Chapter 13: Booth with an Interview
A day after the crisis at Channel 6, the Turtles realized their enemies from the Technodrome were still active. They also came to realize that Irma fell for Brock when they first met. As the Turtles trained for the battle now continuing, Ash, April, Brock, Irma and Pikachu returned to the Lair with a few bags. "Hey, boys!" called out April. Hearing their favorite reporter, Splinter and the Turtles found their new Turtles and the girls.
"How was the interview?" asked Leonardo.
"It was great," Brock smiled. "And Katz's is actually a nice spot to stop by."
"Oh, the delicatessen?" guessed Donatello. "It's a place anyone visiting New York should try for its menu."
"I saw and I believe it," Ash admitted. "Heck, some of the items on there were pretty pricey but oh so tempting to try."
("I was satisfied with my soup,") Pikachu squeaked. April giggled to Pikachu's playful reply.
"Pikachu got the Matzoh Ball Soup," she recalled. "It was a tad difficult to get Pikachu inside, but the female staff couldn't wait to dote him." Torkoal emerged and came to the group. Irma gawked to the Coal Pokémon.
"Whoa, a tortoise!" she awed before kneeling. "Hi there!" Torkoal wasn't sure who she was.
"Torkoal, this is a friend and co-worker of mine," April introduced. This peaked Torkoal's interest. He allowed Irma to pet him. Feeling Torkoal's shell, Irma recoiled.
"Whoa, what the heck!" she gasped. "I know turtles and tortoises are normally cold-blooded, but why is this one so hot!?" Torkoal believed he hurt Irma, croaking his concern.
"Torkoal's a Fire-Type Pokémon," Brock briefed. "So it makes sense how he's warm to the touch." Insight given, Irma smiled to the Pokémon.
"Can we try again?" she requested. Excited, Torkoal approached Irma as she petted his head. It made Torkoal cry in joy.
"For a Fire-Type, Torkoal can put on the waterworks," April teased. Ash and Brock brought out the rest of their Pokémon. Mudkip came to Irma, happy to see her again. Seeing the rest of the Pokémon, Irma became elated. She comforted Lombre, allowed Swellow to rest on her shoulder and had a staring contest with Grovyle. April checked her watch to see the time. "Pete should be done soon to submit and start the broadcast of today's Channel 6's exclusive."
"Great, we can see how embarrassed Ash gets when talking to a woman," Raphael snickered.
"Hey, let's not poke fun at the dude before we see the exclusive," Michelangelo scorned. "Besides, it may help us down the sewers later on." Splinter nodded to Michelangelo's point.
"Even Michelangelo knows not to determine an outcome based on appearance," he muttered.
"I know," Raphael nagged. "I'm just willing to come after them for any freudian slips."
"No, he did pretty good," Brock smiled. "He must've remembered being interviewed before by DJ Mary in Goldenrod City." Donatello had a guess to Ash's history.
"You mean a radio station?" he thought.
"That's right," Brock confirmed. Michelangelo turned the TV on and soon saw the Channel 6 News logo.
"This is a Channel 6 News exclusive," another anchorman sounded. "I'm John Morson. For the past few days in what would be his last reign of terror, the infamous Shredder and his minions were giving a handful to those reptilian vigilantes, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, when new heroes rose. April O'Neil has the exclusive interview with who New Yorkers have deemed… Animalistic Avengers." The video of the Queens County Power Plant began to play.
"Animalistic Avengers?" repeated Raphael.
"I wonder if those dudes and dudettes got that from comic books," Michelangelo guessed.
"Coming from one such as you," Leonardo glared. Michelangelo wove his hand, no longer wanting any lip from his brothers.
"The infamous Shredder, his mutant servants and the robotic clan of Foot Soldiers," April began from the video. "Their opportunity to siphon the Queens County Power Plant. I was there to catch it all, including the interference of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Suddenly, I was cornered when I was rescued by a fire-breathing tortoise, a mouse that can emit electricity, a creature inside a steel shell that shot spikes… and the two youths that saved yours truly to stop Shredder's mission." The next clip was Ash and Brock escorting April to the news van. "As if that wasn't enough, they saved me again after Fort Charles's supercomputer, the CY-CLOMPS, was hacked." After that was video of Ash, Leonardo, Michelangelo, Splinter and Pikachu facing the Technodrome before it was rocketed to Dimension X. "Finally, their teamwork with the Turtles in ridding the Technodrome from Earth as it was being drawn into the wormhole in the sky." Finally, there was a shot of Ash, Brock and Pikachu being greeted with the Turtles by the citizens. "These two and their creatures have become the new force since the Turtles started the fight for peace and justice in Manhattan. Who are these two?" Finally, there was a shot in a restaurant with April in focus. "I am April O'Neil and with me are the new heroes of Manhattan." Ash, Brock and Pikachu appeared in the next shot with Pikachu eating soup. There were texts below the two trainers. Under Ash read "ASH KETCHUM," and under Brock read "BROCK HARRISON."
"I swear, Harrison seems like an ordinary name," Raphael sighed.
"Trust me, I'm not the one who chose it," Brock snapped. "And Ash would say the same."
"Ash, Brock, thank you for having the time to have an interview with me," April complimented in the video.
"Of course," Brock accepted. Pikachu's name was seen below him like it was on the bowl of soup.
("Why on the bowl?") he wondered as he watched himself.
"We first met at the Queens County Power Plant when you saved me with your creatures," April brought up in the interview.
"When we first arrived," Ash started. "We didn't know what the heck was going on. Suddenly, we saw those two mutants come after you and not the Turtles."
"That was when Ash plotted with our Pokémon to get you out of the mess and realize who's side was who," Brock summarized.
"Pikachu's one of them from what I figure," April remarked. "And what are Pokémon?"
"Ash and I came from another world which is chock full of Pokémon with any size and shape," Brock simplified. "Sometimes, you don't need to look hard to find Pokémon. Then, there are trainers like me and Ash who go around and catch Pokémon. It's actually safe unlike what I've heard in the news using all sorts of firearms."
"We have different devices that allows everyone and everything as friendly as possible to interact," Ash offered.
"Not to mention environmentally sound," Brock added.
"Now, you're from the same world, but not from the same city," April brought up.
"Right, I'm from Pallet Town and Brock's from Pewter City," Ash briefed. "But we've been together almost all of the time."
"And how did you two meet?" asked April.
"See, Ash was a new trainer while I was a Pokémon Gym Leader," Brock started. "Back then, I had other Pokémon to protect the gym. After seeing Ash's compassion, I chose to travel with him while the rest of my family took over."
"It's also when he told me that he had bigger aspirations about his future," Ash added. "Brock said that he doesn't want brought up in the interview."
"Fair enough," April shrugged. "Now, what was going on that you two found yourselves at the Queens County Power Plant?"
"We had other friends when there was a scuffle," Ash started. "Before we knew what happened, we found ourselves at the Power Plant and saw that battle with the Turtles, Shredder and those other guys."
"Instantly, we couldn't tell who was who or what was going on," Brock admitted. "But that's when we saw you recording the action."
"I do admit that I was doing my job and risked my well-being for a good scoop," April confessed. "And then, Shredder's mutants came after me when the Turtles were dealing with the Foot Soldiers. Was that the moment you realized the situation?"
"It was," Brock confirmed. "I chose Ash to go since Torkoal was a turtle or closest to one that could relate to the others." Ash nodded to the claim.
"So when you showed Torkoal," April brought up. "The Turtles recognized you as friendly. What was going through your mind as you sided with the foursome?"
"First, protecting you," Ash pointed. April and Pikachu laughed. "I never believed it fair that you're targeted because all you have was a camera."
"Funny, I thought it was me," April sneered. Ash quickly pointed to Brock before he did a double-take, gasping at the silent call out. The Turtles laughed to Ash's tattle.
"Dude, we all saw you try to hit on April!" reminded Michelangelo.
"At least he's got me now," Irma giggled. "Keep it up and you might find one of your own, Ash." All Ash did was shrug his shoulders.
"Anyway," April resumed the interview. "Were you worried about having your Pokémon exposed to the public like Pikachu?"
"Not us," Ash replied in the interview. "But the Turtles were."
"We're not trying to hide from anyone," Brock added. "But there is the concern about how the public would react seeing Pikachu and how it can use electricity or Torkoal in breathing fire. We don't want our Pokémon to be considered mutants like the Turtles are."
"Right, your Pokémon are natural like this and not under any mutagen," April noticed. "When we confronted Vernon after what happened in Fort Charles, you called yourselves adventurers."
"With what we've been through in our journeys," Ash snickered. "We've encountered plenty of adventures which we've been involved in."
"Ah, so that's why," April realized. "I bet once you return to your world, you'll have more of them." Ash, Brock and Pikachu agreed with some giggles. "That's all I have for the interview. For Ash Ketchum, Brock Harrison and Pikachu, this is April O'Neil, back to you in the studio." Leonardo turned off the TV.
"Pete did an excellent job with the editing," April reviewed. "I'm sure Chief won't mind how I presented it."
"I still laugh at Ash calling out Brock for his need to protect April," Raphael snickered. "That's such a class act."
"How so?" wondered Irma.
"It tells us what Brock wanted April out of desperation while he's still young," Raphael informed.
"But it also tells us that in times of desperation," Splinter added. "Ash and Brock are indeed warriors that Earth, not just Manhattan, may need them down the road."
"Right, Shredder's not the only one to give us problems," Leonardo pointed out. "There's Leatherhead, the Rat King, Baxter…"
"And let's not forget that Team Rocket is still with Shredder," Ash pointed out. "Knowing how those two bellow, I see Shredder and Jessie marry." Everyone shared deadpan looks to Brock except for Splinter. "I know, I don't want to know how that works either."
"Either way, we cannot wait to show you bros to our bros down in Florida," Michelangelo opted. "The Punk Frogs would totally enjoy your watery friends." Brock gulped to the name.
"The Punk… Frogs?" he repeated.
"Shredder made them the same way he tried to make us," Donatello explained. "They're four mutant frogs he sicked on us, but they soon learned and we became partners." Ash and Pikachu seemed excited to see them.
"If that's how they're Punks, I don't mind them one bit," Ash grinned.
("Same here!") added Pikachu. There was plenty of excitement about the Turtles and their friends. Hopefully, the rest isn't too long.
TO BE CONTINUED...