Legends Never Die

by WhiteArrow17

During his efforts to establish a Pokemon League in Alola, Kukui is targeted and captured by an international crime ring, threatening everything and everyone close to him and sending Alola into chaos. While Ash and his students, as well as a few others fight to rescue him, Kukui takes a stand to defend everything he's worked and fought for, even at the cost of his own life.

3. The Man Behind The Mask

Chapter 3: The Man Behind The Mask

Author's Note: First off, let me say I'm sorry this took so long to finish. With this chapter I'm making an effort to expand on the Masked Royal as a cultural icon of Alola and how Kukui came to obtain the title. One change I'm making is that while the Battle Royal is set up in its present context to mimic professional wrestling, I'm making Kukui also an experienced MMA fighter for two reasons; first, he's got a build that's firm and toned, but at the same time fairly lean, which would be more ideal for MMA; and second, the style of MMA combining various martial arts is very similar in strategy to how Pokemon moves are used in battles. I'm also exploring different ideas regarding Alola's history, imagining it to be a region with strong ethnic and cultural ties to Japan, but at the same time has a distinct base ethnicity and culture very similar to that of Hawaii.

Chapter 3 Soundtrack: "Whatever it Takes" by Imagine Dragons for Parts 1-5; "How did you Love" by Shinedown for Part 6; "Broken Arrows" by Avicii for parts 7-8; "That's the way it is" by Celine Dion for Part 9; and "Hall of Fame" by The Script for parts 10-12.

Part 1: Intense Training

Early the next morning, just as the sun began to break over the horizon and illuminate the sky over the mighty Pacific, Melemele Island gradually came alive with activity. Commuter trains which ran between the towns on the north and west side of the island and Hau'oli City ran every hour on Saturday mornings, as opposed to every half-hour on weekday mornings. Kukui and Ash often took the train to the school if the weather was bad, but given how seldom that was the case, most days they walked the six-mile distance. Freight trains also rumbled through more frequently on Saturdays, carrying goods and materials to Hau'oli harbor to be shipped out all over the world. That morning, it was the horn from the freight train which woke Kukui up, just three minutes before his alarm went off. As he blinked to clear his vision, he looked down to see Burnet still asleep, her head on his shoulder. He quietly leaned over and kissed her forehead before gently pushing her back into her pillow, which caused her to roll over to her other side in her sleep.

"mmm…I don't wanna play the flute..it's just a stupid stick with holes…." Burnet mumbled in her sleep as Kukui sat up, causing him to snicker silently.

He quietly crept over to his bureau where he changed into a clean pair of gray shorts with a green belt and a clean pair of athletic socks. Behind the armoire on his side of the closet hung more than 30 identical white lab coats which he wore in rotation, the closest of which he grabbed and slipped his arms into. He slipped his gray sneakers on and reached into the drawer of his nightside table, grabbing his wallet and keys before grabbing his hat and sunglasses before creeping upstairs. All six kids were still sound asleep and would be for probably another two hours. In the loft, the girls were all still silent, while down below Kiawe was face down in his pillow which muffled his snoring, while Marowak lay on its back on the sofa, swinging his bone club around gently in his sleep. Sophocles lay sprawled his floor mattress with his blanket pushed off to the side, with Togedemaru curled up under his arm, while Ash had his head tilted back in his pillow snoring loudly with Pikachu curled up on his chest. Kukui paused briefly at seeing Ash and Pikachu sleeping like this, reflecting to when he first saw them sleep this way when they came to live with him after Ash enrolled at the Pokemon school.

"Bobby would be so proud.." Kukui thought to himself as he quietly crept across the room, slipped out the door and gently closed the door behind him.

He fumbled through his coat pocket for his keys as he stopped next to his jeep to look out over Kapuoli Bay, which faced the southeast corner of Melemele. Except for a few distant clouds, the morning sky was completely clear and the sun shined brilliantly over the Pacific, enriching the sea with a long reflection sparking like diamonds in the water. Taking a deep breath, Kukui cracked a smile as he hopped into his jeep and pulled out onto Kapu'ii road. Instead of turning right towards Hau'oli City, his Saturday morning routine had him turning left towards the very far eastern tip of the island at Taimoia point. For most of the 20-minute drive he followed the Melemele freeway which circled the full exterior of the island, until a dirt road turned off just south of Taimoa at the foot of Kaleoa Peak. An old classmate of his, Kapua, had a ranch nearby where he and his wife raised Ponyta and Rapidash, which in the Alola region were electric type as opposed to its Kantonian cousin. Instead of flaming manes, Alolan types had long yellow manes in which they stored tremendous amounts of electricity, which Kukui recalled had Ash completely spellbound when he brought his nephew out for a visit a few months earlier. Kapua allowed Kukui to leave his jeep in their driveway whenever he hiked up the trail to the peak, which towered about 1,200 feet over sea level.

Kukui followed the winding dirt road about a mile inland until he came to a red and brown ranch house and three matching barns. The residence was vacant, as Kapua and his wife Mele typically spent their autumns and winters aboard on their sailboat, and their Ponyta and Rapidash were cared for by neighbors, a task which Kukui and Burnet helped out with a little bit too. That morning however there was no work to be done, so as Kukui pulled up alongside the first barn, he took out a Poke Ball, pressed the release button on the front to trigger expansion, and threw it up in the air in front of the jeep. In a glowing flash of red light, a large muscular Pokemon with red and black fur materialized before him.

"Morning, old friend." Kukui said to Incineroar with a smile.

"Roarrrrr!" Incineroar responded happily as he stretched out his arms and legs.

"Hope you're pumped for out ascent." Kukui said as he stepped out of the jeep, removing his lab coat and circling around to the back of the jeep. "Maybe we can beat out record from Tuesday."

Incineroar glanced around at the sky, taking deep breaths and smelling the morning breeze. "Incin…Incin…Incin!" He said in an agreeing tone.

Kukui put his hands on a black tote in the back of his jeep, removing the lid and digging through a stack of folded blankets until he pulled out two heavy black bags. Each contained sets of 10-lb wrist and ankle weights, one for him, and one specially tailored for Incineroar's bulky limbs. He fitted Incineroar's sets on his wrists and ankles first, and then fitted his own sets. He briefly sat on the ground to stretch his arms and legs, while Incineroar eagerly circled a nearby empty pasture, flickering embers protruding from his back. As Kukui rose to his feet, Incineroar quickly raced over to his side.

"Are you ready?" Kukui asked, posing in a starting line position with his hands on the ground and his legs stretched out. Incineroar responded with a wide grin, exposing his white fangs.

"Ready….GO!" Kukui barked as he took off running across the clearing towards an opening in the trees, Incineroar right beside him.

"Alright, let's do it!" Kukui yelled as the two of them parted ways, Incineroar leaping into the branches of the first big tree on the left and Kukui racing for a boulder secluded in the shadows of the overhead trees. With a quick leap, Kukui sprung from the ground and pounced atop the boulder, setting his eyes on a chain of scattered boulders leading up the hill. Without stopping he quickly made a running leap for the next, swinging briefly from a tree branch to set him in the right direction. Above head, Incineroar followed a similar zig-zagging pattern through the treetops, pouncing from trunk to trunk without snapping any twigs or branches. Breathing heavily, Kukui landed on the last boulder before leaping to the ground at the foot of a rocky embankment where the trail started up the mountainside, just as Incineroar landed next to him with a tremendous thud.

"Precision practice time!" Kukui called out as he started running up the rocky path while Incineroar paused, waiting for his signal. After about 10 seconds, Kukui waved his hand and Incineroar took off after him. As Kukui ran, he did so in a zigzag pattern like before, tapping rocks on the sides of the trail. Incineroar would follow the pattern by striking each rock with a centralized Flame Charge, hot enough to scorch the red and brown stones but small enough so as to not start any fires in the dry grasses nearby. After about 50 stone targets were successfully hit, Kukui stopped near a spear-shaped mark cut into the rock face, indicating they had reached the 400-foot mark. Setting a timer on his watch for a 60-second break, he briefly put his hands on his knees, sweat dripping down the side of his face as Incineroar looked on. He then took a bottle of water from a zip pouch on the side of his shorts, took two big gulps of it and handed it to Incineroar, who gulped the rest of it down before returning the bottle to Kukui. He had just zipped the bottle back in its pouch when the timer on his watch went off, and within a split second they both continued up the trail. As they raced upwards, the trees thinned and the air cleared as they reached the toughest point of the trail. The dirt path narrowed and twisted into the contour of the mountainside, at which point Kukui took the lead and Incineroar followed close behind. Kukui used this to keep track of Incineroar's endurance, as he could tell Incineroar was still hot on his heels, literally. As he ran, Incineroar's flame belt flared as his energy built up, the heat from which Kukui could feel on his back, which in turn encouraged him to run faster. On at least two occasions, Incineroar had accidently lit Kukui's shorts on fire, which made for very effective motivation as they passed the 800-foot marker and approached the final summit.

This particular trail was seldom used because the beginning was on private land, which allowed Kukui and Incineroar to train in peace and privacy. Kukui craved the peace, as he often felt like on a regular basis he was being pulled in four different directions, representing the different jobs he juggled. As a researcher he primarily specialized in Pokemon native to Alola which were best suited for youth trainers, which intertwined partially with his work as a teacher at the Pokemon School while also consisting of several projects independent from the school. He often consulted with regional Pokemon Centers, public schools and private training centers in determining which types of Pokemon were best matches for each child wishing to become Pokemon trainers, an endeavor Samson Oak had encouraged him to pursue when he first started teaching at the school seven years earlier. Despite his other areas of focus, his students were always his top priority, especially when his own nephew was one of them. What he really loved about the Oak Pokemon Preparatory School, or OPPS as most researchers called it, was he was just one of 40 teachers educating 240 students, limiting each class size to no more than six students ages 10-16. Moreover, each group of students stayed with the same teacher year after year, with graduating students trading places in each class with new enrollments. A opening in his class had become available just two weeks before Ash and Delia visited, which Kukui had discussed with Delia in knowing about their trip. She explained how she had a feeling he'd want to stay on the island and attend the school once he saw it, so Kukui emailed her a copy of the school's placement test, which she game him claiming it was just an online survey she'd printed up for him to do for fun on the long flight. He unknowingly passed it with flying colors, and the rest was history.

Part 2: A Place of Peace

At the very top of the peak summit, an old brick platform and an aged wooden torii was what Kukui used as a finishing line, a platform which supported one of many ancient shrines scattered around the island dedicated to the island guardian Pokemon, Tapu Koko. Kukui leapt over the brick ledge, and as soon as Incineroar passed it behind him, Kukui stopped the timer on his watch. Breathing heavily as he looked down at his watch, he turned towards the sun and pumped his fist into the air.

"We beat our record by 48 seconds!" Kukui cheered, wiping the sweat from his brow and sitting down on the ground to rest. Incineroar responded with a wide, boisterous grin as he puffed his chest out and released a monstrous Flamethrower into the clear sky, releasing the energy he'd built up as Kukui looked on, laughing.

"You were excellent, Incineroar!" Kukui said as he unstrapped the weights on his wrists and ankles and flopped backwards onto his back on the ground. His heart was pounding, his lungs burned and he was drenched in sweat, but as he stared into the clear blue sky, he felt a rush which put him on top of the world. He pumped both fists twice more into the air, grinning as his breathing gradually returned to normal and holding his wrist up to check his heart rate on his watch, which was also slowly returning to normal. His heart rate had peaked at 174 bpm, which was well below what he hoped to keep it under, while his resting heart rate had improved dramatically over the past four years, falling from 72 to 46 bpm. He'd been to see his cardiologist six weeks earlier who was thrilled to see he was doing so well. As his breathing normalized, he laid his hand on top of his chest as he continued to stare into the clear sky, thinking about how just ten years earlier, what he had just done was unimaginable for him. The scar down the center of his chest was no longer visible, but he could still feel the thin bumpy line with his fingers, thinking back on how far he had come.

"…Cineroar" Incineroar said with a low purr as he stood over Kukui.

"Ready for doing some meditation before we head back?"

Incineroar nodded eagerly as Kukui rose to his feet and turned towards the remnants of the shrine he had come across with his father several years earlier. Based on research he had done, there was once a large temple overlooking Melemele's eastern coast, identical to ones found at the island's western-most, southern-most and northern-most points, dating back over 800 years. They were ornate buildings adorned in orange and yellow built of the finest Cypress imported from the mainland, with an opening in the center of the roof through which Tapu Koko would come through to accept tributes and offer blessings. Beneath the well in the roof was a large stone seal adorned with Tapu Koko's image. Only the seal remained now, as the temple fell out of use when more were built closer to population centers, and the harsh Alolan climate took its toll on the structures. Kukui stepped up onto the foundation and looked at the large stone seal, which despite it's weathering in storms and the ravages of time, still showed it's beauty. Every time he came up here, he sat cross-legged in front of the seal, hands folded and eyes closed, Incineroar at his side. In the back of his mind, his father's words echoed in his mind recalling the legend of the Masked Royal…

Part 3: The Legend of the Masked Royal

The legend of the Masked Royal and the origins of the Alolan custom date back more than 350 years to the mid 17th Century, when the four main islands of Alola were embroiled in civil war as bitter enemies, torn in their visions of the future for the region. The ruling class of Melemele wished to unify the once peaceful kingdom under Japanese rule, as many Alolans hailed from Japan, and it was the region's strongest supporting ally with whom the region shared an immense cultural bond. Akala wished for Alola to remain an independent sovereign state, while Ula'ula and Poni sought to ally themselves as separate entities under Chinese power. The four islands battled fiercely over the region's trade routes and main source of political and economic power, at the cost of a great number of lives. For many years it was believed the fighting would never stop, and the Kingdom of Alola would be lost to history.

Finally, one man stepped forward with a solution to put an end to the fighting; a fisherman from the Japanese mainland appeared accompanied by an Incineroar, which shocked many people as the breed was unheard of existing outside of Alola. He stood out profoundly from the crowd, as he wore only old hakama trousers and a red and black painted wooden mask covering the top half of his face. Before the ruling classes of Hau'oli, the fisherman competed in the Battle Royal against as many as 50 of the island's toughest trainers, defeating them all. In those days, only the nobility of the four islands were allowed to compete in the Battle Royal, thus the masked trainer embarked on a journey in secret to all the villages on Melemele, Akala, Ula'ula and Poni, battling with as many able-trained commoners he could find, out of sight of the elitist upper class and authorities whose own personal interests appeared to be fueling the conflict between the islands.

The fisherman's skills in battle were awe-inspiring, but what really drew attention to him was his conduct both during and after battle. Moreover, many were astonished to see an outsider equipped with a Z-Ring, allowing for moves in battle only used in practice within the Alola region. During battles, he understood Incineroar's capabilities and limitations, and often stopped battles when his opponents pushed their Pokemon past their limits. Afterwards, he advised his opponents on ways to improve their battling skills by connecting better with their Pokemon, spoke out against cruel or unfair practices and encouraged kind and fair battling. Many were deeply moved by the depth of his teachings, while few who lost responded in anger to their defeat resorted to violence. In one stance on Ula'ula, three brothers who the fisherman had all defeated approached him with swords, to which he responded in defense with only a small dagger. Within minutes, he skillfully disarmed all three brothers, leaving their blades bent and dented, their bodies bruised and bloodied, but nonetheless he allowed them to walk away unmaimed. Those who witnessed the fisherman's triumphs took notice of his skills and wisdom as a Pokemon trainer, and as a trained warrior, which given his young age led many to suspect he was of noble birth, thus gave way to the fisherman being known as "The Masked Royal".

The motives behind the Masked Royal's teachings remained a mystery for almost an entire year, until one incident when a vicious battle broke out between merchants and allied mercenaries from Akala and Poni Islands. A band of sailors from Ula'ula joined in the fighting, while a fleet of boats left Melemele to attempt to quell the fighting. The Masked Royal joined the Melemele sailors and upon entering the battle, stood before the three quarreling groups, his Incineroar at his side, urged them to stop the fighting. Amid a raging storm, yelling through roaring winds and seas, he reminded them that the future of Alola was in their hands, and if the fighting did not stop, all would be lost. Two of the lead mercenaries, a merchant from Akala with a Salamance and an innkeeper from Poni with a Dragonite, both blinded by rage, turned their Pokemon against the Masked Royal. As the two Pokemon unleashed massive Hyper Beams in his direction, a brilliant light shone before the Masked Royal, and to everybody's horror, the guardian Pokemon Tapu Koko appeared before him, offering its aid by deflecting the hyper beams. Before the other men could react, the Masked Royal and Tapu Koko briefly made eye contact, standing before each other before a tremendous surge of energy illuminated in white and yellow light engulfed the battling ships. When the light subsided, the raging storm had disappeared, the ships involved had been reduced to flotsam and splinters, and the men aboard them were found clinging to the wreckage, holding their stunned Pokemon alongside them. Tapu Koko was gone.

His Incineroar was found clinging to his bloodied body in a tearful embrace, as he had been struck and killed by flying debris which the attack had shielded all the other men involved from. Some of the sailors pulled his body and the uninjured Incineroar onto what was left of a cabin wall, where it was discovered his Z-Ring was extremely hot to the touch, indicating it had just been used to unleash an extremely powerful Z-Move. To everyone's bewilderment, the Masked Royal had initiated the attack at the cost of his own life. Although the identity of the attack was unknown, the fact that none of the sailors had even been injured indicated that it had been done to stop the fighting, deeply touching the hearts of all those who witnesses. Upon returning the Melemele, the Masked Royal was laid in state in a temple, where his cracked and bloodied mask was removed to reveal his true identity. He had in fact been the only son of a Kantonian Daimyo of Alolan descent whose family had fled to the mainland when the strife between the islands broke out. Found among his belongings was a written message intended for his father, explaining he kept his identity hidden because he wished to connect with both the elite and peasantry of Alola in an attempt to bring the four islands back together in peace. His dedication and sacrifice to bring peace to Alola humbled the men he fought to stop fighting each other, and in his honor they led the way for a call of peace to be sounded throughout the four islands. Within less than a year reunited under one rule as the Kingdom of Alola, which under a peaceful transition gradually became a Japanese territory, and ultimately as four prefectures.

Part 4: Reflections in the Wind

As he sat there before the seal of Tapu Koko, the gentle ocean breeze swaying through the trees and the sun shining brilliantly overhead, Kukui often reflected on the path that had led him to where he was. He knew the legend of the Masked Royal word for word, down to every last detail, just as his father had told him as a kid. What his father didn't know about the legend, Hala filled in the rest of the story. He'd spend hours with Hala sitting before him, starry eyed and cross legged on the floor as Hala told him about how the Masked Royal became a regional icon. Back then he was in awe of the stories told to him, now the legend had become his creed. To honor the Masked Royal, the people of Alola had established a tradition under which a skilled and capable Incineroar trainer of full or partial Alolan descent would be selected to continue in the Masked Royal's footsteps in his teachings, advocacy and battling in the Battle Royal for a term of his choosing, after which the title would be passed to another trainer of equal qualifications.

The legend was rigid in it's demand towards keeping the tradition alive, particularly because it specifically required an Incineroar trainer. That in itself was a tedious challenge, as due to their difficult nature, Incineroar and it's two pre-evolved forms Litten and Torracat were exceptionally rare partners in Alola. In 2011, there were 494,706 registered trainers in the Alola region, and of those only 51 had Incineroars as partners. Litten were naturally distrustful of humans and most other Pokemon, and research showed in most cases it took even the most skilled trainers years to establish a close bond with them. With Torracat, unless it is still with the same trainer from when it was a Litten, their distrust was twice as fierce if not raised properly. Because of Incineroar's violent temperament, Alola passed laws forbidding the capture of wild Incineroar, only permitting trainers to partner with them after raising them from Litten and Torracat.

Kukui's relationship with his Incineroar was very unusual, and had a very difficult start. His Incineroar was still a Litten when he finished at OPPS and started university with the intent of becoming a Pokemon teacher, but between classes, studying, training and working part time at a nearby fitness center left him little time to bond with Litten as he wished. His only other Pokemon was a Bulbasaur, which had been a gift from Principal Oak as Kukui had finished top of his class. Bulbasaur was timid at first, having come from a different region, but warmed up to him fairly quickly. Litten on the other hand only trusted Kukui enough for providing food and shelter; battling on the other hand was much more difficult. The first three times Kukui tried to use Litten in a battle, Litten ignored his commands and attacked on it's own will, costing them both the battles. Halfway into his first term, he met a Hitmonchan trainer from New Zealand named David Grenier at the fitness center who changed his perspective on everything. David had taken up boxing, as many fighting type trainers did; but when he switched to Mixed Martial Arts he noticed a serious shift in consciousness in how he communicated with Hitmonchan. Because the sport incorporated several different types of fighting styles, it greatly represented the variety of different moves Pokemon use in battles. When conversing with Hala on this breakthrough he'd come across, Hala reminded him of an Alolan custom from the old days which he himself still practiced, that being combining Pokemon training with Kailua, a form of martial arts native to Alola. Thus, as David pointed out, MMA allowed him to connect better with Hitmonchan by giving him the opportunity to put himself in Hitmonchan's position in battle, and in result strengthening their bond. As Kukui had already trained in boxing and wrestling with Hala, making that move was a no brainer, so he joined the university's MMA club which David belonged to and the two started training together, which Litten and Bulbasaur were allowed to watch, and even join in if they wished.

Five nights a week for three hours a day, Bulbasaur and Litten watched from an observation room for Pokemon as Kukui trained with David and the other MMA fighters, expanding on what he'd learned from Hala along with Jiu-jitsu and Kickboxing. While Bulbasaur cheered him on happily, Litten didn't take up too much notice at first, but gradually started paying more and more attention to Kukui's grueling efforts. Eventually, Litten started going out with Kukui on his morning jogs around the university campus every morning, which Kukui rewarded them both with fist tacos from a vendor who peddled the street his dormitory was on. Although Bulbasaur couldn't run the full three mile circle Kukui took every morning, he did start joining Kukui in the gym holding up padded boxing and kicking targets with his vines. By the following summer, Kukui had put on almost 20 pounds of muscle and Bulbasaur had perfected his Vine Whip through training with Kukui, while Litten had started watching Kukui train more and more eagerly. Best of all, on one humid July night at the gym Kukui got the call he'd been waiting on for nearly nine months, for from his brother in law of 16 months to tell him he was an uncle. After 28 hours of labor, Delia had given birth to their first son, Ash Satoshi Ketchum, at their new house in Pallet Town. He chocked back tears at seeing the dozens and dozens of photos of the 8-pound newborn bearing the name of special remembrance, which only he and Delia truly understood. Before the next term started he took a trip to Kanto for two weeks to meet his nephew in person, an experience he'd never forget.

Finally, in a bold leap of faith one night, Kukui got his hands on two blocks of cork, to which he added straps with which he could attach the blocks to his fists and figuratively challenged Litten to practice Fury Swipes on him. Litten eagerly accepted the challenge, and the two of them sparred together the rest of the night until the morning cleaning crew arrived. Through Kukui's second term his training showed to pay off, as his grades set him in line to graduate with double honors, he was one of only seven trainers in the university Battle Lounge to complete the term undefeated with over 40 wins with Litten and Bulbasaur, and of the ten tournaments he competed in with the fight club, he won in seven of them.

Bulbasaur evolved into Ivysaur just before his third and final term began, and Litten had risen to perfect his Bite, Double Kick and Thrash moves training with Kukui in the gym. For Litten's Fire type moves like Fire Fang and Flamethrower, they practiced on the beach, which is also where he first started practicing Z-Moves with Litten using the Z Crystals he'd gotten from the Island Challenge. The final step which solidified Litten's trust in Kukui was just before he graduated. One morning, when they were both out for their morning run, Kukui came across two Team Skull thugs trying to hold up the fish taco vendor they were regular customers for as he tried to set up his trailer for a day of business. Kukui and Litten both raced to his defense, with Kukui taking down one with just two punches and Litten subduing the other with Fury Swipes. As Litten turned and leapt towards the second thug to unleash another round of Fury Swipes, Kukui noticed the guy pull a knife from his belt, which Litten saw and tried to turn away. Before Litten made contact, Kukui charged and tackled the thug to the ground, wrestling the knife out of his hand and pinning him to the ground until Officer Jenny arrived. Kukui had sustained a deep cut from the blade on the top side of his right hand, but after rising to his feet after two cops hauled the thug into a squad car, he turned to Litten to see if he was alright. Litten stood on the sidewalk motionless staring up at Kukui, blood dripping from his hand and wincing in pain, but in his eyes Litten could see Kukui's only concern at that moment was for Litten, and not himself. In that moment Litten gained a strong bond with Kukui he had only ever had with one other person before.

Part 5: The Long Journey

After graduation, Kukui set off for the United States with Litten and Ivysaur in tow to start working toward his doctorate, having accepted a 15-month internship at UCLA studying the process by which Humans and Pokemon bond in a variety of different relationships. He'd never been able to take a normal Pokemon journey like most other kids did, so the opportunity to travel for him was the opportunity of a lifetime. He also joined another MMA fight club in Venice Beach honing his skills, which in turn helped him hone Litten and Ivysaur's battle skills too. When one of the instructors recommended he consider going pro as an MMA fighter, he declined, explaining his interest in the sport was solely to aid him as a Pokemon trainer. The trainers at the gym respected him for this, but were still disappointed, as during his time in Los Angeles he won ten title tournaments for the gym, the cash winnings from which he used to 'anonymously' pay off the mortgage on Delia's house. Meanwhile, between his studies at the university he also competed in the university's Battle Stadium program, marveling at the diversity in battle styles he saw in American trainers. It was here he also expanded his team, as on a weekend trip to a research facility in the Inland Empire, he came across an injured Rufflet on the side of the road. After caring for the Pokemon and nursing him back to health, Rufflet grew so attached to him that Kukui ended up catching him.

When Kukui arrived in Rome, he found the research work for his second internship far more demanding and time consuming, forcing him to dial back both his Pokemon and MMA training. He still went for his morning runs with Litten and found a gym where he could work out with his Pokemon, but it was at a lesser scale than his training had been before. He did find some compensation by immersing himself in the wealth of research materials at his fingertips, as well as in meeting Burnet, which made his time there even more memorable. He'd always been awkward and shy around girls in school, and even in university, but with Burnet it was different as she was almost the exact same way around guys. She had a goofy sense of humor like he did, and her deep thought process left him spellbound. Between collaborating on research they talked a lot, telling each other about their lives back home. He told her all about Delia, showing her pictures of Ash taking his first steps; while she told him dozens of funny stories from growing up with four older brothers. It was during one of his last battles at the famous Colosseum that Litten evolved into Torracat while battling a Mediterranean form Machamp, which was also a fire type, and it was afterwards he got his first kiss from her. After their fellowship ended she was heading north to Stockholm to finish her studies at the Uppsala Institute, and they day they parted ways she left a note with her number for him in his coat pocket when they hugged at the airport.

The final leg of his journey took him to Cape Town, and to the Wild Coast Research Center where the workload for his research was less tedious due to the advanced development of their digital databases of research materials, which in turn allowed him to resume his training; both with his Pokemon and with himself. His first day at the center he was introduced to Melo, a Zimbabwean researcher and Donphan trainer with whom he hit it off right away with. As he saw Melo was in excellent physical shape, he asked if he'd like to be his running partner, which Melo gladly accepted. The next day they went for a five-mile run up and down a local beach, with Torracat and Donphan in tow. Kukui was impressed to see a South African form of Donphan, which was a ground and grass type with light brown skin and leaves growing out of its back. His Donphan was a female, so it was exceptionally aggressive in racing Torracat up and down the beach. That morning out Kukui noticed several wooden crates washed up on the shoreline, which Melo explained was a common sight as ships off the Wild Coast often lost cargo in the heavy seas. But just as they were about to move on, Kukui heard a crying sound coming from one of the boxes. Kukui instructed Torracat to wait on the beach as he waded out to the box which was the source of the crying. Much to his disbelief, he found an injured Piplup locked inside. Melo quickly waded out to help and using a pocket knife he helped Kukui pry the crate open and get the terrified Pokemon to shore. After getting a better look at it, Melo noted that it was it was an Antarctic form of the breed by its light blue fur, noting that its Arctic counterpart had fur that was more purplish blue, and that it had probably been captured by poachers. They took it to the Pokemon Center in Cape Town, which was inundated with a surge of wild Pokemon having been rescued from poachers, a very common problem in Africa. After the center revitalized it, Kukui offered to take care of it until it recovered. Once he got it back to the apartment he was allotted by the Research Center to share with Melo, he learned it was a female, and still very young.

Melo was astounded by the level of care Kukui gave Piplup. Nurse Joy had given him instructions on bottle feeding her because she was so young, which he did twice a day for a month with her pecking at him until his fingers bled. He brought her to the research facility every day in a leather satchel wrapped up in a hand towel, and once her strength returned she started playfully wandering about the facility, after which he started leaving her at home with his and Melo's other Pokemon. She bonded with Torracat and Ivysaur exceptionally well, but bonded exceptionally well with Rufflet. Once Piplup's health returned, Kukui started training in MMA again at a fight club in Century City, owned by a friend of Melo's cousin. After being inactive for almost a year he fought like hell to get caught up in his training with both himself and his Pokemon. Within three months of arriving in Cape Town, Kukui was competing in MMA tournaments once more, winning five out of six in the three months that followed, which emboldened his Pokemon to train harder alongside him. On the beach near the apartment every night, he practiced new fire moves with Torracat such as Flare Blitz and Will-o-Wisp, while during the day on his lunch break he helped Ivysaur perfect Solar Beam in the bright South African sunshine. As for Rufflet however, he came up with a rather unorthodox method of encouraging him to soar to greater heights and conquer his own fear of heights at the same time-skydiving. With both Rufflet and Torracat fitted with special goggles and helmets, and both strapped into a pouch on his chest, and their weight combined with his own well under the recommended limit in South Africa, Kukui took skydiving lessons from another fellow researcher every other weekend. At first Torracat went into the pouch burying his face into Kukui's chest out of hesitation, but by their second jump he was in facing out with a birds-eye view of the awesome world below for the two-minute drop back to earth. Something Kukui would laugh about for years afterward was between focusing on Torracat and Rufflet, he completely forgot he was afraid of heights.

Part 6: When Everything Changed

One month before his internship in Cape Town ended, it happened.

Kukui got a call from a satellite phone in the middle of the night, with a flight medic with a thick Russian accent failing miserably to pronounce Kukui's last name, and explaining they were transporting a gravely ill Dr. Robert Ketchum from the Siberian city of Magadan to Tokyo and that he was insisting to talk to Kukui. Kukui sleepily fumbled with his phone as he crawled out of bed, trying to comprehend what he was being told. Bobby had been nursing a small cold when he'd departed on a research expedition to Siberia, but the cold persisted and within a few weeks began to worsen into severe Pneumonia. Bobby struggled to breathe as he pleaded with Kukui for two last requests.

"Tell your sister that I love her, and that I'm sorry."

"I will, I will, but please just hang on, you're going to be fine!"

"But if I'm not, I need you to do something for me."

"Of course, anything!"

"In my journal there's something for Ash. I need you to look after my boy. He needs a father. He needs you…."

Bobby's voice trailed off as Kukui heard several voices talking loudly in Russian, and the flight medic told him they needed to end the call. Thirty-eight minutes later Delia called and told him Bobby was gone. They talked for a few moments until she passed the phone to Professor Oak, who had rushed to be with her while his daughter looked after Ash.

"I'll be there as soon as I can." Kukui reassured the professor before hanging up. He went numb as his Pokemon looked on sleepily, sitting at the side of his bed, his breath labored. Still in a state of shock, he didn't move for hours, watching the sun slowly rise over the Wild Coast. When Melo woke up, Kukui explained what had happened in a dazed tone what had just happened and that he needed to get home right away. He explained to his supervisors at the Research Center what had happened, but was surprised to learn they had already been in contact with Professor Oak, and were offering to move his research to the Oak Research Lab in Pallet Town to finish the necessary work to earn his doctorate. He didn't know how long he'd be in Pallet Town, he just knew he had to be there.

After packing up his things and a brief farewell to Melo, Kukui began the 9,000 mile journey back to Japan, completing his journey around the world, just under different circumstances than he had expected. During the 11-hour flight to Amsterdam, he stared blankly out the window, drifting in and out of sleep with Torracat curled up against his chest. Torracat knew something terrible had happened, just as it had before many years earlier, found comfort in comforting his master by curling up against Kukui's chest and listening to his heart beat. But Kukui was racked with guilt, having not gotten to know Bobby better. Bobby had been an only child and was thrilled to gain a brother in Kukui, and Kukui himself had had a lot of respect for the man who had made his sister happier than she'd ever been. Although they talked and texted a lot, they had only seen each other in person twice since he and Delia were married. Bobby had treated Delia better than the Emperor treated his wife, and he'd been a wonderful father to Ash, as Delia had shared with him probably thousands of pictures. His heart broke for both Ash and Delia. Would Ash even remember Bobby, or would he just know him through pictures like some long lost ancestor? And Delia, after all these years she had finally found peace, and now this. It just wasn't fair.

"It should have been me…" He kept thinking to himself as the sky outside got darker and darker, the stars and moon shining brightly over the clouds below. This wasn't Kukui's first experience with death; he'd lost more people than most his age, as had Delia. Having looked into the face of death himself, he often turned his attention to the starry sky to think of those who had gone before him. It was well past midnight when he landed in the Netherlands. As he hauled his luggage across the airport to catch his connecting flight to Tokyo, he stopped to grab a sandwich and make a few calls. He managed to get in touch with Samson Oak back in Hau'oli City, who already knew from his cousin what had happened, and had relayed the message to Hala and Molayne who sent their sympathies through texts. He also talked to Samuel, who told him Delia was still at the hospital in Tokyo where Bobby had been brought. After talking to Samuel, he quickly scarfed down his sandwich and headed towards his gate with Torracat tugging at the leash the airport required him to wear inside the terminal. He'd also texted Burnet to tell her what happened, and she responded with sympathies right away. When boarding his connecting flight he was surprised to learn the Wild Coast Institute had called in and upgraded him to business class with a private sleeper, allowing him to sleep for a few hours with Torracat curled up on top of him.

The next afternoon he arrived at the hospital, taking a taxi directly from the airport, to find Delia still in the waiting room, sitting poised as if in a trance set in place by some ghost Pokemon. As soon as she saw him she rose to her feet and slowly made her way towards him, trembling as she wrapped one arm around his neck and cried softly into his shoulder. He struggled to hold back his own tears as he put his arms around her, and the two stood there in silence for what seemed like ages, both of them seemingly reliving and all too familiar painful experience.

Part 7: A Father Figure

For months afterward, Ash asked repeatedly when his Dad was coming home. Delia had gotten him a set of books featuring a rambunctious Cubone which he loved to look at, as he hadn't quite learned how to read yet, but he knew the story about how Cubone's mother was in a place called heaven, and Delia and Kukui explained that his dad had gone there to be with Cubone's mother. Every night Delia would tuck him into bed, and every night he was up an awake three or four times by the front window watching for Bobby to come walking up the road. Regardless, Ash was still expecting Bobby to come home someday. On Ash's fourth birthday later that summer, Delia had invited every kid in Ash's class over to the house for a party, and while all the kids played games together, watched Ash blow out the candles on his cake and open the mountain of presents he'd been given, he kept looking around for his dad. Finally, after all his friends had gone home and they were cleaning up for dinner, Ash suddenly burst into tears and ran from the house. Kukui chased after him while Delia ran back to turn off the stove before giving chase to her son. Ash had barely made it to the lamp post on the corner when Kukui caught up to him just before he almost ran in front of an oncoming car, causing them to lose their balance and fall onto the grass. At first Ash fought to get away from his uncle, pounding his fists against Kukui's chest and shoulders, but he gradually stopped and started to calm down, sitting on the side of the road and crying softly. That day marked the beginning of the understanding for Ash that his Dad wasn't coming back. Kukui looked up at Delia as she approached, and silently scooped Ash up in his arms and carried him back to the house. The rest of the evening, Ash clung to Kukui like he was a life raft, still trembling and crying softly. When Delia offered to pry Ash loose, Kukui asked her to let him stay, which she did. She put in his favorite movie, My Neighbor Totoro, which they ended up watching three times until Ash finally fell asleep on top of Kukui's chest, as he himself lay on the couch. Before long Kukui nodded off as well, his hand on the back of Ash's head. Delia draped a blanket over the two of them and reached for a camera, taking the first of many pictures of the two of them.

That was the first night since it happened that Ash slept through the whole night. Gradually Kukui and Delia made a routine out of caring for Ash, as he was still working towards his doctorate through the Oak Institute and she was taking night classes to earn a degree in nursing. Delia let Kukui use Bobby's desk in the den to do his research, which Professor Oak arranged for him to do little by little every night and during the days when Ash didn't have school. Then one day he came across a small book with a dark brown leather cover bearing the initials "RK" on the binding. That's when he remembered what Bobby had told him the night he died, about his journal. After checking to make sure Delia wasn't home yet, he opened it to find a glimpse of the brother-in-law he never got to know. As Kukui flipped through the pages he found a lot of research strategies and theories that he really found intriguing, memories of his family history, a great deal of thoughts about Delia, and towards the end he found an entry dated two days after Ash was born. It was a four-page-long list of everything Bobby had wanted to teach Ash before he turned 16, most of which was in some way connected with Pokemon training. It had a lot of outdoor type things listed; everything from fly fishing to chopping wood, pitching a tent to rock climbing, as well as all sorts of exercises for bonding with Pokemon, from feeding to training for battles. Kukui chuckled as he noticed how Bobby had all the tasks sorted into groups based on the ideal age for Ash to start learning them. Kukui sat there in silence for what seemed like hours looking over the list, thinking higher of Bobby than he ever had before, and feeling a deep sense of sorrow he knew all too well as Bobby would never get to teach his son anything he had planned on instilling in him. Then suddenly he heard tapping on the window behind him and he looked over to see Ash looking in with a wide grin, his dirty hands pressed against the glass. Wiping his eyes, he set the journal aside and walked around to the back door, where Ash eagerly grabbed his hand and pulled him across the yard to show the fort he'd built. That was the day Kukui decided he wasn't going to try to replace Bobby in Ash's life, but rather pick up where he left off in his own right, and that he was going to follow through with that list as best he could, whether it be in Pallet Town or from Alola.

Part 8: A Promise Renewed

Kukui was also concerned about Delia. He'd agreed that he would stay in Pallet Town to help look after Ash at least until she finished the nursing degree she'd started working on the previous fall at a community college in Viridian City, while wrapping up his own doctorate in the process. Although they had both weathered the maelstrom that is the grieving process together before, this time was different. Those first few months after it happened, there were days she wouldn't eat, barely slept or even left the house. She'd wear her nightgown all day long, shuffle aimlessly from room to room, and eventually collapse into a recliner in the living room in front of the large sliding doors, staring out the windows into the clear blue sky. Later that following summer she finally ventured out into her garden, overgrown with weeds and her tools still where she'd left them the day she got the call about Bobby. Kukui was in the den proofreading a paper he was about to submit for his final thesis edition when suddenly he heard glass breaking outside. Because Ash was still at day camp up at Professor Oak's lab, he knew it was Delia. He turned the corner to the back door to see her chucking withered potted plants around the yard in a fit of rage, like a Primeape practicing its Seismic Toss. He raced outside and confronted her, locking his arms around her as she blindly fought back. Eventually the rage inside her subsided, replaced by a shrill sobbing which echoed through the neighborhood as if it had been building up inside her since that awful night. Kukui gently pulled her over to a stone bench and sat her down next to him, sitting there silently as she cried. After about forty minutes or so, the cries grew quieter and quieter, replaced with a shudder and heavy breathing. Kukui sat there in silence as she caught her breath, his arm around her shoulder.

"Sometimes it feels like a part of me died with him." Delia said softly, staring out over her once proud garden. "Like I'm a ghost or something."

"Well I can tell you, you are still here." Kukui said. "It's okay to hurt and cry and scream. Maybe not break things, but it's okay to break down."

"I'm just glad Ash wasn't home to see that."

"Don't forget he's going through this too. Did I tell you about the other night?"

"No."

"We were out looking at the stars and I had him up on my shoulders, and he was babbling on and on about a toy telescope a kid in his class got for looking at the stars."

"Hm. Really?"

"He asked me; Do you think my Dad is one of those stars?" Kukui said, looking up at the blue sky. "I told him; Yeah, for sure."

"How do I know which one he is?" Kukui relayed Ash's question from the previous night, along with his own response.

"You'll know in your heart." Kukui said with a sigh. "After that he started calling out to a star in the west; I love you Daddy!"

"Is that what he was yelling about?"

"Yeah. He's finding his own ways of coping, and I'm sure in time you will too."

"I just wish I was as sure about that as you."

"Well, I do know one thing for sure." Kukui said with a weak smile, lifting up a fisted hand with his pinky finger extended out. "You're not in this alone, remember?"

Delia wiped the tears from her eyes as she extended her own pinky finger out and the two fingers locked, just as they had done many times before. She then gently rested her head on Kukui's shoulder as she looked out over her overgrown gardens.

"It's just like Hala said, we all have to keep going." Kukui said as he clasped his hand around her shoulder. "That's my hope for you, and I'm sure it's what he would want too."

The next day, Delia took her first bold step forward to the Xanadu Garden, a large greenhouse two miles north of Pallet Town. She came home with a few new potted flowers and gardening tools, as well as a new apron to wear when she worked. With Kukui and Ash's help, her four large vegetable gardens were cleared and reploughed, as were her two large flower beds on either side of the house. Although it was too late in the year for planting, they could get everything ready for her for next year. Little by little, Delia started coming out of her shell and back into the living. Upon arriving in Pallet Town, Kukui had carved a new five-mile running route around the countryside, which he ran every morning just before sunrise. One morning while Ash was still sleeping, Delia decided to join him. She kept up with him for most of the run, and although she got so wiped out he had to carry her on his back the last half-mile, she enjoyed it so much that she started running with him three mornings a week. They also started taking day trips south to the beach, where Kukui started teaching Ash how to swim. One weekend a friend of Professor Oak's leant them a small sailboat, which they took out for a camping trip on Mitisku Island off the coast, the first of many during which Kukui started checking off tasks on the list Bobby had made in his journal. Sitting around the campfire, Kukui and Delia told Ash every Alolan legend they could remember from when they were kids, with his favorite being that of the Masked Royal, but what really brought back memories for the two of them was making Pokemon shadow puppets for Ash before turning in for the night.

Part 9: A New Normal

When autumn arrived, the three of them all had to adjust to a rather strenuous routine, as Ash started Kindergarten, Delia resumed courses in Viridian City and Kukui started attending lectures and seminars at Shinkoji University, which the Oak Laboratory worked in partnership with, as he entered the home stretch towards finishing his doctorate. Because the University was east of Viridian City, Kukui had to take a bus with Delia from Pallet to Viridian, and then a train out to the campus; altogether a 55-minute trip one-way. More troubling, Delia's class schedule that semester was rather unevenly spaced between days, which meant more time away from Ash for both of them. However, one Friday in October during his commute back to Pallet Town, Kukui spotted a solution to their troubles in a used motorcycle dealership lot in Viridian City. Just a few hours later, Delia was in a slight panic when Kukui wasn't on the last bus from Viridian City, but within a few minutes she heard a soft rumbling coming from the driveway, followed by squeals of excitement from Ash who spotted the source of the noise from the window. Delia was shocked to see a black vintage Ural motorcycle with a mounted sidecar in her driveway. As she came outside, she stood flabbergasted as Kukui took off the white helmet he'd just bought.

"What on earth is this?" Delia asked.

"The solution to our problems." Kukui said with a grin as he stood next to the motorcycle. "I got this to help get the two of us to our classes a LOT faster."

"Wow, look at this Mom!" Ash cried excitedly as he clambered into the sidecar. "It's like a rocket!"

"He's not wrong." Kukui said. "I just made it here from Viridian City in less than 10 minutes."

"You're joking, right?" Delia said as she circled the vehicle. "How did you learn to drive one of these?"

"When I was in Italy." Kukui responded, crossing his arms. "Don't worry, it's totally safe."

"Oh wow!" Ash yelled as he reached into the sidecar and pulled out a child's helmet, black with a red stripe and fitted with goggles. "Is this for me?"

"It is, buddy." Kukui said as he leaned over to help Ash try it on. He laughed as Ash's eyes widened with excitement, standing up in the sidecar and gripping the small windshield as he imagined speeding down the road. Delia however looked less enthusiastic about it, standing before Kukui with her arms folded and giving him a glare that made the hairs on his neck stand on end.

"Come on, Lia?" Kukui asked with a nervous laugh. "Just give it a try?"

Glancing over at Ash, who looked at her with pleading eyes through the goggles on his helmet, she released a heavy sigh. "I just know I'm going to regret this."

Kukui smiled as he reached into the sidecar and pulled out another adult helmet, glossed black with pink streaks down the middle, the sight of which led her to crack a smile at her brother. She took the helmet and as she put it on, Kukui helped Ash into the safety harness in the sidecar. As he put his own helmet back on, Delia climbed onto the bike behind him, putting her arms tight around his waist as he fired up the engine.

"Dinner's on me tonight!" Kukui yelled as he backed out of the driveway and headed up the road towards the north. As they ascended into the hills, Delia kept nagging him about his speed for a bit, but after a few minutes her grip around his midsection became more relaxed, and she even began laughing out loud as Ash eagerly gripped the windshield on the sidecar, looking out over the countryside as they raced northwards. Before long they left gravel and came onto a paved highway, which Delia recognized as the route her bus took from Pallet Town minus the length Kukui's shortcut had bypassed. They came into Viridian City just before dark, as the city began to come alive with an exuberant night life. As they pulled into the parking lot of a restaurant two blocks from Delia's nursing program.

"What'd I tell ya?" Kukui said with an open smile as he pulled out his phone, on which he'd set a timer when they had left Delia's house. "14 minutes and 27 seconds."

Delia still shook her head, but couldn't help but smile. "Alright, alright, this works much better."

"That was SO much FUN!" Ash yelled as he began to climb out of the sidecar.

"Hey, wait, hang on buddy!" Kukui called out, grabbing the back of Ash's shirt to keep him in place. "Let's get a picture of this."

Kukui asked a woman nearby to take a picture of the three of them on the bike with his phone, which she did cheerfully as the three of them made V-signs with their fingers and grinned widely. After locking the bike motor, the three of them headed inside the restaurant, which was packed with people and Pokemon.

"It's a shame you left your Pokemon back at the house." Delia said as she pulled her ponytail back tight and smoothed her hair out. "This would have been fun for them."

"True, but they can be a lot to handle whenever there's food around." Kukui said as the three of them followed a waitress to a corner booth, where Ash immediately climbed right into the middle. After ordering some burgers, Kukui showed Delia through maps on his phone how he could drop her off in the mornings on his way to the university, then pick her up at the end of the day and get them back to Pallet Town before Ash was done with school on some days.

"There are some days where my classes go pretty late." Delia pointed out. "I'd hate to have to make you make two trips in one day."

"You could always stay in the dorms some nights here in town." Kukui suggested. "If you've got a lot of studying to do, you could stay here and I could look after Ash."

"Hey, that sounds like fun!" Ash cried as he looked up from the drawing of a Charmander he was doing on the back of his kid's menu. Delia's eyes narrowed suspiciously.

"Are you two just trying to get rid of me so you can trash the house and eat ice cream for dinner?" Delia asked, crossing her arms.

"I'm afraid she's on to us, Ash." Kukui whispered playfully, causing Delia to snicker out loud.

"Well, it would help to study in peace and quiet." Delia said in agreement. "But are you sure you can handle Ash by yourself?"

"Of course he can!" Ash chirped in. "He's the best darned uncle in the whole wide world!"

"Why, thank you Ash." Kukui said, rubbing the top of Ash's head. He then noticed a karaoke stage towards the front of the dining room with a listing of upcoming songs, recognizing the next one.

"Hey, Lia, look!" Kukui said, pointing at the screen. "Remember that song?"

Delia looked up at the display screen and noticed the song listing, the same song that had been her favorite song for more than 10 years, that she knew word for word. It had helped her through many hard times and brough back many good memories.

"Why don't you go up?"

"Me? Oh no, I can't."

"Why not? You're a great singer!"

"I'm not Celine Dion for pity's sake!"

"Alright, next up for Kaburnake's Karaoke, we've got "That's The Way It Is" by Celine Dion." The hostess announced. As Kukui looked at her with pleading eyes, Ash joined in too, quivering his lip in a way that made her heart melt until she finally rolled her eyes and raised her hand. Several people clapped as she approached the stage, taking the microphone in her hand as the music began.

"Hey, I know this song!" Ash said, looking up at Kukui. "It's the song Mom hums and sings all the time."

"That's right, Ash." Kukui said with a smile. He looked on hopefully as Delia worked her way through the verses, the lyrics personally tied to everything she had endured in the past few months. She and Bobby had danced to this song at their wedding reception three times, and it wasn't until over two months after he died that Kukui had heard her humming it from the next room. He recalled Bobby talking about it once over the phone, calling it her 'comfort song', with the ability to cheer her up no matter what mood she was in. Luckily, just as Kukui had hoped, the song's magic still worked on her as she sang through the chorus with all her might, with the last lines coming a look of almost relief on her face. As the music died down, the restaurant roared with applause as Delia took a bow and returned to the table just as the food was coming out.

"That was awesome, Mom!" Ash cried as he hugged Delia tightly as she sat down next to him. "You could be a star!"

"You do have a great singing voice." Kukui added. "Could be something to consider."

"That would take all the fun out of it." Delia responded. "Besides, who would run the clinic in Pallet Town?"

Almost losing track of the time, the three of them ate quickly before heading back to Pallet Town. Ash appeared to be dozing off in the sidecar as they neared the Viridian City limits, where Kukui pulled over and took off his white coat to wrap Ash in. Luckily that evening was warm, as his dressing habits hadn't changed since arriving in Kanto.

"So, you still think of wearing shirts as like wearing straitjackets?"

"Yep."

"No matter how cold it gets?"

"I've got thicker lab coats." Kukui said as he fired up the engine again. "Remember Mount Lanakila?"

"On Ula'ula?" Delia asked. "Where we used to go sledding?"

"Yeah." Kukui said. "I found a place that makes custom winter coats, so when I was still at Alola University I had a few of my lab coats altered for colder climates."

"Hmm. Clever." Delia said softly as she looked up at the night sky. As he focused on the road, his gut was telling him his sister was brooding over something behind him.

"Lia, don't do that to yourself." Kukui said in a stern tone. "It's not good for anyone."

"Do what?"

"Twist yourself up in knots with worry."

"You're my little brother. It's my birthright to worry about you."

"It's appreciated, but as you can see I take pretty good care of myself."

"Don't brag." Delia said with a yawn. "Yeah, you've bulked up a bit, but health is more than lifting weights and kicking pillows."

"Remember, I was at the doctor's last month?" Kukui said as they entered Pallet Town. "Everything is just fine."

"Well, if you say so." Delia said as her house came into view. "I'm sure once you find a pretty wife to worry about you I'll let up a little bit."

"That might be a ways off."

"Do you still talk to Burnet?"

"Yeah, she's finishing her research in Moscow right now."

"Well, if I was a lucky lady to be, I'd put my bets on her."

"Well, let's just wait and see." Kukui said with a nervous laugh as he pulled into the driveway. Leaving their helmets in the sidecar, Delia went to unlock the door while Kukui scooped Ash up out of the sidecar and carried him up the walk. After putting Ash to bed, Kukui tiredly changed into his nightclothes while Delia sat up in the living room reading for a bit. With a long yawn, Kukui fell face down onto the sofa, burying his head into his pillow.

"You know, tonight really was fun after all." Delia said from across the room. "Probably the most fun I've had in months."

"Well, you know me, the king of fun." Kukui yawned, pumping his fists in the air. "Hopefully this bike will get us to and from class quicker."

In the dim light, Delia sat in silence for a bit, a faint smile on her face as she watched Kukui bury himself under two blankets. "I don't know how I'm ever going to thank you."

"It was nothing." Kukui said softly. "I got the bike at a great price and it's very good on gas."

"I meant for staying with me while I'm finishing school, and helping take care of Ash so much." Delia said, still smiling. "I just don't know what I would have done without you."

"You'll always have me." He said sleepily with a wink. "Just as long as you don't paint my toenails in my sleep again."

"No promises." Delia said with a tired laugh.

Part 10: Moving Forward

As Kukui's first year in Pallet Town came to a close, his doctorate came closer and closer to being completed. Through the seemingly endless process of reading and writing papers and sitting through lectures, Kukui had a firm grasp on his goals for the future, which was to be a teacher. One of his biggest inspirations was Ash of course, as even though he was so young he couldn't get enough of Kukui's Pokemon talk, thus his hope was to light the way for future generations of Pokemon trainers to contribute to maintaining balance and harmony between people and Pokemon. The two of them watched Indigo League Legends on TV every weeknight after dinner, during which Ash would bombard Kukui with a million questions on what was going on. "This kid is going to be one hell of a great trainer someday…" Kukui frequently thought to himself. Meanwhile, once he and Delia worked out a routine for commuting to classes and taking care of Ash, Kukui resumed his own training at a gym in Viridian City, both with his Pokemon and MMA. He had ceased both so abruptly when Bobby passed that it was a bit of a struggle to get back into a rhythm, but he got there in good time.

He also joined battle tournaments at the university, going up against highly skilled trainers from all over the world. After all he had learned, he not only put his skills to the test, but he also took notice of his opponents skills with their Pokemon as a means of bettering his own. His Ivysaur competed exceptionally well once he was back in his native climate, benefitting so much that during one battle against a Nidoking he evolved into Venasaur. One weekend, Kukui was visiting an observatory near Pewter City where an encounter with a fierce wild Spearow led to his Rufflet evolving into Braviary, and just a few weeks before his final term ended, his Piplup evolved into Prinplup during a battle with a ghost type trainer from Lavender Town.

In the spring of 2009, just over a year after arriving in Kanto, Kukui became Dr. Kukui Nishikawa upon completing his doctorate in Pokemon Wellness and Relations. While Delia still had two terms left in her nursing degree program, Kukui took the opportunity to expand his research by working with Professor Oak in his work with new trainers as they came of age. Every summer, thousands of children throughout the region set off on their Pokemon journeys, with each choosing one of a variety of different Pokemon sciences to focus on. Kukui's expertise was primarily battle sciences and how that contributed to overall wellness, and over the next two years he had the privilege of working with several local children who were just receiving their first partner Pokemon. Every day after school, Ash would race to the Oak Research Center to meet up with Kukui and play with all the Pokemon before they headed home, all the meanwhile debating over which starter Pokemon he would want when his time came to start his own Pokemon journey. A common practice throughout the Far East was to offer young trainers different breeds of Fire, Water and Grass type Pokemon, the breeds depending on the region. In southwestern Kanto, Squirtle were commonly found in shallow lakes and gentle streams, as well as along the coastal areas. Bulbasaur were found to thrive in the types of forests found in the area due to the distinct variety of native trees, plants and flowers. Charmander tended to thrive depending on when they hatched; during the spring and summer months they nested in forested areas near water and tended to be more outgoing, while if they hatched in fall or winter their personalities were more guarded and they tended to nest secluded rocky foothills to the north. Ash frequently rotated between the three selections, imagining the fun of bonding with them and the thrill of watching them evolve.

Part 11: In Torracat's Eyes

Since arriving in Kanto, Kukui's Torracat had a very hard time adapting to a new environment, which was why Kukui restricted his training to Torracat to the gym in Viridian City where he trained. Even that proved difficult though, as although Torracat was very close to Kukui and his other Pokemon, he'd made a habit of aggressively challenging other Pokemon while in Kanto, eager to get stronger. To help Torracat keep caught up in training, Kukui started setting aside two nights every week when Delia didn't have night classes to bring Torracat to the gym for one-on-one training. Kukui was able to help Torracat learn several new moves including Thrash, Revenge and Body Slam, as well as more powerful Fire-type moves such as Flamethrower. At the same time, Kukui took to building up his own endurance by having Torracat use him as a target when practicing at night. At first Torracat came across this very apprehensively, fearful of injuring his partner, but one incident changed Torracat's perspective of Kukui in an entirely new way. In the spring of 2010, Kukui was competing in a charity MMA tournament in Pewter City while Ash and Delia were visiting Bobby's mother. In the third round, as Torracat and his other Pokemon watched on, Kukui was paired up to fight with Kudo, a quarryman from the north nearly twice his size, which Kukui took on gladly and eagerly. Kudo had been involved in MMA since before Kukui was born and had won dozens of tournaments, and he was exactly the kind of opponent Kukui sought out because he wanted to challenge himself to do better. Within the first minute, Kukui took one sharp blow to the head which sent him tumbling into the corner of the cage, right in front of where his Pokemon were watching. Stunned, Torracat got as close to the cage as possible and tried desperately to meow over the cheering crowd, calling out to Kukui to keep fighting. Dazed and in pain, Kukui looked towards Torracat as the count was being called out, and the two locked eyes. It was then that Torracat truly saw for the first time what was in Kukui's heart: drive. Drive to learn. Drive to improve. Drive to succeed. Just before the final call was made, Kukui managed to rise to his feet and circle back towards Kudo. Here he put his greatest strength to good use; speed, as he dodged two more swings from Kudo, jumped up into a corner of the cage and sprung away from it, landing a fisted blow to Kudo that knocked the larger man off his feet and to the floor of the cage out cold. As the plaza erupted in cheers, Torracat stood in awe as Kukui stood dazed and exhausted but grinning as the referee declared him the winner. The doctor on call determined Kukui suffered a mild concussion and a broken nose so he was sidelined for the remainder of the tournament, but beating an opponent like Kudo made him feel like he'd just climbed Mt. Everest. Once Kudo regained consciousness, the two shook hands and thanked each other for a fight well done. Of the fourteen fighters in the tournament, Kukui ended up placing fourth.

Luckily the swelling and bruises cleared up before Delia and Ash returned home, but that didn't quell Delia's fussing over her brother's injuries. He laughed when he brought up a memory of a neighborhood bully who had given him a bloody nose and a black eye when they were kids, which Delia responded to by chasing the bully down with a softball bat, while at the same time making it clear to Ash that fighting like that was not something he was looking to encourage. Luckily, with the exception of Gary Oak, Ash got along with all the kids in his class and around the neighborhood. His experience in the cage did however, leave an impact on Torracat, who once Kukui was healed up enough to return to the gym began training directly with him and not holding back. Throughout the rest of the year, Torracat's skill and strength grew considerably and by the end of the year it became evident that he was close to evolving. However, that would come about in a way that Kukui nor Torracat would have ever imagined.

On that fateful day in March 2011 when the Tohoku Earthquake rocked Japan, Kukui was in Viridian City at the gym sparring with Torracat when the earth began to rumble beneath their feet. At first he expected the rumbling to subside after a few moments, as it frequently did. But instead, it continued, and grew stronger and stronger. Outside people could be heard screaming and crying as they fled the swaying buildings, and as the lights flickered overhead the gym manager called out for everyone to evacuate. Kukui scooped up Torracat in his arms and followed the other trainers out into the street, but as he went outside a loud crashing noise behind him stopped him in his tracks. Near the edge of the main room an interior wall along with a line of lockers anchored to them had collapsed, pinning the gym owner and another trainer to the floor. Kukui looked up and saw the building swaying as the shaking continued, and turned to set Torracat down on the pavement clear from the building's shadow, where he firmly told Torracat to wait for him there. Before Torracat could object, Kukui turned and along with two other men ran back into the gym to free the two men trapped beneath the collapsed wall. Torracat stood there anxiously watching the building as Kukui and the two others shuffled the debris around to free the two who were trapped. The first freed was a Nidoking trainer visiting from out west, clutching his Poke Ball with a bloodied hand and suffering a broken leg. The two men helping Kukui carried him outside while Kukui struggled to free the owner, whose leg was pinned beneath a section of the wall. Despite the owner's pleas for Kukui to run, Kukui wouldn't leave, which Torracat took notice of. Torracat meowed and cried anxiously for Kukui to hurry, watching as he desperately tried to lift the wall section up by himself. As this was happening, Torracat's energy was building with his anxiety, the bell on his neck heating up and omitting flames. Just as Kukui managed to lift the wall section enough for the owner to crawl free, the section above began to sway and crumble, with Kukui looking up just as the wall began to fold down towards him, at which point all Kukui could do was brace himself and close his eyes.

At that moment Torracat raced through the gym entrance and leapt towards the collapsing wall, crying out with all his strength. As he leapt into the air towards Kukui, onlookers in the street watched in amazement as midair, Torracat vanished in a glow of yellow-white light, his body growing in size and strength. As the light subsided, the brick wall came cascading down onto both Kukui and the gym owner. Kukui had braced himself and waited for the impact of the cinderblock wall, but it never came. Instead he felt over him a a firm mass of purring muscle coated with fur. As he opened his eyes, he was shocked to see an Incineroar above him and the gym owner, holding back the wall. With a slight grunt, Incineroar pushed the wall off to the side and allowed the two men to escape, with Incineroar following just moments before two large sections of the roof caved in. As the dust cleared and the earthquake subsided, Kukui stood in amazement at the sight of his newly evolved partner. Just a few moments ago he was barely two feet tall; now he was standing eye to eye with Kukui. Incineroar stood in silence before his partner for a few moments before pulling him into a tight embrace, which although proved to be so tight Kukui almost lost consciousness at one point, Kukui felt it appropriate given what had just happened and bore it as best he could.

Part 12: A New Journey Begins

As spring gave way to summer, Kukui found himself at yet another crossroads when one day he got a call from Professor Oak requesting a meeting for him. Samuel had helped him out by giving him a reference for applications for teaching positions throughout central Japan, as Kukui desired something as close to Alola as possible. He longed for the sunny days, the seaward breeze, the shade of the palm trees, and the people he'd left behind. When he met up with Samuel, he got the news he'd been longing for from the Oak Pokemon Preparatory School back in Hau'oli City. One of the General Studies positions had just opened up and after looking over his application, the Board of Directors had requested an interview by live streaming, which Kukui did with them that very afternoon. By the end of the day, the position was his, and he was to start with his own class the beginning of the next term.

As hard as it was for him to leave Ash and Delia, he missed Alola and Hau'oli City and was as anxious as ever to start teaching. Delia had finished her nursing degree and was working out of the clinic in Pallet Town, while Ash was doing well both at home and in school. He made a note of explaining to Ash how he was the 'man of the house' and had an important job of helping his mom in every way he could. The day he left for the airport, Ash had tearfully pleaded with him not to go, clinging to his side. Kukui tipped the taxi driver to wait for a few minutes while he had one last conversation with Ash next to the mailbox by the wooden white fence the two of them had repainted together just a few weeks earlier.

"Ash, we talked about this with your Mom last night. It's time for me to get home."

"It's just not fair!" Ash said with a sniffle, wiping his eyes. "Can't you teach here?"

"There aren't any schools around here I'm trained to teach for. Plus I promised them I'd be there to teach the kids who go there. They're counting on me."

"Don't you like it here?" Ash asked tearfully, looking up at his uncle. "Did I do something wrong?"

Kukui cracked a smile as he tried to cover up his wincing at Ash's question. He gently crouched down next to Ash and put his hand on Ash's shoulder.

"It's not just that." Kukui said softly. "Alola is my home, and I've been gone for a very long time now."

"Are you homesick?" Ash asked, wiping his eyes. "Like I did at camp last year and You and Mom had to come get me?"

"Yeah, I guess you could say that." Kukui said with a soft chuckle. "It's not that I don't want to be with you. It's just that your home is here in Pallet Town with your Mom, and my home is in Hau'oli City."

Ash grew very silent, staring at his blue and red sneakers. "Will you come back to visit?"

"Of course I will!" Kukui said, looking his nephew right in the eye with a smile. "And we can talk on the phone whenever you want!"

"You mean with the new phone my Mom got me?"

"Yeah." Kukui said, reaching into his pocket to pull out his own phone. "See, I have your number put in here already."

"Wow, that's cool!" Ash said with a smile. As Kukui put his phone away, Ash stood and smiled at him before jumping into his outstretched arms and wrapping his arms around Kukui's neck.

"I'll miss you a lot."

"I'll miss you and your Mom too." Kukui said as he looked over Ash's shoulder up at the sunny afternoon sky, thinking back to a familiar distant memory.

"Whenever you get sad, just remember this." Kukui said as he hugged Ash tightly. "I'll always be with you."

Part 13: Two New Careers

At the age of twenty-five, Kukui was the youngest appointed teacher in the Oak Pokemon Preparatory School's history. His first class was four boys and two girls, ages 11 to 14, who in between them had a total of fourteen Pokemon. They were all bright kids, eager learners and very skilled trainers who made going to work every day exceptionally enjoyable. He found several of his own old classmates among the staff who were glad to see he had finally returned, and they all asked frequently how Delia was doing as well. His first term was a great success for him, as the school offered him tenure, thus increasing his salary and offering him a bonus which he could use to finally get his own place. He was however distressed to see at the school, supplies were lacking considerably, much of the equipment was worn and aged, and the building was showing some wear and tear as well. During the recession the school lost several donors to bankruptcy and the Oak Foundation was very short of funds, so much that there was word going around that they would have to lay off teachers or reduce class sizes, or even temporarily close the school until new donors could be found. Kukui had confronted Samson about this not long after he accepted tenure, who assured him his job wasn't in jeopardy but was nonetheless distressed about the situation, so much that Kukui saw him go nearly an entire week without cracking a single Pokemon gag.

It was not long after that Kukui first saw the ad in the paper from the Hau'oli City council, as they were still looking to find a new Masked Royal. The previous title holder had retired just before Kukui graduated from Alola state, and they were evidently as anxious as ever to find the next hometown hero. The ad listed in detail the qualifications from physical capabilities down to the most important aspect-the holder be an Incineroar trainer. Most importantly, the salary the council was offering for the title holder was almost three times what he was earning from teaching. Kukui had seen the Masked Royal and the Battle Royal challenges when he was a kid, and always loved how the Masked Royal conducted himself in battle, even in defeat, which was said to be the very pinnacle of Pokemon Training as a discipline and a way of life in the Pacific rim. That's when a light switch clicked on in the back of Kukui's head, as the thought to himself; "I could do that too." Thus he found a way to take his teaching to a whole new level as well as a way to help the school at the same time. He contacted the representative for the council listed in the paper, deepening his voice as he spoke. The representative rattled off several questions ranging from his years as a trainer, the status points from Incineroar's last physical, all the way down to Kukui's shoe size. When speaking with the representative, he was caught off guard by one requisite for the position.

He had to find or make his own mask. After the Second World War, the tradition was modified so as to allow each Masked Royal to use a different mask, and in turn create a new theme for the Battle Royal. Initially it was started just as an advertising gimmick, but in turn it allowed for more creative methods of conveying the teachings of the Masked Royal. When Kukui was a kid, the Masked Royal, the most recent title holder, used a black face mask with red lining. He also wore black jeans and an embroidered black shirt depicting the four seals of Alola. After thinking over where he could find a mask to use, he then remembered something he hadn't set eyes on in several years. He made a quick visit to the storage locker where he'd kept his things while he was overseas, and after rummaging through several boxes he found an old wrestling mask which he'd gotten as a kid. It had been custom made to represent Alola's natural beauty, with one side imprinted in blue with a swirl pattern to emulate the calm waters with their swift deep sea currents, and the other with a green leaf pattern representing the region's fertile plant life. After getting his hands on a small sewing machine, Kukui made some alterations, balancing the two existing colors by covering the face with a red flame-shaped covering and two red flame-shaped horns above the eyes in tribute to Wela Volcano, finishing with a lightning bolt descending from the middle of the forehead down to the back of the neck to pay tribute to Tapu Koko's role in the legendary battle in which it came to aid the first Masked Royal. He sent the representative he'd spoken to a picture of the mask once it was finished, and the response given asked when he'd be available for a meeting with the city council.

When he arrived that day at the convention center, the council set it up so as to arrive and get ready without revealing to anyone his true identity. They told him where he'd find a key to the locker room, where he changed into the mask, gray fighting shorts he'd gotten in Italy and a pair of white boxing shoes. He met with a group of sixteen board representatives, with whom he shared his knowledge of the legend of the Masked Royal and of Alolan customs regarding Pokemon training, with which they were all very impressed with. He was then challenged to battle all sixteen of them, of whom all were Z-Ring holders, each armed with a different Z-Crystal. This proved to be a tremendous challenge, as Kukui and Incineroar were faced off against Pokemon neither of them had ever seen, but Kukui kept his cool, and to a certain extent even enjoyed the challenge. The board leader was a Dragonite trainer who was well into his seventies, and he was the most challenging of them all, and it was for this battle Kukui saved his best move with Incineroar. Upon returning to Hau'oli City, Hala had given him an Incinium-Z, which was an exceptionally rare Z-Crystal

Kukui was the twenty-fourth Alolan to hold the title, and the youngest since the First World War. Under contract with the Hau'oli City council, Kukui held eighteen two-day Battle Royal tournaments at the city convention center every year, equaling out to one every three weeks, as well as twelve demonstration sessions during which he worked with trainers from all over the world, conveying on the traditional Alolan methods of raising and battling with Pokemon. Both were televised and aired all over the Far East, through which the wisdom of the Masked Royal spread to almost every household in Alola and beyond.

Kukui's qualifications as a professor gave him an edge over many of his predecessors, as he was able to elaborate on relations between People and Pokemon on a very deep level. But the one serious drawback was that in holding to tradition, the Masked royal's identity was only to be revealed in death. Thus part of his contract was he was only allowed to disclose his identity to a small group of people; a physician, a personal trainer, and two consultants on traditional battling, all of whom were bound by the contract as well. The Nurse Joy stationed at the Pokemon Center downtown, who also had just completed her doctorate when Kukui moved back to Alola, offered to be his physician, as her father had done so for the two previous Masked Royals. His personal trainer was of course Hala, his oldest friend and closest mentor, while his two consultants were Molayne and Faba. After his first year holding the title, he reached out to Molayne to help him backcheck the various customs and traditions to make sure everything he was teaching was accurate, while Faba recently joined him as a consultant on battle techniques that reduced the risk of serious injury to Incineroar or any opponent they faced off against after revealing himself during their fight with Team Rocket. They both provided him with alibis for days when the tournaments were taking place every so often so as to keep his secret safe from Burnet and the students.

There was, of course, one person he was unable to keep the secret from….

Part 14: The Truth Comes Out

August 2012

Kukui hummed gleefully as he hauled another box from the truck he had rented into the small seaside cottage which as of four hours earlier had become his permanent residence. During his first year back in Alola he'd lived out of boxes and suitcases in motels, by couch surfing, even sleeping in his jeep every once and a while. The recession had wreaked havoc on Alola's housing market during the years he was away, so the meager savings he had on him weren't enough to get his own place. Upon completing his first term at OPPS however, he was granted tenure and given an excellent benefits package, which included reasonable housing assistance. After scouring neighborhoods nearby the school, he found this fixer-upper and leapt on the opportunity. It had sat vacant for nearly four years after the previous owner relocated to the mainland and had just recently gone up for sale after the owner's passing. Sure, it needed a lot of work, but he was up to the challenge. He'd signed the papers earlier that day, and since then had been clearing out the storage locker he'd placed all his belongings in while he was overseas and on the mainland. As he piled boxes inside the door, he glanced around at the empty spaces at all the updates he had in mind. Just then, he heard his phone pinging.

"This is Kukui. Oh, hey Molayne." Kukui answered as Molayne buzzed in to check on his friend.

"How's the big move coming?"

"I'd hardly call it a big move. I got everything in one trip."

"I'm not sure if I find that more impressive or sad. Still living the nomad lifestyle?"

"Not sure yet. Still trying to remember what's in these boxes after six years."

"So, everything good with the lights and water?"

"For now, yes. Got a lot of work in mind."

Before Molayne could answer again, his phone pinged the jingle sounding like Pink Lightning's cover song which told him Delia was calling.

"Hey, Lia's calling me, can I call you back?"

"Sure. Tell her I said hi, catch you later!"

Kukui looked at his phone and swiped the green button to initiate a video chat.

"Hey sis."

"Hey, homeowner!" Delia cried happily. "Let me see it!"

"Fair warning, it needs a bit of work." Kukui warned as he lifted up his phone and slowly turned around in a circle, giving her a full view of the main floor. "There's a basement with a lot of space too."

"Excellent." Delia answered, her enthusiasm feigning. "Now you both DRESS and LIVE like a beach bum."

"Yeah. Ain't it great!" Kukui said with a goofy grin, drawing a burst of laughter out of his sister. With a quick pace he stepped outside to grab another box out of the truck, keeping his phone pressed against his ear with his shoulder.

"You're such a dork…" Delia laughed, shaking her head. "Hey, have you seen the new Masked Royal?"

"Uh, no, not yet." Kukui said with a grunt as he set another box in the pile he had massed in the center of the main room. "But I've heard he's pretty good."

"Yeah, it seems it took them a while to find this new one after the last one retired. Heck, I was still pregnant with Ash last time I saw a live Battle Royal on TV!"

"Well, you know how picky they are about selecting guys to fill that role."

"It would be a lot easier if they picked a woman for the role."

"Perhaps, but they can't break with tradition I guess…" Kukui said as he stepped outside to grab another box, which was heavy with reference books. "Maybe someday they could add a female partner for him to battle alongside, like 'The Masked Royaless."

"That's not a bad idea." Delia said as Kukui took the box with his books under one arm and his old microwave under the other arm.

"Hey, how's Ash doing?"

"He's doing great in school. He sculpted a Geodude out of clay and won an award for it."

"Hey, that's fantastic!" Kukui said with a smile as he set the microwave on the counter.

"I'm sure he'll call you later to tell you about it." Delia said. "I hope he isn't calling you too much since I got him that new phone."

"Nah, I don't mind." Kukui chuckled. "I've told him the best time to call each day if he wants to talk."

"Even with the time difference?"

"Even with the time difference." Kukui said as he set the books down on the floor. "That's never stopped you from calling in the middle of the night."

"True." Delia said with a giggle. "I remember when you moved back to Hau'oli, how you explained to him that he was the man of the house now."

"Yeah?"

"I'm amazed at how much he helps out with things around the house…" Delia said as she trailed off. "Except for keeping his room clean."

"Gee, I wonder who he takes after?" Kukui joked as he moved across the room to survey the mountain of boxes he'd amassed. He'd just bought a few small bookcases at a garage sale down the road and was deciding where to position them.

"Yeah, I keep my room plenty clean…..nowadays." Delia said sternly. "Now, about the Battle Royal?"

"What about it?" Kukui said with a grunt as he lifted one of the bookcases and moved it towards the wall.

"Where did you get those gray shorts they make you wear in the ring?"

"Huh-OW!" Kukui responded in a high pitched voice as the bookcase slipped from his fingers and landed hard on his foot.

"What happened? Are you alright?"

"I'm fine." Kukui said wincing as he leaned over to rub his foot. "Just dropped the case on my foot. Good thing I still had my shoes on."

"Oh dear."

"Now what do you mean 'in the ring'?" Kukui asked. Delia didn't respond right away, but instead folded her arms and glared back at him through the phone with narrowed eyes.

"I know."

"K-Know what?" Kukui asked nervously, his gut telling him she knew the truth.

"Don't play dumb with me, pretty boy." Delia said in a low tone. "I know you're the new Masked Royal."

"W-What?" Kukui asked nervously, his face turning pale. "How d-did you know?"

"Give me a break! I've known you your whole life! I changed your diapers! Did you really think I wouldn't recognize you just because I can't see half your face?"

Kukui groaned as he plopped down onto a stool and propped his sore foot on a nearby box. "You always gotta play the diaper card, don't you?"

"After the things I witnessed, you bet your bottom I do!" Delia teased. "But if you really must know it was just one thing that tipped me off."

"Oh really?" Kukui asked, crossing his arms and glaring back at her playfully in the same manner. "What was that?"

"You're using Dad's mask." Delia said, cracking a weak smile. "The one he gave you."

"Wow, didn't think you'd remember that." Kukui said in a softer tone. "Especially with the changes I made to it."

"How could I forget? You wore that thing to bed every night for 2 years."

"So it was just that that you recognized?" Kukui asked. "You had me worried there."

"Don't worry, Kuk. You're secret is safe with me." Delia said with a wink.

"So, you're not mad?"

"Mad? I'm as proud as anybody living!" Delia said with a beaming grin. "You're incredible at it!"

Kukui breathed a sigh of relief, and a large smile came to his face. "Thanks sis."

"Although it is going to be a hard secret to keep from Ash." Delia said. "But I think I can manage it."

"Do you think he'd be surprised?"

"Given the way he looks up to you, there's no telling how he'd react."

"Has he seen the Battle Royal on TV yet?"

"Not yet. It's usually not on until after he's in bed." Delia said with a sigh. "Of course once it comes on I can't stop watching it until it's over. It's just THAT good!"

"Well, I'm glad at least you and I can enjoy this together, though it is still a bummer that we have to leave Ash out of it."

"Maybe on your next visit you can show him yourself."

"It's a deal!" Kukui said with a smile. "That mask really brings back memories."

"Yeah, it does. Seems like a completely different lifetime."

"What do you think Dad would say about it?" Kukui asked softly.

"He'd be the proudest father in the universe, as I bet he is right now." Delia said in the same tone. "They all would be proud."

Part 13: A Troubling Situation

"a different lifetime…." Delia's words echoed in his mind as Kukui continued to listen to the gentle breeze ruffle the trees and grasses on the peak side. Every now and then, particularly when he was meditating in an outdoor setting, did he look back at the dramatic shifts his life had taken over the years. He thought of all he'd endured, and all he'd enjoyed. As he looked down at his watch, he decided to start heading back as he had plans to catch lunch with Burnet while Ash and the others were out enjoying what they called "Saturday Fun-Day!". He looked over at Incineroar, who was patiently waiting to start back down the mountain trail. Just as he rose to his feet, he felt his phone vibrate in the pocket of his shorts. As he took it out, he saw it was Molayne calling and raised his hand to quell the stirring of an anxious Incineroar.

"Hey Molayne, what's up?"

"Kukui, are you alright?" Molayne asked in a panicked tone.

"Uh, yeah I'm fine." Kukui paused for a moment as he could tell something was off about Molayne. He was almost always calm and relaxed, so much that Kukui and the others they went to school with would tease him about it. "What's going on?"

"Where are you?"

"I'm at Kaleoa."

"Oh, that's right. It still really freaks me out that you can run all the way up that trail."

"What's going on?" Kukui asked. "I haven't heard you in a panic like that since you saw Silence of the Lambs."

"Ok, I'm trying not to let that back into my head, but you know how I do online search algorithms to keep up on latest news on everybody?"

"Yeah."

"Well, I found something on you this morning that has me a little freaked out."

"What is it?"

"I think you'd better see it for yourself."

Two seconds later Molayne sent a text with an image that really caught Kukui by surprise. It showed a photograph of him which he recognized from his most recent ID photo from OPPS, with his name, address and a detailed description of his jeep were listed. On the bottom there was printed in bold letters; "A $250,000 Reward is being offered for the LIVE capture of this man, contact 3606-09"

Kukui stared at it in shock, lowering his sunglasses and squinting at the bold print to make sure he was reading it correctly.

"What the hell is this?"

"I don't know, but somebody with a LOT of money just painted a target on your back the size of Madagascar!"

"Are you sure it's not just a joke or something?"

"Given where I found it I seriously doubt it's a joke, Kukui."

"Where did you find it?"

"You know how I have web alerts to keep up with all my colleagues in the news?"

"Yeah?"

"Well, the browsing algorithms I use scour the net pretty deeply, and I came across this on the dark web."

"The dark web?"

"That's correct."

"You mean like, THE dark web?"

"I wasn't aware of any other dark web."

"I know, I know."

"You need to get somewhere safe. I'm on my way to Hau'oli right now."

"I'll get to the police, Officer Jenny will know what to do."

"Where are Burnet and Ash?"

"Ash is with Sophocles and the others chumming around, and Burnet has a meeting with Lusamine and the others from Aether downtown."

"You should tell them."

"I'd rather not until I get a handle on this."

"What about your sister?"

"Same answer in ALL CAPS." Kukui said firmly. "Lia would lose her mind if she saw this."

"Alright, it's your decision." Molayne said with a sigh. "Can you make it to town safely?"

"Do I have a choice?"

"Just stay safe out there, and don't go all Kukui on me!"

"Will do." Kukui said as he hung up the phone. He just stood there for several moments, phone still in his hand as Incineroar looked on curiously. Incineroar could tell something was very wrong, as he knew Kukui well enough to almost read his thoughts.

"Incineroar, we need to hurry back into the city!" Kukui said nervously as he put his phone back into his pocket. Just as he was to turn towards the trail, Incineroar took Kukui by the shoulders with both claws and locked eyes with him. Kukui stopped in his tracks instantly. There was a look in Incineroar's eyes he only gave Kukui whenever he sensed something was wrong. It was something Incineroar knew all too well because when he first met Kukui, so much was wrong, if not everything. The look in Incineroar's eyes, just as it had done when he was a Litten and a Torracat conveyed a deep, resonating message from Incineroar's heart to Kukui's. "You're not alone."

After a few moments, Kukui's nerves eased and color returned to his face. He raised his arms and put his hands on Incineroar's shoulders, cracking a grin and relaying his gratitude.

"I can always count on you, old friend."

Incineroar simply nodded with a grin, showing his teeth.

"We'd better get back." Kukui said as he started back down the trail, Incineroar right behind him. Although he did feel more secure with Incineroar by his side, he couldn't help but wonder the true reality of what he was walking into. As he picked up speed down the trail he looked at the trees around him, wondering if someone could be watching. His throat tensed up and he turned his focus back on the trail, trying to put the nagging fear for his family and his students out of his mind.

To Be Continued…