The only time when the respective League forces of both the Kanto and Johto regions will ever come together is when we have to represent Indigo as a collective whole.

For instance, Indigo National Day.

Every year, there will be a parade held at Indigo Plateau itself. On that day, it doesn't matter which region you hail from. As long as you are an Indigo citizen, you will feel a sense of national pride as the Indigo flag was raised high into the sky. For that one day, no one really cares if you are a Kantonian or a Johtonian because we all belong to one big family that is Indigo.

The typical flow of the National Day parade every year goes something like this. The moment the parade started, the first thing to happen will be the military procession. The military procession is a big highlight of the event every year, showcasing the three main forces that make up the Indigo League. STAR, Rangers, Police. The best of the best of the three forces from both Kanto and Johto will come together to put on the best show we can offer.

It is not just to wow the audience who will make their way down to Indigo Plateau that day. The entire National Day parade is televised live on TV that will be broadcast to the entire world. The whole world will be seeing this. It is a matter of pride.

Not the entire 1st Regiment will be involved in the rehearsals. On Johto's side, only Black and Yellow squadron are involved this year. On Kanto's side, they have three squadrons. Together, the five squadrons will work together to put on a show that hopefully surpasses those of the previous years.

This is my first participation in Indigo's National Day parade. The rest of my squadron had been involved in the military procession before so they know what to expect, but not me.

I really wasn't expecting there to be such a huge divide between Kanto and Johto.

"So…" I asked slowly as our squadron sat by a corner of the room we are in that we are also sharing with another few squadrons of Kanto's 1st Regiment. "I take it that this is a normal occurrence."

"Yeah, we don't mix." Adam confirmed as we all ate the food packed for us. We are having a short lunch break until the rehearsals start again. Right now, we are in a Ranger Camp at Indigo Plateau where the Ranger forces of both Kanto and Johto mix together. This is the venue for the Rangers rehearsal practices for the military procession.

The rehearsals are no joke. Everything has to be perfect. It's tiring.

"Last time anybody tried, it somehow turned into a free-for-all." Rufus offered. "And- oh. Hey, anyone wants my brinjal? I don't eat those."

"Gimme." Amy used her plastic fork to grab it before continuing the conversation. "And, yeah. It's not like nobody tried, but everytime someone does, somebody else will somehow bring up sensitive topics and then a big argument will inevitably start. And you know us Rangers. If one gets involved-"

"-the whole squadron gets involved." Jacky completed Amy's sentence.

"So just save me a headache and just stick close together." Pyral emphasised. "If you want to mingle, then mingle with those from our region. The higher ups from Kanto and Johto are having a ridiculous enough dick measuring contest as it is. I don't need more drama here."

"And don't bring up the Kanto ban." Jacky lowered his voice into a whisper so that only we could hear him. "That thing is a recipe for disaster. Not when tensions between both regions are at an all time high."

"I don't think we need to worry about Skye. She knows when to keep her mouth shut." Rufus said with a wave of his hand before his gaze turned to a certain potty mouth. "Someone else, on the other hand…"

There was a collective turn of heads.

"Why the fucking hell are you guys looking at me?"

"The last time we were here, you nearly started a bar fight when you were drunk." Pyral stated with a twitch of his left eye. "Thank Ho-oh Liz was there to contain the situation."

"In my defence, that fucker-"

"Adam." Jacky stopped our resident troublemaker with a hand. "It doesn't matter who is right or wrong. If a fight starts, everyone is in the wrong."

"Yeah, and don't forget the punishments. If we got extra duties because of you, I'm going to strangle you." Rufus added.

"Have more fucking faith in me, would you?"

"In any case, I'm sure there will be some idiots from there." Pyral gestured subtly with his head to where the Kanto forces are sitting at another side of the room. "Will purposely find some way to start a fight because of all the recent tension from the Kanto ban. Just make sure you guys stick together at all times. If you need to go elsewhere, make sure you guys at least stick together in pairs."

"Fucking Senator Langley just have to open up a whole can of worms."

"What does he get out of it though?" I questioned. "He's a Johtonian. Doesn't make much sense."

"Do politicians ever make sense?"

"Point."

We quickly finished up our meal and disposed of it properly. There is still half an hour left until the rehearsal starts again.

"Skye, restroom?" Amy asked.

"Sure." I replied, Pyral's words still clear in my mind about sticking together at all times.

"Don't stir any trouble for me." Pyral muttered as he leaned against a wall from where he is sitting on the floor before closing his eyes to get himself a short break, his torkoal resting beside him.

"Aye sir."

Everything turned out alright until Amy and I were on our way back to rejoin our squadron. We bumped into four Rangers from the Kanto's 1st Regiment along the way.

And they started to pick a fight.

"Look who we have here, Johtonians."

Amy and I ignored the sneer sent our way. Ever since the emergence of the topic of what everyone refers to as the 'Kanto ban', conflicts between Kanto and Johto had been on the rise. It's not the type of conflict you see on TV, but those that you feel when you walk the streets.

"Look at how high and mighty our oppressors walk. Of course, they have the right to since they profited at our expense."

Amy and I hurried our pace and pretend that they don't exist. The last thing we need is a fight.

"Hey, look at us when we talk to you."

An outstretched arm blocked our way as the hand on it slammed against the wall on our right, effectively preventing us from walking straight ahead.

"Hi." I replied as my line of sight slowly traveled up to look at the muscled guy standing in front of us, not really knowing what to say because it seems that no matter what we do, they will find something to pick a fight about. "Can I help you?"

"Can I help you?" One of his companions mocked me with a jeer. "Why don't you help us by getting the fuck out of here. Indigo Plateau is Kanto's territory."

"Fuck off, Johtonian. Stop exploiting our homeland. Fucking Kanto ban had already ruined us for two decades."

Right now, I really wish that I have a way to contact my squadron somehow that doesn't involve a big commotion.

"We will the moment the parade is over." Amy stated factually, because our squadron and Yellow Squadron had been temporarily posted here to avoid continuous daily commuting between Violet and the Indigo Plateau just for the sake of rehearsals. There are still weeks to go before the entire thing is over.

"How about we make you two bitches fuck off right now."

"If this is what I think I'm seeing, then everyone is in trouble."

A woman in her forties with shoulder length red hair stood at the end of the corridor we are at. All of us have no choice but to salute.

"Ma'am."

"Skye, Amy, I need some help to move some boxes. The rest of you, go back to wherever you come from."

"Yes, Ma'am!"

Begrudgingly, the four Kanto Rangers walked off, muttering things like 'Johto Bastards' and 'Oppressors' among other choice words as they disappeared.

"Thank you, ma'am." Amy and I thanked her sincerely. Things would have really gone out of control if the Yellow Squadron Commander of the 1st Regiment from the Johto Ranger Force, Sophia Nate, didn't appear when she did.

"They didn't… do anything to you two, did they?" Sophia asked with a concerned frown on her face as she walked up to us.

"No, ma'am. You had perfect timing."

"Pyral was a little worried when he saw those four walking out of the room shortly after you two went to the restroom." Sophia stated as she gestured for us to follow her. We walked off in a different direction from the earlier bullies. "Obviously, the rest of your squadron cannot follow you to the female restroom, so he asked for my help."

"Sweet of him." Amy commented.

"Sad thing is, it wouldn't do well for us to punish the Kantonian Rangers even if they are the ones to start a fight." Sophia sighed as we reached a storeroom of sorts that is filled with cardboard boxes. Guess she wasn't lying when she said that she has boxes for us to move. "Kanto ban is already a sensitive topic as it is. Anything we do will just be seen as us oppressing them, because we are Johtonians."

"I imagine this situation is the same everywhere."

"STAR definitely has it worse." Sophia deadpanned as we called out some of our smaller pokemon to help us shift the boxes. "STAR is a combat force where all the biggest, baddest, strongest trainers gather. Fill that with a healthy dose of testosterone, Elite level trainers, combined with the resentment some of the Kantonians have for Indigo, you get a wonderful concoction."

"Sometimes I wonder what the Rangers will be without us girls keeping them in line." Amy grumbled as she stacked some of the boxes together so that it will be easier to carry later.

"Having a sword fight with their weenies, probably." Sophia snorted. "Ho-oh knows how I handled my rowdy boys. Sometimes I wonder how I managed to last this long."

I think Commander Sophia is saying what she is saying because she is the only female squadron commander in the 1st Regiment, and her entire squadron is made up of males with her as the only exception. She's like the big mum of Yellow Squadron, from what I heard. Some of her Rangers even affectionately call her 'Ma' because of that.

"Next time, I'm going to get a female Ranger on my squadron so that I won't suffer alone." Sophia grunted as we finally loaded up all the required boxes she needs onto a huge trolley. "Screw those stupid masculinity. I have had enough of their tauros crap ever since I joined the Rangers three decades ago."

"Maybe it will help if we… you know…" Amy did a snipping motion with her fingers near the lower part of her body where a man's family jewels are supposed to be located.

I cannot help but snort out a laugh.

"Maybe, Amy. Maybe."


The Ranger camp at Indigo Plateau is one of the few camps that are fully equipped with any and every type of training facility that Indigo can offer. Naturally, I am drawn to the Aerial Obstacle Course.

Thus, our entire squadron except our commander, who complained that he needed to catch up on his beauty sleep, made our way there. However…

"Oh for fuck's sake." Adam grumbled under his breath when he saw who was already there.

Kanto Rangers. To add on, I recognise the same four Rangers who harrassed Amy and I that day.

"The time slot we booked is at 1630 hrs." Jacky shrugged. "They technically have three minutes left. Let's just wait."

The Kanto Rangers had also spotted us. Many of them are sending us death glares in our way.

"Hey, Skye." Amy poked me with a finger. "Is he a better flier than you?"

We all looked at who Amy was looking at. A large pidgeot carrying a big muscled man on its back flew expertly in the air, avoiding all the obstacles in the smoothest and fastest way possible.

The same big-sized muscled man who blocked Amy and I that day. He's also a Flying Specialist?

"He's good." I admitted. "If you really want to compare the both of us, I really don't know which one of us is the better flier unless we race each other."

I had kept my voice to as low and as soft as possible, but somehow one of the Kanto Rangers still heard it.

"Oi, Liam!" One of the Rangers watching the muscled man shouted out at him while pointing a finger at me. "That girly said she's as good as you! Show her we Kantonians are better!"

The pidgeot changed direction in midair as Liam and his pidgeot landed smoothly back to where his friends are. The muscled man got off his pidgeot's back before turning to stare at me.

"You said that?"

"He twisted my words." I replied flatly. "I simply said that I have no idea which one of us is the better flier."

"Then we shall see, Johtonian." The muscled man sneered as he cracked his knuckles, his pidgeot giving a bark of challenge. "Call out your best flier."

"Hey, hold on." Jacky intervened as he subtly shifted himself to be in front of me, hands held out in a placating manner. "We are not here to pick a fight."

"I'm here to compete, not fight." Liam curled his lips in contempt as he said this. "As a flier, there's no way I can back down when there's someone who claims to be my equal."

"Liam's the best flier in our regiment, maybe even the whole of Kanto." One of the other Kanto Rangers, who seems a little more easygoing, added. "He has this habit of challenging every single flier he sees."

"Look, I still don't like you, Johtonians." Liam pointed a finger at us in an unfriendly way. "But this is a challenge between fliers. My pride as a flier is on the line. Either you accept it, or buzz off."

"Technically, you fuckers should buzz off instead because it is past 1630 hrs now, so it's our turn to use the place." Adam countered with a growl.

"You want to fight, Johtonian?!" Another Ranger from the side stepped forward, and I can feel the literal gunpowder about to spark in the air.

"Fine. Let's fly." I quickly said loud enough for everyone to hear, hoping that this can possibly stop the escalation of what I suspect will be a big brawl.

"Skye." Jacky had this very serious and exasperated look on his face. I can already imagine him screaming at me 'What have you done?!' in the confines of my mind. "Do you remember what boss told us?"

"To not cause trouble." I repeated Pyral's words back at Jacky. "But I'm simply racing with the big guy there, I'm not causing trouble."

I turned back to Liam, arms crossed across my chest with a very unimpressed look on my face, cos screw this stupid pride and national divide crap. Can't everyone just get along with each other?

"If we want to race, there's a few things I want to make clear before we start." I held up a finger as I said this. "One, this has nothing to do with who is from where. This is between fliers. Don't drag other forms of sentiments unrelated to our race into this. Two, this is all in good fun. If you plan to be a sore loser, then get out of here. If you want to use this as an excuse to pick a fight, get lost. Three, loser treats the winner chocolates of their own choosing, no backing out."

"Sore loser? I think you-"

Liam held out his massive arm to stop his Ranger friend from speaking.

"Deal." He growled out. "Like I said, the only thing of importance here is my pride as a flier. I won't let my personal emotions smudge this race. You have my word."

I offered my hand to Liam, who after staring at it for a few seconds, caught the hint and shook it. With that, our "pact" is cemented.

"So, what's the rules?" I asked as I tied up my long hair into a ponytail so that it won't get in my way later. Liam and I stood by the edge of an artificial cliff. Right in front of us are various obstacles designed to mimic real life terrain that we might find ourselves in during our missions.

"We each choose a route to start from. The winner is the one who finishes first at the end point over there." Liam pointed towards the end point with a finger. "Also, no sabotage. No pokemon moves. Just a clean race. The only thing you will be bringing along are your skills. If you want to race me, I won't accept anything other than your very best, Johto girl."

Liam walked to a specific spot far away from where he was flying earlier.

"I was practicing with Route A earlier, so to keep things fair I will use a different route. So don't be a sore loser when you lose later, girl."

I rolled my eyes as I wore a flying helmet over my head before calling out Crown from his pokeball.

"To keep things fair so that you won't be a sore loser later, I will use a pidgeot too."

Crown gave a squawk to back me up. Good boy.

"Heh." Liam had a predatory grin on his face. "You got spunk, I'll give you that. Too bad you are a Johtonian."

"Still a Ranger like you. There's no difference." I countered as I climbed onto Crown's back. After looking around, we chose a starting point for ourselves.

"May the best flier win." I offered when the countdown to the start of the race started.

"Likewise."

"GO!"

The moment the digital voice sounded from the speakers, both our pidgeots shot off into the air. This particular obstacle course mimics those of a large and dense forest, filled with huge trees with thick trunks and branches. The leaves are dense and visibility is low because of that, because light had already been severely filtered when they shine down from above. The whole point of this obstacle course is to train fliers to be able to fly within such an area when flying above it is somehow not an option.

However, I specialised in Ground and Mountain Search and Rescue Operations. Crown and I had our fill of flying in such forests.

Crown weaved through the obstacles in twists and turns, with me guiding him by tugging at his feathers to give him my silent signal and digging my feet into his sides. Along the way, the hidden obstacles set in the obstacle course were activated. Trees will fall out of nowhere and leaves will suddenly shower down to block your vision. These are just some of the many surprises that you can find in here.

Still not a problem for Crown and I.

Crown and I emerged from the other end of the forest first. About a second or two later, Liam and his pidgeot followed suit.

"Go, Crown!"

I can hear the shouts and cheers both our squadrons are giving as our pidgeots flew as fast as they could. The route from the end of the forest to the finishing line is just a straight route with no obstacles. The only thing that can win us the race is pure speed.

And Liam is catching up even when his pidgeot is carrying his big heavy self.

The both of us zoomed past the finishing line at around the same time. I have no idea who won since we were literally neck to neck.

"OLIVER!" Liam literally bellowed the moment his pidgeot braked to a stop. "WHO WON?!"

"We are checking the cams! I'm bringing up the timings on the screen!" Someone shouted back from the control room. I think I see Adam standing behind that guy's back, glaring at him like a guard dog on duty. He's probably there to ensure that the Oliver guy doesn't play foul.

Potty mouth he may be, but he is still a good friend to have.

Both of our timings flashed on the big screen. My jaws dropped.

"Well, I'll be." Liam spoke the moment he saw our timing, differing only by 0.07 seconds. He then turned his head to face me.

"A race's a race. What kind of chocolates do you want, Johto girl?"


Name: Skye Bale, 16, Female

Known affiliation: Indigo Ranger Force, Johto Region, 9th Ranger Regiment, 1st Ranger Regiment

Rank: Staff Sergeant

Code Name: Zephyr

Pokemon Team:

1. Pidgeot (Crown), male

2. Gliscor (Glide), male

3. Skarmory (Dia), female

4. Crobat (Beats), male

5. Jumpluff (Cotton), female

6. Dragonite (Tino), female

7. Noivern (Echo), male

8. Emolga, (Emi), female

9. Hawlucha (Hawk), male

10. Sigilyph (Cosmo), female

11. Aerodactyl (Aria), female

12. Masquerain (Heli), male

Name: Falkner Bale, 25, Male

Known affiliation: Johto Police Force, Johto Thirteen Pillars, Violet City Gym Leader

Pokemon Team:

1. Pidgeot (Majel), male

2. Noctowl

3. Fearow

4. Dodrio

5. Honchkrow

6. Xatu

7. Crobat

8. Skarmory

9. Delibird

10. Togekiss

11. Swellow

12. Staraptor

13. Pelipper

Name: Ciel Bale, 13, Male

Pokemon Team:

1. Pidgeotto (Queenie), female

2. Wimpod, male

Name: Walker Bale, 55, Male

Known affiliation: Ex Violet City Gym Leader, Ex member of Johto Thirteen Pillars

Pokemon Team:

1. Pidgeot

2. Skarmory

Name: Jacky Marsh, 19, Male

Known affiliation: Indigo Ranger Force, Johto Region, 1st Ranger Regiment

Rank: First Lieutenant

Code Name: Venom

Pokemon Team:

1. Scolipede

2. Crobat

3. Tentacruel

4. Nidoking

5. Skuntank

6. Venasaur

7. Toxicroak

8. Weezing

9. Dragalge

10. Beedrill

Name: Amy Rose, 17, Female

Known affiliation: Indigo Ranger Force, Johto Region, 1st Ranger Regiment

Rank: Sergeant First Class

Code Name: Powergirl

Pokemon Team:

1. Furret

2. Pidgeot

3. Lopunny

4. Ursaring

5. Wigglytuff

6. Exploud

7. Blissey

8. Tauros

9. Miltank

10. Cinccino

Name: Adam Clive, 20, Male

Known affiliation: Indigo Ranger Force, Johto Region, 1st Ranger Regiment

Rank: Sergeant First Class

Code Name: Nightmare

Pokemon Team:

1. Houndoom

2. Honchkrow

3. Umbreon

4. Weavile

5. Shiftry

6. Sableye

7. Greninja

8. Hydreigon

9. Pangoro

10. Krookodile

Name: Rufus Grandell, 21, Male

Known affiliation: Indigo Ranger Force, Johto Region, 1st Ranger Regiment

Rank: Master Sergeant

Code Name: Torrent

Pokemon Team:

1. Poliwrath

2. Kingdra

3. Dewgong

4. Gyarados

5. Feraligatr

6. Slowking

7. Crawdaunt

8. Floatzel

9. Jellicent

10. Golisopod

Name: Pyral Furnes, 38, Male

Known affiliation: Indigo Ranger Force, Johto Region, 1st Ranger Regiment

Rank: Lieutenant Colonel

Code Name: Cremator

Pokemon Team:

1. Typhlosion

2. Arcanine

3. Charizard

4. Magmortar

5. Magcargo

6. Alolan Marowak

7. Torkoal

8. Infernape

9. Emboar

10. Pyroar

11. Chandelure