Aoi Hyoudou: I am extremely happy with the feedback provided. Thank you so much for your assistance. I will work on this and other stories as much as possible. Some familiar faces will make cameo appearances, so keep an eye out.
Chapter VII
The Hunt for Mew Begins!
~(...)~
Whoosh
The conference door slid wide open, making a sound. The sound of marching footsteps echoed down the hallway as each Elite Corp member exited the room one by one, following the conclusion of the meeting. "Man!" While walking with his comrades, Joshua stretched his arms and groaned softly. "I never thought it would be over," he said. Cutlass snorted as she trailed behind the rookie, irritated by his laid-back behavior.
The black-haired teenager felt a familiar arm wrap around his shoulders as he came face-to-face with a cheeky Sarah. "So~" As she spoke, her alluring tone sent shivers down his spine. "Since the boring meeting is finally over, how about we grab lunch on the 3rd floor, just as we promised," she suggested with a purr.
"What?" Joshua was flabbergasted and his face turned red as he squeaked. "I never agreed to that!"
She tightened her grip around the teenager who was struggling to break free while she giggled and said, "Now, now, don't be shy!" Sarah asked the other men if they wanted to join her. "Would you like to come along?" Jake waved her off, continuing to walk with his face buried in his book.
Lester, known for being unpredictable, responded harshly to the blonde woman. "F #% no! I would rather do something productive than waste time with inexperienced people!" Sarah's lips formed an adorable pout.
"You guys are no fun..." She shifted her gaze to her Leader and they locked eyes. "How about you Leader?"
"Sorry, but I have to pass." Ash politely declined the female Elite's advances, leaving her disappointed.
"Boo!" She expressed her displeasure by puffing her cheeks and pouting. She quickly shifted her focus towards Carmen, who was cautiously trailing behind the group. "Hey, you!" The other blonde hesitated for a moment before meeting her gaze. "How about you join us for lunch? We rookies need to stick together, you know."
"Uh, well-" Carmen glanced towards Lester, who was currently annoying Jake with one of his lame knock-knock jokes, before shifting her eyes to the smiling Sarah. "-Sorry, I think I might have to take a raincheck on that offer. I was hoping to speak with L-" Unfortunately, before she could finish her sentence, Sarah was already marching in her direction and firmly took hold of her wrist. "Hey! What are you doing?! I told you I'm a little b-".
"Nope!" Sarah dragged the blonde towards Joshua, wrapping an arm around his neck, and pulling both rookies.
"Ow, stop pulling my arm, you crazy girl!"
"Sarah, I can't breathe..." Joshua gasped for air as his face turned red. Ignoring his protests, Sarah laughed as they disappeared from the group's sight.
"I kinda feel bad for those two." the normal yet calm Lester commented.
Jake spoke without a hint of remorse, "I'm glad it happened to them and not us."
~(...)~
Kanto region - Pokémon League Committee HQ - President Charles Goodshow's Office
The HQ building of the Pokémon League Committee was situated somewhere in the Kanto region. On the highest floor of the building, an old man with a short height, white beard, and bushy white eyebrows was gazing through the window in his office. He had his arms crossed behind his back and sweat droplets were sliding down his face as he looked outside with a concerned expression. The notorious group led by Pokémon Hunter J and Black Raven was causing immense pressure on the League to cease their reign of terror in the regions. The Committee's recent handling of the Black Raven incident has worsened their public image, as people and media outlets criticize them for not doing enough to stop the Pokémon Hunters. The lack of action from the Committee is causing the public to lose faith in their ability to put an end to these criminal activities.
The office TV was on, playing in the background while the recent incidents caused by Black Raven were being broadcasted. The media even began showing clips of protests happening all around the regions, with people angrily pleading for the Pokémon League Committee to intervene. Interestingly, there were also a few anti-groups who were supporting Black Raven. The world was in complete chaos due to these events. Charles Goodshow never predicted that all these inconvenient events would happen after the sudden disappearance of their Pokémon World Champion, Ash Ketchum. To make matters worse, it was all happening during his final year as the president before his inevitable retirement.
"Not good, not good..." "His voice was raspy, and it was evident that he was deeply concerned. "If only our Pokémon World Champion were here, things might be different." He was engaging in wishful thinking, but it raised the possibility of a favorable outcome if the Kanto native was still present.
As the president was deeply pondering about the actions he should consider, he suddenly heard knocking on his office door. He shifted his attention towards the door since he wasn't expecting any visitors today. His curiosity was piqued, wondering if it was Cynthia or Lance, as they usually show up in crises like these, or perhaps Leon. He won't be certain until he responds.
"Um, yes, please come in," he said uncertainly.
The old president watched cautiously as the doorknob turned and the door slid open with a creak. He held his breath momentarily, hoping it wasn't an intruder. However, as soon as he recognized the mysterious visitor, he breathed a sigh of relief. Standing in the doorway was Looker, a familiar International Police officer who travels the world investigating various villainous activities. Looker wasn't alone, as he was accompanied by a lovely maiden with lilac eyes and matching long lilac hair that was tied into a ponytail. She was dressed in a black suit, which made her look like some sort of special agent.
The sudden visit took Charles by surprise. "Looker and Anabel? What brings you here?" Although he was aware of their motive, he couldn't resist asking.
Anabel burst out laughing at Looker's mock salute, amused by the old man's priceless reaction. After regaining her composure, the former Frontier Brain politely asked, "Excuse me, do you have some free time to talk?" She received a nod in response.
The president served his guests herbal green apple tea, placing their cups on the coffee table in front of them as they gathered around the sofa. "Thank you, Mr. Goodshow!" Anabel thanked the president for his kind hostility. She elegantly picked up her teacup, took a quick whiff of its irresistible aroma, and sipped.
"It's no trouble, my dear," He laughed heartily before sitting next to Looker, the International officer. "So, what is it that you want to talk about?" The president shifted the focus back and asked curiously.
Anabel sipped her tea before placing it on the table, then fixed a serious gaze on the president. "Black Raven." Her lips tingled as she spoke the name aloud, causing the old man to sit up in his seat.
"Don't tell me...he's at it again," He stuttered as beads of sweat slid down his face. Anabel shook her head, putting him at ease. "He's been on the news recently. We don't need any more trouble from him."
Looker drew his colleagues' attention to him, stating, "While Black Raven is the most wanted criminal in the International Police records, there is very little information about him."
"Hm, what do you mean?" the president, looking puzzled, asked for clarification.
Anabel leaned forward and rested her chin on her hands, staring directly into his eyes. "Mr. President-" She spoke in a formal manner, with a serious expression on her lovely face. "-Do you find it odd that Black Raven's character suddenly appeared?"
"Well-" Charles pondered over the thought briefly before speaking again. "-now that you mention it, it is especially during the time when A-"
"Ash went missing." As Anabel finished her sentence, the president's eyes widened slightly.
"That's right. Black Raven appeared months after Ash went missing."
"Supposedly," Anabel corrected the president which caused him to give her a strange look.
"Wait, what?" The assumption that their World Champion didn't go missing by force left the old man completely confused. "So, you're saying Ash went missing on his own free will?"
"That, we don't know for sure." Looker, visibly upset, crossed his arms as he intervened to speak again about the case. "But-" Anabel caught his gaze. "-I believe Anabel is certain Black Raven and Ash are connected."
"Oh? Is that so?" The president became interested and fixated his gaze on the maiden. "What makes you think that, my dear?" The old man couldn't help but ask.
Anabel hesitated before revealing her personal assumption, wanting to avoid complications but believing people should know. "You may not realize it, but Black Raven and Ash are closely connected." The old man appeared bewildered and struggled to follow her message. It seemed as if she was leading him on until the climax.
"I still don't quite follow." Anabel sighed deeply, knowing that explaining the situation would be complicated.
"Mr. Goodshow, you might not believe me what I'm about to tell you but-" Her hesitation lingered a moment longer as she bit her lower lip, her heart racing, and tears threatening to spill from her eyes. Her colleagues began to worry about her mental state. But, after taking a deep breath, she managed to clear her thoughts and regain her composure. Then, she spoke up with confidence and stared directly into the president's eyes. "-Ash's still alive!" Charles Goodshow was surprised by the International Police officer's strong claim, causing him to freeze in his seat. Anabel, however, was not finished. "And...Black Raven is-"
~(...)~
Raven's Nest - 3rd Floor Hallway
"Ah-chooo!" Black Raven sneezed unexpectedly, which startled the nearby grunts who were walking in the hallway. The black-haired teenager grunted as he wiped his nose, feeling like he might be coming down with something or that someone was talking about him behind his back. He won't let a cold stop him from enjoying his meal. Hopefully, Sarah and the rookies aren't causing a disturbance in the cafeteria.
"Food fight!" As madness erupted, Sarah shouted and then threw a whole cooked chicken at a screaming grunt's face. In the chaos that followed, food, chairs, and bodies were flying all over the place. The blonde woman was standing proudly on top of a table, laughing like a madwoman. Joshua and Carmen were crouched under a nearby table, seeking refuge from the chaos that surrounded them. Ash stood at the doorway, his expression deadpan as he observed the mayhem caused by the female Elite. Fortunately, Cutlass was not present, otherwise, the situation would have escalated even further. Ash decided to skip his late lunch and head back before things worsened. However, as he was about to turn back, he came face to face with an annoyed Cutlass, her eye twitching violently.
"What the HELL is going on here?!" Her powerful voice echoed throughout the cafeteria, causing a record scratch to follow as everyone froze. No one spoke until Ash chuckled after someone accidentally threw a pie at her face.
Chaos broke out once again.
Raven's Nest - J's office
A very irritated J sat behind her desk while her two apprentices stood before her, covered in a mess. "I'm not angry just disappointed," "With a groan," she said.
"We know." both apprentices responded with equal disappointment.
After regaining their composure, they shifted their attention to important issues. "Our primary objective is to capture Mew while also capturing rare Pokémon to sell to the highest bidder." The accomplices nodded in agreement, comprehending the tasks assigned to them. "However-" J let out a sigh of frustration, causing her apprentices to look at her with concern."-those fools. The International Police have increased their activity to prevent us from obtaining further bounties."
"Tch. Tools." Cutlass expressed her disgust with the authorities for being involved in their objectives.
"Originally, I was going to have some of you team up together and scout out those recent sightings." J regained the attention of her apprentices as soon as she spoke up again. "It's best to take precautionary measures by sending only three of you, with the involvement of the Pokémon League Committee and International Police."
"I suggest that this child be chosen as one of the scouts." The woman wielding the sword sarcastically lifted her hand, as though they were still in a classroom.
Black Raven's expression soured as he glared at his trusted swordswoman on his right-hand side. "You can always choose to volunteer yourself."
"Nah. It's better for you to do all the work while I stay here. Plus, it would save me the trouble of seeing your face." the woman with teal hair replied.
"Enough!" J grew annoyed and tired of her apprentices' bickering as her eye twitched violently. "I don't care who goes. Just get the job done." She grimaced, sensing a migraine approaching.
"Yes sir/ma'am!"
"When do we want us to depart, Mistress?" Ash, already aware of the answer, couldn't resist asking the question.
"In a few hours," J didn't hesitate to respond, knowing her apprentices should know better. "Gather everyone at the hangar and then decide who will be going from there. I hope this clarifies things. Dismiss!"
"Yes sir/ma'am!"
The tired Pokémon Hunter watches as her apprentices leave her office. Once the door is closed, J leans back into her chair and massages her temples in annoyance. "Those two will be the death of me," she muttered under her breath.
Raven's Nest - 5th Floor
"Hmm hmm hmm~" As the grunt hummed down the hallway during his break, he stumbled upon an object lying on the ground a few feet ahead. "Huh? What's that?" The curious grunt approached the object to get a better look and grinned once he recognized it. "This must be my lucky day!" He slowly bent down to pick up the $100 Poké dollar lying on the ground, unaware it was attached to a wire string. He attempted to grab the easy buck, but the wire string yanked it further away. "Huh?" The grunt attempted to grab the bill, but it was repeatedly yanked away. "Okay you, come here!" The man grunted in frustration as he reached for the bill, but someone quickly pulled it away, causing him to fall onto the floor. Soon after, he noticed that the $100 Poké dollar was floating in the air and being pulled towards a nearby corner. He quickly stood up and chased after it. "Get back here, money!" As he navigated the sharp turn, he was suddenly hit by a massive hand that coated him in whipped cream.
"AHAHAHAHAHA!" A familiar, hysterical laughter echoed through the hallway due to one of Lester's pranks. "I can't believe you fell for one of the oldest tricks in the book." Lester walked into view, clutching his sides and still laughing hysterically about the incident that had just occurred.
Carmen peeked around the corner and stared at the Elite. "Lester..." She felt a tingle in her lips as she softly whispered his name. Approaching the black-haired Elite, she closed her forest-green eyes and took a deep breath, while the sound of her footsteps tapping on the floor alerted Lester about her presence.
"Oh hey, it's you!" Momentarily, Lester with yellow eyes due to the strange oval jewel on his glove was currently emitting a yellow glow, calmed down and greeted the approaching "rookie". "Are you here to enjoy a good prank as well?" He failed to notice the serious expression on the woman's face as he tried to stifle a few chuckles."Did you just see with that-"
"Cut the crap, Lester!" Carmen interrupted her friend with a hiss, causing the Elite to give her a weird look. "We need to talk!"
"Eh? Talk?" Prankster Lester began cleaning his ear with disinterest. "That's boring!"
"Lester!" Carmen raised her voice and shouted, causing the Elite to glance back at her. "I won't leave until we have a civil conversation. Let's talk," she said seriously and refused to back down."
Lester stared at the woman who defied him until a frustrated sigh escaped his lips. He realized arguing with her was pointless. "Jeez. You're such a pain in the ass." Carmen smiled slightly, appearing to be amused. "Fine, we'll talk. Give me a second." He closed his yellow eyes and took a deep breath. The mysterious jewel stopped glowing. When he opened his eyes again, they returned to their natural brown color. "Alright, what do you want to talk about, Carmen?" he asked calmly.
Raven's Nest - The Hangar
Ash, Cutlass, and the rest of the Elite Corp were gathered in the hangar, preparing to review their assignments. Along with them was an army of grunts, ready to follow their orders. Ash surveyed the crowd, looking for any sign of Lester or the new recruit girl before starting the briefing meeting. 'Hm, Lester isn't here yet. That's so unlike him.' He searched around with his auburn eyes, but couldn't spot another person in the crowd. 'And I assume that Stratos is not present here either.' When he thought about the shy Elite, he let out a sigh in his mind.
Noticing that her leader was getting distracted by his own thoughts, Cutlass called out to him. "Hey. Hey!" Ash's trail of thoughts was interrupted by her sudden shout. He glanced slightly back at her. "Can we please get this meeting over with? It's important to stay focused and productive!" Although she may be annoying to him, she was correct this time.
Black Raven shifted his gaze towards the large crowd, fixing his eyes on them. "Listen up! Master J has given us orders to track down and capture the Legendary Pokémon Mew!" A wave of gasps and whispers broke out as he made the announcement, but he continued nonetheless. "We have a target on our back and it won't be easy. The Pokémon League Committee and International Police are on high alert and will stop at nothing to thwart our plans. We cannot afford to fail, so we must do everything to succeed." Ash raised his hand and clenched it into a fist. To avoid suspicion, Sarah, Jake, and I will investigate the recent Mew sightings."
"Yahoo!" The female Elite, blonde and beaming, threw her fist in the air, thrilled to have been chosen by her leader. "I am excited to have a meaningful task at hand! I am glad I don't have to run boring errands anymore!" Jake closed his book with a dejected sigh. He had hoped to catch up on his studies, but since his leader had handpicked him for a mission, he couldn't complain too much.
"Darn." Joshua felt disappointed that he was not selected for a mission.
Noticing her fellow rookie's depression, Sarah comforted him with a strong pat on the back. "There, there, Joshy, there's always next time," With a big grin, she said words that were supposed to encourage him. But instead, they made the teenager even more depressed, causing his shoulders to slump in defeat and giving off a depressing vibe.
"Let Operation Mew comiss!" Ash spoke up, diverting everyone's attention towards himself. "The hunt has begun!" A loud commotion of cheers and shouts broke out.
~(...)~
Pokémon League Committee HQ - President Charles Goodshow's Office
Charles Goodshow was taken aback and froze in his seat, eyes wide and mouth agape, unable to believe what Anabel had just revealed about Black Raven and the possible identity of the criminal. During the ordeal, both Looker and Anabel remained calm as they watched the president absorb the information given to him. He was uncertain about what to believe anymore. "Are you, positive, Miss Anabel?" He stuttered as he asked the question, still in shock. Her expression alone told the story, even though the former Frontier Brain didn't give the old man a straight answer. "I...don't believe it." He couldn't believe what he had heard and his shoulders sagged in disbelief.
"I know it's difficult to accept it, Mr. President." Anabel did her utmost to console the elderly man. "But-" She bit her bottom lip before speaking again. "-we must push past our personal feelings and accept what was given." She sighed in frustration; the Black Raven topic stressed everyone out.
"The truth is, President, it's still just a theory." Looker joined the conversation after his partner spoke. "But a very good one, nonetheless."
"How sure are you?" Charles Goodshow was still in denial, so he couldn't help but ask again.
"You see, Mr. President-" Anabel paused for a moment, attempting to come up with a way to clarify. Upon further reflection, the young woman proceeded to elaborate on her previous statement. "-International Police can now identify criminals without fingerprinting or hair samples." Charles Goodshow was both amazed and doubtful about the discovery.
"Is that even possible?" He felt the need to request additional clarification. Looker received a firm nod from the maiden, who then motioned to her partner. With direct eye contact, he understood his assignment and proceeded to pull out a few items from his coat - a rolled-up poster and a small mechanical device.
"Showing it to you will make understanding easier." The international officer unrolled a wanted poster featuring the most recent mugshot of Black Raven. With the device in hand, he pressed a button. The device emitted beeping noises and various colored lights began flashing. Charles and Anabel anxiously watched as he held the device over the poster. Soon a beam of light shot out from the device and started scanning the Black Raven image, capturing all the details. After completing its scanning process, the device astounded the old man by displaying a holographic image of Black Raven. "With this device-" Looker placed two fingers on the goggles of the holographic Black Raven as he began to speak again. "-we can now identify criminals even if they're wearing masks or goggles." After quickly moving his fingers to the side, he revealed the big surprise. The newly unveiled holographic image of the Black Raven caused the president to widen his eyes and open his mouth in astonishment. All that Anabel had told him was beginning to sink in.
"No, this can't be true..." He stared at the floor in disbelief while Anabel remained calm, fighting her torn feelings.
The group was now seeing a holographic image of Ash Ketchum.
It's ironic that the person who was once admired by the world is now responsible for its madness.
Next preview - Chapter 8: "Champions Assemble!"
Cynthia: "Steven! Lance! It's good to see you again!"
Steven: "Same here."
Lance: "It's amazing to think that we have gathered here since the Masters Eight Tournament."
Nemona: "Hi, I'm Nemona, the Pokémon Champion of Paldea. I hope we can battle once this is over. You all look very strong!"
Anabel: "Thank you everyone for attending! We have an important matter to discuss."
Iris: "Wait, aren't you Anabel, the Salon Maiden of the Battle Frontier's Battle Tower? What are you doing here?"
Nemona: "Chapter 8: Champions Assemble!"
Iris: "No...you're lying! Ash may be a little kid, but-"
Anabel: "Trust me, even though it may seem unbelievable, this is the truth!"
Iris: "Shut up!"
I bet you didn't expect Ash's identity to be revealed so soon, did you? Also, I noticed that all of you were curious about the actual ship for this story. I'm still not sure yet, but it could be multiple depending on the route I take. Anabel's role will be an important factor in the series. Keep an eye out for her, as well as the Pokémon Champions in the next chapter and beyond.