One morning at the Pokémon school, before any of the other six students arrived, Lana stuck a map in Mallow's face. It was brown in color, worn at the edges, and depicted an older version of Melemele Island.

"Uh. That's a really cool map you got there Lana..." Mallow slowly said, not quite sure how to respond to object. "Where'd you get it?"

"Ilima gave it to me," Lana explained, lowering the map out of Mallow's face. "He told me about this old book he rented from the library on Ula'Ula island. He said it had something to do with pirates?... Anyways, this map fell out of it. He took note of this little red X that was placed smack dab in the middle of the map, with the word 'treasure' written right over it. He said it looked pretty legitimate to him, but he couldn't investigate due to his duties as a trial captain. So he thought I might be interested in taking a look see, and like I said, he gave it to me."

Lana looked down at the map with curiosity spilling from her eyes, changing its position within her hands so that she could look upon the illustrations of Melemele's geography. Mallow, at first caught in her confusion, began to grow a wild excitement for the possibilities that has arisen.

"You mean... you're going on a treasure hunt? Ohhh! That sounds super fun! Can I come?- No wait! Wait! Can the class come? It'll be like our own little field- no no!" Mallow backtracked repeatedly. Her newest idea made her even more energetically pumped, beginning to practically jump in place.  "We could invite Lillie and Saki, and make it a girls day! Except way better than my last attempt at a girls day, because it'll be all of us! And no random snooty brunettes will ruin it!"

Lana raised an eyebrow, not quite understanding what Mallow meant by "snooty brunettes." However, she put aside her questions and gave the excited girl a bright smile. "You know Mallow, that sounds like a good idea. We could go after school, the four of us. We'll go find ourselves some treasure!"

Unanticipated by Lana, Mallow threw her arms around the petite girl, and lifted her off her feet. Still held in a tight hug, Lana was spun around by the joyful, careless Mallow. "Ah, you're just too amazing Lana! Too amazing! Oh this is going to be so much fun," Mallow cheered. "We'll all remember this forever! This is too awesome!"

Lana begun to feel a little dizzy, as her world spun around. Mallow eventually stopped, gaining enough self-control to place Lana back down onto her two feet. "Sorry bout that. Got carried away," Mallow apologized, before mischievously giggling with an innocent sound.

Lana paused to regain her sense of stability. Except she didn't, as she flopped onto the ground due to her dizziness.

Mallow's smile dropped, as she nervously put her folded hands to her chest. "Oops."

Later, when the school day ended, and the bell rang, Lana waited outside with her treasure map in hand. She observed the map closely, trying to make a good estimate of where the marked treasure would be. It wasn't close to the shore, but it wasn't far from Hau'oli city. Wait, was it possible it was close by the forest? Maybe it was closer to Verdant cavern?

She admittedly wasn't the best at reading maps, especially one with such a little amount of markers. But even though she wasn't impressive in that regard, she could still have an interesting island adventure with the three girls, that she knew.

"There she is! Lana! Lana! Alola to you, once again!"

Lana heard the peppy greeting from a voice belonging to a green girl. Lifting her head, Lana noticed the merry Mallow and a pair of girls following her. Lillie held herself with her arms, a small shy smile etched across her face. Snowy strutted in front of her, as if it were a model making their debut on the runway. Saki wore a grumpy expression, to the surprise of no one, while carrying the content Akemi.

"Alola," Lana simply said as the three approached her. "You girls ready for an adventure like no other?"

"Yeah!" Mallow hollered with enthusiasm.

"Sure," Saki blankly spoke.

"An adventure like no other?" Lillie's head immediately thought of danger, making her feel uneasy. What if they fell into a trap, like a deep, water filled trench where hundreds of hungry feraligatrs resided. "This will be safe, right?"

"Who knows! It's an adventure afterall, Lillie. You never know what to expect!" Lana giggled and snapped her fingers, a joyous air surrounding her.

"Right..." Lillie softly mumbled, Lana's words not putting her worries to rest. Despite this, an inner flame burned within Lillie, one she did not fully understand herself. "Then we'll brave through it! Like true adventurers! Like... like Indiana Jones!"

Lana closed her eyes and placed a finger to her chin, as thoughts began to flood her head. "Hmm... adventurers Indiana Jones."

A rare grin began to glimmer across Saki's face, her atypical playful side beginning to touch sunlight. "Lana. Indiana Lana. That sounds about right to me," she quipped.

"No," Lana replied. She pointed her finger in the air, with a whimsical smirk. "We're not adventurers like Indiana Jones! We're pirates, like Jack Sparrow! Now, come on! Follow Lana Sparrow!"

Lana made a quick hand gesture for the other girls to follow, and set forward for a pirate adventure!

The group of four girls found themselves wandering the streets of Hau'oli city, a place quite familiar to each of them. Lana had taken the lead, her eyes glued onto the map as she continued forward. Her loyal "crew" followed her, wondering if they were going in the right direction.

"Haven't we... already passed by that café? Twice now?" Mallow asked with a hint of hesitation in her speech.

"Dunno," Saki muttered out with a short shrug.

"...Um, guys?" Lillie shakingly pointed a finger forward, directing the group's attention towards a building a short distance away. "I see Party City again. We've definitely been here before."

Lillie's observation caused all four of the girls to stop in their tracks, the sound of their footsteps ceasing. They grasped the situation they were in quickly, realizing the fact they were getting absolutely nowhere.

"Oh joy. Now Lana could drag us inside of that stupid store again," Saki groaned as her eyes rolled.

"Oh Saki, don't be like that," Mallow chastised. "...But, Lana, was that trip to Party City really necessary?"

Lana pulled her face from the map, and looked back at the group with her clear eyes. Her previously neutral mouth curled up into a smile, as she remembered that only twenty minutes ago, she abruptly stopped the treasure hunt for a pit stop at Party City. There she purchased a pirate's hat for herself, and a matching hat for Popplio. They continued to wear them as they continued on their quest, Popplio barking happily with every step it took.

"It was," Lana assured.

Saki leaned forward with suspicion, a single eyebrow raised. "Really now?"

With the same smirk upon her face, Lana nodded her head. "Yes Saki. Really Now."

"..." Saki's eyes narrowed and scanned the girl from top to bottom, as if analysing her. "You're strange, you know that?"

Lana stuck out her tongue, still carrying a cheeky yet gleeful touch. "I know~."

"Besides... Lana's pleasant uniqueness... shouldn't try to stop walking in circles...?" Lillie interjected herself into the converse of Lana and Saki, bringing up an important matter. "At this rate we aren't getting anywhere."

Mallow took a short, cute gasp, and began to clap her hands rapidly. "Excellent job at being direct, shy little Lillie! I'm so proud of you!"

Lillie's cheeks reddened, as she jumped back from the group of girls. "P-Please! Don't embarrass me, Mallow!" she shouted out. "Please! Please, please, please don't!"

Despite the shirll shouts of Lillie piercing straight into her ears, Mallow continued her applause. Saki scratched the back of her head, dumbfounded by the current exchange and the eternity of the day's events. She couldn't help but to wonder what she has managed to get dragged into. Lana, in contrast, simply looked back down at the map as if nothing were happening, trying to figure out where she went wrong.

"Lemme see... I could have sworn we were still on the correct path. Man, I suck at reading this thing," Lana sighed. The three others redirected their attention towards her, not encouraged by their leader's look of defeat.

Mallow extended her hand out to Lana in a friendly gesture. "May I take a look at the map?"

Lana handed the map to Mallow, who immediately began to study the map. Mallow began to nod her head repeatedly, approving her own examination. She proceeded to state the situation with an inexplicable enthusiasm. "We are going directly in the opposite direction!"

Lillie and Saki both turned their head to Lana, who recoiled by placing her hands over her face, avoiding their glares. Mallow nervously chuckled, sympathetic towards Lana's humiliation. To assist the humiliated girl, she made an attempt to shift focus away from the mistake. "Now let's keep moving. We should be heading North, and exit Hau'oli city while continuing North. I believe nearby Hau'oli city's north exit is the Pokémon Center-"

That was all Lana needed to hear. Snatching the map from Mallow's hand, Lana adjusted her pirates hat with a bright gleam of determination. "Alright me mateys! We had some technical difficulties, we had some mishaps. But we still have some treasure to find, and an adventure to have! So, tally-ho!"

Lana began to march forward, once again taking the role as leader. With a touch of reluctance in their minds and conducts, the other three girls shared glances, and followed.

And this scene would be over right now, if not for the fact that the four girls were being stalked. No, no, not by any creepy stalker. Hiding in a bush, their infamous talking cat was looking through its special pair of binoculars. Who else but Team Rocket would be following our protagonist's tails, more than prepared to start some trouble.

"Their movin' again," Meowth reported. "Guys, I really think we should either just jump em' now, or beat it and head home. These girls ain't got a clue what their doing!"

"No way, we've been on their trail for this long, we might as well as see it through!" Jessie was having none of the give-up attitude, being an extremely driven woman.

"Are you sure? I mean we've been at this for a half hour... and I'm kinda in the mood for some food..." James admitted, his hand resting over his growling stomach.

"I'm in the mood for something a little ethnic... maybe some Sushi would tickle our fancy?" Meowth suggested, lowering the binoculars from his face.

"That's not a bad idea," James agreed. "But if you want something Asian, maybe we should go and get ourselves some fresh Takoyaki!"

Meowth perked up at the idea. "Great thinkin', Jimmy! I heard there was a new Japanese restaurant on Akala, maybe they'll have some-"

Getting annoyed with the two's food related discussion, Jessie gave the top of their heads a bonk with her fists. The two winced in a cartoonish fashion, as they both rubbed the top of their heads.

"Ay!" Meowth cried out. "Wat was that for?!" 

"We have a mission to do," Jessie scolded, placing her hands on her hips. "They're going to go find treasure, we're going to follow them, we're gonna take it, and give the riches to the boss, so he'll make us rich! THEN we will eat!"

"I mean... can't we just steal the map from them? Then we could go out to lunch, then find the treasure and then sell it?" James asked to the currently no-nonsense Jessie.

"No we will not! We're going to make them do the work for us! Plus, I don't feel like reading any map," Jessie asserted with an uptight air.

Meowth and James both sighed in defeat, knowing neither of them could argue with her. Shortly after, with stomachs unfilled, the villainous trio continued to follow the treasure hunters in hopes of stealing their prize. 

After Mallow's correction, the group of four managed to exit the esteemed Hau'oli city. With  With Lana still as their captain, although she constantly asked Mallow which direction to take, led them through grassy surroundings. The area they wandered was not a crowded one, almost void of both people and Pokémon. A sereneness resided in the clear atmosphere, which was easy for the girls to appreciate, though not a rarity in the region of Alola.

"Alright," Lana began, speaking with confidence. "If I directed us the right way, then we should be really close to our treasure!"

"Yeah, if you directed us the right way," Saki remarked with an eye roll. Mallow, right at her side, began to shakingly and anxiously grin, being the one who truthfully guided the group.

"Uh... how close do you think we are, Lana?" Lillie questioned. Lana turned her head to glance at Lillie, planning to simply answer her question. Instead, she stopped in her tracks, and whirled her body around to face the blonde girl. Wondering what has caused such a reaction in Lana, Mallow and Saki also turned to Lillie. Their eyes widened, and they became speechless, baffled by the sight they were met with.

"No we will not! We're going to make them do the work for us! Plus, I don't feel like reading any map," Jessie asserted with an uptight air.

Meowth and James both sighed in defeat, knowing neither of them could argue with her. Shortly after, with stomachs unfilled, the villainous trio continued to follow the treasure hunters in hopes of stealing their prize. 

After Mallow's correction, the group of four managed to exit the esteemed Hau'oli city. With  With Lana still as their captain, although she constantly asked Mallow which direction to take, led them through grassy surroundings. The area they wandered was not a crowded one, almost void of both people and Pokémon. A sereneness resided in the clear atmosphere, which was easy for the girls to appreciate, though not a rarity in the region of Alola.

"Alright," Lana began, speaking with confidence. "If I directed us the right way, then we should be really close to our treasure!"

"Yeah, if you directed us the right way," Saki remarked with an eye roll. Mallow, right at her side, began to shakingly and anxiously grin, being the one who truthfully guided the group.

"Uh... how close do you think we are, Lana?" Lillie questioned. Lana turned her head to glance at Lillie, planning to simply answer her question. Instead, she stopped in her tracks, and whirled her body around to face the blonde girl. Wondering what has caused such a reaction in Lana, Mallow and Saki also turned to Lillie. Their eyes widened, and they became speechless, baffled by the sight they were met with.

"What's wrong?" Lillie asked, a drop of sweat rolling down the side of her face. She stood unaware of the strange Pokémon sitting on top of her head, taking a liking to her large white hat.

"I... never seen..." Mallow slowly began to speak through her shock, looking straight into the Pokémon's large green eyes.

"It's not like the others of its kind..." Saki noted.

"I think it's... shiny," Lana spoke. "Lillie, you-"

"Don't just tell her!" Mallow interrupted. "You'll make her panic!"

"You'll make me panic if you don't tell me what's going on!" Lillie exclaimed while flailing her arms, her patience with everyone's vagueness short. Her face grew red and sweaty with an anxious frustration, understandably weary of an unknown issue.

"Well... er. Let me tell you this gently," Mallow began, placing her two palms together in preparation for a slow elaboration. Only for her careful approach to be foiled by a direct approach, courtesy of the other two girls.

Lana and Saki both pointed to the top of Lillie's head, and spoke in sync extremely bluntly. "There's a shiny Pikipek sitting on your hat."

All the color immediately flushed from Lillie's face. Her complexion became pale, whiter than snow. Her eyebrows raised, her pupils dilated, her teeth clenched, she was overwhelmed with a feeling of paranoid shock.

"Get it... off of me. Get it... off of me!" Lillie screeched as she grabbed onto her hat, and flung it away as far as she possibly could. While the hat was in mid-flight, the previously resting shiny Pikipek spread its wing and took flight, avoiding an impact with the ground. It watched as the elegant white hat flew over the heads of the girls' and collapsed onto the dirt. To see something pristine be tainted by the brown dust, it brought a hint of sadness into the Pokémon's eyes. However... there was a perfectly blonde head to sit on. One that had the scent of strawberry shampoo.

Without missing a beat, the Pikipek flew directly towards Lillie, and once again sat on her head. This time, it nestled into her hair, preparing itself for a nap. Lillie felt every little movement, every single moment of contact between herself and the Pokémon. Her vision grew unsteady, her head felt light and weightless. Fearing she would pass out, Mallow grabbed onto Lillie's left shoulder. Saki followed suit, and grabbed Lillie's right shoulder. While the two attempted to keep Lillie steady, Lana approached the nestled and content Pikipek, and extended her hand.

"Come on, little fella. Lillie isn't comfortable with you sitting there. Let's get you off of her," Lana gently directed, slowly nudging her hand closer and closer to the Pokémon.

"Wait! Don't touch it!" Lillie exclaimed.

Lana stopped, and lowered her hand.

Lillie had no idea what came over her in that moment. It was as if her spirit suddenly began to rush back into her veins, reaching every nook and cranny of her body. This inner spirit, it was always present within her, though it often remained suppressed.

Lillie collected herself, taking a deep breath in and releasing a heavy exhale. "Saki. Mallow. Thank you, but you could let go of me now."

The two released their grips, as Lillie straightened her posture with an exaggerated movement. It was like she was performing, displaying her self-assurance. Snowy walked to her feet with its small face scrunched up in worry, the rim of her hat in its mouth. Lillie smiled to both show her gratitude and her collectiveness. She bent down carefully to retrieve the hat,  making sure not to disturb the Pikipek beginning to drift into slumber atop her head.

"If Pikipek wants to sit on my head, that's fine. It's a shiny, right? With those pink feathers and green eyes, it has to be. Maybe it'll bring us luck on this treasure hunt," Lillie spoke with a relaxed tone. It were as if she transformed in an instant, from a girl who grew weary at the very touch of a Pikipek to a girl who was perfectly happy to let one rest in her hair. "Hmm... but what to do with this hat? I think I know."

With little warning, Lillie plopped her large hat onto Saki's head. Saki's face immediately reddened, flustered, as she took a step back and placed her fingers on the hat's rim. Lillie folded her hands, avoiding eye contact. "Sorry, Saki. I just had a thought in my head that... my hat would look quite nice on you," she murmured.

"Uh...uh..." Saki grew more and more flustered, her grip on the hat's rim tightening. The two unsettled girls stood facing each other with an awkward silence, until Mallow butted right into the middle of it.

"Ah! Lillie! You're becoming so brave! I'm so proud of you, I could cry! I could cry an entire river! Oh, and you Saki! You do look nice in that adorable hat! Lillie has quite the fashion sense, don't you think?" Mallow excitedly rambled, a sunny smile shining across her face. She wrapped her arms around both Saki and Lillie, cheerfully laughing.

Observing her friends, Lana smirked and adjusted the her pirate hat. "Ah yes, Lana Sparrow has a mighty fine crew."

Soon after the Shiny Pikipek joined the girls' adventure, the captain and her crew marched on forward. The grassy stretch of land continued, nothing peculiar standing out. Eventually, the group's walking came to a halt, as Lana and Mallow both studied the map.

"According to this map, we should be right where the treasure is," Mallow stated. She took glances at the surrounding area. "I guess this is the part where we start digging?"

"Precisely!" Lana declared. A bright aura surrounded her as she gleefully hopped with anticipation. With her free hand, she pumped a fist into the air. "We'll try and dig up a treasure chest!"

"With our bare hands, apparently," Saki inputted.

Lana's glee fell apart hearing that statement. Her expression went completely blank, as she slowly lowered her energetic fist. "I completely overlooked... the possible need of a shovel."

The faces of Saki and Mallow also fell flat, wordlessly staring at the blank Lana. Lillie on the other hand, she wouldn't let the still silent sit. She grabbed onto Lana's arm and tugged at it. She began to fretfully babble. "Lana! How could you forget such a thing! How could we have all forgotten such a thing! A shovel! A shovel! Now what are we going to do?! Lana, we've failed the treasure hunt!"

"Lillie, calm down! Lillie please calm down!" Lana begged, pulling her arm away from the panicked girl. The previously napping Pikipek, still placed on top of Lillie's blonde hair, raised its head due to the sounds of the uproar. In the corner of its vision, it caught sight of a peculiar structure the girls have yet to notice. Spreading open its wings, the small bird Pokémon flew off in the structure's direction, catching Lillie by surprise.

"No! Wait, please!" Lillie called out. Twisting around, she chased after the bird without a second of thought. It took a moment of registration for the other three girls to finally realize their need to react. Ceasing their bystanding, Lana, Mallow, and Saki begun to run after Lillie.

The bird eventually noticed the fact it was being chased, and stopped. As an immediate effect, Lillie stopped. Then Lana, Mallow, and Saki stopped. As Pikipek joyfully returned to Lillie and perched on her finger, the girls stood in awe. They looked above at the structure they've found themselves standing right in front of, carrying an ancient look. The building almost had the appearance of a petite church, only with no maintenance, and constructed purely out of a bronze colored stone.

Lana rolled up the map, and jammed it into her waistband. Puffing out her chest, and adjusting her pirate hate, she made an announcement. "There it must be!" She exclaimed, pointing at the odd building. "Our treasure lie here, bizarre as it may be! Let's head inside me mateys!"

Not waiting for a proper response or agreement, Lana headed straight into the structure. Lillie went to follow her captain inside, until Mallow grabbed her shoulder.

"Now you're letting it sit on your finger? My, my! Lillie, you two are becoming such fast friends!" Mallow beamed, really excited by the growth Lillie displayed.

But Lillie was still Lillie, as she lowered her shoulders in an attempt to shrink. She avoided Mallow's gaze. "Well... I suppose. It is... rather cute," Lillie admitted with a squeak in her voice.

"Are you guys coming or what?" Saki's voice cut through their exchange, slightly agitated on their slow pace. Lillie smiled a crooked smile, a forced chuckle coming from her throat. Mallow simply scratched at her cheek. Saki exhaled, annoyance leaving her body. With a shake of her head, she said, "I doubt there's even any treasure in there. But I guess we're looking anyways."

Saki turned her back to the two, and headed inside. Not wanting to be left out, Mallow and Lillie both rushed after her. The inside of the building was for the most part, empty. There was a single pedestal in the center of the room, the rest of the area occupied by empty space. Detailed, intricate carvings were all over the stone walls, which was something that particularly stood out. The carvings depicted absurd and strange creatures, including what appeared to be little balls of cosmic fluff, a ginormous monstrous cat-like creature, and a large winged bat that stood besides the moon. Alongside the odd, there was the familiar. Carvings of the four Tapus were also present, floating over commonly found Pokémon. There was an unspoken amazement floating between Mallow, Lillie, and Saki. Their breaths were ripped away by their outstandingly curious surroundings.

"Who ever carved all this... must have been an amazing artist," Mallow noted.

"I can't help but to think of its purpose," Lillie pondered. "These carvings. This building. What's the purpose?"

"To me, it kinda looks like a temple of some sort," Saki stated. "But I'm not sure what exactly the temple is for..."

"Nevermind that, girls!" Lana seemed rather unfazed by the unique location, as she held up an intriguing stone. In the light that flooded through the temple's entrance, the stone sparkled brightly. "Think this might be treasure?"

"Maybe not the exact treasure planted on the map, but that's definitely a treasure alright!" Mallow stepped to Lana's side, peeping over her shoulder with interest. "Is so pretty, the way it sparkles!"

"If I'm not mistaken..." Lillie spoke, approaching Lana with her eyes focused on the peculiar stone. "That looks like... the type of stone used to make Z-rings."

Mallow let out a short gasp, clasping her hands over her mouth in disbelief. A bright glimmer of joy began to shine in her green eyes, leaning closer to Lana's discovery. "Oh, Lana! You found yourself a real pretty stone, a pretty powerful stone! You could get yourself a Z-ring!"

Lana kept her head down, staring at the stone. She saw a reflection on its shining surface, her critical eyes looking back at her. "Why... why should I have it? I'm no battler."

The memory of Popplio being struck with a Stone Edge replayed in her mind, making her stomach twist. She was so self-assured that day, as she usually was. She stood up, back straight, and commanded Popplio to attack Team Rocket. And then she got Popplio hurt. She got Popplio hurt.

"So?" Saki asked.

"You're the one who found it," Mallow mentioned.

"And you're our captain," Lillie added.

Cutting through her bitter remembrance were the voices of her friend. There was a sweet ring in their words, bringing her a feeling of ease as she lifted her head. Her grip on the stone tightened, still not convinced completely.

"Are you sure none of you want it?" Lana questioned, a rare sound of vulnerability in her voice. "Mallow? Lillie? Saki, I'm sure you could use a spare."

"Oh no no no," Mallow dismissed. "Like I said, you're the one who found it."

"And it wouldn't hurt to have Z-ring hanging around if you ever do chose to become a battler," Saki suggested.

"Besides," Lillie began, noting a happy little seal at the side of the girl of aquamarine. "Popplio seems to really like the idea of you keeping the stone."

Lana's head pivoted to observe her Pokémon, who clapped its flippers. Popplio's large eyes sparkled with excitement, smiling at the uncertain girl. It placed a feeling of security within Lana, seeing the blue seal so cheerful.

Lana begun to smile herself, and looked to her friends. "Alrighty! Captain Lana Sparrow will keep her treasure!" She threw the hand that held the stone in the air, a display of the group's success. "Victory!"

Mallow shot her hand into the air as well, grinning widely. "Victory!"

Lillie didn't move a muscle, not wanting to startle the Pikipek that remained perched on her finger. "V... Victory."

Saki pulled at the rim of Lillie's hat, causing a light shadow to be cast over her face. "Victory or whatever."

"You know, Saki. You could give back the hat if you'd like... the Pikipek isn't on my head anymore," Lillie expressed.

Saki turned her back to Lillie, her grip on the hat's rim tightening. "No," she uttered. "I like the hat. It makes me feel nice..."

The three girls all glanced at Saki, causing the girl to desperately attempt to hide her reddened face.

Soon after the discovery of the sparkling stone, the girls left the temple with a triumphant feeling. Just like previously, Lana walked in the front. This time, instead of having her eyes locked on the map, she held Popplio in her arms. She had a skip in her step, lying her chin on her Pokémon's head, satisfied with the day's events.

The other girls were not far behind, chatting amongst themselves as they strolled. Snowy, Akemi, and Bounsweet playfully hopped around their trainers, in quite the cheerful mood. The Pikipek now sat on Lillie's shoulder, as if it were a parrot.

The air was sweet and clean, the moment was utterly pristine and perfect. Figures it would be ruined by an unanticipated, nasty surprise.

"Hey guys..." Lillie squeaked. "Is it me or is that bush... shaking quite a bit?"

Lillie pointed her finger to a bush a short distance away, which shook violently. Before the four girls' eyes, Meowth sporadically tumbled out of the bush and fell on his rear. "Ay!" Meowth fumed. "Lemme back in there! James! Stop hoggin' up all the space!"

Meowth hopped back onto the bush, and struggled to fit back within its leafy coverage. The grunts of all three Team Rocket members were audible as they tussled for space.

"That doesn't mean you get to take all of my space, Meowth!" James retorted.

"Would you two pipe down?! They're going to hear us!" Jessie snapped.

"Wobba wobba!" Wobbuffet's wobbled its way out of the bush, avoiding the conflict altogether.

The four girls stood as they watched the intriguing scene, different expressions of disgust, surprise, and annoyance on their faces. Lillie harbored an uncertainty, as she observed the dirt trail they could use to dash away. "Ma...maybe we should just... well... leave? While their occupied?"

"Not a bad idea-" Lana started to say.

"Oh wait. Idiots! They've already noticed!" Jessie bellowed while shoving both James and Meowth out of the bush. She stood up herself, brushing off the bushes leaves with a burning vexation. She mumbled, "Well, so much for the element of surprise."

James and Meowth slowly got up, and attempted to prepare themselves for combat. Jessie stepped from the bush, and the trio stood side by stood before the four girls. Each member of the trio, as well as Wobbuffet, had camouflage paint on their faces and a bushy leaf covered hat on their heads. They all looked as if they signed up for camouflage lessons from the military.

"Oh wow, isn't this just perfect. The circus came to town," Saki grumbled with her arms crossed, unamused.

"Oh you  go and flap that big mouth of yours, you little brat!" Jessie snarked, already firey in her demeanor. "I'll go ahead and aim another shadow ball at you, then we'll see who gets to smack talk! And you know what? Maybe I should!-"

Before Jessie could say another word, James stepped in front of her to maintain a control of the situation. "We don't ask for much, we just ask for your Pokémon and your treasure!"

Lana held Popplio closer to her chest, feeling weak and powerless. She couldn't do a thing, she thought, she couldn't do a single thing. As much as it pained her to put her fate in the hands of others, she had no other choice. She hated this, she despised this, she wanted this sensation to end.

Mallow grabbed ahold of Bounsweet, and held it away from the three crooks. "We'll never let you take our Pokémon! And the treasure belongs to Lana!"

Saki, with no patience for the team's attempt at thievery, and already bearing massive contempt, bared her teeth with a grunt. "Just buzz off. Hide all your ugly faces in those bushes. Especially you, pink head. I suggest you use more makeup next time, your face is still unbearable."

Like he was no more than a paper towel, Jessie shoved James out of her way, angered to the point of seeing red. "I will NOT take that from someone who looks like she climbed out of the gutter!" She shouted. "You think throwing on that big hat helps you any? I feel pity for that hat, having to be worn by you! An embarrassment!"

James, still on the ground, began to sweat already witnessing an escalation. He turned to Meowth, and sighed. "I have a bad feeling about this..."

"No kidding. We should have just gotten lunch," Meowth agreed.

Meanwhile, Lillie slowly backed away from the fuming Saki, as did Lana and Mallow. "I'm the embarrassment? Look at yourself! You can't steal a cookie from a cookie jar, and here you are trying to steal shit? You're pathetic!" Saki spat.

"Oh ho ho! I would have stolen your Mimikyu if it wasn't for the other twerps! You just won't learn your lesson will you? That I'm leagues, and leagues, and leagues above you! Looks like I'll have to teach you again! Mimikyu!" Jessie called out.

Jessie sent her Mimikyu, a creature both unsettled and unsettling, the absolute opposite to the timid but sweet Akemi. Before there was a chance for the girls to react, Jessie called out an attack. "Shadow Ball!"
The attack launching towards them at a high speed, the four girls and their Pokémon barley avoiding taking a blow. The attack ended up hitting a nearby tree, leaving a black mark on its bark. Previously composed, Pikipek grew panicked due to the sudden attack and the booming sound of its impact with the tree. Spreading its wings wide, the bird took off into the air, not looking back as it soared far into the sky. Lillie's body twisted around to watch it fly away, turning into a small moving spect in the skyline as it grew more distant.

"No! Wait! Please... come back!" Lillie cried out. She extended her hand out, but there was nothing to grasp. There was no way to bring the special bird Pokémon back, no way to ask it to sit on her shoulder once again. Her eyes grew wide, and the water welling in her eyes glimmered in the sunlight. "Please... please."

Lillie lowered her hand in defeat, her eyes locked with the grass below her. Lana placed a hand on her back, offering as much comfort as she could possibly give. The touch making her aware of the presence of support, Lillie wrapped Lana in her arms and gripped her tightly. She leaned her cheek against Lana's shoulder, almost nuzzling into her for consolation.

Mallow stood overtaken by sadness and empathy, while Saki began to tighten her fists to the point where her short fingernails left imprints on her skin. The three Team Rocket members had disappointment written on their faces.

"Too bad," James mumbled. "That Pikipek looked rather rare."

"Whatever!" Jessie retorted, to engulfed in her rage to feel downhearted. "We'll still steal their treasure and get rich! After I make sure this brat knows what she's up against!"

"You selfish, horrible, dirty, no good bitch! Apologize to Lillie, this instant! Not that it would matter much, coming from your filthy mouth!" Saki hissed, a vein popping out on her forehead.

"Okay, you just crossed multiple lines!" Jessie screamed, so enraged she was practically breathing fire. "But those words are meaningless coming from you! Since you lower than a Trubbish. Actually, you know what, someone needs to take out the trash! You've been left out too long, infecting the world with your filth and germs!"

"...What are you calling me?" Saki growled with a low, threatening voice.

"Do I need to spell it out? Are you that braindead? I guess you are! You're trash," Jessie taunted, using a dismissive hand wave as if the girl were nothing.

And that. That flipped a switch within Saki. She began to slowly walk forward, step after step, as she rolled up her sleeves. "You wanna go? Let's flipping go."

Jessie caught onto Saki's intent, but didn't back down. She began to slowly pace forward as well, ripping off her gloves and dropping them onto the ground. "Fine then. Let's freakin go."

The two were more than ready to get into a fight, but they did not account for their friend's interference. Mallow immediately grabbed Saki around the waist, holding her back with all her strength. James jumped up and grabbed Jessie in a nelson hold, barley strong enough to hold back the furious woman.

Meanwhile, while they were being held back, Saki and Jessie continued to shout at each other.

"By the way, pink head! You're the one who's braindead! All the hairspray you used has killed your brain cells!" Saki shouted

"It's Jessie! My name is Jessie! Have some respect for the grownups, will ya?!" Jessie roared.

"You're as grown up as a troll on the internet, Pink head!" Saki retorted.

"Well at least I don't go 'round challenging people to fights!... And it's Jessie!" Jessie retorted.

"Yeah, I'm taking my advice from Pink head, the thief and gang member!" Saki snapped back.

While the two continued to argue, Mallow fought to maintain her hold, as Saki struggled vigorously against her friend's hold. Mallow looked back at Lana and Lillie with desperation. "A little help?"

The two girls hopped into action. Lillie, putting aside her sadness, had herself collapse to the ground and grabbed Saki's ankle. Lana latched onto Saki's arm, stabilizing the three's hold of the girl. Meanwhile, James had only a small talking cat to aid him. As he continued to face difficulties, Meowth wrapped himself onto Jessie's leg.

"I don't know if we can keep ahold of her for much longer..." Meowth stammered as he tried to reach into his inner feline power, and failed.

"You're telling me! I feel like my arms are gonna fall off!" James whined.

"It's gonna take a miracle to stop Jessie from gettin' herself either beaten to a pulp, or murdering someone or something," Meowth commented.

It was at that moment, from seemingly out of absolutely nowhere, Bewear practically fell from the sky and scored a perfect landing right behind Team Rocket. The ground shook as it stumpy legs made contact with the ground.

"...A miracle, or Bewear," James added.
Scooping Jessie, James, Meowth, Wobbuffet, Mimikyu, and Jessie's gloves in its strong arms, the Bewear took off. Jessie argued against Bewear's timing, but Meowth and James were extremely grateful.

There was a partial relief among the girls. Lillie sat down on the ground, and looked up to the sky. Mallow sat beside her, offered some kind words as Lillie thought about the Pikipek. Saki offered a rare apology to the girl after calming down, feeling partially responsible for the Pikipek's decision to flee. Lillie shook her head to the apology, putting none of the blame on Saki, and solely blaming Team Rocket's interference. It would be a lie to say Saki wasn't extremely grateful for this.

Lana stood away from the other girls, looking at her reflection in the sparkling stone. She got lucky. They all got lucky. Bewear did the job for them, not that there was any chance for her to redeem herself anyway. She hated the feeling of defenselessness, against Team Rocket, against anyone. In her head, she ran a simulation where she was able to prove herself to those crooks. She imagined herself claiming victory, feeling proud and light.

But that's not realistic, now is it?