Chapter 57: The Pokémon Rangers!

After finishing his call with Professor Oak, Ash decided to make another call. This time, he dialed a number he'd recently obtained—Elesa's. The bold move surprised even Ash; it wasn't like him to initiate casual calls, especially to someone as famous as the Nimbasa City Gym Leader. But he had a reason—an important collaboration they had been discussing. Elesa was initially caught off guard when her phone buzzed with a call from an unknown number in the Kanto region. Normally, she would ignore such calls, but the fact that it came from Kanto piqued her curiosity. After a moment's hesitation, she swiped to answer. "Hello? Who's calling?" she asked cautiously, her tone professional but intrigued. "Hey, Elesa! It's Ash from Pallet Town," he said with a cheerful grin, his voice immediately disarming her guarded demeanor. "Ash?" Elesa tilted her head, her golden hair shimmering under the studio lights. Then it clicked—Ash Ketchum, the rising star who had left a trail of incredible battles and Gym victories. "Wow, this is unexpected," she admitted, smiling. "I didn't expect you to call. What's up?" The two began chatting, and Elesa quickly found herself amazed. Ash wasn't just a talented trainer; he had an impressive understanding of music, rhythm, and even lyrical composition. As he shared the song he'd written for their collaboration, her initial surprise turned into genuine excitement. "This is incredible!" Elesa exclaimed, her voice tinged with admiration. "I can already imagine how it'll sound during the performance." Ash chuckled, scratching the back of his head modestly. "I'm glad you like it. I just wanted to do something fun and creative." Elesa grinned. "You've got talent, Ash. If this whole Pokémon journey thing ever slows down, you might have a future in the music industry." They continued discussing the finer details of their project, and by the time the call ended, Elesa was thoroughly impressed by Ash's charisma and unexpected depth. As for Ash, he felt a renewed sense of confidence in the project. Ash trusts both Elesa and Professor Oak, so he feels confident about moving forward. Now, all he had to do was wait for the Poké Coins from their collaboration to come in. When Ash turned back to his friends, he noticed Brock, Misty, and May staring at him, their expressions a mix of surprise and amusement. "What?" Ash asked, raising an eyebrow. "Why are you all looking at me like that?" "Did we just witness Ash Ketchum casually chatting with Elesa, one of the most famous Gym Leaders in Unova?" May teased, her eyes sparkling with curiosity. "And talking about music, no less!" Misty added, smirking. "I didn't know you had it in you, Ash." Ash waved off their comments, trying to play it cool. "It's nothing. Just a little project we're working on. Anyway, let's go. Nurse Joy should have finished checking on our Pokémon by now, and Scyther should be healed as well." He made a point not to mention the Fairy-type information he'd been working on in secret. It wasn't a matter of distrust; he simply didn't see the need to bring it up just yet. At the Pokémon Center, Nurse Joy greeted them with her usual warm smile. "Your Pokémon are all in great shape now," she announced. "Seel and Eevee are healthy, and Scyther has fully recovered from its injuries." "Thank you, Nurse Joy!" Misty and May chorused, bowing politely. As they prepared to leave, Nurse Joy offered some advice. "I noticed you came from the direction of Cycling Road. The main entrance is currently closed, so if you're heading that way, you'll need to take the side path. Lately, a lot of trainers have been using Cycling Road for the Battle Pike Challenge." Ash's eyes widened slightly as he remembered an important detail from the past. Celebi! Known as the Guardian of the Forest, the elusive Pokémon was said to appear in this region. A rare encounter with Celebi would be a moment he couldn't pass up. As they left the Pokémon Center, Brock unfolded a map to locate the side path. "Looks like it's this way," he said, pointing to a narrow trail. But Ash, tapping into his Aura powers, sensed something unusual. Expanding his range to a 5-kilometer radius, he scanned the area for any sign of Celebi. While he didn't sense the mythical Pokémon, a strange energy emanated from a specific direction. "Pikapi? Pikachu!" Pikachu suddenly perked up on Ash's shoulder, gesturing excitedly toward the source of the energy. Ash sighed, already sensing the familiar rhythm of events. "Guess we're following the plot again," he muttered under his breath. "Pikachu, wait up!" he called as his Pokémon darted ahead, leading them to the side path. The trail quickly became overgrown with massive thorny vines that twisted and coiled like living barriers. The air felt heavy, charged with an otherworldly presence. "Hold it!" a firm voice called out. A Pokémon Ranger emerged from the thicket, her uniform immaculate despite the rugged surroundings. "This area is restricted. Please turn back." Brock stepped forward, his smooth demeanor kicking in. "Miss, I am Brock, and these are my friends. We followed our friend Pikachu into the forest and just want to make sure it's safe. We mean no harm." The Ranger hesitated, her expression softening slightly. After a moment, she contacted the Pokémon Ranger Union for permission. "You're lucky," she said, pocketing her communicator. "They've granted you access, but stay close. My name is Solana, and I'm investigating the strange behavior of this forest." As they ventured deeper, the thorny vines thickened, eventually forming an impenetrable wall. Solana spotted three Linoone nearby and quickly activated her Capture Styler. The device emitted a series of glowing rings that circled the wild Pokémon, calming them and earning their temporary cooperation. "Linoone, use Cut to clear the path ahead!" she commanded. The Linoone swiftly sliced through the vines with their sharp claws. Inspired, Ash and Brock called out their own Pokémon to assist. "Sceptile! Charizard!" "Scyther!" -------------- T/N: Access 30 Chapters in Advance on my P@treon: [email protected]/PokePals