It wasn't every day that Riley got a message from Arceus. It was actually pretty rare. As in, it had never happened before. If it weren't for his Lucario experiencing the same thing he would have thought that he was going crazy. But no, Lucario confirmed that his vision was authentic. They had been visiting the Champion of both the Kanto and Johto regions, the Dragon Master Lance. The G Men and the Aura Guardians worked closely from time to time, so Riley had been visiting in order to trade intel on leader to another. Now they were going to visit Lance in the Dragon Den, and Riley was unsure whether or not he should bring up the vision he received while meditating the night before.
Sighing, Riley left the room that he had been allotted by Lance along with his partner. Lucario didn't care for it's pokeball, and Riley viewed Lucario as a partner, so he never really used it. As they walked through the streets of Blackthorn City, Riley pondered over the message Arceus had sent him. Someone had broken the time space continuum and jumped from another dimension into their own. This kind of thing could have massive ramifications, especially in the Sinnoh region, home of Palkia and Dialga, masters of space and time. That neither of them had stopped such a thing must have meant that they were still tired from the ordeal with Team Galactic all those years ago, which was bad news. This meant that they couldn't rely on help from legendarys this time around. There was something else he had been told, but he found it hard to believe. Ash Ketchum, the Wayward Champion of Alola, was on the move? If that meant what Riley thought it meant, then the status quo was going to change. Everywhere he went, Ash Ketchum changed pokemon, people, and places. He exerted massive influence in every region without even knowing it or even trying, and now, after years of being missing, he just came back? It couldn't be a coincidence. Then there was the suggestion from his mentor.
Of course Riley knew that Ash Ketchum was more attuned with his aura than most. With the proper training, Ash could be a powerful Aura Guardian. But Riley knew that he would never be able to live that life. The Ash that he knew was someone that was always on the move, someone that would chafe under the rules and supervision of such an organization. No, despite his heroic nature and tendencies, Ash Ketchum could never be a true member of the Aura Guardians. That left only one question: Should he be trained? Naturally, Ash would be a powerful ally to have fighting alongside Riley against this new threat, and Riley had a sneaking suspicion that this was the very reason the creation deity had mentioned him. Even if Riley wanted to train him, how would he find him? He had been gone for five years, and numerous search parties had failed to turn up a single trace. He was undoubtedly capable of hiding himself if he so wished. Riley sighed for the umpth time today. It would probably be best to broach the subject with Lance. The Dragon Master had so many contacts it was unbelievable, and he could definitely cast a large net if asked. This was going to be interesting.
"Ash Ketchum? Why would you need to find Ash? Besides that, do you know what you are asking?" Lance asked when Riley inquire about him a mere hour later. They were in the Dragon's Den, sanctuary to dragon pokemon and home base of the Dragon Clan. Riley told him about his vision, detailing how Arceus had come to him and forewarned calamity. He informed Lance that Ash Ketchum had a part to play. "Arceus informed me that 'The Lost Champion is on the move. Seak him out and more will be revealed.' That's everything it said." He finished. "The Lost Champion? That could be any number of people. Perhaps Leon or Alder. Are you certain that it was referring to Ash?" Lance asked once more. "Lance, you know that I achieved the rank of grandmaster of the Aura Guardians just last year. I am certain that Arceus was referring to Ash Ketchum. Besides, we can always track down Alder or Leon. If there is any champion that has truly earned the title 'Lost Champion', it's Ash" Riley countered. Lance nodded, appearing to be deep in thought. "Hmmm. What do you need from me, then?" the champion queried. "I can ask my gym leaders to be on the look out, that's easy enough. But the other champions? That would require a summit, especially so if Ash has returned. He never officially lost, so he would have to defeat Gladeon or relinquish the position and all it's responsibilities.
"All I ask is that you cast as wide a net as you can without causing suspicion. Ash has remained hidden for years, so he undoubtedly wants to stay that way. Otherwise, he would have returned to Alola and reclaimed his title first and foremost. No, I suspect that this has something to do with whatever caused him to vanish in the first place. I need to make contact with him quietly." Riley stated, noticing the brief grimace that adorned the champion's face. "Maybe so. I think I should perhaps tell you why he left." Lance said somberly. Riley raised an eyebrow, frowning. "You knew this whole time and you never told me?" he asked. "You never asked. Had you joined the search parties or inquired about the subject I would have told you then." Lance replied swiftly. "His mother was murdered the day after the finals. He found her body the next night. We never did find the party responsible, but they left him a note warning that Ash should stay out of their business. He vanished the next week." Lance stated, gazing at the ground. Riley sighed through his nose. That did explain things. But then why come back now? "All I need is to talk to him. Arceus told me that talking to him would reveal more, and if what he said is true, shit is going to hit the fan." Riley replied, determined. Lance's gaze softened. "I would like to see Ash again as much as the next person. Hmm. Very well. I'll notify league officials and law enforcement, and ask them to be discreet. This may turn into a pr nightmare otherwise."