"So, Mr Ketchum, you wish to give evidence with regards to the investigation into the actions of the Chief of Hoenn Police in her arrest of you when you were Pokémon Master?"

Ash nodded. "As both the Pokémon Master at the time and the target of her investigation, I probably have the best picture of events."

"It was some time ago, so your evidence may have that taken into account," Jenny said as she scribbled into her notepad.

"I understand," Ash said with a slight smile.

"Good. So, to start, can you please explain how you came to be arrested."

Ash leaned back in his chair slightly.

"Of course. The investigation was started after an interview was given by a woman known as Sonia Rukan. She claimed she was being persecuted by me and sought protection from the police. In line with her responsibilities, Officer Jenny ensured that she was protected."

"The same Ms Rukan who vanished shortly after your arrest?"

"Yes," Ash said with a sigh. "Sonia was, unfortunately, making misguided claims, once that have since I believe been proven to be false."

As Jenny nodded, Ash took a drink from the glass on the table in front of him, giving his interviewer time to scribble more down. He knew that she would record the interview, so he had to be careful about what he said, but he intended to give her a version of the truth.

"The investigation proceeded but given the high-profile nature an investigation into the Pokémon Master, I asked Cynthia Shirona, who at the time was working for me at Indigo Plateau in addition to being Sinnoh Champion, to go to Hoenn to assist."

"Could this have been considered to be an undue influence?" Jenny asked, curiosity in her voice. "Your successor as Pokémon Master has already trod on the line of interfering with the police in her short time in her role."

Ash chuckled. "I assume you are talking about Mellanie Rigger, in which case I would hope that you would not consider me to have the same bluntness as her. I gained significant political nous in my time as Pokémon Master. Cynthia was sent to assist in the investigation, and she did not report to me throughout."

Jenny nodded. "That does match the other reports. Please continue."

"There isn't much more about my arrest," Ash said. "I next saw Cynthia after awarding Sam Fernandez the title of Kanto Champion. Officer Jenny correctly spotted that I did not have any Pokémon with me and chose to make her move, arresting me underneath Indigo Stadium."

"Why didn't you have your Pokémon?"

"They were resting at my home."

"Which is where?"

Ash smiled slightly. "Can I trust that this information is kept confidential?"

Jenny put her pen down and made a steeple with her fingers. "It will remain in police records but be kept secret from anybody else."

"Forgive me for not putting complete faith in the force given the circumstances," Ash said. "But I do wish to assist the police, so please take this as a token in that regard. I live on the island that was once christened Mystery Island."

Jenny's eyes narrowed. "That island hasn't been seen for years."

"My Pokémon and I moved it when we were forced into exile by the warrant for my arrest," Ash said. "It is likely to be moved back shortly. Is any of this relevant?"

"Not to the case," Jenny was all business again. "After your arrest, how did the prosecuting officer carry out interrogations?"

"From my knowledge of standard procedure, poorly," Ash said. "It felt that she had a vendetta against me."

Jenny made a note and sighed. Whilst the interview was going the way she was expecting, she had hoped that Ash would have been able to do something other than simply confirm everything else that her investigation had turned up.

"Thank you, Mr Ketchum," Jenny said, snapping her notebook shut. "This has confirmed a great deal of what we already knew."

Ash leaned forwards slightly. "Are there no further questions?"

"Nothing from me," Jenny said, and it was true. Her colleague had clearly pursued a vindictive and frivolous prosecution against Ketchum. The evidence accrued from clearing the name of the man in front of her was pretty damning. "Unless you want to tell me how you knew about this investigation? Internal Affairs cases are usually confidential."

Ash smirked. "I trained Mellanie. Whilst she has changed in my time away, I know how she works. It wasn't hard to work this out."

Jenny felt a smile slip onto her face. "I suppose it was not." She rose from her chair and extended a hand. "Thank you for coming in Mr Ketchum, this has been most helpful."

Ash remained seated and ignored the hand for a moment. "There is something that I am curious about though?"

"Oh?"

"I would have thought that if the officer in question chose to resign, given the publicity of the case, the police would allow her to do so. Instead of an Internal Affairs case which will create public condemnation of the force, whilst giving no true benefit. Did she not resign?"

Jenny froze, her hand still extended. "I… There is no such policy in the force."

Ash's lip curled. "She did, didn't she?"

"You know I cannot confirm that," Jenny said slightly stiffly.

Ash shook his head in disbelief. "Mellanie really couldn't let it go. Would I be correct in suggesting that the Pokémon Master requested that this case is passed on?"

Jenny felt the shock in her system return with a vengeance. She couldn't remember being so thrown in an interview before, the man in front of her was asking questions that she was confident he already knew the answers to.

"You don't have to answer now; your silence confirms it for me," Ash said quietly. "However, I would like to formally request a closing of the case. As the aggrieved party, I would be happy with the officer in question resigning from her position."

Jenny's draw dropped. She was absolutely stupefied as Ash rose to his feet and shook her still extended hand. He turned for the door, stopping when she finally managed to get some words out.

"But… Why?"

Ash turned and looked back at her. "Are you still recording?"

Jenny nodded, not trusting her voice to support her.

"It was three years ago. She was not herself throughout the investigation, I have had it confirmed for me by a very powerful Pokémon that she was being unduly influenced. Further punishment other than resignation would be disproportional."

And with that Ash left, leaving a thoroughly flabbergasted police officer behind him.

Sam took a deep breath as he stood in front of the door to the Pokémon Master's office. The receptionist had been forcibly polite when he had requested a meeting, but Sam knew her well enough to know that she was not expecting it to go well. It was fair enough, he didn't think it would go well either. Three years ago, even if he had predicted such an acrimonious fallout with Mellanie, he would have expected her to be able to put aside their differences for the greater good. As Pokémon Master, Ash knew that Mellanie should be at the funeral, and hoped that she would understand that. Yet with the changes that she had undergone, he was less sure. Although it would mean that he saw his friend once again. Sam had seen her more in the month since she took her title than he had in the two years previously, even if the meetings tended to end very badly for him.

He raised his hand and knocked, waiting. A few moments later he heard Mellanie's voice calling for him to enter.

"You finally decided to come in., Mellanie said from behind her desk. She made no effort to rise or to greet Sam.

"I… Yes., Sam said meekly. "I'm not sure how welcome I am in this office these days."

"Well, you seem to make it your personal mission to be permanently on my bad side these days Sam," Mellanie said, unsmiling. "So I am sure you can work it out from there."

"It is not intentional."

There was a short bark of humourless laughter from Mellanie. "And yet, here we are. What do you want Sam?"

"Two days ago I had a meeting with my Elite Four." Sam started. "We agreed that for his years of service, Professor Samuel Oak deserves a state funeral."

"I see."

"We will be inviting the leaders of all four regions to pay their respects." Sam continued. "And I would like to extend an invitation to you as well. Given how well you knew the Professor, as well as your rank, I would like you to be there."

Mellanie considered it for a moment. "Will you be inviting Ash?"

"There will be space for Oak's family and friends at the funeral, as would be proper. I suspect that Gary will invite Ash."

Mellanie nodded. "You are correct Sam, I would be expected to attend and so will do so. Is there anything else?"

Sam rose from his chair. "In a formal context, no."

"Then thank you," Mellanie said, returning to the screen in front of her. Sam acknowledged his cold dismissal, turning and walking out, slightly confused. The cool reserve that Mellanie was now showing contrasted with anything he had seen from her since she had taken her title. Yet she was still distant. Sam squared his shoulders as he strode down the hallway. He could only guess at one person that could affect such a startling change in Mellanie so quickly. Whatever Ash had done, it had not brought back the Mellanie he knew. And now he couldn't understand what was going on for her underneath the formality of the Pokémon Master. He sighed as he headed for the elevator. He did trust Ash, but he wished he could move a little quicker.

Steven Stone put the report down, before leaning back in his chair and rubbing his eyes. It had been a tough few weeks for him since Mellanie had become Pokémon Master, with focus inevitably falling on his region after the investigation into Ash Ketchum completely fell apart. And now he had the report that he knew he would. He had been there when Jenny and Cynthia realised that they had been fooled. And he had been there when Mellanie had told them how cowardly they were. And he had even tried to explain to Mellanie the logic behind their decisions when she told them she wouldn't rest until she had cleared Ash's name.

Steven prided himself on being more politically astute than any of the other regional leaders. His popularity in his own region helped significantly, but he knew more than anybody what it took to stay at the top. He had expended a not inconsiderable amount of his own wealth in producing a network of contacts that was unrivalled among trainers. Hundreds of people owed him favours and he was not reticent in calling them in. Coupled with the network of the Pokémon League in Hoenn, it meant that Steven could track almost anything. Promising trainers were identified early and tracked, before being brought into his elite circle when they were ready. Problems were identified early, and solutions instigated before anybody else knew they even existed. Hoenn didn't necessarily have the affluence of Johto which was considered the most prosperous of the regions, but it was by far the most stable.

It had been his network of contacts that had meant that he knew more about Mellanie Rigger than anybody else in the world prior to her ascension to the top. When she was out of the regions, even Steven couldn't follow her, but whenever she came back, he was given an appraisal of her strength within days. When she had entered the World League, Steven had suspected that she would win. He had even chosen not to warn Cynthia of the ferocity of her opponent in the final. If Cynthia had known she might have been able to hold Mellanie off a little longer, but it hadn't been his place. One of the hallmarks of his intelligence network was how little of the information was shared around. Steven used it for himself but not for anybody else. But he had found that a small application of pressure in the right place could solve almost any problem if it was applied early enough.

As a result of his hard work, it was very rare for Steven to be surprised. Yet just as he was planning to end the day, the cough from across the room caused him to experience that very emotion. The reaction was amusing for his unexpected visitor. Steven sat bolt upright, spinning in his chair to stare at the source of the intrusion. He was halfway to his feet before he realised who it was and sat back down.

"So, it is possible to surprise you," Ash said with a slight smile.

"How did you get in here?" Steven asked.

"When you have Pokémon as powerful as mine, teleporting anywhere is straightforward."

"No flash from the teleport?" Steven asked, his curiosity suddenly piqued.

"Alakazam managed to dampen it," Ash said, selecting a chair and sitting opposite the Hoenn Champion. "It took him a long time, and if you look closely it is still there, but it is far smaller than on a regular teleport."

"Interesting," Steven said, and he meant it. It was a sign of the level of the former Pokémon Master that his Pokémon were able to develop such abilities. And as he was fond of saying, any information is good information. "What can I do for you then, Champion?"

Ash chuckled. "I haven't been Champion for years."

"You still are," Steven said drily. "Nobody else would break into here like you have."

"True. Anyway, I have come to see what your thoughts are on the investigation into your Chief of Police."

Steven picked up the report once again and held it out. "There is nothing in here that you don't already know. But the case will be prosecuted, and she will be found guilty. The evidence is incontrovertible."

Ash declined the folder with a small hand movement. "You're correct, I know everything in it. But I don't need you to parrot the police line. What are your thoughts?"

"Her mistake was years ago," Steven said. "And she will pay for it."

"When she chose to suppress the truth?"

"No, when she committed herself to something so controversial."

"Interesting," Ash mused, leaning forwards. "You wouldn't have pushed for the prosecution?"

"It was all too neat," Steven explained. "A high-profile case dropping out of nowhere, yet seemingly water-tight? I didn't buy it before the mind-control effect was removed. Afterwards, they had to suffer."

"Which makes me curious as to why you helped cover it up."

"Who says I did?" Steven countered.

"When I left, you assisted Cynthia in the role of Pokémon Master until she won the title back formally at the World League. Yet in that time, the truth about the investigation never came out. Whether you actively suppressed it or chose not to reveal it, you had a hand in it."

"It was a case involving the leader of Sinnoh and a police that I do not have direct authority over."

Ash sighed. "You won't admit to it, will you?"

"Again, the implication is that there is something to admit to."

Ash flashed a slight smile across the room. "You forget who my first two tutees were."

Steven flinched slightly, barely perceptible. There was a ping from the computer on his desk that gave him a moment of thinking time as he checked the email that had arrived. He felt a twinge of curiosity as he read it, before turning his attention back to Ash. "Okay, let's take a hypothetical."

"Of course."

Steven ignored the jibe. "On the political scene three years ago, I could see how I might have been tempted to assist a cover-up, to prevent political instability."

"Right." Ash said leaning forwards again. "That is what interests me. Political instability has the potential to be highly damaging. Who or what might you have been the most concerned for?"

Steven thought for a long moment before grinning over at Ash. "Good question."

"Care to answer it then?"

"You know the answer. I'm not stupid; if the situation was such that it was concerning for me, I would not have fought against it. I would have been concerned with the instability across the four regions, an instability that had begun to flare up after your arrest."

Ash inclined his head. "Thank you. That is what I was hoping you would say."

"Oh?"

"There is going to be a level of political instability coming. Our new Pokémon Master has too many grudges with too much backing them up. It doesn't bode well for the future."

"So why does it…" Steven's voice trailed off. "You want Hoenn to remain neutral."

Ash smiled. "You really are the political master, aren't you? How much of the outcome after my exile was your doing?"

"Most of it," Steven admitted. "Lance doesn't have an appetite for the more subtle exercises of our power, and Cynthia was blinded by her need to protect herself. It left me to come up with the solutions that suited everybody the best."

"Well, you did a good job." Ash conceded. "Although unfortunately, it looks like it might have merely been a temporary solution."

"If I ask you a question, will you answer honestly?" Steven asked.

Ash considered it for a moment before nodding.

"Why are you here?"

A low chuckle came out of Ash's throat. "You would not believe how many times Cynthia asked me that. Can I trust you, Steven?"

"I have never proved otherwise."

"Indeed. And it is not as if you are likely to run and talk to Mellanie. I'm trying to stop her from splitting the regions apart."

"Ah," Steven said. "That explains why you offered evidence to the investigation into my chief of police."

Ash raised his eyebrow in question and Steven gestured to the computer.

"That was the email. Under the circumstances, the recommendation from the police is to have her resign and not hold any position of authority in the force again."

"They are asking you?"

"I know the head of Internal Affairs. She is asking for my opinion."

Ash looked amused. "Is there anybody you don't know?"

"You should know Champion, at this level of the political game, allies are very important."

Ash shrugged. "I never needed them."

"With them, you would never have lost your title."

"Which didn't bother me. I only took it to deal with Tobias legally."

This caught Steven's attention. "Really?"

Ash ignored him, rising from his chair. "You may do what you wish Steven, but my recommendation is that Officer Jenny is returned to the police force, albeit at a far more junior level. She will be a great asset to your police force."

"You're leaving?"

Ash nodded.

"Where will you do next?"

Ash gave him a slightly sad smile. "I'm afraid I don't trust you that much yet Steven. But I can promise you that I will do my best to keep Hoenn safe from what is coming. Your regions stability is something that should be treasured."

Steven rose, holding his hand out. "Thank you. This has been an enlightening meeting, even if unplanned."

Ash shook, before turning and heading for the door. Before he reached it, he vanished in a tiny flash of light.

Ash appeared in Goldenrod City, outside a towering building covered in satellite dishes and radio antennas. He was already moving forwards, approaching the doors which opened in front of him. The entrance was surprisingly quiet, although at lunch Ash admitted that it might be understandable if people were away. As he approached the receptionist's desk, she looked up in shock.

"Champion?"

"I would like a meeting with Zane Zito," Ash said, jumping straight to the point.

"I… Well he is very busy, but I'll see what I can do."

"Please," Ash said. "I'm sure he will want to see me."

Ash wandered away from the receptionist's desk, admiring some of the artwork on the walls. After a few minutes, he heard footsteps approaching rapidly and turned to see Zane Zito striding towards him remarkably quickly.

"Mr Ketchum," Zane said as he reached Ash. "You wished to meet with me?"

"Indeed."

"Well, I have a small bit of spare time, although I can always spare a little longer for somebody as famous as you. If you'd like to come with me."

Ash allowed himself to be led further into the media centre, being taken to an office on the highest floor. Zane offered him a chair before taking a seat himself.

"This was a surprise, I do admit," Zane said. "You never give interviews."

Ash chuckled. "Champion never gave interviews."

"And you were Champion, but not anymore?"

"I remained secret because it suited me," Ash said. "All those years ago, I had been alone for so long, I wanted to stay that way. Nobody knew who I was, so it was easy to maintain. Now, I feel I can achieve more by being more open."

Zane nodded, leaning forwards. "Before we go any further, I want to know. Can I use any of this?"

"This… No." Ash said. "But I will agree to a proper interview."

"Why?" Zane asked instantly.

"Because I will need to have a public platform."

Zane drummed his fingers on the desk in front of him. "Well, I'm not going to say no. I can get you on the show tomorrow night."

"Too soon. I want next week."

"Very well." Zane flicked through a diary on his desk. "Tuesday?"

"Tuesday's show should be good enough," Ash said thoughtfully. "If she hasn't moved by then, I doubt she will."

"She?"

Ash smirked. "You're going to have to wait, Zane. And whilst I'm sure you will want to discuss battling, I will want to cover some political topics."

"A fair trade. What topics?"

Ash rose from his chair, a slight smile on his face. "Trust me, by next week, you'll know."

Ash stood next to Alakazam. All his Pokémon were lined up behind them, waiting. Ash turned to the Psi Pokémon.

"Are you ready?"

Alakazam nodded.

"Then bring us back."

Espeon approached him, ready to lend her strength to Alakazam. There was a flash of light, and the world around the island changed. For a moment everything was dark before the sun came racing back. Ash saw Indigo Plateau in the distance and smiled.

"We are back. Time to make even more noise than we already have."

A/N

Apparently going public involves meetings. Lots of meetings. Not to worry, Ash will be back doing more interesting stuff soon. Anyway, to answer a couple of questions:

NegatronWildHawk - You are right, there is a girl in Ash's past. The story will be in Missing Years if I ever get around to finishing it!

Aoi Hyoudou - Ash and Cynthia were never a couple, but in the last two stories they worked very closely together and clashed significantly, culminating in Cynthia forcing Ash into exile and stealing his title.

Autismo555 - There is indeed more to the Cleffa story. Hopefully, it will answer any further questions.

Mirayessa - No, I didn't mention the speciality of Rose. Again, it is something that will be revealed later...

Think that is it. Until next time - next week! I wonder how much longer I can manage to actually release a chapter each week...

Iama2p