Aoi Hyoudou: I apologize for the delay. My family clinic kept me busy. Enjoy the new chapter!

Chapter VI

The Elite Corp!

~(...)~

"What the f #$ took you so long, you f #% idiots!" After arriving at the home base landing zone, the Second-in-command of Elite Corp berated her fellow comrades with a furious tone. Black Raven and Joshua winced at the sound of her powerful voice, which was usually calm and collected. The woman rarely lost her cool in public, but she had to assert her leadership in this unconventional situation and prove that she was the true leader of Elite Corp, not Black Raven. The nearby grunts were sent chilling vibes by her outburst. "Did you fall into a coma and just finally decide to wake up only to piss me off even more when you got home, you damn runt?" The teenager simply rolled his eyes in response to the woman's absurd behavior.

"Relax, o' great Commander-" he replied in a sarcastic tone, which caused his furious right-hand swordswoman to shoot him an icy glare. "the detour took longer than expected. Please give us a break." She became even more annoyed as she listened to him babble, and her eyebrow began to twitch uncontrollably.

"You little..." Her hand was dangerously close to drawing her artificial blade from its hoister.

Joshua intervened to resolve the situation between two heated rivals. "Okay, you guys. Let's all calm down for a moment and take a deep b-" He immediately froze as the woman's cold, piercing red eyes locked onto his. It was his cue to remain silent and obedient.

"Shut it, newbie." the swordswoman hissed, which made Ash frown due to her lack of respect towards her peers. "You may be an 'Elite" by some-" She glanced at her leader with disgust before turning back to the rookie. "-but you still hadn't earned it. You're still a rookie in my eyes." Her harsh words sliced the poor teen's soul like butter,

"That's cold..." Ash muttered under his breath, and someone noticed. "Even for you."

"We are Elites, not babysitters," she snorted, showing her lack of concern for the opinion of her leader. "That's how the world works: the strong thrive while the weak crumble. Life is unfair." She took a quick glance in the direction of her rival and smirked. "You should know that better than anyone." Ash tried to reply, but no words escaped his mouth. She had finally outdone him, which pleased her greatly. "I thought so." As she left, her combat boots echoed on the solid floor. Ash and Joshua watched her walk towards one of the nearby elevators. However, she suddenly stopped and turned to look at them before continuing on her way. "Just a gentle reminder that we have a meeting scheduled on the 19th floor. Please make sure to arrive on time, as punctuality is highly appreciated. Thank you." Having said that, she eventually departed.

"Man, what's her deal," Joshua muttered under his breath.

Ash let out a disappointed sigh but continued walking forward without looking back at the confused teenager. "It's a long story, but we don't have time for that. Let's go."

~(...)~

Outside the Raven's Nest - Near the front gate entrance

"Now I see why their hideout is so difficult to find. It's so well hidden in the forest." A dark, mysterious figure, draped in shadows, watched two guards from behind a tree. "Based on my information, it seems that Lester is supposed to be present for their small gathering." She knew she was close to finding her lover's missing best friend, but danger still loomed ahead, causing her heart to skip a beat. "But so will...Black Raven!" She clenched her teeth and tightly balled up her fists. The very idea of Hunter J's apprentice filled her with rage. It was because of those two that her life had been turned upside down, but she couldn't allow her personal feelings to interfere with her mission. Doing so would put everything, including Lester's safety, in jeopardy. To ensure the success of her mission, she needed to set her pride aside and move forward with the plan. "Time to get to work." As she made her way towards the entrance, the two guards couldn't help but notice her presence.

"Who goes there!" The first grunt stood his ground and barked at the possible intruder, glaring at them menacingly.

"We want to give you a friendly warning. If you're looking for trouble, we won't hesitate to take action to protect ourselves." The second grunt made a threat.

"Hey, hey, hey!" The woman held up her hands defensively. "I'm just here for the gathering." Both grunts stared at her intensely.

"What do you mean by that?" the first grunt demanded.

"Oh, right..." A fake chuckle escaped her lips. "I'm here in place of an Elite who couldn't make the meeting." The grunts appeared to be unconvinced by her dubious explanation, not even slightly.

"Is that so..." The woman firmly nodded, insisting her story was true, albeit partially.

"This outfit appears to be something that an Elite member would wear." Both men took a moment to observe the woman's appearance. She was a stunning Caucasian lady in her late 20s or early 30s with straight, golden blonde hair that flowed down her back, while a few locks near the center of her head brushed against her waist. Her hair was styled in a hime cut, which exposed most of her forehead. A deep scar ran across her forehead and extended down her left cheek, partially hidden by her hairline. She wore a long-sleeved, black dress with a flowing skirt that resembled a ballroom gown, along with a pair of black slip-on shoes. On her left wrist, she had a Z-Power Ring and Dynamax Band, while her KeyStone was in a fixture shaped like a raven. She also sported a black sports blazer with the Black Raven logo emblazoned on the back, which draped loosely over her shoulder like a cape or hussar pelisse.

The grunts exchanged a swift glance with one another. "What should we do?" one of them asked in a whisper, although the woman could still hear him.

"We should report this to Black Raven to confirm her story." The woman worried her cover was blown sooner than expected, biting her lip. The other grunt also agreed with a nod. "Black Raven, sir! Do you read me?" The man placed a small wireless earpiece in his ear and radioed the Leader of the Elite Corp. "We have a situation on hand!"

There was a moment of awkward silence as if Black Raven was ignoring the incoming transmission. "Sir, do you-" He tried once more, but was interrupted by a cold voice that he recognized.

"What is it? Please make sure it is something important before you bother me, you fool!" The two grunts flinched, causing the woman to tense up.

"Uh, well, you see-" The man stumbled over his words, eliciting an annoyed sigh.

"We have no interest in purchasing cookies, so if someone is selling them, we kindly decline." The teenager's dismissive behavior offended the woman.

"No, sir, it's just-" The grunt whispered to prevent the intruder from overhearing. After explaining the situation, he received an unexpected response.

"I see-" Black Raven took a moment to consider his options before making a decision. "-in that case just send her in."

"A-Are you sure?" The grunt appeared confused and asked a question.

"Just do it, you idiot!" The man sighed as the transmission abruptly cut off, leaving silence.

"Well?" The woman with golden hair asked the question, even though she was already aware of the answer.

The grunts looked back at the visitor with irritation. "Since Black Raven himself has granted you clearance, we have no choice but to allow you full access to the Raven's Nest, Miss-" The man paused briefly as the mysterious woman had never introduced herself.

"Carmen. It's Carmen Prescott."

Raven's Nest - closing in on the 19th Floor

"So, what was that all about?" As Joshua and Black Raven waited for the elevator to reach the 19th floor, he couldn't help but eavesdrop on the conversation.

"It's nothing," Ash dismissed his Elite's curiosity and refused to answer. "When the time comes, I'll handle it."

As the elevator arrived at their destination, the black-haired teenager realized that continuing to push the topic further would be pointless. With a slight shrug of his shoulders, the elevator shook and a loud ping signaled that the double metal sliding doors were about to open. Upon exiting, they found themselves in a large conference room. In the center was a round conference table with twelve seats, some of which were already occupied. At the far end of the room was a massive, clear double-sided window that provided a great view of Pinwheel Forest. The only source of light was the sunlight coming through the window since most of the room lights were turned off, partially for a reason.

Everything seemed normal at first, but as soon as Ash and Joshua entered the room, something unexpected happened. Almost immediately, a chain of events was set in motion. Ash's ankle triggered a tripwire as he took a step, causing him to startle. However, the black-haired teenager quickly realized that he had walked into a simple trap that had been perfectly executed by someone he knew well. 'Damn, that guy...' Dangling from the same wire that Ash unintentionally triggered were two buckets. Both tipped, but nothing happened.

The duo was taken aback as a sudden shower of white feathers descended upon them. A loud thud followed, accompanied by hysterical laughter that filled the once-quiet room. Turning their heads towards the source, they saw a young man laughing uncontrollably, clutching his side with tears in his eyes. Despite nobody else finding it funny, he seemed to be the only one amused by the whole incident. "Lester..." Ash growled as he glared at the Elite member laughing carelessly.

"Y-Y-You should have seen your faces! It was so, so priceless!" Lester, still laughing, finally managed to say, as he wiped away a few tears. "And it was worth the wait." Ash felt a sudden twitch in his eyebrow, indicating his annoyance. He quickly realized that someone was glaring at him. He shifted his attention towards the conference table to find his trusted swordswoman sitting with her boots on the table, arms crossed, and a smug expression on her beautiful face, suggesting that she might be the reason behind his irritation.

'That b* $# knew...and she didn't even try to warn us about it!' Ash was feeling very angry.

"Ugh..." A member of the Elite Corp, who was sitting a few seats to her left, became increasingly annoyed by Lester's hysterical and disruptive laughter. The laughter was interrupting their study time, as they were reading an old Sinnoh University book about Pokémon battles from their college days. "It's starting to give me a major headache."

The laughter abruptly ceased and the mood turned serious as Lester suddenly stood up, revealing a pair of vivid red eyes that were strangely in sync with the abnormal red glow emanating from the oval jewel on his right glove. The formerly playful prankster had transformed into a ridiculous, angry jerk. "Oh, shut the hell up, Jake!" Lester, with his red eyes, snapped back with an intense outburst of anger.

"That's Scout to you, Triptych." Without glancing up from his book, the latter corrected the mistake and turned to the next page. "What's the point of codenames if we aren't even using them."

"You can shove that codename up your a-"

"Okay, I'm so lost right now." Joshua, who was puzzled, quickly intervened before his fuming comrade could finish his sentence.

Ash rubbed his temples and shook his head. "That's Lester for you. His personality disorder is at it again."

"Personality disorder?"

Ash pointed at Lester's glove, emitting the same color as Joshua's eyes. "That weird jewel determines his mood swings." Joshua was confused and blinked his eyes rapidly trying to understand the situation. "I know it may sound weird, but trust me." The latter still didn't seem convinced. Ash let out a deep sigh. "The only one who can really explain Lester's backstory is Reiko-"

"That's Cutlass, you a ##$#!" Cutlass interrupted and lashed out at her so-called "leader".

"Right...Cutlass." an irritated Black Raven corrected with a slight eye twitch.

"So..in other words, we're a dysfunctional group."

"Hey Jake, knock knock!"

"Go away and let me read in peace!"

Cutlass flipped Ash the bird from her seat, catching his attention.

Ash sighed. "Pretty much."

"It's Ho-Oh, who's there!"

"Leave me alone!"

After the chaos had subsided, the disorganized Elite Corp gathered together and took a head count of who was already in the room. At present, Ash, Joshua, Cutlass, Jake, and Lester were all accounted for, with only a few members missing, including Hunter J herself. "Where's Stratos?" Ash asked Cutlass, who shrugged in response. Cutlass ran Elite Corp and monitored members for Hunter J.

"Who knows? She's probably still locked up in her room like a scared little girl." Ash frowned when his right-hand swordswoman insulted him. "She's not really necessary for missions anyway, as she's barely utilized here."

"I'll visit her later." Ash was the only person Stratos could trust; she looked up to him like a brother.

"Suit yourself." Cutlass didn't care what her Leader did but respected him for always watching out for others.

"Anyway-" Black Raven continued by counting the number of heads. "-that leaves with 3."

"Wow, you can actually count." Cutlass clapped her hands together in a mocking applause for her Leader.

Ash continued without paying attention to the woman.. "And we know for sure the other 'two' won't be arriving here anytime soon since they are stationed elsewhere."

"Other two?" Joshua was intrigued when he heard about the two Elite Corp members that his Leader held in high regard. He wondered who they were and if he would ever have the opportunity to meet them in person. Unfortunately, he couldn't ask any questions because his Leader was already ignoring him.

"So...that means...that only leaves with S-" Suddenly, he felt a pair of soft "melons" pressed firmly against his back and a pair of arms wrapped around his neck before a soft yet seductive voice tickled his ear.

"Long time no see, Leader~! How I missed you so much. You look so handsome every time I see you." Ash quickly stepped back from the person who he thought was attacking him, only to find himself face-to-face with a young woman. She had long blonde hair that reached her back and diamond-blue eyes. She wore a black overcoat over a diamond-blue dress, a black skirt, and a pair of black high heels. Around her neck, she had a necklace that resembled a raven. "Whoa, easy there, Leader. It's just me, Sarah." She couldn't help but giggle at her leader's adorable reaction.

"Oh, hey." Sarah pouted and placed her fists on her hips as she glared at her leader.

"It's been 6 months since we last saw each other and that's the greeting I get?"

"Sorry?"

Sarah giggled once more and waved her hand to dismiss him. "I'm only teasing, Leader, although-" She leaned forward and whispered into his ear. "-you can always take me out on a date for lost time." Cutlass snorted at the girl's advances.

"Pathetic," she muttered in disgust.

Luckily, Sarah was too distracted by Joshua's boyish yet handsome features to notice the swordswoman's insult. "Oh~! Who's this?" She approached the black-haired teen to inspect her fellow rookie Elite, looking him up and down with interest.

"Oh, I'm Joshua," he said with a sweatdrop.

"I see..." Sarah pondered with her hand under her chin, giving the teen some space to breathe. "So, are you a rookie just like me then?" The teenager gave a firm nod. "That's cool." After grinning, she proceeded to introduce herself. "Oh, right. I'm the "Majestic Lotus" Sarah!" Joshua gave her a puzzled expression. "Or you can just call me Sarah for short if you want."

"Nice to meet you, Sarah." The rookie extended a handshake, which was firmly grasped by the other. Suddenly, the latter pulled the rookie forward and wrapped an arm around his shoulders, bringing their faces inches apart.

Joshua felt embarrassed when she made a move towards him. "Say, just us rookies, how about you and me go fetch some lunch after this boring meeting, okay? You know, to get to know a little bit more about each other." She wore a big smile on her face.

"Um..." He felt her breath on his cheek, making his face flush.

PING

The sudden sound of a loud ping caught everyone's attention, drawing their gaze towards the elevator. As soon as the metal doors slid open, a familiar figure with silver hair and an overcoat stepped out - it was Pokémon Hunter J. She quickly surveyed the situation around her before a scowl appeared on her face. "Alright, you brats, take your seats. We got some business to discuss," she commanded.

"Yes sir/ma'am!" As per her orders, everyone except for Cutlass and Jake proceeded to the conference table and took their respective seats. Unfortunately, Ash and his Second-in-Command found themselves seated across from each other, which they were not too happy about. They exchanged a brief stare before J took her seat next to her new apprentice. This caused some tension around the table, but it quickly dissipated once she began to speak.

"Lights off." As soon as the voice command was given, all the lights went off and the room plunged into darkness. A hologram machine lowered from the ceiling and started flashing random colors, accompanied by beeping sounds. After a few moments, a holographic image appeared, showing a pink, bipedal Pokemon with mammalian features that resembled a cat. It was none other than the Legendary Pokemon, Mew - an adorable creature that captured everyone's hearts. "As you may know-" Their Mistress caught everyone's attention as she started to explain their latest task. "-Our latest client has offered a substantial reward for capturing the Legendary Pokémon Mew. Although Mew is incredibly elusive and can blend in with its environment, our scouting teams have recorded the most recent sightings of the mythical creature." The Mew hologram was replaced with blurred shots of Legendary Pokémon from three different locations around the regions.

"First, Mount Coronet in the Sinnoh region." The hologram displayed Sinnoh's tallest mountain at midday, with Mew briefly flying in the distance. "Next, Blue Moon Falls in the Johto region." A beautiful night shot of the waterfall with the famous blue moon in the distance and a silhouette of Mew. "And finally..." The Pokémon Hunter quickly glanced at her apprentice before showing him the next image, aware of the potential impact it could have on their mission.

PING

Just as J was about to reveal the third and final location, the sound of the elevator interrupted her. Everyone's attention shifted towards the female 'recruit' exiting from the elevator, looking dejected. "I hope this is the right floor. Those grunt jerks were no help at all," Carmen said wearily, but stopped mid-sentence when she noticed all eyes were on her. "Oh...hey? Sorry, I'm late. What did I miss?" She asked with a hint of shyness and a nervous chuckle.

Next preview - Chapter 7: "The Hunt for Mew begins!"

Lester: "Wait...What are you doing here?"

Carmen: "I came here to rescue you and bring you back home!"

Cutlass: "The Elite Corp won't be around forever you know!"

Ash/Black Raven: "Mew...to think I would get to see it again!"

Carmen: "Chapter 7: The Hunt for Mew begins!"

Josh/Joshua: "I'm curious who I get to partner with!"

Cutlass: "Maybe your new girlfriend. Or better yet have you partner with Lester instead, rookie!"

Lester: "FINALLY! Time for the hunt! Let's f #$% go!"

Josh/Joshua: "Please don't..."

I apologize for my two-year absence. I have been occupied with work and running the family business until it ceases to exist. However, I will try to allocate some time to work on my projects. My goal is to upload another chapter before Halloween. Additionally, Anabel and a few other characters may make an appearance in the next chapter. (SPOILER ALERT) Unfortunately, I was unable to include her cameo in this chapter. I apologize for that.