Naruto: Emerald Adventures
Chapter 1: I herd you liek Mudkipz
Professor Birch's Laboratory, Littleroot Town, Hoenn Region
The Hoenn Region was actually quite a beautiful place. He was biased towards his home of Johto, but there was something more...natural about the environment of Hoenn that made it so enjoyable. A couple of bird Pokemon, Taillow if his memory served him correctly, followed after the Swellow which led their flock in standard V-formation. He then placed his back against the sturdy wall of the laboratory of Hoenn's resident professor and slid his way down to rest on the grass.
"Hmm...you know, after the incident yesterday you would think they'd call." He then raised an eyebrow in confusion as Typhlosion raised three digits and began counting down.
"Ty...phlo...sion."
Ring.
Ring.
Ring.
The blonde trainer looked in awe at his partner Pokemon. The Volcano Pokemon gave a smug smirk to his trainer before gesturing for the sixteen year old to answer. Once the shock of seeing his Fire-type Pokemon demonstrate the foresight of a Psychic-type had dissipated, the boy pressed the 'answer' button on his new PokeNav Plus.
"NARU-CHAN!" The boisterous holograms of one Kushina Uzumaki and one Minato Namikaze appeared in a flash of blue.
Naruto remembered back in the day when he had his simple Pokegear, but after three years, technology had advanced by leaps and bounds to create the hologram generating device known as the Pokemon Navigator Plus or the PokeNav Plus for short. Created by the genius engineering teams of both the Kalos region and the Hoenn region, the original PokeNav that was created fourteen years ago was upgraded due to being combined with the technology of the Holocaster. The original PokeNav was actually fairly large and bulky and had to be stored in a small pouch, but the Plus was capable of being stored in ones pocket. Not to mention it was shockproof, waterproof, fireproof...it was basically lifeproof in the world of Pokemon. The PokeNav Plus was capable of real time news reports, notifying a trainer of which Pokemon they were capable of catching in a certain area within the region and the holographic audio-visual calling system which is what allowed Naruto Uzumaki to currently chat face-to-hologram face with his parents.
"Hi Kaa-chan, Tou-chan." He gave a small wave to the small, pixelated images of his parents.
"Naru-chan! How is my sweet baby boy?"
"I'm fine." The blonde replied as he leaned up against the sturdy walls of Professor Birch's lab. He was quick to direct a glare at the snickering form of Typhlosion. Partner Pokemon or not, the Silver Conference Champion would punch the smartass Fire-type in the face if he continued.
"I'm glad to hear that. And where is the beautiful voice of my daughter in-law?"
The raging storm in Naruto's mind was quickly subsided though as a gentle hand rested upon his shoulder, distracting him from his still snickering partner Pokemon.
"Kushina-san, as much as I love you and your son...can you please stop calling me that?"
"Awww, but Hinata-chan, you are going to be my lovely little daughter in-law one day. So you don't have to call me Kushina-san so much. Okaa-san would be much more appropriate wouldn't you say?" The young couple stared blankly at the hologram of the redhead. Minato gave a nervous chuckle, scratching the back of his head in embarrassment.
"Sorry, Hinata-chan. Kushina-chan is just very excited to see you both, isn't that right darling?"
"It is." The former Silver Conference runner-up nodded stiffly in agreement with her husband. "And though I am excited to see you and hear from you both now that you are going to be starting your new journeys out in the Hoenn region, I need some explaining done. Naru-chan."
The atmosphere between the young couple and Naruto's parents suddenly took on a very tense feeling. The two sixteen year olds had bullets of sweat suddenly dripping down the sides of their faces.
"Yes, Kaa-chan?"
"Care to explain to me why it is that after only twenty-four hours after you arrived in the Hoenn region that we get a call from the Uchiha Police Force's Hoenn region branch concerning your and Hinata-chan's involvement in a sudden act of crime stopping at the edge of Odale Town?"
"I don't wanna. You'll get mad." Naruto pouted like a child as he looked his mother dead in the eye. Sweatdrops formed on the backs of the heads of Typhlosion, Espeon, Hinata and Minato as they watched the exchange between mother and son.
"I won't get mad, Naru-chan. I just want to hear your side of the story." There was a small period of silence as Naruto and Kushina continued to stare at one another.
"You promise you won't get mad?"
"I won't get mad." She raised her hand and a made a cross motion over her heart. Naruto's eyes narrowed searching for any evidence of a lie within his mother's holographic form.
"Ok...well...just for the record, and I want to make this perfectly clear that this whole thing was not my fault." His parents nodded in understanding before gesturing for the young blonde to continue. What felt like entire minutes was actually only a few seconds that ticked by as Naruto blankly stared at his parents' hologram in silence. He then mentally prepared himself, taking a deep breath in and then exhaling.
"I was minding my own business..."
"BULLSHIT!"
"BUT KAA-CHAAAAAAN! I WAAAAAAAAAS!" The Silver Conference Champion whined. "I was just taking an enthusiastic walk through Slateport and was heading to cut through Route 103 to reach Odale Town while Hina-chan was looking around in Slateport to get some supplies after we arrived..."
"What kind of walk involves running into members of a supposedly criminal environmental organization?!"
"...I take very enthusiastic walks."
Kushina and Minato's holographic forms turned to each other before meeting their son's gaze with blank stares. "Bullshit, but continue."
"Well we had just arrived in Slateport City and got off the ship from Johto. This is before my enthusiastic walk led me to Route 103 and when shit hit the fan. Anyway, so yeah, Slateport..."
Flashback
Slateport City, Hoenn Region
One Day Ago
"We're here!"
"Typhlo!"
The hyperactive knuckle headed trainer and his partner Pokemon hopped down from the last three steps onto solid ground as they descended down the ship's staircase. The Fire-type basked in the warm rays of the tropical region's sun while Naruto wiped a small bead of rapidly forming sweat from his brow.
"Man, it's a good thing Kaa-chan told me about the temperature here and gave me these new clothes, eh buddy?" Naruto gave himself a once over as he looked at the clothing Kushina has given him. He could not express the love he felt for his mother when she had handed him the primarily orange set of clothing. The outfit was comprised of a pair of orange short pants that came down to just above knees, a short sleeved, dark blue t-shirt with a sleeveless orange, high collared vest worn over the t-shirt, and finally a pair of dark blue sneakers. The Master Ball that housed the legendary Genetic Pokemon hung securely around his neck by wound leather fibres since the training with his parents was so intense that it snapped the last cord he had.
The clothes were made of the same brand of nylon which most gym-goers wore (exercising gym, not Pokemon gym), thus it was breathable and had a lightweight quality, not to mention soft and practically immune to the effects of profuse sweating. It was a massive contrast from wearing the multiple layers of clothing in order to endure the training he had with his parents in the near subzero temperatures of Mt. Silver.
"This is nothing like Johto or Kanto." He muttered as he observed the Wingull and Pelipper gliding through the air along the sea breeze.
"Well I would hope not." Hinata commented as she and Espeon walked up to the Silver Conference winner.
Hinata was clad in a light lavender, sleeveless kimono-style blouse with vertical lines, tied with a dark purple obi around her waist. She wore a pair of short dark navy shorts with thigh-high stockings and had on a pair of light lavender sneakers with white trim. Overall, her attire was noticeably more form-fitting and less conservative than previously during her travels with Naruto during the Johto chapter of their lives. From Naruto's perspective as both a male and as her boyfriend, he enjoyed his girlfriend's choice in clothing as the obi did well to accentuate her breasts and the shorts...As a self-proclaimed connoisseur of the female derriere, Naruto could without a doubt say he adored those shorts.
"I'm going to head across to the shopping district, Naruto-kun. There's some supplies we need to restock on, but it's fine for you to head on without me as I might take a while." Hinata told her boyfriend as she made a double-check of her current funds.
"Are you sure?" Naruto asked.
"Very." She tip-toed to give the taller boy a kiss on the cheek. "We fought Legendary Pokemon. I'm pretty sure some shopping won't kill me."
"I don't know, those bathing suits go for the throat..." He spoke with a joking tone that earned him a giggle from his significant other before he knelt down to Espeon's level. "You make sure she's okay, okay?"
"Espe." The Sun Pokemon gave a salute with its tails and the blonde returned the salute before he and Typhlosion headed off in a northern direction away from Slateport, towards Route 13. He moved through the grassy trails alongside Typhlosion, marveling at the new Pokemon that came out of the grass. Unfortunately, he never got a chance to try and battle or catch any of these newcomers since one look at his high level Typhlosion made them dive back into the tall grass.
"You know, it's times like this I really wonder why I kept you with me for my journey here in Hoenn." Naruto deadpanned.
"Ty Typhosion."
"I do not love you." Naruto replied with a roll of his eyes. "I tolerate you."
"Typhlosion."
"What's this about callin' me a liar?"
"Ty Typhlosion Ty." The Fire-type's sassy tone made Naruto's eye twitch in annoyance.
"What the hell is a truther?" The Silver Conference winner shook his head to get rid of the useless thought. "Anyway, it doesn't matter. We need to meet this Professor Birch guy at Littleroot Town to figure what the hell this Mega Ring thingy is."
The plan upon reaching the region was for both he and Hinata to meet up with the region's resident professor, Professor Birch, who was a friend of Hiruzen's and a work colleague of Iruka.
Like many of the Pokemon world's leading scientific minds, Professor Birch was unparalleled in his field of study. However, unlike Hiruzen who focused on the Relationships between Humans and Pokemon, and Iruka, who specialized in Pokemon Evolution and Breeding Studies, Professor Birch was one who focused on how Pokemon interacted in the wild within their natural habitats; the official name of his degree being Pokemon Habitats and Distribution. In addition to wild Pokemon studies, Birch was literally far more old school as he possessed a degree in another specialty of their world; Pokemon History.
The Hoenn region was possibly the region with the largest historical background in the entirety of the Pokemon world, comparable to that of even Sinnoh where it is said that the origin of the Pokemon world began from Mt. Coronet. The reason behind such a leap in cultural background was found to be as a result of the discovery of a new type of evolution that only recently began undergoing study from Professor Sycamore in the Kalos region.
Mega Evolution.
How such distant regions came to both possess species of Pokemon that were capable of undergoing this type of secondary evolution was a mystery. The data on Mega Evolution was shared across the regions at the request for assistance from Sycamore himself. He had sent a parcel to Hiruzen and Iruka for examination. After all, who better to ask for consultation than both the original Pokemon Professor himself and the youngest graduate in the field of Pokemon Evolution. Unfortunately, due to the odd nature of the parcel, they thought it would be best to have an initial examination done by another colleague.
And that is how Naruto came to be the temporary wearer of the shiny silver bracelet attached to his wrist; the Mega Bracelet.
"What really is this thing?"
'It is strange, I will admit.' The touch of telepathy was something Naruto was not unfamiliar to, but even after three years of training with it at the summit of Mt. Silver, the blonde would never get used to hearing the voice of the Genetic Pokemon in his head. 'Also, I feel an odd connection to that stone in the Mega Ring.'
'You ever came across these sorts of Mega Evolution Pokemon when you were isolated in Cerulean Cave or before that?' Naruto asked.
The Master Ball wobbled a bit around Naruto's neck as if to represent a shrug from Mewtwo. 'The Pokemon in Cerulean Cave were strong for their species, but this is honestly the first I have ever heard of such a phenomenon. If I had ever come across a mega evolved Pokemon, I'm not sure if I would have even have been able to tell whether or not it had undergone the process.'
'Guess we're all going to learn about this together then.'
'Learning new things is not something to shy away from, my friend.' Mewtwo chuckled, the Master Ball shaking in tandem.
'I thought I was done learning theoretical stuff after graduating from the Academy.' Naruto sighed.
The blonde trainer continued to walk alongside his Fire-type partner, watching in awe at the bright pallets of colors that passed by on either side of him. A maze of trees and berry plants were littered across the sea of emerald grasswhich outlined the the light brown dirt path he and Typhlosion walked along. The variety of colors brought about by the berry plants, all of which were currently bearing their respective fruits, gave Naruto the idea of maybe this is what it would be like to walk through a rainbow.
Of course, maybe just calling Ho-oh to fulfill that wish would be one way to answer that question.
The natural environment of the world was truly a sight to behold and even when he would see pictures on the Internet or in magazines, Naruto always found that they never did justice to the real thing. Every region of the Pokemon world was filled with an abundance of flora and fauna, something which many a human and Pokemon had simultaneously come to appreciate after World War 3 and why environmental programs were such an important part of each region's budget allocation. Though Unova did end up straying away from that since their society was based almost entirely on urbanization and had no reason to hide it what with all the amusement parks and skyscraper littered cityscapes they possessed.
'Maybe that's why there's a Pokemon out there that literally a bag of garbage.' Naruto thought as he recalled the image of a Trubbish. "Man, when Hina-chan finishes shopping, I'm taking her back along this route. This Hoenn region is amazing."
"Ty Typhlosion?"
"I'm not sure if it's off the path, to be honest." The Fire-type's point was valid and so Naruto looked to his trusty PokéNav. "Iwonder how far away we are from Littleroot Town from here."
The map of the Hoenn region appeared on-screen and Naruto zoomed in on his current location before looking for Littleroot. Blue eyes brightened in excitement as he took note of the proximity.
"Oh, check this out!"
"Ty?" The red eyed Pokemon looked over its trainer's shoulder as the blonde showed it the PokéNav.
"We're actually here, on Route 103." Naruto pointed to the blinking dot that represented where he was located. "At the edge of a Route 103 there's a little seaside route that connects to another part of Route 103." He then pointed to the two little red dots that represented the locations of towns. Bigger red dots represented city locations. "If we go south from there, we will end up passing through Odale Town and that will put us right at Littleroot."
"Ty Ty." The Volcano Pokemon nodded in understanding.
"We still have some time to kill before Hina-chan finishes shopping so let's say we check out this waterfront and see if we can find a way across, huh?"
"Typhlosion Phlo Typhlo."
"Yeah, I know things would be easier if I kept Quagsire and the others with me, but I decided to start fresh." Naruto chuckled as the Fire-type gestured to itself. "I couldn't leave you behind since you're my starter, I like you too much."
Naruto glanced down as the Legendary Pokemon suddenly released an aura of confusion from within the Master Ball around his neck.
'Something wrong, Mewtwo?'
'A cry for help. Agony. Fear. Pain. I can feel it.'
'Is it a person or a Pokemon?! Where?!'
'A Pokemon is what I sense.' The Psychic-type replied. 'It is approximately one metere from here due west.'
The Silver Conference Champion nodded before turning to his partner. "Come on, Typhlosion!"
The Volcano Pokemon took note of the serious demeanor on its trainer's face and followed with no questions asked, merely dropping onto all-fours and sprinting alongside the blonde as fast as his trainer could run. The vegetation around them had become a blur of varying shades of green and brown, they had been running so fast. Eventually, the pair came to a halt at the edge of a small body of water. It was here that Naruto and Typhlosion were wide eyed at the scene that greeted them.
What should have been crystal clear waters were revealed to have become a deep crater in the ground. Small puddles of what remained of the small, shallow lake littered the crater, but even though the cool waters that flowed from upstream still made its way into the earthen indentation, it was quickly evaporated. That was when Naruto took note of the fact that the crater seemed to glow red from pure heat, the air itself rippling from its intensity. The remnants of steam clouds rose into the air which revealed that the entire body of water had been evaporated by whatever had caused such an unnatural phenomenon, and that the act itself had been fairly recent. To put icing on the metaphorical cake, laying in the heated crater were a small school of Water-type Pokemon.
There were schools of Tentacool and Magikarp along with a few Pokemon Naruto had never seen before, but that was most likely due to the fact that the majority of them were burned to the point of turning into lumps of blackened and charred flesh and bone. There were a few that groaned in pain, their bodies wrinkled and peeling from the burns they received.
Naruto and Typhlosion were in shock, their bodies trembling at the sight. "What...What is this?"
"Ty..." Typhlosion's crimson eyes then narrowed, a growl rising up from its vocal cords as the Fire-type glared at a trio of figures who stood on the opposite end of the now dried up lake. "TYPHLO!"
Naruto's head shot up and his shocked visage quickly became one of rage as the trio across him looked up. There was one man and two women, with one of the women and the man being surprised while the other woman bore a look of indifference, but had a raised eyebrow.
Judging from the similar way they were dressed, a uniform of some kind, it was obvious they were a part of some sort of organized unit. Their clothes consisted of a red, black pinstriped material covering their bodies, but it seemed to bear some differences based on gender as the man wore spandex that encompassed his whole body while the women's own stopped at their mid-thigh. The man wore a pair of pants over his spandex that came down to his calf while one of the girls sported some very short shorts. Golden belt buckles adorned the pants. Hoods bearing triangular, black horns were worn over their heads. They wore gloves that were black at the hand region itself and had the finger areas being red. There were what appeared to be rings of red metal encircling their wrists. Emblazoned on the bright red vests they wore over their clothes was a black image of what looked sort of like a volcano, but the way it was designed also made the volcano somewhat resemble the letter 'M'.
The man and one of the women looked to be like grunts, and though they reached for the small pouches attached to their waists, which were revealed to contain their Pokeballs. In a flash of light, a pair of massive black and grey furred canines emerged from the balls. The crimson eyes of the Mightyena glowed with feral rage as they bared their fangs at the Johto native duo, their muscles tensing as they waited for the commands from their trainers to attack.
The other woman, who was quite tall for a woman -probably about five foot nine from his perspective- took a step forward.
'She's probably the one in charge.' Naruto thought. 'She has that same air that Wallace, Ruby and Sapphire had when they were part of ROOT. Probably an admin member if that's the case.'
Her uniform was admittedly a lot more stylish as instead of a vest and due to this difference, it seemed to confirm her status as an admin of whatever organization she was a part of. After all, what grunt member would ever stray from the normal uniform?
The woman sported a sleeveless, backless top which was an inverse of what the grunts were wearing -black with a red volcano 'M' emblazoned on it- which seemed to accentuate her very impressive bust. She wore a pair of short tight black pants, with two lapels on the front and back that were also black, but outlined in a fiery red. She wore a pair of boots, but there were armoured plates on the knee areas as well as on the two inch heels they sported, giving her a flare of femininity. She wore an obi around her waist and bandages around her tights and ankles, not giving any prying eyes a look at her legs unlike her grunt colleague who had them practically on display. The fair skinned woman sported dark red arm-warmers which extended up to her shoulders with rings of armour which surrounded her wrists that, unlike the red ones of the grunts, were gold plated. The horns on her hood were curved and also golden, but said hood was allowed to rest behind her and gave the world a look at her rather oddly coloured hair. Having witnessed the naturally deep blue hair of his cousins Wallace and Sapphire, you'd think he would be used to it, but when seeing a woman who had mostly green hair with strands, one short and one long which framed her face, that were orange tipped, well...it would throw one for the loop. Her hair was tied up into a bun on top of her head with a hair needle running through it. Her brown pupil-less eyes gazed directly at him, almost as if they were peering into his soul which kind of ruined the though that she looked pretty cute.
She didn't hold a candle to Hinata of course, but cute nonetheless.
"...Who are you?" The woman asked, speaking in a rough manner.
His eyes narrowed and his fists clenched tightly in anger. "That's what I should be asking you. Why did you do this?"
"Why?" The woman tilted her head in confusion while her facial expression made it look like she was questioning his intelligence. "What Team Magma does is for the benefit of mankind. This was a but a stepping stone, a test for one of the many things that we will accomplish for the sake of the Hoenn region."
"For the Hoenn region? For mankind?" Naruto asked before gesturing to the corpses before them. "You killed Pokemon for the sake of your damned test! What part of that is for the benefit of mankind and this region? What did you even do to this place?!"
"We tried to harness the power of the land." The green haired woman replied. "It did not work out as planned thus it has warranted a return to the drawing board to try again."
"Try again?!" Naruto exclaimed. "You mean you are going to continue to do this?! Kill innocent Pokemon?!"
Her robotic reply was almost instant. "...Yes."
Both trainer and Pokemon backpedaled as if they had been slapped. She was certain, resolute in her words. She would kill and continue do so for the sake of the goals of whatever this Team Magma group was planning. Flashes of everything he saw back during the ROOT War three years ago came to the forefront of his mind. Human and Pokemon alike suffered at the hands of his uncle, and he would rather be smote by Arceus itself than allow for something like that to ever happen again.
The brown eyed woman clicked her tongue in annoyance as she saw Naruto take a stance, his fist clenching tightly. His Pokemon's flames burst forth from the ignition patches on its neck which burned as fiercely as the rage in its crimson orbs. She then took a few steps back towards the small red jeep that was parked behind them.
A side thought had Naruto wondering how he had not taken notice of the vehicle before, but he quickly returned focus to the battle that was soon to occur as the pair of Team Magma grunts pointed at him and gave their commands.
"Mightyena, Shadow Ball!" The Mightyena opened their maws and blobs of shadow energy collected between their fangs before being launched at great speeds.
The blonde snarled and he pointed directly at the trio before him. "TYPHLOSION USE FLAME-!"
"KIBA! USE THUNDERBOLT!" The blonde and his partner were interrupted from their attack as the sound of a Pokeball bursting open was heard on his left. Both he and Typhlosion watched as the bluish-white light swirled and took shape, becoming a Pokemon that he knew of and had caught.
"LAAAAANTUUUUURN!" The two orbs on the antennae of the Light Pokemon glowed with electrical energy, golden voltage sparking off of its body until it was unleashed as a powerful burst of lightning. The Thunderbolt attack collided with the Shadow Balls and a powerful explosion was generated. The cloud of shadow and voltage quickly dispersed and the look of displeasure on the Team Magma admin's face was paramount as she focused on the Lanturn's trainer.
"My My, Pakura-chan." The newcomer laughed, displaying rather unnervingly sharp teeth in her mouth. They were almost akin to those of a Sharpedo's "I didn't think Team Magma could sink any lower, but to start attacking children...tsk tsk."
"Ameyuri Ringo." The name was spoken as if acid were coming off of the tongue.
Ameyuri Ringo was the complete opposite to Pakura in terms of stature as she stood at a whopping five foot zilch. Ameyuri had long red hair, obsidian black eyes, and wore a simple ocean blue cloth around her head, distinctively tied at both sides so the ends of the material protruded upwards, while the remainder of hair was allowed to flow downwards. She wore a loose, pin-striped long-sleeved dark blue shirt that had the image a white capital 'A' that seemed to be made out of bones. It was very pirate-like in the way it was designed. Ameyuri also sported an obi around the waist, pants which got much looser near the ends, resembling hakama, and striped leg-warmers that were all a dark blue, matching her shirt. A set of bandages were loosely tied around the neck.
"What are you doing here?" The Sharpedo-toothed woman continued to sport a toothy grin as her Lanturn stood on its flippers, electricity lancing off of its body in preparation for another strike.
"Ha Ha Ha!" Ameyuri laughed. "Well you see, Team Aqua got word of what you guys were planning to do here. Doing a little test drive of your land creating device is not something the boss likes, Pakura-chan." Her toothy grin immediately fell away as she looked at the crater of burned Pokemon corpses. "And neither do I."
"Tsk. The test is already a failure and I have no time to deal with you, Ameyuri." Pakura turned to her grunts and gestured to the jeep. "Get in!"
"Shadow Ball!"
"YENA!" The two Dark-types unleashed the Shadow Ball attacks once more, but this time they were aimed at the ground at the edge of the former lake. A large dust cloud was generated as the Ghost-type attacks detonated and the sound of the jeep's engine could barely be heard as the accelerator was floored. The moment the dust had settled, the members of Team Magma had already been gone.
Ameyuri clicked her tongue in annoyance as she watched the retreating vehicle disappear into the distance. Running a hand though her hair, she sighed before raising her Pokeball.
"Well Kiba, that's another failed attempt at trying to stop Team Magma."
"Turn." The dual type Light Pokemon frowned.
"It's alright. You did good today, so get some rest."
"Lan." The Water/Electric-type was encased in red light before being sucked into the capturing device. With her Lanturn secured, the red head turned to the blonde beside her. Naruto raised an eyebrow in confusion as the shorter woman looked up at him with a very analytical gaze on her face. The way her eyes seemed to gaze beyond his physical form was very unnerving and he unknowingly released the breath he had been holding when she stepped back away from him and folded her arms with a stiff nod.
"Well brat, I gotta say..." Her expression switched from one of revelation to a deadpan. "...You're an idiot."
Naruto sweardropped and Typhlosion buried it's face into the grass, but the way its body shook and the fact that Naruto could hear the soft barks made him very much aware of his partner Pokemon's amusement.
"Well you're certainly a ray of sunshine." Naruto replied in his own deadpan.
"Says the kid wanting to take on an admin from a dangerous environmental organization." She fired back. Naruto raised his arms in a placating manner.
"Okay lady, listen...I'm not here for a fight." Naruto stated. "I just wanted to take a shortcut through here to get to Littleroot Town, that's all. Me finding those...whoever the hell those people are, that was coincidence."
"Damn right it's a coincidence. No one wants to willingly go up against Team Magma on purpose." Ameyuri laughed. "But I gotta say, kid...your Typhlosion looks pretty tough. I'm sure you could have gotten a few good hits in."
"Thanks, your Lanturn isn't too bad either." He folded his arms over his chest before narrowing his eyes at the suspicious woman. "You sounded like you knew that Pakura woman, and who the hell is Team Magma?"
"The relationship between my organization and Pakura-chan's is no concern of yours, but I will tell you this..." Ameyuri's facial expression hardened as she stared Naruto straight in the eyes. "They may think they are doing the right thing, but Team Magma's plans are a threat to the entire ecosystem of Water-type Pokemon. Whatever test run they did dried up this entire lake and my organization is going to stop them."
The sound of the tall grass rustling from across the lake then caught their attention, all eyes watching while the sound of fast-paced steps against the dirt met their ears. The grass then parted and Naruto and Typhlosion found themselves looking upon a very surprised looking man.
The man's skin was white, but there was a bit of a tan to it which was a common feature of those native to the Hoenn region. He had was a tall individual with a bit of a paunch, though he did also seem to be a bit big boned as well as his broad shoulders and muscular legs showed that he was no stranger to the outdoors or exercise. The man had brown hair that was lightly spiked in the back and was parted at the front which gave everyone a view of his rather large forehead. The man was clad in a white laboratory coat over a navy blue t-shirt, a pair of green cargo pants which was held up by a silver buckled belt and a pair of brown sandals. A light brown satchel was slung around his shoulder. The man's surprised expression showed his widened dark brown eyes as they looked over the dried up lake and the injured and dead creatures that lay within the basin.
Beside the man, a pair of Arcanine strode out of the grass with their riders, members of the Uchiha Police Force.
'Man, the Uchiha really get around.' Naruto thought.
"By Arceus! What happened?!" The man exclaimed before looking over to Naruto and Typhlosion. "What are you just standing around there by yourselves?! Come on! We need to help these Pokemon!"
The shout from the coat wearing man knocked the two Johto natives out of their stupor before registering what he had just said. The duo turned to the side and their eyes widened as they saw Ameyuri had vanished as if she had never even been there in the first place. Shaking their heads, Naruto and Typhlosion quickly pushed those thoughts aside and skidded down the slope of the basin. Together, the small group placed what little amount of surviving Pokemon present onto the backs of the Arcanine. Once that had been taken care of, the officers prepared to head back in the direction of Odale Town where they were stationed in order to have them healed in the Pokemon Centre.
"Professor Birch!" Naruto's eyes widened as he registered the name of the coat wearing man. "There are a bit too much Pokemon here for the Arcanine to take to the Pokemon Centre." One of the officers informed the brown haired man. "I know it's a bit far, but would you be able to take the remaining Pokemon back to your lab in Littleroot? You have a healing machine, correct?"
"I do, officer. I will do my best." Professor Birch replied. The brown haired professor turned to face the blonde trainer and pointed a finger at him. " You there! Naruto-kun! You and your Typhlosion help me out! Be gentle, but take some of these remaining Pokemon back with us to Littleroot! There's no time to waste!"
Naruto and Birch placed a few Tentacool on the Volcano Pokemon's back before the blonde caught sight of something moving out of his peripheral vision. As Typhlosion and Birch slowly made their way up the slop of the former lake, Naruto ventured off in the direction of the movement. He made his way over slowly before finally coming to a stop by some rocks and the charred remains of what looked like a Wailmer. He would never know what that Pokemon was, but he did know what the survivor was.
The Pokemon was curled up into a ball, shaking heavily in pain as burn wounds dotted its body. It was a small, amphibious, quadruped Pokémon. It had a blue body with a light-blue underside. It had a large head with a blue fin on top and a light-blue tail fin. It had black, beady eyes and orange, star-shaped gills on its cheeks.
"Muuuuudkiiiiip." The Mudfish Pokemon cried out weakly as it struggled to fight against the pain it had to endure.
Under any other circumstance, Naruto would have been excited to see the rare occurrence of finding a wild Starter Pokemon like Mudkip, but now was not the time for that. "Shhh, it's okay little guy. I got you. We're gonna make you all better in a jiff, don't you worry." Naruto gently scooped up the injured Pokemon and made his way up to where Typhlosion and Birch were waiting for him.
"Let's head back to my lab, Naruto-kun."
"You know, I didn't notice before, but...you...know my name?" The blonde blinked in confusion as he followed after Typhlosion and Birch as they headed towards Littleroot Town.
"Of course! You think Saru and Iruka would send me information without telling me about my messengers?" Birch laughed for a brief moment before a serious expression dawned upon his face once more. "We will have much to discuss, Naruto, but for now..." The wild Pokemon expert glanced at the Mudkip in Naruto's arms. "We have our priorities."
End Flashback
"And that's what happened." Naruto told his parents. "I called Hina-chan after helping Profesor Birch with the Pokemon getting hooked up to the healing unit, so...yeah."
Kushina's holographic image flickered as if in representation of her unease. "Well, I'm just glad that you're safe, but this Team Magma sounds really sketchy."
"That Ameyuri woman seems a bit suspect as well. I'll check out Izuna-senpai or maybe Jiraya-sensei to see if they know anything about them." Minato informed his son. "Of course, we won't be able to intervene since the Hoenn Gym Leaders, Elite Four and Champion are in charge of handling their region, but at least we'll be able to help with shedding some light on the situation so you won't have another ROOT debacle."
"Thanks, Tou-chan."
"We got your back, Naru-chan." His father winked a holographic eye at him. "Stay safe and good luck with aiming for the Hoenn League."
"Love you, honey! Hina-chan, Typhlosion, Espeon! Keep a close eye on my boy and keep him out of trouble!"
"We will."
"Hina-chan!"
"Espe!"
"Ty Ty!"
"You guys!" Naruto pouted at the two Pokemon and his beloved for thinking he needed babysitting. Then again, not even a day had passed and already shit had hit the fan so they had every right to be worried, even if it was in a teasing fashion. On that note, the blonde hung up the Holocaster and stored away the PokeNav. Naruto sighed as he ran a hand through his wild mane of hair and turned to his girlfriend.
"Man, fuck this shit." The blonde plopped himself down on the ground roughly with a scowl. "All I wanted to do was drop off this Mega Ring thing for Professor Birch and then go on my way to kick ass and take names when I challenge the Hoenn League. Is that really too much to ask?"
"Now now, Naruto-kun." Hinata patted her beloved on his shoulder. "Everything will work out in the end."
"Yeah. You're right." Naruto smirked. "You're always right."
"And it will remain as such."
"You've gotten really sassy after three years. You know that?"
"I learn from the best." The blue haired coordinator laughed lightly before giving the blue eyed boy a wink.
"Damn right I'm the best."
"I was talking about your mother."
"So mean, Hina-chan." Naruto stuck his tongue out at the pale eyed girl like the mature Master class trainer that he was. However, before the two could resume their daily dose of bantering, the sound of the laboratory's sliding doors opening met their ears. The two trainers and their partner Pokemon all hopped to their feet and dusted themselves off as Professor Birch poked his head around the corner.
"Come inside." The bearded academic was quick to return back inside the building and the four immediately followed after him.
As they stepped inside, they scanned the area while following after the older man. The laboratory was not that much different from Iruka's lab; computers, various types of technological equipment that Naruto and Hinata could not even begin to understand in terms of how they worked and what they did, a largely fenced backyard that doubled as a free range for caught and wild Pokemon to run around in, and a massive wall of desks piled high with books and papers among other forms of stationery. A few of the interns were running around, and due to how quickly they moved from one end of the lab to the other, it made Naruto realize Birch's lab was noticeably smaller. Though this probably was due to the fact that Birch's laboratory did not serve to double as a Pokemon Trainer Academy for youths. Apparently most schooling was done at the Rustboro City Academy and catered to both normal academic students and Pokemon trainers.
The small party came to a halt at the far end of the lab where Professor Birch's main desk was located, its surface equally obscured as the others by a wide variety of stationery. The healing machine in the corner of the room had Naruto glancing at its vibrant green glow every so often as he looked at the Pokeballs which housed the injured Pokemon within them.
"They'll be fine." Professor Birch's voice broke the silence and snapped Naruto out of his thoughts. "My lab's healing technology is second only to those provided to the Pokemon Centres themselves so there's no need to worry all that much, ok?"
Naruto frowned as the image of the Mudkip in his arms flashed to the forefront of his mind, but he merely nodded his head.
"Good, and while I hate to sound so insensitive after everything that has just transpired, I do believe it is time we get down to business." Professor Birch sat himself down at the edge of his desk, a few papers slipping off and wafting to the ground. The wild Pokemon expert paid the papers no mind however as his brown eyes focused intently on the group before him. "So...Saru and Iruka told me about you two and I must say that I am quite impressed with you two. A Grand Festival finalist and a Silver Conference Winner who even bested the Elite Four and defeated one of Izuna Uchiha's Dragonite."
"Thank you." Hinata bowed her head politely. "We worked very hard to get to where we are."
"I can only imagine." Birch chuckled. "Even researchers like myself started out as trainers one way or another, but we all have our respective callings. Mine happened to be on the study of wild Pokemon. However, I'm not here to discuss old stories of my youth. You have the items that Saru and Iruka talked about? The Mega Bracelet?"
Naruto and Hinata both raised their arm and showed their respective silver bracelets that encircled their wrists.
"Yeah." The blue eyed boy then glanced down at the bracelet with a furrowed brow, the rainbow coloured image of the stone that was embedded into the bracelet reflecting brightly within his irises. "Professor...what exactly is this thing?"
"That is the point of you two bringing these items with you." Birch replied. "You see those rainbow coloured stones embedded into the bracelets? Those are very rare items known as Key Stones."
"Key Stones?"
"Espe?"
The Hyuga heiress tilted her head in tandem with her Psychic-type partner, equally confused expressions decorating their faces.
"Yes." Birch nodded stiffly. "This is all related to the phenomenon known as Mega Evolution. Professor Sarutobi and Iruka both probably gave you two the most minimal explanation of the phenomenon known as Mega Evolution when they tasked you all with coming here, and Mega Evolution is far more than just being a different form of evolution. Mega Evolution's occurrence was first recorded 3000 years ago during the Great War in the Kalos region, the act being supposedly performed by a Lucario. However, recent architectural excavations in the Granite Cave located in Dewford Town dates back much further than that and thus tells the story of Mega Evolution actually finding its origins here within the Hoenn region. Studies have shown that there are a wide variety of forms of Mega Evolution, but interestingly enough, this evolution is only found to be performed by the final evolutionary forms of Pokemon."
"So can any Pokemon undergo Mega Evolution?" Hinata asked.
Birch pointed at the Key Stones on the Mega Bracelets, his eyes lighting up with wonder as he went into a 'lecture mode' that the two trainers before him were very much familiar with due to their experiences as students with Iruka.
"No!" The man exclaimed, shocking the four in front of him. "And that's one of the many intriguing things about Mega Evolution! It is a very rare thing in the world of Pokemon as out of the 718 Pokemon that are currently recorded in our world as a result of the studies done in the Alola region, only a minuscule 46 of those Pokemon are capable of performing Mega Evolution! That is 6.40 percent, if we simply restrict ourselves to two decimal places, of the entire Pokemon population!"
"So what exactly does the Key Stone have to do with this?"
"That, my dear Naruto, is truly a mystery, but it is found that trainers who possess a Key Stone in conjunction with a Pokemon that holds what is known as a Mega Stone...that Pokemon is able to undergo Mega Evolution. Interestingly, Mega Evolution is found to be a process that occurs during battle, and only during battle."
"So you mean once the Pokemon finishes fighting, it just, what?" Naruto arched an eyebrow. "Turns back to normal?"
"That's exactly what happens, believe it or not."
"Oh!" Naruto's eyes widened. He got it in one.
"Yes, and Mega Evolution is dangerously powerful. Depending on the Pokemon, Mega Evolution can give various changes to various stats such as Attack and Defense, and even give the Pokemon different typings or abilities!" Birch explained. "Mega evolved Pokemon are essentially monsters evolved to do battle. Their powers are practically unparalleled and though mathematically it is proven probable, a Mega Evolution Pokemon can rarely be matched by any regular Pokemon. My studies have shown that only other Mega Evolution Pokemon have been capable of handling each other, and it is truly a sight to behold."
Birch walked around his desk and opened up his top drawer, taking out a black box. Placing a thumb onto the small rectangular space atop the box, the rectangle suddenly lit up with green light as the box read his fingerprint and opened up with a snap and a hiss. The box was opened to reveal a red velvet interior containing two Mega Stones.
They were similarly decorated with the same wave-shaped insignia as the Key Stone, but the similarities ended there. The Mega Stones were noticeably larger than the Key Stones and while the Key Stones were rainbow coloured, these Mega Stones were of vastly different colours. The first stone was a bright blue with the wave-shaped insignia being coloured red and a dark navy blue, bordering on black. The second stone was a beautiful shade of forest green with the insignia being red and dark green.
"These Mega Stones are the only ones that I have been capable of finding during my field studies. As part of my research, seeing as how you two no doubt plan to travel across the Hoenn region, I would like you two to take these remaining two Mega Stones and hold on to them until the Pokemon that are associated with them are able to Mega evolve and you can tell me what your findings are. What are the physical changes to the Pokemon that occur? Are there any changes to their types and abilities? Things like that."
"What Pokemon exactly are these two associated with?" Hinata asked as she eyed the green Mega Stone.
"In spite of the lack of creativeness in terms of naming these Mega Stones, these stones are called Swampertite..." Birch gestured to the blue Mega Stone. "and Sceptilite." He pointed to the green one. "As you can tell, these Mega Stones would therefore be associated with the Pokemon Swampert and Sceptile respectively. Swampert is the final evolution of Mudkip and Sceptile is the final evolution of Treeko, both of which are starter Pokemon that I usually hand out to young trainers who are deemed ready to start their journeys."
Birch walked back over to his desk and went through the same process of unlocking a rectangular black box. This box contained a single red and white Pokeball resting on a red velvet pillow which had two empty places which was obviously for two other Pokeballs.
"I think Treeko will do nicely in your hands, Hinata-san." He handed the Pokeball from the box over to her along with the Sceptilite. "And Naruto-kun, since you were the one to have brought it back to my lab for healing..." The brown haired professor went over to the healing machine and withdrew one of the Pokeballs and handed it over to the blonde along with the Swampertite. "by all means, it would only be right for you to be the one to carry Mudkip and the Swampertite for when the time is right for it to show its true potential."
"Thank you, Professor Birch."
The two trainers as they shrunk the Pokeballs and placed them in their bags with the Mega Stones. At that very moment, a familiar beeping echoed throughout the laboratory and with almost instinctive reactions, the two reached into their pockets. Naruto whipped out his orange Pokedex and Hinata retrieved her lavender coloured own.
Mudkip the Mud Fish Pokemon. A Water-type Pokemon. In water, Mudkip breathes using the gills on its cheeks. If it is faced with a tight situation in battle, this Pokémon will unleash its amazing power—it can crush rocks bigger than itself.
Treeko the Wood Gecko Pokemon. A Grass-type Pokemon. Treecko has small hooks on the bottom of its feet that enable it to scale vertical walls. This Pokémon attacks by slamming foes with its thick tail.
"Sweet." Naruto commented. "Guess we know that that National Dex upgrade Professor Iruka gave us works."
"Ah yes!" Birch's eyes brightened as he eyed the technological marvels of his colleague's creation. "In addition to studying Mega Evolution, I'm sure completing the Pokedex for the Hoenn region will no doubt be a fun objective for you two."
"Oh, by the way...Professor Birch?"
"Yes, Hinata-san?"
"In both of your boxes, I assume that they were built to hold three objects each." The professor nodded his head in confirmation to the pale eyed coordinator's comment. "I have Treeko's Pokeball and the Sceptilite, and since Naruto-kun has the Swampertite, I'm assuming the second Pokeball that was from the Pokeball box was used to hold Mudkip."
"You are correct." Birch nodded in confirmation.
"So where are the third Pokeball and Mega Stone?" Hinata asked.
"Well, as I'm sure you're aware, two of your colleagues arrived a whole week earlier than you did." Professor Birch explained. "The girl, sweet thing really, but she was quite clear that she was not interested in going along with my Mega Evolution study, so I gave the Torchic that was to go alongside the Blazikenite to the boy. An Uchiha, I believe he was. A bit cold, but a very competent young man from what I could gather."
"Oh right." Naruto planted a hand into his palm, a look of realization on his face. "I forgot we were supposed to meet up with Sakura-chan and Sasuke after we sorted all this out."
"Naruto-kun..." Hinata sweatdropped at her boyfriend's absentmindedness. "Anyway, we'll just call them on the Holocaster and ask them where they are so we can meet up with them."
"Yeah, that makes sense." Naruto nodded in agreement as he whipped out his PokeNav and took a look at the map app. "Well, it looks like the first place with a gym is Petalburg City. We'll give them a call on the way there."
"Sounds like a plan. Come on Espeon."
"Esp!"
With one last farewell and thank you to Birch, the two teenage trainers and their partner Pokemon walked out of the laboratory as Naruto dialed to call Sasuke.
Devon Corportation, Rustboro City, Hoenn Region
Sakura sighed as she swung her legs back and forth. Emerald eyes glanced up as a lengthy shadow encompassed her and she found herself gazing into the golden orbs of her partner Pokemon.
"Mega, Mega Meg?" Sakura smiled as Meganium nuzzled her.
"I'm fine, Meganium. Just a bit bored." Sakura stroked the underside of the Grass-type's chin as a form of reassurance before turning to the side as a small figure hopped into place in front of her. "But I guess I can relieve that boredom since I have a cute little guy like you to help me out, huh?"
In her hands, the pink haired coordinator scooped up the Fire-type starter Pokemon that Professor Birch had given to the Uchiha trainer as per the request of Professor Sarutobi and Iruka.
Torchic was a small, chick Pokémon with stubby, downy, yellow wings. Its body was covered with orange feathers, and there was as an orange and yellow crest on its head that resembled a flame. Its two thin legs and short beak were of a light brownish yellow, and each of its feet had three toes in front and one in the back. Its eyes were circular and so black that it seemed as if you were staring into an empty void. A small black speck was present of the bird-like Pokemon's rear thus identifying the diminutive Fire-type as the male sex of its species.
"Tor Torchic!" The Chick Pokemon chirped before it began to kick out violently. Sakura immediately rested the Fire-type starter on the ground and watched with a giggle as it ran across the carpeted floor and took its place beside its trainer. "Tor!"
Sasuke clicked his tongue in annoyance at how clingy the Chick Pokemon was and glanced down at the black Pokedex in his hands, reading the entry for the Hoenn starter Pokemon.
Torchic the Chick Pokemon. A Fire-type Pokemon. Torchic sticks with its Trainer, following behind with unsteady steps. This Pokémon breathes fire of over 1,800 degrees Fahrenheit, including fireballs that leave the foe scorched black.
Sakura giggled as she leaned over and read the entry. "Looks like that Pokedex entry was kind of right, though I wouldn't call those steps unsteady when it followed behind you."
"Hn." The Uchiha scowled. "It's annoying."
"It's cute. Although, sometimes I do wonder about my cute little guy." Sasuke raised an eyebrow before sweatdropping as the girl flipped out her Pokedex to show the page on her newest permanent team member.
The Pokedex entry revealed the image of a small, caterpillar-like Pokémon. Its body was mainly red with a cream underside and face. It had large yellow eyes with dark pupils. It had one sharp yellow stinger on its head and two of them on its rear. It had a tall, erect, red spine behind its forehead and a similar, smaller spine behind that. It had small spikes running down the top portions of its body and five pairs of stubby white limbs.
Wurmple the Worm Pokemon. A Bug-type Pokemon. Using the spikes on its rear end, Wurmple peels the bark off trees and feeds on the sap that oozes out. This Pokémon's feet are tipped with suction pads that allow it to cling to glass without slipping.
"I hope it evolves into a Silcoon so I can get a Beautifly."
"Hn."
"Neh, Sasuke-kun, which do you think is cuter? My Wurmple or your Torchic?"
"Doesn't matter." He replied. "They are both annoyingly clingy."
"Awww, you said that about me in the beginning too, but look at us now." She beamed as she scooted closer to the raven haired boy and rested her head on his shoulder. "After so many years of liking you, and you finally asked me out and to be your girlfriend."
A black eyebrow was arched as Sasuke glanced down at the smiling girl. "Last I checked, you were the one who persistently asked me to go on dates."
"A girl can dream, but hey..." She raised her head and planted her lips on the taller boy's cheek. "At least half my dream came true."
Sasuke huffed as he turned away from his significant other, a blush slowly growing on his face which made not only Sakura and Meganium chuckle, but also the blue scaled reptile that rested beside him.
"I hate you."
"Gatr." The Big Jaw Pokemon shrugged and continued to express its amusement.
Sasuke then turned away from the Water-type Pokemon as he felt the vibrations of his PokeNav from within the pouch he had attached to his pocket. Whipping out the device, he saw the flashing blue orb that meant that a call was being made. He turned to Sakura with a quizzical expression, and the green eyed coordinator merely shrugged at him before gesturing to answer the call.
Sasuke pressed the 'Answer' button.
"Oi, teme!"
Sasuke's eye twitched as he saw the holographic form of his rival appear before him. "Dobe? How did you get my contact number?"
"It's the same number as your Pokegear number, dumbass." Sasuke's eye twitched once more. "Remember we just upgraded to the PokeNavs from the Pokegears."
"Hn." Sasuke would never give Naruto the satisfaction of an argument. Uchiha pride and all that.
"Hi Sasuke-san!" Hinata's image popped in alongside her boyfriend's. "Sakura-san!"
"Sakura-chan's there?!" His blue light-made form grinned as he shifted and caught sight of his friend. "What's up?!"
"Hey, you two!" Sakura gave them both a friendly wave before noting the lack of Pokemon. "Where are Espeon and Typhlosion?"
"Espeon!"
"Typhlo!"
The two Pokemon popped up as they heard their names being called. Feraligatr and Meganium immediately perked up and gave their cries of greeting as they saw the four figures that now crowded the very narrow beam of blue light.
"Feraligatr!"
"Mega Meg!"
"Torchic?" Torchic tilted its head cutely as it watched the four blue images of pixels and light shimmer in front of it, its black eyes staring in wonder. "Toooooor."
Typhlosion and Espeon's eyes widened as they looked at the adorable Chick Pokemon.
"Ty Tyyyyyy!"
"Espeeeeee!"
"Yes, the Torchic is admittedly cute." Naruto grunted as he was being shoved around by his own Fire-type Pokemon. "Alright, you guys can gush over how cute the Torchic is and have your reunion chats when we meet up with Teme and Sakura-chan!"
The two Pokemon pouted as they dropped out of the holographic image as they were pulled to the side by Hinata. Naruto straightened himself out as his holographic image was the only one visible to Sasuke, Sakura and the three Pokemon.
"So what did you call for, dobe?" Sasuke asked.
"Well, Hina-chan and I just got in earlier today and just met up with Professor Birch. Hina-chan got Treeko and the Sceptilite, and I got Mudkip and the Swampertite to help him out with his Mega Evolution research before he told us he met you and Sakura-chan earlier in the week." Naruto explained before glancing at the Torchic before him once more, eyeing the little necklace it wore which had a cream coloured orb with a crimson and black patterned Mega Evolution insignia decorating it.
"I'm assuming that's the Torchic and Blazikenite, Professor Birch said he gave to you?"
Sasuke nodded.
"Okay, well Hina-chan and I are heading to Petalburg City right now. Tell us where you guys are so then we can arrange where we can meet up."
"We're in Rustboro City right now." Sakura informed the blonde trainer. "Izuna-sama gave us a little errand to run for him at the Devon Corporation, so we wouldn't mind waiting for you guys here. Neh, Sasuke-kun?"
"Hn."
"As vocal as ever, teme." Sasuke directed an icy glare at his rival for his deadpan response. "Anyway, Hina-chan and I are good to go for that plan. We'll see you guys in Rustboro. Later!"
The Silver Conference Champion hung up and his hologram vanished. The conversation had ended on good timing too for as soon as the Holocaster call ended, the two trainers and their Pokemon all glanced up at a tall, tan skinned man dressed in a dark blue suit, similarly coloured sunglasses and had all the makings of a security officer as he walked towards them.
"Sakura Haruno and Sasuke Uchiha?" The man asked.
"That's right." Sakura replied as she and her boyfriend rose to their feet.
"Mr. Stone will see you now."
The two trainers nodded and they followed after the security officer with their Pokemon towards the elevator.
"While I do understand the want to hang out with your Pokemon, an elevator such as this one isn't exactly catered to bearing the full brunt of heavy weight Pokemon like your Meganium and Feraligatr.
Meganium's eyes narrowed. "Meganium?"
"No, he's not calling you fat." Sakura sweatdropped as she took out the Grass-type's PokeBall. "Come on, in you go."
A beam of red light came forth from the capturing device and the Herb Pokemon was sucked in as it was converted to energy. Sasuke did the same for Feraligatr, as well as Torchic. Having a diminutive, hyperactive and young Pokemon running around a massive building like the headquarters of Devon Corporation was bound to lead to trouble, so it was best to have the Chick Pokemon stored away.
The elevator ride was smooth and quick, and soon the small group stepped out onto the top floor.
"Right this way." The blue suited man led them down the lengthy, carpeted hallways before they came to a stop in front of a pair of large, dark brown mahogany doors. The security officer rapped his knuckles against the door.
"Enter." Was the muffled command. With a turn of the golden handle, the door was opened for them and the two trainers stepped forwards into the massive office that could only be found from a high ranking company CEO.
The office was easily as big as the waiting room in the Indigo Plateau, a room that was actually able to hold at least fifty people without even being crowded. Its walls decorated with stone grey wallpaper and the floors were a beautiful obsidian marble. A few bookshelves lined the walls, all of which were practically at the bursting point as each shelf was completely lined with books of varying thickness. The entire front of the office room was a massive glass window which allowed for a great amount of natural light into the room. Resting in a cushy leather chair behind a large wooden desk in front of said massive window sat the man himself.
Mr. Stone was nearing the age of being considered elderly, but even though three years had passed, he continuously insisted he was still fifty-five. However, the appearance of the seventy-five year old CEO clearly did not reflect his age as he was a very sturdy looking figure. Despite being thin, Mr. Stone possessed broad shoulders and a straight back that seemed to make his lesser than average height of 5'7" very imposing. His hair was a shining silver and was well maintained, just like the bushy mustache that decorated his upper lip. His clothing consisted of the finest looking black suit with a red tie tied securely around his neck. Wrinkles adorned his skin as well as a few liver spots on his hands, but all of these were ignored as piercing silver-blue eyes met the pairs of green and black before him.
"Leave us." The elderly man's command was strong like stone, though was contrasted by the soft tone. The security officer nodded and closed the doors behind him. Mr. Stone gestured to the pair of arm chairs that rested in front of him, chairs that seemed almost as cushy as his own. "Please, have a seat."
They sat down and Sasuke, being the ever-paranoid type, surveyed the man before him as said man played with the set of evolutionary stones he had resting on small pedestals on his desk. Fire Stone, Water Stone, Dusk Stone, Dawn Stone; they were all there. A few moments of silence passed as Mr. Stone arranged the few scattered papers on his desk and fiddled around with his laptop. Once that was done, the CEO turned his attention to the pair before him.
"Tell me you two..." His voice was the same as when he spoke to the security officer, soft yet sturdy, and his eyes narrowed as a glint of seriousness appeared on his face. Sasuke and Sakura sweated lightly from the tension that now filled the room, but that tension immediately vanished as the elderly man gestured to his stone collection with a bright smile. "what do you think of my stone collection, very interesting isn't it?"
"Eh?"
"Yes, I know! You would never expect to see the evolutionary stones all together in one place, but even as a young boy, even while I was raising my boy Steven, I always had a fascination with the geology of the Pokemon world. I mean, how exactly does a piece of rock possess the innate capability to trigger evolution for Pokemon?! It's just magnificently astounding!" Mr. Stone exclaimed with a jovial laugh. "Tell me, Haruno-kun, what do you think of stones? Fascinating, right?"
"I...guess?" Sakura replied with a slight shrug. "I mean, I did have a Pikachu that I evolved into a Raichu so..."
"Excellent, Haruno-kun!" Mr. Stone's eyes sparkled with childish glee as he jumped out of his chair. "Using the amazing capabilities of the Thunder Stone is no doubt quite a step for a trainer such as yourself! But Uchiha-kun, what about you?!"
"Hn."
"I see. I understand, you are so astounded that you are practically speechless by the world's stones." Mr. Stone nodded in understanding. Clearly, he did not understand that Sasuke just did not care. "In fact, I spent a lot of time researching mysterious ruins and stones, and once upon a time I came across a magnificent set of ruins. There was this odd language etched into the stones and though I spent a lot of time and effort to my then-growing company of Devon, I was still able to find time to try and discover the way to translate the ancient language of these ruins!"
Mr. Stone reached into his pocket and took out a small envelope that was sealed with a red wax stamp bearing the letter 'S'. Possibly for Stone, the two trainer guessed. "My son, he is also quite a stone enthusiast. A young lad with a passion for the archaic history of the world, just like his old man, but he does get his pretty-boy persona from his mother, may she rest in peace. However, we shall not dawdle on the past, but instead focus on the present and the future and so I would like the two of you to perform an errand for me as Izuna-kun should have informed you about!"
Mr. Stone walked out from behind his desk and handed the envelope to Sakura. "My dear boy, Steven, he is currently overseeing a new set of ruins he discovered deep within the bowels of the Granite Cave in Dewford Town and so I would like you to deliver that letter to him for me!"
"Ummm...okay." Sakura laughed nervously. "Not a problem."
The silver-blue eyed man nodded and continued to laugh jovially as he made his way over to his desk. A small 'click' was heard as a switch had been flipped, and a small compartment opened up within Mr. Stone's desk. A sudden tension filled the room just as it had earlier in the meeting. The elderly CEO reached into the compartment and pulled out a small brown case.
"Listen to me carefully, Haruno-kun, Uchiha-kun." The man's soft voice seemed to have gotten even softer as his eyes seemed to harden like steel. "The loud and boisterous task of delivering a letter to my son in Dewford is still something I want done, but it is to disguise the fact that I have a secondary task. This task is actually much more important than the letter delivery."
"What is it?" Sasuke asked, his own serious persona making itself known.
"For quite some time, I have allied myself with Captain Stern of Slateport City to bring about the creation of an amazing technological marvel." Mr. Stone stated. The serious air was still present, but there was a bit of childish excitement hidden beneath his steely gaze. "A submarine."
"A submarine?" Sakura and Sasuke looked to each other and then back to Mr. Stone.
"What is the purpose of the submarine?"
"You ask good questions, Uchiha-kun." Mr. Stone chuckled. "Many legends of Hoenn tell of ancient ruins and caves existing since before World War 3, and even prior to the age of man itself, back during the age of the primordial god-like Pokemon as they walked the ancient planet. In order to explore these ruins, the Submarine Explorer 1, the name we've given to our submarine, requires a specific component in order to withstand the great amounts of pressure that is exerted at the depths of the ocean floor. The heart component as I've come to call it."
"And that suitcase contains the component." Sakura stated. "You need us to take it to Captain Stern for you to finish the submarine."
"Bright girl you are, Haruno-kun." The silver haired man nodded.
"Then why are you being so cautious with us right now?" Sasuke asked.
"Again with such brilliant curiosity, Uchiha-kun." Mr. Stone gripped the case a bit tighter in his hands. "You see, I will admit that this is just the finishing piece to complete the submarine, but I have a feeling that I cannot trust that man I call a guard outside."
Sakura and Sasuke's eyes widened.
"I know every member of my staff and that man is not one of them."
CRASH!
The doors burst open as a massive flood of water rushed into the office. The waters were so voluminous that they came up to the office occupants' knees, but they didn't seem to bother the blue haired security officer as he walked through with a shake of his head. He chuckled and it was then that the two Johto natives and their client took note of the fact that the man's teeth were terribly sharp, almost like the teeth of the Sharpedo that swam next to him.
"God this make-up is itchy." The man threw off his sunglasses and ripped off his suit as he proceeded to wipe off the make up that made his skin tanned, revealing his true skin colour to be a rather shocking shade of...
"You're blue?!" Sakura exclaimed.
"Yeah." The blue skinned man laughed as he ripped off the shirt and jacket of his suit to reveal his muscular chest which bore a white tattoo in the shape of an 'A' made out of what seemed to be bones. "Rare skin mutation on dear old mama's side, but I honestly don't care."
"Team Aqua."
"Mr. Stone, you know these guys?" Sakura asked.
"Not personally, but there have been rumours going around about an eco-terrorist group threatening the region. Team Aqua is the one I know of."
"Ah, old man, that's flattering that you know my team." A lopsided grin stretched across the blue haired assailant's face. "Well as a little reward for that, I'll let you in on my identity as Kisame Hoshikgaki. I'm an admin for Team Aqua..." The grin dropped as Kisame pointed at the case in Mr. Stone's hands. "Now hand over the heart component and nobody gets hurt."
"That's what they all say." Sasuke replied as he made a move for Feraligatr's PokeBall. However, the teenaged trainer was caught off-guard as there was a splash of water and suddenly he found himself staring into the bright red eyes of the Water/Dark-type Pokemon.
"SHAR-PEDO!" The Brutal Pokemon was not given that title for nothing as it slammed into Sasuke with the use of its Agility attack. The young Uchiha was knocked to the side, slamming into a bookshelf.
"Sasuke-kun!" .
"To be fair, I did warn him, but...an Uchiha in the room, especially one as strong as the runner-up of the Kanto-Johto Silver Conference Victory Tournament is bound to be a pain in the ass, but don't worry, he'll live." The blue skinned man's beady black eyes seemed to stare into Sasuke's soul as the obsidian eyed boy slowly climbed back to his feet, wincing as he glanced down at his stomach where he now had a few scratches due to Sharpedo's Rough Skin ability. Sakura flinched as the blue skinned man focused his gaze upon her.
"SAKURA!"
"AH!" Sakura cried out in surprise as the evolved form of Carvanha sped across the miniature lake it had created with whatever Water-type move it had utilized and the pink haired girl was forced to raise her arms in a feeble form of defense as it raced towards her. However, the sudden shift to the left as the Sharpedo leaped out of the water revealed that she was not the intended target. Sakura's emerald orbs followed after the swift moving Sharpedo as its jaws opened wide upon nearing Mr. Stone.
Pearly whites clamped down. The sound of flesh and bone being torn through along with Mr. Stone's brief, yet traumatizing cry of pain, echoed throughout the room. Sasuke and Sakura's eyes widened as Sharpedo circled around the water-filled room and back to its trainer's side with the suitcase...with Mr. Stone's hand still attached to it.
"Atta boy, Samehada." The sharp-toothed man patted his Pokemon on the snout as he took the suitcase from his Pokemon's jaws. He then tossed the hand back into the air and the two young trainers could only narrow their eyes in rage as the Brutal Pokemon arched through the air and gulped down the dismembered piece of an upper limb. "Now, fortunately for you kiddies, now that I have this...I don't need to be here anymore and you can try and save the old man. Unfortunately...he's bleeding out really bad since Samehada would have bitten off from where his radial artery is. Have fun saving lives, heroes!"
Hopping atop Samehada, the Sharpedo took that as its cue and rocketed across the water-filled room before hopping through the air, over the desk and smashing through the glass window like it was nothing. Given the fact that the window was made out of tempered glass, Sharpedo or not, shattering it was still quite a feat. The two trainers then watched as the assailant quickly switched out his Sharpedo for a new Pokemon.
It was a pelican-like Pokémon whose head and bill made up the majority of its body. It had white feathers with a short, blue crest on top of its head. There were three blue digits on each of its wide wings, and it had blue feet with three webbed digits. Each eye was made of two black semicircles with a horizontal white line between them. Its large yellow bill appeared to extend along its underside.
"Pelipper!" The Water Bird Pokemon cried out as it materialized from its PokeBall beneath its trainer. With a quick flap of its wings, the Water/Flying-type flew off before Sasuke or Sakura could even make a move.
(A/N: And thus shit has already hit the fan. Team Aqua and Magma waste no time in doing what they need to do for their respective plans, even if it means killing Pokemon and biting off people's hands. Also, just a little note that the Pokedex aspect at the end will be limited to the ORAS version of the Pokedex and not the National Dex so that it will be easier to follow in terms of Seen and Caught. It's going to be a very lengthy updating time between chapters as I am in my last year of med school and I thought if I'm not able to get past updating my current stories, maybe I should at least try to make this one. Hope you guys liked this chapter and remember to review, review, review!)
Pokedex:
Seen- 7
Caught- 4
Character Bio: Pakura
Eye Colour: Brown
Hair Colour: Green and Orange
About: She is admin of the enigmatic eco-terrorist group known as Team Magma. As a former native of the Orre Region, Pakura was forced to flee from her home region due to her being a wanted criminal who was responsible for a string of arson related incidents across the region through the use of her Fire-types. She smuggled herself out of the region by hiding within the cargo hold of the S.S. Tidal and thus found herself with a clean slate in the Hoenn Region. Being unable to escape her villainous tendencies to commit arson, she was a bit more secretive when it came to performing them. However, she was eventually found out, but her captors were not the police, but rather Team Magma. Her acts were labelled as being an expert in the handling of Fire-types and so Team Magma recruited her where she was quickly promoted to the rank of Admin.
Naruto's Team:
Typhlosion (Male)
Mudkip (Male)
Hinata's Team:
Espeon (Female)
Treeko (Male)
Sasuke's Team:
Feraligatr (Male)
Torchic (Male)
Sakura's Team:
Meganium (Female)
Wurmple (Female)