Going forward and beyond {Path of the Aura Ranger: Book I}

III Pikachu's P.O.V

After helping a lost Bidoof return to their home village and help that nice old lady Abigail reconcile with her, now Raichu, Sugar, we finally reached Floaroma Town. Dawn was ready for her contest and Ash was finally acting like he used to be. He still acts more maturely than before, especially given the responsibilities that were placed upon him. But he was letting himself show his excitement more readily, the walls that I had not to notice being built, were coming down.

I had thought that it had been losing the Ever Grande Conference that changed him... how foolish of me! Of course, it wasn't losing what brought him down. While losing had always frustrated him and made him sad, his confidence in us and himself had never wavered. He would simply get up and try again.

But it had been Lucario's death that had changed him. We've never lost anyone during our missions to save the world. Not until the Tree of Beginning. I should have noticed when he called back his strongest pokemon to capture Hunter J. He had never done that. No matter what difficulty and challenge we were faced with, Ash had always managed to find a way to turn things around, even if he didn't have his strongest or most experienced pokemon with himself. But this time around he didn't allow anything to be up in the air, he had to control everything of the mission.

Since then, he wanted to be stronger and win, not because he doubted us or himself. But because he was afraid of losing another pokemon. He wanted, no needed, an absolute win. Something big that would prove to him that he had managed to train us to the level he could let us go into missions without him fearing for our lives. Beating Hunter J would have been the proof he needed... if Charizard hadn't gotten hurt.

Being angry at Charizard wouldn't help anyone. So, I decided to let everyone know what was truly going on with Ash and that we must win the Lily of the Valley Conference for him. Ash needs that peace of mind to go back to be the trainer he used to be. If more mature.

"How are you doing Meganium?" Ash's question snapped me out of my thoughts. "Is this too much for you?"

"No, I'm fine." She replied, nuzzling Ash, as Espeon translated her answer to our trainer.

Once we reached Floaroma Town, we were dragged away for the interview with Battler, which was followed by their photoshoot. They had wanted to take pictures of Ash with the team he has used to capture Hunter J. Which meant he had to call them all back.

You know, since our first journey, Ash had wanted to be a Pokemon Master, what he had already achieved. But he also wanted to be popular, not for the glory but because he wanted to prove to everyone who said he would fail that they were wrong and that he had managed to become someone. I was all for it. However, no one told us how uncomfortable it would be to have our pictures taken to make posters to sell alongside a magazine.

Luckily, Ash had made sure to tell the magazine he would only let them have our pictures if Todd was the one taking them. There will be three posters inside the next issue of Battler. One of them of Charizard and Ash, on Pidgeot's back, as they flew on the sky. The second one, with Ash sitting on the ground while leaning against a tree trunk, with Honedge leaning on his side, Espeon and Jolteon on his lap, and me nuzzling his cheek on my favorite spot on his shoulder. The third one would have Ash, with his arms crossed over his chest, as he smiles brightly with Sceptile and Primeape on one side, and Meganium and Feraligatr on the other. Ash was wearing his Ranger Outfit in all of them.

We were honestly lucky that Meganium had already delivered the egg and there was no way it would hatch anytime soon. So, we were all able to make it.

"That would be all," Todd finally said the words my whole team was waiting to hear. "And with your interview done, you can go."

"Thank you, Todd!" Ash replied. "I know that I kind of dragged you all the way to Sinnoh for this."