---0---0--- SCENARIO 09 ---0---0---
The very next day, Gracemeria Air Base was disturbed by a very noisy and very annoying air raid siren. The sun hasn't risen yet completely and bombs were being tossed around again. It was almost no different from the air raid a few days ago—the one Ash first participated in with his Charizard. All hell broke loose across the tarmac as planes began taxiing along the runway. Worse, the rangers didn't expect a dawn raid.
"These guys don't know how to quit, do they?" Terry said; making last-minute checks on his cockpit before takeoff. "Now they're bombing us at the break of dawn?"
"It just means that they're serious." Mikhail replied over the radio. "I'm taking off."
As soon as Mikhail's plane was taxiing down the runway for takeoff, a bomb suddenly landed and exploded right next to the plane's tail. It steered out of control but fortunately the pilot was able to eject before it went on an uncontrollable frenzy before slamming into the tree barricade at the end of the tarmac.
"Mikhail, are you okay?" Terry asked over the radio.
"Yeah, I'm fine. I wish I could say the same for my wings." Mikhail replied. "You'll have to take them on alone."
"Maybe I don't have to."
"Oh no—no, no, no, no, and NO; you are NOT taking that kid with you. He's just a trainee."
"Just like how I started, right? This will be good experience for him."
---0---
"Who the heck gave the kid permission to scramble?" Professor Rowan asked.
"It's Lieutenant Maple, sir." A fellow ranger reported. "Apparently, Lieutenant Katarin's plane blew up during taxi and he was in need of a replacement wingman ASAP."
"Ash…?" May was as worried like hell. "He's just starting! What is Terry thinking?!"
"It's too late now, child. All we can do now is pray that they come back alive." Professor Rowan said.
"Ash…Terry…" The brunette coordinator muttered.
---0---
"This is AWACS unit codename Dragonite. We'll be providing intelligence support from the sky. Sixteen enemy contacts detected on radar around the airbase. All planes, take them out."
A huge plane with a huge revolving radar dish on top flew several feet above the combat airspace. This huge plane would now be providing support by relaying orders from Central Command to the fighters below it. Things just got a lot more complicated for the trainer whose plane was wobbling just because he couldn't keep the shaking flight stick steady. His attacks were missing as well. Terry needed to relay some directions to Ash just to get the hang of it; and it was totally ruining his kill score.
"Kid, I want you to think of your first sortie with your Charizard." Terry said.
"My Charizard…?"
"The way you flew with the Pokemon is almost the same as flying that plane."
The trainer did while he opened himself for an attack or two. Amazingly, the recall worked for him so much; he, a complete newbie, was able to dodge two missiles that were inbound for his plane by turning hard right. Even Terry was surprised himself.
"Whoa, I didn't expect that to work." He said to himself.
"Ha, ha, ha, ha…! I did it!" The trainer said happily. "I did it!"
"Don't celebrate yet, son. Bring down those wings for me."
"Yeah, bring it on!"
He turned around and intercepted the closest enemy plane in sight.
"Keep the plane steady and get as close as possible to the target." Terry said. "Wait for the cursor to turn red before attacking."
Ash pursued his kill by following its movements while getting as close as possible to it. The cursor tracking the enemy's movements changed color from green to red in an instant.
"Terry, the cursor just changed red!" He yelled.
"Press the left red button for a missile…and hurry before you lose a lock on it!" Terry replied.
The trainer pressed the left red button as he was instructed to do. The bottom fuselage of the plane opened up and a missile dropped from it before igniting for launch. The missile stayed on course until it slammed behind the target; engulfing both in a big explosion.
"Sweet kill, kid…!" Terry said. "Now head for the other targets…and watch your six."
"My six…?" Ash replied; wondering.
"It means the tail of your plane. It's the last place you want it hit by something."
---0---
"This is AWACS. Gracemeria Air Base is clear of enemy bombers. All planes, mission complete."
"It seems like the young lad gets to live another day." Professor Rowan said. "Maybe I underestimated him too much."
"Thank goodness he's still alive." May sighed. "I want a word with that idiot."
Just when they thought that the battle was over and all the planes were accounted for, an even louder siren sounded across the airfield. It seemed that AWACS jumped to conclusions too early.
"Commander, we're picking up something on radar…and it's huge!" One of the command center personnel reported.
An image of the unidentified contact was put on the monitor. Just outside the airbase was a huge flying wing armed with weapons of war to the teeth. This was no ordinary plane but more like a ship in the sky. They never imagined something as huge as this could exist in real life. Heck, they never imagined that a fully-operational plane at this scale would even fly.
"W-W-What is THAT?" Dawn gasped in horror. "Brock, am I dreaming?"
"That…is a plane." Brock said. "Is it?"
"Don't ask me. I'm as shocked as you are!"
"I have a bad feeling about this."
The people in the sky were just as surprised as the people on the ground.
"All allied planes, listen up! There's a giant wing just outside the airbase. Central Command has ordered its complete destruction. But be careful; it's armed to the teeth."
"Look at the size of that thing, Terry!" Mikhail said over the radio from the command center. "I don't think that's a plane."
"Well, whatever it is, we need to take it out." Terry replied. "Kid, stay close to me. The rest will draw anti-air fire away from the strike team."
"I have a bad feeling about this."
"We'll just hit it with everything you've got."
The next few moments after flying off to engage the mother ship, that's when things went horribly wrong.