Aoi Hyoudou: I am extremely happy with the feedback provided. Thank you so much for your assistance. I'm glad to hear that everyone is excited about the upcoming Area Zero saga! It sounds like it's going to be quite intense. In the meantime, why not enjoy some thrilling battles and the exciting buildup to this highly anticipated event?

Chapter XI

Chaos at Mesagoza - Part 1!

~(...)~

As the Elite Corp's airship approached its destination, Black Raven and his female companions were waiting inside the craft's holding zone. Sarah, one of the female members, was leaning comfortably on Raven's right shoulder and dozing off, occasionally giggling in her sleep. On his left shoulder was a young albino girl with short white hair, wearing a shortened white garment robe with a raven logo on the back. Surprisingly, she was also an Elite and the rookie who had been locked inside her room since the gathering, as Cutlass had informed them. During the long flight to Naranja Academy, the two female Elites made themselves comfortable by using their leader as their personal pillow.

Sitting across from the scene, Cutlass appeared unamused with her arms crossed and a frown on her face. She glared as if envious, but when she locked eyes with Ash, she quickly looked away and let out a "hmph" sound. Black Raven let out a sigh, sometimes not understanding his swordswoman. As he shifted his eyes down towards the sleeping albino girl, he couldn't help but think back to the events that led to this circumstance.

"Nooooooo!" Sarah couldn't help but burst out laughing at Joshua's dramatic reaction to losing the game of rock-paper-scissors. She had won the right to go on the Area Zero mission with Black Raven and Cutlass, leaving Joshua disappointed and frustrated. He fell to his knees and muttered to himself, "Damn...I should've known I should have gone with paper...".

"Sorry, Joshy~! Maybe next time!" Sarah tried to console him, but Joshua was too upset to listen and continued to berate himself for his poor choice of strategy.

As Cutlass observed the Elite Corp members acting so childish around her, she couldn't help but feel annoyed. It baffled her how these individuals were able to pass the entrance exam with such idiotic behavior. "You two are so childish."

"Hey!" Sarah glared at her commanding supervisor, who was trying to kill their fun. Despite the woman's arrogance, Sarah didn't appreciate her interference. "Just chill out."

Cutlass glared at the Elite and hissed, "This is why you'll always be soft."

Sarah's words hit Cutlass like a ton of bricks. "And this is why Leader will never find you attractive," she sneered, a smirk playing on her lips. The comment cut deep and Cutlass could feel her face flush with embarrassment and anger. She clicked her tongue in annoyance and looked away, not wanting to give Sarah the satisfaction of seeing her reaction.

"Speaking of Black Raven-" Joshua finally managed to overcome his loss. He stood up and looked around the room, trying to spot their fearless leader. "-where is here?"

Joshua was confused as Sarah moved her hand to her chin, almost as if she was thinking, but he knew she already had an answer. "Where do you think Black Raven went?" he asked her.

"I believe he went to go check on Stratos," Sarah replied confidently. Joshua was surprised to hear that Black Raven would go so far as to check on one of them. The woman seemed unsure and suggested a possibility. "Maybe he thought she was necessary for the mission since we are a bit understaffed," she shrugged.

"Wouldn't Lester be a better choice?" Cutlass seemed reluctant to give an immediate answer, still upset over Sarah's earlier words. Joshua then turned to his fellow rookie, who let out a sigh.

"It would make sense since he's one of the original members, but..." She paused for a dramatic effect.

"But what?"

Joshua's attention was drawn towards Cutlass as she finally broke the silence. "Ever since the gathering, no one has seen or heard from Lester," she said bitterly. "Or that woman he was last seen with." The black-haired teen blinked at the mention of "that woman." He furrowed his brow, trying to recall who she might be referring to. After a few moments, a memory clicked into place and he finally made the connection.

"Oh, you mean Carmen!" Joshua said in realization.

"In any case, Stratos was the next best option left." Joshua couldn't help but frown when he heard that Stratos was the next best option left. He felt like he was being overlooked and it made him a bit uneasy.

"You know, I can go too, right?" Cutlass swiftly rejected the offer of assistance.

"No, we can't risk the base being left unprotected. With Lester's status up in the air and our other top Elites still stationed elsewhere, that leaves you in charge of watching things over until we return from the mission!" said the swordswoman, which only made the rookie let out a groan.

Joshua protested, "But that sounds boring!" He quickly changed his tone when he noticed Cutlass giving him a cold glare. "I mean, yes, ma'am!" Cutlass rolled her eyes at him in response.

Black Raven walked down the hallway on the 9th floor with a tray of food in hand. The silverware clinked and clattered with each step, filling the corridor with noise. He was heading towards a specific room, the one belonging to Stratos, one of the rookie Elites. Cutlass had informed him that Stratos hadn't left her room or eaten anything for the past few days, which was concerning. Black Raven decided to pay her a visit. Upon reaching Stratos' door, he paused for a moment to ensure no one was around before gently knocking on the door with his knuckles a few times. When there was an awkward silence, he attempted to break it by speaking softly.

"Hey, Stratos, you there? It's me, B-," Ash paused, realizing that Stratos was a very shy Elite. He decided it would be better to use her actual name to make her feel more comfortable. "It's me, Ash." He waited for a moment, but there was no response from the room. After a while, he heard some shuffling sounds and then the faint rattling of the door, indicating that someone was unlocking it from inside. Soon the room door slightly creaked open and a familiar Elite peeked her eye out.

"Is that really you...Ash?" Stratos asked quietly, ensuring it wasn't an imposter claiming it was her brotherly figure.

"It's me," Ash said gently with a smile.

Stratos opened her room door a bit wider upon seeing that it was actually Ash. She had a small smile on her face and greeted him with a shaky "H-Hi..." However, her expression quickly turned to a frown as she asked, "Is there something going on? It's very rare for you to pay a visit."

Ash hesitated for a moment before responding. He knew he couldn't tell her the truth about the current situation, so he just shook his head and gave her a reassuring smile. "I just thought you would be hungry. I heard from Cutlass you haven't eaten anything for the past couple of days so I brought some food for you." He held up the food tray in front of her.

As Ash spoke, his eyes met hers with a kind and gentle expression that put her at ease. Despite his words of reassurance, she could sense there was more going on beneath the surface. Still, she appreciated the gesture and felt a pang of hunger as he held up the food tray for her to see. "Thank you, Ash," she said, her voice soft and grateful. "I appreciate it."

"Anytime."

"I get the sense that you are interested in inviting me to participate in a mission."

Ash was taken aback. "Was it that obvious?" he wondered. He couldn't believe that she saw through his facade.

"Y-Yes..."

"Darn."

Black Raven couldn't help but smile as he looked down at Stratos, fast asleep. She was always such a clever girl, albeit a bit quirky. But his moment of warmth was abruptly interrupted by a grunt who entered the room to report their current status. "Commander Cutlass, sir!" The grunt saluted the swordswoman.

"Status report," the woman demanded calmly, her eyes fixed on the lowly grunt soldier.

The grunt lowered his arm and gave his report. "We're just 5 minutes away from Naranja Academy, sir!" His commander acknowledged him with a nod.

"Understood. We'll aim to land on the outskirts of the academy and minimize any potential civilian suspicion," Cutlass ordered the grunt, who saluted and followed the instructions promptly.

"Yes, sir!" He quickly scurried away to relay the commands to the other crew members on board.

"Look at you. A natural born leader." Black Raven showered his right-hand swordswoman with compliments, praising her skills and abilities.

Cutlass shrugged nonchalantly, unsure if he was teasing her or genuinely giving her credit. "It's all part of the job," she replied, trying to brush off the compliment.

Cutlass' leader gave her a genuine smile and said, "Maybe that's true, but you're doing a great job. I'm glad you're on the mission with us. I can't do it without you." Cutlass felt a bit embarrassed and turned away, her cheeks feeling hot.

"Q-Quit...saying weird things, you dumb idiot!" Ash blinked at her sudden change of attitude but immediately shrugged.

At the corner of Cutlass' lips, a small genuine smile formed.

~(...)~

Mesagoza - South Gate

Just outside the south gate of Mesagoza, the Elite Corp aircraft landed safely on the ground. The ramp was lowered down to the soil, and the group led by Black Raven made their way out of the craft. Their footsteps echoed against the steel ramp as they slowly descended. Once their feet planted the soil, they gathered around and briefly discussed.

"Alright, everyone, Naranja Academy is just right past that gate," Cutlass said as she gestured towards the big double-sided wooden door in the distance with her thumb over her shoulder. "Within the heart of Mesagoza, the largest city of Paldea."

"To think we're here in Paldea..." Sarah said as she admired the new surroundings around them. "We should consider building a base here," she suggested hopefully. However, Cutlass quickly shut down her idea, stating that it was too risky and that they should stick to their original plan.

"We can't take a vacation now. Our mission is a top priority."

"Jeez, buzzkill, nuch?" Cutlass shot an icy glare at the blonde Elite.

"Try not to stand out when you are here," she said.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Cutlass' words offended Sarah, causing her lips to tug into a frown.

"Moving on-" The swordswoman seemed to pay no attention to the Elite's presence and said, "-while we're here, let's search for any clues about Area Zero." Black Raven nodded in agreement but then frowned.

"It could be a bit challenging to search around if we stick out like sore thumbs." A smug smirk was planted on the swordswoman's beautiful face, signaling that she had already thought ahead.

"That's why I came prepared," Cutlass said coolly before snapping her fingers.

Suddenly, a group of grunts approached the team, carrying sets of clothes in their hands. Without hesitation, they distributed the outfits among the members, ensuring that everyone had their own set to wear. Ash, Sarah, and Stratos took a moment to examine their new attire, which looked very similar to the uniforms worn by students at Naranja Academy. The three of them turned to the confident swordswoman, hoping she could provide some insight.

With great confidence, she stated, "We are blending in."

The team was fully dressed in their new disguises as they made their way through the gate and stood at the entrance, taking in the sights of Mesagoza and its surroundings. The view was truly breathtaking, which explained why so many people from all regions came to visit. The sheer size of the city was impressive, but the group had no time to admire the view. They had a job to do, and it was time to get to work.

"Look, I can see the academy from here," Cutlass exclaimed as she pointed towards a massive structure with a humongous Poké Ball in the center and multiple interconnecting towers in the distance within the city.

"That's great and all, but-" Ash, dressed in his male student uniform, still feeling awkward in school clothes, caught his swordswoman's attention. "Do they really need to wear the uniforms too?" He gestured behind him towards several grunts wearing male student uniforms, drawing suspicious attention.

Cutlass seemed annoyed by the situation as she spoke, her eyebrow twitching in frustration. "I told you-" she emphasized, "-we're blending in, including them too!"

"Sure, no problem." Ash didn't want to push the issue any further, sensing that his swordswoman was already becoming annoyed with him. Soon after, Ash realized that someone was missing from the group, which explained why it had suddenly become so quiet. "Uh, where did Sarah go?" Ash asked, looking around for her.

"That little..." Cutlass clenched her fist up high, visibly annoyed with a vein pulsing in her forehead. "I told her we weren't on vacation!" She had a strong dislike for Sarah.

"Well, that's for Sarah," Ash sighed. "Whenever she stumbles upon something fascinating, she dashes away to explore it further." Then he glanced around and studied the crowd and the surroundings. "And with a city like this, it's nearly impossible to find her."

"If she ever comes back, I'll going to stab her a#%!" Ash raised his eyebrow at his furious female swordsman.

"You seriously don't like her, do you?"

"Jeez, what was your first clue?" Cutlass said sarcastically, rolling her eyes.

"Oh, great, now Stratos' gone!"

"What?!" Ash and Cutlass looked around frantically for the shy Elite, but they couldn't spot her anywhere. Cutlass' anger was reaching a boiling point with the group. "Where did the rookie go off to now?" she exclaimed in frustration.

Ash let out a deep sigh. "I had a feeling this was going to happen. Stratos isn't the best when it comes to dealing with large crowds of people," he said. Cutlass narrowed her eyes at her leader and pressed her lips together in a firm line.

"If you knew that then why did you bring her along?"

"I don't know," Ash replied, shrugging his shoulders. "I thought it would be better to have her with us." Cutlass let out a sigh of frustration and shook her head in disbelief at his lazy response.

"You're an idiot."

Ash tried to calm down his right-hand woman before she lost her temper. "Don't worry, we'll send a few men to look for her," he assured her. Cutlass groaned, clearly unhappy with the plan, but didn't bother to argue. She knew it was pointless.

Ash glanced over to the grunts. "Men!"

"Sir!" They responded simultaneously as they stood in attention.

"We have a missing Stratos. Go find her and Sarah!" He gave his direct orders.

"Sir!"

"While you're at it, make sure plan B is set, do you understand me?!" His face contorted into an evil smirk.

"Sir, yes, sir!"

"Now, go!" Ash gave the signal to dismiss the troops, and he and Cutlass observed as the grunts hurried off to their assignments, their footsteps echoing on the pavement. Ash waited until the grunts were out of sight before turning his attention to the swordswoman. However, he found that she had already started walking towards the direction of Naranja Academy. "Hey, where are you going?" he asked, despite already knowing the obvious answer.

Without glancing back, Cutlass answered sternly. "This job is our top priority and we cannot afford to get sidetracked. Let's stay focused and regroup once we find what we're looking for. See you shortly!" Ash stood there in disbelief as she gave him a lazy wave and continued on her way. Despite his surprise, he couldn't help but be amused by her nonchalant attitude, which was evident from the smirk on his face.

"Suit yourself."

As Ash began to stride in a different direction, a tall woman with dark skin, black hair, and blue and yellow highlights in a black suit emerged from the shadows, suggesting that she had witnessed everything that had just happened. As she watched the young man walk away, she fixed her multi-colored eyes on his retreating form. A whisper escaped her lips, "Could that really be him?" She felt an urge to confirm her suspicions and so she decided to follow Ash.

A happy Sarah was strolling through the northwest district of Mesagoza while enjoying her mint chocolate ice cream cone that she purchased at Sugar-N-Ice, an ice cream stand. "Mmm...so good." She took another bite and couldn't help but giggle at the deliciously sweet flavors.

A group of teenagers were chatting on the street corner until they noticed her approaching figure. They grinned and exchanged glances, clearly up to no good. "Well, well, well, what do we have here, fellas?" As Sarah was walking, she suddenly came to a complete stop and looked up at the group of punks who had blocked her path. She appeared to be innocent and blinked her eyes in confusion. "A fine babe." The punk leader said with a grin, clearly flirting with her.

"What brings someone as beautiful as you to these parts?" the punk goon asked.

"Just on business," Sarah replied before resuming with her ice cream cone.

"We see, we see, we see." Another punk nodded, feigning interest. "Say, how about we take you out to lunch?" he asked.

The Elite pretended to consider the offer, but ultimately declined it with a polite "No, thank you." The punks seemed taken aback by this response but continued with their attempts nonetheless.

"Would you like to go shopping? I think you would look great in something new." Another punk suggested desperately.

"No."

"Then how about-"

"NO, THANKS!" Sarah shouted, her voice rising in pitch and volume, which caught the attention of the group of punks. The sudden outburst seemed to startle the troublemakers. "I'm just not interested, so can you just leave me alone already, you losers!" she said assertively, trying to convey her disinterest in their advances.

The leader of the group became irritated with Sarah's impudent behavior and stepped forward, causing her ice cream cone to fall to the ground with a loud splat. He grabbed her shirt with a hostile expression on his face. "Losers?!" he exclaimed. "You may be attractive, but nobody speaks to us that way!" Sarah's lips curved into a smug grin. "Perhaps it's time I taught you some manners," he warned.

Little did the punks know, Sarah was actually looking forward to having some fun with them.

As Stratos walked through the streets of the southwest district of Mesagoza, she couldn't shake off the feeling of confusion and fear. She had never felt so lost before, not even in the midst of a chaotic battle. It was unlike her to leave Ash's side, but the crowd that had gathered around them was too much for her to handle, triggering a panic attack. Now, she was hoping against hope that Ash and the rest of the group hadn't abandoned her in their haste to move on.

The Elite was feeling quite shy and was contemplating turning back, when she suddenly bumped into someone without looking. The collision caused both of them to fall backwards and wince simultaneously. As they got up and recovered from the shock, they looked at each other in surprise and were unsure how to react. It was as if they were looking in a mirror.

"Um..." Penny said awkwardly.

"Uh..." Stratos was left speechless.

Both girls continued to stare at each other, the silence between them growing more and more uncomfortable by the second.

"Ha...ha...ha..." Cutlass was drenched in cold sweat as she climbed the massive staircase towards Naranja Academy. She felt like it was the worst staircase in the world. Despite her best efforts, she had only made it to the 20th step, with over 100 more to go. "I hate this," she grumbled tiredly under her breath, seemingly annoyed by the obstacle.

Regardless of the challenge, she will persist and work tirelessly until she achieves her goal, no matter how long it takes.

As she trudged along the grueling steps, she couldn't help but contemplate the thought of taking a vacation. "Maybe a break wouldn't be so bad after all," she mused to herself before quickly shaking off the idea and pushing forward.

Ash found himself on the sidelines of the Central Plaza battle court, watching students battle against each other. He had stumbled upon the court while exploring the district in search of clues about Area Zero. The sound of battling drew him in, and he couldn't resist his curiosity.

"Coalossal! Attack with Incinerate!" the Trainer with a hat commanded.

The Coal Pokémon started glowing in orange, yellow, red, and black colors and then opened its mouth. It then launched a fireball towards its opponent.

"Quick, Drednaw! Counter with Liquidation!" a female student Trainer shouted.

The battle between the two Pokémon grew intense. The formidable turtle-like Pokémon opened its mouth wide, charging up energy for an attack. Suddenly, it released a powerful blast of water, aiming directly at the incoming Fire-type move. The two attacks collided, and the force of the impact caused a massive explosion.

BOOM

Ash stood in place, arms crossed, as the strong breeze blew towards him, swaying his front bangs. The two Trainers resumed their battle once the wind subsided. Ash, a former renowned Pokémon World Champion, didn't seem too impressed with their battling style.

However, someone standing beside him complimented the two Trainers' fighting spirit. "These two seem to possess the skills and abilities required to become top-ranked Pokémon Champions," The woman in the black suit, who looked familiar, had her arms crossed and a smile on her face. Her sudden remark caused the teenager to turn and glance at her. When she caught his gaze, she looked directly at Ash and asked him a question. "Don't you think so, young man?" As the battle came to its climax, he remained silent and watched with a slight frown. The victorious female Trainer congratulated her Drednaw.

A Trainer noticed the Geeta talking to a stranger on the battle court and decided to impress the chairwoman by defeating the person in front of her. "Hey, you!" Ash and Geeta directed their attention towards the approaching student. "I noticed you were chatting with Miss Geeta. How about we battle, 3-on-3?" Geeta was intrigued when he threw the challenge down, but Ash didn't seem amused by it.

"No, thanks." The student was taken aback when Ash swiftly refused. The former Pokémon Champion turned away and started to walk away, leaving the student surprised. "I don't have time to mess with bad rookies," he spat out, hurling an insult that deeply offended the young boy.

"Hey!"

"My..." Geeta had her hand propped up underneath her chin, wearing an amused smile on her face as she watched Ash's retreating figure. "I didn't expect you would turn down a challenge like that. It's so unlike you," taunted the amused Geeta. Ash stopped in his tracks and turned to face the chairwoman with a suspicious glare. "Isn't that right, Ash Ketchum, or should I say Black Raven?"

Next preview - Chapter 12: "Chaos at Mesagoza - Part 2!"

Punk: "This chick is crazy!"

Sarah: "I'll teach you for messing with me! Haa!"

Stratos: "...so we are friends?"

Penny: "Of course."

Cutlass: "Finally, I found it!"

Geeta: "I expect a good show, Mr. Ketchum."

Stratos: "...Chapter 12: Chaos at Mesagoza - Part 2!"

Ash/Black Raven: "Things have changed. I'm no longer the weak boy who everyone respected!"

Geeta: "What do you mean?"

Ash/Black Raven: "I'm sorry, Ms. Geeta but all good things must come to an end!"

I enjoyed reading about the dynamic between Ash, Cutlass, and Sarah. They had some intense and funny moments together. Can't wait to see what happens between Ash and Geeta in the next chapter. It's definitely going to be intense. And Ash will have a practice battle, but apparently, it won't even be close. Additionally, Penny and Stratos will become friends, but will it affect Stratos' status as an Elite? We will have to wait and see.