Ash the Dragon Specialist

Reports

"Congrats Ash!" Celeste beamed through the screen of the Xtransceiver. "You defeated Headmaster Drayden! That is so cool! I would have loved to be there and seen it happen!" Celeste pouted. "A full battle at that, it must have been legendary!"

Ash giggled at her unintended pun. "I'm sure my mom recorded the whole thing; I will have her send the recording to you. In the meantime, congrats on your fifth ribbon! You, Titania, and Loki were rock stars!"

"We tried our best," Celeste shrugged humbly. "Now we are focusing on Titania and making sure she is ready for the Hoenn Grand Festival. Evolving so soon before such a grand event is such a nightmare!" Celeste huffed, before perking up. "You, Cilan, and Mrs. Ketchum are coming to watch me compete right? I just got the reply from Professor Oak, he is coming as well! I am so glad you've convinced me to be his Field Researcher as well. Thanks to that I can keep all eight of my pokemon with me at all times! He is quite delighted by my reports about eeveelutions."

"We are, and so is Drayden-sensei. With the Vertress Conference so close, not many trainers are coming to challenge him and with the Academy starting their vacation period, he is free to travel with us." Ash informed her with an excited smile. "Also, you know Mom has told you to call her Delia. Do not allow her to hear you refer to her differently."

"Yeah, that would be a nightmare for real," Celeste paled at the image of a mad Delia Ketchum. "Headmaster Drayden is coming with you? So cool! He skipped my previous Grand Festival because he had to deal with some poachers around the Opelucid City. Let's hope nothing like that happens this time around."

"Let's hope not," Ash agreed, his mood darkening at the mention of poachers. He shook the memory off and went back to smiling his Sunflora smile. "How is your dad doing?"

"He has been excellent!" Celeste beamed. "I never understood the connection you had with Headmaster Drayden, the importance of a mentor, until this journey I've been though in Hoenn. Having someone guide you and help perfectionate your craft is incredible!" Celeste's gaze was filled with fondness and happiness. "Steven has also been great, and his parents are the grandparents I've never had. He is going to adopt me when the Grand Festival is done, we will also reveal my relation to dad then."

"I am so happy for your Cel," Ash told her warmly. "You deserve it, to have a family..."

"However, you want to know if I talked to my aunt since we've seen each other," Celeste finished for her friend, she knew him too well. She sighed and shook her head. "Yes, I have. To say that our reunion could have been taken out of one of her old Paldean telenovelas, would be an understatement."

Ash winced. "What happened?"

"She barged into the Stone Manor demanding to see me, then my dad called out his Milotic and was ready to... escort her out," Celeste grimaced, as Ash's eyes widened in shock. He could not stop himself from laughing, which prompted Celeste to laugh with him. "I know! Arceus was that hilarious! Seteven's Metagross even levitated some popcorn for us to eat as we watched the screaming match my dad and aunt had gotten into! I just could not believe my prim and proper aunt was acting like a child, or that I would ever see my fabulous dad behave so unhinged. Poor Steven had to be the voice of reason, trying to calm everyone down." Celeste finally calmed down and continued to explain, even though she was still chuckling from time to time. "We all sat down afterwards and talked. We decided to visit Paldea after the Hoenn Grand Festival. We, as in Steven, dad, and myself. However, my aunt is not welcomed to come and see me compete... I still don't feel comfortable with it."

"I would bet! She lied to you, your whole life. That is not something you can easily forgive," Ash replied, he was 100% on her corner. "But I am glad the tension had been relieved, if only a little bit."