Chapter Text
There was always something different about Ash.
Kukui had taken him in so he could complete the island challenge and go to the pokemon school, and he couldn't help but observe Ash and notice something was off.
On his first day in Alola, Ash ran into the island guardian of Melemele island, and was given a Z-ring from Tapu Koko.
He was so charismatic with all his classmates and has influenced them all, Kukui himself included. Kukui did note however, that Ash manages to talk a lot, without actually revealing anything about himself.
Even simple questions like his birthday or when his journey started remain untouched till you ask him.
Hell, it took a while for Professor to find out that Ash was legally an adult, because in Kanto the age you turn an adult is 10 which is considerably younger than any other region.
Ash started travelling practically as a child, he wasn’t even a teenager yet to most regions standards.
However, Kukui noticed something he didn’t before. Ash had a concerning amount of scars. He was only around 17, so how could he possibly have that many?
Where and how?
When Ash first tried to help Litten, he obtained many scratches from there but he healed up pretty quickly.
Then there was the incident when Rockruff became violent or when Rowlet would accidentally dig his claws in too deep.
That could’ve been the case, Ash has owned and taken care of many different pokemon. But of course, just to be sure the professor decided to ask Ash about it in case it was anything remotely serious.
Ash was his ward so he didn’t want to tell Delia that anything bad had happened in Alola to her son. Kukui decided that after class would be the appropriate time to do so.
It was a normal day at the pokemon school for Ash, he loved going there.
All his friends and their pokemon loved each other, even if it was definitely a change of pace for him and Pikachu.
It was more relaxed than when he would travel around regions, but he was still getting stronger and making new friends.
Professor Kukui was also there for him, practically making up for his absent father.
Everything and everyone in Alola was just right.
He did realise however, that many of his friends got surprised when they learnt just how long he’d been travelling or how old he actually is.
Hell, they’d get surprised when he would mention all his different friends.
Ash knew the people and pokemon who he had once travelled with were awesome. Before he knew it, his classes were over for the day.
Sure he enjoyed going to the school and being taught basically by his parental figure, it still doesn’t change that it’s definitely tiring sometimes.
He was slouched on his desk, Pikachu curled up by his side when he heard someone say, “Hey Ash, you wanna go out to the shopping mall today?” Professor Kukui said, extending a hand.
Ash was already filled with more energy than the few seconds before.
The last time they were meant to go to the shopping mall got cancelled because Professor Kukui had to go to a meeting, he couldn’t deny he was disappointed but now was their chance to properly get to know each other.
Ash happily agreed and flashed that usual joyous grin as Pikachu hopped onto his shoulder.
The walk from the pokemon school to the mall wasn’t that long, Ash was used to walking great distances in one day anyways.
Although, he wasn’t really used to going shopping, unless it’s for groceries or camp stuff of course.
“Hey Professor, what do you usually buy when you go out?” He asked whilst they made their way to the entrance.
“Well Ash, you don’t have to buy anything, sometimes spending time with the people you care about is enough.” the Professor smiled, “but you should really get whatever you want, it’s just nice to care for yourself every once in a while.”
“I get it!” the boy said excitedly, looking at the glass windows, “Buddy it’s a Pikachu plushie! Isn’t it cute?”
In response, the electric mouse made a squeal of excitement.
“Anything caught your eye?” asked Kukui, laughing at Ash and Pikachu’s joy.
“It’s a Greninja key ring!” Ash said, “Professor, can we go check in there?”
“Of course!” Kukui instantly replied.
“This place is AWESOME!” he yelled.
The store was packed with little trinkets from keyrings and magnets to shirts and posters. Ash recognised some of the posters on the wall, he found one of the Pikachu Superhero movie they starred in during his journey through the Kalos Region.
“Professor, look! Pikachu and I were in that movie there or the poster!” Ash was jumping up and down whilst the Professor examined the poster closely.
“That’s incredible Ash! You really do get around huh.” Before Kukui knew it, Ash was admiring another poster on the wall.
“It’s the Masked Royal! He’s so cool!” Ash beamed, tugging at the professor’s white lab coat.
Kukui felt warm and fuzzy knowing how much Ash cared, even if it wasn’t directly for him. “One day, I wanna battle him!”
“You never know Ash, you never know.” he grinned, “What about that Greninja key ring you say earlier, how come it drew your attention?”
Ash paused for a second and sheepishly smiled, “When I travelled in the Kalos region, the first pokemon I caught was a Froakie who evolved into a really strong greninja!”
“Ash, I'd love to see it!” Kukui said enthusiastically, “it is a water type right, I’m sure Lana would be interested in learning more.”
Ash slumped a bit
“Well, Greninja is off doing some really important business in Kalos, I’m not sure when I’ll next see it.
But I’m sure it’s doing well, Greninja is really strong, right buddy?” Pikachu made a satisfied noise and rubbed its cheek against Ash’s.
“You know Professor, I might get this one!” he said, dangling the Greninja key ring, “so when I see it again, it’ll know I’m thinking of it! Even across the world.”
Kukui wanted to ask Ash what important business Greninja was up to, but he let it rest when he simply saw how happy his boy was when he saw it, “All right Ash! The till is that way.”
Kukui pointed the boy towards the till and waited by his side. Once they left, a particular booth caught Ash’s attention.
“Wow…” he said.
Dozens of portraits and paintings of people and pokemon were hung up and displayed.
Ash could recognise almost all the pokemon; he could see charmander, bunnelby, weavile, the island guardians, audino, dragonite, Iris.
“IRIS?!?” he yelled, extremely confused.
“Ash?” the professor asked, now also just as confused, “Something wrong?”
“Professor! I know that girl in the painting!” He eagerly pointed at a beautiful painting of Iris and her dragonite, “When I went to Unova, we travelled together!” he recalled.
“Really?!” the professor replied, “That’s the champion of the Unova region! She’s a gym leader and dragon master in training.”
“HUHH??” Ash’s face and Pikachu’s too were both comically shocked, jaws opened wide.
“MAN! How could she not have told me? Maybe I missed a letter…” he thought.
“HELL YEAH! Next time I see her, let's challenge her to a battle, she must’ve gotten so much stronger, right Pikachu?”
‘You sure are a mystery Ash.’ Kukui thought to himself, travelling with the Unova champion and being completely unaware of it huh.
He watched as Ash marvelled at the other paintings in wonder.
Occasionally, Ash would point at people and talk to Kukui about how he somehow knew them.
“Hey! That’s Cilan! Man he was such a good chef, he was a pokemon connoisseur too! Who even is painting these anyways?” he asked out loud.
To that, Kukui smiled and shrugged.
“How do you know this Cilan?”
“I challenged him and his brother’s gym in Unova and we travelled together with Iris! I didn’t realise how famous some of my friends are huh.” Ash pondered, “Cilan was a great cook too! Man, without him Iris and I didn’t know what to do at all.”
Just on cue, Ash’s stomach rumbled.
Really loudly.
Kukui laughed, placing his hand on Ash’s shoulder.
“No worries, anywhere you wanna eat?” Kukui asked, he himself was getting a bit hungry too after all.
Waiting for Ash’s answer, he looked down to see Ash rubbing his arm on a rather large mark.
A burn scar..?