Stitch & Ai continues the tale of Stitch following the events of Lilo & Stitch, its subsequent films, and TV series, leading into the Stitch! anime. Here, space criminals capture Stitch with plans to use him to create destructive experiments. Escaping, he crash-lands in China's Huangshan mountains, where he meets Ai, a lively girl who fears being separated from her older sister, Jiejie. Stitch pretends to be Ai's "dog" and helps her remain with her family, while Ai aids him in avoiding the criminals. Jumba and Pleakley soon appear, aiming to bring Stitch back to the United Galactic Federation, but Ai and Jiejie convince them to let Stitch stay. Jumba and Pleakley decide to remain, watching over Stitch and assisting him and his new family. However, Jumba worries about a hidden function he installed in Stitch—one that could turn him into a gigantic creature if triggered in a major city, and he fears the criminals might accidentally discover how to activate it.
