"Do I look good? Is my uniform ironed out properly? Is-"

"Amy. You look fine."

"But Skye! It's the parade! A once per year thing! And who knows if we would ever get the chance to be part of it again!"

Amy ignored me as she went back to groom herself in front of the mirror in the restroom, leaving me to wait for her in uneasy boredom nearby, leaning against a wall. Truth to be told, right now, the parade is the furthest thing from my mind.

If what my fellow reincarnated souls in the interpol said is true, then there will be war at Indigo Plateau today. Just a few hours later we will be waging a war against Team Rocket and there is still no news from the higher ups about this.

The main fighting force of Indigo is still unprepared. The higher ups may have gotten wind of what is to come, but foot soldiers like us are still blissfully ignorant about what is going to happen later.

"Skye?"

"Yeah?" I looked up after hearing my name being called, only to see Amy staring at me in concern.

"Are you okay? You look kinda down."

"Just a little tired from having to wake up so early for the parade." I crafted a convenient excuse on the spot, surprising even myself for how smooth that lie came out from my mouth.

"If you say so…" Amy's stare lingered on me for a moment, obviously not fully believing what I just said.

"Have a bad feeling, that's all." I admitted what I could tell her when her gaze continues to fix itself on me, the type of gaze that will not avert itself until I spill whatever is on my mind.

"I just… It just feels like something bad is going to happen later."

"You are thinking too much." Amy tried her best to reassure me as she placed her hands on my shoulders. "Everything will be fine later, we rehearsed so many times just for this day!"

Thing is, it's not the parade that I am queasy about, but what I know is going to happen during the parade later. What makes me uncomfortable is that I cannot divulge what I know to anyone else, because of confidentiality. The higher ups had supposedly already taken action for what is to come later and I am supposed to put my faith in them that they can handle it even without the help of us lower grunts.

For some reason, the thought of it makes me uneasy. What made it worse is that I have no one to confide to if I don't want to reveal the shared secret that all six of us reincarnated souls share.

I am starting to feel sick in the stomach for not being able to warn any of my comrades about the incoming disaster. We will be swept up in it later, and not only could we not do a thing to prepare, we are still blissfully ignorant of the danger lurking about.

Amy and I exited the restroom soon enough, and when she was called over by the other Rangers that we passed by, leaving me alone, my pokegear rang.

My eyebrows arched slightly when I saw who was calling me. It's Volkner.

"Hello?"

"Hey McWings, hope I'm not disturbing you. Is it convenient for us to talk right now?"

"McWings? What kind of stupid nickname is that?" I could not help but complain when I heard it as my eyes scanned the area near me. Nobody is close enough to be privy of our conversation. "But yeah, nobody is around at the moment. What is it?"

"Just checking up on you and telling you to relax if you happened to be all jittery about what will happen later. Aren't I a nice friend?"

"Yeeeeaah. Reeeeal nice." It took all of my self-control to not jump in alarm. What is he? A mind reader? I don't even know him that well. Or am I that easy to read even from countless miles away?

"Well, thanks." I told Volkner truthfully before asking another question. "You coming over to Indigo Plateau?"

"Will be teleporting there within the next five minutes. How's it looking at the moment? Like, what do you see in the Indigo Plateau right now?"

My eyes quickly swept through the area of the stadium which I am at. From where I am, I can see the spectators flooding into the stadium. All of them are excited for today, feeling especially patriotic for our nation's founding.

No matter how I search for the signs, there's nothing that could clue me in that this location would be on the receiving end of a terrorist act soon.

"Honestly? It feels normal. If you didn't warn me beforehand of the kind of shit that will go down later I wouldn't have suspected a thing."

"Good. Keep it that way. We will be screwed if Giovanni somehow got wind of our plans. The League did all they could to not draw his attention, all for today."

"We will be removing them for good, yeah?" I asked, feeling a little nervous and perhaps afraid. I know that the League took extreme precautions to protect the spectators today but I still cannot help but feel that it still isn't enough.

Even my squadron wasn't warned of the incoming attack, and we are one of the best Ranger squadrons in Indigo.

"That is the whole point."

Guess Volkner isn't willing to divulge any more details. No point digging further then.

"Looking forward to it. So, any other heads up for what I may need to expect later? So that I could, you know, prepare?"

"You will probably be very busy saving people."

"Very helpful of you."

"Why, what else were you expecting when you are a Ranger?"

"Point."

"And oh, Mewtwo will be there at Indigo Plateau later too. Just saying."

Mew- WHAT?!

"AND YOU DIDN'T BOTHER TO TELL ME ABOUT THIS EARLIER?!"

"Just remembered about it."

The cheek of him- This is MEWTWO we are talking about! A legendary pokemon! And it will be here at Indigo Plateau later?!

"MEWTWO, VOLKNER! MEWTWO!"

"Yeah, yeah, I know. Why else do you think I'm heading to the Indigo Plateau too?"

"You-! Argh!" I stomped my foot in frustration before taking a deep breath to calm myself down. "Whatever. Anything else that I really should know?"

"That's it, really." A yawn could be heard from the other end of the line, as if Volkner wasn't the least bit bothered that Mewtwo would be trying to kill us later. Is he really that confident that the League can suppress Mewtwo? In that case, fine. I will leave them to do their job.

On my end, I will do my job properly as a Ranger as well.

"If that is all I need to end the call now. I need to head off and join my squadron soon." I said when I spotted Amy waving me to quickly come over from where she is now. Guess we need to fall in soon.

"Got it. Stay safe and help us keep an eye out on any anomalies. If you aren't sure who to inform, then just inform me directly. Jarvis will keep an eye out for any messages from your end too."

"Roger that. See ya."

"See you."

With that, Volkner hung up the call. It was just in time as Amy beckoned me to come over to rejoin the contingent. When we returned to our allocated resting area which is a humongous room big enough to house all five Ranger squadrons and still have space left over. Pyral is already there waiting for us.

"I'll keep this short because I'm especially busy today. I'm going to conduct a force prep right now, everything out."

Looks were exchanged within our squadron. Other than our uniform, our standard attire consists of a Ranger pouch we wore around our utility belt. Within it is everything we need to conduct our usual job and more. Everytime after we finish a mission it's our duty and responsibility to replace whatever items that we had used in our previous mission at the earliest possible time. To always be prepared is the very basic aspect of being a Ranger.

But today we are taking part in a parade, we are not on duty to rescue people. Naturally, there is no need to ensure that everything we need for a standard rescue mission is in our pouch in such a situation.

At least, if I do not happen to come across confidential insider information I would have this line of thought. But considering that Mewtwo would be crashing the party later, there is a very real need to ensure that our pouch is fully equipped and packed with all the necessary standard issued items and more.

Despite the strange looks exchanged among us, we all immediately did as Pyral ordered and laid out all the items in our pouch out on the floor in front of us, arranged in a set and predetermined order that we have long since memorised when we were still a lowly recruit that had just joined the Rangers. Pyral's keen eyes quickly swept across the items we laid out in front of him before giving a satisfactory nod.

"Good, you guys at least have the decency to be prepared at all times."

"What's the big deal, boss? It isn't like you to conduct a force prep right before a parade like this."

Pyral's reply to Adam's question is a silent glare that dared him to further challenge his authority. Adam wisely kept his mouth shut and his head down after spotting it. Pyral usually does not like to put on airs or use his rank to force people to submission, but that doesn't mean that he minds using it when the situation calls for it.

"Look around you."

Upon Pyral's words, we took a quick look around us. It's not just the Black Squadron, every other squadron that is participating in the parade are all suddenly conducting a force prep under the supervision of their respective commanders. It is at this moment that the heavy feeling resting at the bottom of my gut eased a little, because if what I guessed is right, our commanders are in the know of what is to come and are preparing us for the worst.

"So we are not the only ones?" Jacky muttered under his breath, but still audible enough for us to hear him.

"There is something you are not telling us. Something big is going to happen." Rufus stated, his usual goofy persona gone. A dramatic goof he may be, but there's a good reason why Rufus is a senior member of the 1st Ranger Regiment. If for whatever reasons that Pyral and Jacky are both unable to command our squadron during missions, he's the unofficial leader that the rest of us will defer to.

"Boss…?" Amy whispered hesitantly.

Pyral remained silent as he stared at us, his facial expression and body language giving nothing away. In the end, the silence was broken when his emboar returned, carrying a large crate of essential items with it.

"Stock up. I want everyone to be in Full Battle Order, no questions."

A look of surprise was sported by the entire squadron, but we have no time to question further because a bell rang within the waiting area we are at, signalling to us that there is only twenty minutes left to the start of the parade.

The standard number and type of items in our pouch are usually in accordance with the Standard Battle Order. Full Battle Order is very rarely used unless we are embarking on an extremely dangerous mission.

When we are in Full Battle Order, the number and type of items we bring along increases drastically. While the increase in baggage does not affect us in the slightest due to the fact that our pouches are made using Foldable Space Technology, a type of technology that defies all laws of physics and allows bags and pouches to store large quantity of items that exceeds its physical volume while keeping the maximum weight you carry to only of the weight of the bag itself. Thus, having too many items in your bag or pouch would also mean taking more time to rummage within it to take out the item you need. To Rangers who are out on missions, the difference of a few seconds can sometimes mean the difference of life and death. We need to be familiar with what we have on us, how to find them, and how to take the least possible time to fish out the item we need out of our doraemon-ish pouch.

Hence, Standard Battle Order is the preferred arrangement the Rangers defaulted to for regular missions. Most Rangers would never have the chance to gear up to the Full Battle Order unless they are taking part in an extremely difficult mission or are a part of the 1st Regiment.

The silent tension continued to hang over our heads as we silently took the required items from the crate emboar had brought for us in order for us to be equipped in Full Battle Order. Within three minutes, we are all fully equipped and all of our gear is repacked into our respective pouches.

Just as we thought that this was the end of it, Pyral's arcanine made its appearance as it pulled a wagon into the area and rejoined us. In it are the state of the art combat attire that even Rangers of our calibre rarely had the chance to use.

"They are of your sizes. Suit up."

"Aren't we supposed to be in the parade in standard attire?" Jacky cannot help but ask, and his question is backed up by silent nods by the rest of the squadron.

"Higher ups changed their minds."

We are fools if we accepted that explanation. Something is obviously wrong and Pyral is not really making any effort to conceal this fact. I have an inkling of what is going to happen and a part of me is really hoping that Pyral would reveal it to the rest of the squadron. It would ease the burden within me and I am sure Pyral would have felt the same.

Sadly, Pyral's lips are tightly sealed.

"Sir-"

"I'm not entertaining any questions. At least, not right now. Suit up, Rangers. You have one minute."

We didn't dare to dally upon hearing that command. We immediately picked out the combat attire that was obviously prepared specifically for us. It's not hard to differentiate whose attire is whose because our codenames are sewn on it. These attires are obviously prepared for us in advance, for members of the Indigo 1st Ranger Regiment.

We immediately wore the protective equipment issued to us over our uniforms. All around us, our fellow 1st Regiment Rangers are also doing the same. None of the commanders are giving any room for us to try and clarify the doubts in our minds because we do not have the time to do so. In about fifteen minutes, the parade would officially start. The Indigo Police Force would be the first to strut their stuff, followed by us, then the STAR forces. We are all part of the opening ceremony.

Then at ten minutes before the start of the parade, we were asked to fall into formation immediately with General Wendell Hartatter, the man overseeing the entire Indigo Ranger Force, overwatching us. By the time a minute had passed, he had already made us recite the Rangers' Creed and our rules of engagement at the top of our lungs, reminding us of our duties as Rangers and emphasising that anything could happen at any time and we should always be prepared.

By then, every single Ranger present knew that something big is up. If the General himself is here doing and saying all of these, then something is going to happen. No ifs, buts, or maybes.

"No fucking wonder they suddenly squeezed in the urban evacuation training out of nowhere. The geezers knew something would be coming up here, today, and they couldn't be bothered to tell us about it until now."

Adam's quiet complaint went unacknowledged, but that doesn't mean that the rest of us who were standing at attention around him didn't hear him.

"Rangers!"

"Yes sir!"

"I cannot hear you!"

"SIR YES SIR!"

"Who are we ?!"

"We are the Rangers, sir!"

"What is our duty?!"

"To protect the peace between humans and pokemon, sir!"

"WHAT DO WE DO?!"

"We save lives, sir!"

"Which regiment are you from, Rangers?!"

"First Ranger Regiment, sir!"

"What does it mean to be Rangers of the First Ranger Regiment?"

"WE ARE THE BEST OF THE BEST, SIR!"

"Good! Listen up, Rangers! I am giving all of you your mission briefing, right here, right now! This is not a drill, I repeat! This is NOT a drill! The League have credible intel that Team Rocket is targeting the celebration right at this moment! There will be chaos! There will be war! Not just here, but all across Johto! AM I CLEAR?!"

Shocked gasps and murmurs broke out, but we were quickly silenced when the General barked at us once again.

"AM I CLEAR?!"

"SIR YES SIR!"

Your mission is simple! Work with each other to protect and evacuate the stadium of all innocent bystanders! I know this is sudden, I know none of you woke up this morning expecting to embark on such a mission right on National Day, but WE ARE THE RANGERS! Saving lives is our job, AM I CLEAR?!"

"SIR YES SIR!"

A projector that someone had brought in projected the floor plan of the Indigo Plateau Stadium for all of us to see. They are all colour coded in accordance to the colours of our respective squadrons.

"Memorise this image and burn it into your minds! The sectors that each of your squadrons are in charge of are colour coded according to your squadron's colour! The seating capacity of the stadium is 100,000, and I want all civilians in the yellow and green sectors to be evacuated to Area LD152, and civilians within the other sectors to be evacuated to Area LD155 within twenty minutes the moment we are deployed for the parade, AM I CLEAR?!"

"SIR YES SIR!"

Area LD152 and LD155 are areas within the Indigo Plateau among many others that are reserved for usage during times of emergency. Every town and city in Indigo would have such demarcated areas for military use in times of emergency. As Rangers, we naturally know where the areas are. It is our job to familiarise ourselves with the locations of such areas closest to where we are posted to.

"I will assume overall command for this operation, the Kanto and Johto Second Ranger Regiments will also lend us their assistance! Leave the maintenance of public order to the police, if any battles break out leave them to the STAR forces! Our one and only job is to save lives. Just work with each other like we had practiced in our simulations and focus on our mission, AM I CLEAR?!"

"SIR YES SIR!"

"Usage of lethal force is allowed but not recommended unless lives are at stake. Do not panic, do not falter, and at all times remember our duty, because we are the Rangers! AM I CLEAR?!"

"SIR YES SIR!"

"Good! I know that you guys are confused, I know that you guys need answers, and I promise you that you will get them once this entire crisis is over! I know we are asking too much from all of you, but you are the best of the best that Indigo has! Only YOU can do what the others cannot! Your commanders and I cannot defend the civilians from the Rockets alone! WHO'S WITH ME?!"

"I am, Sir!" Commander Pyral stood forward with a salute and reported for mission ready. His action was immediately followed up by Commander Sophia.

"Commander of Johto Black Squadron, 1st Regiment, Lieutenant Colonel Pyral Furnes, ready for deployment, Sir!"

"Commander of Johto Yellow Squadron, 1st Regiment, Lieutenant Colonel Sophia Nate, awaiting your orders, Sir!"

"Commander of Kanto Blue Squadron, 1st Regiment, Lieutenant Colonel Kelvin Surge, reporting for duty, Sir!"

"Commander of Kanto Red Squadron, 1st Regiment, Lieutenant Colonel Aaron Ridge, I'm with you, Sir!"

"Commander of Kanto Green Squadron, 1st Regiment, Lieutenant Colonel Colin Whitestone, ready to strike, Sir!"

As if inspired by our commanders' dedication to the Rangers' creed that we had sworn to uphold on the very first day we were welcomed into the force, Rangers around me started to do the same. It's like the severity of the emergency suddenly dawned on us and that a spell had been broken. Right now, it doesn't matter which region we came from or which region had exploited who. We are Rangers from the Indigo Ranger Force and protecting humans and pokemon is our duty.

So that's what we will do.

"Kanto Blue Squadron, 1st Regiment, Master Sergeant Liam Davis, ready to save lives, Sir!"

"Johto Black Squadron, 1st Regiment, Sergeant First Class Adam Clive, fucking ready for deployment, Sir!"

"Kanto Red Squadron, 1st Regiment, Master Sergeant Alice Lovell, all set and ready to go, Sir!"

Jacky, Rufus, Adam, Amy also all started to report for mission ready as everyone followed our commanders' example, ready to save who we had pledged to save when we took the Rangers' Creed on the very first day we stepped into the Rangers Academy.

And so, I stood forward with my fellow Rangers, feet together and at attention with my right hand saluting my General.

"Johto Black Squadron, 1st Regiment, Staff Sergeant Skye Bale, ready to reach for the skies, Sir!"


The moment we reported for mission ready the General didn't waste any time on any other trivial matters. There are only minutes left before we are being deployed for mission under the guise of attending the parade. We were all dismissed and being told to report to our respective commanders immediately, who were already waiting for us.

"You have a lot to explain after this is all over, boss." Jacky commented.

"I know." Pyral agreed the moment we fell in and stood at attention. Our pokemon were already released and stood by our side in an orderly manner, already in mission mode and ready for the mission briefing.

"The General had already briefed you about the main parameters of the mission so I will cut to the chase. First thing, whatever fancy formations we rehearsed during the parade rehearsals, forget about it. The moment we enter, all we have to do is to go to our allocated sector and evacuate the civilians present. By then, the police would have already removed any known Rockets that had slipped into the audience stands but just be prepared for anything. Assist the other squadrons if need be, clear?"

"Yes sir!"

Pyral cleared his throat before summarising the mission for us.

"As you know, the Indigo Stadium is one of the largest stadiums in the world with a seating capacity of 100,000. Not only that, because of the nature of the event today, it is fully packed. This is a scenario where we will be conducting forcible extraction and evacuation in an urban setting. Expect confusion and resistance from the crowd and run through in your minds the SOP for urban evacuation. There is a high chance that Team Rocket is involved. Expect contact with them. Leave the fights and apprehending of Rockets to STAR. Leave the maintenance of public order to the police. Likewise, they will leave the rescuing to us Rangers. They do their thing, we do ours."

Pyral quickly ran us down on the parameters of the mission. We only have a few minutes to get ready before we have to deploy. There is a big screen in the room where we are at, showing us the situation outside. From the corner of my eye, I could tell from the screen that the parade had already officially started. The crowd cheered hysterically when the Indigo Police Force made their appearance. It's an admittedly grand entrance with the way they are doing it.

"The General had already briefed you about it but I will go through it again. Usage of lethal force is not recommended unless you happen to be up against Rockets for some weird reason and even then, it's only strictly for self-defence. You will see Thirteen Pillars from other regions on the scene as well. They are here on Lance's request. Aid them if they request for it. Otherwise, leave them alone to do their job and stay away from whatever or whoever they may be fighting against. Now, comms check."

We all quickly did a comms check as Pyral requested. Only eight seconds was needed, the fastest timing we ever achieved.

Back on the screen, the police force are doing a nice job strutting their stuff. There is a fancy display of a mock exercise taking place right in the stadium itself. According to the narration from the emcees, 'terrorists' had appeared right in the audience stands itself and now it is up to the Indigo Police Force to identify and neutralise the threat before damage is done. As one, members of the police force suddenly descended into the audience seats itself through teleportation and quickly arrested the 'terrorists' sitting among the civilians and knocked them out, not giving them a chance to retaliate or resist.

As quickly as they arrived via Teleport, the police force disappeared just as quick with their captured targets. The entire duration of the demonstration of the mock exercise didn't take more than ten seconds.

Meanwhile, the emcee of the celebration diverted the audience's attention by talking about how these arrested terrorists are stage actors planted among the audiences for the sole purpose of this year's performance by the Police Force, saying that the planning committee had planned such a different arrangement this year in order to give the audiences a much more realistic and interactive experience of how our law enforcers go about doing their duties.

The explanation was met with a big round of applause from the crowd, who were all convinced by the explanation and heaped praises of the efforts the Police Force had put into this year's performance. The crowd is convinced that these 'terrorists' are mere stage actors, but after hearing what we were just briefed us about, we all knew better.

Chances are, these so-called stage actors are real terrorists. They must be Rockets who had slipped into the stadium and blended themselves into the crowd. This must be what Pyral meant when he said that the police would have removed any known Rockets among the audience by the time we entered the stadium.

Upon seeing this, I cannot help but be impressed at how the Indigo is handling the situation. Without alarming the crowd about the danger, they had swiftly removed a significant threat from the stadium live on TV without inciting a mass panic.

At the same time, it also hammered the point that the threat General Hartatter spoke about is very, very real.

My attention was brought back to the present when Pyral's voice droned on.

"Expect for communication breakdown to happen even with your comms on because everything will be chaotic. You might find that you will be on your own at some point but do not panic. Use your own professional judgement to make the best decision possible. If you have no idea what is the best decision, remember the Ranger creed and our mission. Use it as a guideline. Save as many as you can and evacuate the civilians in our allocated sector to Area LD155. Stay around the stadium and work with the other Indigo forces and you will be fine. Above all, we just need to do our best and trust that the STAR and police can quell the unrest as fast as they can while we are at it. Questions?"

We all shook our heads. Pyral heaved a sigh before giving us one of his rare faint smiles.

"One more thing." Pyral said before he surprised us with a salute.

"Just in case I will never have the chance to say this, I'm honoured to be your commanding officer of the Black Squadron, Rangers. You guys are the finest Rangers I ever had the honour of leading."

"Oi, boss, that doesn't sound very auspicious." Adam said with a frown. His sentiments are shared by all of us.

"Take it or leave it." Pyral snorted before his face turned serious once more. Back on screen, the police had already taken their leave among the applause the crowd had showered them with. Now, it's our turn to continue with the parade, or more like, bringing it to a premature end.

"Alright, fall in, look sharp. It's our turn to continue the show." Pyral commanded as our pokemon stood by our side, raring to go.

"Black Squadron, prepare to move out!"


Name: Skye Bale, 16, Female

Affiliation: Indigo Ranger Force, Johto Region, 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