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Ash had left his subordinates to their own devices for Alola. He and Meowth had.. more important work to do, and they couldn't be dragged down with the incompetence of the older Grunts. As his team of Grunts were led by Jessie and James when he wasn't around, he was sure that they'd be able to sort out the reputation of Team Rocket, to make the establishment of this region's branch a much easier task than the others.
Holding Meowth in his hands, Ash walked along the dimly lit boardwalk overlooking the ocean, turned red by the rapidly disappearing sun rays staining the water like blood pooling under an injured Pokemon, abandoned and forgotten by rotten humans that only thought of themselves and saw Pokemon as mere animals.
Ash paused to stare at the sunset as the rays disappeared under the water, tightening his grip on Meowth ever so slightly. It seemed to know what he was thinking.
"Ash, we should find shelter."
The words were spoken clearly and firmly, bringing Ash back into the real world with the tone. Ash nodded silently, tearing his eyes away from the ocean. "Yeah," he agreed. "We should."
Ash turned and kept walking down the boardwalk, his back to the dark sky that was starting to light up with stars. He could hear the muffled chatter and laughter of the people of Melemele as they celebrated.. whatever they were celebrating now — Ash hadn't bothered to look into what days were celebrated in the Alola region prior to this trip. He'd learn soon enough if he was to act like a normal kid while trying to establish the Team Rocket branch for Alola.
.. Not that he knew what "normal" was to the monsters of the greater world around him.
As Ash walked, he heard a soft step out of his own rhythm. Then a shuffle — a coat, perhaps. Ash let himself get pulled away into the sounds of the night, trying to discern whether this was a friend or foe.
There was a 50/50 chance for it to be either, even though his Grunts shouldn't be approaching him like this. Perhaps they weren't trying to bring attention to him? Ash shifted Meowth in his arms slightly, pretending the action was to put it into a more comfortable position, while the true purpose was to signal for an answer on whether or not it recognized a smell.
Meowth paused, then lightly tapped his arm twice.
No.
So this was a foe.
Ash kept walking, the same pace as he held before. Waiting. Calculating. The sounds seemed closer than usually normal. That was odd.
Ash stiffened ever so slightly around his shoulders, waiting. Waiting. Waiting..
"Hey, kid. Are you alright? Where are your parents?"
Ash stopped himself from whipping around and socking whoever it was in the stomach. Instead, he took a deep breath and turned slowly, keeping a hand clenched and drawn back in preparation. He could feel his glare cutting through the air like a knife to butter, but the adult didn't seem fazed.
At all.
Ash almost forgot to answer the question, but he straightened up and looked away. "I'm fine," came his clipped answer. The adult's expression flickered as his brows slightly furrowed, obviously picking up on the fact that Ash was not, in fact, fine.
The man raised a hand to scratch at his cheek as he replied, "Alright. For the sake of this conversation, let's say I believe you. You shouldn't be alone in the streets of Melemele, regardless of how you feel. So I'd like to ask you again; where are your parents, kid?"
Ash shifted a bit, uncomfortable for just a moment. He refused to look at the man as he answered quietly, "They'll be here in a bit."
It wasn't a total lie — Jessie and James were supposed to report to him face to face soon — but it was enough of a lie to catch the man's attention, as his expression flickered again. The man hummed, looking closely at Meowth.
"Ah, you know.. where are my manners these days?" The man asked with a sudden bark of laughter. Ash jumped slightly in shock, taken aback by the loud and clear laugh that echoed in the crisp night air. The man smiled at Ash. "The name's Professor Kukui. I study Pokemon moves here in Alola. What's your name?"
Ash hesitated, then glared at Kukui again. "No thanks," he spat, holding Meowth tighter to his chest.
Pokemon Professors were nothing but trouble, his mind eagerly supplied from his training. Professors always got in the way of Team Rocket's goals to better the world around them, opting instead to steal Pokemon from natural habitat to Trainer alike to "study" them, keeping Pokemon in miserable conditions and places their whole lives.
If there was one thing Ash hated more than a Pokemon getting hurt, it was a Pokemon Professor.
There was an awkward beat of silence after that, finally broken by Kukui taking a deep breath and muttering, "Okay then.." Ash continued to glare at Kukui, gaze flicking down to see Meowth baring its teeth at the Professor before shooting back up.
"Well, if you don't have a place to stay, you can stay with me. And judging by the fact that you're walking at night completely alone other than your Meowth partner, I'd bet that you don't," Kukui said, returning the gaze with a neutral expression. Ash tried to protest, but he couldn't exactly argue.
He did need to find shelter, and he did not have a place to stay yet. He sighed.
"Let me call my parents."
Ash slammed the transmitter on the ground, fuming.
He knew he shouldn't have left the reputation to Jessie and James! They were as incompetent as they were infuriating! Not only had they made Ash's work harder — with Giovanni practically breathing down his neck, no less! — but they also managed to get captured by a Pokemon that they called Bewear, AND managed to catch the attention of the nasty thorn in Ash's side, Misty!
What was even so great about her Pikachu anyway?! Pikachu was such a standard Pokemon in Kanto that Ash was more livid at the fact that they tried to catch Pikachu again rather than their stupid little mess up in which they got captured by a Bewear.
Ash really wanted to know what a Bewear was, but he didn't want to bother. If it were anyone else that had been captured, he'd be potentially worried, but since it was Jessie and James, he knew that it was just going to be chalked up to them being absolute bumbling idiots.
Ash picked up the pieces of the broken transmitter, properly ended the call and stuffed it into his backpack. He was going to need to get yet another transmitter when he got back to headquarters, and he had a feeling that Lydia wouldn't appreciate that fact and would give him a barely working one in exchange until Ash went to Giovanni to get a proper way of communication.
He could play their little game again. He didn't mind.
First, though, he had to go back to the Professor, so he pulled his backpack over one shoulder, grabbed Meowth, and walked out of the alley that he was in to call his subordinates. The Professor was waiting a few feet away, and Ash reluctantly made his way to him.
Kukui smiled at Ash as he came closer. "Come on and follow me. Don't worry, it's safe," he said, waving Ash over to walk beside him. Ash firmly stayed his distance, and Kukui seemed to be a bit disappointed, but it didn't last long. The Professor started to walk, attempting to make small talk — which was met with Ash's harsh silence and Meowth growling softly.
Pretty soon, an awkward silence settled over them.
Professor Kukui led Ash to a small house on the beach, looking as though it was hanging on for dear life. The roof was patched all weird and there was a small hole in the wall that faced away from the ocean, small enough for Meowth to fit through almost perfectly. Kukui ran up the steps and opened the door, holding it for Ash.
"Welcome to the lab!”