Chapter One.
The hot summer air was thick as many of the men perfectly lined up outside their military barrack found it hard to breath steady. The unforgiving sun rays falling upon them like a fierce rain storm and the hour long formation stand getting to them. A few of the men weakly gave into the temptation of the blazing sun and risked to sip from their canteens which was against their orders, fearing they'd pass out before their company commander arrived. The eyes of the soldiers began weak and a few of their stances became wobbly, their focus slowly disappearing.
Each man wore the standard military field uniform for a infantry soldier. Each man had a pair of neatly polished combat boots on, their tan field trousers neatly tucked within them, they wore light gray undershirt under their gray military field tunic, and a grayish tan field cap. Located upon the upper left sleeve of their sleeve was their unit patch which was a dark blue shield with two red swords crossing in the middle and the number two over it in yellow. Located right above the symbol was a tab with the word "mountain" on it. Located on the middle part of both sleeves were the rank insignia chevrons for enlisted men, and for officers their officer's bar was located on their collar and patrol cap. On the upper right sleeve was the Kanto national symbol. On the upper left breast pocket were the words, Kanto Royal Army. Each man had a small gray pack securely strapped to their back, officers wore a sharp officer's sword on their belts and enlisted men had a foot long blade attached to the side of their back accessible from their back.
These men were part of the Kanto Royal Army. Their unit was a well known and fierce infantry unit known as the, 2nd Mountain Division. A elite and well trained division that was taught in the ways of fighting in almost every terrain as an infantry unit and specialized in the rough mountain terrain where many basic infantry units could not fight well in.
The men were silent as every enlisted man stood in formation with their platoons, the lowest ranking men standing in the back, with the Corporals in the third row, all the Sergeants in the second row, and in the first row was their platoon leader. Standing before 2nd platoon was a young faced Second Lieutenant who was about the age of twenty five. He was well liked by his platoon and got along with the other officers, he was no other then Ash Ketchum.
Hearing about the sudden declaration of war by Johto on Kanto and wanting to better himself both physically and mentally Ash signed up for the military. Being selected and graduating officer's training school he went on to then be tested for the possibility of being selected for the 2nd Mountain Division. Ash had to be separated from his dear companion Pikachu who like most Pokemon who were signed up with their trainer was selected to help the war effort. Pikachu was attached to a support unit that would help restore electricity to towns that the Kanto Army would take. Yet, not all Pokemon were as lucky and they were assigned to combat units like the Growlithe bomb squad that would sniff out explosives, or the Pidgey squadron that would do recon over enemy lines.
"Look sharp men here comes the Captain and Surge," Gary snapped at his men as Ash's closest friend and fellow Second Lieutenant was in charge of 1st platoon located directly to Ash's right. Upon hearing Gary tell him men to do so he could hear practicably every man within the company fix their stance in fear they'd get chewed out for it. A few seconds passed and Ash could hear the sounds of the two higher ranking officers conversing as they passed through the long lines of soldiers. Finally, reaching the front of the formation the two men turned around to face their soldiers.
"Company at attention!" First Lieutenant Surge roared loudly as every man quickly snapped upwards their bodies as straight as a board and their eyes fiercely starring forward in fear to be targeted by the former gym leader turned Army Officer.
Stepping a few steps forward as no other then their company commander, a fierce fighter in both the ways of combat and Pokemon battles. His uniform was neatly pressed, his amber eyes examined every man within the company glare by glare, a smirk displayed upon his face as he did so, his jet black hair sticking out from his gray patrol cap, and his left hand resting on the hilt of his sword as his right hand playfully rubbed the grip of his sidearm pistol.
He was the commander of Abra Company, Captain Red.
None of the men knew his first name, only his last. There had always been rumors that he had once killed one of his platoon sergeants a few years back for disobeying him. They said he completely avoided being court martial because he simply stared the General in the eyes and the general was to afraid to even speak. Naturally, Ash didn't believe any of this but he had to admit that Red was a frightening man.
"That is all," Red stated calmly as he turned around and nodded to Surge who quickly ordered all of the men to return to their barracks.
Ash just stood there baffled.
Red would always do this. Make them stand in attention for hours and then show up later with a smile on his face, then dismiss them right away.
"Second platoon return to your barracks!" Ash echoed loudly as he turned to face the annoyed looks his men were giving him about how Red would always do this. Ash gave his close friend and platoon sergeant, Staff Sergeant Brock Stone a simple nod allowing him to take over the platoon while they returned to their barracks.
Ash sighed heavily as he turned to be greeted by Gary and another Second Lieutenant who was in charge of 3rd platoon. The man was about Ash's age he had short chocolate brown hair, his hazel green eyes annoyingly glared at Red and Surge as they walked away, and he had a light tan to his skin. He was a good friend of Ash's who had just been recently assigned to their unit, Bryson Walker. Bryson had a Growlithe who was assigned to a bomb squad within the 1st Mountain Division something that obviously worried Bryson.
"Can't believe the Captain did this again," Bryson muttered annoyingly as it was their day off and Red had a habit of doing this to them on their days off.
Ash simply shrugged.
"All I know is that I heard from Robertson in Golbat company says that our division is being send out," Gary stated casually as the three of them began to make their way towards the officers barracks.
"Robertson is full of bullshit," Bryson stated back with a chuckle as the First Sergeant from Golbat Company was known for his tall tales.
Ash examined a few of the men in their unit at the shooting range all of them with their guns at hand. A few of the officers were firing off their personally selected sidearm pistols and revolvers. Four men were laying on their stomachs with their bolt action rifle at hand firing off a shot and then pulling back the bolt to allow the next bullet to cycle into the chamber, the standard Kanto military rifle had a ten round clip. Beside those men were two others holding the newly assigned sub machine guns that were just recently being handed out, they had a clip of twenty five shots and were fully automatic; the only problem was they shot out pistol rounds and weren't useful for long range. At the end of the line was a machine gun crew of three men firing off the heavy water cooled gun with a Squirtle who acted as their gun cooling operator, as he used his water gun to cool it off.
"Ashy Boy... Earth to Ketchum," Gary's voice echoed throughout Ash's head as Ash was suddenly snapped out of his daze to turn aroudn to face Gary and Bryson, "We're here."
The three men entered the officer's barracks that was the same size as the enlisted men's but instead of being crowded with fifty men theirs only had twenty beds within it and only ten were being used. Gary quickly dropped on his bed in exhaustion yawning loudly as he did so, Bryson wasted no time and ripped off his boots wiggling his toes through his socks, and Ash sat on his bed removing his hat and running his hands through his hair.
At his bedside was his foot locker which was open for inspection, taped to the top of it was a few pictures. A few of his mother, some of him and Pikachu, but the one that caught his eye every time was a young red haired girl who was smiling as she did the peace sign.
Misty.
Ash found himself lost in that picture many times and could never find a way out of that daze.
He missed her so much.
"Ketchum, Oak, and Walker! Get your asses in the briefing tent, we're having a briefing!" Surge's voice boomed loudly as the towering officer burst into the room and as fast as he appeared he was gone.
"Briefing, in the briefing room... That's a first" Bryson muttered jokingly with a sly grin as the three officers all sighed heavily as they all realized that maybe the rumors were true. Maybe they were being sent out, especially with the war now going on.
