Chapter Three is here, everyone!

Before I start, quite of few of you enjoyed how Naruto's Pokémon were being named after Sekirei. So, I'm just going to continue this trend for his remaining four Pokémon.

DISCLAIMER: The rights to source material belong to the creators/owners of said material. I do not claim ownership of them, and this is a nonprofit story made solely for entertainment purposes.

Adventures of the Orange Trainer

Chapter Three: Get Ready to Rock

"Here's your Pokémon, Uzumaki-san," the Nurse Joy of Pewter City informed the whiskered blonde, handing him a tray holding his Luxury Ball and PokéBall.

Taking the Balls out, Naruto let out Akitsu and clipped Kusano's PokéBall to his belt. "Thanks, Nurse Joy. Would it be alright if my friend and I booked a room here?"

The pinkette woman smiled politely and nodded. "Of course. I'll just get you a room key."

"Thank you. We'll be by the video phones," he told her before heading over to Lillie, who was chatting with her mother.

"Well, I'm glad that you and Naruto-kun are doing alright, dear," Lusamine was heard telling her daughter. "Now, be sure to pay attention to him as he battles and handles each situation. If you want to be a Trainer, then you need to learn from others, so you can understand the tricks of the trade."

"I know, mother," Lillie replied. "I'll be with onii-chan the whole time; so, I'm bound to learn as he does."

"Yep," Naruto cut in, earning their attention. "As I stumble or succeed, she'll be there with me all the way, Aunty."

"Hello again, Naruto-kun. Lillie-chan told me that you caught a Pokémon for the first time. Nice job."

He rubbed the back of his head bashfully. "It wasn't just me, ttebayo…"

The two female blondes looked amused at his verbal tic and at how he grumbled about it. "So, from what I've read concerning the Kanto Region, Pewter City's Gym Leader is considered one of the leading experts on Rock and Ground Types. Akitsu won't have the full advantage here."

Naruto nodded at her information. "Yeah, I know. Ice beats Ground, but Rock beats Ice." He then grinned and added, "Good thing that I caught an Oddish to deal with both of those typings."

Lusamine smirked at that. "Clever boy. But, even with the type advantage, never underestimate the tricks that you can pull off with your Pokémon. I've seen battles where Pokémon facing disadvantages in typing still came out on top. It's all a matter of playing to your strengths, Naruto-kun."

"Good thing onii-chan's strength is his pranks," Lillie giggled out, confusing the other blondes.

"My pranks…?"

She nodded in confirmation. "Yes. It takes creativity to do your pranks since you never go for simple. If you applied that creativity with training methods…"

"…then his Pokémon could come up with unique tactics to handle most situations," Lusamine finished with her visible green eye slightly wider. "Who would've guessed my trouble-making nephew would have such a strength?"

Scratching his whiskered cheek in embarrassment, Naruto chuckled sheepishly. "I didn't think about that… Great idea, Lillie-chan."

Only Lusamine saw the flushed cheeks the blonde girl had, and it made her chuckle. "Anyway, I need to get going. Good luck in your Gym Battle, Naruto-kun. Lillie-chan, take care of yourself."

"Bye," both younger blondes bid before Lusamine logged off.

"Well, I suppose I'd better call my parents," Naruto noted, taking a seat in front of the other video phone. "I booked us a room already. Nurse Joy should be back with some keys for us."

"Rest sounds good right now," Lillie sighed out, showing how tired she was from the trip. She leaned her head on his shoulder with a yawn while he dialed home. Akitsu settled herself on Lillie's lap, much to her joy as Kushina answered the call.

"So, you made it to Pewter, huh?" she greeted with a smile. "You both must be pretty tired, though. Why didn't you wait until you rested before calling?"

The deadpanned look her son gave her was all the answer she needed, which made her awkwardly cough.

"…So, you think you're ready to tackle your first Gym?" she asked, changing the subject with an embarrassed blush.

"I'm going to train with Akitsu and my new Oddish before I take it on."

"Oddish, eh? Not my first choice in Grass Types; but this is your team, not mine."

"She'll be a good addition to the group, mom. I know it," Naruto defended. "She's a fighter, trying to get back up after getting beat by Akitsu-chan."

Kushina rose a brow at that. "Interesting. What'd you name her?"

"Lillie came up with Kusano for me."

"I thought it fit," the female blonde clarified with a tired smile.

"Lillie, dear, why don't you go get some rest?"

"We're waiting for our room keys," Naruto informed her. "I don't mind being her pillow until then."

"So long as she gets some rest, then that's fine. Anyway, after you get your first badge, give us another call and we'll send you something from home."

That got his interest, as well as Lillie's. "What will you send him, Aunt Kushina?"

"That's my secret until he wins. Better make sure to give it your all, Naruto-kun."

"You think I'd giving anything less than one hundred percent?" he challenged.

"Funny, I thought the Uzumaki limit was one hundred and ten percent?" she fired back in amusement before she bid them goodbye and logged off.

Not long after the call ended, Nurse Joy came over with two sets of keys for the two blondes. The two thanked her before heading up to their room to sleep. It had been a long walk through the forest and they needed their rest.

The following day, Naruto was seen with his two Pokémon at the Pokémon Center's practice field. Ever Center had one for Trainers to use, being perfectly positioned so that the staff could take care of Pokémon who overworked themselves or got accidentally hurt during training.

"Okay, we're going to have a practice battle," he informed them, earning nods. "Akitsu, you will battle Kusano and I'll be helping direct her. Sound good?"

Akitsu gave an affirmative yip before she moved to the other side of the field. Kusano stood in front of Naruto, facing down the Ice Type with a determined gaze.

"Remember Kusano, you need to pay attention to both what I'm saying and what's happening around you. Move how you need to, but don't forget to listen to what I tell you."

"Oddish!" she replied, using one of her leaves to salute him excitedly.

"Good." Looking to Akitsu, he gave a single nod, signaling her to begin the mock battle.

Akitsu kicked things off with a Quick Attack, mixing in a Double Team to throw off Kusano's concentration. The Oddish faltered for a moment, but she shared a look with her Trainer and regained her focus.

"Okay, hit them all with a Razor Leaf!" he called out, prompting Kusano to take a spinning leap. From her leaves, sharpened blades of grass flew across the field and broke through the illusionary copies of her opponent while the real one leapt over the ones aimed at her. "Use Sleep Powder around yourself!"

Shuddering in place, Kusano let off a greenish-blue powder that surrounded her like a protective cloud. Not wanting to get caught, Akitsu stopped her charge and took a short hop back before unleashing a Powder Snow to blow away the slumber-inducing pollen.

"Push back with Sweet Scent, Kusano!" Naruto ordered, having a random idea pop into his mind.

While unsure of what her Trainer was planning with her abilities, Kusano let out a delectably smelling aroma that flew forward. To her surprise, the aroma was mixing with the Sleep Powder and was pushing it forward as well. The mixed dust met its icy combatant and the two powders battled for dominance.

Deciding to end it, Akitsu covered herself in a golden aura, using her Extrasensory to take hold of her Powder Snow and press onwards. With the added boost of the Psychic Type move, her attack pushed through the slumbering/sweet dust and crashed into Kusano, sending her tumbling back into Naruto's legs.

"Alright, that's enough!" he called out, bending down to help his Oddish get back on her feet. Akitsu ran over and stood beside her fellow Pokémon, looking proud of her victory while Kusano pouted at her loss. "Hey, none of that, Kusano. This is why we're practicing. This won't be the first time that a Psychic Type will use a mental move to put things in their favor."

She was still pouting before Akitsu nudged her. The Ice Type gave a firm yip which made the Grass/Poison Type drop her pout for a sigh and nod.

"So, let's try once more. This time though, no Psychic moves, Akitsu-chan."

"Vul!"

"Have a nice practice?" Lillie asked when Naruto and his two Pokémon joined her for lunch at the Center's cafeteria.

"I'd say we did," he replied with a grin, enjoying some instant ramen while his Pokémon enjoyed some Oran Berries. "Kusano needs to relax some more, though. She gets worked up pretty easily."

The Oddish paused in her eating, looking sheepish at the critique of her Trainer.

"And Akitsu?"

"She did great on her own. I've worked with her for months, so she has a solid idea of how I like to use her moves in battle. We're going to need to come up with newer tactics, though. If we keep using the same moves, then it makes it easier for us to be beaten."

She nodded in agreement. "Mizuki-chan says that she likes to switch up her battle style often, or else she'll get stuck in a rut."

"Sounds like her, alright," he chuckled out, and she giggled alongside him.

"Naruto?" a girl's voice called out, earning their attention as they looked to another table. Seated was a familiar orange-haired teen. "Who'd have thought I'd see you again in Pewter?"

"Misty!" he greeted, waving her over to their table. Lillie moved over to sit beside him so that Misty could be seated across from them. "What are you doing here? Weren't you trying to find that kid who destroyed your bike?"

"I did find him, and I'm staying with him until he pays me back."

Looking around, Lillie tried to find who they could be talking about. "Is he here with you?"

Shaking her head, Misty answered, "No, he tried to take on Brock at the Gym and lost. He rushed back here to heal up his Pikachu and I haven't seen him since. He took his loss pretty hard."

"He actually tried to face a Rock/Ground Gym with an Electric Type?" Naruto asked in disbelief. "I don't know whether to call him an amateur or cocky."

"The former," Misty clarified. "He didn't seem like he knew much about type matchups, and it cost him."

"Sounds like it. I'm actually going to be challenging the Gym later today." He reached down and pet Akitsu's head, much to her delight, before he brushed his fingers through Kusano's leaves. "I think we've got a really good shot at it."

Misty smiled at his Pokémon. "Yeah, you definitely have the type advantages with your team. You going to challenge Brock after lunch?"

"No, not right after. I don't want them to get sick. I'll let them walk some of it off before I challenge the Gym."

"That's a good idea," she agreed. "So, who's this girl next to you?"

"My name is Lillie Aether," the female blonde introduced herself, extending a hand to shake.

Taking it politely, Misty shook it with a small smile. "Nice to meet you. You traveling with Naruto?"

"Yes. We knew each other back in Alola, and our parents are close friends; almost family. Naruto is like an older brother to me."

"And Lillie-chan is my adorable little imouto!" he added, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and nuzzling his whisker-marked cheek against her, making her turn beet red in embarrassment.

"O-Onii-chan!" she cried out in mortification, unable to believe that he actually did that in front of someone they barely knew.

Misty started laughing at the scene, feeling a sense of familiarity and kinship with Lillie. She grew up with older siblings, and she knew how embarrassing they could be. Still, she didn't expect Naruto to be the type to gush over their family.

Letting her go with a cheeky grin, Naruto rubbed Lillie's head affectionately, making her face retain its blush. This time, it wasn't out of embarrassment though; but, she wouldn't admit that to him.

Lunch after that was a casual affair, with the three young teens just talking about what they thought of Pewter so far and what Pokémon they liked. Lillie, having never had a Pokémon to call her own before, was open to seeing which Pokémon she would take a shine to. Misty was a lover of Water Types, being a fan of water-based sports and enjoying the Pokémon around her as she did them.

As for Naruto, he didn't have a preference other than he wanted a team with hidden potential. When Misty asked what he meant, he gave the example of Kusano and how she tried to stand after Akitsu beat her. That determination showed a potential that he was looking for, and he knew he wanted her on his team at that moment.

That explanation was all Misty needed to hear to see that Naruto would have an interesting team in the future.

By the time Naruto had walked off his lunch with his team and Lillie, they saw that a kid with a Pikachu on his shoulder was walking back to town. The two of them had determined looks on their faces, and Naruto caught a watermill in the distance. He said nothing to them and just kept walking, unaware that Naruto and Lillie had stopped walking and turned around to watch him go.

"That must be the boy that Misty was talking about," Lillie mused.

"Looks that way," Naruto agreed, turning back to direction of the watermill. "…I think he was giving his Pikachu some juice."

"What do you mean?" she asked, turning to him before looking where he was. Realization hit her, and she nodded in understanding. "I see… Do you think it'll be enough?"

"Against a Ground Type? No, it won't. Ground Types are totally immune to Electric Types, no matter how charged up they are. That kid's gotta be banking on something if he thinks giving his Pikachu some extra juice will help him win."

With that said, both blondes approached the Pewter Gym, climbing the steps before Naruto opened the door. With Lillie walking behind him, he stepped inside the Gym far enough for the lights to turn on and highlight his form.

"Challenger!" a male voice declared as another light turned on, revealing Brock to them. He was a tall young man with dark skin, spiky brown hair, and squinted eyes. He was dressed in an orange t-shirt, a lime green cargo vest with four pockets, a dark brown belt with a gold buckle and dark red pockets, brown jeans, and blue-gray sneakers with white trim. "Welcome to the Pewter City Gym, home of the rugged Rock Types! Are you ready for our battle?"

The greeting was intense and focused, which made Naruto grin foxily. "Do you say that to anyone who walks in? I could've just been asking for directions to somewhere, pal."

That serious atmosphere was gone, and Brock face faulted at the casual dismissal of his – to him – strong greeting. Getting back up and wiping any dust off his clothes, he fired back, "And are you just asking for directions?"

"Nah! I'm here to kick your ass and take that badge!" Naruto returned, his grin changing from joking to excited. "So, let's get things started, Gym Leader!"

Brock smirked at his confidence while the Gym lit up fully, revealing a rocky battlefield and some bleachers off to the side. Sitting in those bleachers were many young kids who were obviously related to Brock; more than likely siblings.

Lillie moved over to the bleachers, sitting down closer to Naruto's side while the oldest of the children moved over to the referee's podium. "This will be a two-on-two Pokémon battle between Brock, Leader of the Pewter Gym, and the challenger. Only the challenger may switch Pokémon for this battle. Are both Trainers ready?"

"…Kinda biased to have family be your ref, ain't it?" Naruto asked casually, unclipping a PokéBall from his belt.

"Maybe, but I trust my brother to be a fair judge and I will call the match in your favor if he isn't," Brock promised, giving a firm look to his sibling who cringed.

"I-I'll be fair; promise!"

Naruto chuckled at the boy's nerves. "Relax, kid. Just start the match."

Taking a breath, the boy raised up a red and green flag in both hands with a yell of, "Begin!"

(Play "Pokémon R/B/Y Remix: Gym Leader Battle" by PokeRemixStudios)

"Geodude, I choose you!" Brock called out, throwing out his Pokémon. It looked like a large rock with a face and two arms.

"Kusano, let's go!" Naruto returned, sending out his Oddish who stood tall and proud in front of her Trainer. "Kick things off with Sweet Scent!"

Curling her leaves over her head and shuddering, a pink cloud of pollen formed over Kusano before she unleashed it as a mist that spread out from her position. Using her leaves as fans, she directed the mist onwards so that it could start to cover the entire field.

"Geodude, use Rollout!"

"Dude!" the Rock Type cried, curling itself into a rugged ball shape that rolled forward, ignoring the pleasant aroma as it rapidly approached Kusano.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Naruto smirk and nod, which made her smirk as well. Curling her leaves downward, she had the tops of them press against the ground and coil themselves in preparation as her opponent drew closer.

"Steady…" Naruto murmured so only she could hear. "Not yet…" Kusano stared at Geodude as it kept rapidly closing in, less than a meter from her position. When half the distance was cut, he called out, "Now!"

Using her leaves to propel her body into the air, she flipped over the rolling Rock/Ground Type who was taking a wide turn to continue its attack. As this was going on, the Sweet Scent was still mixing into the air around them, and it was starting to affect the Geodude. Its rolling was slowing down, leaving him wide open.

"Alright, Kusano," Naruto began, grinning before stretching his hand out, "finish it off with Razor Leaf!"

"Odd…" she drew out, twisting her body before leaping up unleashing both the tension and a flurry of sharpened leaves, "DISH!"

The leaves flew across the field, and Brock tried to warn his Pokémon of the danger. "Geodude, uncurl yourself and dodge!"

The Rock/Ground Type tried to comply with the order, but as soon as it uncurled itself, it was hit by the full smell of the Sweet Scent before the Razor Leaf met its mark. The Grass Type attack struck its face and sent it tumbling back, crashing into one of the rocky outcroppings that littered the battlefield. Its bulk easily broke through, which only served to damage it further before it slowed to a stop, laying on its back with swirled eyes.

"Geodude is unable to battle!" Brock's brother called out, raising the red flag in his left hand. "The challenger's Pokémon wins!"

"Nice job, Kusano!" Naruto called out.

"Great work, you two!" Lillie added from the bleachers, clapping for them while Brock's other siblings grumbled at the loss.

Brock returned his Geodude to its PokéBall, smiling at the sphere in his hand. "Nice work, buddy. You get some rest." He then reached for another PokéBall clipped to his belt. "Are you sticking with your Oddish?"

"Feel up for another round, Kusano?" Naruto asked his Pokémon, who nodded with a determined smile, turning around so that she could face whoever was next. "That's a yes, Brock."

"I admire her confidence," he complimented, raising his PokéBall so that it faced them both. "However, let's see how she handles my Onix!"

Releasing the Pokémon from its ball, the building-sized snake made of connecting rocks roared at them in all its glory. Naruto's violet eyes were wide at the sight, having never seen an Onix before. As for Kusano, she too had her eyes wide at who her opponent was; and she wasn't feeling so confident anymore given the differences in size and ferocity between herself and the Rock/Ground Type.

"Begin the second match!" the young ref declared.

"Onix, use Dig!" Brock ordered quickly, prompting the rocky snake to burrow underground headfirst.

"Stay calm and try to feel any vibrations, Kusano!" Naruto advised, frowning when he felt tremors from the Pokémon's digging. He saw that his Pokémon was trying to stay on her feet, but the tremors were throwing her off balance. "Kusano, jump now!"

She was able to plant her feet for a split second and prepared to jump, but the ground beneath her cracked and Onix shot out from below her. Bashing her with his solid head, she was sent hurtling into the air before Onix used its tail to smash her back to the ground.

"Kusano!" Naruto cried in panic, seeing the dust pick up from her impact as well as some small rocks getting kicked up. When the dust cleared, he choked on his breath when he saw that she was badly bruised and knocked unconscious.

"Oddish is unable to battle!" Brock's brother called out, sounding noticeably happier than when he declared his brother's loss. "Onix is the winner of the second match!"

With a faint growl, Naruto returned his Pokémon and gripped her PokéBall tightly. "…You were awesome, Kusano. We'll keep getting stronger, I promise." Looking down beside him, he saw that Akitsu was growling at the Onix, clearly angry at the beating her fellow Pokémon had taken. "Alright, girl. Let's show them what Alola is made of."

"Vul!" she cried in agreement, leaping onto the field and crouching low in a ready stance.

"A white Vulpix…?" Brock asked slowly, never hearing of such a thing before.

"Don't be so focused on her coloration," Naruto warned, his brows furrowed as he tightened his headband. "That's the least of your concerns right now, Gym Leader."

Brock frowned at the attitude the blonde had before he thought back on the match. 'Maybe Onix was a bit too rough on his Oddish… Although, if he gets this worked up from one of his Pokémon getting hurt, then he won't last long in future Gym Battles.'

"Let the final match begin!" he heard his brother declare, getting him to refocus on the battle.

"Akitsu, Hail!" Naruto ordered, and the small vixen complied as the blues of her eyes gained a whitish sheen. Above the battlefield, storm clouds began to form, bringing along some misty fog as small shards of ice began to rain down. "Now, use Double Team!"

Akitsu's form shimmered before illusionary copies of herself began to appear throughout the field; each of them being revealed as the fog rolled around. Onix tried to locate the real one before it winced as some sharpened ice rained down on its large body.

"Onix, go for Dig once more!" Brock ordered, and the Onix was all too happy to comply.

With her opponent out of sight, Akitsu stood her ground and awaited instruction from her partner. "Okay, Akitsu," she heard Naruto say from the mist, "concentrate and try to find that snake."

She and her copies all nodded, closing their eyes to drown everything else out. Their ears twitched and their bodies were tense as they tried to hear or feel the rocky serpent moving underground. After a moment, she and the copies all perked up just in time for the Onix to break out from the surface and dispel one of the illusions.

"Quick, use Confuse Ray!"

Locking eyes with the Onix, her blue orbs flashed once, and she saw the black pupils of the snake's eyes go dull as the status ailment took effect. With its movements flustered, the Onix began to attack the ground, slamming its head and body onto the field and damaging itself while the icy shards of Hail kept pelting its body.

"Onix, snap out of it!" Brock tried to order, but his words weren't getting through to his Pokémon. He gritted his teeth at the damage his Onix was taking, but his expression changed to surprise when he saw the raining ice shards gain a golden glow before the moved over to Akitsu and began to orbit around her like a protective ring.

While the icy shards circled her, the mist and clouds dispersed and revealed Naruto standing calmly with a small frown on his face. "Extrasensory," he declared softly, and Akitsu complied with a sharp cry of her name, sending all of the collected Hail towards Onix like a flurry of wind and sharp ice.

"Onix, move!" he tried to order, seeing how his Pokémon had finally snapped out of its confusion. But, it was too late, and the Rock/Ground Pokémon was assaulted by a furious barrage of ice that hit its weak typing and sent it crashing down. "Onix, no!"

When the frigid dust from the impact cleared, Brock was left in shock at his Pokémon's unconscious state while his brother called out in disbelief, "O-Onix is unable to continue…" Slowly, he raised the flag in Naruto's favor and finished, "The…winner is the challenger."

Lillie gave a sigh of relief at her surrogate brother's victory, but a part of her felt it was slightly bitter for him. She had seen his reaction to Kusano getting hurt like that, and she knew that he must've been upset at how hurt she was.

However, when she saw him take a breath and give a small smile, she smiled as well. She never liked seeing Naruto upset; having seen him like that once and finding it one time too many. Standing up, she moved over to him while Akitsu jumped onto his shoulder and nuzzle his head with her body.

"Congrats, onii-chan," she said softly.

"Yeah… This was my first major battle; so, I should've expected my Pokémon to get hurt. But still…"

"I know," she replied, placing a hand on his arm to show her support. "I'm just glad you stayed calm."

"Me too…"

They heard someone clear their throat, and they turned to see Brock standing in front of them with a small case in his hand. "This is for you," he explained, handing Naruto the case and opening it to display his earned Boulder Badge. "Great match, and sorry about your Oddish."

"No, don't be. I shouldn't have expected this journey to go without my Pokémon or me getting hurt." He gave Brock a small smile and offered him his fist. "Bygones."

Brock smiled back and bumped fists with Naruto. "Bygones. So, I had a question about your Vulpix."

"She's an Ice Type that can only be found in the Alola Region, where I was born," he answered the unasked question. "You wouldn't believe how many times I've had to say that and how many more times I'm expecting to say it."

Both young men chuckled at that while Lillie smiled. "Well, she's definitely been raised properly by you. You should be proud."

"I'm always going to be proud of Akitsu-chan," Naruto declared, earning a happy nuzzle from her. Giving the man a nod, he and Lillie began to leave the Gym while Naruto waved over his shoulder. "Thanks for the match, Brock. Keep your ear out for more victories by Naruto Uzumaki of the Alola Region!"

Brock chuckled at the confidence the whiskered blonde exuded. "I'll be sure to do that," he said aloud, heading back to his siblings to get his Pokémon ready for any other challengers.

Later that night, Naruto was seen phoning home while Lillie was asleep in their room. "Tada! First Badge of Kanto!" he declared as he showed his parents the Boulder Badge.

"Nice work, son," Minato praised. "Sorry I missed your other call."

"It's fine, dad. I'm guessing you were called for advice again?"

Despite Minato being medically discharged from the Alolan Police Force, he still received calls from the current Chief when it concerned more difficult cases. Minato was happy to answer them, seeing them as a way to still be part of the force.

"No, not this time. I was actually called by Professor Kukui. He says that he's setting up a Pokémon League in Alola and he wanted to invite you to challenge it after you finish Kanto's Indigo League."

"Really?" Naruto asked in surprise. "I'd love to, but I thought I'd need to take on the Island Challenges before taking on the League?"

"He decided to make an exception," Kushina clarified. "He said that Mizuki is going to wait until you finish the Indigo League so that she could challenge the Alola League with you."

That made Naruto grin. "I guess I'd better get the badges quicker then."

"Don't be too hasty, son," Minato admonished. "Haste makes waste."

"Yeah yeah, I know…"

Kushina looked amused when Minato huffed at his advice being brushed off so casually. "Anyway, since you got your first badge, I'm going to send over what I've been holding onto for you. Hang on."

From his end of the video call, Naruto saw his mother place a package on the item transferal device and activate it. Beside the screen, he saw the same device activate before the light showing a received delivery flashed. Opening the casing, he pulled out the package and showed it to his parents.

"Got it."

"Well, go ahead and open it," Kushina urged him with a smile that was shared by her husband.

Naruto opened the box and pulled out a rounded object covered in cloth. Unfolding the cloth, his eyes widened when he saw an icy stone. "T-This is…"

"Yes, it's an Ice Stone. When you're sure that you and Akitsu are ready for that next step, then you can use this to make her evolve."

"Mom…" He slowly recovered the stone in its cloth, raising his head to show his parents the smile he had. "Thanks…"

"Of course, sweetheart. Now, your father and I are going to get to bed. Give us a call again when you get to the next city."

"Cerulean City should be easy to get to after you get through Mt. Moon," Minato added. "Try and help Lillie catch a Pokémon there, yeah?"

"Aunt Lusamine ask you to pass that message?" Naruto asked curiously.

"Yes, but we want her to have a Pokémon too," he replied with a smile. "Goodnight, son."

"Sleep well, dear," Kushina bid before she ended the call.

Leaning back in the chair he was seated in, Naruto looked down at the clothed stone resting in the box on his lap. Slowly closing the box back up, he headed back to his room for the night.

As he slept, he had dreams of his little Akitsu growing from a cute Vulpix to a beautiful Ninetales, standing tall beside him as they looked to the sea from Alolan shores. And those dreams made him smile.

And that's that! How'd you guys like the battles?

I wanted this story to be my final update of the year 2017, and I hope that it turned out well.

Next up, Naruto and Lillie tackle the famous Mt. Moon! How will Lillie do when she tries to capture her first Pokémon? And how will they handle their first run in with Kanto's infamous criminal organization?

Until next year!

~pain17ification~