Aoi Hyoudou: I am extremely happy with the feedback provided. Thank you so much for your assistance. Ash and Geeta will not engage in a battle, but they will try to work towards resolving their differences and reducing tension between them. Towards the end, a major event will take place, which will set the stage for the final part of Mesagoza.

Chapter XII

Chaos at Mesagoza - Part 2!

~(...)~

"Here you go, miss." Stratos was staring anxiously at Seabreeze Café's special dish when a waitress approached and placed a plate of Alfajores in front of her. To complete the presentation, she finished by placing a glass of freshly made lemonade beside the dish.

"T-Thank you..." The shy Elite expressed her gratitude without glancing at the waitress who was smiling at her.

Stratos watched as the waitress repeated the same process for Penny, who was seated across from her. After placing the order on the table, the woman bowed her head and politely excused herself. "Please enjoy!" she said before walking away.

The two girls were sitting in silence, both unsure of what to say. After their unexpected encounter, Penny had invited the Elite for a late lunch, hoping to make amends. They went to a café in Mesagoza, which was a pretty common spot. Penny had chosen it because there was one already in the southwest district, and she thought it would be a good way to apologize for bumping into each other. Although the Elite insisted it was her fault, Penny still wanted to offer some hospitality.

After a few moments of awkward silence, Stratos finally spoke up and expressed her gratitude to Penny for her kind gesture, acknowledging that she did not have to do it. "Thank you for the lunch," she said softly.

Another genuine smile crept up on Penny's face. "It's no trouble at all," she said. After a brief pause, she continued, "Let's eat!" The Elite nodded in agreement, and they all began to dig into their food.

Cutlass sat on the 50th step, taking a moment to catch her breath after the strenuous climb. Although she had made some progress, she still had a long way to go before reaching the top of the staircase. Wiping off a few beads of cold sweat from her forehead, she took the chance to admire the view. The gentle breeze that blew past her face felt good. The cool sensation was really refreshing. Although the person who installed the massive obstacle to reach the academy was an idiot, she didn't mind Mesagoza so much. It was a peaceful city, but there wasn't much time to rest and get comfortable. Her objective was almost within reach, but she couldn't help but wonder how the others were faring. She hoped they weren't making trouble and blowing their cover. She did trust them to carry out their orders, but sometimes they would become overly comfortable in their surroundings and lose their focus. That's why she was here, to make sure everything goes smoothly as planned and there will be no setbacks.

A loud "Aaaah!" echoed through the air as the punk leader was flung into a nearby stand and landed on his back. Sarah stood over him, looking very smug with herself.

"Boss!" The gang members cried in shock, but their attention quickly shifted to the smug blonde woman. One of the goons charged at her in a fit of rage, clenching his fist and throwing a punch. "You little! How dare you do that to our b-Ahhhhhhh!" However, just as he threw his punch, Sarah effortlessly sidestepped his pathetic attempt and grabbed his arm, lifting him off the ground. With a swift motion, she slammed him back onto the pavement with a bone-crushing thud. The sound of his groan echoed through the air, causing the other goons to step back in fear.

Sarah soon turned around and shifted her attention to the other members, even taunting them by gesturing with her finger for them to come at her. It was clear that she was warming up and ready for a challenge. The other members couldn't help but feel a bit intimidated by her confidence, but they gritted their teeth in frustration and prepared to face her head-on.

"G-Get her!" The group charged forward with loud shouts, their running footsteps echoing loudly against the pavement.

The blonde Elite stood her ground, watching as her charging foes approached with a smug smirk on her face. "Too easy," she whispered with a hint of confidence.

Sarah reacted quickly to the first goon who tried to impede her progress, delivering a swift kick that caused the hooligan to fall to the ground with a groan. She skillfully dodged a punch and immediately countered with an elbow to the gut, leaving the punk doubled over in pain. Moving with agility and grace, Sarah deftly sidestepped a flurry of punches before taking down each assailant with ease.

The onlookers were astonished by the scene that unfolded before them. They couldn't identify Sarah, but how she effortlessly dealt with the street gang left them in awe.

Slightly distracted by the noisy crowd, Sarah didn't notice the gang member sneaking up behind her. He grabbed her, wrapping his rough arms around her shoulders and chest, chuckling arrogantly. Sarah turned to glare at him, feeling angry. "Hehehe. Got you now, you little-Ah!" Sarah swiftly reeled her head back to his face, causing him to release his hold. Soon she drilled her elbow into his stomach, causing him to gag before headbutting him underneath his chin. He fell backwards on his back with a moaning groan.

Sarah's physical prowess was fully displayed as she swiftly dealt with the remaining troublemakers. She effortlessly tossed them over her shoulders and even skillfully threw them into each other, causing them to fall to the ground.

Soon enough, all the punks were writhing in pain on the ground while Sarah stood tall and unscathed. She was disappointed by the lack of challenge they presented and their feeble efforts to take her down.

One gang member attempted to push himself up from his back, but Sarah quickly reacted by slamming her foot down onto his face. He winced as the Elite pressed and rubbed her foot against his cheek, her arms crossed and a fierce glare in her eyes. "Do you understand now, chumps?" she said as she received a groan in response. She continued to press her foot against the already defeated punk. "You idiots were never a match for me. What a letdown." She let out a soft sigh as she looked away.

As Sarah slowly lifted her foot off the punk's face, he thought the worst was over. However, she surprised him by slamming it back down and pressing it against his other cheek. "I mean, the only real man I see is Leader!" She then playfully placed a finger on her lips and pretended to ponder another guy. "Although, maybe Joshy too!"

"Miss Sarah!" The Elite's thoughts were quickly interrupted when she heard a voice, followed by many running footsteps heading towards her direction.

Sarah quickly turned her head and focused her gaze on the Elite Corp's grunts who were approaching her from the side. As soon as they arrived next to her, they assessed the situation, taking in the extent of the damage and the moaning gang members scattered around the female Elite. She really showed those street punks who's boss. They were glad she was on their side.

"What's up?" With a hand on her hip, she greeted the grunts, wondering what had brought them over to her.

"Ma'am, Black Raven has ordered us to come find you!" One of the grunts reported, causing a grin to plaster on the woman's face.

"Aww~! I always knew he loved me! That's so nice of him." Her demeanor was that of someone who was truly happy.

"I'd like to confirm that we've already moved forward with plan B and have prepared all the necessary procedures for this area." Sarah blinked at the information given to her, unsure what plan B they were referring to. It seemed like there was more to the situation than what they were telling her, and she couldn't help but wonder if they were hiding something.

"Plan B?" It sounds like it took her some time, but eventually, she figured out the alternate plan that the grunt was referring to. "Oh." Realization finally clicked into her mind. "That plan." She had a frown tugging against her lips, hoping her beloved leader wouldn't have to resort to extreme measures to make a statement. However, if he believed it was necessary, she knew she couldn't go against it. As much as she wished he wouldn't do it on Mesagoza, she couldn't deny that she was starting to like the place.

A tense atmosphere descended upon the Central Plaza battle court. Murmurs and whispers spread among the students as they heard the academy chairwoman mention the names of Ash Ketchum and Black Raven. The possibility that the visitor she confronted was indeed Ash Ketchum and Black Raven made them feel extremely uneasy. Even the boy who challenged Ash earlier started having second thoughts and wanted to withdraw his challenge. Geeta maintained her composure, looking at Ash with a confident smile on her face as if waiting for him to acknowledge that she had discovered his true identity.

Ash's face remained emotionless as he stared at the chairwoman. He was somewhat impressed that she knew who he was, despite never having met him. However, this knowledge threw a wrench in their plans. Ash had not expected to be exposed so quickly. Now that the chairwoman knew his true identity, there was no point in denying it. "So what if I am?" With narrowed eyes, he challenged the suspicious woman, ignoring the loud gasps from the students.

"I figured as much," she said, seemingly rather amused.

"I'm sure you're going to report me to Officer Jenny, right?" he said sarcastically. "You do realize I'll be long gone before she even gets here," Ash listed off several different escape plans, but the chairwoman's response was a shake of her head, indicating that this wasn't why she had come to speak with him. Despite her denial, Ash couldn't help feeling suspicious about her true motives.

Ash was taken aback by her response, "No, that's not it at all," she replied nonchalantly. "I'm actually here to see your strength for myself." He raised an eyebrow at her honest answer. "If what Cynthia and Diantha say is true about you," she continued, "then you have no problem with this young man here-" She shifted her gaze back to the young challenger, who appeared to be nervous in front of Ash. After a moment, she turned to Ash himself and offered him a smile. "-am I right?" Geeta looked at the former renowned Pokémon World Champion with a determined expression, waiting for his response. After a tense moment, he finally relented and agreed to take on her challenge.

"Fine, I'll play along for now." Geeta was pleased with his response.

After a short break, Ash and his young challenger positioned themselves on opposite sides of the battlefield with the official standing in the middle. Geeta stood on the sidelines, looking quite entertained and eagerly anticipating a good show from Ash. A group of students had gathered around, eagerly anticipating a good battle. However, there was also a sense of anxiety in the air as they wondered what Ash, a notorious wanted criminal, would do next.

"The battle will be a 3-on-" However, before the judge could even get a word in, Ash rudely interrupted, stating that he already knew how a Pokémon battle worked.

"Don't even bother!" Without any care for the rules and stipulations that could be explained to him later, he spat. The judge and the student turned their heads to look at him. "It's unnecessary for me to have three Pokémon just to defeat someone who is weak." The boy student's eyes narrowed as he stared at the overconfident criminal, deeply offended by his cruel words. "One Pokémon is more than enough!" Ash firmly grasped his already selected Poké Ball and flung it into the air. "Garchomp, come forth!" In a flash of bright, colorful light, a familiar land shark Pokémon emerged from the spherical object before them. It was Garchomp, and it let out a ferocious growl before playfully chomping at its Trainer's head, causing the gathered crowd to jump in surprise. "Quit it, Garchomp! How many times did I tell you not to do this when we are battling?" Despite feeling frustrated with his Dragon Pokémon's tendency to chew on his head, Ash found himself unable to hold back his laughter. Geeta was taken aback when she saw the young criminal breaking character and sharing a heartwarming moment with his Pokémon. Despite her initial surprise, she found herself smiling at the scene.

Once Garchomp regained its composure, it glared at the student across the field who was still contemplating his strategy on how to handle the Dragon/Ground Type. It was clear that Black Raven had chosen a Dragon Pokémon, so it was logical for the boy to go with a type advantage, which he did. The student hurled his selected Poké Ball, tossing it into the air with determination. "Cryogonal, I choose you!" In a sudden burst of vivid, multicolored radiance, a creature resembling a Pokémon composed entirely of ice crystals materialized before Garchomp. Its body took the form of a brilliant, hexagonal snowflake, shimmering with a bright blue hue as it floated gracefully through the air.

A small smug smirk curled up on Ash's lips, slightly amused by the student's obvious choice. "To be fair, I'll let you have the first move." As he offered his proposal, he couldn't resist adding a taunt, but it only served to further infuriate his opponent. "That way, it won't be too boring."

"Your overconfidence will be your downfall!" After feeling frustrated for a while, the challenger finally decided to accept the kind offer and make the first move. "Cryogonal, fire with Ice Beam!" Cryogonal swiftly unleashes a beam of light blue energy from its front, aiming directly at Garchomp.

Ash stood there, calm and collected, observing as the Ice-type move approached his Pokémon head-on. He didn't seem to be in a hurry to issue any commands. The crowd was taken aback by his composed demeanor as he crossed his arms and closed his eyes. Although Geeta appeared to be amused by Ash's behavior, she knew he had nothing to worry about when it came to Garchomp taking on an Ice-type move directly. Garchomp's expression turned fierce as it braced itself for impact. But as the Ice Beam hit its mark, the Dragon-type's body was instantly surrounded by a layer of ice, trapping it in place.

"This is a great moment for me! I can already feel the victory in my hands," said the student, beaming with confidence. Soon, Ash couldn't help but chuckle, which caught the boy's attention. He looked over with a mix of curiosity and annoyance. "Hey! What's so funny?!" the boy demanded, giving Ash a sharp glare.

"You truly think you've won?" Ash's eyelids fluttered open and he couldn't help but smile. "I don't think you understand the power of my Garchomp," he told his ignorant challenger, who reluctantly glanced back at the solid block of ice. As the ice began to crack and rumble, the sound of crackling echoed through the air, indicating that Garchomp was breaking free from its icy prison.

"N-No way!" The boy could hardly believe his eyes as he watched the block of ice shake and shudder. Suddenly, with a fierce growl, Garchomp burst out from within, sending ice shards flying in every direction. The crowd was left stunned by the unexpected turn of events.

"Now then, Flamethrower!" With Garchomp now free, Ash didn't waste a moment to issue his orders. Garchomp's eyes gleamed with determination as it pounded its feet on the ground and let out a fiery stream of blaze from its mouth, aimed directly at Cryogonal. The blazing blast hurtled towards its target at an incredible speed.

"Cryogonal, use Ice Beam again!" The student, in a state of panic, hastily issued a command to Cryogonal in an attempt to counter the incoming Fire-type move. Cryogonal followed the order and unleashed a beam of light blue energy from its front, aimed directly at the approaching Flamethrower.

Both attacks collided and it appeared as though Garchomp's Flamethrower was overpowering Cryogonal's Ice Beam. However, suddenly a cloud of white smoke erupted, shrouding the arena and obstructing the view for the competitors and spectators alike.

BOOM

"I can't see anything." The anxious student was nervously looking around through the thick smoke, hoping to catch a glimpse of Garchomp. His Cryogonal was doing the same, frantically scanning the smoke for any sign of Garchomp's presence. But it was already too late. Suddenly, Garchomp's menacing silhouette appeared right above Cryogonal within the thick smoke, with Ash confidently giving his next order for victory.

"Garchomp, end this with Dragon Rush!" Garchomp charges towards Cryogonal, its two appendages glowing a light blue color. Suddenly, Garchomp's entire body becomes enveloped in a light blue aura with matching streaks. In a flash, it slams into Cryogonal with incredible speed, hurtling straight towards the ground and causing a massive explosion upon impact.

BOOM

Cutlass was making her way up the staircase, but suddenly heard a loud explosion from behind her. She stopped and turned around to see black smoke rising from the explosion. She couldn't help but feel annoyed, thinking that one of her group members, especially Sarah, could be responsible for it. However, she had a nagging feeling that it might be her leader, Ash, engaging in some pointless battle to show off. Cutlass knew Ash well and had battled him a few times in the past, so she had a good idea when it was him causing the commotion. She was worried that it could compromise their cover, but she also knew that Ash was a skilled fighter.

"That stupid idiot, what's he doing over there?" she muttered under her breath.

As the explosion went off, bits of dirt and debris rained down on the battle court. The boy student shielded himself from the impact, letting out a groan. When the dust cloud cleared, he cautiously removed his arms from his face. To his amazement, he saw a massive crater just a few feet away from him. Ash's Garchomp stood unscathed at the bottom of the massive hole, looking down at the defeated Cryogonal. The Ice-type Pokémon's face had been replaced by a big swirl, giving it an expression of defeat. "No, Cryogonal!"

Ash and his Garchomp emerged victorious as the battle came to an end.

Ash watched as his Dragon/Ground-type Pokémon made its way towards him. Once it reached him, he congratulated Garchomp on its excellent performance. "Well done, buddy! You deserve a good rest." He retrieved its Poké Ball and returned it inside, allowing it to rest and recover. Soon, loud clapping from the sideline caught his attention, and he turned to see Geeta applauding his performance with a smile. As a former Pokémon World Champion, Ash had set high standards, and Geeta expected nothing less. He narrowed his eyes as she approached him, still applauding.

"That's fantastic! I knew you would come through," she complimented, lowering her hands to her side. "If Nemona were here, she would be eager to battle you." She mentioned the name of the current Pokémon Champion of Paldea, but Ash couldn't care less.

"If you're done here, can I go now?" He found himself increasingly frustrated with the chairwoman. He felt like he was spending too much time trying to amuse her, and it was starting to wear on his patience.

Geeta gazed at the young criminal, a small smile playing on her lips. While she would typically let individuals go about their business, she knew that she couldn't let Ash, also known as the infamous Black Raven, out of her sight. However, instead of arresting him, she surprised him with an unexpected offer.

How about some lunch?" Ash looked at the woman, puzzled. "You must be starving." She gave him a friendly smile.

"Ah." Stratos took a sip of her lemonade and let out a cute, satisfying gasp as she finished the glass. She then placed the empty glass on the table in front of her.

It seems like the late lunch was enjoyable, but unfortunately, there was an awkward silence between the two girls throughout the meal. However, the shy Elite did take the opportunity to express her gratitude again for the act of kindness. It's not often that a stranger would treat her to a meal, as the only person who would do so from time to time is Ash. It's strange that it wasn't him this time around. Typically, people find her strange due to her lack of human interaction, even with her fellow Elites.

Penny couldn't help but notice that Stratos was fidgeting in her seat, and she grew curious about what might be going on in her mind. "Are you okay?" Penny asked, causing Stratos to tense up a bit.

Stratos turned her head and looked at Penny. "Um, thanks again for lunch," she said with a grateful smile.

"It's no problem," Penny responded with a genuine smile.

Stratos shook her head and continued, "You see, you're the second person who had ever offered such kindness to me." As Penny listened intently, she felt a growing curiosity about who was the first. However, she decided to hold her question and kept listening to what was being said. "When I was younger, I spent my childhood in an orphanage where I often felt isolated from the other kids. They would treat me differently and I was often seen as an outsider because I didn't try to engage with them as much as they wanted me to. It was tough feeling like I didn't fit in." Penny could empathize with the shy Elite. It was almost like looking in a mirror. She herself had experienced a similar situation where her shyness had made others avoid her. However, with the help of Nemona and Arven, she was finally able to break out of her shell.

"All you need is a friend." The girl's eyes widened in disbelief as she looked at Penny, completely dumbfounded by her response.

Before Stratos could ask Penny to elaborate on her statement, a familiar voice interrupted their conversation. "Hey, Penny!" Both girls turned their heads to see Arven approaching their table with a big grin on his face. As he arrived at their side, he noticed Stratos and his expression turned curious.

"Oh, hey, who's this?" That was a good question. Penny didn't ask for Stratos' name, as it had slipped her mind. The presence of Arven made the situation even more awkward for the nervous girl, who bit her lower lip in hesitation. However, after recalling what Penny had said and considering her a "friend," she mustered up some confidence and introduced herself. "I'm Str-It's Sierra." Penny smiled while Arven grinned.

"It's nice to meet you, Sierra!"

While the group chatted away, they had no idea that Elite Corp soldiers were quietly infiltrating the district, planting sticky explosives in preparation for their upcoming scheme.

"Finally!" Cutlass let out a long "finally" as she reached the top of the staircase. She was on her knees, gasping for breath, sweat pouring down her face and dripping onto the pavement below. Despite her exhaustion, she couldn't help but admire the view from the top. She shifted her attention to the massive structure in the distance, eager to proceed with her mission. Just as she was about to move forward, she caught a glimpse of a male student staring at her from the corner of her eye, which irritated her. "What?"

"Uh, you know you could have just used a flying Pokémon like we did, right?" Cutlass followed the direction in which he pointed his finger and noticed that several students were disembarking from their Flying-type Pokémon's backs. She felt a violent twitch in her eyebrow, frustrated with herself for not thinking of that sooner.

Geeta's eyes twinkled as the waiter from Barato's placed a plate of the restaurant's signature dish, Salisbury Steak with Fried Fixings, in front of her. "Thank you," she said with a smile, feeling grateful for the attentive service.

The waiter gracefully excused himself from the table, "You're most welcome, madame. Please, excuse me." He bowed politely and proceeded with his other duties, leaving the chairwoman and her guest to savor their meals in peace.

Geeta and Ash went to the southwest district for a late meal. They stumbled upon a restaurant called Barato and decided to try it out. Geeta wanted to show her guest a good time. Ash wasn't sure what to expect, but he appreciated Geeta's gesture. As they sat in their seats, Ash looked down at his Salisbury steak and didn't seem too thrilled. Geeta noticed that he hadn't touched his food yet and glanced at him.

"Go on-" Ash's attention shifted towards the chairwoman, his eyes fixed on her after briefly glancing away from his steak. "-before it gets cold," she said. With grace, she elegantly grasped her knife and started to cut into the succulent steak, savoring every bite as she indulged in the rich and delicious flavors.

Ash picked up his knife and reluctantly followed suit, slicing bits of his steak and stabbing a piece with his fork. Just as he was about to enjoy his first bite, the wireless earpiece in his ear started beeping, causing him to halt his meal. "Sir!" Ash chose to remain quiet and listen, not wanting to raise any suspicion from Geeta, as a grunt's voice could be heard at the other end of the line. "All preparations are set! We are waiting for your next order!" A small, mischievous grin spread across Ash's face, hinting that he was quite satisfied with the initiation of plan B and all that remained was for him to carry out his word and see it through.

A sense of impending danger was slowly creeping into Mesagoza, and it seemed that no one was safe from it.

Next preview - Chapter 13: "Chaos at Mesagoza - Part 3!"

Cutlass: "Here it is! The book of the Paradox Pokémon!"

Raifort: "I don't think I've ever seen you before, miss!"

Ash/Black Raven: "Sorry, Geeta, but it's time for Mesagoza to crumble!"

Geeta: "Don't do it, Ash!"

Ash/Black Raven: "Do it, Stratos!"

Stratos/Sierra: "I..."

Geeta: "Chapter 13: Chaos at Mesagoza - Part 3!"

Stratos/Sierra: "I'm sorry, Penny...but I must do what makes Ash happy. Please, forgive me!"

Penny: "Please, don't!"

The events leading up to the conclusion of Mesagoza seem to be quite intense, so it's always good to be prepared for what's to come. It's unfortunate that Cutlass had to go through such a difficult situation when there may have been an easier way for her to handle things. Additionally, it seems that the next chapter is going to be quite emotional for Sierra, which might be a tear-jerker.