I suggest rereading the first part of the last chapter, as I fixed a mistake I made. Then again, that might be a lot to ask for, since this chapter is significantly longer than the previous ones. But I think you'll enjoy it!

Chapter P-4: The Preliminary Trial

Ten Carat Hill was a small, beachside meadow with an atmosphere that was at once calming and invigorating. Ash couldn't describe it, but walking through the grass made his heart beat with excitement as he eagerly looked around. "I wonder what kind of Pokemon are out here," he said mostly to himself, though his companions heard him.

"Pikachu," Pikachu agreed.

"I'm glad you asked, Ash," Professor Kukui grinned, turning back to him briefly. "At the trial site, there are actually some Dragon-type Pokemon."

"Really?" Ash said, his eyes sparkling with excitement.

"Yeah, but they're hard to find," Kukui explained.

"I hope they're cute," May said. "Maybe we can go looking for them after the trial."

"I have a better idea," Kukui said as they stopped in front of a small cave. "You can go looking for them...because that is the trial!"

"Huh?" Ash and May blinked at the same time.

"Like I said before," the professor went on, "this should be fairly easy for you: it's a beginner-level trial. All you gotta do is photograph the four Pokemon you can find in this cave, yeah!"

Ash and May looked at each other, each with an eyebrow raised. Then they looked back at the professor. "That's it?" Ash asked.

"Pika?"

"Yup!" the professor nodded. "Here," he said, handing him a strange red device. "Use this Poke Finder to get the job done."

"Oh...okay," Ash said, recovering his usual demeanor as his confusion wore off. "Photographing new Pokemon? This should be fun."

"All right, let's go!" May grinned. With that, they walked into the cave, unaware of an all too familiar threesome following quietly at a safe distance, and the trial began.

Almost immediately, Ash heard a skittering behind some rocks. He gasped and quickly ran over to the rocks. There, he found a tiny, scaly Pokemon looking around, its back turned to him. He eagerly held up the Poke Finder aimed it at the adorable little Pokemon, and pressed a button.

"I think I got it!" he whispered, turning around to inspect his gadget. May ran over to look at it as well.

"Hrm?!" the Pokemon jumped on hearing the Poke Finder click. It whirled around and ran at the unsuspecting trainers. Pikachu looked up and saw the little Pokemon leaping up to pounce on Ash.

"Pikapi!" he cried, leaping up and delivering a swift Iron Tail to the little Pokemon's face. It immediately fell to the ground and slumped over, fainted.

"Huh?!" Ash said, whirling around. He saw the fainted Pokemon, and Pikachu quickly scampered up his shoulder. "What happened?"

"Oh, yeah," Kukui said, sweatdropping. "I almost forgot. When you take a picture of Jangmo-o, it'll get startled and attack you."

"Oh," Ash said. "Well, that would've been nice to know."

"And like I said before," the professor went on, "they're Dragon-type, so they're pretty tough, yeah. But seeing how your Pikachu knocked this one out in one hit, I don't think you'll have too much trouble!"

"Aw, the poor thing," May said as she looked at the unconscious Jangmo-o. "Should we get it to the Pokemon Center?"

"Nah, don't worry," Kukui replied. "They always recover on their own. I've never had to take them to the Pokemon Center."

"Okay," May said uncertainly as she looked at it lying unconscious. She smiled slightly. "It's really cute. Almost makes me want to catch it."

"Well, we can do that later," Ash replied. "There are still three other Pokemon to find!"

"Pikachu!" Pikachu agreed.

"Have fun, you two!" Kukui cheered.

Ash and May nodded and eagerly ventured deeper into the cave. "Stay alert, May," Ash said. "Another Jangmo-o should be close by."

May looked into a hole in the wall and quietly gasped. "Ash!" she whispered. "Over here!"

Ash rushed over to her and saw a Jangmo-o strutting by without a care in the world. May's hands covered her mouth as her eyes sparkled at the sight. "Look at him," she whispered, careful not to scare the creature. "He's so cute!"

"Well I was gonna let you take a picture of this one, but I guess you're a little too caught up in the moment," Ash sweatdropped as he pulled out the Poke Finder. "Here, I got this."

"Pikachu," Pikachu grinned.

Ash carefully aimed the device so the Pokemon was at the center, then snapped a shot. Predictably, just as Kukui said, Jangmo-o jumped in surprise, then rushed forward while growling cutely and jumped at them. Pikachu used Quick Attack to knock it off its course. It rammed into a wall, allowing Pikachu to slam it from behind with Iron Tail, effectively knocking it out.

"That almost worked too well," Ash mumbled, scratching his chin. "I don't like attacking from behind unless it's practical, and that did not feel practical at all."

"What did it feel like then?" May asked, confused.

"It felt too easy, that's what," he replied. "These Jangmo-o don't stand a chance against Pikachu. If we're gonna knock them out, I prefer to do so in a way that's fair to them."

"Are you just talking for the sake of talking?" May said, putting her hands on her hips and glaring playfully at him.

Ash shrugged sheepishly. "I guess I might be," he said. "Still and all, you know what I mean, right?"

"Yeah," May said, looking back at the unconscious Pokemon. "I still feel bad for them, though. They're so cute!"

"They sure are," Ash agreed.

"Pikachu." That was when they heard a strange growl from deeper in the cave.

"That must be another Pokemon!" May said.

"Let's go!" Ash agreed, and they continued their trek through the cave. They found another hole in the wall. A larger but similar-looking Pokemon to Jangmo-o was running in circles in there. "Okay, here we go," he said quietly, raising up the Poke Finder. After waiting for the perfect shot, he snapped the picture. The startled Pokemon glared at him and charged, leaping through the wall right over him.

"Yikes!" May cried, ducking.

"Pikachu! Use Iron Tail!" Ash commanded.

"Chuuuuu, Pika!" Pikachu growled, leaping up and slamming its metallic tail against the large Pokemon's head. Pikachu landed on the ground, then the Pokemon swiped its tail at him, knocking him to the side. Pikachu quickly got back up and charged at the larger Pokemon using Quick Attack, then leapt back up and slammed it again with Iron Tail. The Pokemon clutched its head for a moment, then collapsed, defeated.

"Nice work, Pikachu," Ash grinned. "You all right?"

"Pika!" Pikachu grinned, giving him a cute thumbs-up with its paw.

"Okay, let's go," May said as Pikachu climbed back up on his trainer's shoulder. "Professor Kukui said there's one more Pokemon out here."

"I'm guessing it's outside," Ash said, pointing to an exit not far off. They quickly ran out and found the last Pokemon. It was the same as the one they just beat, but it was standing still in the field, almost regal in its posture. "Okay, here we go, now," he said, quietly creeping near it. Then he took the picture.

The Pokemon glared at him, startled as usual. However, the glare in this particular Pokemon's eyes was fiercer than the others. It stomped up to the trainers until it towered over them and roared in their faces.

"Augh!" May cried.

"Don't worry, May," Ash said, putting his arm out in front of her to protect her. "We can handle this."

"I know," she said. "His breath just smells awful, that's all!"

Ash and Pikachu looked at each other for a moment and then sweatdropped. "Okay, Pikachu, let's go!"

"Pika!" Pikachu said, leaping off his trainer's shoulder and getting into a battle-ready stance. The Pokemon, Hakamo-o, was suddenly surrounded by an energy flare. Then, in a brief but blinding flash of light, it became engulfed in a strange energy.

Ash's eyes widened. "That energy! It's – UH!" He suddenly clutched his head with his hand as though in pain.

"Ash!" May cried, running up and putting a hand on his shoulder. "Are you okay?"

"Ugh...yeah, I'm fine," he said, shaking himself off. "It's just...that Pokemon's aura…"

"HAKA-KAAAA!" Hakamo-o suddenly shrieked, running at Pikachu. Instinctively, Pikachu unleashed a powerful bolt of energy to repel it. But when the dust cleared, the Pokemon was hardly even fazed and continued on as if nothing happened.

"Pikachu!" Ash cried. "Use Quick Attack! We'll make this a contest of speed!"

"Pika!" Pikachu agreed, jumping about to avoid Hakamo-o's rampage. It managed to ram into the larger Pokemon several times, causing significant damage.

"Nice!" Ash grinned. "Now this battle's even!"

As if to taunt him, a ray of light suddenly shot down from the sky. When it faded, a small puppy-like Pokemon had appeared. It glared at Pikachu cutely, but it was clear that it wasn't here to make friends.

"AWWWWWW!" May squealed at the sight. "IT'S A PUPPY!"

"Melemele-me and my big fat mouth," Ash said, falling over.

"Ruff! Ruff!" The puppy Pokemon charged at Pikachu, teeth bared. Pikachu was swift to retaliate, using Iron Tail to swat it back. The strategy proved surprisingly effective, as the Pokemon was instantly knocked out.

"Huh," Ash said. "Must be a Rock type."

"Ash! May!"

"Huh?" the two of them said. They saw Professor Kukui running up behind them, out of breath. "What is it?" May asked.

"After you left me in the cave, something knocked me out. Next thing I hear is the shrieks of Pokemon. The Jangmo-o and Hakomo-o are gone!"

"What?!" Ash cried.

"Haka! Haka-ka!" the Hakamo-o in front of them glared at Ash and May as though to blame them.

"Huh?" May said as the Pokemon glared at her. "No, we didn't take them!" she said. "We knocked them out, but we didn't take them!"

"But who would've –" Professor Kukui started, but before he could finished, a sudden energy blast from above struck him in the chest. "AUGH!" he cried, falling onto his back, unconscious.

"Professor!" Ash cried, running up to him. He saw that a mysterious silver bracelet and a golden stone had fallen off of him from the attack. "Huh?" he said, picking them up. "What are these? They look like Mega –"

"PIKAPI!" Pikachu cried.

"HAKA-KA-KAAAAAA!"

"What?!" Ash exclaimed, whirling back around. "Gah! Pikachu!"

Pikachu was caught in a cage, as was Hakamo-o! Hakamo-o tried to break free, but the cage, made of energy, paralyzed him in place.

"What's going on here?!" May shouted.

"Prepare for trouble, no matter what the cost!"

"Make it double, it's Paradise Lost!"

"To protect the world from devastation."

"To unite all peoples within our nation."

"To denounce the evils of truth and love."

"To extend our reach to the stars above."

"Jessie!"

"James!"

"Team Rocket's blasting off at the speed of light!"

"Surrender now, or prepare to fight fight fight!"

"Meowth, that's right!"

"Woooooobbuffet!"

Ash and May watched as an all-too familiar threesome appeared in front of them, donning their signature white outfits with red 'Rs' plastered on the front. "It's Team Rocket!" they cried in unison. "What are you guys doing here?!" May shouted.

"What do you think we're doing?" Jessie, the fiery magenta-head sneered. "We're Team Rocket, silly twerp."

"We're doing what we're always doing," the lavender-haired James grinned.

"Stealing Pokemon's what we're doing!" their talking Meowth cheered. "Whether it's Pikachu or these new guys!" He held up a net containing the two Jangmo-o, and they revealed a cage holding the other Hakamo-o hostage.

"You let those Pokemon go right now!" Ash shouted. "And gimme back my Pikachu!"

"Not so fast, twerp," Meowth put his paw out casually as though negotiating a business deal. "Haven't ya learned? We don't give your Pokemon back even if you say pretty-please-with-a-cherry-on-top. Sorry, but these Pokemon are ours! Besides," he went on, looking at the frightened Jangmo-o with an endearing look as he clasped his paws, "why would I want to get rid of these guys? They're just the most adorable little Pokemon I've ever seen!"

"Aren't they?" May agreed, clasping her hands and mirroring him as she tiptoed up to them. "If I had any Pokeballs on me, I would've caught one!"

"Really, May?" Ash said in a deadpan voice. "This isn't helping, you know.

"They truly are adorable," Jessie agreed, imitating them as well. "It almost makes me want to let them go rather than give them to the boss."

"Perhaps we can keep one?" James said, also imitating them.

"They're so cute, they make me wanna hold 'em and squeeze 'em!" Meowth grinned.

"Here," May said, picking one of the Jangmo-o up. "Go ahead. Hold him!"

"Aw, ya mean it twerp?" Meowth said, his cat eyes turning into puppy eyes for a moment. Then he ripped the Pokemon out of her hands and started squeezing it. "Aw, thank you! He's so cute and cuddly and – HEY, WAIT A SEC! HOW'D HE GET OUTTA THE NET?!"

"GAAHHHH!" Jessie and James cried when they saw the Pokemon freed from the ripped – no, cut! – net.

"While you guys were so busy fawning over how cute they were," May said with a flip of her hair, "I went ahead and used my pocket knife to cut the net open and free them! You really should pay more attention, you know?"

"Why, you little twerpette!" Jessie growled.

"You tricked us?!" James exclaimed. "That's not fair!"

"Wow!" Ash exclaimed, amazed at May's quick thinking. "Way to go, May!" The freed Pokemon were quick to run away from the thieves and took shelter behind Ash, surprising the trainer slightly. Unseen by everyone else, Professor Kukui was starting to wake up.

"Fine!" Jessie growled. "You may have saved those Pokemon, but we still have Pikachu!"

"Not if I can help it!" Ash retorted, throwing his Pokeball. "Greninja, I choose you!"

The Pokeball released the powerful Water-type. "Grenin!" it said, then it saw Team Rocket. "Gre?! Ninnnnnn," it growled.

"Not the frog again," Meowth grumbled.

"Greninja!" Ash commanded. "Use Night Slash to free Pikachu and Hakamo-o!"

"Niiiinnnnnnn–JA!" Greninja cried, slashing the cages and breaking them open. Pikachu and Hakamo-o leapt out, with Pikachu leaping into Ash's arms.

"Are you okay, buddy?"

"Pikachu," Pikachu smiled.

"You dirty little twerp!" Jessie shouted at Ash. "Why are you always ruining our plans?"

"Why are you always trying to steal Pokemon?!" Ash retorted.

"Because that's what we do!" Jessie snapped back. "And one day, whether you like it or not, we will get your Pikachu!"

"Same story, seventh chapter," May rolled her eyes with a smirk.

"Uh, guys?" James said, his eyes shrinking in fear. "I think we upset the local wildlife."

"Hm?" Jessie and Meowth looked and saw Hakamo-o glaring down at them, its aura still surrounding it. "Uh-oh," they all facefaulted in unison.

"HAAAAAAAKAAAAAAAAAMOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Hakamo-o roared, slamming them with its head and sending them soaring into the sky.

"So much for a relaxing vacation!" Jessie grumbled as they flew through the sky.

"Hey, last I checked, I was the one who said we should go to Akala Island instead of follow the twerps!" James shot back. "What's a vacation if you don't spend it doing nothing?"

"School!" Meowth shouted at him. "That's what it is!"

"WE'RE BLASTING OFF AGAINNNNNNNNNN!"

Ding.

"Whew!" Ash said, wiping his brow and recalling Greninja. "That could've been a lot worse."

"I'll say," May agreed.

"Woo! That was amazing, yeah!"

They turned and saw Professor Kukui walk up to them with a big grin. "You kids single-handedly took out those Pokemon thieves like it was nothing!"

"Heh! That was nothing," Ash grinned, adjusting his hat. "Team Rocket's been hounding us since the beginning of my journey, so I'm used to them showing up outta nowhere. Truthfully, May was the one who managed to beat them this time around."

"No sweat!" May agreed with another flip of her hair. "Of course, you do realize that you freed the Pokemon, and then Hakamo-o finished them off. I can't take all the credit."

"Pikachu," Pikachu agreed.

"True," Ash also agreed. "I guess I'm just impressed."

"So am I," said a new voice. Everyone turned and saw a young woman with pink and yellow hair and punk attire standing not far from them. She looked displeased. "I heard you took out my buddies here with little trouble. Seeing you in person, I can see why. I guess you look like a trainer who can get things done."

"That's right, that's him, big sis!" said a familiar voice. The two thugs from earlier strutted out, doing their thug jig.

"Aw, man!" Ash moaned.

"Not you guys again," May moaned as well.

"Chaaaaaa."