I looked at the T.V with what could only be described as, a bemused expression. Ace Ranger Ash Ketchum was played on the screen, as he was leaving the Oreburgh Gym with the coordinator Dawn Berlitz. It looks like he had just won his first Sinnoh medal and they were on the way to the Pokemon Center when the news crew ambushed them.
How do I know this? Because my little brother was filmed earlier when they were trying to get inside the Gym. How ironic are the games of fate. Not even a month after their fated meeting at Professor Rowan's Gym, they end up meeting again on their first Gym Battle.
Ash Ketchum had changed my brother for the better. To the untrained eye, you could not see any change, but to someone who knew him well, it was crystal clear. The first sign was when he decided to trade Chimchar and what he asked in return was not a strong pokemon, which he clearly still wanted, he had asked for a pokemon that could handle his training methods. Wow… that had blown my mind. Not to mention, that he had started doubting if he truly knew what being a trainer meant and what true pokemon battles are.
It was all thanks to the Ace Ranger that I had started to get my little brother back. He had always been one that believed that winning and being strong was all that mattered to a trainer and pokemon. But what once was born out of admiration for me, had turned into a dark void of greed and desire to prove himself the best. What once was important for a trainer and pokemon, turned to only being important to be the best trainer.
I had blamed myself back then… but I could no longer be the Ace Trainer Reggie Shinji, who won badge after badge. I had found what made me truly happy and would not lose it for anything. I just… I just wished I could find a way to make Paul understand that it wasn't losing that made me leave pokemon battling. That losing teaches you to grow and learn, not break you. However, I was unable to do so.
Luckily, he had met Ash Ketchum and started to find his way through the right path. I hope he had learned a new lesson during this meeting as well.
"What did you just say?" The Ace Ranger's growl snapped me back to my T.V, even my Staraptor began to pay attention to the screen.
"I'm just saying that you should stop acting selfishly and start answering our questions." A middle-aged woman replied nosily. "After what happened with Hunter J people want answers and you can't fault them for that. Not after seeing what that monstrous Charizard can do."
"Oh, oh," I muttered under my breath. "She has done it."
If there's one thing my contacts in the Sinnoh League have warned me about when interacting with Ash Ketchum is to never insult his pokemon.
"Stop acting selfishly?" The Ace Ranger replied dumbfounded. "Me acting selfishly? Maybe you should stop acting so high and mighty and think about why I am not answering your questions."
"Excuse me?!" The reporter exclaimed, looking as shocked as her colleagues.
Not that I blamed them, it's always a big jump from the usual lovable Ash Ketchum to the outright angry trainer, whenever his pokemon are insulted.
"I just came out from a Gym Battle, wherein Arceus' name do you think, I am heading to? Yes, I won, but that doesn't mean my pokemon didn't get hurt. So, while I am trying to get to the pokemon center a lot of you are stopping me from tending to my injured pokemon. Don't talk as if you care about what people need or want. You did not ask a single question about Hunter J! All you wanted to know about is my relationship status and my favorite color! So, tell me who is acting selfishly here?!" He snapped at the woman, whose face both paled and turned red. "Don't you ever dare call my Charizard a monster!" He continued, hissing at the reporter who started shivering from fear at the angry expression on Ash's face. "He is the best and most loyal partner any trainer could ask for. Not to mention, that he saved many pokemon from falling under the claws of hunter J's Salamence, you ungrateful wench!"
I raised an eyebrow at the insult, almost snickering when the reporter flinched and turned even redder. I knew Ash would get angry for his pokemon but hearing the usually polite boy curse was a lot.
"As, for the rest of you I am not answering questions from you because, as I had mentioned previously this week, I'll only answer questions to the news channels that stop stalking and ambushing my family and friends. Because of all of you my mother had to move out, feeling unsafe in her own house." Now the rest of the reporters looked ashamed. "Everything should have been answered during the conference and if the people still feel unsafe, I have no issue answering questions. If they book an interview with me properly and don't ambush me. Not to mention, asking questions about the mission, not my personal life, which is, as it is in the name, personal." The reporters flinched at that and took a couple of steps backward, cowered. "Now move aside, so I can get to the Pokemon Center."
I watched amused as the reporters' part away at once, making way for the trainer and coordinator. After hearing so much about the hyperactive boy, who gets excited so easily and loves battling with passion; it's weird to see him showing off the maturity and experience he has gathered through his four years of traveling. Then again, he has experienced so much more during those years than people normally do in a lifetime.
Still, color me impressed by the way he dealt with them all.
It did leave me with a lot of questions though. Why is everyone so interested in Ash Ketchum? How did the news about him and his missions travel so fast and so far? Who released the information about Hunter J's mission? Who wanted Ash Ketchum to thrust into the spotlight?
Questions that both the Indigo and Sinnoh Leagues have been asking and debating. Someone wanted to take Ash away from the shadows and the safety of anonymity. They wanted him known, unable to do his missions without thousands of eyes on him. Which had many people in high positions worried.
Indigo has been counting on the Ace Ranger to deal with the Rocket Team expanding in other regions, if it hadn't been for him the Hoenn Region would still need to deal with the Aqua and Magma Teams, and now the Sinnoh League… he has dealt with Hunter J, but Team Galactic was still out there, and this sudden popularity is a big step back for the mission.
Whoever it was, it had to be dealt with… and soon.
The ringtone of the video machine snapped me out of my thoughts. I didn't pay attention to Staraptor's worried look and went to check it out. I was receiving a call from the Oreburgh Pokemon Center.
It must be Paul, I thought with a pleased smile. Let's see what new lesson he learned from Ash.
"Hi, Paul. How did it go?" I asked him.
"Easy, I got my badge." He replied. I shook my head amused at his cool answer. He should be a bit more excited after getting a new badge, even I was more excited than him. "Don't expect Azumarill back, I just gave it to a kid."
I swallowed a sigh and said: "Didn't fit your training methods?"
"It survived them, but I know it can no longer grow in strength and at the level it is, it's useless to my team." I just shook my head and hoped he had, at least, given her to a good kid. "I called you for something else."
"Ash Ketchum, I know," I replied, chuckling at his rose eyebrow. "It's all over the news. You need to watch the reply later, the way he roasted the reporters was legendary."
"Anyway," he cut me off, but I could see he was interested to know more about it. "Evolved pokemon are stronger than unevolved ones, right?"
If there was one lesson that I was not expecting Paul to learn so soon, it would be that one. But since when did Ash Ketchum conform to the rules of society.
"Professor Rowan is brilliant," I started carefully. "His area of research is evolution, how it came to be and what are the advantages of it. It is because of this and the fact that he has been our Regional Professor for decades that Sinnoh has been indoctrinated into the thinking that evolution is the first and furthermore best way to make a pokemon stronger. But that is not always the case."
"What? How is that not the case?!" Paul snapped at me. "Evolved pokemon have more power and in such can perform stronger moves."
I knew he would react like that, which was why I haven't tried to breach this topic of conversation previously. But he had been the one that came to me for answers, so he might be ready to at least listen.
"Paul, first and furthermore, pokemon are living creatures, who think, live and love like we do. So, as a trainer and as a human being you should ask for their consent to evolve them." At least, Paul had the decency to look guiltily. "That's the first reason why not to evolve a pokemon. As for powerful moves, you've seen the video of Ash's Pikachu using Volt Attack and Thunder. Moves that he should have only been able to use once he had evolved into a Raichu. Pokemon can learn the powerful moves their evolutions use. Yes, it might take a longer time to learn than if they had evolved, and more time to make it as powerful as their evolution, but they can."
"Why not just evolve?" Paul asked me, finally looking more like his age. I just wished it didn't have to be by looking so lost and confused.
"Because sometimes the disadvantages of evolution don't feel right with the pokemon." I answered.
"Disadvantages?" At Paul's inquiry, I sighed.
"This is the problem with Sinnoh, no one ever truly understood Professor Rowan's research." I complained out loud and proceeded to explain when I saw Paul's confused expression. "He doesn't just talk about evolution in a good light, he makes various thesis about how evolution brings disadvantages to the pokemon. Look, in the case of Pikachu, yes, Raichu has the ability to utilize more electricity, but he is bulkier and not as fast as a Pikachu. Ash's and, therefore, Piakchu's fighting style revolve around speed. They are the hit and run kind of fighters. Evolving would have only been a disadvantage for them, having to reformulate their fighting style completely."
"Like Bulbasaur…" Paul whispered, but I was able to hear him.
"What about Bulbasaur?" I asked, laughing when he retold the fight. "Yes, just like Bulbasaur. Venusaur is stronger and can take more hits, they are the tank pokemon. But there lies the issue, he would have to take damage. As a Bulbasaur, Rampardos had no change of getting a hit on the grass-pokemon. He dodged them all." Seeing as I had yet to convince him, I told him: "You know what, why don't you read more in detail the thesis of Professor Rowan. They might be able to explain it to you accordingly."
"Ok, I will." He answered, after a little while. "Thank you, Reggie." He said ending the call.
I just blinked surprised at the gratefulness and murmured stunned: "Thank you, Ash Ketchum, for being able to make miracles real."