Ash somehow getting Lugia and Tapu Koko to be civil, maybe even to the point where they start to notice the good in each other again and remeber why they fell in love in the first place, and with that Lugia is seen around Melemele noticeably more.
Particularly the many beaches.
It starts with the class coming down to the Professors shack to collect Ash and his team for a day of adventure. Only to see Lugia beached upon the sands. Wings stretched out wide and his lower half being gently lapped by the slow incoming tides.
Naturally, the kids think there’s a dead legendary outside the professor’s shack and they don’t know.
Lana jokingly said it was Pikachu’s spoils of a good ‘hunt’. The other kids don’t take her joke seriously or kindly.
both Ash and Kukui come out to the kids screeching because Tapu Koko appeared out of nowhere and he looks mad. Moving to hover more between the class and Lugia until Ash and Kukui come running out.
Ash immediately relaxes once he sees the scene in front of him. Waving off the Orange Isles legendary saying stuff like “Lugia’s probably tired from swimming/flying all the way here.” And “he’s not hurt, just tanning.”
All the while the other kids and Kukui are looking at Ash like he’s insane, so a normal Saturday morning, and conveniently forgot or don’t know that he’s the orange isles champion. Who obviously goes back to the islands whenever he returns home to see Luigi and the birds. Which means Ash has seen Lugia bury himself in the sand while one or two of the other birds are nearby squawking in fury.
They hate sand in their feathers.
Everyone calms down and look back to Lugia. Who’s know watching the group with mild disinterest with Tapu Koko hovering a few feet above their head. Looking like puffed up angry golden Decidueye.
Collectively, they all agree to leave the two alone. No one getting to see the short gruff and coo of thanks Lugia gives the guardian before turning their head more into a shaded spot and going back to bed.
——
The next person to see Lugia is an early morning tourist. The sun isn’t quite breaking the horizon line and it’s a jogger out for a stroll.
The first thing she see’s coming up on the sidewalk that over looks the Hau’oli City beachfront is a large beached form in the sand. It takes moment for the woman tk recognize the being as Lugia.
Instead of being all stretched out and nuzzling into the sand, Lugia is curled up in a ball. Head tucked under a wing and soundly snoring away. The tourist is honestly surprised she didn’t notice the sound earlier. As her window to her hotel was open and Lugia’s snores are a little loud.
She’s honestly surprised no one else is out just yet either. Alola natives are known to be up from dawn to dusk. Though it doesn’t take long for everyone else to be out and about.
Within the hour there’s a crowd filling the sidewalk and the police have made their presence known. Ushering people aside so they can get down onto the beach that no one else has stepped onto yet.
Tapu Koko comes screeching from the trees. Down right pissed and territorial, but instead of lunging at Lugia the Guardian places himself between the legendary and the police. Facing the police with little shocks of electricity coming off of the Tapu.
Lugia quickly wakes with the noise, still sleepy and slow-ish from a good night rest. Reaching his snout out to gently prod the little guardian. Grumbling and cooing while stretching out his body.
Tau Koko’s attitude shifted drastically. body relaxing as he turns to the other and coo's back in answer. only briefly glancing back at the crowd before awkwardly motions Lugia to move.
to the people, it was clear that the sound Lugia made after Taou Koko's gesture was a laugh. though the legendary did indeed properly get and up slipped into the now midmorning tide.
though Tapu koko clearly took the laugh in good gesture from Lugia. hearing it from his own people sparked a nerve with the guardian. the single strike of lightning that smashed into the ground nearby scared both the group of civilians and the police force. giving the Tapu the cover to leave.
----
a couple weeks later and there's a video flying around the internet. it's a short clip and a lot of people are calling it fake.
someone had their camera on and pointed it towards the sea. catching Lugia laying down on some rocks as the crashing high tide mist over the Pokémon. Tapu Koko is drifting nearby but looks towards the ocean with distrust.
Lugia coo's a sweet melody and opens a wing, beckoning the Tapu to come lay down. Koko obliges without much thought and is protected by the mist and any potential stronger waves. clearly snuggling up in the video before the person accidently snaps on a twig and both the legendaries attention snaps over to them.
no one ever found out exactly who shot the video and never will.