Along the way as Kukui explained stuff to Ash, a brown boy in a black shirt and yellow shorts along with having green hair ran up to them.
"Hey! Which Pokemon are you going to choose as your partner? Have you decided?"
"Uh... I have a Popplio? Who are you?" Ash answered uncertainly, wondering why this guy just ran up to him asking about his partner. He happily raised his hands to the back of his head.
"Oh yeah, I'm Hau! I couldn't wait for us to pick our partners together so I came to find you myself!" Then he realized. "Oh, a Popplio? So you already chose one?"
"Sorry about that Hau." Professor Kukui apologized. "We had a bit of an accident on the way here, so I let Ash choose his partner first without you." Hau simply nodded with understanding.
"Fair enough. I guess it was just fate for you guys to meet."
"But you can choose one of these two, Hau." Kukui said as he brought out Rowlet and Litten. When the Pokemon came out, Rowlett saw he had a second chance, puffed out his feathers and spun around to show how cool he was while Litten just licked his paw.
"I've decided quite a while ago Professor Kukui. I choose Litten!" Rowlet was once again white in rejected shock while Litten purred with joy as he walked up to Hau. "I always wanted a Litten, so now we're going to get to go on adventures together!" We're going to do so much awesome stuff together! Just you wait and see!" The Fire Cat Pokemon meowed in agreement. Rowlet could only lie on his side silently crying in a corner away from everyone. That is until Professor Kukui picked him up.
"I'm sorry Rowlet. But don't sweat it, I'll take good care of you. You better believe it."
"Anyway Ash, now that we both have Pokemon, how about we have our first battle!"
"Hmm, I'd like to see how Ash can handle a battle." Misty said. "It'll give me an idea on how much I need to teach him about that."
"I can handle this Misty. I know the basics... I just couldn't apply them very well at first. But now I'm ready."
"If you say so." The redhead shrugged with a smile and an eye roll as she went to a wooden fence to sit on it and watch.
"Our first ever Pokemon battle! Don't worry, I'm new at this too! We'll both learn together!"
"Okay." Ash nodded as walked away from Hau, and brought out his starter. "Popplio, I choose you!" The Sea Lion Pokemon was brought out, and she was happy as she clapped and stood on her tail.
"Ash, just so you know, Popplio has Pound and Water Gun as her moves." Kukui told Ash, in case he wasn't aware.
"Thanks." The trainer replied with a grateful smile.
"Alright, I'm seriously going to enjoy this! Litten, use Ember!"
"Counter with Water Gun!" While Litten was at first able to cough up a few embers, Popplio was able to spray some water which both extinguished the attack and blasted into the Fire Cat Pokemon, the creature hissing as he crashed into a tree.
"Whoa. We can do this Litten! Use Scratch!" Angered, the fire stater pounced with white glowing extended claws and was able to get on top of the water starter, scratching her up. She cried in pain from the slashes.
"Quick, Water Gun!" Getting her bearings, the Sea Lion Pokemon sprayed Litten off of her, and unlike the thing about cats, Litten didn't land on his feet as he fell on his side, defeated.
"Litten is unable to battle! The winner is cousin Ash!" Professor Kukui declared.
"Way to go Ash!" Misty cheered as Ash was filled with pride and joy from his victory as he stooped down and hugged his starter.
"Thank you so much." She yipped in response, filled with similar happiness.
"Here's a potion." Kukui offered Ash.
"Aw, our first defeat! Sorry Litten, return!" Hau awkwardly laughed before jumping up and down. "That was awesome Ash! You and Popplio are so cool together!"
"We are?"
"Yeah! You gotta have the kind of battles where everyone has fun!" After a few seconds, Ash nodded as he lowered his gaze to Popplio.
"Yeah, though I never had one like that with Gary. Whenever we played the Pokemon card game he'd gloat and put me down whenever I lost, which was always, saying that he'll become champion with no sweat while I'll never catch up." Everyone was caught off guard by that. Was that one of the reasons why he had low confidence in himself?
"Huh. Well, whoever this Gary is, at least you don't have to worry about that guy anymore!" Hau declared. "Don't worry about it here, we'll treat you with the respect you deserve so that you can become a top class Pokemon trainer!"
"Right on! Well said Hau." Professor Kukui stepped in. "You two brought out the best of your Pokemon. It's not about winning, it's about having fun and growing with your partners and friends, yeah! Anyway, Iki Town isn't far from here. Let's get your Litten healed up Hau."
"Yeah!" The teen boy replied as the two men went to the town.
"Well, I guess you were right in knowing the basics." Misty said to Ash. She stooped down to his level and placed a hand on his shoulder. "And hey, I know what it's like to be put down to. Don't ask me why yet, but just know that I know. Don't worry, I won't say stuff like you're hopeless. At least... not too much." The girl mischievously giggled while Ash lightly chuckled as he hugged his starter tighter.
"Thanks Misty."
"No sweat." Then the redhead yawned. "Well, I'm getting tired. How about we get to the Pokemon Center, have some dinner then sleep?"
"Sounds good to me." Returning his Pokemon, Ash and Misty walked to Iki Town where the Professor was waiting.
"There you cousins are. I was wondering why you didn't follow."
"I was just giving Ash here a much needed word that he's not alone." The redhead answered as she nudged him with her elbow, the boy awkwardly laughing somewhat.
"Cool. It sure feels good to pick someone up when they're down, yeah. Anyway, this is Iki Town. This town is where folks come to worship the Pokemon that watches over Melemele Island. Tapu Koko keeps us all happy and safe, see! Doesn't look like the Kahuna's here though. I guess there must be trouble somewhere on the island that needs fixing, yeah? Oh well, I'm sure we'll get to meet them in due time. Hey, I've got an idea for you two. If you head through the village and up the hill, you can visit the ruins that belong to Tapu Koko. That's our island's guardian deity, yeah."
"We'd love to, but I'm just about ready to eat dinner then sleep." Misty said as she stretched.
"Fair enough. If you change your minds, you know where to look. If you're real lucky, you may actually get a glimpse of it yourself!" Kukui laughed. "I'll stick around here and wait to see if the Kahuna comes back."
"You can go to the Pokemon Center. I'm going to go check out the ruins." Ash told Misty.
"Alright. Just don't be too late." She said back before heading the the center. Ash followed Kukui's advice and went through the village and up the hill called the Mahalo Trail. As he trekked up though, he soon spotted a girl with long blonde hair and white clothes whispering urgently into her bag.
"I know, I know. I'll take you to the ruins. So please stay in the bag. We could get in trouble if anyone sees you." She continued on. Curious, he followed her as the girl was running towards a bridge when a small Pokemon jumped out of her bag. It looked like a living ball of gas like a Gastly, but was more like a nebula going from violet to light blue and had what appeared to be twinkling stars in it. The very center of its body is black both in front and back. The black space on the front contains its face, which consists of beady yellow eyes, circular blue cheeks, and a small mouth. The space on the back has only a single blue dot. There is a golden half-circlet on both the top and bottom half of its body, which divides it exactly in half. Two wispy extensions containing starry specks serve as its arms. "Nebby, wait!" The girl called out as it flew over the bridge. Nebby gasped when it saw three Spearow flying towards it and began to hassle the creature with their shrieks and beaks. Nebby cowered under their numbers. The girl didn't know what to do, but Ash was able to run past her onto the bridge and threw his starter out.
"Popplio, use Water Gun!" Upon being released, the Sea Lion Pokemon sprayed them with water, pushing them away as Ash and Popplio stood in their way.
"Don't worry, I'll protect you!" Ash declared. Popplio stood on her tail with her flippers spread out too. She yipped with determination. As the Spearow came in on the attack, Ash closed his eyes, feeling that surge of fear of them come up. But this Pokemon needs his help. He-A bright glow interrupted his thoughts as blue and purple light flashed around him, keeping the Spearow at bay, though that also meant that the bridge became destroyed, and the three fell down yelling. The girl gasped in horror as she saw them fall. Ash grabbed onto Popplio and Nebby, holding on as they screamed until a flying yellow Pokemon swooped in. Catching them, the Pokemon carried the shocked carry-on until they were safely on the edge with the girl.
"Tapu Koko?" The girl asked in wonderment. The Pokemon made a mythical cry, surging with electrical power before flying off into the night sky. They all stayed still until the girl remembered and turned to Ash. "Oh, thank goodness! You tried using your power again, didn't you Nebby?!"
"Nebby?" Ash inquired before the little gas ball floated out of his grasp, though just barely as it appeared to be exhausted now.
"You know what happened the last time you used it. You couldn't move for ages after that. I don't want to see you like that again!" Nebby was now sad, and the girl dropped her worried face for a sympathetic one. "No, I'm sorry Nebby. I know you were trying to save me that time, and I couldn't help you in return." It was then that Nebby seems to have spotted something, prompting Lillie to go and pick it up. "A sparkling stone? It almost feels warm somehow." Then she noticed Ash. "Oh, please forgive me. I'm so grateful for you helping us out of that dangerous spot."
"No problem." Ash replied as he stood up. "Who are you?" She looked away with an uncertain look.
"I'm... I'm Lillie. Maybe as thanks, I can give you this stone. I don't really have anything else of much value." Lillie handed Ash a sparkling stone. "Please, don't tell anyone you saw what happened. About seeing Nebby. It's... it's a secret, okay?"
"Uh... sure." Ash agreed, and she looked relieved. Lillie turned to Nebby. "Come on, into the bag Nebby." She scooped the Pokemon up and put it into her bag. Lillie was about to walk off until she stopped and turned around.
"Um... I'm worried we might get attacked again by some wild Pokemon or... or something. It might be a bit much to ask, but do you think you could see us back to town?"
"Sure Lillie. I'm Ash."
"Thank you... Ash." Lillie nodded, and the two made their way down the hill to Iki Town without incident. That was when the two found Professor Kukui on a ringed stage of sorts and he turned around to face them.
"Oh, Ash! You already met Lillie, huh? She's my assistant after all!"
"Really? That's cool." Ash said, which earned him a slight smile for a quick second before her frown came back as she walked to the Professor.
"Lillie, I thought you were with the Kahuna?"
"Kahuna Hala? He said he had something to attend to, so he left town on his own. I was walking on Mahalo Trail while I waited for him to return."
"And that's how you met Ash? He just moved here yesterday and was unpacking all his stuff. Help him find his way around, yeah?" She turned to Ash, allowing a small smile since she now knew the Professor liked him.
"So you're also one of the Professor's acquaintances? That would explain the Popplio. It's nice to meet you." That was when they heard the townspeople speaking up.
"It's the Kahuna! Kahuna Hala has returned!"
"Our guardian's chosen one is back!" They saw a big old man in a yellow shirt with white flowers over a plain blue shirt and white shorts entered the town.
"Have I missed something?"
"There you are Kahuna Hala!" Kukui called out. "Was there some kind of trouble?!"
"Ah, just some brawling Rockruffs. Nothing serious. Sorry Lillie, what were you saying before? For some reason I thought I saw Tapu Koko flying about.
"Oh, yes." Lillie nodded. "Nebby got attacked by Spearow on the Plank Bridge. Ash and Popplio here helped protect it. But the bridge collapsed, and I thought they would fall to the bottom of the ravine. That's when Tapu Koko swooped in to save them!"
"Whoa, that's something you don't hear everyday!" Kukui laughed. "Ho, although it is said to protect us, Tapu Koko is a rather fickle creature. Yet it saved you.
"Kukui my boy, I think we have cause to celebrate! Looks like we have a brave and kind new Pokemon Trainer in our midst! I'm glad to meet you Ash! I am Hala, the kahuna of Melemele Island. Welcome to my island! Everyone here was aware you'd be arriving soon!"
"Ash, what's taking so long?!" The group jumped when they saw Misty storm up to Ash. "I've been waiting and you never came back! What were you doing?!"
"Easy Misty, easy, yeah?" Kukui raised his arms to get her attention. "He was helping out someone in distress. My assistant Lillie here."
"Oh, are you a friend of Ash?"
"Something like that. We haven't known long, but I'm with him because of a deal. I'd help him how to be a Pokemon trainer in exchange he replaces my bike he accidentally destroyed."
"Oh dear!" Lillie gasped.
"Yeah, but I'm mostly over that now. At least he wasn't spending his time dilly-dallying." The redhead sighed. Nebby agreed. "Oh, what's that Pokemon?"
"Wha-Nebby?! I know the Kahuna and Professor will keep you safe from harm, but you should still stay in the bag and remain out of sight! It's safer that way."
"Oh, if you're trying to protect this Nebby, then I can keep a promise." Misty told Lillie.
"Oh, that's good to hear. Nebby seems to have taken a liking to you too." The two girls smiled.
"All right, here's a lovely gift from me to help make today special, Ash!" Professor Kukui handed Ash a device.
"What's this?"
"This is the Pokedex. A hi-end piece of tech. You could help catch Pokemon and record their data for me. Popplio is already registered. You should check it out while you can. So, you got to meet Kahuna Hala. Ready to head home now Ash?"
"Hey, hold up a sec!" Everyone turned to see Hau run up to the group.
"What is it Hau? Did you forget something?" Hala asked.
"You're seriously asking me that? Who's the one who forgot to tell anyone before wandering off for a stroll and a sing without a word, huh?" That was when everyone noticed that one of Ash's pockets in his bag was glowing.
"Hm? Ash, what do you have there?" Hala questioned the boy.
"Oh, it's a sparkling stone Lillie gave me." Ash answered as he gave the Kahuna the sparkling stone.
"Wait, could it be?!"
"Tutu, isn't that...?" Hau inquired.
"You were rescued by Tapu Koko on the bridge, is that right?"
"Yes?"
"So it even deigned to give you a stone. Perhaps you are here in Alola, Ash, because this is where you are meant to be. Allow me to borrow this stone for now. Fret not, I'll return it to you tomorrow evening! You have the makings of a brilliant trainer. I can see the light in you. You must do us the honor of joining in our festival tomorrow!"
"I'll make sure you get home safe first. You and Misty. Lillie, you should come with us too, yeah. Wouldn't want to go losing you twice in one day. You or Nebby!"
"Yes, I will keep an eye on... huh? Oh Nebby! Don't try to escape just as I'm saying to not wander off!" Everyone laughed in response.
A/N: Well, that was interesting. I've never played the Ultra games so it's interesting to see how it's going. That bridge scene.