In the footage, the Alolan students were as enthusiastic as ever. Their welcoming natures, while standard for the archipelago, bordered on the overwhelming for a quiet girl like Chloe.
Yet, the ice was quickly broken. The students of the Alola Pokémon School, inherently friendly and warm, extended their hands to this gentle new girl.
They could see the beauty and grace in her demeanor, and they knew she was a trusted friend of Ash. That alone was enough to make her their friend, too.
Ash watched the interaction, a warm, adult-like smile softening his features. He felt happy watching Chloe finally let her guard down and connect with others.
Professor Kukui, observing Ash, gave a quiet signal. He waved his hand, beckoning Ash to follow him to a quieter corner of the schoolyard, away from the chatter and laughter of the students.
[Lance: Good grief. Professor Kukui, your students are certainly... something. Are they always this 'Strange'?]
[Professor Kukui: Ahem! No, no. They're just extremely hospitable. It's the Alolan way! Especially in the footage, they are incredibly close to Ash, so they are naturally curious about anyone traveling with him.]
[Caitlin: Quick question about Alola: Is the sun intense there? Because that girl, Lana, is as white as snow, while that boy, Kiawe, looks like he's been dipped in coal. Are they living in different climate zones?]
Kiawe, watching the global bulletin, nearly choked. Coal?! He wasn't coal! He just loved training under the sun! He believed the sun's rays forged both body and spirit! What was wrong with that?
Lana, meanwhile, was giggling, happy to have been noticed for her "fair skin."
[Professor Kukui: Hehe! Well, the girls tend to be more diligent with their sun protection. Kachi... well, he prefers a more 'natural' approach to training, often without a shirt, so it leads to that contrast.]
[Cynthia: Let's focus, everyone. Your concerns are always so peculiar. Didn't you notice something far more important? The Ash who returned to Alola... he is completely different. He is truly 'home.']
[Professor Oak: Cynthia is correct. I asked Delia, and she confirmed it. That specific look of total peace and relaxed joy only appears when he's safely back in his home environment. Alola... it is absolutely his second home!]
[Cynthia: Exactly. Earlier in the car, Ash explicitly stated that Professor Kukui is his 'family' in Alola. The customs of that region are truly wonderful to have fostered such a deep, parental bond in such a short time.]
[Professor Kukui: Yes! Miss Cynthia, you understand! Thank you!]
Professor Kukui felt like he was finally being heard. Amidst the barrage of weird questions, a Shinnoh Champion had stepped forward to validate Alola's warmth! He was so relieved he nearly cried. Finally! Someone noticed the customs instead of Kiawe's tan!
In the Footage—
Ash stepped away with Professor Kukui, the chatter of the students fading into the background.
'...So, you're feeling confused about your current situation, aren't you?' Professor Kukui began, his expression turning serious.
Ash had told the Professor everything about his winning streak and how he felt a dangerous complacency, a "frivolousness," starting to take root. He knew it was wrong, but he didn't know how to stop the feeling.
Kukui nodded slowly, processing the information. Then, he asked Ash a simple yet crushing question. 'Naw, Ash, tell me... What is a League Champion?'
Ash was stunned. It was a question he had never truly asked himself. The "League Championship" had always been the summit, the goal, a key threshold on his path to becoming a Pokémon Master.
It was something to be won, not a state of being to be understood. Even after becoming Alola's very first Champion, the title had always felt slightly unreal, a trophy in a case rather than a weight on his shoulders.
"The League Champion... is the strongest person in the entire region?" Ash offered tentatively.
Professor Kukui nodded. 'Yes and no. The Champion is indeed the pinnacle of strength, but a Champion must also possess the matching heart.
What is a Champion, Ash? It is the face of an entire region! It represents the combined strength and spirit of every trainer in that region!'
'There are countless challengers behind you, countless eyes looking up to you, all wanting to surpass you.
To win consecutively under that massive pressure, to carry that responsibility without faltering... that is the true General's Mindset of a Champion!'
As Professor Kukui spoke, Ash's confident, "floating" expression slowly collapsed. The Professor wasn't trying to soothe Ash's ego; he was intentionally piling on the pressure.
He wanted Ash to understand the gravity of his title. He wasn't just a boy named Ash; he was the first Alola Champion. He carried the pride of the islands with every battle.
Ash felt his shoulders slump. Alexander... The pressure was sudden and immense. Any feeling of complacency or being "frivolous" evaporated instantly, replaced by a crushing weight of responsibility.
The belief that he must not lose became a desperate mandate. Professor Kukui, seeing Ash's absolute deflation, let out a warm laugh.
'Haha! Don't look so stressed, Ash. The reason I'm telling you this is not to pressure you into being undefeated.
No one is undefeated for a lifetime, not even Leon! What matters isn't the final result, but did you do your best? Did you respect your opponent? And most importantly, did you learn something when you lost? Can you improve? That is the heart of a Champion!'
'If the first Alola Champion ever loses a match simply because his head was in the clouds... think about how that would look, Ash.'
[Lance: Hahaha! Professor Kukui absolutely terrified him! Ash's face went pale!]
[Caitlin: Ash was just looking for advice on his feelings! Professor Kukui instead just gave him existential dread!]
[Drake: Good grief. That is no light pressure. Ash fought so freely before because he didn't realize the weight of his own title. He was just a challenger at heart, even as a Champion.]
[Steven Stone: Now Ash is truly experiencing the burden that every regional champion must face—the pressure and confusion of being the standard.]
[Wallace: Exactly. Ash's battle style might be temporarily stifled during this period as he processes this new weight. Until he truly finds his internal answer to 'What is a Champion?', his actual growth will be limited. But once he finds that answer, his trainer level and raw strength will skyrocket.]
[Korrina: I wonder how Red handled his Champion confusion.]
[Red (Crimson): Confusion? I didn't have time for that. I was too busy fighting to notice.]
[Will: Bengbu! It's true! Red became the Champion and immediately set off to fight legendary gods! He was too focused on battle to notice the politics!]
[Morty: I bet Blue (Green) wasn't confused. He was only the champion for an hour before Red knocked him down. He didn't have time to be a Champion!]
In the Footage—
Ash was still processing the profound weight on his shoulders. 'Dr. Kukui, you really know how to make a guy feel better... by absolutely terrifying him.'
Suddenly, a white, slender arm was thrown over Ash's shoulder, a cascade of deep blue hair brushing against his cheek. Aqua-blue eyes looked up at him with a mischievous glimmer. It was Lana!
"Naw! What are you and Dr. Kukui whispering about! Tell me too!"
"And me! Tell me!" Sophocles added, popping up from nowhere. "Hmph! Is there something important that I, your fierce rival, shouldn't listen to?" Kiawe crossed his arms, raising an eyebrow.
The commotion of their laughter had drawn all the classmates over. Ash didn't try to hide his "Champion Confusion" and explained what Professor Kukui had just told him.
But to his surprise, his friends just looked at him with strange, unfazed expressions.
Lana spoke first. "Ash is Ash. Ash is a Champion whether he wins or loses! The only time he isn't a Champion is when he loses the official title, right? If it's not a championship match, who cares? You're still our Ash!"
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