I've decided on an upload schedule (which will normally apply, unless I have too much homework) of an update every 1-2 weeks, depending on the length of the chapter. Updates may be slower in the future since I am planning on writing another story.

Most of you seem content with May helping Ash on his trial quest, so that's settled then.

"How does he move so quickly..." May grumbled to herself, as he dragged her body along the ground like a slug. Sweat poured down her back like a waterfall, and her hair was plastered to her forehead in a mess. She felt like she was carrying one of those rucksacks that they used in the army.

It had not been a good day for the brunette. She bought her ticket to Alola without considering the most important detail of all: she had absolutely no idea how to find Ash. May was dumped onto Melemele Island without any prior knowledge of the area, and was left to scour for a boy that for all she knew, could be stuck in another world by now. Ash was just the type of person who could end up anywhere, at anytime.

*Flashback*

"Has anyone here seen a black-haired boy with a hat and a Pikachu?" May pestered passers-by in a futile effort to find the boy. Although "a hat and a Pikachu" was certainly not the most descriptive term she could find, she had never seen anyone else who walked around with a Pikachu on his shoulders. In fact, she had yet to see a single Pikachu in Alola.

Unfortunately, most of the people ignored her and walked straight past as if she were some sort of raving lunatic. The busy ones shrugged in annoyance, and the nicer ones gave her a look of sympathy before strolling off to their own business. To be fair, May couldn't exact blame them. She did look like an idiot by standing around in the middle of town raving about some random boy, but what choice did she have? It wasn't like Ash was going to just magically appear out of nowhere.

"This is impossible." May groaned. She slumped onto the sidewalk for a brief rest, for standing under the sun alone made her exhausted. May knew that she wasn't the most athletic person out there, but at the moment her skin was literally on fire. She deserved a rest.

Taking a deep breath, she began to formulate a cunning plan to find the raven-haired boy. Video calling? Perhaps, but Ash had to be in a Pokémon centre at the same time. From her past experiences, she definitely could not count on Ash to deal with anything electrical. The boy just didn't understand technology.

Ugh, what am I supposed to do? The brunette felt like hitting herself on the head. May had never felt so useless in her life, and right now her emotions were a mixture of frustration and helplessness. Not exactly the relaxing vibe that Alola promised. Just as she was about to give up, May received a light tap on the shoulder.

Looking up, she spotted a middle-aged man staring at her with a grin on his face. The first word that came to her mind when describing this man was 'cool'. He wore a white lab coat that was draped loosely around his body, revealing a set of toned abs underneath. There was a neat goatee tucked under his chin, while his hair was tied into a soft bun. A white hat rested on his head, and a pair of cool shades covered his eyes.

He's kinda hot. May thought giddily, even though the man was clearly too old for her.

"Well?" He demanded. "A black-haired boy with a hat and a Pikachu you say?"

May nodded bleakly. After multiple encounters with a similar scenario, she had learned to keep her expectations low. It always ended up with "Sorry, kiddo. Never seen anyone like that before." She heard the same response so many times that even people offering to help barely sparked her interest.

Much to her surprise, the man threw his head back and laughed. "You must be looking for Ash!"

May's head instantly jerked at the mention of his name. This Kukui guy seemed to know what he was talking about. A black-haired boy with a hat, a Pikachu and also happens to be called Ash? It couldn't be a coincidence. "Yeah! Do you know him?" She asked.

"Let me introduce myself," The man adjusted his hat into a cool pose, although May cringed at the slightly superfluous posture. "My name's Professor Kukui. I've been researching Z-moves for quite a while now. I am also a teacher at the Pokémon School, where Ash used to be one of my students. In fact, he stayed at my place when he was still attending classes."

"Pokémon School?" May had never heard of such a thing.

"Of course!" Kukui cried, as if stating the obvious. "We teach students about Pokémon. How to interact with them, how to take care of them, how to battle with them. Ash has graduated from our school and is currently participating in the Island Trials."

"Cool. Do you know where he might be?" May asked hopefully.

Kukui scratched his chin. "Aha!" He snapped his fingers and winked. "I think you may find him in Konikoni City, Akala Island."

May's heart was beating with excitement. After an entire morning of unproductive begging, she was finally getting somewhere. A head start was all that she asked for, a mere chance to find Ash in this absolute nightmare of a region. Professor Kukui had no idea how much of a life saver he was.

"Thank you, Mister." May politely addressed the Professor, before heading for the ferry station.

Along the way, she couldn't help but wonder how Ash would react upon seeing her. Excitement? Surprise? Or perhaps, May thought with a slight gulp, Ash might not recognise her. After all, it wasn't completely impossible. May literally ceased any form of contact with the boy since they parted in Sinnoh. She cringed at how awkward, and disappointing it would be if Ash had already forgotten her. Nevertheless, she had to give it a shot.

"He was lying." May sulked as she placed her hands on her hips, having spent the last two hours scavenging through Konikoni City. She was beginning to wonder whether Ash was really here, when she ran into a blue haired girl called Lana. Lana claimed to be one of the trial captains in Akala Island.

After a friendly chat, May learned that Ash had already finished his business in Konikoni City, and her heart sank. According to Lana, he left for Malie City a few days ago. Malie City was in an entirely different Island.

Now May had to buy another ferry ticket, just to sail over to Ula'Ula Island and find Ash. Well, try to find Ash, anyway. After she learned that Kukui had no idea what he was talking about, she began to doubt the validity of Lana's own words.

*End of flashback*

Yippie. Here she was, in Malie City. Great. The only thing she had to do was locate a single boy in a somewhat densely populated city. She might as well try to find a needle in a haystack. What Lana forgot to mention was that Malie was an extremely urbanised city, and needless to say, it was packed with pedestrians from top to bottom.

It even looked like a maze; there were no distinctions between roads as towering skyscrapers closed in on every direction. Identical buildings occupied most of the space, while competitive markets dominated the rest. People rushed by as if desperate to get to work, and May knew that there was no chance that anyone would bother to help her.

She put her hands over her ears in frustration. Why does everything have to be so difficult? The responsibilities of travelling alone was starting to dawn on her. Ever since the beginning of her journey, she had always relied on someone: Brock and Ash in Hoenn, followed by Solidad and Drew in Johto. Now, she was alone, hopeless, and worst of all, stranded in a region she knew nothing about.

Suddenly, May was struck by a force out of the blue. Her bandana almost came apart, and May struggled to keep it on. What was that? The sensation seemed strangely familiar, like one of those shockwaves created when powerful moves clashed against each other. Even more strangely, the force dissipated as quickly as it arrived. The city was still again; not even a single breeze reached her face.

Although the events baffled May, it almost seemed... inviting. Whatever it was, May decided to check it out. She straightened her bandana before marching towards the source, which seemed originate from the city centre.

May manoeuvred through the series of narrow alleyways that lead to the city centre, when another shockwave rippled across the air. Wow. She thought. Someone is having an intense battle. It was reminiscent of the times when Ash and Brock used to train with each other, while May and Max watched happily from the sidelines. The collisions generated forcefields which would traverse across the air in powerful pulses, pressing against their faces. For whatever reason, this encounter seemed awfully familiar.

May began to hear muffled voices as she approached the opening, like a mob of people chanting. The alleyway was dark, yet it grew brighter and brighter as she neared the exit. The voices as well; they grew louder and louder as she approached. When May emerged from the alleyway completely, it sounded like a football stadium.

May was standing in the city centre, and it seemed more lively than usual. There was indeed a boisterous crowd surrounding the middle, chanting like they were watching a street fight. This seemed to be the norm here; pedestrians went about their businesses unaffected, ignoring the all-out scuffle that seemed to happening right under their noses. Due to her short stature, May couldn't see what was going on. She nudged her way through the crowd to get a better peek.

There were two trainers, facing each other in a pokémon battle. One of them was a light-skinned man with a honey-coloured moustache and an old-fashioned cape, and the other was Ash.

There was no doubt about it, May recognised his raven-black hair and goofy smile in an instant. He wore a white and blue striped T-shirt and baggy shorts that drooped over his knees. His treasured official Pokémon league hat perched on top of his head, while a strange watch fitted around his wrist. Quite the Alolan vibe indeed. A cheer erupted as both pokémon clashed once more with incredible power, generating another ripple of shockwaves throughout the city.

"Get him, kid!" The crowd seemed as lively as a contest stadium, with slurs and chants thrown left and right. Less formal perhaps, but no less enthusiastic. The inhabitants of Alola sure knew how to make a good atmosphere. "Teach him a lesson, Chuck!" The man in the cape, presumably called Chuck, grinned and saluted in return. Both of them seemed to be enjoying the battle.

May was too excited to wait until the end, she wanted to see Ash immediately. She squeezed her way through two burly men to reach the front, earning a few glares in return, but she didn't care. "Hey, Ash! It's me!" May fought hard to overcome the sea of noise that circulated amongst the crowd. She tried to get his attention by standing on her tiptoes and waving, and it seemed to work.

Ash turned towards the familiar voice. "May?"

Squinting his eyes, Ash scanned the rowdy crowd, spotting a girl with a red bandana on her head. It was indeed his old friend May, whom he hadn't seen since the Wallace Cup in Sinnoh. Realisation kicked in, and his jaw dropped.

What was a former companion doing here in Alola, much less watching the very battle he was in? However, the expression of disbelief soon morphed into a grin. "How are ya?" He gave her a wave in return.

May couldn't help but smile. He did seem excited to see her after all. However, she sweat dropped as Ash continued to wave at her with a crazy grin on his face, oblivious to the fact that the battle was still very much in progress.

The poor boy turned around just in time to witness his partner flung across the battlefield. He crashed into the ground with devastating momentum, ploughing through several metres of concrete before slamming into a wall. A cloud of thick dust emerged from the site of impact, obscuring the view from the audience.

May gasped, for that hit must have hurt. She held her head down in shame; slightly guilty that it was her who distracted Ash in the first place. Meanwhile, the crowd cheered. They were loving every second of this battle: The nerve-racking power, the ear-splitting clashes, the sickening crunches as each Pokémon took attack after attack without falling. It was just like a boxing ring.

Scratching his head, Ash shot May a sheepish look before turning back to the battle. The brunette sighed in exasperation, but at the same time she was relieved that Ash hadn't changed one bit: he was still his same old self, clumsy and unaware of his surroundings.

Chuck wore a smug grin on his face. He leaned backwards, twirling his hat with one hand as his partner landed smoothly by his side.

His pokémon resembled a towering, bipedal werewolf with red fur and a mighty mane. Instead of pupils, the whole of his eyes glowed blood-red. Razor-sharp claws protruded from his limping arms, and his canines were gleaming white. May decided that she would not want to get on this pokémon's bad side.

"They don't call me the Terminator for nothing ya know! My Lycanroc hits like a truck." Chuck roared, and the crowd cheered in response. The pokémon called Lycanroc lifted his arms and gave a mighty howl of agreement. May could tell that he was well-trained. Judging by the size of his claws, a single swipe would be sufficient to slice her head clean off.

Ash looked towards the direction of the fallen pokémon. May couldn't read his expression, for his hat was concealing a good chunk of his face. "Decidueye! Can you still battle?" He asked.

The cloud of dust gradually cleared away, leaving a huge crater in the wall. Slid onto the floor was the pokémon called Decidueye. It was a tall, avian pokémon that resembled an owl. He had a hood made from leaves which flipped over his head, partially covering his face and the piercing eyes that lay underneath. A single white feather perched on top of his hood, while his wings were lapped by great brown feathers which spread evenly like an eagle. His lower body consisted of muscular legs complimented by a set of powerful talons, giving the impression of an avian Robin Hood.

"It's over, sonny. No one takes a hit like that from me Lycanroc without falling." Chuck crossed his arms. There was an impatient expression on his face, as if he was bored by the battle.

"We'll see about that." Ash grinned. May recognised that expression, and she chuckled. It was his 'check mate' face.

Soon enough, the persistent owl forced himself off the ground. There were visible battle marks all over his body, but Decidueye wasn't finished yet. "Dueyeee!" Much to the crowd's dismay, he spread his wings like an eagle and unleashed a shrill cry of resilience. Instead of hurting the the owl, it was as if the attack had only fuelled its anger.

Although his eyes were partly concealed behind the hood, they had a certain glint to them which made May shudder. She remembered the stories she heard as a child of Medusa, a monster whose eyes were so unforgiving, so merciless that a single look was sufficient to turn someone into stone. Decidueye was exactly like that.

"What?" Chuck spluttered. "Impossible!" The caped man stared in disbelief as the owl took to the air, heading towards Lycanroc with a fierce expression.

"Never underestimate my Decidueye!" Ash retorted with confidence. "Now, Brave Bird!"

"Deciddd-" The avian, who was already hovering above Lycanroc in an advantageous position, spread his wings and swooped downwards like a hawk on it's prey. His body burst into flames as he soared through the air with terrifying speed, unfazed by the strong currents that continuously beat against his face.

Chuck gritted his teeth. The battle should have been over by now. How was it possible that Decidueye survived the hit? "use Stone Edge!" He commanded.

Lycanroc gave off yet another mighty howl, and plunged his powerful claws into the ground. Jagged pillars of stone began to protrude from the ground, serving as layers of shields against the incoming avian. However, it was already too late.

"-dueyeeee!" Decidueye gave a battle cry before tucking in his wings to produce a streamline shape. The flaming body was replaced by a blue aura which engulfed the owl completely, and plunged towards his target like a fighter jet. By the time Lycanroc's claws made contact with the ground, he found the avian right in front of his face.

A lone pillar managed to erupt from the ground, but Decidueye ripped straight through like it was paper. The rock shattered into a million pieces, and Decidueye hadn't lost any momentum.

May felt bad for Chuck's Lycanroc. He put his paws out for protection, but it proved to be futile as Decidueye crashed into the werewolf without mercy.

The impact was like a comet hitting the earth. The earth shaking collision was followed by a gigantic mushroom of dust which billowed upwards, enveloping the clear sky within seconds. May hung onto a lamp post with all her might, and many others did the same. The shockwave produced howling currents which almost knocked her off balance.

When the dust cleared, Lycanroc was unconscious. The aftermath of the impact left a wolf-sized crater in the ground where he lay, and Decidueye stood over his body in dominance, as if daring anyone to question his authority. His eyes remained cold as stone.

The first reception amongst the audience was complete silence. The residue energy produced by the shockwave crackled with tension, and the distinct smell of smoke hung in the air. The audience witnessed first-hand, what real power looked like. Everyone single spectator felt the force of the collision tingling on their skin, they heard the very sound of concrete slabs crumbling to dust with their ears.

The disbelief gradually lead to acceptance, which grew into approval. The audience erupted in cheers, more than satisfied with the entertainment they were provided with. It was not every day that a battle of such quality was displayed in Malie City. Nevertheless, it was over. The crowd began to disperse as people returned to their jobs and lives, leaving the two trainers alone.

Ash returned his Decidueye to a pokéball in a flash, before turning to Chuck. "That was a good battle, Chuck!" No matter the result, he always treated his opponents with the utmost respect.

"Thanks." Chuck took his loss well. However, he was still surprised at that Decidueye's unbelievable durability. The fleeting image of the merciless owl crashing down in a blue aura still rang in his mind. "That was the most powerful Brave Bird I've ever seen." He admitted.

Ash scratched his head in embarrassment. "Your Lycanroc was pretty strong too. For a second, I thought Decidueye wasn't going to make it." He told the truth, for Decidueye was struck with such force that any average pokémon wouldn't have stood a chance. After all, Chuck was renowned for being the king of Malie street battles. He was on an unbeaten run until today, where Chuck had finally met his match.

"Looks like I've still got a lot more training to do." He petted his Lycanroc, who cooed in pleasure. Despite the terrifying appearance it took on in battle, the werewolf had a hidden soft side as well. Nevertheless, his bloodshot eyes creeped May out. Although Decidueye looked like a murderer, she would rather be around the owl any day.

Ash tucked the pokéball into his pocket. "And so do we. Hey, Chuck." the boy straightened his jacket, before glancing at the older man. "Let's battle again sometime."

The older man's eyes were hidden as he faced downwards. "It would be my pleasure". Chuck took off his hat and saluted the boy. It was his tradition, he saluted every opponent that defeated him in battle. In a way, it was a reminder that there were still a lot of stronger trainers out there, and he must never, ever get complacent. The caped man took a deep breath and turned away, heading towards the opposite direction in town. Underneath the huge hat he wore, there was a smile etched on his face. This kid was truly something else.

May waited anxiously for Chuck to disappear from sight, then she took a deep breath and approached the raven-haired boy.