Aoi Hyoudou: What's up, everyone! Like I stated in the previous chapter, the original trio of Jessie, James, and Meowth will be returning along with the debut of one of Ash's Elites. Read towards the end to find out which Elite I selected to make an early appearance. Also, yes Looker and Anabel will have an important role in the story. You will find out about it in the next few chapters. I also want to mention that Ash will be using his "trump card" to take care of Giovanni. However, its identity will be kept a secret throughout the story until its official reveal. Go on and guess which Legendary Ash currently has at his disposal. A small hint, it's greatly linked to him in recent memories of the Pokémon series. Anyway, like I always say in each chapter, expect twists and turns! Without further ado, enjoy! Please don't forget to drop a review afterward. It's much appreciated and NO TROLLING!
Chapter V
End of Team Rocket?!
~(...)~
Viridian City - Kanto region
At the headquarters of the infamous Team Rocket in Viridian City, which was also the current Viridian City Gym for Pokémon Trainers to earn the Earth Badge, a familiar man in a black formal suit was in his office and on his office phone, speaking with an undisclosed associate about important matters. "Yes...yes...Excellent to hear," he said with a smug smirk on his face and an evil chuckle while petting his Persian affectionately next to his side.
Unbeknownst to Giovanni, a Gengar was listening in on his private conversation silently through the floor with its piercing red eyes glaring at the back of his head.
"Then we agree?" Giovanni asked his associate. The voice on the other line uttered something, which satisfied the Team Rocket leader greatly. "Very well, in the next few weeks we'll gather together and establish a new group under my rule as Team Rainbow Rocket!" he stated smugly. The voice grumbled about the horrible team name. "What do you mean it's a stupid name? It's my organization, my rules!" he growled threateningly, which resulted in a defeated sigh from the other end. "Regardless of the name, we will locate all the Ultra Beasts and then use them as our bargaining chip in conquering not only this world but Ultra Space!" The associate agreed with his master plan. "Gather all the necessary pieces and we will meet up soon." After that, the line connection ended and Giovanni hanged up his phone.
Gengar sank back into the floor and disappeared, reporting back to its trainer.
Giovanni intertwined his fingers together and rested his chin on top with an arrogant smirked curling up against his lips. His plan was foolproof. Nothing could possibly go wrong. "Soon the secrets to the Ultra Space and all its Ultra Beasts will belong to me." he chuckled darkly.
Suddenly, his office door was burst wide open and a frown replaced his smug expression when he noticed his lovely secretary Matori entering his office unannounced. She stopped in front of his desk and she was now on her knees, trying to catch her breath. "What is it, Matori?" he asked annoyed. "Can't you see I was in the middle of something?"
"S-Sorry, sir!" Matori recovered her dignity and apologized. "But, we have an emergency!" she nearly shouted.
Giovanni cocked an eyebrow, wondering what was making his secretary so nervous. "Out with it, Matori!" he demanded.
"It's, it's..." She staggered with her words momentarily until she finally reported the problem. "It's Black Raven! He's here, sir!" Giovanni's eyes widened by the sudden news.
"What!" He stood up, knocking over his chair and startling his Persian. He frantically glanced around his desk for his special remote. When his eyes found it, he quickly seized it and clicked a button, which resulted in the ceiling unexpectedly lowering down a TV monitor and the screen suddenly displayed an image just outside the Viridian City Gym.
The notorious Black Raven was coolly walking up to the building's main entrance, provoking a big concern on Giovanni's face. A single droplet of cold sweat flowed down from his troubled face. 'To think that wrenched witch would send him to do her bidding!' His eyes were piercing at the screen while curling his hands into fists and grasping them tightly.
Matori noticed her boss was feeling a bit nervous. "Sir?"
Giovanni diverted his gaze away from the monitor and fixed his attention on his assistant. "Matori, go fetch Jessie, James, and Meowth and instruct them to handle our unwelcomed guest," he ordered.
"Wait, what?!" The woman was taken aback by the sudden order. "But sir, why those three?!" she questioned with a frown. "You know you can't rely on them for..."
"That's an order, Matori!" Her boss angrily interrupted, alarming her by surprise with an icy glare. "If they still want to prove their usefulness to me, they will handle this problem right now!" He was done with complaints. "Now go!"
"R-R-Right away, sir!" Matori squeaked and then rushed out the room in a hurry, to carry out her direct orders.
Giovanni reverted his attention to the screen and glared at the young apprentice. 'To think, she's finally making her move...'
~(...)~
Ash was halfway towards the gym when his Gengar abruptly appeared in his sights, prompting him to stop into a brief halt. "Is he there?" he asked, which he received a firm nod from his Pokémon. "Figures he would be." he chuckled in amusement. "Make sure he doesn't try to escape." Gengar nodded again and then disappeared, carrying out its orders.
The young apprentice resumed his focus and walked up to the entrance where a familiar sight piqued his interest. Two familiar, tall, and muscular men in gladiator outfits were guarding the entrance with halberds in hand. "Well, isn't this a sorry excuse of a sight for sore eyes," he jeered as he approached the two meatheads and stopped in front of them.
They were the same idiots who denied him access to the gym for his eighth badge several years back. To think, they were still working as cosplay guards after all those years. It was quite amusing.
"Beat it, kid!" growled the guard on the right, glowering at the smug apprentice.
"No badges, no access!" said the guard on the left. "We will force you to leave if you refuse, stupid brat!" he threatened.
A small chuckle escaped from Ash's lips, which drew both men's attention. "Silly idiots, I'm not here for badges! Those days are behind me now!" he spat venomously, his body suddenly emitting a light blue glow that startled both men. "I'm here for your boss! So...how about you imbeciles let me through and I'll make it quick, hmm?" They took a step back from the teen but held their ground with cold sweat drenching their faces. "...Or else, I won't go easy on you," He gave them a friendly warning.
"Cocky little punk!" the right guard hissed while gripping his halberd tightly.
"We warned you earlier, brat!" the left guard growled, also grasping his halberd firmly while feeling nervous. "If you don't leave, we will force you!" A smug smirk tugged against the teen's lips.
"Hard way, it is then." His now light blue eyes gleamed dangerously behind his goggles.
BOOM!
"Aaahhh!"Suddenly, the two screaming guards flew inside, covering in scars landed on their backs several feet from the once main entrance. A chuckling Black Raven coolly walked through the massive hole he created as he slowly advanced towards the two guards with the mysterious blue aura around him vanishing in thin air. One of the guards attempted to push himself up, but then Ash firmly planted his foot against the man's chest, forcing him back down. Then the young apprentice planted his foot against the guard's cheek and began rubbing it forcefully, receiving an agony cry from the man.
"Yes...scream like the pathetic weakling you are. It pleases me greatly!" Ash had a sadistic grin curling up to his lips as he applied the pressure with little more force. The guard's bloody scream echoed, which was beautiful music to the teen's ears. Soon Ash removed his foot and then delivered a swift, powerful kick to the guard's face. The guard was sent flying across the room and into the wall, leaving only half his body twitching afterward.
The other guard gasped in horror with beads of cold sweat rolling down his nervous face.
"It's your turn~!" The man flinched as he slowly glanced upward to see a sadistic Black Raven grinning at him.
The frightened guard attempted to crawl away, but Ash prevented him from escaping by jumping onto his back and locking his arm around the man's throat, executing a rear-naked chokehold. The choking man tried to pry Ash's arms off of him, but the teen reeled backward, putting more bodyweight on the man's spine. His choking echoed until it eventually became silent. The man's eyes rolled back into his head, losing consciousness.
Ash finally released his hold as the guard's lifeless body went limp and fell forward with a loud thud. Foaming liquid was flooding out from the man's mouth, strongly implying that he was completely out. Ash stood up and glared at his fallen victim with a satisfied smirk against his lips. "That's payback for not allowing me inside the gym several years ago," he said with an amusing chuckle.
Ash diverted his attention away from the unconscious guard and resumed with his main objective. He casually walked up to the center of the gym when all the lights abruptly went out, shrouding him in complete darkness. "Ciel!" the young apprentice barked.
"I detect three lifeforms up ahead, Master!" the AI informed, which led to evil laughter echoing in the darkness.
The laughter sounded familiar to Ash. 'Great...not those losers.' He mentally groaned.
Several spotlights would soon flash towards the top balcony where two familiar humans and one talking cat were standing proudly in a group pose. They were Jessie, James, and Meowth! Proud members of the infamous Team Rocket and they hadn't changed much these past four years.
"Prepare for trouble!" Jessie began the team's original motto, which instantly gained a loud groan from the young apprentice.
'Not this sh-'
"Make it double!" James said his line next.
"To protect-"
"Would you idiots just shut up with that stupid motto already!" Ash harshly interrupted with an exasperated growl.
A vein immediately formed within Jessie's forehead. "Stupid?!" she growled. "I'll show you what's STUPID!" She attempted to lash out at the ignorant intruder, but she was quickly retrained by her partner-in-crime.
"Calm down, Jessie!" James told his longtime colleague while striving to hold her back. "Don't let that little punk get to you!"
"Yes, listen to Mr. Bottlecap Collector. That's all he's good for!" the young apprentice spat.
"Hey!" A vein surfaced on the blue-haired man's forehead, releasing his hold on Jessie and now fixing a sharp glare at the ignorant teen. "At least I understand their beauty and value unlike a nobody like YOU!" he snarled.
"Who needs to calm down now..." A sweatdrop formed in the back of Meowth's head. "You two need to stay focus. Da Boss gave us the chance to take out this twerp!" the talking cat Pokémon reminded his friends.
"At least the big mouth has a brain unlike you two." Ash taunted again, which resulted in an immediate reaction.
"Bigmouth?! Who are you calling a bigmouth, BIGMOUTH?!" Meowth hissed angrily.
Ash amusingly witnessed all three members yelling and fuming at him simultaneously with a small smile. 'Those three haven't changed one bit.'
The trio got caught up with the heated moment that they were unaware they were leaning over the balcony railing, allowing a certain blue blob to capitalize on the opportunity to make its presence known. Wobbuffet abruptly appeared behind the trio and leaned over them, causing all four to tumble down into the floor below, groaning in pain.
'Still clowns, I see...' Ash had a deadpanned expression on his face behind his goggles.
"Why...show up now?" Jessie asked her Pokémon with a groan, only to receive its typical annoying cry in return.
"All right, you clowns!" Ash spoke up as he stepped forward, drawing the group's attention once more as they quickly regained their composure and glared at him. "I have wasted enough of my time with this little reunion already." Team Rocket blinked in confusion.
"Reunion?" Jessie and James said in unison.
"What are you talking about, bud?" Meowth asked. "If I recalled this is the first time we had ever met you." Ash bit his lower lip in frustration. He couldn't believe he let that slip. Regardless, his secret wasn't going to be a secret forever, so might as well drop the charade.
A small chuckle escaped his lips, which didn't go unnoticed.
"Hey, what's so funny?" Jessie growled.
"After all these years, I thought you would've figured it out by now."
"Figure what out?!" Jessie's patience was growing thin with the young apprentice. She couldn't figure out what the teen was trying to say.
"I guess without Pikachu around, you idiots are clueless!" Team Rocket's ears immediately perked up when Pikachu was mentioned.
"Wait..." Jessie's eyes became wide when the realization finally soaked in.
"Don't tell us..." James whispered in utter shock.
"You're..." Meowth couldn't finish his sentence when Ash's lips curled into a wide grin as he slowly lifted his goggles from his face and revealed his true identity.
"...the twerp?!" Team Rocket shouted in unison, completely taken aback by the surprise. Even Wobbuffet was left speechless.
"To think, the twerp has gone rogue!" Meowth said in awe, still stunned by the reveal.
"Does the other twerps know about this?" James wondered aloud.
"I hate to admit this, but...the twerp has grown a bit handsome." James and Meowth gave Jessie an odd look. "A-Anyway, it doesn't change a thing!" She quickly changed the subject before things got a little weird for everyone's liking. "The Boss has instructed us to get rid of you and that's what we're going to do!"
"That's right!" James agreed with a laugh. "Big twerp or little twerp, if you want the Boss, you will have to get past us first!" He grinned like an idiot. "And we assure you it won't be easy!"
"I wonder if da Boss will give us all bonuses after this?" Meowth was already picturing them relaxing at the beach for the rest of their lives with a stupid grin on his face.
"Glad that we're all in an agreement here." Ash ruined Meowth's fantasy by speaking up, regaining the trio's attention. "I was getting bored of this chit-chat nonsense. Hurry it up and call your Pokémon already so I can put this all behind me and find your boss!"
"Is it just me or does the twerp sound a bit cold than before?" James whispered to his teammates, showing a bit of concern for his longtime enemy.
"Who cares, James!" Jessie spat venomously. "It's not our problem the twerp went emo and joined that no good lame Pokémon Hunter J! As soon as we beat him, the Boss can finally appreciate us!"
"R-Right!" James shrugged off all his concerns for Ash and returned his focus to the main objective.
"Okay then, it's showtime!" Jessie snapped her fingers.
Suddenly, a familiar Rocket Prize Master crashed through the roof and landed behind the group. Meowth was turned upside as his charm was inserted into the slot, allowing Jessie to turn the crank. The mecha dispensed two purple Poké Balls, which Jessie reached for one and tossed the ball into the air.
Emerging out from the Rocket Ball was a...Magmar! "Ooh~! Finally, something good!" She looked pleased.
"All right, looks like it's my turn now!" James reached for his Poké Ball and tossed it. Emerging out from his Rocket Ball was a...Dewpider! "Um, it's...cute, at least," he said weakly in a disappointing tone of voice.
A small chuckle escaped from Ash's lips. "In that case, my Pokémon will be..." His Gengar slowly resurfaced from the floor and appeared in his sights. "Gengar!" The Ghost Pokémon fixed its sharp gaze at its opponents.
"It doesn't matter what Pokémon you use, twerp!" Jessie retorted. "Now, Magmar! Flamethrower!" she barked her order.
Magmar obeyed and released an orange-yellow stream of fire from its mouth at Gengar.
"Now, Dewpider! Bubble Beam if you may!" James gave his order.
Dewpider's bubble-like head emitted a light-blue glow and then fired multiple rapid bubbles from it at Gengar.
A smug smirk curled up against the young apprentice's lips. "Pathetic. Gengar, show them what real power is! Night Shade!" he ordered.
Gengar's red eyes fired a pair of black beams, which were outlined in purple directly at the opposing attacks. They instantly obliterated the Flamethrower and the Bubble Beam like they were nothing. Team Rocket and their Pokémon were in complete shock by the overwhelming power of Gengar's Night Shade. The black beams would then make contact with Magmar and Dewpider and then push them back towards Team Rocket.
"Now finish them both off with Shadow Ball!" Ash gave his final order.
Gengar pushed its foot off the ground and then launched itself into the air, lifting both its hands up high. It channeled its energy and then created two massive purple and black balls of energy with purple static swirling around them. Gengar proceeded to fire the first Shadow Ball and then the second one soon after at Magmar and Dewpider. Team Rocket's Pokémon could only watch in utter shock as the massive spheres were speeding towards them and then...
BOOM!
BOOM!
The combined force swallowed both Pokémon and sent them crashing into Team Rocket in a world of hurt. The two Shadow Balls left behind massive craters as Gengar floated down and stood before its trainer, admiring its handiwork. "Good work, Gengar! Return!" Ash recalled his Pokémon back to its Poké Ball for a well-deserved rest. He fixed his gaze to Team Rocket who was still groaning in pain with their defeated Pokémon still lying on top of them. "Now, for that boss of yours!"
"Look no further!" a familiar voice responded with footsteps echoing up above in the balcony, which diverted Ash's attention away from Team Rocket towards his new target who was standing in the balcony. "I'm right here," Giovanni said with a chuckle, glaring down at the familiar teen whom he had met several years ago.
The long-awaited face-off was here!
~(...)~
The Pokémon School - Melemele Island
Everyone was speechless.
They weren't sure if their eyes were deceiving them, but Lillie and Gladion were back in Alola. The last time they heard from the siblings was several months ago when Lillie sent a letter, notifying them that they went on their journey to seek clues, in hopes of locating Ash's whereabouts. So, what brings them back here now?
"Lillie!" Mallow and Lana raced over to their friend and hugged her.
"It hasn't been that long, has it?" Lillie joked with a giggle, embracing both her friends in return.
"What are you doing here?" Mallow finally pulled away and asked curiously. "Thought you were still on your journey with Gladion looking for Ash?"
"You must have found something if you're back here." Lana guessed, which resulted in Lillie giggling again.
"Um, not exactly," she said honestly, gaining confused stares from Mallow and Lana. "We heard the news that someone might have a lead on Ash so we rushed over here." She diverted her gaze away from her friends and focused her eyes on Goh. "And so, here we are." She smiled.
"You can thank Professor Kukui for that," Gladion finally spoke, drawing the girls' attention in his direction. He pays no heed to their stares as he was fixing his gaze onto Ash's recent traveling companion just like his sister. "Goh here is our best bet in finding Ash." He made a bold claim, which surprised everyone including Goh.
"I am?" The young teen blinked, which amused Gladion.
"Didn't you say you had the utmost faith that Ash was still alive somewhere?" he asked. "Don't tell us you're starting to have second thoughts?" Goh made a face.
"No, I meant it! I know Ash is alive!" A smirk tugged against Gladion's lips, looking somewhat satisfied with the answer.
"Then that's good enough for all of us because Lillie and I also believe Ash is-"
"Hey!" Kiawe abruptly raised his voice and cut Gladion off, drawing all eyes back to him. "Have you all forgot that we're still in the middle of a battle?" His eyes drifted towards Lillie and Gladion. "Why did you interfere?!" he demanded with an angry hiss.
"Because you were acting like a big idiot," Gladion said with a dejected sigh.
"What was that?!" the Kahuna growled.
Lillie had a frown plastered on her face. 'So it's true what Mallow and Lana have told me. Kiawe's still blaming Goh.' She walked past Mallow and Lana, which didn't go unnoticed.
"Lillie?" Mallow looked baffled as she watched her friend walking towards Kiawe.
Kiawe took notice of Lillie and greeted her with a deep frown. "Lillie now's not the time for one of your lectures. How about you just turn around and-"
Lillie didn't listen and defy her friend's wishes as she stood before him. Then she proceeded to lift her hand and slap Kiawe across his face, stunning Goh and the Aloa gang. Gladion had an amusing smirk on his face.
A surprised Kiawe grasped his cheek, but then he gritted his teeth in anger. "Lillie, what are you-" She slapped him again, but this time against his other cheek. Flabbergasted, Kiawe tried once more. "Lillie, will you please just-" He got slapped again. Soon it became a slap fest with Lillie.
"Not until you calm down and listen to us, Kiawe!" she scolded her friend before delivering another slap.
Goh was frightened by Lillie. "S-she's scary...!" He wasn't alone. Mallow, Lana, and Sophocles nodded in agreement. Even Professor Kukui had to admit he didn't want to suffer a hard slap from his former student.
"That's Lillie for you." Gladion chuckled in amusement. "She can be a stubborn girl when she wants to be." The group nodded again.
Anime tear droplets were drooping from Kiawe's eyes as both of his cheeks were swollen and red. "Will you listen now, Kiawe?" Lillie asked innocently, threatening to slap him again if he refuses to obey.
"Okay, okay...I'll stop and listen for now..." He grimaced through the pain as he answered. "Please, just no more!" he pleaded.
Satisfied, Lillie lowered her hand down and smiled.
Viridian City - Kanto region
Giovanni chuckled while Ash simply stared back, locking their eyes into an intense standoff. The Team Rocket leader found it very amusing that he was confronting the same boy he met back in Unova. "Well, isn't this quite a surprise? Never thought I would see you again," he said.
"The feeling is NOT mutual. Just looking at you makes me wanna puke!" Ash spat.
"Then how about I ease that feeling with a proposal, hm?" The young apprentice cocked an eyebrow at the sudden offer.
"What kind of proposal?" he asked.
Giovanni smirked. "That's simple. Leave your Pokémon hunting days behind you and come join me as my new right-hand man! And together, we will rule the world!" Ash had an amusing smile on his face.
"Interesting offer, but...no thanks." Giovanni's arrogant expression was now replaced with a disappointed frown. "Why would I join Team Rocket just to be a second fiddle to some nobody like you?" The man's eyebrow twitched at the teen's insult. "Only a moron would agree to that." His eyes were now sneering with rage.
"You insolent little...! How dare you reject my generous offer!" Giovanni growled while fixing a sharp gaze at the ignorant teen. "I will show what happens when you mess with the leader of the notorious Team Rocket organization known to man!" Ash chuckled in amusement, which got under Giovanni's skin. "What's so funny?!" he demanded with a growl.
"Unfortunately for you, Team Rocket won't be a thing after today because Master J gave me direct orders to end your pathetic little group and that's what I'm doing to do." Giovanni flinched with a sweat drop sliding down his face, feeling a cold shiver running down his spine when Ash fixed him an icy glare. "So don't expect a Pokémon battle either." The nervous man gritted his teeth.
"I won't allow a child like you to ruin my long life's work!" Giovanni reached his hand into his suit and grabbed three Poké Balls, tossing them simultaneously into the air. "Take care of this, fool!"
Emerging out from their respective Poké Balls were a Nidoking, a Tauros, and an Alola Golem.
Ash smirked. "Pathetic." Giovanni narrowed his eyes before they became wide when he noticed the young apprentice was reaching his hand into his coat pocket and pulling out a familiar Poké Ball with the letter 'M' on it.
"Wait...is that?"
"It is." Ash drawled with an evil chuckle, sending another cold shiver down the man's spine. "It's not every day I get the chance to use it, so consider it a great honor!" He tossed the Master Ball into the air.
Emerging out from the special ball was a Pokémon Giovanni wasn't expecting. "I-Impossible! Is that..." Unfortunately, he was immediately cut off when an immense blast of energy was fired directly at him.
BOOM!
The mysterious beam blasted through the building's roof and then the whole structure was engulfed in a fiery blaze. Walking away from the once Team Rocket HQ while it was still burning, was a smug Ash. His mission was complete. Team Rocket was no longer a threat to their plans.
Suddenly, Ash walked into an immediate halt when a rope ladder was dropped down from the sky and it was dangling in front of his face. He glanced upward and spotted a helicopter with a black raven logo was hovering above his head. Waving at him was a young man in his early twenties with black spiky hair and blue eyes. He was donning an orange T-shirt and a pair of light-blue pants over an overcoat. There was a black raven logo on it, symbolizing that he had some kind of alliance with Ash.
"Joshua..." the young apprentice whispered the man's name under his breath. He gripped a hand onto the rope ladder and gave it a good tug, signifying that he was ready to go.
Joshua grinned and then glanced back to the pilot. "All right, let's go!"
"Yes, sir!"
Ash could feel his feet leaving off the ground as the chopper flew up higher into the sky and began leaving from the scene of the crime. The young apprentice momentarily glanced down below when he heard several sirens. A swarm of swat cars, firetrucks, and an ambulance arrived at the blazing inferno. Officer Jenny exited out from her vehicle and fixed her gaze immediately at the sky. "Black Raven!"
Ash smirked and then diverted his gaze away as he began climbing up the ladder.
Meanwhile, back at the Raven's Nest on the 19th Floor, a woman in her mid-twenties with short teal hair and dark red eyes was glaring through the window in deep thought. She had a slender body yet a slightly built frame, suggesting she had years of experience in martial arts training. Her outfit consisted of a black overcoat over a dark sleeveless tank top with a white collar and a red tie, a teal belt over a red and black pleated skirt, and a pair of combat boots. On the back of her overcoat was a black raven logo, indicating that she too was part of Ash's notorious group, the Elite Corp. Strapped to her waist and secured inside its hoister was her high-tech artificial blade, Shadow Blade.
The woman's red eyes would soon spot a helicopter in the distance.
The gathering of the Elite Corp was coming.
Next preview - Chapter 6: "The Elite Corp!"
Josh/Joshua: "I'm looking forward to meeting the other members! I wonder what they are like?"
Ash/Black Raven: "That's right...This will be your first time meeting all the members since you just joined the Elite Corp fourteen months ago...Even I haven't seen the recent new members in person."
Josh/Joshua: "I hope I don't act like an idiot newbie in front of them..."
Ash/Black Raven: "You'll be fine."
Josh/Joshua: "Chapter 6: The Elite Corp!"
J: "All right, you idiots, listen up! Our new mission is a big one! Project Mew!"
Ash/Black Raven: "Project Mew, huh..."
As expected, Ash destroyed Team Rocket but don't worry they will be back at some point. I don't know when unfortunately lol. Poor Kiawe. He was the victim of Lillie's ultimate punishment. Let's hope he knows his place, or otherwise, Lillie will dish out another helping. XD Also, while the second Elite wasn't identified, she did make a brief cameo, which wasn't part of the original plan. I was running short of ideas what to write next after Ash destroyed the Team Rocket base lol. Anyway, the next chapter will focus mainly on Ash's Elite members and you might get a little surprised towards the end of the chapter. I won't spoil it too much, but a certain former Salon Maiden of the Battle Frontier will make a cameo, along with a few other surprises.