Prologue

"Class, will you please sit down?" Ms. April announces to the rowdy class of aspiring Pokémon Rangers. "Everyone, sit down!"

The class sits down in their desk in the large classroom. The students become silent and Ms. April stands up from her desk.

"As you know, today is the day where the Pokémon Ranger from the Vientown ranger base was supposed to come. However, he got called to a very important mission so we are having an unexpected but pleasant surprise." Ms. April pauses in annoyance as she hears whispers of unrest in the class. "Silence! Now… Instead of the Vientown ranger, we have been graced with the presence of a top ranger."

"A top ranger?!" One of the male students yells in disbelief. "If we can't get a normal ranger how the heck did we get a top ranger?!"

"I was about to get to that… You see this top ranger graduated from this school ten years ago. He was a student of mine in the first year of my teaching and he decided that he was going to visit the school today."

"Sweet! I've got so many questions for him!" A female student excitedly screeches. The class begins to rumble with talking and excitement.

"Class! Silence!" Ms. April yells. The class quiets down. "Now… I would like to introduce Chase Range."

A Pokémon Ranger with a Lucario following him walks into the room from the doors behind the students. He shakes hands with Ms. April and turns to the students.

"Hey kids! As Ms. April said, my name is Chase Range but you can call me Chase." Chase smiles out at the class and the class stares back amazed. "Ok… So does anyone have any questions?" One of the male students shoots his hand up. "Yes?"

"So… ummm… if you're a top ranger does that mean you have a fine styler?"

"Yes it does." Chase raises his arm and shows the class the styler strapped to his arm. The class whispers excitedly. Another arm shoots up, this time from a female student. "How about you?" Chase points at the girl.

"Is that Lucario your partner Pokémon?"

"Yup!" The Lucario leans up against the wall and closes his eyes. "He's kind of shy." A female student raises her hand.

"What age did you graduate from the school?"

"I graduated from the Almia Ranger School at age 15." Another hand rises but this time more cautiously. "Yes?" Chase looks at another female student.

"Ummm… are you in love?" The girl blushes and the class snicker a little. Chase smiles and nods. "Really? You can really have time for relationships as a ranger?"

"Of course you can… Maybe you're busy but that does not stop you from finding true love." Chase says wisely. The girl smiles at him. Another hand goes up from a male student.

"What age did you become a top ranger?"

"I became a top ranger a few months after my 18th birthday." Chase responds. The same hand stays up and Chase nods at him.

"What was your most intense mission as a top ranger?"

"Most intense mission eh?" Chase turns to Ms. April. "This is a pretty long story. Do you mind?"

"Not at all Chase, we have all day! I think it would be great for these kids to hear about one of your missions." Ms. April sits down in her desk and listens.

"Alright, it was the first mission I received as a top ranger. It isn't like most missions that rangers receive… Let me see if I can remember… Well I remember that Professor Hastings was showing me my fine styler in his lab…