I have made a small forum dedicated to this story, if anyone is interested. It's on my profile. For the suggestions of Pokémon, I've already planned way ahead of who gets what, however I'll consider the suggestions anyhow. Thanks and enjoy.
(Chapter title inspiration: Fire Emblem: Rekka no Ken/Blazing Sword)
Raise Your Spirits, Chapter 1
~Konoha City
The City Surrounded by the Tree Leaves~
"All right everyone," Iruka began as he led the students outside in the back of the academy, "the written test is over. Now here comes the proficiency test, the Pokémon Links and the battles!" The students began to whisper among themselves in excitement over the prospect. They had practice battles and spars with their Pokémon before. However now, it would really count.
Iruka waited for them to calm down their chatter before continuing. "The point of this Exam is to test your Pokémon Link abilities. Every person is equipped with the basics to form a Bond with a Pokémon. These Links are what bound you and the Pokémon together as partners. Up until now, the academy has issued you Pokémon to practice with as well as simulators. This test will be the real deal.
"The first part of this exam is to test the strength of this Link between you and your Pokémon. All of you have your chosen partners; you will summon them and begin the battle with your opponent. You and your partner will be graded upon decisions, maneuvers and tactics in the match. When your partner is knocked out, or if time is up, the match will be called. There will be a time limit of five minutes. Sakura Haruno, Professor Senju's assistant, is here to gauge your skills and will be the Professor's 'voice of approval.'"
Hinata stole a glance at Sakura, the pink-haired teen she sat next to an hour ago, who was mentioned. Aforementioned glanced back and both shared a smile. They were good friends as well, and often sought each other out for not only to hang out but to have some friendly matches. After all, the other girl was a student/assistant under Tsunade Senju, the resident Professor of Ninshu as well as a world renowned doctor for both people and Pokémon alike. Professor Senju took after both her grandfather's and granduncle's work of pursuing the mysteries of Pokémon. In her profession, however, she likes to study how fast the Pokémon heal from battles and training.
To be recognized as a Trainer by Professor Senju was also other goals of aspiring Trainers. She would present them with their own Pokédexes. Having the license itself wasn't always the best part, but it was a start!
Sakura stepped forward and stood beside Iruka. She was carrying a tote bag, which bulged out some. Evidently, something was inside. "Remember, everyone may not receive a Pokédex right now or right away: only two to three students will be allowed to pass this time. Next month, another two or three will pass, so on and so forth." Iruka explained, getting the attention of the students even further.
"Now, without further or do, I will call two names out and you two will have a five minute time limit battle. First to knock out wins," the instructor went on and went down his list. "All right, for the first match, let's have Ino Yamanaka vs Hinata Hyūga! Step into the arena, ladies." Both exchanged looks before heading off to the arena. One side was painted blue and the other side was painted red. Hinata took the red side and Ino took the blue.
"Remember; collect your aura together and push it towards the tips of your fingers before performing the technique," Iruka reminded and then added, "Show the Seal of Confrontation." Both performed the traditional hand seal.
This had been passed down since the Age of Shinobi, as historians called it, and as it's known worldwide. Very few things from such an ancient age survived, and those that did were integrated into everyday teachings in the cities of Ninshu.
When that was done, both young ladies quickly slammed the ground with their right hands, their aura flickering slightly around their palms.
"Summoning Technique!" They shouted out in unison. Spreading out from beneath their palms were intricate calligraphic designs. In the middle were the symbols representing the type summoned to the field. Under Ino's were Grass (草) and Fairy (妖精), a dual-type combination. In a flash, a floating Pokémon called Cottonee appeared, happily beaming away. Under Hinata's was the symbol for Normal (正常) stretched across the ground. Similarly to Cottonee's appearance, a furry creature with black eyes flipped into motion, the large ears swaying behind it. This was the Pokémon called Eevee.
Their classmates cheered, being the spectators of the first match of the Exams. For both young women, it was quite nerve wrecking. Hinata and her Eevee didn't show an ounce of fear but internally, they felt one another's emotions clearly. Nervousness was slowly and surely crawling its way upon them. Still, they wouldn't show it physically. The same could be said for Ino, probably.
When done, Iruka raised his arm, "Your Pokémon may use any move they know. You both know the rules; no overuse of power and if the other is down and out, the battle's over. Only use Transfer when you're able to." The girls and their Pokémon understood. The teacher swung his arm down and shouted, "Begin!"
'We can do this,' Hinata mentally told herself, 'We have been training for this day.' Remembering her mother's words from earlier, she nodded mentally to herself. 'Just do our best.'
"Go Hinata and Eevee! YEAH!" Naruto whooped jubilantly in the small crowd of students. The aforementioned former lightly blushed but took pride in the cheer her friend gave them. Eevee shot his Trainer's long time friend a grin in acknowledgment.
"Cottonee, start off with Fairy Wind!" Ino commanded first, the little cotton ball Pokémon beginning with said technique. A light pink breeze swept from Eevee's left, hitting its mark and forcing the lupine Pokémon down. When she saw him scrambling to stand again, Ino called out another attack. "Get it with Absorb!"
"Eevee, quickly get out of the way and use Quick Attack!" Hinata countered. The Normal type yipped and swiftly moved to evade the oncoming Cottonee. He dashed, rolled into a ball and bounced his way right into the dual-type, knocking her away! Cottonee squealed in fright and pain from the attack, bouncing a bit off the ground from the impact.
"Cottonee, hang in there!" Her Trainer shouted, giving the Pokémon strength to stay in the fight. She puffed up her small body, small balls of cotton puffs blooming from it, and resumed gliding in the air with the wind capturing underneath her lightweight. Eevee rolled out of his attack, sliding back towards his Trainer as well, though shaking himself to dust the snow off its body.
"Eevee, are you all right?" Hinata asked her Pokémon. He nodded cheerily in response, ready to fight once more. His Trainer smiled warmly at his positive determination and returned her focus back to the battle. "It looks like they're up to something, so be cautious." Eevee yipped again in reply, watching his opponents carefully.
Ino and Cottonee had their own prep talk and were prepared for another round. "Here we go! Cottonee, set up with Tailwind and follow up with Stun Spore!" Uh-oh. The Cotton Puff Pokémon summoned up a gust of wind behind itself, effectively making it faster. Once sped up, the puff used it to glide towards her opponent, sprinkling the paralyzing, gold powder over him!
"Eevee, watch out!" Hinata cried as she saw the Grass/Fairy type use the status move. The brown fuzzball attempted to get out of Stun Spore's path, but with the turbulent whirlwind from Tailwind, it succeeded in slowing him down. The Hyūga gasped in mild fright. Her Pokémon wouldn't be able to move as quickly as before. There was something she could do to help Eevee out of his predicament.
"Now we gotcha!" The Yamanaka girl jeered happily and Cottonee spun in excitement. This was getting good! "All right, let's try and finish it off with another Fairy Wind!"
Majority of the spectating students held their breath in as the Cottonee gathered more power to initiate the technique, unleashing the pinkish wind once more upon the Eevee. Would it be able to dodge? Would it be able to counterattack? They got their answers when Eevee took on the Fairy Wind, getting blown back, tumbling down. It was struggling to get up, no thanks to the Stun Spore previously used. Some turned to Hinata, wondering what she would do.
For her part, Hinata wasn't paying attention to her classmates and their curious stares. She was trying hard not to give into panicking. By the grace of the Dialga, she managed to hold most of it within. She was scared for Eevee. She was sure they practiced every move he knew and sparred until he was tough enough to handle his own. However, with the paralysis slowing him down, he wouldn't be able to move fast. There had to be a way to remove the status—ah!
It was worth a shot, but she'd take it! "Eevee, Refresh!"
The Evolution Pokémon gritted his teeth, trudging on his small legs to erect himself into a standing position. The laborious pace tuckered him out but he made it. Narrowing his dark eyes, Eevee's body began to glow in a white outline, the telltale signs of the move Refresh being used.
Ino, seeing this in effect, attempted to intervene. "Don't let him recover, Cottonee! Use Absorb!"
The Absorb was executed in vain. Eevee had dodged out of the way, despite still being slowed down by the effects of the paralysis. The Refresh was kicking in certainly, just had to wait it out! The Cotton Puff tried to use Absorb again, nearly capturing her opponent this time. Eevee ducked and rolled away, keeping some distance from his foe. This dance continued on, and with each dodge, Eevee slowly regained his natural speed. Soon, he was back in top shape, the Stun Spore's effect washed out of his system. His Trainer noticed and he saw her beaming with glee. Excellent!
"That's not good. Stun Spore it again!"
The Yamanaka spotted her opponent smiling when she shouted that command. That didn't seem so good. She knew Hinata smiled 'sweetly' when she was about to do something akin to her friend's unpredictable nature. Boy, did those two rub off on one another too much.
"Charge straight for it, Eevee!" Hinata called out, the brown Pokémon gleefully obeying. Dashing on his small legs, he accelerated until he was at his top speed, rushing straight for the Cottonee and her attack!
"Don't let it catch you off guard!" Ino shouted, her heart pounding in slight fear of the unpredictability that the Hyūga would surely pull out of nowhere soon. Cottonee remained on alert as she watched the Evolution Pokémon charge right into her Stun Spore technique. Ino hoped that would get the brown little critter right back to square one when they paralyzed it.
The next command from Hinata would shoot that idea down, fast.
"Substitute!"
Poof! A cloud of smoke covered Eevee and, in a flash, a silly, green dinosaur doll replaced him. The paralyzing powder coated the inanimate stuffed animal comically, doing absolutely nothing. Ino and Cottonee were in mild shock. This was spelling bad news for them.
"Now, Iron Tail!"
Eevee, popping out of almost nowhere from the use of the Substitute technique, appeared beside Cottonee's right. The brown creature clenched his teeth as he willed the power of Steel-type upon his tail, coating it in heavy iron and whirling around to make the hit!
"Watch out, Cottonee! Dodge it!"
The Cotton Puff was barely able to scrape by, being hit by majority of the force of the move. It was powerful and effective! Still, they had time for some sort of comeback. Ino wrinkled her brows in distaste—time to amp up the game time! She smirked, knowing this would work. Ah yes, now some to play the bait.
"Leech Seed!"
"Dodge it, Eevee!"
Predictably, the brown Pokémon evaded the seedling sapping move with ease, but that's exactly what Ino wanted. Her smirk grew as her plan formulated. "That was a mistake, Hinata! Now, Cottonee! Grass Whistle!" Uh-oh again! Hinata could only watch in slight stupefied manner as the musical song whispered the melody sweetly to her partner's ears. The Evolution Pokémon staggered and felt drained—the effects of the lullaby were weighing him down. His head lolled back and forth as he fought to stay awake.
It was unfortunate that Eevee fell victim to the technique. Hinata looked over to where Iruka-sensei was standing by, having watched the match so far. He glanced at his wrist watch then began the countdown, starting from ten. Oh dear!
"We got you now!" Ino cheered victoriously once again. "Now that it's out and sleep, there's no way it'll wake up in time before the countdown's called. And to make sure it's down, we'll do this! Cottonee, Dream Eater!" The Cotton Puff did as commanded, glided towards Eevee and began glowing eerily, along with her eyes. The glow surrounded Eevee as well, and soon, his face was twisted in pain, as if he were being sapped of his strength!
"Ino's got Hinata in a tight fix there, huh?" Kiba Inuzuka said as he turned to his fellow classmate, a teen wearing a large, green coat that covered a little more than half his face and head, obscuring him almost from view. All one could see was a little of his face and those round shades he wore. This was Shino Aburame, an accomplished student of the academy. Kiba glanced back at the battle, then hearing their teacher shout out "Six" on the countdown. "Looks like her Eevee's going to be down on this one."
Shino didn't make any visible movements other than shifting an eyebrow. "It may appear so, however, her Eevee is quite skilled as is the Trainer. Why? Because they train everyday, improving their skills and Bond."
"Yeah, but look. He's dead sleep. Cottonee's Grass Whistle is one of those moves you don't want to be on the receiving end of it. Combined with Dream Eater, your Pokemon's practically toast!" The Inuzuka countered, pointing out facts as well.
Listening nearby was Naruto, who watched his friend's Pokémon. He knew the Eevee could do it. Heck, they trained on a regular basis and knew he could overcome this. Spotting Hinata's worried expression, he came to a conclusion: a little cheer wouldn't harm anyone. The spiky-haired blond cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted, "Oi! Don't give up! You and Eevee can do it, Hinata! Give it your all!"
Hinata perked up at the cheer from Naruto. Yes, they could do it. They just had to keep trying. It was faint, but she saw Eevee's left ear flicker in movement—he heard! He must have heard Naruto's voice. That must be it then! 'Rather than wake him, let him attack from his sleep!' She thought and quickly formed the Ram seal, channeling her aura. Iruka stopped counting at two when he saw Hinata forming the hand seal, knowing what she was going to do.
When she collected her aura, being in a thin, blue outline around herself, she began pushing it towards Eevee—the Bond providing the connection. "Transfer!" She shouted. As said, the Transfer technique allows the Trainer to shift their aura into their Pokémon during a battle momentarily when they're weakened or in a critical state. This technique gives the Pokémon a temporary 'power up' of strength, speed, or defense—whichever attribute stems from their Trainer.
It was connected by their Link. It can only be done when Trainer and Pokémon achieve a state of a Perfect Link. Iruka knew all of his students acquired this throughout their training during the academy. He smiled at Hinata's execution of the Transfer. It wasn't perfect, but she was headed in the right direction.
Eevee twitched again, this time pushing himself up from his groggy rest. Like his trainer, the aura transfer technique coated over him, the blue energy forming a miniature cloak. While it looked like he was waking up, that wasn't to be—he was still asleep. 'Not for long,' Hinata thought. "Eevee, use Snore!" Uh-oh, this wasn't boding well for Ino and her Pokémon!
"Cottonee, get out of there!"
The still asleep Normal type lolled his head and, with power shifting into his nostrils, let out a loud snore attack! The intensity sent minor shock waves at anything in the vicinity. It sent the Cotton Puff Pokémon tumbling away once again, dealing more damage than the Quick Attack from earlier. The puff attempted to stay afloat, but the Tailwind it had created petered out! Oh no!
"This isn't good..." The blonde-haired girl admitted to herself. "No other choice now!" She, as well, formed the Ram seal, channeling and pushing her aura towards Cottonee. "Transfer!" Ino shouted. The blue energy manifested in a similar fashion to Hinata's, guiding its way to the Grass/Fairy type. Cottonee was cloaked in the same way as Eevee, now energized momentarily as well. She watched Hinata make another command and anticipated it.
"Sleep Talk!"
Sleep Talk? Ino and her partner turned their attention back to Eevee, who stayed in one place for a few seconds. Suddenly, golden stars materialized beside the Evolution Pokémon, and they started launching away! Sleep Talk was a move that allowed the Pokémon use any other move they knew, even while sleeping! It was deadly in the hands of professionals; it was a good thing she wasn't facing one or else Cottonee would have been toast! Eevee was using Swift now! It was an unavoidable move as it homed in on their targets, no matter what. But, there was a way to shield against it and her Pokémon knew such a move.
"Protect!"
The circular, dome shaped shield materialized just in time to, as implied, protect the Pokémon from any technique's move. It prevented the protected one from being hurt. Thank goodness it was a success! Once the Swift attack was over, Cottonee dropped the shield. They noticed Eevee had shaken awake from its slumber, now aware of its surroundings. It was a momentary, intense, standstill. Who would call the next move? Everything was quiet, the spectators waiting on bated breath for the next call.
A bead of sweat rolled down both Hinata's and Ino's foreheads, both waiting for the other to make the first call. They were ready and their Pokémon were ready!
"Time!" Iruka called, breaking the silence and tension between both sides. The two battling classmates and their partners stopped and turned to the teacher, who wrote down something on his clipboard and smiled. "Excellent job, all of you. I was genuinely impressed by the execution of moves and the way you both used the Transfer technique. I will give you your grade based on my observation once this session is over. Please perform the Seal of Reconciliation."
"Yes, Iruka-sensei," the pair of teens replied and bowed politely. They turned to one another and formed the seal simultaneously. This meant they would be comrades even if they still fought. Eevee and Cottonee shared their own version by giving each other a small nod of acknowledgment.
"Good, now you girls may return. Would the next pair please step forward when I call you. Sai vs Chōji Akimichi!" When she heard the first person's name being called, Ino hollered out her active cheer for him. The pale skinned teen simply smiled at her—no one but the Yamanaka could tell if it was fake or not—as he and the Akimichi teen took their places in the field arena.
As Hinata approached Naruto, she was greeted by a hearty grin by him. "Great job out there, Hinata! You and Eevee were amazing!" Hinata grinned herself from the light praise they received. While she thought otherwise, the warm feeling lit up her day even more, like a Pokémon using Ember on a fireplace. It was comforting.
"Thank you, Naruto," she replied earnestly.
"Vee!" Eevee chirped as he hopped up and slouched over his Trainer's shoulders. His ears wiggled when Naruto generously petted him.
"It's no problem! I'm always here to help, you know that." He chuckled and held out his fist to her. She giggled lightly and bumped his fist softly.
Once upon a time, Hinata asked where Naruto learned the "fist bump" from. He replied that he learned it when his family went on vacation to Kumo City many years ago. This self proclaimed rapper called Killer B was very enthusiastic about his music and lyrics. He always carried some notepad around with him and wrote down things that inspired him. The guy was responsible for Naruto learning the "fist bump". It became their personal handshake of sorts, in respect of the man who taught it to him, more or less.
Hearing the stories of Kumo City had also incited more reason for Hinata to eventually travel the region and explore. Her friend did mention there was an amusement park there! Something called a Ferris Wheel. She honestly couldn't wait to see with her own eyes.
Right now, she was on that path. One day, soon, she would see it.
"I can't wait for my turn," he started, his eyes focused on the new battle when he saw both students perform the Summoning Technique, with Sai's symbol being Normal (正常) like Hinata's while Chōji's was Bug (虫) and Poison (毒). In a flash, the two Pokémon appeared; it was Sai's Kecleon against Chōji's Venipede. Iruka-sensei shouted out "Begin!" and the new battle was on. "But you know? I wanted to battle you in the Exams, Hinata."
She tilted her head a bit, wondering. She had an idea of why; they always trained together. Well, not always. There were days, or even weeks, that went by and they wouldn't train their Pokémon together. It was best to have some aces up their sleeves when they met up and had their friendly spars. But, was that the reason? Deciding to ask than assume, she spoke up. "Why is that, Naruto?"
"Well..." He drawled out, grinning in a wonky kind of way. "I'll admit, you're better than me. But you're the only one that can keep up with me besides Sasuke." Naruto was honest about that, she knew. While they weren't the best and top of the class like Sasuke, they were still better than the norm. So, she'd give credit to that, modestly of course. "That, and wouldn't it be a lot of fun to go against one another? It'd be such an intense battle!"
Imagining it made her smile broaden a little. Yeah, she could see them fighting one another. However, she preferred the Double Battles instead—she'd always make sure her best friend was her partner for those!
"I can imagine, yes. I love it. It is unfortunate it did not happen."
"Yeah. Oh well, maybe later then!"
Hinata couldn't disagree with that idea. "Agreed."
The pair turned back to the proficiency test and saw that Sai's Kecleon use a move called Psybeam on the Venipede. Thanks to the ability Protean, Kecleon's type would change temporarily into the same type as the move it used. Thus, it landed a super effective hit, knocking the Bug/Poison type out. "That's a KO! Knockout goes to Sai and Kecleon!" Iruka announced then said, "Good job all of you! While the battle went by relatively fast, I say, now, that you performed well. Please form the Seal of Reconciliation."
Both teens did so and collected their Pokémon; Sai dismissed Kecleon back in a puff of smoke and Chōji was dismissed to take his Pokémon to the nearby Center in the city. When Sai returned back to the crowd, Ino had congratulated him, her eyes sparkling. Hinata could only smile at their interaction. As soon as Iruka was finished writing down his observations, he called the next pair.
"Next up is Naruto Uzumaki vs Sasuke Uchiha! Please take your places in the arena."
Looks like his wish was coming true.
"Good luck, Naruto. Do not overdo it, okay?" Hinata said and hoped, concern in her eyes. The blond grinned winningly and shot her a thumbs up.
"I'll be careful, don't worry!"
Sasuke, the top student in the class, shot the blond a smirk and Naruto returned it likewise. While they were friends, they were also big time rivals. Almost everything they did was competitive and today it would definitely show. "Ready to lose, Naruto?" The Uchiha asked, the mirth and readiness showing in his dark eyes as he took the red side.
"Ha, not in a million years, Sasuke!" The Uzumaki laughed, having the same expression as his rival. He chose the opposing blue side.
Like Sai and Chōji before them, they performed the Seal of Confrontation per instruction before channeling their aura to their fingertips. With a simultaneous shout of "Summoning Technique!" they slammed their hands down on the snow-covered ground, littered with several footprints. Beneath Sasuke's palm was the symbol for Normal (正常) and Flying (空) while under Naruto's was the symbol for Fighting (格闘). In a flash, appearing from the summons were two other Pokémon, a small bird called Pidgey and a dog-like Pokémon called Riolu.
Seeing the blue creature appear, Hinata smiled at her as did Eevee. The Evolution and Emanation Pokémon shared a friendly wave towards one another until Riolu went back to focus. The black and blue bipedal creature and Naruto performed the same motions together, getting into their customary stance. "Even though I'm not the one fighting here, we're still in sync! Ain't that right, Riolu?"
"Ri!"
"Tch, you should know by now that my Pokémon has an obvious type advantage over yours as usual, Naruto," Sasuke partially scoffed but couldn't shake from his smirk, as far as Hinata could tell. Pidgey puffed up in praise from his Trainer.
Naruto blinked in confusion for a second before his grin returned. "So?! Type doesn't mean anything!"
"Yes, yes it does. In this battle, it'll mean everything."
Before either of the two could get into their usual, heated arguments, Iruka decided to intervene. "All right you two, knock it off. Let your Pokémon do the battling! Now, are you ready?" The pair nodded as their Pokémon finished preparing themselves for the five minute test. Hinata and the others were waiting for this good match between the rivals to start. She knew Sasuke was right—Naruto's Riolu was at a type disadvantage. Unless the blond taught her some new moves, then she was as good as gone if Sasuke made his Pidgey use a Flying type move.
The principle of S.T.A.B., what they learned six months ago, came into mind: Same Type Attack Bonus. Hinata hoped her best friend remembered that and would take that into account, seeing as Riolu would be in trouble soon. She hated to admit that her closest friend was a little slow, but he countered that by never giving up. That in itself inspired her and became one of the admirable traits of Naruto. Still, she could only hope he remembered or would remember and do something unpredictable like he normally does.
"Good," Iruka said as he raised his arm and then lowered it, "Now begin!"
-Here's chapter one, finally.
For the written Kanji, they're in simplified Chinese, as where they originally came from during translation. I've played Black, Black 2 and Y versions in Japanese with the text displayed in Kanji several times to recognize and insert what I know. This was just for the summoning technique though, so you'll only see it happening there.
Review if you like.