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If there was one thing Ash loved about Alola, it was how many pokemon were treated more like companions or pets, part of families.
He knew of a few people in Kanto that had Growlithe or Eevee as pets, even Meowth, Jigglypuff or Pikachu in rarer cases and the one time he saw a Clafairy.
But generally they were just treated as creatures that they shared a world with. Nuisances in cities, annoyances in smaller towns and just wild when farmers or other more 'off grid' living folk would encounter them.
Johto was similar, Hoenn had more 'wild but a friend' from what he remembered, Sinnoh had far more pets or even town or city wide loved pokemon but even those places seemed to have the opinion that they couldn't always be more than just friends.
Kalos…
Ash didn't remember seeing any pokemon there that weren't used for battling or for showing them off somehow.
So Alola was a wonderful change for him, when he’d always treated his pokemon more like family.
It helped that a lot of the culture was intriguing to the point Ash had spent an entire day learning some of the finer points on the history of the islands.
He didn't remember doing that in Johto or Kalos, had only done a little in Hoenn and did a fair amount in Sinnoh.
Sure the local mythos, legends and even local hero stories were always amazing!
Ash just felt less connected to Kalos during his journey there and Johto was so close to Kanto that he already knew a fair amount of it before he started traveling there.
One thing he did not like about Alola's culture, however, were the trials.
Okay maybe not that, specifically.
He liked the trials as they were presented to locals.
Kiawe talking about his trial was what had gotten Ash interested in them!
But to Ash?
Who had a stolen z-ring because Tapu Koko decided to just give it to him?
The trials felt like the four Kahunas of Alola were merely wanting him to prove he deserved it.
Not because they thought he was worthy.
Or at least…
That's how it felt with Kahuna Hala, since he hadn't met the others yet.
It was supposed to be a routine walk to the school, Ash had been there long enough that he really only walked with Kukui for the ease of them both going to the same place.
Routine.
Up until they came across a farmer trying to move a bunch of logs, which were currently blocking the road.
"Alola!" Kukui greeted, waving a hand at the man and Ash only semi-reluctantly followed his host. It'd be rude to not offer help, even if the annoyance covering the man's aura was suffocating.
"Ah. Alola. Sorry for the hold up on the road. Damned Rattata and Raticate are at it again." His accent was thick, but nothing Ash could understand at least enough.
"Sorry to hear that. Wasn't Kahuna Hala supposed to do something about it a while ago?" There's… something in Kukui's tone that Ash doesn't like.
"Yea, he was. Hasn't yet." The man sounded reasonably upset.
"Do you need a hand? With the fallen logs, I mean." Ash piped up, Pikachu hopping off his shoulder to go sniff at the nearest ones.
"Unless ya got some Machamp or something, I don't think there's much that you can help with." Ash frowned a little and walked over to stand beside Pikachu.
"Pikapi?" Satoshi?
He bent down…
And with ease borne from carrying around Larvitar (and Ash absolutely didn't almost smile fondly at remembering the pokemon he had helped all those years ago) back when he was with them, hefted up the log and settled it onto his shoulder.
"This is nothing! Hippopotas are heavier!" Ash said, half turning towards them as he moved to set the log back down inside of the truck-bed. It would hold some of them, despite the flat tire.
"Ash- Humans can't normally pick up Hippopotas…" Kukui…
Ash pushes aside the observations on his tone.
He doesn't need to register them to know that the professor is in disbelief.
"Aren't supposed to pick up Larvitar either, but I carried one around in my bag for… uh… hmmm…" he pauses, setting down the log.
"Pikaa… Pipi pi pika pikachu." About… Four to five months.
Ash stared at him for a moment, confused.
"Really? Four to five? I thought…" He paused, realizing his partner was right. "Well, no, that would be right. It took that long to make it back to the Mount. Silver Pokemon conservation area from where we found Larvitar's egg."
Pikachu nodded, ears twitching towards a footpath split from the road and then darting over to Ash.
The scramble of paws up his clothing, tiny claws making red marks against his skin that faded too fast for anyone to notice was so familiar that Ash didn't pay it much mind.
"Ah! Kahuna Hala! You've finally arrived!" The farmer, at least, seemed happy and Ash ignored the look the man gave him.
He was used to that disbelieving stare.
At least Kukui wasn't doing it. He was more shocked.
Ash turns his head a bit, tilting it further back at the large man who'd just arrived. He's a little too aware of Kukui half pulling him out of the way as a Hariyama starts picking up logs and putting them in a pile where Ash had set the one down.
He'd meant to help more…
He didn't think Kukui's hand would leave his shoulder any time soon.
The professor's aura was…
Confusing to look at, to say the least.
It was…
Upset.
Awed.
Bitter.
Respectful.
Ash looked away, half ignoring the conversation but aware that they had exchanged greetings and had explained the situation.
He didn't want the Kahuna to notice him.
The man's aura…
It seeped into the ground, coiled around the aura of those around him, a greeting and a search all at once. Most wouldn't recognize it, with aura sensitivities being rarer or less heard of.
The way Kukui was tensed beside him…
Ash figured he might be sensitive. Or maybe he had an unsavory history with the Kahuna.
Both were likely.
He shifts a little and reaches up to gently pet Pikachu under his chin, his partner's own aura a bright inferno at the corner of his eye.
"So that's where my Z-Ring went." Ash tenses and looks up at the Kahuna, his pale grey hair pulled back in a messy bun, wearing a yellow floral print jacket with a blue undershirt, white rope belt, a fan visible and held against his body with the rope, white shorts and blue and white sandals.
Pikachu sparked faintly on his shoulder at the… it wasn't accusatory , per se, but it wasn't friendly either.
"You'll have to take that up with Tapu Koko. He's the one who presented it to me. I wasn't aware he'd stolen it as a gift to me. I would offer to give it back, but I would rather face any anger you have, then face an angered legend." Ash told him, purposefully flaring his aura a bit to push away Hala's own prying one from himself and Kukui.
He did not like the way the man didn't care about reigning it in.
With nature it was fine.
With Pokemon, sure, the argument could be made that it was fine so long as the specific 'mon wasn't angry or giving signs to stop.
But people?
Especially other aura-adept or aura-sensitive?
Absolutely fucking not.
If Hala noticed the push against his aura, he didn't outwardly react. He also didn't stop, prodding a bit more insistently with his aura.
And to his credit, he held up his hands in mock surrender at Ash's words.
"I wasn't aware Tapu Koko had taken it. It can be-"
"He. Tapu Koko is a he. If you took not even a second to respect that, then maybe he would've told you he was going to give the Z-Ring to someone." Ash knew that his sass was likely unwelcomed.
He didn't care.
The man was disrespecting his boundary and he didn't like having to shove someone else's aura away from his own. Or anyone else's.
The farmer choked on air, probably shocked someone could be so disrespectful to someone older than them who was in a position of authority.
Kukui's hand tightened on his shoulder and Ash…
Ash held his head high, shoulders straight and Pikachu sparking faintly on his shoulder next to him.
"Respect your gods. If someone from Kanto can do that, surely a native can. I don't know what the title Kahuna means, but it's definitely important if people are going to you for help with their problems. And you haven't even done anything about the one for the farmer." He shoved at the Kahuna's aura with his own, allowing his anger to make it blaze, unseen, and feeling a bit smug when the Kahuna took a couple steps back.
"You have no place to speak when you're jus-"
Ash hated when other adults got that tone.
The 'you're just a child' one.
Ash growled , mimicking Pikachu, cutting off the words.
"I happen to be the co-champion of the Orange Islands. I'm considered an adult in every region except this one. I'm shocked that you haven't dealt with this problem sooner because I would have! It's cruel and unusual punishment to force people to deal with problems without finding a solution as fast as you can! If you need help with it, by Arceus themself, just fucking ask for help! It doesn't make you weak!" Ash half shrugs off Kukui's hand and turns, half stomping off to help the Hariyama pile the logs back into the truck without being asked to do so.
He doesn't know when the punctured tire got changed. Or even that it was punctured before now, since he didn't notice before until he saw the damaged one off to the side.
To the Hariyama's credit, they don't do or say anything, only bowing once (Ash bows back respectfully) when the job is done and returning to the Kahuna's side.
"Come on, professor! We're gonna be late if we don't hurry!" Ash pretends like his half angered outburst hadn't happened.
Like he hadn't pulled on the anger of too many incompetent adults not doing jack shit in times of need.
Like he hadn't cleaned up countless messes adults who didn't care enough to do anything had left behind.
Like he hadn't faced countless legendaries summoned by adults who thought they knew what was best. Kukui…
Kukui smiles and says a quick farewell.
And Ash…
Ash tries to ignore the sheer amount of pride and glee covering his host's aura, accepting Kukui removing his hat briefly to ruffle his hair as they start walking.
It's nice.
To know someone is proud of him for calling someone out on their Tauros-shit, even if they don't verbalize it.
Nice to not have immediate shocked 'You're a champion?!' half-questions. He expects those later, when him and Kukui are safe at home. But aside from Shamouti, Ash doesn't mind retelling his adventures in the Orange Islands of Kanto.
"Wait!" Kukui stops and Ash stops a few paces in front of them, both looking back but not fully turning.
They hadn't gotten far.
"What's your name again?" Hala directs the question at Ash as he walks up to them once again, his Hariyama presumably in their pokeball as Ash doesn't see them.
The farmer calls out a thank you as he drives by, Ash waving a little before he answers Hala.
"I'm Ash Ketchum, from Pallet Town, Kanto." He shifts his shoulder and Pikachu chatters in a half sarcastic and half genuine greeting. "And this is my partner, Pikachu."
Hala hums, crossing his arms.
"You said asking for help is not a weakness, correct?" Ash gives a nod, wary about where this is going.
"Tapu Koko might have given you that Z-Ring, but any crystals you get won't be able to be used yet. Come up with a way to help with the Rattata and Raticate problem, without battling them for territory they don't respect, and if you manage to come up with something good, come get me."
Hala's aura doesn't reach out towards his own, but there's a kind of challenge in it.
Ash straightens a bit more at it, determination coursing through his veins and in his aura.
"Alright. I'll get you by the end of the day. Where will you be?" He'll rise to the challenge.
He's faced gods.
Kahuna Hala trying to determine if he's worthy of a z-ring doesn't scare him in the slightest.