Ash, an Inspiration Chapter 8

Hau'oli city, the biggest city on Melemele Island, wasn't the grandest city Ash had ever seen in his travels, but it was definitely one worth remembering. A coastal city that stretched for miles, it possessed multiple landmarks that kept Ash's attention firmly on the city as he and the collection of students traversed the area.

There were multiple locations dedicated to tourism, showcasing the beauty of the city and the Alolan landscape. Photo booths, merchandise stalls, and more were dotted everywhere, with every street at least containing one of each on every corner. Along the beaches there were multiple stands selling umbrellas, towels, and surf boards, all of which had queues that stretched out at least half a dozen people long. It almost reminded Ash of Slateport city in Hoenn, with endless rows of umbrellas dotting across the golden sand.

There were fruit markets, with stalls selling all sorts of exotic and ripe produce. Some of them Ash recognised, berries that he'd interacted with and used over the years in his journey, and others that held no familiarity. And they weren't the only markets either, with there being markets for your every need, though they didn't have time to visit other markets today.

Despite not being a particularly large city, lacking the skyscrapers that Ash would normally associate with big landmarks like in other regions, it was still a bustling city that was expanding and improving every day, with Ash seeing two large construction sites as they moved to their next location. One seemed to resemble the barebones structure of a tower, standing tall above the rest of the buildings which only stood a few stories high. The other, being much more familiar to Ash, was a stadium in the building, which wasn't as far along in development at the tower but that just allowed Ash to see the various worker Pokémon marking out the field for some sort of sport.

After all of that, the Alolan natives decreed that it was time for a break for food, with Ash finding himself agreeing non-vocally as his stomach rumbled. Which soon led to them being in a local restaurant, a pancake parlour which promised they could provide enough pancakes to feed a Snorlax.

A statement which Ash and Pikachu were putting to the test, as the pair wolfed down plate after plate of towering pancake platters. All while the Alolan students watched in utter silence, their eyes wide and mouths slack. After a few minutes, and several more plates being emptied, Mallow finally caught herself and vowed to break the silence.

"So Ash," she started, earning a muffled confirmation of attention from the Kanto native, "you seem to have a lot of Pokémon. Must have been travelling for a while now, if their strength is any indication. How long have you been a trainer?" She asked, earning a number of approving nods from the others, as they lent in for Ash's answer. Ash paused for a moment, swallowing the mouthful of pancake in a massive gulp before he looked up to the ceiling, his mouth silently counting.

"Erm, more than five years now. I started way back when I was ten, in Kanto, and have been doing leagues ever since. I think once I turn sixteen in just over a month, it'll be officially six years." Ash paused, doing some maths in his head before nodding more confidently, repeating six years to the students. Kiawe whistled in appreciation, leaning back in his chair.

"Six years," he said slowly, an air of respect in his tone, "no wonder your Pokémon are so strong. Shame your Charizard is so disobedient."

"Oh, Charizard listens to me. We had a bit of a disobedience problem a while back, but we've sorted it since then and he's now one of my strongest. He just doesn't like listening to people he don't respect."

Kiawe blinked at this, shooting a glare off to the side where all of their collective Pokémon, barring Pikachu, were eating their own pancakes, and stared at the Kanto starter. Sensing the eyes on him, Charizard turned to look back Kiawe, and grinned a toothy grin, before chuckling to himself and returning to his pancakes.

Seething and muttering insults under his breath, Kiawe returned his attention to the table, while Ash carried on.

"Me and Charizard go way back, all the way to Kanto. He was part of my first team of six, and we had a fair few ups and downs. In the end, we've come out of all of that stronger than ever, both in terms of strength and our bond. I wouldn't change a thing."

Charizard, who was listening in on the conversation, shot a thumbs up at Ash, before shooting a small ember of flame at him, which hit him square in the face and knocked him onto his side, which made the Alola students jump in surprise.

"He attacked you!" Lillie screamed, her voice becoming shrill and high pitch, while Sophocles picked a plate up and held it to his face as an improvised shield. Mallow stared in shock while Lana shot glares at the fire type, all whilst Kiawe lept over his chair and jumped between Ash and Charizard, arms spread out.

The panic quickly dispersed when they heard Ash chuckle however, all heads turning to him as he pushed himself upright, face covered in a light layer of soot and his unkempt hair looking even more dishevelled.

"Good shot Charizard, wasn't expecting that. Thought I was safe because we were inside," he said though his chuckles, while everyone stared at him in disbelief.

"Why are you laughing? Your Pokémon just attacked you, it's out of control," Kiawe said sternly, though Ash waved him off.

"Nah, it's fine. That's how Charizard shows affection, but normally it's a proper flamethrower he hits me with. So this wasn't so bad."

More stares, with Lillie in particular looking particularly shocked.

"Wait. Does that mean you allow it? Most trainers I know would release a Pokémon for doing that, and you just brush it off. Why?" Lana asked, being surprisingly vocal compared to how she'd acted so far. Ash, in response, considered it, before he took on a more serious air and tone.

"Let me quickly explain something to you, since it could come in handy for you to know: Pokémon, no matter their species, will show their affections in all sorts of ways. Most Pokémon like doing it through physical interaction; hugs, rubbing, petting, etcetera. Others show their affection during battle, pushing themselves beyond their limits to prove their dedication. Those ways are pretty standard, you'll probably see, if not experience for yourself, this happen at some point in your lives, especially as trainers. Sometimes, they show their love for you in… other ways."

Ash paused for a moment, before pulling out his Pokéballs, placing them down before pointing at them sequentially, speaking as he went.

"Totodile: he's very energetic and loves to express himself. Mainly through dancing. When he does well in battle, he'll dance. When he's excited, he'll dance. When he's upset, he won't dance. You have to understand that, and work with that, in order to get the best out of him. Allowing him to dance is crucial to getting the best out of him, because if I tried to stop him from dancing – I'd be suppressing who he is. And his true strength."

"Bayleef: affectionate. Very affectionate. Shows it by throwing herself at me. Was cute when she was a Chikorita. Became painful when she evolved. Though I'm not going to try and stop that. She's a very physical Pokémon, both in how she shows her affection to me and how she battles. Stopping her with one will affect the other. And out of all my Pokémon, I don't mind her doing it as much. She's not the biggest Pokémon I've got who does it."

"Bulbasaur: he's a bit tricky to read, especially compared to the rest of my Pokémon. While most of my Pokémon happily express their emotions at any given moment, Bulbasaur likes to keep them to himself, only really showing emotions when he can't help it. Unless he's just won an important battle, you won't see him jumping for joy any time soon. But he does care, and he shows that through keeping order. In case you haven't noticed; my Pokémon are a bit chaotic. They're not troublemakers, but they can be a bit… rowdy. One of the ways that Bulbasaur shows his affection is by keeping everyone in line, which is a big help. I can always travel knowing in the back of my mind that Bulbasaur is looking after everyone."

"Charizard: he's a tough guy. Through and through. Loves to battle and prove himself. It's part of his charm. But because of that, he doesn't like to show affection with a simple hug. He has to show his strength off while doing it. He only started doing it when he evolved at first, which he did because we didn't get along as well. But ever since we resolved our differences, and we vowed to get strong together, it became his way of showing me we're still good. And in case you're worried about me, don't be. I've survived way worse, and he doesn't do it to hurt. It's like a warm blanket… very warm."

When he stopped at the last Pokéball, the one which Ash had the longest but had used the least, he looked up at his company, and paused to soak in their faces. They were all sitting quietly, listening intently as Ash explained his Pokémon's minute details and characteristics. And, something which Ash took a small amount of pride in, it looked like they were heavily considering what he was saying.

For the most part, Ash could tell that they were thinking about their own Pokémon, trying to figure out in their own heads what subtle ways their Pokémon showed affection. Sophocles was smiling to himself, his hand clenching the bottom of his t-shirt and his eyes twinkling over some past memory. Lana and Mallow were both holding their Pokémon's respective Pokéballs, contemplating their pasts with their Pokémon. Kiawe's thought process seemed to be split, as he thought of his own Pokémon, but also about Ash's, the occasional and respectful glances at Charizard being a clear indication of this, almost as if he was desiring the strength and bond that Ash and Charizard shared.

Though the one that Ash found most interesting was Lillie, as she held her egg cannister. He had thought at first that her Pokémon phobia would be a massive hurdle to overcome, one that Ash (truthfully) had no idea where to start. He wasn't a doctor, or a psychiatrist. He wasn't even that good of a people person, if the amount of times he'd been called dense or something along those lines was any indication. The egg was a gamble he had taken because he had seen first-hand the bond that being a parent to a Pokémon could create, both personally and with others.

But Ash hadn't expected it to take hold so quickly, as Lillie was already stroking the glass of the cannister affectionately, something she seemed blissfully unaware of. In her eyes, Ash could tell she was conflicted, her mind waging over the information he had just shared, horrified by the idea of physical contact but underlined with a longing for the affection beneath. He'd seen that same underlining longing in many people's eyes before, including two of his best friends. Brock would get that look when he spoke of how things used to be with his parents, before they both left to chase their own ambitions and left him to fend for his younger siblings. Misty would get it when talking about her sisters, and how close they were before they were abandoned.

Seeing it in Lillie's eyes left Ash feeling a little sad, which only renewed his resolve to do a good job as her teacher. To not only help ease the pain that sat in her heart, but to ensure she could have a brighter and better future. So that all of them could.

With a small nod to himself, he left them to their thoughts and took another mouthful of pancakes.

Meanwhile, way over in Kanto, there were three individuals in a dark room, which was cold and damp and just generally unpleasant to be in. Yet despite that, they waited patiently, all crowding around a small screen, muttering amongst themselves as they did.

"I wonder where he's going to send us next?"

"Do you think it'll be a big job? One that'll finally prove our worth to him?"

"Maybe we'll get wrapped up with the twerps again, that's always fun."

Eventually, the screen flickered to life, and the shrouded silhouette of a suited figure appeared. While there were no discernible features about the figure that you could use to identify them, the three knew exactly who it was.

"BOSS!" They all yelled in unison, causing the figure to wince.

"Salutations," they replied, the video feed distorting their voice beyond recognition but still leaving the tiredness clearly evident in their tone. "I trust you are ready for your next assignment? Team Rocket waits for no one and I expect all operatives to carry their weight."

"We're ready boss, you can count on us!" James said excitedly, with Jessie nodding so fast that her face blurred.

"No matter what, we'll get it done. We're your best operatives!"

"Well, I mean maybe not on paper, since our success-fail ratio is probably not looking so hot, but still!"

The Team Rocket boss said nothing, with only the sound of a heavy sigh coming through the speakers, before he spoke again.

"We're running low on Pokémon for our operatives. Recent activities have exhausted our resources and we need to focus our efforts on recuperation. Therefore, you're being dispatched to the distant Alola region. Capture Pokémon there and send them to the usual drop offs. I'm trusting you can handle that?"

"You can count on us boss," They said in unison, before the screen cut out.

"So, I guess we're going to Alola then."

"It can be like a vacation! I've been meaning to work on my tan."

"I wonder if we'll bump into the twerp there?"

"NAH!"

Back in Alola, Ash and the others had finished their meal and were preparing to head out, when the waitress placed the tab on their table. The others shared a slight look of panic, one that Lillie tried to ease.

"Don't, don't worry about this guys, I'll cover it," she said nervously, reaching into her bag and fiddling about in it before Ash grabbed it.

"I'll grab it, my treat," he said casually, pulling out his Pokédex and waving to the waitress. Lillie frowned at this, turning slowly to face Ash.

"I can cover this, you know," she said defensively, while Ash just stared at her blankly.

"You probably can, I don't doubt that. But you guys invited me to the city, I thought I could repay you by paying for the food. My friend said that's… erm, what was the word?"

"Courtesy," A new voice interjected, an air of snivelling superiority coming with it, "the word you're looking for is courtesy. Though I'm surprised a country bumpkin such as yourself is aware of such a thing. I would have thought it'd make you sick just to attempt."

Ash sighed to himself, before a single chuckle came out.

"Been a while since someone's called me that," he muttered, before turning to look at the offender head on.

Sure enough, just as he suspected, it was Qito yet again, followed by the same group of students that had been harassing Kiawe, Mallow, and Lana earlier, this time out in force. Their numbers had doubled, and their tempers tripled. The other customers seemed to sense this, as all eyes were now on them, eagerly waiting for the scene to unfold.

Ash was calm however, a sharp contrast to his companions as they began looking panicky as they closed in, with Kiawe stepping forward defensively while the others shrunk in on themselves, almost curling up into themselves as the group approached.

"What's this then? Hmm? A little get together? Study session? Strange to be seeing a teacher with his students like this, wouldn't you say?" Qito said, getting closer and closer to Ash as he spoke. Ash didn't react however, barely doing more than blink as he leaned in so that his nose was almost touching Ash's.

"Nothing to say?" He asked, turning his head so that his ear was right in front of Ash. Though Ash just tilted his head slightly with a small smile.

"Not really. Not to you at least. I'm just out here getting to know my students better. Nothing more to it. And besides, I'm not a teacher at the moment, I'm just another trainer."

Qito snorted, sparing a glance over his shoulder at his companions.

"Just another trainer, he says," earning some derisive laughs from the group before he turned back, "a fraud is what I say. I don't know how you managed to weasel a win against me, but I promise you it'll be the last victory you ever have in Alola. I swear it in the name of the ancient and noble Tapus."

A few shocked gasps sounded out, causing Ash to stare around with a blank and confused look, turning to look at the others to gauge their reaction. It seemed to be along the same lines though, with Lana staring wide eyed, Mallow covering her mouth with her hand, Kiawe looking like he was about to blow a blood vessel in his forehead, Lillie quaking in her seat, and Sophocles placing one hand on the table in preparation to dive underneath it.

Turning back to Qito, Ash pursed his lips, before sighing deeply.

"I don't know who the Tapus are, but if I were to have a guess? Probably Legendaries. And you shouldn't use the Legendaries name's like that, they don't like it."

Some boisterous laughter came from the young man, as he crossed his arms.

"What, like you know anything about Legendaries? Please, a country bumpkin like yourself should consider yourself lucky to even know what a Legendary is, never mind enough to properly speak for them. What gives you the right to challenge my claim?"

Ash shrugged, before he bobbed his head around.

"I've had some experience with Legendaries," he muttered quietly, though the comment went unheard.

"If you're so willing to offend the Legendaries like you have, then I have no choice but to name you my rival. To deny this declaration is to offend the Tapus themselves. Do you accept?" He said loudly, clearly for theatrics as he began pacing around the pancake parlour, grinning massively as the crowd watched the display eagerly.

A small shrug was all Ash could muster, before he began rolling his shoulders.

"Sure, I'll accept. I don't know how things work here, but if it means you want to test yourself against me, then I'm down. We can call it battling training, for the student's sake. And I'm sure Charizard will appreciate the occasional battle as well."

Qito spun round, eyebrows raised.

"You mean Kiawe's Charizard? Please, that sorry excuse of a Pokémon isn't a threat, it barely counts as a battler. It's a ride Pokémon. Nothing more."

Kiawe launched himself forward, only stopped by Ash sticking an arm out in front.

"How dare you speak about my Charizard like that? I'll show you!" He ground out through his teeth, flashing his bracelet and the crystal that resided within it, but Ash just brushed it off.

"Relax, you've got nothing to prove. Just focus on yourself and your Pokémon. That's the first mistake I made with my rivals, don't make it yours," Ash placated, much to Kiawe's chagrin. But after a second to breathe, he nodded, stepping back.

"I see you've got your students on a tight leash. Maybe you'll actually be able to whip their Pokémon into shape."

Ash just smiled, as he heard the slow thumping of heavy footsteps behind him, before a deep growl caught the teacher's attention, causing them to look over to where the Pokémon had been eating, and were now watching eagerly.

"I wasn't talking about Kiawe's Charizard," Ash said with a cheeky grin, before Charizard, his Charizard, roared at full strength, the shockwave from the roar alone nearly knocking Qito off his feet. While he scrambled back, Ash crossed his arms.

"Whenever you want to battle, and test yourself, you just have to ask. I'll always be happy to oblige. But this isn't the leagues, and they come first," Ash said while gesturing not only to his students but the ones behind Qito. "And if you ever put them in harm's way just to satisfy your own ego, you'll find that I have a temper to match my Charizard's."

The older man seethed at Ash, baring his teeth before brushing himself off and turning, storming out the store followed by his entourage. Ash just rolled his eyes.

"What a piece of work," he muttered, while the others just stared at him in shock.

"Why did you accept?" Mallow said quietly, though her tone was sharp as glass as she spoke. "That was really stupid! Anything done while invoking the names of the Tapus brings their full attention to it. You just made your colleague your rival and invited them to watch!"

"Who are the Tapus?" Ash asked, causing Sophocles to balk.

"The four Tapus are the guardians of these islands and are in charge of many of our traditions. From appointing Trial Captains and Kahunas, to protecting the islands, they are the ones who overwatch Alola. If they become displeased, they'll wreak havoc."

Ash frowned at this, looking over to Pikachu, who was still steadily munching away at his pancakes.

"Sounds about right, considering our luck, right Pikachu?"

Pikachu just sighed and took another bite of his pancake. The others were much more vocal.

"How can you be so calm about this? Do you not realise what you've done?" Lana said angrily, a hand shooting to her temple. But Ash just sighed and began rubbing the back of his head.

"Listen, let me tell you something that you'll find out about me pretty quickly, but is still good to remember: I improvise. A lot. In battles, and in life. Nothing ever really goes to plan, and I often find myself being thrown into strange situations all the time. Sometimes its more than I can handle alone, and sometimes I'm scared. But no matter what, I keep going forward. For my Pokémon. For my friends. For whoever needs me to. And in situations like this, you can only do your best, and hope that's enough."

Ash paused to go and pay for the meal, thanking the waitress as he did, and he began talking again when he walked out.

"If Qito wants to be my rival, then fine. He won't be the first. But at the end of the day, I'm here to help you five become better trainers. I don't need to prove myself to him. I'm just accepting because I enjoy battling. If the Tapus are unhappy with that, then I'll deal with it. Probably by improvising."

Ash then began walking out, leaving the group in silence as they began shuffling out of their booth, all slightly unsure of what to make of their teacher's way of thinking. But regardless, they pushed on, keen on finding out more, all while blue eyes watched from a distance.

Tapu Koko couldn't help but grin ecstatically as he watched the students walk out of the parlour, hidden as he was in the nearby treeline.

This Ash Ketchum had proven already to be a worthy teacher to the future candidates of the Trials, and with every interaction he had, he further cemented the approval in Tapu Koko's heart.

It would take time, but this boy was already seeding ideas that were highly commendable in the chosen few, ones that would benefit Alola greatly. He and the other Tapus, for all their power and influence, were still but a part of Alola's natural balance. Humans, for better or worse, played a part too, and the Tapus did their best to ensure that only the worthy humans could.

Sometimes this was frustrating, with humans like that Qito, who was unfit for any of the roles that Tapu Koko oversaw. His foul outlook on life and willingness to incite himself and the other Tapus being a blight on humanity's ledger. But then there were humans like Ash, who cared more about helping others, both human and Pokémon alike, who were able to wipe the ledger clear again.

Perhaps an introduction was in order. The boy stood already as a powerful trainer without their influence, but perhaps their blessing will help not only the humans under his charge, but himself and his Pokémon.

Speaking of his Pokémon, Tapu Koko spared a glance at his unaware companion, who had been watching the same trainer since yesterday, completely unaware that they had a Legendary watching over their actions. Perhaps it was time to play the role of Guardian and start setting up a bright future for Alola and its denizens. Starting with this Pokémon.

Lowering himself down to address the Pokémon, Tapu Koko paused to appraise the Pokémon in question. A Jangmo-o, a young female, was an odd sight to see on Melemele island. Normally the young Pseudo-Legendary would only be found in the harshest of environments to train away diligently, until either a worthy trainer found them or until they felt ready to take on the challenges of the world. This would usually happen after they evolved, vowing to train alone and to find worthwhile opponents.

This one seemed different, as their eyes seemed to hunger for something more, though Tapu Koko couldn't pinpoint what they were desiring. Power? Evolution? Camaraderie? Something else?

Curious.

Regardless, Tapu Koko cleared his throat, causing the dragon type to jump from shock.

"Ah! Who are you? I'll take you on! I'm not scared of you!" They shouted, head swaying back and forth rapidly in search of a target, just below where Tapu Koko was hovering.

"I'm sure you're not," he said levelly, causing Jangmo-o to look up in awe, before she bowed to the Legendary.

"Noble Tapu Koko, it is an honour. What can I do for you, Guardian of Melemele?"

"You can start by explaining what you're doing here. Don't normally see Jangmo-o on Melemele."

Jangmo-o began sweating, taking a big gulp before replying.

"Well, I'm seeking a master. Someone to train me in combat. I am weak on my own and require help to bring out my potential. I had heard rumour of there being a human trainer with a Kommo-o in their team, so I sought their tutelage."

"And now?"

"Well, I find the trainer, but in the process found someone even better, a trainer with powerful Pokémon who can even challenge the greatest of my kind. I was thinking of trying to join their team, and perhaps find the strength I seek."

Tapu Koko raised an eyebrow at this. Jangmo-o didn't normally need to seek strength from others, instead simply working on attaining it through training. This one seemed to struggle on that front, which must have mean…

"You are an outcast of your pack, no?" He asked, causing the dragon to flinch. 'Bingo,' he thought.

"Yes. I'm sorry for insulting you with my presence."

"Not at all," Tapu Koko said, placing a hand on her head, "in fact I encourage you to continue. That trainer seems very worthy, and I plan to test him soon. Perhaps you will be able to accompany him through his trials?"

Jangmo-o's eyes lit up at this, before she nodded and bounded from the bushes, breaking off into a sprint without a care in the world.

"Ah, the joys of youth. I look forward to seeing how you develop under him," Tapu Koko commented before he shot off. He had to make arrangements now, both in Melemele and with the other Legendaries. Training was about to begin, and his chosen humans would need worthy Pokémon to join them in their respective trials.

Alola was a big region, with several rare and different Pokémon. And it was time for some of them to join the future champions of their region.

Hey everyone, back with a bit of a weird chapter.

I'm not sure what I was aiming to do with this chapter, but I'm intrigued by the results. Ash and his students seem closer now after some time together, and I've set the seeds for future events to pan out. The Alolan students now have important ideas knocking around in their heads, ones that'll be put to use as they each start to get to know their Pokémon better. Which will likely be the focus of the next chapter.

We also have Ash and Qito becoming official rivals, with a bit of a twist this time. Instead of vying over simply who's stronger in battle, they'll be going head to head in more ways than you, or Ash, might think. Alola is known for its unique challenges and traditions, and Ash will be finding out about more than a few. And not only that, I felt it was a good idea to have some rivals both for Ash as an individual and for his class, which I'll be developing more in the next chapter. That way we'll be able to see their development and progress first-hand. Which is always good.

And the Tapus are now in play. And they're not sitting around no more. The first of Ash's potential catches is now on the move, and the rest of the Alola crew will be receiving new Pokémon soon. I plan on having them get some Pokémon fairly quickly, before slowing down for a bit so we can get to know them (and their original Pokémon) better. Hopefully this will be up to your standards.

That's all from me this time, hopefully you enjoy this chapter. Much love and peace – TWoS.