Chapter Text
“Alola, class,” Kukui calls out as the class sends a few responses back.
“Alola”,
“Morning Professor”,
“Alola Kukui”. Kukui smiles seeing that Ash made it into school just in time even though he does seem a bit out of it, probably just still tired.
“Well class, today we are going to discuss how types can affect battle styles and how they don’t. This will also include us going over some moves where they are almost the same and just slightly changed due to type. Oh, and Rotom. Principal Oak has some new research he needs to upload to you, apparently, something quite big in the Pokedex side of science hit today so he’s doing your next major upload today.”
“Bzzrt, You got it, Professor. Time to acquire new knowledge,” Rotomdex said as they flew out toward Principal Oak’s office.
“Well then Class let’s begin!”
~
During a short break in Professor Kukui’s lesson, Lana asks, “Wait Ash why were you so excited to see us earlier?”
“And why did you think it was tomorrow?” Kiawe asks.
“I just had an adventure that’s all,” Ash responds nonchalantly.
“Yeah, but why did you seem so surprised to see us all? Like you came up to us as if you hadn’t seen us in years.” Mallow says.
“Just a weird adventure that’s all,” Ash responds slightly less nonchalantly.
“Ash you’ve been on solo adventures before and haven’t reacted like that. You looked like you almost collapsed in relief when you saw Professor Kukui walk through the door.” Lana says.
“You want to know; you really want to know?” Ash says while letting some of the snappy tone he’s been holding back seep into his words. Ash looked around the room. The whole class was nodding apart from Kiawe and Professor Kukui.
“Well alright then. While Pikachu and Tapu Koko were fighting two of their attacks collided and Pikachu and I were sent to this other Alola. It was overrun with Ultra Beasts, all of Melemele, and all of Alola was destroyed. While I was trying to escape one of the Ultra Beast, I later found out to be called Guzzlord I found one other person, Dia, and his Zeraora, a Pokemon I never saw before, but it was about as tall as me and yellow with blue accents and a grey waist and legs. I’m pretty sure it’s an electric and fighting type but I haven’t seen it before so I’m not sure. Dia said that the Ultra Rangers tried to combat the Ultra Beasts when they appeared years ago, but they failed. He stayed behind to see if anything could be done but he was stuck there just surviving. After spending the night or as close as it got in the eternal storm of that world at the destroyed Pokémon School, we both headed back into town. We managed to send Guzzlord back through an Ultra Wormhole, but it wasn’t until the other world’s Tapu Koko showed up and had a battle with me that I was able to get back. And all of this took almost 2 days which is why I acted like I hadn’t seen you all in so long. I had just visited a world where all of Alola was destroyed. Me and Dia were the only people and Pikachu and Zeraora were the only Pokemon on the whole archipelago. I didn’t even see a Ratata or Grubin. I wasn’t sure if I was going to be able to get back or not either. I’m glad I did but I do hope Dia is ok “
Wow, you had a crazy adventure, Ash! Glad you’re back safe with us now though,” Mallow says.
“I wish I could have an adventure like that,” Sophocles says while Lana nods and Mallow tilts her head in partial agreement.
“You don’t get it. You will never get it!” Ash shouts, “It was horrific I saw the world gone, destroyed, dead. You all definitely died and with the fact the champions hadn’t come to save Alola, everywhere else is probably in a similar state. I’m dead, you’re dead everyone is dead or in the process of hiding out and trying to last in bunkers and safe areas until they die anyway,” Ash says almost screaming at them, praying they will get his point.
Kiawe, Lille, and Kukui all have looks of horror and something bordering on pity for a horror they will never understand. Ash knows they understand but Sophocles and Lana still have faces that show even with these options they still want a crazy adventure with legendries and Mallow, although now obviously weighing it up, still seems to favor having a crazy adventure like that.
Ash knows now is probably the best moment he’s going to get to explain this all to them. Just how dangerous it is to deal with legendries, at least they are all trainers already,’ Ash thinks to himself, the memories of Max and Bonnie in danger weighing heavily on him. He may not be the oldest here, but he is an adult, and he has a responsibility to let them know what they are getting into before it’s too late.
After observing his classmates Ash says, “I’ve already died more times than all of you ever will combined.” A slight hint of anger started to seep through.
Taking a breath, Ash starts again almost spitting at his class. “You will never know what it feels like to always be waiting for someone to come rushing saying the Lance or Cynthia or Diantha is looking for you to fix their problem!
What it feels like to have these champions standing right next to you and still have you be the one who has to fix everything anyway.
To be the one who, no matter how hard you try, gets wound up in the legends of every single place you travel to, where you will have to save the world because no one else is going to.
Where if you don’t save the world, you know someone else is going to try and they may have to make a sacrifice play!
You will never know what it is like for people or Pokemon to do that for you!” Ash almost crying at this point but brings himself back before continuing.
“Where you have to sit and listen to people talk about tracking down these Pokemon when you stumbled on them and died because of their mess.
To have all this power and still all you're doing is just fighting for those you love to survive. That’s all I was ever doing. Just trying to make sure those I love can survive. It’s why I leap after my Pokemon without a second thought whether that’s off a cliff or a tower or into a volcano I will always save my Pokemon. And I will do the same for my friends always.”
Ash stops just long enough to turn to face Kukui not taking in the faces of the people in the classroom, ranging from horrified to blank with shock.
“When the world got covered in storms and Pokemon felt a pull toward Kanto. That was me in the Orange Islands dealing with Zapdos, Moltres, and Articuno because Lugia was being useless. When the Kingdom of Rota and the Tree of Life were going crazy, I had to harness Aura to save everyone. Stopping Kyogre and Groudon in Hoenn, Lance was there and all he did was give his Pokemon to ride on because his attacks did nothing. When Rowan was the Science world's golden boy for all his research on other dimensions, that was because I was being thrown around all those dimensions and dealing with Giratina and Palkia and Dialga months before. Stopping Team Galactic at Mount Coronet, me!
Ash getting increasingly exasperated, continues. “I turn up in Unova and Zekrom immediately blasts me and Pikachu before we even get to leave the docks messing me up and causing me to fail my team there. Going back into the past to stop Zekrom and Reshiram and save Victini saving the world. ME!
Having to stop Yveltal from destroying the world while trying to keep Diance safe and revive Xerneas while watching Pikachu die in Infront of me. ME! Having to stop a mythical Pokemon who was bringing all of the legendries together and mixing all sorts of time periods and creating a black hole in a city which required Arceus to give us some extra time to work on it. ME!”
He took a second before continuing. He can see he’s probably got through to all of them by now but there is no other time for him to tell this story so taking a deep breath followed by a full body shudder he takes Pikachu who had moved to crouch front of him while Kukui was talking into his arms and holds him tight. He turns back to the rest of the class knowing they should all of his next ‘crazy adventure’.
“And the Kalos Crisis. I was there having just lost one of the hardest conferences of my life. Harder for me than even against Tobias where my team had to beat a literal Darkrai and Latios! I put all my energy into Greninja and that last Z-move level Water Shuriken, while basically mega evolved with me putting in the energy. And now the entire region is under attack and another stupid prophecy means I’m not escaping it. Get tortured on the top of the tower and having to watch legendary Pokemon rampage across the city tearing it to shreds. Then once I’ve dealt with the two legendries in the city, I still have to deal with the construct heading towards Anistar city. We had all my friends, rivals, all the gym leaders, Diantha Carnet and Steven Stone. And who has to still guide them all on where to attack? Me!
Who had to carry it on as they got hit back by the construct, Me! And then after dealing with Legendary after Legendary for years and years I finally arrived in Alola on holiday trying to take a break. Then I decide to stay and on the next day, I get a Tapu Koko forcing me to battle. And I have to leave behind Greninja in Kalos because he’s the only Pokemon that can see the remaining threats from the crisis while constantly having to give energy to him to make sure he’s always ready.”
So yeah, I’m fed up. I’m tired of being Arceus's plaything and dealing with it all. I’m tired of being on call for the G-Men, The Rangers, the Secret Police, and every Champion ever when any legendary shows up and causes trouble. I wanted just one region where I’m not on call 24/7 to deal with legendries. Just one region where I won’t die or even get close to it. Just one region where I don’t need to worry about who’s going to appear next or if my friends are going to die. Just one region where I don‘t have to worry about who I’m going to be added to the on-call list next or which of my Pokemon are going to need to enter counseling back at the ranch. And I couldn’t even get that, I got drafted into a superhero team where I need to be the one to lead everyone again. It’s like Kalos all over again. I’m the leader who has to tell everyone what to do just this time I have someone who has no idea what the life and death situations out here are like wanting to scrutinize my every move and try to tell me how to do my job.
Everywhere I go Legendary Pokemon appear and mess up my life, Dealing with Nebby was the third time I had dealt with a baby Legendary Pokemon, and was my least dangerous resolution to that issue ever and you all were there in Ultra Space with me. The last time I had a baby Pokemon the Kalos Crisis happened, the time before I died while trying to save Manaphy and was thankfully brought back before I drowned so honestly it was the best I could have hoped for.”
“So everyone, do you still want to have a crazy adventure of your own?” Ash asks reverberating around the classroom as stunned silence finally settles on the room.
After almost a full minute, where were it not for the Pokemon chirping in the distance and the distance rumble of the other classes at the Pokemon school, it would almost seem as if the world had stopped after Ash’s final declaration. At last, Kiawe stood up. Slowly walking over to Ash who was holding Pikachu tightly to his chest Kiawe kept his hands slightly stretched out to the side until he was next to Ash facing his side. And then in what for Ash felt as slow as trudging through snow and as quick as Pikachu’s Quick Attack, Kiawe enveloped him in a hug. He held on tight but not so tight it hurt and just stayed there until eventually, Ash started to move into the hug slightly. Kiawe then quietly says so only Ash and Pikachu can hear, “I’m so sorry you had to go through that.” Taking a small breath before losing some of his stoic postures Kiawe then says “And I’m sorry for not pushing back against the others intruding and making comments like that. I’ve seen the clip of you jumping off that tower after Pikachu, I only realized it was you after you jumped off a cliff after him. Ever since then, I’ve realized there's more to you than meets the eye, so thank you for sharing.”
Kiawe stops looking down at Ash after another second and looks up at Professor Kukui, “Professor Kukui, Is Professor Burnet at home today?”
Kukui finally snapped out of his shock at hearing all that Ash has done while only knowing the league files for half of these. “Umm... Yes she is today, Why d- “
Kiawe, interrupting Kukui, says, “Great, I will be returning Ash to your house and leaving him with Professor Burnet using Charizard. I guarantee Ash will be safe for the whole journey.” He starts to guide Ash out of the classroom.
By the time Kukui has understood what Kiawe said, they were already passing through the door. Kukui comes up to them and asks, “Ash can you go stand over there for a second? Thanks.” After, Ash reluctantly leaves Kiawe’s arms, which makes Kukui almost regret the decision to have a chat with Kiawe. After taking Kiawe a bit more around the landing they can both still see Ash, but he won’t be able to hear them easily, or at least can drown them out better. “Why are you taking Ash back to my house? As his legal guardian, I am responsible for him while he is in Alola. You are within school time and should be staying here where we can be sure of your whereabouts.”
Kiawe, looking at Kukui, replies, “Because you have a room full of students who you are legally responsible for, unlike Ash who under inter-regional law is an adult anyway and who has legal responsibility of himself, who have all just had a very traumatised kid go off at them. It took me a full minute to react, and I understand that is because I am the most experienced of us who wasn’t trying to react to their kid saying they had died multiple times and has probably faced any and all legendries out there already.”
When Kukui tried to respond that Ash wasn’t his kid, Kiawe just looked at Kukui with an expression that said don’t even try, I’m right.
“Ash needs to only be with people he can trust and right now that is you, Burnet, and his Pokémon and away from those he can’t fully trust, and right now, that is half of your class.”
Kukui took a second to look at Ash and realized Kiawe was right. At the moment he wasn’t Ash’s parent adult he boarded with, he was the teacher to a class full of students whose parents relied on him to keep them safe, and taking Ash back and staying with him was failing not only their parents but also the kids themselves.
“Thank you Kiawe, can you go down and make sure Charizard is all ready for two-person rides on the paddock out there?” Kukui asked while pointing at the area just below where they were standing.
Kiawe just nods to Kukui and looks over at Ash saying, “I’ll be back in a minute with Charizard Ash.”
Ash, looking a million miles away, just quietly says ‘ok’ back to Kiawe. Kukui starts to walk over to Ash but before he can even say anything Ash starts, “I didn’t hear much but I did hear Kiawe talking about me being an adult and he’s right. I mentioned it to him a little while back in case he ever needs a loophole when a parent asks if any adults will be there. If anyone does complain don’t let them sit on you. There were multiple moments I could have stopped, and I didn’t, I’m an adult so I can take the blame. Don’t take any of the fire meant for me Kukui-Hakase.” He slipped into some light Kantonian at the end.
Kukui, just taking these small changes in stride at this point, starts to talk to Ash. “If anyone does complain, we will deal with it together. I promise to not shut you out as long as you promise to do the same, ok?” After getting a nod from Ash, he continues. “I am not angry at you, you have been through a major ordeal just today, or the past few days for you I suppose. Kiawe is going to take you home to where Professor Burnet is. And she can do whatever you want, she can listen if you want to talk about anything or just sit there and you can sit there with her or … I’m sure she would also be happy to watch a movie or something. Whatever you want to do you can but take it easy. I will be home as soon as I am sure everyone else is ok to talk to you if you want. I will probably have some questions I need answering but right now I am pulling you out of the Ultra Guardians, I don’t care what Ultra Beast appears you are not to respond to it unless I say so. I will make sure there is someone there to cover if it is needed. That is non-negotiable.” Ash nods his head after a second before hugging Kukui. They don’t need to exchange any words; their relationship has gone far beyond tenant and boarder or even housemates and Kukui realizes he’s ok with that.
Kukui takes a break to look down at Kiawe who all looks ready. He returns the thumbs up he receives and then Charizard starts rising up to the ledge.
“Well, I suppose that is simpler,” Kukui says quietly. As Charizard reaches the balcony Kukui taps Ash “Hey Ash, Charizard and Kiawe are here. They will fly you home to Burnet ok” After working together to get Ash on Charizard he says to Kiawe “Fly safe, you don’t need to race, just get him home.”
“You got it, Professor,” Kiawe says before taking off.
Taking a deep breath he takes out his phone to call Burnet.
“Hey Honey,” Burnet says when picking up the call.
“Hi, Ash is coming home right now with Kiawe on Charizard. Something happened today and he went off at everyone.” Taking a deep breath to prepare himself to retell this to Burnet “He got sent to a world where all of Alola is destroyed by Ultra Beasts and presumably the world he says. Sophocles made some inappropriate comments after hearing Ash’s what I presume to be a censored version of events. He started talking about other events … … Every major Legendary sighting or event in the last 6 years or so. I’m pretty sure he was at all of them mostly involved in stopping them. He has been saving the world and not had anyone to speak about it with and today he cracked. He’s probably got Trauma and maybe PTSD.”
Kukui’s voice starts to crack but he carries on. “Burnet, he said he has already died more time than the rest of us combined ever will. There were 7 of us in that room, he has died at least 7 times. Just take care of him, he probably doesn’t want to go out but maybe you could get that Beware Malasada place to deliver. I’ve noticed they seem to have a better rapport with Ash than other places so they might deliver if you explain that Ash is having a hard time today. If they ask what with just say past adventures. If they know him as well as I think they do that should be all they need.”
“Ok Honey, calm down. I got this. You need to get back to your students and work on how to play this with Principal Oak. Students first though. I can hear wingbeats so I think Kiawe is here. I’ll send him straight back to you. Good luck.” Burnet steps in hearing the telltale signs of Kukui starting to panic, going off on tangents like random.
“Good luck,” Kukui responds before ending the call.
Principal Oak, he’s going to have to deal with him, maybe both of the Oaks. He is going to take advantage of time zones as much as he can to avoid that. Rotom is with Oak! He sends a quick message to Oak saying he is ordering Rotom to stay with him overnight and that he’s sorry for doing this, but he has a class/home emergency and Rotom would just make it ten times worse.
Oak quickly sends back an ‘Understood’, before following up with a question on if he needs any more help. Kukui sends back a very quick message saying he has it sorted as he steps back into the classroom.