I came all the way to Sinnoh to visit him because I was worried about him. He could fake all he wanted behind the screen with miles between us. But face to face would be a completely different thing. He would not be able to hide what he was truly feeling.
He could not be fine, as he kept saying during our calls. He FELL and almost died; he must know that if it hadn't been for his pokemon evolving he would have died. He can't be too blasé about dying. Not to mention, one of his oldest pokemon had been injured and had needed surgery, with weeks of recovery.
He can't be fine!
But I must say that watching Ash compete in a contest like the Dress-Up Contest just for fun, was a relief for this champion. It's been a while since he had last done something for the fun of it.
He even won and received a pokemon egg!
Talking about the Darkrai, Ash was coming out of the Pokemon Center to meet me at its training ground. But with no egg at sight and only Pikachu and Pupitar by his side. Not even Jolteon was there, the one who has never left his or Pikachu's side since the transfer from Professor Oak's grandson to him.
"Hey, over here!" I called out.
I was thankful once again that our silly disguises worked so much. Otherwise, we would have been mobbed by people by now. Can you imagine it? The Dragon Master and Indigo's League youngest Champion, meeting with Ace Ranger Ash Ketchum, The Saint... we would have the whole city on us.
"Hi Lance, how are you?" He greeted me back. I might not be able to see his mouth because of the mask, but from how his eyes shone I knew he was smiling.
"Why don't we hide there?" I pointed at the trees that surrounded the Pokemon Center. "Then we could talk freely and more relaxed."
He just nodded his head excitedly and practically rushed to hide. He must really hate that silly disguise. Not that I blame him, I hate it just as much. Once we made sure that no one was eavesdropping, we took off our disguises and I called out Scales, my starter Dragonite. We could have had this meeting in the Pokemon Center's business room, but that would only make it feel as if this was business. Not to mention, it's too stifling and we both love the great outdoors much more.
"Hi, Scales." Ash smiled, patting, and nuzzling my starter. Pikachu even joined them when Scales swooped Ash into a tight hug.
Dragonites are just the best ones at giving hugs.
The Pupitar stayed away, looking at both Scales and me with awe and trepidation at the same time. He could clearly sense the power we hold.
So, that's the Pupitar that started it all. I can't wait to see what he'll become once he evolved under Ash's tutelage. I thought to myself, impressed at what I saw in the pokemon.
"Where's the egg?" I asked once Scales finally released Ash. "I can't see you letting an egg out of your sight just as you got them."
"I used the Alakazam teleportation service to send it to Brock. Nurse Joy told me that it was a Happiny egg. Brock wants to become a pokemon doctor and having a future Chansey in his team will help him a lot." He explained to me. "I also don't think it's the best idea to raise an egg while hunting down Team Galactic and not knowing who is gunning after me. Also, if I ever need a pokemon certified for healing I have Meganium."
Scales growled at that, while I frowned at the reminder. Another reason why I came here today, we still had no clue about who leaked the story about Ash capturing Hunter J. But it seems that Ash has stumbled upon the answer, even though he had said that he would leave it to us.
How much more will we owe him? I growled in my head. Just why can't we help him out as he does to us?!
The only thing the League could do to repay his kindness and actions was to place a constant number of Ace Trainers at Pallet Town to protect Delia Ketchum in secret. Not that Professor Oak was unaware of it.
"You said that you had intel about that," I simply said and waited for him to tell me.
"I do," he replied, giving Scales one last pat, before turning to me. In moments like this is when I can see how much he had grown from that boy I had met at the Lake of Rage. This one right now was Ace Ranger Ash Ketchum... and for an unknown reason, it filled me with pride. "I had recently met Jessie, James, and Meowth. They've been doing their own research about this. Since the beginning, they've been suspicious about how easy and how fast they've found out the information needed to capture Hunter J. Especially, since how hard it has been for anyone to point out her location."
"They think it might be Giovanni. Giving them the intel to flush you out into the light?" I inquired; the Indigo League had been thinking on the same line.
"They did... but when they investigated from where their contact found out about this, on the other side was not Team Rocket, but Tobias." I stood frozen at his words. Tobias, the same trainer that possesses a Darkrai and came out from nowhere?! That... that's not good. "I know. That was my same expression. Since no one knows anything about Tobias, finding out who he had received the intel from is close to impossible. But my instincts tell me not to discard the possibility of Giovanni being involved somehow."
"If you say so... damn it!" I growled. "This just gotten times more difficult and complicated."
"Welcome to my world," he chuckled with no humor.
"Ash," I sighed, looking at him with concern. "What's gotten into you? Don't try and tell me everything is ok! You almost died! You can't be ok with that!"
He snapped his head to look at me, with eyes wide open and filled with surprise. As if... as if he had never thought about it. As if, not being ok after almost dying was a brand-new concept for him.
Now my worry is duplicated. What was wrong with him?
"Well, Gary called me recently and told me something very peculiar." He sighed and explained to me what had happened at the Rota Kingdom and what Professor Oak's grandson had deduced.
I rapidly gathered him into my arms and gave him a tight hug. Because... because what Professor Oak's grandson had said was true.
My clan was an old one. We've been there since before the founding of Johto and we've stayed strong and numerous since then, while many other noble families disappeared, for one reason. It was not, as many expected and deduced wrong, because of our mastery of dragon-type pokemon. It was because of our knowledge. Since the founding of the Wataru Clan, we've collected and written down every single piece of knowledge about pokemon and hidden powers we've stumbled upon.
One of those powers was aura manipulation and the Aura Guardians. Who, back then, had been much more numerous than today? Of course, Ash had to be one of them! The number one reason as to why their numbers fell so rapidly, is because of their nature.
Aura users are more connected to this world and nature than anyone, even more than psychics. They become one with nature, as aura flows in all of us, all pokemon, and in nature itself. Aura is the energy that allows this world to keep on working as it is. No wonder his bond with pokemon is so strong. Even with those he had only just met!
But that also means that they have this uncanny need to protect it, to keep its peace. Ignoring this need would drive an aura user mad, as it would be ignoring the cries of their soul itself. Then again, answering those calls would end up with them dying, as they tried to protect whoever was in need.
Not that I would tell him right now. With his aura gate opened and his soul at the mercy of everything that surrounds him... shit! Why can't he take a break?!
"Ash, Gary is right." He stiffened in my hold, but I did not let him go. "Aura users have a bigger amount of aura in them than normal humans, not only that but they also have the ability to use it. Something that only the Lucario line can do. For that one needs an external force to open your aura gate, in your case Sir Aaron's Lucario. However, unlike Lucario, we humans do not possess the ability to close it and open it at will. It's something that one needs to learn through a lot of training. This is why most aura users have a Lucario by their side to help them out. Otherwise, being open and empathic to everything around you will end up driving the human insane." This time it was his pokemon the ones that stiffened at my words. "The reason why your emotions are so high-strung, and you are all over the place emotionally is most likely because no one closes your aura gate yet."
"I don't want a Lucario... I can't have another Lucario in my care and lose them as I lost him." He sobbed in my chest.
I simply held him closer and said nothing. There were no words for me to say. Not after everything he's been through. My only hope was that the Aura Guardian Riley might be able to help somehow. Though I still need to investigate him before allowing him to get involved with Ash's aura. We might not have a lot of choices when it comes to aura users, they were that few of them left, but still, not anyone without a background check will mess with my little brother's soul.
Little brother? I halted at the thought. Oh, so that's why I worry so much or I'm so proud of him. He is my little brother to take care of and protect. I swear upon the Wataru name that for as long as he is by my side no one will hurt him again.