Yondaime closed the door and sighed, "Man, oh, man! Being so strong people come from all over just to battle me. It's exhausting." He jumped on to the couch. Naruto had been sitting on the floor watching cartoons. Yondaime tossed a couch pillow at the boy's head. "Listen to your father when he complains about work!" Naruto turned to him and growled. "Fine. What?" His father put his pointer finger to his lips and thought for ten seconds. "I forgot now." He said happily. Naruto glared at him. "Dumb old man," he mumbled as he turned his head back to the TV.
After a few minutes Yondaime spoke again with four empty beer cans on the coffee table and one half full in hand. "Hey, Naru-chan" he called. Naruto sighed. "What is now, you drunk?" Naruto grumbled, wiping his eyes, tired. "First thing tomorrow, lets…" Yondaime began. Naruto covered his father's mouth. "You are about to say something retarded, aren't you?!" Yondaime calmly removed Naruto's hands. "Lets…have a little battle…" he said seriously.
Naruto pulled away a bit. "Oh…" he said blushing slightly at the sight of his father's peaceful honest face. Naruto smiled at him. "Y-yeah! That'd be fun, dad!" Yondaime smirked then squeezed Naruto's cheeks. "You look so cute like that, Naru-chan!" Naruto grabbed the older man's wrist and yanked the large fingers away from his face. "Dumb old man!!!"
The next day…
Naruto and his father walked to Konoha gym together. Naruto noticed a long line of people that started inside the gym and went at least 12 feet outside. The people in the line murmured and shouted as the two walked through two double doors in the front. Wow, Naruto thought, as long as dad's been leader, this is my first time in any gym, not only that but, He smiled and gazed as they stepped into the large arena. My first battle as a trainer!
"This place is huge!" Naruto commented then let out a small gasp as he remembered the line. "What were all those people out there for?" he asked. Yondaime had been looking around and had most likely forgotten his son was there until he said something. "Oh, they're here to battle me," Yondaime then went to an end of the field and instructed his son, without a word, to the other. Naruto wore a surprised look. "All those people?! Whoa!" Naruto stood where he told to be.Yondaime chuckled and took out a pokèball. "Aren't you lucky to be the first one? Well, since I do have so many to battles, lets hurry. Shall we?" Naruto took out his pokèball and automatically released Vulpix who mewed and shivered a bit. "I'm ready when you are!" Naruto shouted. Yondaime let out Ninetales who sat there patiently. Yondaime smirked and said, "Well, Naru-chan, I'm ready."
They stared each other down for a few moments. "Well, princess," Yondaime laughed. "You want the first move or did you want this battle to end now?" Naruto scoffed and said, "I'll go. Vulpix, Ember!"
The small red pokèmon dashed towards Ninetales then small flames flew from its mouth and low to the ground at Ninetales. Yondaime closed his eyes and put one hand on his hip. "Dodge it." He commanded emotionlessly. Ninetales simply raised her foot until the flames passed underneath. Yondaime yawned and then smirked at his son. "You wanna try again? Or should I have Ninetales," Ninetales stood up, prepared for an command. "finish this now?"
Naruto frowned. "Okay! Vulpix! Try Quick Attack!" Vulpix nodded then became a red blur that was seen every few seconds. It then launched itself at Ninetale's side. "Vul-pix!" It cried as it collided with its evolution. Ninetales didn't budge; she merely let out a mew that sounded as though she was laughing. "Aw," Yondaime said, sympathy present in his voice. "Don't tease the kids." Naruto glared at his father.
"Okay," Yondaime mumbled. "I really do have actual battles to get to, so, Ninetales, Fire Spin." The Ninetales looked at him questioningly, he nodded in reply. Ninetales then leaned down a bit and opened her mouth and fire shot out from it, engulfing Vulpix. It looked like a flame tornado around the small red creature that cried out, loudly, in pain. "Vulpix!!! No!" Naruto shouted and ran onto the field, heading straight for the fire. Yondaime commanded Ninetales to discontinue the move immediately.
Naruto kneeled down in front of Vulpix right after the Fire Spin died down. He picked him up and hugged him. "How much pain… could you possibly be feeling?" Yondaime gazed at his son and the badly injured pokèmon with thoughtful eyes. "Naruto…" he whispered. That's when the referee known as Iruka came running in. "Sorry I'm late- Whoa! What happened to that kid's Vulpix?!" Yondaime sent him a cold look and then called back Ninetales. Iruka turned white. "Sc-scary…"
Naruto stood up. "I'm…" he began, face in the unconscious Vulpix's side. "I'm going to…I'm going to…" he shook with what could have been anger… "I'm going to get stronger and beat you one day!" it turned out to be determination. "You stand up there…" he lifted his head to reveal he was crying. "looking so cool and winning so easily! I'm definitely going to become stronger…way stronger than you! Then, I'll… I'll become leader of this gym, believe it!" Yondaime chuckled once more. "I look forward to it!" He said with a smile.
"NOW GET OUT, YOU IDIOT! I'VE GOT MORE BATTLES AND YOU NEED TO HELP VULPIX!" Yondaime shouted, literally chasing a crying Naruto out. "Mean old man!" he cried as he ran out. Yondaime huffed then returned to his place at the end of the field. Iruka blinked. "Did I…miss something?" The blond looked to Iruka with a sweet smile. "What was that, Ruru-chan?" Iruka growled. "Didn't I tell you to stop calling me that?! And just a second ago you were glaring at me!" He sighed. "I mean, really, Yondaime-san, you need to start acting your age…Who was that kid anyway?" Yondaime watched as his next opponent entered. "My son." He stated. Iruka nodded. I should've known, they look just alike and… how determined he was reminds me of Yondaime-san when I first met him…
At the pokèmon center…
Naruto sat down in chair and waited to retrieve Vulpix once again. Across the room sat an arrogant looking boy had his nose in the air and a frown on his face. Naruto wanted to go over and punch the guy just for wearing a face like that. A girl with short pink hair wearing the nurse uniform came running over with two pokèballs in hand. "You." She said to Naruto who didn't know why he blushed. "Y-yes?" he replied quickly. She tossed him one of the pokèballs. "You had a Vulpix right?" Naruto looked down at the pokèball and quietly said, "Yeah."
The girl's face turned the color of her hair and she slowly walked towards the boy across from Naruto. "U-um…" she bowed deeply. "You had a this Gastly, r-right?!" she asked, face now completely red, hands extended with a pokèball sitting in the center of her palms. The boy merely stood up and snatched the pokéball out of her hands and placed it on his belt. The girl straightened herself and stared at the boy's back as he left the building. "Sasuke-kun…" she said to herself and held back tears.
Naruto looked all around to see that rather than a woman at the counter there wasn't really anyone else there. He got out of his seat and jogged over to the girl. "Excuse me are you alri-" "WHY DOESN'T SASUKE-KUN-" She punched Naruto sending him flying into the ceiling. "LOVE ME!!! DAMN IT!!! …huh? Oops…" The girl giggled nervously quickly noticing he was stuck. "Um… I'll go get someone, 'kay?!" she ran off. Naruto hadn't heard her because he was knocked out cold.
The pokéball Naruto had taken from the girl fell from his grip and to the ground. It landed so that button hit the floor and let out a Gastly. "Gast…ly?!" it cried. "Gastly! Gastly! Gastly!" it floated around in circles, tears coming from its eyes like rivers. The pink haired girl came out with the doctor known as Tsunade. The girl gasped. "Oh no!" she shouted. Tsunade had been staring up at the boy lodged into the ceiling. "Good job, Sakura, you're reminding me of myself more and more everyday! Now, I need your help, Swalot!"
Swalot was released from a pokèball in Tsunade's possession and let out a roar. "Swalot," Tsunade said to receive the pokèmon's attention. "Body Slam on that boy up there." Swalot gave her a worried look and noise. Tsunade pouted. "Try it? Please?" she begged. Swalot nodded then hurled its whole being at Naruto.
CRASH! BREAK! THUD! BAM!
Light from the sun shined on Naruto through the hole his head had created. Naruto opened his eyes to see a very heavy Swalot laying atop of him. "Swalot!" it said happily. Naruto pushed it off making it cry out. Naruto stood. "Ew! What the heck is that thing?! What was it doing on me?!" Tsunade growled. "You brat! Swalot helped you out and that's how you repay her?!" Naruto looked as though his whole world came crashing in. "GROSS! IT'S A CHICK?!" He ran around in circles. "Ew! EW!"
Tsunade stuck her foot out, tripping the blond boy over, then a crying Swalot was called back into its pokèball. Tsunade sighed then gave the fallen boy a smirk before leaving through a set double doors to go check on the other patients. Naruto sat up and rubbed his head. "Some doctors you guys are… Aren't you supposed to help not hurt?!" The pink haired girl glared at him. "Tsunade-sama did help you!" Naruto balled his hands into a fist. "By hurting me!" He stood up. "I should go give that lady a piece of my mind!" He began stomping to the doors but the girl stopped him. "I, um…need to tell you something… heh heh…"
Later…
"WHAAT?!" Naruto exclaimed. The girl rubbed the back of her head while a Gastly cried and floated circles around the two. Naruto sighed. "Well, we'll just have to find this Sasuke guy…"
On a random road…
Sasuke took out his pokèball and studied a rather unaware Misdreavus nearby. "Gastly." He said quietly and released the pokèmon inside the pokèball. Sasuke twitched with irritation as a Vulpix looked around then cried in front of him. The crying from the Vulpix scared off the, now alerted, Misdreavus. "Sakura…" he muttered with killing intent located in his tone.
Back at the pokèmon center…
Naruto held Gastly who had now calmed down. The blond boy and pink haired girl stepped out of the center. "Anyway, What's your name?" Naruto asked her. She smiled and said, "Sakura, yours?" He grinned widely and said, "Uzumaki Naruto and one day I'm going to be the leader of the gym here!"
Sakura busted out into laughter and Naruto started yelling at her. Yes, it was the beginning of a beautiful friendship.
Somewhere…
Sasuke covered his ears as he walked a path looking for his way back to the pokèmon center. Vulpix had tears flying from his eyes. Damn you…Sakura!!!
