I looked sadly at the crying boy but proudly as well.
Ash had just returned from his last adventure with his Primeape, Squirtle, and Pidgeot. He first went for his Primeape, who had spent the last few years making a name of himself as the Grand Prix Champion of Indigo's Battle Pokemon Tournament. Primeape was happy with his achievement and had finished his training. He also missed his trainer and wanted to spread his knowledge to his other pokemon companions. So, Ash not only got a pokemon back but gained a fighting teacher.
He then went to get his Squirtle, only to find out that the Squirtle Squad is now the Blastoise Squad. His Squirtle has done his job and was eager to get back to his friends. He even paid Sabrina a visit to see his, now Sabrina's, Haunter who ended up having evolved into Gengar. But they both decided that staying with Sabrina was the best choice.
Pidgeot… Well, she was a little bit harder from what Ash had told me. He had to catch the Fearow that has been tormenting the pokemon and trainers in Route 1 and then get him to Viridian City's Pokemon Center for rehabilitation. With that done, the Spearow flock was disbanded. She then accepted to come back with Ash, as a few Pidgey had already evolved into Pidgeot and they could take care of the flock in her stead.
But even if he had three of his lost pokemon back, today he had to say goodbye to 29. This lead him to be cuddled by his pokemon as he cried his heart out. Not that anyone could blame him. He has always been attached to his pokemon and he had done his very best to stay strong and tell them goodbye with a smile. But now that they were gone, he could cry and mourn them.
I had never been this proud of him. He could have trained them alongside his other pokemon, have them on rotation and everything, but he had truly matured. He had made the right but hard choice and let them go. He allowed them to find happiness… Even if it is away from him.
Surprisingly enough, the first one to comfort him was Charizard. He dragged Ash to his lap and enveloped him with his wings, Pikachu, as always, jumped on his shoulder. Then came the Tauros Herd Alpha, laying his head on Ash's lap, followed by the rest of Ash's pokemon. I believe that Tauros had the biggest effect on him, the same Alpha of the herd he had just traded away trying to comfort him… Ash just couldn't handle it anymore and cried to his heart's content.
'Tauros has been expecting this for a long time,' my Alakazam told me telepathically. 'He has known that his herd was not happy with this leisure life they had been living. But they did not complain when he was the only one that got called, after all he is… was the head of the herd. The strongest one, as such it was his honor and duty to answer to their trainer's call but he also knew that they all loved their master too much the be one to say goodbye. If anything, Tauros hates himself for not being strong enough, to have this duty and weight fall on his trainer's shoulders. Tauros knows that his master has always been the strongest human that he has ever known. He was the one who always said goodbye first so that they didn't have to. All so that his pokemon could be happy.' I looked at my psychic pokemon in shock. 'Don't worry, master. Tauros doesn't blame the young master. He only feels blessed at having been chosen by his human.'
"Ash truly is an incredible trainer… I only hope that he realizes that and doesn't let this blame eat him away," I murmured. "Well, let's get this over with," I said, noticing that Ash had finally calmed down and approached him and his herd of pokemon. "My boy, these arrived yesterday," I told him, handing him a black Xtransceiver and a blue PokeNav Plus. "The trades have also been finalized."
His eyes watered again but this time he kept the tears in. "Then, could you present my new pokemon please?"
"It would be my honor," I replied with a smile. "First, I traded the four lieutenants of your Tauros to gym leaders. They were the ones with the biggest move pools and with the most fighting experience." I noticed that Tauros was looking exceptionally happy and proud by those news. "Norman decided to trade your Tauros for a Zangoose. Then, I was contacted by Whitney who also wanted one in exchange for a Miltank. Seeing this I contacted Lenora, the Normal Type Gym Leader from Unova, who told me she had always wanted to have a Tauros and caught a Honedge just for this occasion."
"A Honedge?" Ash asked me confused, not that I blamed him as they are a pokemon from a faraway region.
"A Honedge is a Steel/Ghost dual type pokemon from the Kalos Region. She had to trade another pokemon to get them." I answered him. "You don't have any of those types, so I thought that it was a smart choice."
"It was. Thank you, Professor," he answered, with a small smile.
It hurt my heart to see the normally bright and energetic boy so down and mellowed. I could see that Ash's pokemon felt the same way. But I believe that once I let him meet his new pokemon, he will brighten up once more.
"What surprised me was that Lenora told me she was retiring and giving her gym to her nephew Cheren, who also wanted a Tauros on his pokemon roaster. He caught a Granbull for you two to trade. Seeing as you have no Fairy type in your roaster I accepted." I continued. "As you wanted good trainers or good people to trade with, as one should, I asked the same Gym Leaders for some recommendations. Norman came up with quite a lot, eight to be exact." Ash looked at me surprised, making me chuckle. "He worked quite hard for that, maybe because you have been taking care of his children for two years. But still he found eight trainers who would love to have a Tauros on their roaster, especially since they are so rare in Hoenn. You got a Skarmory, a Mawile, a Nidorino, a Nidorina, a Houndour, a Poochyena, a Trapinch and a Swablu from that trade. Two more Steel Types, another fairy, two future heavy hitters, seeing as you only have Snorlax in that area, two Dark Types and two future Dragon Types."
"Wow, those were quite good trades, Professor. I now have at least one pokemon for each type except rock," Ash commented, his pokemon looking quite pleased with the mention of their new friends.
"Well, that was fixed with the two trades Whitney fixed for us," I told him. "A pair of twins, who traded their Tyrogue and Slugma for two Tauros." Primeape and Heracross looked happy at the mention of another Fighting Type joining the team. "Said twins' parents own a farm which was in need of a few Tauros. I traded them three of the calm Tauros for a family of eeveelutions that has been living in their field for a while. An Espeon, a Sylveon and their baby Eevee."
"A Sylveon? What kind of eveelution is that? I've never heard of it," Ash asked, looking more motivated with each mention of his new family.
"It's quite a rare one, more commonly found in the Kalos Region or Alola Islands," I replied. "It's a Fairy Type eeveelution."
"That's so cool!" He exclaimed happily.
"Lenora found a good trainer who has been having some issues with his starter. From what she told me, it was similar as the ones Charizard and you used to have." I informed him, said fire pokemon tightened his hold on his trainer. I am truly happy that those two fixed their issues and were back to how close they've been when Charizard was still a Charmander. "Froakie is a rare Water Type pokemon in these regions and his last evolution is a Water/Dark dual type, with your expertise on the issue I thought it would be a good trade."
"It was. I'll take care of him," he promised me, patting Charizard's arm.
"The farming family contacted their cousins in Galar, who were having a similar issue as them. A few wild pokemon were living on their terrain but they didn't have the heart to kick them out. They would love to have a few Tauros for field work and to find these pokemon a good home." I continued. "We traded three Tauros for two Galarian Slowpoke and a Polteageist."
"Galarian Slowpoke? Polteageist?" He asked me quite confused.
"Polteageist is a Ghost Type pokemon from Galar and what I mean with Galarian Slowpoke, is what we Professors call a regional variant. Pokemon that change their typing depending the region they were born in. Like Slowpoke, that is a Water/Psychic pokemon in Kanto but a Poison/Psychic pokemon in Galar. You needed at least one more Ghost type and another couple of Psychic pokemon could never hurt."
"Wow, I didn't know about that. That's so cool!" He exclaimed, sounding more like himself. His pokemon nodding alongside, feeling more energetic now that their trainer felt happier. "That means that there are five more Tauros for trade."
"For those I called my old friend Professor Serbal, who is the Regional Professor in Sinnoh. He recommended me five trainers that he had sponsored, who traded me the Tauros for a Female Snorunt, a Kricketune, a Nincada, a Plusle and a Minun. You can't only have one Ice Type or one Electric Type. It was quite funny really when two different trainers who did not know each other offered me a Plusle and a Minun for trade. As they are very similar species of pokemon, it is even theorized that they are related. A good combo for dual pokemon fights," I advised him, "and you needed more Bug typed in your roster. Nincada being quite an interesting pokemon as when he evolves, his shed skin becomes another pokemon."
"What? Really?!" Ash exclaimed shocked. His pokemon looking confused just like him.
"Yeah, it leaves you with a Bug/Flying type, who fits your team motto of speed is the essence, and a Bug/Ghost type," I informed him.
"Those are pretty cool pokemon. Thank you, Professor. You must have worked very hard. I really appreciate it," he thanked me, with a warm and soft smile that had my heart aching for this brave and strong boy that I love like my own.
"I knew you would, which is why I did my best to find them the best homes I could, " I simply replied. "What do you say, shall we welcome your new pokemon?" I offered.
"I would love to," he answered.
And as I watched them all play together and get to know each other; I knew my hard work had paid off in the best way possible.