Once Ash was outside to face Gladion in the rain, there were no words outside of battle needed, for they began right from the get go when Gladion sent out his Golbat without a word.
"Primarina, I choose you!"
"Use Poison Fang!" With purple glowing fangs, the Bat Pokemon rushed in and bit down on the water starter, making her scream.
"Counter with Sparkling Aria!" Harmonizing her voice to create an orb of empowered water, she splashed the flying/poison type away, but it was not finished yet.
"Poison Fang, again!" This time, the Bat Pokemon caused enough damage to Primarina that with a final cry, she collapsed.
"Primarina, return! Hawlucha, I choose you!"
"Hawlucha! He cried out.
"Use Wing Attack!"
"Counter with Flying Press!" Jumping up into the air faster than Golbat could reach the Wrestling Pokemon, the fighting/flying type was subject to a body slam that smashed the poison/flying type into the ground, and was thus defeated. Gladion silently recalled his Bat and silently summoned Zoroark. The Zorua he had before had now evolved to be now bipedal and now had a huge mane of red hair that had black tips. "Use Night Slash!"
"Counter with Brick Break!" The two Pokemon rushed at each other, both respectively with glowing arms of purple and white, and when they clashed the rain was pushed out of their way somewhat by a shock wave of brute force. "Again!" Using his other arm, Hawlucha chopped into the side of the Illusion Fox Pokemon as it was sent flying into a small cliff, defeated swiftly. Returning that one as well, Gladion finally brought out his Type: Null.
"Use Body Press!"
"Counter with X-Scissor!" Hawlucha was the faster to leap high into the air, his body glowing with an outline. That didn't mean that Type: Null was far behind as it also jumped high, the axe on its helmet glowing with a white energy made X in front of it. Falling, Hawlucha body slammed into Type: Null, and the two attacks in between. However, from the smoke, a smack was heard as the Wrestling Pokemon fell to the ground with the Synthetic Pokemon following suite. Hawlucha crashed onto his back while the normal type pinned both his arms down. Even with his strength, the fighting/flying type had no leverage as he groaned with effort trying to get himself free. "Ice Beam!" A ball of light blue energy appeared in front of where its mouth should be visible, and the Wrestling Pokemon got blasted by the super effective ice type move, and was thus defeated.
"Hawlucha, return!" Ash recalled his Pokemon, thanking him before sending out, "Shelgon, I choose you!"
"Really? You just saw it had Ice Beam. I'll defeat that thing swiftly. Ice Beam!"
"Get in close to use Brick Break!" Even though he had no arms to use, the Endurance Pokemon still had his bone hard body to attack with, and thanks to the training and carbs he's been eating, the Pokemon was just agile enough to evade the incoming beam of ice. Sure, he's getting nicked in places due to his large size, but Shelgon was determined to beat this weird Pokemon, and it eventually did by bashing into the Synthetic Pokemon. Crashing into the ground, Type: Null was beaten.
"Yeah, way to go Shelgon!" Ash congratulated his Pokemon, which it grunted to in appreciation. Gladion closed his eyes as he returned his Pokemon.
"That was wrong of me. I shouldn't have dragged you into a meaningless Pokemon battle like that. But I told you! I told you Cosmog would bring disaster to all of Alola! I have to get it back from them!"
"Don't worry Gladion. We'll make up for our mistakes." Ash told his opponent. "Lillie is our friend too. We would've gone to get her as well."
"In that case, since we have a common goal, we'll join forces. The only question is are you ready?"
"Once I get my Pokemon healed up, yeah. Luckily Lillie gave me some Full Restores and Max Revives. Shouldn't take a few minutes."
"Good, then let's go. We'll leave for the ferry terminal."
"Don't think you're leaving without us." Misty's voice called out as she walked out with Hau, her head bandaged and holding an ice pack. "I'd like to share a piece of my mind with Plumeria next I see her."
"Eevee!" Misty's baby said as she popped out of her bag.
"So long as you can help, I don't care. I have no need for those that are too weak."
"Hey, she may be hurt, but Misty's as unstoppable as a tsunami!" Hau defended her. "She can pull her weight!" Gladion only grunted in acknowledgment before walking off.
"Thanks Hau." The redhead nodded with gratitude.
"Eevee!" The normal type nodded.
"You're welcome." Hau grinned. "I can't stand anyone saying my friends are weak or are of no use."
"Then let's go then." Ash said as he pulled down his Pikachu hat and went to follow Gladion.
When Ash and Gladion were alone at the terminal, looking into the ocean, the blonde teen smirked.
"Hrmph. So we're waiting for them now?"
"Yeah, they'll come like we promised."
"Yeah, I guess so. You all are interesting trainers, I'll give you that. Hau, the grandson of a Kahuna whom he has won against in a Grand Trial. And Misty Waterflower, soon to be inheritor of the water type gym in Kanto."
"Wait, Misty works for the Cerulean Gym?!" Ash gasped.
"She didn't tell you? Weird. But as for you, there's nothing significant about you. Just a random boy who lived in a backwards place called Pallet Town, where the real celebrities were Professor Oak and his grandson, Gary." Ash frowned as his hands tightened into fists. "I've done my research on all of you. I may be hired muscle of Team Skull, but I'm no means stupid like the lot of them. I make sure I know who and what I'm dealing with. And... there is something special about you three, even a nobody like you. Something I didn't posses back when I needed it."
"And what might that be?"
"Determination." Their conversation was interrupted by Kahuna Nanu as he walked up to them, which surprised Gladion. "Officer Nanu?!"
"If only Team Skull could've just kept to themselves and their trouble making in Po Town. Why'd they have to make all this fuss, huh?" He then turned to Ash. "You there. I'm the Island Kahuna, you know? Battle me. It'll be a good experience if you're really hoping to master the island challenge."
"Oh, okay then." Once the two were prepared, the two started an unceremonious grand trial. Throwing an ultra ball with barely a muster of strength, a Sableye popped out.
"Primarina, I choose you!" Ash once again sent his Pokemon out, since the weather was still lightly drizzling, even if it wasn't outright raining like normal.
"Use Shadow Ball."
"Counter with Moonblast!" Singing to form a pink orb powered by the moon, Sableye created a black and purple like orb, and the two fired almost at the same time. However, the Moonblast pushed right through the Shadow Ball, not slowing down even as the opposing attack exploded and thus the blast exploded against the frail Sableye.
"Hmm, return." Nanu then sent out a Krookodile, a purple and black striped crocodile. It roared, thus Intimidating the Soloist Pokemon. "Dig." Krookodile burrowed into the ferry, only to accidentally go through the platform they were standing on and subdued itself by falling into the ocean's water below.
"Oops." Nanu said before recalling his Pokemon. "Wasn't paying attention what we were battling on." Ash, Gladion and Primarina sweat-dropped from his apathetic attitude causing him to make such a hazardous mistake. The Kahuna simply shrugged as he tossed out an Alolan Persian. "Slash."
"Moonblast, again!" Ash ordered, though still a little stuck on the Krookodile mishap. Creating another fairy sphere, the water starter used that to block the incoming claws of the Classy Cat Pokemon, and it exploded, sending the dark type into the same hole that Krookodile fell into. Returning his Pokemon, Nanu smirked before flat out dry chuckling.
"Hmph, well shoot. Looks like I've gotten rusty. Of course even if I did have the heart to go all out you likely would've won anyway with Primarina and Hawlucha alone. You had the heart and strength to storm the Team Skull stronghold, even washing it out a bit. Here, this is yours." Tossing Ash a Z-Crystal, the trainer caught it and saw it was colored black. A Darkium-Z Crystal. The emblem inside made Ash think of Bendy's head in Bendy and the Ink Machine. After showing Ash how to use it with a Z-Pose, the kahuna then simply stated, "There, congrats or whatever. You're officially finished with the Ula'ula trials. Don't try to destroy the place you're going to. And you Gladion. Tell me, if you're really trying to get stronger as you say, then what're you depending on Team Skull for?" He then walked off. Just then Hau and Misty finally caught up.
"Hey Ash!"
"Don't you dare say a word about this being fun." Gladion threatened.
"If I'd been stronger, if I could've seized victory, then Lillie wouldn't have had to go with them. I'm ready to do whatever it takes now! Although, where was Lillie taken? It couldn't be Po Town, Ash was there the whole time."
"Hmph, you're not quite as dumb as you are naive." Doing his dramatic pose, Gladion responded, "It'll be Aether Paradise."
"What?!" Everyone gasped.
A/N: So, there's this guest reviewer that's been talking about how I could have the shipping where love interests Ash, Lillie and Misty could be shipped together in my story. They also talk about how Ash and Misty obviously go together for your same typical Pokeship reasons. And that's (partially) why I went with Lillie. Some of the more interesting relationships, especially with a character that's shipped with practically every other character regardless of the likelihood and probability, are the ones that are overlooked. Of course I'm not going to ship Ash with Female Swimmer #5, but I don't think I could make a Pokeship story that could stand out because it's been covered so many times by people who understand the ship better than I do, since I didn't grow up with Pokemon during that time period. And secondly, for the typical reasons why AshxMisty work, those aren't really here due to them being older. Yes, they're stubborn, but it's more out of a determination to do good for others rather than an aggravated need to defend their egos. Do they have moments of romance and tease each other that I wrote? Yes, but it's not so much that it could be considered a regular thing. Whereas in the anime they just loved picking with each other, it was the same behavior that made Ash and Misty have that fight because they don't want to be treated like dumb children and thus treat each other nicer. They don't show how much they care by teasing each other, but it's by the power of friendship, and I know that is not how a typical Pokeship romance goes. For as much as I've read all the popular ships that Ash has had with each regional girl, I find it easier to write the ships like Dawn, Serena and Lillie rather than Misty and May since I haven't been interested in the anime until Diamond and Pearl when I was in middle school.