The beginning of a new road {Path of the Aura Ranger: Book II}

V Riley's P.O.V

I smiled as I watched Ash and Cheren talking. We had finally arrived in Aspertia City and had visited the Gym, which doubles as a schoolhouse where Trainers-to-be can learn all about pokemon. Cheren's aunt's love for knowledge has been inherited by him- Lenora had been a great inspiration to him. Right now, Cheren was thanking Ash for helping him to bolster his confidence. Cheren had resolved to stop overthinking his many jobs as a Gym Leader, teacher, and role model for his students. He was simply going to go for it.

I chuckled at that. As it was the same advice Max had given Natasha. It looks like the teacher was beginning to learn from his student as well. Then again I can't say a thing. As I am contantly learning from Ash, my aura guardian apprentice. Not that I could truly call him that, as he was quite gifted into aura manipulation- it comes naturaly to him! I have barely nothing left to teach him! I believe that after our Kalos journey he won't need me anymore... that thought was filled with both pride and sadness.

Ash has truly grown so much these last two years, I thought nostalgically, as we were passing through Floccesy Town towards the White Ruins.

But my train of thoughts was interrupted by the sudden attack of three angry Amoonguss. Max, Iris, and Cilan fought them off, as Ash and I observed, we later took them to the Pokemon Center. We were not surprised to find the place packed... at least, Ash and I were not. We had been given information from N in the ferry about a possible dark laboratory in the mountains of the area. It seems that Team Plasma's scientist Colress has moved into experimenting on pokemon.

I was honestly quite afraid of Ash's expression after he had found out. I shivered at the memory. I had never seen him that mad.

As we had planned, since we had first found out, we left Cilan in charge of Max and Iris, as we set out to investigate up the mountain. That was until all the pokemon in the area suddenly turned on us and started attacking.

"Riley! I can feel some kind of artificial distruptor making them act out!" Ash shouted, as his Lucario and him created a shield to protect them- my Lucario and I were doing the same.

"Then let's counter it!" I yelled back. "We could create our own frequency using aura!"

"Let's do it!" Ash rapidly agreed and we both got to work. With four aura sensitives in our group we made a quick work on the pokemon. The poor things looked around in confusion after they had snapped out of their mind control- they had no idea of where they were and what they were doing. Pikachu was quick to take control of the situation and corral the group of pokemon, the perks of being the first pokemon of many teammates. "Come on out I know you are there," Ash spoke up, making me tense up.

Were we about to be attacked?! I exclaimed internally, having not felt anyone in the area. From the shadows a figure stepped out, it was... Detective Looker of the International Police! The last time we had seen him, was during the all-out war against Team Galactic in the Sinnoh. It seems that he was now on the trail of Team Plasma. More importantly, how did I miss his presence?!

"You were focused on searching for ill intent," Lucario told me, already knowing what I was thinking like always. "He had no ill intent for us, that's why you missed him."

"What are you doing here?" Ash asked. "Oh, that's what I would have asked if it was not obvious. If the International Police wanted to be involved in the investigation, they could have always asked. I have proven that I have no issue with partnering up with you."

"You might not, but Unova is even worse than Sinnoh when it comes to jurisdiction," Looker chuckled dryly. "They've been roadblocking me since the beginning of the year."

"Who?" Ash growled angrily. "My team has been busting their assess off because of lack of personnel and they were idiotic enough not to accept aid from the International Police! I want names now!" Pikachu's cheeks were sparkling with electricity as he growled on Ash's shoulder, even Ash's Lucario looked furious.

"I'll pass them to you later," Looker promised, a dark and smug expression on his face. "Right now we have a job to do. I know where the lab is located. Follow me."

What else were we supposed to do? We followed him, we had a lot of pokemon to save. Though I knew Ash would not forget and demand names afterward. Of course, we were attacked as soon as wee got inside. But they did not know they were going to face off against four powerful aura users, so we made a quick work of everyone until we got to the main room.

"Welcome dear Saint and mob characters!" Colress cackled as he greeted us. "Now you!" He pointed, with a maniac look in his eyes, at Pikachu. "You are going to be the perfect subject!"

I sighed as the moron tried to control Pikachu with his control machine. The bond between Ash and Pikachu was too strong and well proctect with aura for it to work. But we let the act play because it gave Looker the perfect opportunity to grab some of the equipment and freeing all the mountain pokemon from the scientist's influence.

"Now that's not nice!" Looker received a nasty glare from a mad Colress. "Oh, well, our party got interrupted. Let's meet next time... that is if you survive my parting gift!"

We watched in astonishment as he jumped off the window. We rushed forward only to see him cackling madly and waving at us from the back of a Mandibuzz.

"He set the remaining equipment to self-destruct!" Looker realized in horror.

"Luckily we have aura and we can create shields," Ash's Lucario commented cockily.

We used our aura to stop the explosiong from blowing up the lab and destroying all the evidence of Team Plasma's presence and Colress's experiments.

"Well, now that was a hectic mission," Looker commented. "Is it always like this with you?"

"Yes," we all replied in chorus.

"I can't believe I am joining you for a second time," Looker sighed. "I must be mad."

"No, he is simply very contagious," I comforted him. "He is chaos incarnated and has no issue spreading it around."

"Dan, brief him of the situation," Ash commanded and a red-haired man with his Greninja appeared from the shadows, kneeling down.

"Hai, captain!"

"He is not from Unova, is he?" Looker asked Ash, raising an eyebrow in surprise.

"Nope, he is from my Kanto Ghost Team," Ash answered, though his intense gaze was still on where Colress had escaped.

That moron decided to target Pikachu, I shook my head. He will be hounded down by Ash till the end of the world if needed. Whoever called Ash petty and rancorous was more right than they will ever know. For his family Ash would do anything.