Episode tag to episodes 12-13.
So, I wondered, the World Championships must be quite a big deal, right? What if Kukui and Burnet were to see the incident from episode 13, and it made their Oh-shit-Ash-is-in-trouble -senses tingle? ...Yeah, that's pretty much it for this one.
"Hey Kukui, come see this quickly."
Professor Kukui raised his head from his papers, throwing a questioning look towards Burnet. She sounded weirdly serious and worried, considering she had been yelling at the tv just minutes ago in pure excitement.
"What is it?" he asked, sipping his coffee, pen still in one hand. He was only as far as across the room, but he'd have preferred not moving if not absolutely necessary. There were still too many pages of course material to shift through.
Burnet shook her head, her hand cradling her swelling stomach protectively. Her eyes were fixed on the tv and something in her expression made Kukui's brow furrow with concern.
"Something's happening", she said, quietly, urgently.
Kukui was up in seconds. "Is it the baby? Are you okay?"
Burnet sighed exasperatedly, waving her hand at him. "Ugh, no! Just come here!"
Kukui walked up to her, and when he saw the tv he stopped on his tracks. Eyes wide, he stared at the screen.
"What's going on? Is this still from the Wyndon Stadium?"
Burned nodded, her hand coming up to cover her mouth. "Yeah, it's live feed. The ceremony for Leon was still going on when suddenly a gigantamaxed pokemon crashed through the wall – no one knows why!"
On the tv-screen, a giant head was swinging around, dust billowing over the arena grounds. Kukui could see Champion Leon still standing in the middle of it, staring at the rampage in obvious bafflement. Kukui picked up the remote and turned up the volume.
The commentator was yelling. "This gigantamax drednaw is out of control! Where did it come from? Wait, it has pulled back! Is it preparing for another attack?"
The camera was pointed at the giant hole the pokemon's head had left behind, and on the edge of the screen Kukui could see Leon taking out his poke ball, preparing for a battle. All of it reminded him an uncomfortable amount of the Alola league finals, and he edged closer to Burnet as they continued watching in anxious silence.
"Wait a minute people, I just got a report telling me that the gigantamax drednaw has turned its attention elsewhere! Someone is challenging it outside, and the audience at the stadium have been given a chance to evacuate through the east-side doors! I assure you, dear viewers at home, all the authorities have been alerted and no injuries have been reported as of yet! Rest assured; this situation is well under control!"
But Burnet was still holding her breath, and Kukui certainly wasn't feeling relieved. Not yet.
No, he had a really bad feeling about it.
He begun: "Do you think…"
"That Ash could be attending the finals?" finished Burnet softly. "That's what I was thinking about."
"He would love to see the World Championships finals, and I think he would've had the chance to go there, too, because of his current position", nodded Kukui seriously.
They hadn't heard from Ash in a couple of weeks, not since he'd called to tell them he was going to be staying at Vermilion city to help Professor Sakuragi with his research. They had been very proud to hear that, and certain that he would be in great hands.
But Ash was also a certified trouble magnet, and the Professors knew that very well.
Kukui rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Maybe we should call Sakuragi's lab and –"
The commentator was yelling again, and something he was saying caught their attention. "What is this that I just heard, people? The stadium wall just shook violently and there is a giga battle happening outside! A gigantamax pikachu has just now appeared and seems to be battling the gigantamax drednaw! Who is that brave trainer who has challenged the rampaging pokemon?"
"A pikachu?" murmured Burnet.
Kukui sighed. Too late. They would just have to wait, and see, and hope.
.
.
A quick call to Professor Sakuragi confirmed that Ash was currently in Wyndon, (how surprising, thought Kukui), and he should be staying in a pokemon center near the stadium. He wasn't answering their call, however, and the news were telling them nothing about the incident, nothing except that the situation had been resolved and no serious injuries had occurred. The "mysterious trainer", as the reporters called him, had not been reached for an interview.
About an hour later they finally got a call from Ash. He appeared on the screen with a bright smile and a second trainer by his side – a young man with tanned skin and a scorbunny wrapped in his arms.
"Alola, Professors!" Ash greeted happily. "Nurse Joy told me you've been trying to call me! Sorry, we only just got back!"
"Alola, Ash, good to see you!" Kukui greeted, and felt an instantaneous smile stretching across his face.
"Hey, dear. How are you doing?" asked Burnet. "We heard you were at the finals, and we saw the news from the Wyndon Stadium, so we were a bit worried about you."
Ash waved his hand nonchalantly. "Ah, yeah, we're fine! That drednaw was just startled after it suddenly gigantamaxed. It wasn't really trying to hurt anyone!"
The other trainer side-eyed him, muttering: "Are you sure about that…."
"So you saw it up close?" asked Kukui. "You weren't hurt, were you?"
"Nope! When it crashed into the stadium, we ran outside so we could lure it away from the audience. We got it to battle us so everyone could get out in the meanwhile!"
"You lured it away intentionally?" yelped Kukui, though deep down he wasn't that surprised. "That's too reckless, Ash! That pokemon was out of control and very dangerous!"
"Uhuh. It was his idea, actually", said Ash's friend under his breath.
Ash turned to look at him. "Come on, Go, you thought it was a good idea too!"
"Go?" asked Burnet, while Kukui rubbed at his temples wearily. "You're also helping at Sakuragi's lab, isn't that right?"
Go turned back to the screen and waved his hand awkwardly. "Um, that's right! I'm Go from Vermilion city. Ash told me you are professors in the Alola region, and he stayed with you while he was there."
"Yes, we got very close with Ash during his stay, so you understand why we wanted to make sure he was okay after an incident like that", replied Kukui. "Also, we heard that there was a gigantamaxed pikachu on the scene…?"
Ash jumped excitedly, and his smile was as bright as the Alolan sun. "Oh yeah, it was super awesome! We didn't really mean to do it, but suddenly Pikachu just started growing and it got super big and everything got like woosh, bam, bow! Then mister Leon came and helped me battle with Pikachu and we won against that drednaw!"
Pikachu hopped on his shoulder, and Ash turned his grinning face at it and petted its neck. Pikachu cooed happily, and Kukui took the moment to digest his words.
Mister Leon?
Wait, Champion Leon? World Champion Leon?
"Hold on, Ash, Champion Leon helped you?" he repeated blankly. He shared a look with Burnet, and she shrugged helplessly at him.
Ash nodded, calming down slightly. "Well, yeah. He was watching our battle, and Pikachu was really confused about the giga-form, and I didn't really know how to help it, so mister Leon told me what to say to get it to do the right move!"
"And afterwards, when he came down to thank us, Ash straight up asked the Champion to battle him…" added Go with a roll of his eyes.
That caught Kukui off guard, and he burst into laughter. "Oh, really?" he chuckled. "Why am I not surprised?"
"He didn't answer me, though", said Ash with a disappointed pout. "We kinda had to leave pretty fast 'cause all the police officers and reporters were coming closer, and we didn't wanna get stuck doing all that stuff."
"I wouldn't have minded", stated Go with a shrug.
"Anyway, how are you doing, Professors?" asked Ash excitedly. "We haven't seen each other in a while! How's Lycanroc and Rowlet and everyone?"
And that was that about the Galar incident.
With a content smile, Kukui let Burnet answer all of Ash's questions – he took his time to hang back and just watch his previous student gush excitedly over all the cool and awesome things they had done so far; all the pokemon they had met and helped and all the wonders they had witnessed.
Ash might be a trouble magnet, mused Kukui, but he was also a miracle magnet.
And he was just getting started.
.
.
(And then the next day Ash calls them back and tells them he had an actual dynamax battle with Champion Leon and also got a dynamax band from him.
They are only a little bit surprised.)