But you are not only an Ace Ranger, but you are also a Pokemon Master." Marie continued, after a polite pause. "From interviews to many of your rivals and people you met through the regions, they've mentioned various times that your aim has always been to become a Pokemon Master. Is that right?"
"Yeah, it has been my dream since I was five. Being a Ranger, even though I love it, kind of fell on my lap." Ash replied.
"Then, what are you aiming for next?" Marie asked, quite excited to get an exclusive about The Saint's future plans.
"Isn't that the one million question?" Ash sighed, chuckling dryly. "My answer will be something many of my age say, but it's the truth. There are so many options that I don't truly know. At least, long-time plans. Short time, I am aiming to become a Generalist Master and win the Lily of the Valley Conference. After that... I don't know. I've decided to take one day at a time. Not to mention I still have my duties as an Ace Ranger."
"That's quite admirable." Marie praised him. "Now for the routine questions. Do you have a favorite pokemon type?"
"Not really, they are all special in their own right. But I do tend to collect various flying types. The journey wouldn't be complete if I don't catch at least one flying pokemon from the region I am traveling." Ash chuckled.
"Who is your favorite pokemon?" We all chuckled at that question, the answer is quite simple.
"I don't have one," we were all stunned by his answer. Even Ash's pokemon were looking at the radio shocked. "I know many believe it's Pikachu because he is always with me. But I honestly love them all equally, even those that had to leave for a reason." I could see a couple of Ash's pokemon getting emotional and crying a little bit. "I will not say I don't have a special bond with Pikachu, he is my starter and has always been my partner. Then again, who doesn't have a special bond with their starter?"
"You're right. My Lopunny and I have always had a special bond, but that doesn't mean I love my other pokemon any less." Marie admitted. "And for our last question: Can you give us some advice on training pokemon?"
"Well, first find out as much as you can about your pokemon. I don't just mean their type and species, but how your pokemon specifically fights and acts. My Feraligatr has been a dancer since he's been a Totodile, if I had trained him like one usually trains a Totodile he would have been miserable. And we wouldn't have come up with so many interesting techniques." Ash explained. "What I am trying to say is, learn about your pokemon, adapt yourself for them. The duty of a trainer is to be flexible where you can and firm where you need."
I blinked surprised at Ash's words. For a second, I thought that it was the maturity he had gained during these last months that were speaking. But then I saw all his pokemon nodding their heads and I realized that Ash has always taken his duties of trainer seriously. For all the fun and games, he played, he had trained his pokemon quite well. Otherwise, how would they have finished in eighth place at the conferences? Or win the Battle Frontier?
"It seems that we didn't give him enough credit," Delia spoke my thoughts out loud, looking slightly ashamed.
"It seems like we didn't," I replied.
As Marie thanked Ash for the interview and they both were saying their goodbyes, my grandson's voice broke our silence.
"No one ever did. Well, only me." I looked towards the Lab's backdoor, to see him leaning against the door. Blackie was by his feet, receiving heated glares from Ash's team. It seems she has yet to be forgiven. "Why else do you think I used to be so antagonistic against him? It has always been easy for him to befriend even the meanest pokemon, had an uncanny ability to battle, and learned so fast that one could only get mad at him. In return I had to read tons of books and spend a lot of time trying to at least form a bond with my pokemon, not even mentioning how hard it was for me to get used to battling."
"Jealousy is a very ugly feeling," I commented. "At least, now you can see it and make amends."
"I always saw it... but decided to protect my ego. I had to be the best in Pallet Town grandpa, for I am your grandson. But losing to him was quite liberating." How it pained me to hear those words, but I also felt relief that he no longer felt that way. "By the way, did something happen?"
"What do you mean?" Delia asked confused.
"I mean, Ash never talks about his dad. Especially to people, he doesn't know. Only us and his travel companions know about him. He also has been acting quite strange since he came back from the Rota kingdom. I don't buy the crap about being a bad trainer because he lost." Gary scoffed. "Whenever he loses, he mopes for a little while, but then gets up and tries again. That optimism of his is quite annoying."
For all of his insults, I could hear worry and care hidden in his voice.
"We can help you with that," Slowking's telepathic voice told us.
He then proceeded to explain to us, what they had learned from Pidgeot and the rest that came back from the magazine photoshoot.
"Oh, Ashy," Delia sobbed, this time being Mimey the one that comforted her.
"So, that's why he has been so focused on getting stronger and needing proof of it," I commented. "Maybe I should have told him that I used to be the Indigo Champion then."
"How would have that made any difference?" Gary asked me.
"Well, Arcanine, Tauros, and Alakazam might be getting old. But Charizard, Dragonite, and Gyarados are still as good as new, and he still was able to defeat me in a six vs six pokemon battle." I answered. Both Delia and Gary looked at me shocked, the surprise even had Delia stop crying. "No, we were not holding back," I said when I saw them opening their mouths to speak.
That had all of Ash's pokemon snap out of their stunned state and start shouting. Surely, shocked that the spar Ash and I held before he left for Sinnoh was Champion level. Well, nowadays my level will be of the lower tier of the Elite Four. But it still was a great achievement on Ash's part.
"It might help Ash," Gary said when everyone had finally calmed down. "But it still won't fix him completely. There's more about this than guilt. Aura Guardians are known to be able to use aura, which one could relate to the soul, the force of life itself." We all looked at him shocked. "What? I do talk with Ash if only to keep up with what we are doing. Ash told me that in the Rota kingdom he met with a Lucario and found out about aura, though he did not tell me he could use it himself. But I was curious and researched a bit about it. When one uses aura, they open themselves to the world, in a way it gives you the power and makes you vulnerable. If he used aura and was interrupted by Lucario… he might have stayed open all this time. It's not like he knows how to use it."
"That's… not good," I said, after a daunting pause. "Alakazam, did you feel anything wrong with Ash?" I asked my loyal pokemon.
"I didn't." He answered, appearing on my side. "Then again psychic power affects the mind, while aura effects, as Young Gary said, the soul. I wouldn't know if he had left himself vulnerable or not."
"I can tell you that Ash has always felt more connected to the world than any other human I've met," Honedge answered, being translated to the humans by Slowking. "Then again, it may be because he is an Aura User."
"All of this is just conjectures, hypothesis, not anything we can be sure of," Gary swore under his breath.
"Ashy did say he was meeting a proper Aura Guardian in Eterna City, maybe they can help," Delia spoke up, she looked calmer, yet her voice still stuttered.
"I better call him and beat it in his head that he must talk with them." Gary sighed, entering the Lab while being followed by Ash's small pokemon.
"Professor, will Ashy be all right?" Delia asked me softly, looking at me worriedly.
"He will be. It's Ash we are talking about." I told her. Not sure if I was trying to convince her or myself. "He has to."