Chapter Text
It was a pretty weird day for ash, first of all he was late to professor Kukui's class, not that it was on purpose, it's just that he and Pikachu got distracted by Tapu Koko, who suddenly appeared out of nowhere and lead them to a clearing. There he found a cute galaxy looking pokemon, and after bringing it to school, they had decided on the name Nebby which was short for nebula. Although rotom was confused as to what type of Pokemon nebby was, ash was content with finding it.
It was a few days after he had nebby that professor Burnet arrived at their home. She had a strang device with her, claiming that it would figure out what nebby was.
After a few minutes, they had found out that nebby was an 'Ultra beast'—magical beings from another dimension—who wounded up in the human world. After speaking with Lusamine, the head of the Aether Foundation, ash suddenly remembered the dream he had.
"Wait, this must be connected to the weird dream I had last night!" Ash said, gaining the attention of Lusamine, Faba, Olivia, professor Burnet, and professor Kukui.
"What dream, ash?" Professor Burnet asked
"Last night, I had a weird dream about this place that had these weird symbols on them. Four of them looked like the island guardians. When all of a sudden two pokemon suddenly appeared out of a strange wormhole, although I could only remember one of their names. Solgaleo, who told me to look after nebby" ash explained, gaining a perplexed look on everyones faces.
"Hmm. Then I guess entrusting nebby to you wouldn't be a terrible idea ash" Lusamine said. Faba suddenly turned towards her in a shocked-angry matter
"Lusamine! We can't entrust an ultra beast to a child!" Faba complained, his arms waving around, "Calm down Faba. If what ash said was true, and he was entrusted by the solgaleo to take care of nebby, then there is no harm that we should trust him too" Lusamine calmy explained, earning a quiet grunt and nod from the green clad man.
"Well then ash, since everything else is settled, why don't you go and get ready? The others are probably waiting for you" Professor kukui said, the latter replying with an 'oh yeah!' before quickly running upstairs to get dressed.
Making sure ash was out of hearing vicinity, kukui then turned to the other scientist on the screen "Are you sure about this, Lusamine?" Waiting for an answer, Lusamine nodded slowly, before speaking once more "Ash seems like a nice kid. He should be able to take care of nebby for a while. However, I would like to take ash and his friends to the Aether Foundation for more research on nebby, would that be okay professor?" Kukui nodded before saying goodbye and ending the call with the Aether Foundations founder.
"Well, looks like you're in a pickle here, kukui" professor Burnet remarked, smiling at him before once again saying her farewells "I'll meet you at the Aether Foundation soon kukui!" Kukui could only smile fondly, before saying his fare share of goodbyes too.
After quickly changing out of his pajamas into his regular comfy day clothes, ash hurriedly grabs his bag and Pikachu before waiting for professor Kukui and professor Burnet to leave the basement. After waiting for a few minutes, the two finally went up and they bid their farewells to professor Burnet, before quickly closing the house to meet the others at the Pokemon school.
They arrived in no time, ash already seeing his beloved friends waiting for him.
"Alola, guys!" Ash greeted happily, the others returning their own fare share of 'Alolas' to ash.
"You ready class?" Professor kukui asks as his students *cough**cough* children *cough* *cough* eagerly nod their heads
"We sure are professor!" Sophocles replies, "I think our pokemon are also super excited!!" Mallow says as their own pokemon answer in chains of what should also be confirmations
"Pikapi!"
"Tseena!"
"Popplio!!"
"Marowak!"
"Vul!"
"Toge!"
"Very well then, off we go to the Aether Foundation!" Kukui says as he leads their class towards the port where professor Burnet is waiting.
"Alola everyone!" She greets with a smile
"Alola professor Burnet!" They all replied, before getting on board the boat that will take them to the Aether Foundation.
"Ash, did you remember to bring nebby with you?" Professor Burnet asked, earning a nod from the short teen, as well as a very adorable 'Pikapi!' from Pikachu
"Well then, off we go to the Aether Foundation!"
A few minutes later
While the rest of the Alolan gang were exploring the ship, ash snuck off to the front together Pikachu for a moment alone.
Gazing at the sea, ash looks down at his electric partner before picking Pikachu up.
"Hey buddy, you alright?" Ash says as he pets Pikachus ears
"Pika!" Pikachu replies, leaning to the touch
Ash sighs before looking back towards the view. He hated how close the the day was. You see, it was almost the day where ash's brothers abruptly left kanto. Leaving him and his mother alone.
*Flashback*
It was a regular day in pallettown, ash was in the living room playing with his brothers pokemon when red and silver approached him.
"Hey ash" silver greeted before sitting down next to the seven year old, red following suit.
"What's wrong nii-chan?" Ash Innocently asked while absent mindedly petted evee. Red and Silver both shook their heads, looking at ash fondly before they stood up.
"Well you little ruckus, go and feed evee for us would you?" Red asked as he ruffled ash's curly hair, a trait both brothers love
"Sure!" Ash stood up carrying the little evee, "evee!!!"
Making sure ash was in the kitchen, silver turned to his twin. "Are you sure this is a great idea red?" Silver looked at his twin, before receiving a quiet nod "it's for the best. We need to find where dad is" silver gritted his teeth, "but why do we have to leave ash and mom? Can't we just tell him?" Red could only solemnly look at silver before replying "Mom knows, but I don't want ash to. You know how he is, once he finds out we're looking for dad, he's gonna want to come with."
"Even if we deny him, we both know he's still gonna do it." Silver could only nod. The two brothers sitting on the couch, waiting.
A few minutes later ash returned to the living room with a full evee, and immediately ran towards his older brothers sitting on the couch before throwing himself onto them.
"Woah there buddy!" Red said before picking the Younger up and attacking him with kisses.
Ash giggled cutely as both brothers look at their youngest fondly. Silver took ash from red and placed him down on the floor before each twin once again started attacking ash with hugs and kisses.
They stayed like that for a few minutes before ash sat up and grabbed the pillows on the couch before quickly running to his room upstairs, earning a confused look from his older brothers.
A few minutes later ash returned holding almost all of his stuffed pokemon, quickly running towards the living room and urging his brothers to help him "c'mon! Let's make a pillow fort!!" Ash kept pulling them until they gave in and started to make the pillow fort.
They stayed inside the pillow fort the entire night, sharing funny stories about how they got their pokémon.
"What Pokémon do you think I'll get, nii-chans?" Ash said looking up at the star covered blanket holding a stuffed Snorlax. Both red and silver though for a moment, before they replied "I'm sure you'll get one of the few starter pokémons professor oak has ash" red said, "No way! I think ash might not even make it to the first three. I bet he'd sleep in" silver teased earning an annoyed 'hey!' from ash.
"Well, whatever it is make sure to treat it right, okay ash?" Ash nodded before yawning and cuddling in with his older brothers. Each brother smiling softly at him before drifting off to sleep.
When ash woke up the next day, his brothers were no longer by his side. Looking around the pillow fort, the young boy thought that they might have woke up earlier and ate breakfast. He quickly ran out of the pillow fort and into the kitchen where he found his mom cooking Bulbasaur shaped pancakes, but no brothers around.
"Mama? Where's red-nii and silver-nii?" Ash pulled his mom's apron, Delia looked down at her son's sad expression before crouching down on her knees and hugging her son tight "I'm sorry sweetie, they left a few hours ago. Here, let's make sure you eat breakfast" Delia picked her child up and sat him down the table.
Ash could only look his mother sadly, picking at his food. "D-Did they leave like papa?" The boy asked, tears welding inside his eyes.
"I'm sorry sweetie, I tried to stop them. I'm so sorry baby.." Delia hugged her crying child, soothing his hiccups and tears.
After the incident, ash refused to go outside and play. He was in his older brothers room for a week. Delia had to coax her son to eat meals, but even then he only ate a little. One night, Delia approached her son and hugged him tightly, never letting go. Ash broke down in tears, hiccuping at his mom's embrace.
"W-Will you leave like them too mama?" Ash asked between snot and tears, "No baby.. Mama will never leave you, I promise that" Delia kissed her son, comforting the seven year old.
*End of flashback*
Ash didn't realize tears were rolling down his face until Pikachu tried to wipe them. He smiled at his partner before quickly drying his tears
"I wonder where they are now, Pikachu." Pikachu could only comfort it's owner, knowing that it couldn't give ash the answers he wanted.
"Hey, ash! You alright?" Professor kukui suddenly appeared, and ash quickly wiped his face before turning to the professor. "Sure am professor! Hey, pikachu let's go to the others" ash quickly ran off inside the boat, and kukui could only look at his boarder in confusion.
After a few hours they had finally arrived on the Aether Foundation, where they were greeted by Lusamine, Faba, Olivia and Lillie's older brother Gladion who looked like he was forced to be there.
"Welcome, students to the Aether Foundation!"Lusamine said extending her arms as the Alolan gang looked at the building in amazement. "Oh lillie!! Look at how much you've grown!!!" Lusamine brokr character and quickly went to hug and fester Lillie, the latter blushing in embarrassment and pushing her mother away
"Stop it mother! I'm not a baby anymore!" Lusamine could only sigh at her daughter before clearing her throat
"Anyways, come in! Follow me, I'll show you around the foundation!" The gang nodded before following the Aether Foundations founder and being in awe of the different types of Pokemon in the wings.
Ash looked around in amazement at the foundation. I mean, who wouldn't? A foundation where it took care of Pokemon? Rehabilitating them until they are safe to go back into the wild. I mean, it sounds just like professor oaks laboratory, but still!! He was so amazed, eyes sparkling and mouth open in awe.
Unbeknownst to ash, someone has been staring at him for the duration of the tour. Gladion Aether, older brother of Lillie had been staring at the younger boy, curiousity piqued. I mean, just look at ash. He looks so....cute! Shaking his head off the thoughts Gladion turned back to look at his mother, not before finding his eyes back to the short kantonian boy. What's so special about ash? Why am I..... Gladions line of thought was stopped when he bumped into someone, that being the boy he was thinking about
"Oh! Sorry Gladion, didn't see you there" ash apologized and smiled at him. Gladion could only freeze and nod at ash, heart pounding. His smile was so addictive! Like the sun personally went to slap Gladion in the face.
Ash stared at the older boy in confusion, head tilting before Gladion quickly regained his composure and offered a small 'Its fine' and continued their way into the tour.