Work Text:
The second time Ash visited after returning to Kanto was without Goh. It was soon after his final with Leon, and he and Pikachu needed a break from the press and crowds of fans (not that he’d find much peace here).
“Can I pick him up…?” Ash asks, leaning over Lei’s playpen. The baby looks over his shoulder, his tiny fist in his mouth.
“Of course,” Burnet responds from where she and Kukui are starting dinner.
“Actually,” Kukui adds, “why don’t you grab the carrier so you and Pikachu can take Lei on a walk before dinner?”
“But… what if he cries?”
“With his big brother there?” Burnet smiles. “He has no reason to. You’ll take good care of him.”
“And if you do need help, just call one of us,” Kukui assures him. “Can you do that?”
“Yeah, I think so.”
Kukui helps him put the carrier on, “You need anything, anything at all, you call me, okay?”
“I will.”
Kukui lifts Lei, who giggles and reaches for Pikachu. He secures Lei in the carrier and the baby kicks happily.
“He’s heavier than I thought,” Ash comments.
“Is he too heavy?”
“No, no!” Ash grins. “He’s okay!”
“You sure?”
“Yeah! He’s only a little heavier than Pikachu. I’ve got him,” he twists his head to get a good look at Lei in the carrier.
Then, his voice softens, and pitches up a few octaves so he coos, “Isn’t that right, baby Lei?”
“Da!”
“Okay, then,” Kukui flicks the brim of Ash’s cap slightly and ruffles the hair that pokes out.
He readjusts Ash’s cap, “I’ll call and come find you when dinner’s ready, okay?”
“Right.”
Kukui kisses both of their foreheads and pets Pikachu, “You take care of my boys, okay?”
“Pika!”
Kukui walks through town looking for Ash, Lei, and Pikachu.
There was a crowd gathered - a large one- and he had no idea why.
“What’s going on here…?” he asks.
Ahead of him, a head of green hair rises above the rest, “Professor!”
“Mallow…?”
She and Tsareena shove through the crowd and grab his wrist, “It’s Ash…! I called Kiawe because I just got here and I can’t fight them off alone-”
“Fight who off?”
Kukui and Mallow push through the people to the front.
“Some bullies,” she huffs. “They’re just yelling at him and people are only encouraging it.”
He hears it now. Lei’s familiar cry. Ash’s loud yelling. The crowd cheering.
Then, he finally sees it.
“Arceus…” he whispers.
Ash is in the center. Lei is out of the carrier and in Ash’s arms and he’s shielding the baby with his body. Pikachu is perched on his shoulder, cheeks sparking.
“Just leave me alone…! Leave us alone…!”
Lei’s cries grow louder and Ash adjusts him in his arms. He rubs Lei’s back.
“What…? The poor little Monarch can’t fight back? Your Pikachu’s right there, just tell it to battle,” the teen across from Ash says.
“Hey stop-!” Kukui butts in, but the teenager jabs a finger at Ash.
“Raticate, use Hyper Fang!”
“Pikachu, wait and use Electroweb!”
The Raticate leaps, its teeth glowing. Pikachu jumps off Ash’s shoulder, but the attack is still aimed at his boys.
Kukui lifts a Pokéball and taps the center button to release the Pokémon inside.
Right before Raticate’s attack lands, a large paw catches it and throws it down with a roar.
“What the fuck, man?” the teenager hisses.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Kukui steps up next to his Incineroar.
Mallow runs up to Ash and Lei.
“Oh, Mallow…!” Ash blinks. “What are you doing here?”
“Half of Alola’s here, Ash. The family restaurant’s right down the street,” she reaches for Lei.
Ash turns away, “No, wait-”
“I’m not going to hurt him. I’ll just put him back in the carrier.”
Ash looks up at her and she slowly takes Lei from him.
“What happened?” she asks.
“Nothing. They just wanted to battle.”
“Ash, that wasn’t battling…!” Mallow’s eyebrows furrow. “You weren’t battling! Pikachu just barely got on the ground. Professor Kukui and Incineroar are battling for you.”
She gently passes Lei’s leg through the holes in the carrier.
“I can battle if-”
“You’re holding a baby,” Mallow hisses.
“She’s right, Ash,” Kukui doesn’t look back. “Take care of Lei. I’ll finish this up right now.”
“I’m going to call Kiawe,” Mallow squeezes Ash’s arm. “I got him worried sick about you.”
Ash looks down at Lei, who’s finally settled down. The baby hiccups softly and Ash pats Lei’s belly gently to soothe him.
“Arceus, how could they do that?!” Kukui hisses the moment he puts Lei down in his crib.
Ash had gone to bed a little while ago, but Pikachu was still roaming and was currently perched by the baby crib.
“Kukui, calm down… you’ll wake the baby…” Burnet hushes.
“Who attacks someone - a-a kid? Let alone a kid carrying a baby. You didn’t hear how Lei was crying. And-and did you see that cut on Ash’s arm?”
“It was barely a scrape-”
“That… asshole-”
“Kukui!” she points to the sleeping baby.
He snaps his mouth shut, inhales, and exhales before continuing, “He could have hurt Ash and Lei. Ash told him that Pikachu was taking a break from battling since the final and the guy didn’t listen.”
“Kukui,” Burnet takes his hands in hers, “they’re okay. Our boys are just fine. You took care of them. They’re alright ku’u ipo.”
After a moment, she adds, “And Ash is the Monarch now. People are going to be great about it. And some people are going to be horrible about it.”
Kukui huffs.
“But it’s Ash. He’s strong. And he can handle it. And… even if he can’t … he has us. But that’s always going to follow him. And it’s our job to be there for him.”
Kukui looks into her eyes.
He brings her hands up to his lips and kisses them softly, “Arceus, what did I do to deserve you?”
She laughs.