Fire and Ash: Chapter Two

Inspired by The Forgotten Silent Maiden (Rise of The Betrayed) on FanFiction.Net and phociian (How to Love; In Steps) on Wattpad. I would recommend reading them first.

Last Time:

'Master, guess your stay in Alola is going to be extended.'

Ash sat down on the sand and smiled "I guess it is, I just hope that I don't get caught."

He grimaced at the memories.

Pikachu and Lucario soon joined him on the sand while looking at the waves splash.

'I don't think you will.' Lucario said.

Ash smiled (knowing that it was strained) at the positive attitude his pokemon gave, only if he still had his own.

Ash's sleep at night was peaceful compared to the other nights where he thought he was alone.

He would admit that.

Maybe Alola is a safe place for him.

These thoughts flooded his head as he walked to the school, with the amused faces of Pikachu and Lucario as they watched his trainer.

With the school insight, both pokemon ran ahead.

'I can't think like that again... Maybe if there was something to fight for... then maybe I might be able to be myself again.'

He sat down at his desk and was surprised to see everyone there ready to learn, playing with their pokemon.

They were all my friends.

Why are friends important?

He wanted to know the answer.

Having conversations with each other, sharing ideas, and laughing.

He wanted to have that again but he was afraid of what they would do to him.

He was already hurt by the people who he traveled, ate, slept, and trained with.

He doesn't want a bigger hole in his heart.

Just watching them hurts.

Ash looked at his pokemon as they played with the other pokemon in the room, it seemed like they were happy to have someone to be with.

He really wanted to cry.

Just as Ash was about to get up and leave Professor Kukui walked in with a floating robot and a stupid smile.

Then the bell rang.

"Professor Kukui?  Is late? Something tells me it has to do with that smile of yours?" Mallow giggled along with the other girls while the boys smirked.

Professor Kukui's face turned bright red shaking his head and waving his hands around.

He smiled. "No nothing like that." he spoke for his defense then continued to speak, "Today we are going to learn about Mega Evolution... Then we will have special guests to come in a couple of days and talk about mega evolution."

Professor Kukui then looked towards me and smiled. "Since Satoshi is new to Alola, I've decided to give him a guide." He then pointed towards the floating robot, "This is a Rotom-Dex, He will help you whenever you need the help, but at  the moment there is a malfunction, I'll give you Rotom dex to you when I fix the problem." As soon as he finished speaking the robot dropped on the floor.

The professor picked the robot up and gently placed it on his desk.

"I've also noticed you have a Mega-Evolution stone on you." Ash froze, he nodded. "Do you want to--"

Everyone looked at him in surprise and fascination.

Sophocles looked at his wrist and gasped, it went unnoticed.

Lucario interrupted him, 'My Master's Pokemon cannot Mega Evolve, he's been working on it though.'

"Oh... that's alright."

"That's so cool!" Sophocles exclaimed as he pointed at Ash's wrist.

Everyone else in the room looked at where he was pointing, they all looked surprised.

"Whoa, Satoshi, is that a Z-crystal on your wrist?" Mallow asked.

"Yeah. It's an Electrium Z. Where did you get that?" Kiawe glared at Ash. "Not the island challenge. You didn't participate and pass the trails that I know of."

Professor Kukui interrupted them, "Tapu Koko gave it to him."

All the students looked up towards the Professor. "Tapu Koko?" Kiawe looked confused. While everyone else looked at Satoshi in awe.

Kukui then explained: "Yeah, Tapu Koko, was outside my house and Satoshi just walked out and I followed that's when  Tapu Koko gave Satoshi the Z-Ring." Satoshi's pokemon chirped in agreement. "It was like Tapu Koko was telling Satoshi something."

"How could it have gotten a Z-ring?" Kiawe questioned.

Lillie had a thoughtful face, as she spoke. "I've read about Tapu Koko before." They all look at her. "Tapu Koko's very well known as the guardian who likes to help islanders but it also likes to play tricks and if it thinks it's necessary, it can sometimes even punish them. I also read on rare occasions it will give gifts to people it likes."

Ash felt a shiver down his spine, Pikachu soon jumped on his lap and somewhat cuddled him as if Pikachu knew what Ash was thinking.

"that's great! So that means Tapu Koko really likes Ash." Mallow exclaimed.

"Kiawe, hold on. You got your Z-ring from the Akala Island Kahuna, right?" Sophocles turned to look at Kiawe.

"Yeah. By successfully passing the grand trail." Satoshi felt Lucario's aura and he nearly smiled. 'Does this mean that I can use Z-moves?'

"Using them should not be taken lightly!" Kiawe snapped. "When a Pokemon and a trainer's hearts become one, the Z-rings turn their feelings into power, but those feelings must be about something greater than themselves. Like... helping the islands, helping pokemon, or helping others. Only those who care about all living things are permitted to use Z-moves. I'm not exactly sure what Tapu Koko saw in you,  but now that you're a Z-ring owner, you need to realize your responsibility."

Ash felt his hand tighten into a fist, this was just like Mega-Evolution was all he could think about. He knew that no matter how much he wanted to trust someone or help them, he couldn't shake off the feeling that they were going to hurt him. His pokemon, on the other hand, didn't have the same fear that he had so they are always willing to help out.

He looked down at his wrist, "Kiawe, I understand how special the Z-moves are, but I don't think I'll ever be able to use a Z-move."

Kiawe looked at him confused, and his pokemon looked at him in sadness. "It's because of my fear, that's why I can't Mega Evolve with my pokemon, I don't think I'll ever be able to connect with my pokemon again."

"You said again, you've been able to connect with your pokemon before, so that means you can do it again now," Kiawe smirked.

Ash looked unsure.

Ash soon heard a voice in his head, 'You getting soft.' Ash replied, 'Maybe...'

"So we have a clash between a Thunderbolt and a Flamethrower. Very nice, alright class! let's continue with the class." Professor Kukui smirked. 

Lunch soon rolled around the corner.

Mallow walked in holding a few plates of food, "Lunch is served!" she exclaimed.

The pokemon squealed in happiness when they saw the food being placed in front of them. "You know what? I followed your pokemon food recipe to a tee." Mallow smiled at Lillie.

"It's very tasty, but it's also healthy pokemon food," Lillie replied.

Ash mostly ignored the conversation that was being held. He just stared at the plate of food, as if it was something completely new.

He had the same problem last night at Professor Kukui's place but he wrote it off as not being hungry.

Everyone noticed that the boy didn't touch his food yet but they didn't question it.

Ash froze and looked around; it was the same legendary aura.

Soon after noticing the aura, there was a loud caw.

'Did you hear that?' Lucario asked everyone.

They all looked confused, Ash stood up and looked out the balcony to only be startled by the very same pokemon from yesterday.

All the students gasped, "Melemele's island guardian. Tapu Koko!" Lillie said in surprise.

"What a sight!"

"Beautiful!"

The Professor even looked surprised even if it's the second time (Around Ash) seeing the pokemon.

Ash's two pokemon didn't even look surprised.

Ash walked forward to the pokemon and spoke, "Nice to see you again, I didn't get a chance to thank you for the ring, so thank you."

The said pokemon disappeared, reappeared, and stole the beanie that Ash was wearing. (Yes he's wearing a beanie in Alolas all year around summer)

Placing the beanie on the electric mouse pokemon, and picking it up again.

Tapu Koko kept on playing tricks on the poor little students and professor whose eyes couldn't keep up with the speed of the pokemon.

"It's so fast, I can't see it." Professor mumbles.

Tapu Koko went off to the direction of the jungle that's right next to the school.

Ash ran after the pokemon who still had his beanie.

Everyone follows suit.

Lana, Kiawe, and Mallow at the front.

Lillie, Sophocles, and Professor Kukui at the back, who was helping Sophocles get down from a log.

"Satoshi slow down!" Lana yells.

The feeling of being alone away from his classmates, he felt relieved but he also felt lonely.

He shook off both feelings.

'Maybe...'

'Just maybe they won't hurt me... Man, Lucario is right I am getting soft...'

Tapu Koko (who was still wearing Ash's beanie) suddenly appeared in front of Ash shaking him out of his thoughts.

The pokemon returned the beanie to the original owner, then got into a battle stance.

Which Ash recognized straight away. "You want to have a battle, right?"

Lana, Kiawe, and Mallow finally caught up to Ash, seeing the legendary pokemon ready to fight, confused and they were in awe.

"A battle?"

Lillie, Sophocles, and Professor Kukui also caught up just a few seconds later, also staring in awe.

"I read about this sort of thing once before, it said Tapu Koko is a very curious pokemon. Long ago, it would challenge the islanders to a pokemon battle and Alolan sumo, too!" Lillie stated.

"All right, you've got yourself a deal. Let's have a battle now!"

"Pika!"

The pokemon sent out a move that turned the surrounding area into a yellowish hue. "That's Electric Terrain." The other students looked at the professor, Lillie soon realized something. "Hey, Satoshi! Electric-type moves become more powerful while Electric Terrain is in effect."

"Alright, Pikachu let's go."

'What about me.' Lucario pouted. 'Sorry, Lucario but you don't have many Electric-type moves.' Ash replied.

'Since when do you listen to other people?'

'I might as well give them a chance?'

'I was right you are getting soft.'

The legendary pokemon tackles the small mouse pokemon.

Tapu Koko was about to land the next move on the small pokemon but Ash was faster, showing a hand motion to Pikachu to duck.

Soon after the move Tapu Koko made, Ash made a hand sign for a thunderbolt.

The legendary looked like it got caught by the move, but the said pokemon looked unharmed. 

"It didn't do a thing," Lillie exclaimed.

"Tapu Koko's just too strong," Kiawe stated.

For one second Ash thought the legendary pokemon would attack him.

But Tapu Koko just tapped the Z-crystal on his wrist.

Ash just stared at the pokemon in surprise, "You mean... you want me to use it. The Z-ring."

"I don't know if it will work but let's give it a go."

The spectators looked on in many emotions.

"Can he do it? I wonder."

The trainer and the trainer's pokemon followed along with Tapu Koko, who was showing the moves of how to use a Z-Move.

Pikachu and Ash were able to do the move, flawlessly. (well sort of.)

Both Kiawe and Professor Kukui were shocked. "The Electric-Type Z-move!"

"That was Gigavolt Havoc! Wow!"

To say the Z-move was powerful, was an understatement.

Ash was in a state of shock, he was once again able to connect with Pikachu.

After the dust cloud cleared there was a large hole under where Tapu Koko was floating.

Tapu Koko was hidden away in his shell before flying away. "Thanks, Tapu Koko," Ash whispered to where the pokemon once was.

"Satoshi! are you okay?!" Ash turned around to see Mallow running up to him.

He nodded in response.

"That's incredible. I can't believe how strong you and Pikachu are."

"I don't either..." Ash mumbled.

"What happened to your Z-Crystal?" Kiawe joined the conversation. "It's disintegrated." He started looking down at Ash's wrist. "That means it's too soon for you to use Z-moves. You haven't had an island challenge trial yet."

"That's fair enough, so I'll take the island challenge trial, I'll pass the trail, get another Z-Crystal and then I'll be able to use Z-moves the right way."

The way he spoke surprised everyone around him, it was like he was a different person to when they first met.

"That makes sense!" Professor Kukui smiled.

"Sounds perfect! We'll all be cheering for you. Right, gang?" Mallow accepted.

"Okay!" Lana agreed.

"Of course we will!" Lillie smiled.

"Togedemaru and I know lots about Electric Types, Yeah tons of stuff!"

Kiawe hesitated, he wasn't sure what to do with helping someone who had a fear of people. He knew if he or anyone else makes one wrong move this Satoshi person will lose his trust for them.

He saw Mallow looking at him. "I have to, After all, I'm the only one out of us with a Z-ring."

Pikachu climbed on to his trainer's shoulder and rubbed his cheek on his cheek like he knew what his trainer was thinking and needed comfort.

They all decided it was time to go home after all that excitement.

Lucario, Pikachu, and Ash were just a couple of paces behind Professor Kukui as they walked home.

'Master?'

'Hm? Yes, Lucario?'

'Why are you opening up to your classmates, and knowing you, you probably already know that one day they will betray you.' Lucario asked.

'I don't think they will.'

'Why?'

'Just look around.'

'Are you talking about how everyone acts if they are brothers and sisters like they are family.'

'Yeah, I don't think that they will hu--

'Don't act on your beliefs, remember that your own mother betrayed you, she thought you were guilty!' Lucario snapped.

'You don't think I know that, so stop... I don't care if they end up hurting me, then I'll know if I finally...' Ash stopped talking before he revealed too much to his pokemon.

'Finally what?!' Lucario got no reply as they entered the Professor's house.