Hello everyone on fanfiction, and welcome back to another chapter of Mesoa League, The Ultimate Challenge. As always, I'm your host, A.M.P 1008
During Hurricane Sandy, I had lost power for four days and wanted to conserve my laptop's power, so I really couldn't do any work. It turned out to not be as bad as I had originally expected
In the last chapter, Professor Oak's past revealed he once encountered the mystery man, Daisuke Johnson, and even competed in the Mesoa League at one point. After losing to him, Ash and the others were given a month to decide on whether or not they wanted to come to Mesoa. It was also during that month that Ash had finally confessed to May about his true feelings, and quickly decided to get everyone back into shape. Ash's previously unknown cousin, dropped in for a visit, revealing he was also invited.
Wasting not even a single second, they trained as hard as they could, revealing new evolutions, new moves, and even new Pokemon for Dawn and May
In this chapter, everyone will arrive at Mesoa. Also, it seems Giovanni has something up his sleeve, an ace of some sort. What is it? Find out now!
By the way, it was the Mystery Dungeon series, in case none of you could figure it out
Chapter 2: Arrival at Mesoa. Premonition in the Shadows
TEAM ROCKET HEADQUARTERS
When Jessie, James, and Meowth returned to their hidden mountain base, they were all concerned about what Giovanni would do to them after they failed to catch Pikachu, again!
"What do you'se two tink da boss will do?" asked a worried Meowth
"He'll probably call us failures and give us the pink slip." Said a depressed James
"Hey! What's the negative attitude? We did fine enough in Unova." Said Jessie
"Compared to the other 4 regions, I don't like our odds." Said James
As the three were walking down a hallway, they saw Giovanni actually running down a corridor. It seemed to go to the Medical Ward of the base
"Huh? Wonder what dat was all about?" asked Meowth
"Let's go see." Said James
The trio somehow managed to keep up with their boss, and entered the Medical Ward. What they saw shocked them. They didn't know whether to be glad it happened to those two and not them, or be grief stricken at the horror before them
It was Cassidy and Butch, covered with lacerations. Their limbs were twisted in unnatural ways, and parts of bone could be seen sticking out of their chests, which they assumed were ribs. The lacerations just seemed like random slashes, but when put together, they made a message to Giovanni and Team Rocket:
Enter Mesoa, and die! The attacker even had the audacity to carve his head in a chibi like fashion, smiling flashing the peace sign
"I want a full report on what happened!" Giovanni demanded
"Yes sir. According to the reports, while they were on their current mission (setting up phony daycare centers) they were attacked by an unidentified man. It was reported by one of the grunts that the man wore a black hoodie, had blood red eyes, and had a Gliscor on his back. He was also smirking, even as he attacked with daggers." Said the medic
Jessie, James, and Meowth immediately knew who it was the moment they heard blood red eyes and Gliscor. Daisuke Johnson had attacked them, apparently making sure Team Rocket didn't do anything to this Mesoa place.
They couldn't help but gulp so loudly, that Giovanni turned to the source and found the trio
"What do you three bumbling fools want?!" shouted Giovanni
"Well…sir. About that man…" stuttered James
"What about him?!" Giovanni was getting more irritated by the second
"We actually ran into him when we was swiping the twoip's Pikachu. All he did was blast us with lightning with a Tyranitar." Said Meowth
"Is there anything else you know?!" Giovanni's blood pressure was steadily rising with every passing second over this one man who basically was announcing he would kill Team Rocket if they came to the new region
"Calm down Giovanni. You can't get angry at them for something like this." Said a new voice
At the door was a 6'3 tall male who looked to be in his early 40's, evident by his salt and pepper hair. He wore a fedora similar to those in old detective movies and wore a trench coat. Under his trench coat were military style combat boots, and at his left side, were two katanas. On his back were a shotgun and AK-47. On his right side were dual handguns
"What do you mean? These two were the best I had in my organization. How can I calm down?!"
"It's because this is how he wants you to react. He'll set the bait by doing whatever it is that he does, causing the victim to be blinded by rage, which will make them act impulsively and make a mistake that will kill them. Believe me, I know how he works. I've fought him long enough to know."
"So, what do I do then?"
"Leave him to me. I won't charge extra. He's been on my personal hit list for a long time."
Giovanni was surprised at this. Ven wasn't someone who didn't demand extra for another task. He would know, since he and Ven had done business for a long time. In fact, he was just talking to him about stealing the Pikachu just so he could finally stop waiting after 5-6 long years of those three fools failing him, when he heard news of Cassidy and Butch in serious condition
"He'll be returning to Mesoa by the end of the week. I'll deal with him, and that brat, while they're both in Mesoa
"Will you need any assistance with this particular job? I don't doubt your skills, but having backup on this mission might be a good thing."
Ven was a little insulted that one of his oldest clientele was suggesting he needed assistance with swiping a mouse and killing that annoying punk. The latter was definitely a headache, but not so much as he needed backup. But, as he saw those two "fools" he realized they might prove useful. They knew how the target operated the most out of everyone; so naturally, they might be able to help out for once.
"You three…" he pointed to Jessie, James, and Meowth "…will be accompanying me to Mesoa. But I'm warning you now; don't get in my way."
It was hard to tell who was more shocked; the trio who were basically asked to help a well-known bounty hunter, or Giovanni, at Ven for his choice of help
"Are you sure you want them to help?" asked Giovanni, nervously "I assure you, we have more skilled members here."
"And how many of them know as much about my target as these three do?"
All four of them looked at him with a bit of confusion
"If they've been chasing the same person for this long, then they should know how they work." Stated Ven "Besides, it'll give me a chance to kill two birds with one stone."
Everyone decided it would be safer to not argue with him. After all, he was the best of the best
After waking up, everyone decided to do last minute preparations for their journey. They decided to stock up on potions, Pokémon food, and anything else. The girls also felt it was time for a change in wardrobe, so they decided to drag all the guys along for a shopping trip. Luckily for Gavin, he managed to get away from them all. He decided to pass the time by going to the port and stared out into the ocean. Only his companion, Pichu, was with right now
"Thing sure have gotten crazy, haven't they?" Gavin asked Pichu
"Pi." The little mouse replied, shaking his head
"Still, even though I wasn't planning on this little impromptu journey, it's still good to see Ash again."
"PichuPichu!"
"Hey, Gavin!" someone shouted
Gavin turned around and saw everyone, but with different wardrobe
Ash was wearing the same red hat as normal, but this time the pokeball design was in black, the rest was red. He was wearing a dark blue jacket with a hoodie that had sleeves that covered his arms. Underneath the jacket was a simple white t-shirt with a dark blue Pokeball design. He wore cargo pants that were a shade lighter than the jacket. Oddly enough, he was wearing gloves similar to Sir Aaron's. The shoes were just a plain red shade, with a midnight colored packpack
Brock was wearing a dark gray long sleeved shirt with an orange vest over it. His pants were gray in shade. The sneakers were orange and black
May had donned a white bandana with a blue half pokeball on it. Her top was now an ocean blue shade with matching bike shorts, along with dark blue and black sneakers. Her backpack was a fair aqua shade. She and Ash were basically similar to the people of the sea from long ago, if their hair wasn't blue green and they had a more ancient style of clothing to what they were currently wearing
Dawn's new look was what caught Gavin's eyes the most. She was wearing a light blue dress with white floral designs that went from her right shoulder and seemed to drape to the outside of her left leg, similar to a toga. She managed to find matching heels that didn't hinder her capability to travel long distances. She ditched the yellow hair clips, letting her blue hair flow freely, which had grown slightly since her trip to Unova. She had a white duffel bag with a pink pokeball design somewhere on the side.
'Whoa…she looks great.' Gavin thought, turning a small pink shade. Pichu noticed this and snickered a little
Max was wearing something similar to what he always wore. The only real differences were that the shirt was a darker shade, and had longer sleeves. His shorts were now regular jeans, and he wore a green jacket as well. His bag was forest green
Tracey didn't change that much. The only real changes were a darker shade of his headband, green sneakers, and a camouflage shirt. The shorts brown in color. His bag was a deep red shade, bordering crimson
Misty had donned a sky blue t-shirt with bubble designs that were a shade or two darker than the regular blue. She wore deep yellow and sky blue shorts blended together in such a way you couldn't tell which color was meant to be the pattern. Her sneakers and bag were both a mix of yellow and blue
Gary had changed into regular jeans and a tan vest with a white shirt underneath it. The shoes were a mixture of gray, tan, and white. He was still carrying the same silver bag
Cilan still was wearing the bartender's suit, but did find a casual green shirt and shorts, along with white shoes with a Pansage head on the side
It was Iris's new look that got the most attention though. Her hair, which was wild and tamed only by three bands, two of which made small ponytails, was now flowing down her back in one long ponytail tied back, with the top of it pointing in different directions resembling a flower. She also had two loops at the side. She was wearing a white/light pink dress that was a darker shade of pink around the end of the sleeves and the collar. She was wearing slip on shoes similar to the kind she wore before, but they were the same color as the dress, and looked like they could stand long traveling and hikes. She still had a simple knapsack that carried the necessities for traveling
"Wow…talk about big changes. How long did that take you?"
"It took about an hour and a half, actually." Said Ash
"An hour and a half?!" Gavin didn't notice that much time had actually passed. Granted, most of that time was spent avoiding going shopping for new clothes. He preferred the look he had now.
"I think the boat should be at the docks right now." Said Brock
"Let's go then. I'd rather not miss the boat." Said Ash, recalling that one time in Johto to Arborville
So, as they approached the docks and made to get on the boat, the person taking the tickets was someone most of them (Misty and Iris) hoped they wouldn't see for a while, Daisuke
"Good to see you accepted the offer. It really would've been a shame if you couldn't make it."
Daisuke, this time around, was wearing a sailor's suit checking tickets and from various passengers to see if they were authorized to board or not
"Why are you working the tickets?" asked Max
"When you take an unofficial vacation for a month without sending any notice, you won't get off scott-free. I'm just glad I didn't lose my job." 'Not like those idiots could afford to get rid of me. I've brought in over 3/4ths of the competitiors.'
"Anyway, once I'm done with this, I'll just be taking the boat back, since my ride home was getting too impatient."
"Huh? You're ride home?" asked Misty
"No point in explaining it."
As everyone boarded the boat, it had set sailed towards Mesoa. Out in the crowds, the group saw Delia and Professor Oak seeing them off. Professor Oak was still against it, but he did have faith and knew they would be safe
They had found their cabins and most decided to get changed while Max and Iris decided to go to another part of the ship to do a couple of mock battles with the other trainers
Ash, May, Brock, Dawn, and Gavin found the pool area and while Brock and Gavin settled into the pool, Dawn and May dived in, and Ash just jumped right in, splashing everyone else. The others looked ticked, then they just splashed him right back. That had led to a big splash fight with dunking and double teaming, everyone laughing and having a great time
On the other side of the ship, Jessie, James, and Ven, dressed casually, made their way to their cabin, no one paying them notice. Almost no one
Daisuke nearly dozed off on a lounge chair when he noticed the two Rockets and Ven
'It seems my message didn't get through to you enough, Giovanni. I will admit that sending Ven along was clever, but it'll only delay their deaths as well. The only thing you've done is give me a prime opportunity to get rid of a migraine, and get you to stay out of my way.'
"Hey, Daisuke." Someone said
Daisuke looked up to see someone around 5'7 with dirty blonde hair that was both spiky and long. He was wearing a gold polo shirt with jeans and black shoes. He was wearing a light blue cap with the Master Ball insignia on it. His eyes were a mixture of blue and green.
"Hey there M. When did you get here?"
"Just now. What's up with those three?"
"It was nothing. They just give off a bad vibe."
"Alright. Mind if I grab a seat?"
"No."
So, M decided to do just that, and sat next to Daisuke. They started talking a little bit about a few adventures they had and their home region, when...
"I know you're suspicious of me. I also know you know I was hiding something. You could tell it was Ven with those two, the Team Rocket members."
"So?" asked M, not fazed in the slightest
"I can guess that you'll try to stop them. I have no problem with that. But, I'm making it clear right now that Ven is mine. I'll be the one to deal with him. We may be friends, but I have no problem with dealing with you if you get in my way. Don't assume it's because it's of our rival beliefs on Mesoa. I gave Ryan and the others the same warning."
"All I'm trying to do is keep Ash safe. He might be able to help fix the issues we have with the others." M sighed
"I don't doubt that, given his record, but it'll still take a miracle for the Senate to really open up to that idea."
"They went and allowed outsiders in this year."
"And that's what's troubling. They wouldn't do something that risky unless they got something ten times the reward."
"I know. That's why I'll be keeping an eye out on the outsiders, but more importantly, Tai."
"Let me guess, the king was considering it, he convinced him, and the Senate and him "argued" until they agreed."
"In a nutshell, yes."
"I guess we'll just have to wait until this thing really begins. If you don't mind, I haven't slept for a little over a week now."
"Before you take your nap, you should know something. Keep in mind it's just a rumor, but I heard someone from I.P. is competing."
If Daisuke's eyes were shut completely, they widened up again at the news
"What?"
"It's just a rumor, and before you ask, I have no idea who."
'Dammit! There could be a number of reasons for why someone from I.P. would be here. But, one thing's for sure, M.E.R.E.S is looking for outside help in fixing the problem, but why tell me? Is it because you think I'll bite down, take the bait, and give you what you want? If that's what you want, then I'll do it. I'll bite down, for now. But when I get close enough to the surface, I'll let go and deal with it then.
Daisuke's smirk widened a small amount at the thought, but no one could really tell
"Don't worry about it." M spoke up, getting Daisuke to snap out of his thoughts
"How can I not? Did you even consider the possibilities that'll happen if the agent dies." He whispered
"Yes, I did, which is why I'm keeping my eyes and ears open for anything."
'Yeah, you are. But you won't let me know when you find something else. Anything to help you and your group achieve your little pipe dream.'
Daisuke just sighed "Well, no point in trying to deal with it right now. I think I'll take that nap now." To help drown out the sound, he took out his phone and started playing "Save the One Save the All" from his playlist and was asleep before "mamoru omoi wa hitori ja nai"
'You aren't a fool Daisuke. You can already tell I have something planned. And you're right. It'll involve you alright, and I'll make sure your in it all the way, whether you want to or not. I'm sorry, but it's to help Mesoa.'
Later on that night, only two people were awake, both too focused on things particular to them that kept awake. Both of them weren't by the pool, but rather the battlefield inside of the ship; Gavin and Dawn
Dawn had figured she might as well get in some practice for the contests and started training
"Alright then Piplup, let's get some training in for the contests."
"Piplup!"
"Let's start off with Whirlpool
Piplup became en-cloaked in a light blue type of energy. From his beak, a whirlpool had taken form. He then launched it to the center of the battlefield
"Now, use Ice Beam!"
Piplup launced an icy beam at the whirlpool, completely freezing it
"Now use Drill Peck to make a sculpture!"
Piplup, his beak spinning at high speeds, sped towards the frozen whirlpool and began carving the ice. Eventually, it made to resemble a very descriptive picture of him and Meloetta, just standing side by side, smiling
"Wow, that was great Piplup!"
"Pip piplup." He replied, puffing out his chest
"I agree." Spoke a new voice
Dawn and Piplup turned to see Gavin walking towards them
"Why are you up this late, Dawn?"
"I was trying to get in some practice for the contests. Why are you up this late?"
"I just had a few things on my mind and couldn't sleep."
Dawn couldn't help but giggle a little "You and Ash definitely have a lot of differences. Even when he was thinking about something, it didn't stop him from sleeping."
"You'd never guess it, but me and Ash do have more in common than we have differences."
"I guess so. I mean, even your appetites match." She said, laughing at the memory at how much he could hold down during the training period
"At least I don't shovel it down like I haven't eaten in week." He tried to defend himself, turning red at the memories
"True. So, what was on your mind?"
"It's actually rather personal and I would rather keep it that way."
"Oh…" after that, Dawn yawned "I guess I better get some sleep then."
"Okay. Good night."
"Good night."
Gavin and Dawn had walked towards their respective cabins together, but separated about halfway to their cabins. As Gavin laid down on his bed, he thought back to the conversation he had before
Flashback
The sun was setting as he and the others decided to return back to the cabins to unwind and relax for a little while after all the excitement that went on during the day
As Gavin began to lie down, his Xtransceiver started ringing. Answering it, he was surprised to see Looker
"Hey, Looker. What is it?"
"It's actually about your trip to Mesoa."
"You heard about it? How?"
"I was in Kanto investigating Team Rocket when I decided to stop by Ash's house and say hello, when Professor Oak said the both of you were on your way to Mesoa."
"I see…"
"Listen, Gavin. Everyone's been talking lately. The Professors, the Pokemon League, even the members of the IP, and M.E.R.E.S."
"What's M.E.R.E.S?"
"They're an organization that goes againstMesoa's beliefs and has no desire for war with the other 5 regions."
"Oh. What were they talking about?"
"It's about Mesoa. We've all agreed that we need to try to deal with the hostilities."
"But why? The others were the ones who started it. All they did was defend what was theirs!"
"Yes, I know, but from what we've been hearing, the Senate is growing more and more out of control and the Royal Family isn't doing anything. What makes it worse is that there have been rumors the Church and Senate have teamed up."
"What do you want me to do?"
"I need you to find someone from M.E.R.E.S and get them to fill you in. We're trying to prevent them from starting a war with everyone again."
"But if they find out someone from the outside is trying to control them it'll spark a war anyway. Why can't we just leave them alone?"
"Because Gavin, as it stands they're looking to try and finish what their ancestors started. This isn't up for discussion. You're taking this mission."
"But…" Gavin was cut off as the Xtransceiver's screen went black, signifying the call had ended
Gavin had only this to say "dammit."
And that's a wrap. I know I said the competition would get underway in this chapter, but right now, I'm still waiting on information from a submitter
Hope you all liked the outfits. I did what I could. Iris's new look is from Black and White 2. I just found it to look great on her. No reason she can't travel in that
As of right now, OC submissions are closed, and Pokemon submissions are now closed. I want to give a big thanks to everyone who submitted, and a huge one to Twime777 from Youtube who gave me permission to use her ideas for this story. Really, it just saves a lot of hassle
The chapters may seem to get shorter, but really, I'm just splitting the original plan into this chapter and chapter 4.
Somewhere around 32 OCs is what I have. Why did I cut it down so much? Simple: like Cyclone20 said to me, something I already considered, 128 OCs will just make everything go bat-shit crazy. I can't organize like that, or update 24/7. I've decided to keep it to a manageable amount.
After ch4, things should get easier since I'll be writing about events that'll occur during their travels. It'll be like a Pokemon episode, except Ash won't be in every single episode. Some might be shorter or longer than others. I've assembled the teams and they'll be revealed next chapter
Favorite this story, or me if you found both enjoyable. Subscribe for future updates on my stories. Remember to read, review, and enjoy. A.M.P 1008, signing out!