After a short trek, they arrived at a large clearing. Bulbasaur walked ahead of Ash and looked straight up into the sky, judging the position of the sun.
"If they're as punctual as they are stubborn, they should be here shortly."
"Who?" Ash's question was answered for him by the rustling of the bushes in the clearing. On the left side of the field, a Ninetales gracefully emerged from the underbrush. On the right, an Arcanine crashed through the bushes. They stopped an equal distance to each other.
Bulbasaur walked back to Ash. "These two are having some kind of turf war. They won't listen to reason and I very well can't do anything physical to stop them. Maybe you can use your status to talk them out of burning down half the forest."
"Wait, what do you mean by status?" Ash asked.
"In the minds of most Pokemon, humans, Trainers especially, are considered to be alphas. The number of Pokemon that don't regard humans with any respect at all is in an extreme minority."
"Are you serious?" Pikachu said. "That's ridiculous. Most humans are spineless morons, if you ask me."
"Excuse me?" Ash said
"I said most humans."
"Well, then thank y-"
"I like Professor Oak, Brock, and Misty just fine." said Pikachu. Ash turned back to see the Pokemon grinning impishly.
"Would it be too much to ask to stay focused?" Bulbasaur asked impatiently.
"Sorry. So you just want me to talk them out of fighting?" Ash said.
"If you can." Bulbasaur said.
"Maybe I should have brought Squirtle after all..." Ash said to himself.
"The guy beat a Pokemon double his size unconscious with his bare fists. He deserves some down time, if you ask me." said Pikachu.
"Maybe you're right." Ash gulped. He wasn't much of a diplomat, but he was willing to try anything. "Here I go."
He slowly walked forward, as quietly and unassumingly as he could. He opened his mind to hear the thoughts of the arguing Pokemon, drowning out their unintelligible Poke-speak.
"We don't have to go on like this day after day." said the Arcanine. "Just give me the land that is rightfully mine. I lead my pack with honor and with passion. I'll do the same with the Pokemon here. You need not worry."
The Ninetales had sat on its haunches and calmly swayed its many tails back and forth to the wind. "I need not worry?" it said. The tone of its mental voice suggested it was female. "Arcanine, you are a vicious dog. You lack the capacity for logic that all leaders must have. You lead your pack through fear and dominance alone. A good leader must establish themselves as in charge though their actions and their philosophies. Not through petty life threats."
"I do no such things!" Arcanine growled. Flame glowed from in between his teeth. "My packmates are brothers to me! I'd give my life for them, as they would for me!"
"And yet you still are focused squarely on your emotions as your guiding light. That dynamic may work quite well for an uncivilized mob, but an entire community requires a much gentler and precise touch." Ninetales responded coolly. Arcanine barked savagely and a ball of flame shot out of his mouth. It sizzled through the air and slammed into a tree a few feet from Ninetale's head. She didn't flinch.
"Stop!" Ash shouted. Arcanine, startled, turned to Ash and began to growl.
"What do you want, human? You have no business interfering in our affairs." he said.
"For once, the oaf is right." said Ninetales. "Please leave us. This does not concern you."
"What you're doing is affecting the lives of hundreds of Pokemon!" Ash said. "As a Trainer, that makes it my business."
"What right have you to meddle in things you don't understand!?" Arcanine growled and stomped the ground, flames licking his ivory teeth. Ash heard small, fast, and familiar footsteps approach from behind. Pikachu vaulted onto Ash's shoulder and sparked his cheeks.
"I think you mean our right." he said with a smirk.
"If this escalates any further, you could be endangering all the lives in this forest. This isn't exactly the best place for Fire Pokemon to fight, you know!"
"You irreverent fool! How DARE you assume yourself as in charge!" Arcanine shouted furiously. Pikachu's grip on Ash's shoulder tightened. Ash himself simply glared.
"I'm interested, human." Ninetales said, calmly. "How is it that you can understand us?"
"That's a long story. The point is, I was sent here to act as a mediator between you two because of my ability. I'll not have you destroy each other and other Pokemon over a petty land dispute.
"Watch your tongue, human!" Arcanine growled. "I've killed others for saying less than that!"
"Calm yourself, Arcanine. I'm intrigued, human. Very well. You will act as a judge for our debate." Ninetales said. "Do you agree to this proposition?"
"I do."
"And you, Arcanine? Do you agree to letting the human monitor?"
Arcanine continued to growl angrily. The only thing worse than an uppity human, he told himself, was a particularly domineering Ninetales. "Fine." he finally said, seeing no way out. "But if you are unfair in your decision, I'll tear you apart in an instant."
"If you do that," Ninetales said, "I'll aide the Pikachu in killing you just as quickly."
Arcanine angrily walked back to his spot across from Ninetales and sat down in a similar fashion.
"Alright." Ash said. "We'll begin. You both want this area of the forest for your own, correct?"
"Yes." they replied in unison.
"Okay then. Arcanine, tell me why you believe yourself to be best suited to controlling the area."
"Because, human, being a leader requires more than cold logic. A leader must have the desire to lead overpowered only by their desire to lead well. I will treat the denizens of this forest like I treat the brothers of my pack: With honor and dignity, but with a swift and iron-clad fist as well. As a Trainer of Pokemon, you of all people should understand the joy of effective leadership and victory by your own guidance, rather than your own hand. This is a trait that she" he turned to Ninetales "very noticeably lacks. She is cold and empty inside. She does not understand what others want or need. She only understands what would be best for a group."
Silently, Ash understood the comment about leadership, but he stored the thought away until later.
"Ninetales." He said. "Same question."
"I am an effective leader because I do not concern myself with the petty wantings of the individual. Pokemon, as well as humans if I am correct, are fickle by nature. They want nothing more than what they think they want on any given moment. It takes one such as me, 'cold and empty inside' to divide these insignificant requests from those that are truly necessary. I am an effective leader because I focus on what is necessary for the community's continued survival, rather than its fleeting wants. Arcanine is too centralized on the emotions of those under his rule. They, despite his best wishes, will ultimately ask for more than he can give, as is their nature. They will revolt, as the masses are often want to do, and will ultimately result in Arcanine leading himself to his own downfall."
"Thank you, Ninetales. And thank you, Arcanine." Ash said, as officially as he could.
"Pansy." said Pikachu. Ash ignored his joke this time.
"After hearing both your testimonies, it is obvious who should be leader. Both of you."
They both jumped at this verdict.
"NEVER! I'll never side with such a clearly evil soul."
"Arcanine! Control yourself! Please elaborate, human. How did you come to this decision?"
"Well, Arcanine believes you are a bad leader because you think too much about the logical aspect and not enough about the emotional. You believe Arcanine to be a bad leader because he focuses too much on the emotional and not the logical. Leading the forest on your own would ultimately result in both of your downfalls. Together, however, you complement each others faults and strengths, making one very effective leader. Now your only challenge is to get past your own petty differences for the good of the many that you both claim to care about so much.
The clearing was silent as everyone pondered Ash's words. Arcanine spoke first.
"You are right, human." he said. "Separate, we are flawed, but together we are perfect. I agree to your verdict. You are much wiser than I expected you to be, human."
"I agree as well." said Ninetales. "Thank you for helping us, human. You have shown us the errors of our ways." She gracefully bowed to Ash and walked into the middle of the clearing. "Come, Arcanine. We'll discuss our leadership strategy." She walked off into the woods with Arcanine in tow.