A/N: Hey, so, I was originally going to cover the episode where Castform is shown, but the episode was filled with too much outside context like Team Aqua taking over and Brodie being a double agent, it was difficult for me to think of a Team Rocket only episode and have it feel fulfilling. So we're skipping an episode to this one.
Finally, our heroes move on from Hoenn after Sakura has captured a Beautifly out in the wild, and was gifted a Casform from Hoenn's weather institute for defending Team Rocket away, even when they had improved upon anti-theft security to take care of it for them. So for one last stop before resuming with the World Coronation Series challenge, our group has stopped by the one place that they never suspected of visiting, sunny Alola. They docked on Melemele Island to look for some new Pokemon to add to their ranks. But first, since they were their, why not relax for a bit after that whole experience in Forina a short while back? They definitely earned it.
"Ah, cool water, white fluffy clouds, and some delicious pinap juice." Elaine sighed while stretching her whole body before taking a sip of her orange drink. "Refreshing."
"You said it." Sakura nodded, enjoying the tropical climate and juicy drink while Espeon slept next to her side while Clefable was on another sun chair, somewhat white from wearing sunblock as she wore shades instead of her usual lenses.
"Hey girls!" Ash came running as he and Trace returned from having fun by themselves.
"Hey Ash. Had fun?" Elaine asked them.
"Yeah! We went diving with the Sharpedo!"
"Though Ash wiped out because he got scared by some kind of freaky Alola fish." Trace chuckled.
"Aw, come on Trace!" Said boy pouted as his friends laughed and chuckled.
"Anyway, since we've had our good while of fun, how about we head to Prof. Oak's cousin's place? Wow, to think he had this cousin and never told us." He and his Eevee pondered about that.
"Yeah, I don't want to get to lethargic on drinks." Elaine said as she got up. "Let's go see this, 'mysterious cousin', of his." She giggled as they changed and took a Tauros driven rickshaw taxi up to the edge of Hau'oli City, which they had to walk the rest of the way. Along said path, the group saw something new, a Bewear. A panda like Pokemon with a black body and legs but a pink face with white tufts around its face. And it was huge, standing at almost 7 feet tall.
"Aww, so cute! I want it! Let's catch it Clefable!"
"Clefable!" She agreed with a grin as she stepped forth. Bewear gave a shrill cry as it effortlessly smashed down several trees with ease with just a few flailing swipes and kicks.
"Wow, it must be super strong! A fighting type at least. Use Moonblast!" The Fairy Pokemon tried to throw a pink ball of energy towards the Strong Arm Pokemon, but it was able to jump over the attack and tried to use Brutal Swing. "Stop it with Psychic!" Clefable's eyes glowed blue as she captured the Pokemon in a blue aura, hindering its movements while inflicting it pain as it cried out. But even then it didn't completely stop, as it was able to slowly take steps and tried to grab for the startled Clefable, though with great and strained effort, prompting her and the other to step back. "So strong. Go, Ultra Ball!" Elaine threw a black and yellow ball at the Pokemon, letting the orb absorb into it as it wobbled back and forth before clicking.
"Alright! I caught a Pokemon!" Elaine cheered as she went and picked it up. "Welcome to the team." She pocketed her new catch.
"Congrats on the new Pokemon Elaine." Ash told her.
"Thanks Ash." The two briefly kissed before they resumed on their trek through the woods. And lo and behold, they found it, the trainer's school where Oak's cousin worked! And what a school it was. It almost seemed like it melded with a playground given the slide and bridges over water. They spotted a girl dressed in white whom had a Popplio, a Bounsweet which looked like a dark purple and white berry, and a Pikachu clone called Togedemaru, a grey porcupine like Pokemon with yellow and brown triangles. Three kids riding Tauros raced across a dirt road. And guess what, the green haired girl won by finishing first!
"Yeah! Way to go Tauros!" She complimented her ride Pokemon as she jumped off and petted it.
"Was that a race we just saw?" Ash and his friends walked up to them.
"Yep, and I won!" She gave them a peace sign of victory. "Hey, we've never seen you around here before. Are you tourists?"
"Yeah. I'm Ash, and this is Trace, Elaine and Sakura. We came from Pallet Town from Kanto, except for Sakura. We're stopping here to meet with someone who's Prof. Oak's cousin."
"Oh, you mean the principle? No problem, I can show you to him! You can call me Mallow." As she guided them to where they needed to go, Bounsweet used Sweet Scent as she jumped up and down on Mallow's shoulder, soothing our group's Pokemon with its nice fragrance. Once they were inside and saw the second floor, Trace gasped.
"Look at these fossils." He ran to the fossils of an Arorus and an Aerodactyle. "An Aerodactyle fossil."
"Eevee." His normal type Pokemon was impressed by the preserved states of these dead rock types.
"I bet you would've loved studying here if you four were born here." Mallow giggled as she knocked on a door. "Principal, sir? I brought some guests that came to see you." He opened the door, to which they saw basically a dark skinned version of Prof. Oak with tropical clothes and sandy blonde hair which flowed to his shoulders.
"Ah, Alola! It's nice to see some new people. Welcome to the Pokemon School!(A/N: I'm sorry, but for the life of me please help tell me what pun Samson used here. I tried listening but he says it too fast and I can't recognize what facial mimicry he's using.) So, what can I help you four with?"
"Wow, you look so much like the professor. We came to ask if there was a place we could find and catch some Pokemon." Ash requested.
"Specifically a Rockruff or Lycanroc. I'm making a sun based team." Sakura told the principal.
"Well, I must say a 'Sunnkern-y' themed team sounds interesting!" He laughed after he made a face similar to a Sunkern while using his hands for leaves on the top of his head. "You came to the right place! The name's Samson Oak!"
"Excuse the principal." Mallow awkwardly laughed. "He likes making jokes with Pokemon names."
"We all need to have a bit of fun. You can find Rockruff and more at Ten 'Carracosta' Hill!" He imitated said Pokemon before pointing in a direction towards the Southeast.
"It's Ten Carat Hill to be exact." Mallow corrected him. "If you ask the professor then he'll give you more directions from there."
"Thank you Mallow." Sakura said as they started to leave.
"Farewell, and don't be a 'Ga-stranger-don'!" Samson made a joke about Gastrodon to which Trace and Elaine groaned. As they were just about to leave the campus, a tanned Professor with an open lab coat, no shirt and grey shorts came, wearing yellow tinted visors.
"Oh, are you the Professor?" Ash asked the man.
"Guess my reputation proceeds me. Hi, a big Alola to you all. The name's Professor Kukui." He chuckled. Sakura giggled as well.
"We were just going to ask you if we spotted you where we could find Ten Carat Hill to find Pokemon to catch."
"Yeah, I know the way. Actually, I was just about to take my class on a field trip to there for today's class. You can tag along as honorary students if you'd like."
"That would be great, thanks!" Ash expressed gratefully.
"Alright class, today we have some guests attending as honorary students, since we're sharing the same location based goal in mind. Say hi to Ash, Trace, Elaine and Sakura." He told Mallow, Lana, Kiawe, Sophocles and Lillie.
"Hello." Each of them greeted in their own way.
"Now, for today's lesson, it's going to be an educational scavenger hunt. We're going to catch a Pokemon with these special ordered Quick Balls for easy catching, then we're going to discuss what we happened to catch. As for you four, here's some extra Pokeballs, just so that you might find what you're looking for."
"Thanks." Each of them said.
"Alright, you have ten minutes, so go searching now!" Each of them ran in a different direction. Sakura and her Espeon ran further to the South East, getting a good feeling. Along the way, the girl did manage to capture a Roggenrola and a Carbink, but soon enough, she encountered a Rockruff, and it looked agitated as heck.
"Alright! Bellosom, let's go!" She sent out her grass type Pokemon. "Use Stun Powder!"
"Bell! Bell! Bellosom!" Dancing in a way that yellow dust floated through the air, the Puppy Pokemon sneezed before wincing from the paralysis, but that only seemed to have angered it more as it howled before starting to glow white, shocking Sakura, Espeon and Bellosom. It went from a brown and creme colored pup with rocks in its grey neck fur to a light brown and grey wolf with spiky rocks growing out of its mane. Its tail became poofier and it grew claws on its feet.
"Whoa, it evolved!" Sakura gasped as they watched this in shock, but then the girl grinned with determination. "Cool. Bellosom, use Mega Drain!"
"Bellosom!" She yelled as the flowers off the top her head shot out beams of red energy, absorbing the health of the newly evolved Wolf Pokemon, resulting in it to growl painfully. However, the rock type was not going to give up without a fight as it glowed white with energy before it making a running dash towards the surprised grass type before being slammed into, crying out from the impact of the attack before crashing onto her back. Lycanroc howled before wincing from its paralysis.
"You okay Bellosom?!" Sakura asked her Pokemon. The Flower Pokemon got up and was a bit wobbly, but nonetheless could still fight with that determination in her eyes. "Cool. Pokeball, go!" Sakura threw the ball at the crippled Pokemon, which she was able to securely capture after it clicked. "Alright, I captured Lycanroc and completed my team!"
Bellosom!" Her Pokemon cheered for her master. Espeon, Beautifly, Bellosom, Castform, Solrock & Lycanroc. Running back to her friends, new and old, to show them her catch.
"Alright everyone, tell us what you have and give us a fact you know about it." Professor Kukui told his students and guests. Sakura saw many interesting Pokemon among her peers. However, before they could present, a spherical jail swooped by them and snatched up all the Pokemon, in which the jail closed, attached to the end of a giant tail. "Huh, what's this?!" The professor inquired in shock as everyone gasped upon seeing a 40 foot tall Alolan Exeggutor robot, with Jessie, Meowth and James inhabiting the heads left to right respectively with windows showing them.
"Did someone ask something? We're here to find out!" Jessie started their motto.
"Noble answers are what we're all about!"
"The beauty so radiant, the flowers and moon hide in shame. A single flower of evil in this fleeting world: Jessie!"
"The nobly heroic man of our times! The master of darkness fighting back against a tragic world! James!"
"It's all for one and one for all! A glittering dark star that always shines bright! Dig it while Meowth takes flight!"
"Team Rocket, let's fight!"
"That's right!" Meowth finished it.
"You're even here to steal Pokemon?! Ash asked in exasperation. "Why can't you just leave us alone?!"
"As if we'd ever leave someone so high on our priority list if revenge alone." Jessie scoffed at his question. James followed up.
"Team Rocket is the best at doing wrong doings and we're the pettiest of the pest!"
"Now, since Alola uses hi and goodbye as the same word, let me just say, Alola ya twerps!" Meowth cackled as they turned their contraption around and tried to book it.
"Time to test out my new Pokemon! Go, Bewear!" Elaine sent out her normal/fighting type. "Bewear, stop them from getting away!" Bewear shrieked as it ran after them and grabbed hold of the very tall machine by the tail, stopping its movement thus causing the top to tip over, Team Rocket yelling in surprise as a result.
"What was that?!" Jessie cried out.
"Our machine's still runnin' but the ground ain't movin'! Meowth responded frantically as Bewear pulled Team Rocket's mode of transportation back despite said machine digging its running feet into the ground, before leaping up to hug the base of the very tall neck, screaming loudly as it hugged tighter and tighter, crushing the base of the neck until the top could no longer be supported, and thus Team Rocket crashed into the ground with a scared yelp.
"Go, Castform!" Sakura sent out the weather Pokemon which changed forms as it became a fire type and resembled a sun. "Use Weather Ball!" Charging up a miniature sun in front of it, the Weather Pokemon fired it towards the terrified and trapped Team Rocket in their damaged cockpits until the attack hit and exploded.
"Team Rocket's blasting off again!" They screamed as they twinkled in the sky.
"Wow, you girls were great!" Sophocles complimented the two proactive females.
"Yeah, girl power!" Mallow shot her fist into the air.
"How great! Amazing!" Lana cheered.
"Quite impressive!" Lillie gasped. Kiawe grinned and nodded, acknowledging they did well.
"Ah, the girls are upstaging us lately." Trace chuckled, not really bothered by it.
"Well it's not like they're weak or anything." Ash laughed. "Besides, Elaine's been competing with us since childhood and she's able to keep up with us."
"And that's if we're lucky." Trace sighed with a wrecked smile from the times she's beaten both of them handily at times, but that never got in the way of their friendship.
"Pikachu!"
"Eevee!" Each of the boy's Pokemon called out to them as they ran to their partners, whom laughed from catching and hugging them.
"You're okay!" Ash was happy for the fact, same with Trace with his Eevee. Once everyone got their Pokemon back, Sakura remembered what happened before Team Rocket showed up.
"Oh yeah, let me show you my newest catch! It's so cool!"