Season 2 Episode 16: Good Morning Adventure Bay! An Interview With Ben!
March 1st, 2030
The pups woke up bright and early. Today was a special day, as Ben had been asked to be interviewed in the studio for Good Morning Adventure Bay! The pups had already eaten and they had gotten themselves all comfy in front of the TV as the local news segment covering the battle between the Mighty Pups and the Calamitous Cat Catastrophe Crew ended, concluding the section before Ben's interview.
"Hello, and welcome to GOOD MORNING ADVENTURE BAY! I'm your host, Ryan Roland, and today we have a VERY SPECIAL GUEST for you folks! Many of you know about Ryder and the pups on the Paw Patrol, but today we're talking to the man behind the scenes! Please welcome… BEN ALLEN!" The interviewer, Ryan Roland, announced enthusiastically.
The TV screen then cut from the logo of GMAB to the inside of a studio. This time, it was done up like one of those talk shows. Ben was sitting on a couch, and Ryan Roland was sitting at a desk. "Benny boy, why not tell us about yourself?" Ryan suggested. Ben nodded his head.
"Well, I'm Ben Allen, you already know that. I'm eighteen, I work on the technology and vehicles that the Paw Patrol uses, and I'm single." Ben answered, his last remark earning a laugh from Ryan.
"HAHAHAHAH! Good one, good one. You heard it from the man himself, everyone! This boy is the technological genius behind Adventure Bay's very own Rescue Force. He's the one who makes sure that the pups' vehicles and their packs are always ready to go! Let's try and get some insight into that head of his, eh?" Ryan said, turning to the camera and giving it a smile.
Then, the TV host turned back to Ben and started addressing him again. "How did you and Ryder meet? What made you decide to form the PAW Patrol with him?" Ryan inquired.
Ben took a deep breath before replying to that question. "Well, Ryder and I have known each other since we were in daycare. We have loved this city ever since the start of our lives. I have fond memories of us playing in the park and exploring the abandoned areas of the city that were caused by the economic mishandling of the previous mayor." Ben started.
"That actually ties into the forming of the PAW Patrol. Our previous mayor was the latest in a long line of bad eggs, and he practically gave no budget at all to the firefighters and police force. A lot of them left the town, and crime actually went down. People didn't seem to think that committing crimes was worth it without any threat of getting caught. It lost its allure. When I was twelve and Ryder was eleven, we saw a documentary about how dogs could be trained for police and firefighting purposes. That is what inspired us to create the PAW Patrol, a team of dogs." Ben concluded.
"All right, and where did you boys manage to get the supplies and resources for the vehicles and the pup packs? How did you come up with the ideas for the pup packs, anyhow?" Ryan asked.
"Well, me and Ryder quickly realized that dogs couldn't hold things with their paws, and I came up with the idea of a backpack that could respond to voice commands and produce tools that could help out in situations. That's how the pup packs came to fruition. Ryder visited his grandfather in Adventure City, and spent a couple of weeks there making the vehicles with the old man." Ben replied.
Ryan arched an eyebrow, stroking his beard and bobbing his head up and down. "I see, I see! That raises a whole bunch of other questions. What's the situation with you and Ryder's parents?" Ryan wondered.
Ben froze up, his smile fading. Immediately his body started to tense up, his fingers gripping the couch that he was sitting on. "I'm not at liberty to discuss that information on public television. That is extremely personal, and I will not answer any questions regarding the parents of myself, Ryder, or any of the pups. Any further inquiries regarding that subject and I leave this interview, which will lose you viewers and ratings." Ben growled through a forced grin.
Ryan paled at that, looking away and cleaning his glasses as he was a little unsettled by that sudden brazen response. "I… I see. MOVING ON THEN! Chase just showed up one day in Adventure Bay… How did you and Ryder meet him?" Ryan questioned, quickly regaining his composure.
Ben visibly relaxed, his fingers releasing their grip on the couch and unclenching his teeth. "Ryder met Chase in Adventure City. I won't go into great details, it's a very long story, but Chase and Ryder bonded very quickly and the two of them were clearly inseparable. I wasn't enthusiastic about the idea of a stray being the very first member, but I then realized that Chase had beaten the odds in Adventure City, and that Ryder had saved him. Even though Chase was very young, Ryder saw vast quantities of bravery and courage in him. He gave Chase a chance at life, and… well, you know my motto. Saving one's life means saving the future! The fact that Chase was so young also helped. At younger ages, pups take to training more so than older dogs." Ben chuckled.
"Well, that's good to know! You mention that Ryder and Chase have a very special bond. Do you share a similar kind of friendship with the German Shepherd? It would make sense if you did, as Chase was the first animal on the team. You did plenty of rescues with him and Ryder when it was just the three of you." Ryan mused.
"Chase and I were very close when it was just the three of us. But as more and more pups joined the team, I kind of grew apart from him. It took a recent rescue, right before last Halloween, for me to realize that I had messed up. Chase and I worked to patch our relationship up, and we're closer than ever before. Chase has really stepped up. Out of all the pups, he's the leader of the group." Ben responded, admitting that his connection with Chase hadn't always been smooth sailing.
"Good to know, good to know! Ben, what're your thoughts on Marshall the fire pup?" Ryan then blurted out, steering the conversation to a new topic.
Ben smiled and exhaled happily. "Marshall, Marshall, Marshall. I have a lot of thoughts on that little rascal. Sure, he's clumsy at times, but that's a blessing in disguise. He might be a little wobbly, and he bumps into the other pups on occasion, but it always puts a smile on our faces and a laugh in our mouths. He's also incredibly kind and caring. One time, he did a rescue of several cats all by himself, performing the duties of the other pups and using their gear and vehicles to save the day, all on his own! I'd say he's the heart and soul of this group." Ben remarked.
"How did you feel when Marshall won the Fastest Fire Pup Trophy?" Ryan wondered.
Ben grinned and stuck his chest out in pride. "You know how a father feels when their kid wins a competition? Imagine that, magnified by one hundred thousand. One of the best feelings in the whole world!" Ben chuckled.
"So, I take from that response that you see yourself as some sort of father figure to these pups?" Ryan pondered.
"Absolutely! I've grown up with these pups, and we've been through thick and thin together. The PAW Patrol is my family. Nothing builds up familial type bonds like going on dangerous missions together." Ben responded, nodding his head to confirm his stance.
"All right then, I think that's enough questions about our firefighter. What's the deal with this Rocky fellow? His specialty is recycling— how exactly is that useful for rescues?" Ryan inquired.
"Pfft! Rocky's specialty isn't recycling! It's mechanics! His recycling of objects is for that purpose. His collection of discarded objects and knickknacks has saved the day countless times. He keeps the vehicles in ship shape along with me and Ryder. His creativity and ingenuity is unrivaled. He turned Zuma's kite into a patch for Mayor Goodway's balloon when she had to compete in the mayoral balloon race. He helps keep maintenance on our vehicles. Hands down, Rocky has been and always will be the brains of the group." Ben answered, giggling at the idea of Rocky being just a recycling pup.
"Ah, I see. You said that Rocky has always been the brainiest pup of the Paw Patrol, eh? How did you meet the mixed breed?" Ryan queried.
Ben laughed. "It's a funny story. Callie got stuck in a junkyard and Katie called me to help get her out of there. I went inside, and this little three year old pup poked his head out from behind a trash can. He helped guide me to where Callie was, as he knew the junkyard like the back of his paw. Callie was stranded on top of an unstable trash pile, so I couldn't climb up to get her. All of a sudden, Rocky brings out this catapult made of wood, a spring, and a spoon. He launches a tinfoil piece and it tumbles down the trash pile, Callie chases after it!" Ben began.
"Callie came down and I took her back to Katie, and then I asked Rocky if he had made anything else. The pup took me to his own makeshift fort he had made out of boxes! He had a small pillow for a bed, a bunch of projects that he was working on, a ton of cool inventions made out of stuff people had thrown away. I knew that he shouldn't be wasting his life in a junkyard! So I took him home and showed him to Ryder. Ryder was really impressed with the stuff Rocky had made, and named him our mechanic. The recycling badge and motif, though, was Rocky's idea." Ben continued, wrapping up his story.
"Nice, nice. Quite the tale you've told us, Benny boy! Let's change our subject to one of the more juicier and more spoken of members. I'm referring to your cockapoo, Skye. For the longest time, she was the only girl in your little group! Care to tell us why?" Ryan smirked, steering the questioning to a more controversial topic.
"The fact that Skye was the only girl for a while is mere coincidence. Me and Ryder met the pups that joined the team by chance. The fact is, we don't discriminate or deny people entry to the Paw Patrol based on gender. We are inclusive." Ben answered.
"So Skye never was upset about being the only girl pup on the team?" Ryan asked.
"Not once. And if she had felt that way, she would have come forward and told us about it. She's very open about her feelings." Ben replied.
Ryan nodded his head before glancing down at his desk. "All right, well… let's talk about Zuma! What made you and Ryder decide to put a water pup on your team? Isn't that only situationally useful?" Ryan mused. At this, Ben snorted.
"Oh, please. Mister Roland, for crying out loud, we're a coastal city! Rescues out on the water are bound to happen at some point!" Ben scornfully said.
"Well, what about when you need rescues done that aren't out in the ocean? How does the Chocolate Labrador help out then?" Ryan inquired.
"You'd be surprised at how many rescues Zuma's buoy launcher has come in handy for." Ben scoffed.
"Mm-hm… oh, yeah, Zuma has a funny way of talking. Has anyone ever made fun of him for that?" The reporter asked.
Ben's eyebrows narrowed and he put his hands together in a fist like motion. "That depends. Are you making fun of him for that right now?" Ben countered, a threatening tone in his voice.
Ryan's eyes widened and he shook his head no rapidly. "N-n-not at all! I was just making an observation!" Ryan stammered.
"In that case, nope. Nobody's ever made fun of Zuma's lisp. Personally, I think it's cute and it adds to his charm and adorableness." Ben responded.
"All right, now let's talk about Rubble. He was the last member to join the Paw Patrol for a while, right? Some people say that he replaced a dog that died. Any truth to that?" Ryan inquired.
At that, Ben let out a laugh. "That's silly! No dog on the Paw Patrol has died yet, Mister Roland. Before Rubble joined, Rocky or Ryder would drive the construction rig when it was needed." Ben stated.
"Okay, and what do you think about Rubble? What are your thoughts on that bulldog of yours?" Ryan wondered. At this, Ben shrugged.
"Rubble? He's compassionate, loyal, kind, friendly, the youngest pup on the team along with Zuma, and he's almost always hungry." The eighteen year old remarked.
Checking the time, Ryan gasped. "Oh darn, look at the time! Well, I wish we had more time to talk, but our programming block is almost up! We'll have to invite you back for another interview, Benny boy. Until then, stay safe! You and your Ranger Rescue Force keep on protecting Adventure Bay, all right?" The host asked.
"Don't worry, Ryan. The Rescue Force Rangers will protect Adventure Bay with all our hearts!" Ben promised before the camera stopped rolling.
Ben was ushered out of the room by Ryan, who then slammed the door in his face. "Well, that… was weird. Now I gotta talk to Ryder." Ben mumbled before heading to the Lookout. He had a lot to discuss.