Long time no see guys! It's been a while- two months in fact. But i'm back, and i'm here with a brand new chapter of Path of the Maelstrom. So come and see Naruto get another badge!
DISLAIMER: I do not own Naruto, Masashi Kishimoto does. I do not own Pokemon, Nintendo and Satoshi Tijiri do.
Naruto smiled proudly at a panting Yasu, who has just completed Iron Tail. Crouching, Naruto smoothed down the ruffled fur and scratched Yasu under his chin, and the Eevee cooed.
"You completed Iron Tail, that's incredible Yasu," Naruto praised his Pokémon. "Take a breather over there for a few minutes and then we can work on something else." Yasu yipped happily and trudged over to a nice, shady spot under a tree. Naruto smiled at the curled up form before turning his attention to his primary concern— the hyper, battle-happy Azurill.
"Aoi," Naruto started, then paused. He started up again with a very obvious note of exasperation. "Aoi, please stop hitting Kairi with Water Gun you know how she hates being caught off guard like that."
Aoi seemed to snicker but bounced around to face Naruto and paid attention. Naruto nodded and gave Aoi, and all of his Pokémon training, a stern look. "Now listen up! I decided that instead of just fighting the weekend following the contest, I would wait a week and train you guys up. It's been a week and a half because some members—" and here he glared at Aoi, Hige and Kairi. "Can't be team players."
"Aoi!" The Marill snapped to attention. "We'll be practicing water gun but I want to get you to where Rain Dance won't take so long for you to complete, and if we can learn Dynamic Punch that'd be pretty freaking awesome."
He turns to Hige. "Hige, you get to work on Dig and Façade."
"Shizuko, you will be working on Psychic and I want to try and see if you can learn Psyshock." Naruto offers the demure Pokémon who gives a small nod in agreement.
"Okay then everyone!" Naruto claps his hands. "Let's do this! Our goal is to battle by the end of the week."
It is another five hours before Naruto calls it a day and allows his Pokémon two hours to themselves to either play or rest. Hige, even after all his training, is all too happy to frolic and gambol about, often baiting Yasu into a game of Tag or running around Shizuko until the poor thing gets dizzy. Otherwise, Yasu quietly snoozed by the stream that Kairi drifted along in and Shizuko picked flowers for Naruto.
After their free time was over, Naruto balled them all and headed back to the Poké Center to get a meal in his stomach and his Pokémon in healing cycles. Over dinner he was joined by Shikamaru, Chouji, and Ino.
"Aren't you training your Pokémon into the ground Naruto?" Ino asked her fellow blonde, swallowing her mouthful of food. "Honestly, if they're ready then they're ready. If they're not, a week of training isn't going to do much good."
Naruto shook his head with a frown. "It's not about cramming in last minute power Ino. My Pokémon train like this daily— I don't ask of them more than they can give. And I have had the extreme fortune to capture Pokémon with incredible drive and spirit, who want to push themselves to the limit and beyond to be stronger! It wouldn't matter if I was putting them up for a Pokéthlon or a Gym Battle, my team would give their all in training just because they can and they sincerely want to. After all, the results speak for themselves and since they can see and feel these results they're even more willing to work hard."
"Sounds like a lot of trouble to me." Shikamaru muttered, head propped up by his hand as he slumped over the table.
Naruto eyed the lazy Nara curiously. "How do you train your Pokémon Shikamaru? I'm assuming you must have some policy to training Pokémon, it wouldn't be in your nature to not care."
Shikamaru shrugs. "I focus on one aspect at a time, and have my whole team work on that one aspect to give them all some rounded training. Of course, by nature some will be faster or stronger, or better at that aspect than others but overall they'll be at about the same level."
"A consistent team, that's Shikamaru's policy." Chouji elucidated.
"And yours Chouji?" Naruto asked with a smile.
"Power. I take on Pokémon with predilections for strength, or Pokémon that can be heavy hitters. Of course, the Wingull in my team might break that policy but who knows? He might just be the heaviest hitter of any Wingull you'll ever see." Chouji explains with a shrug.
Ino snorted. "Doubtful, not even their evolved forms Pelliper are strong."
"Well Miss Doubtful, what's your policy then?" Naruto challenged.
Ino tossed her hair back in that superior fashion of hers that never failed tomake Naruto's eye twitch. Friend or not, Ino really got on his nerves sometimes. "My policy is strictly beautiful, cute, and graceful Pokémon. In short, Contest Pokémon only."
Naruto huffed. "Figures. You wouldn't give anything else a chance?"
"I'm not battling, so any Pokémon that I can't see a way to place in Contests isn't good for me." Ino admits with a shrug, unconcerned with how it might sound. It was her journey, her Pokémon, so her rules.
"Fair enough." Naruto acquiesced. "Well!" he gets up, bringing his tray with him to trash. "I've got to get to bed. We've only got three more days to train before I take on the Gym Leader."
Three days had passed, and now Naruto stood in front of the Gym, looking around at it in interest. It almost resembled the Pokémon Academy, only larger and a bit grander in design. Behind him stood his friends, who also looked around at what they could see of the building.
"You know, maybe the Gym Leader doesn't do battles on the weekend?" Chouji suggested.
Naruto gave the other boy a strange look. "I haven't heard that. Let's just go inside and find someone to help us."
They entered the building, finding it empty. Looking at each other they shrugged and ventured in further, walking down the first hallway they saw. It continued for a while, and they were beginning to lose hope that this was the correct path when they heard voices. A mix of men and women seemed to be down the hallways and behind a door they were walking closer to, but it was enough to bolster their spirits. They walked a little faster, their expressions getting a little more eager. Naruto reached the door first and pushed it open, revealing another waiting room with two doors. In the middle of the room was a young woman with what appeared to be two employees in uniform.
Naruto faltered for a moment, but it was Ino who rose to the occasion in her usual bossy fashion. "Excuse me, we're looking for the gym leader? My friend here would like to battle."
The young woman not in a uniform like the other two raised an eyebrow and stepped forward while crossing her arms. She wears a deep red shirt with one long billowing sleeve while the other side is sleeveless, and matching red shorts. Pupiless pink eyes swept over the younger group with arrogance. "I'm the gym leader, name's Kurotsuchi. Who wants to challenge me?" she asked, as if this is all some joke. Naruto stepped forward as well, never one to back down from a challenge.
"I am the challenger, Uzumaki Naruto." Naruto declared himself, blue eyes locked with Kurotsuchi's pink ones.
"Uzumaki?" Kurotsuchi repeated. "You're related to Uzumaki Ryuu?"
"That's my cousin." Naruto confirmed.
Kurotsuchi smirked, now eyeing Naruto in consideration. "I met him when I was a trainer myself, I lost to his father and barely scraped a win from him. He's an annoying guy, but if you have even half the skill he does maybe taking up your challenge won't be such a bore. Alright kid, it's a good thing you chose today. School's out meaning I can focus on just the challenge. Just as a disclaimer, you don't mind being filmed while you battle do you?"
"Well no, but why are you filming it?" Naruto asked confusedly.
"The kids can better get a feel for battles if we have live examples." Kurotsuchi explains. "Not my idea, the previous gym leader Tsutsuji made it up for the Academy. So, let's head to the gym then! Follow me, your friends can use the stairs to take a seat in the stands."
Waving for them to follow her Kurotsuchi guides them to the door on the right, opening it to reveal the battlefield. Walking further inside Naruto marvels at the design— Petalburg's Gym had been strange in that it was inside a normal-sized house and wasn't anything like what he'd heard from his older cousins and father. But Rustboro City Gym was like they'd described gyms to be— big with lights overhead and a large field for the Gym's usual type— a rocky expanse. Naruto nodded in satisfaction, reveling in the feeling of suspense and excitement that spiraled in his stomach.
"Meets your standards huh?" Kurotsuchi noticed his interested expression and had to comment. This place was her pride after all, as Gym Leader.
"Yeah . . . it looks like what my family always talked about with gym battles." Naruto answered honestly.
"Well at least you can leave this place with something huh?" Kurotsuchi laughed, walking to her side of the field to take her place. Naruto twitched at the obvious hint that he wouldn't be winning a gym badge today. Well— his eyes narrowed and his grin turned wicked— he'd just have to show her how wrong she was.
"Standard battle. I'll be using two Pokémon while you can use all at your disposal. I cannot switch out, but you can. Got it?" Kurotsuchi calls out to Naruto.
"I understand." Naruto nodded, brushing his hand over his shrunken Poké balls.
Kurotsuchi nods and motions to the referee. The referee raises his flags and begins. "The match between Kurotsuchi of Rustboro Gym and challenger Naruto will now begin!"
Kurotsuchi throws out her Pokémon first. "Let's go, Giga!"
From the Poké ball comes a Geodude, it's arms pumping into the air to show its eagerness to battle.
"Aoi, you're up!" Naruto calls out his Marill, and the rotund Pokémon hops in place, eyes lit with a bright fire in anticipation of his battle.
"So you did your homework huh? That's more than I can say for half the new trainers." Kurotsuchi admits with a little grin. "Still, don't think that'll be enough."
"You don't give compliments easy huh?" Naruto assumed. "That's alright, it's always better when you earn them— Aoi, Bubble!"
Aoi swelled up and released fast moving bubbles that sped toward his waiting opponent.
"Rollout to dodge Giga!" Kurotsuchi commanded, her Geodude following as soon as she'd uttered his name. He dodged the bubble attack with seconds to spare and got out of rollout to face Aoi again with a determined, set face.
"Rollout towards that Marill!" Kurotsuchi ordered, her eyes narrowed as she looked at Naruto to gauge his reaction.
Naruto himself was already confident and ordered Aoi to dodge out of the way just as the Geodude was within ten feet of his Marill. "Dodge it!"
Aoi did so by jumping out of the way, though the Geodude's reaction time astounded him as Kurotsuchi called out another attack.
"Rock throw Giga!" Kurotsuchi commanded, and watched with satisfaction as her Geodude cracked a piece of rock off a nearby boulder on the field and flung it a surprised Marill.
It was too abrupt for Aoi, and so the Marill was hit dead on by the attack and fell back with a cry.
"Aoi!" Naruto cried in concern. "Aoi are you okay?"
"Marill!" Aoi called out in assurance, getting up again and glaring at the Geodude before him.
"That a boy Aoi!" Naruto bolstered his Pokémon's spirit. "Let's get up close and personal then huh?"
Aoi started to run forward to the Geodude who seemed to be amused at the little Pokémon's audacity.
"Giga, Mega Punch!" Kurotsuchi called, though it sounded more like a scoff as she looked askance at the charging Marill.
The Geoudude charges forward, rushing for what might be a head-on collision if not for a glowing fist heading towards Aoi's face.
"Water Gun!" Naruto shouted happily, and Kurotsuchi gasped. No way that Marill could do the attack so quickly!
How wrong she was, when Aoi spit out a water gun straight into her Geodude's face and sent her Pokémon tumbling back with his Mega Punch forgotten.
"Damn!" Kurotsuchi grunted, knowing that such a point blank attack would severely weaken her Pokémon. The little brat was lucky to have a water Pokémon!
"Giga, how are you feeling?" She asked calmly. "You still ready to rock 'n roll?"
"Geo!" Giga cried, popping up with a grunt of effort and some scratches. "Geodude!"
"Alright, now it's getting interesting!" Naruto shouted, and Aoi seemed to be drinking in the excitement that soaked the atmosphere.
"Marill!" Aoi shouted, tail wagging.
"Rock Polish and Tackle Giga!" Kurotsuchi ordered. Giga glowed a bright white and seemed to become faster for it, Naruto not even able to finish his command to dodge before Aoi was sent flying.
Aoi hit the ground hard, and struggled to rise again. Naruto shouted encouragement to the Marill nonetheless, hoping to at least have Aoi finish this battle. Man, the Gym Leader's Geodude was super tough!
"Come on Aoi you going to let a pebble with arms get the best of you? Let's go Aoi, I know you can do it!" Naruto cheered.
Kurotsuchi sighed. "As heartwarming as this is, I've got better things to do than see your little Marill wobble and fall. Give up kid! Geodude, Mega Punch!"
"Geodude!" Giga shot forward, his speed still elevated from the Rock Polish though it had faded slightly.
"Bubble Aoi!" Naruto shouted.
Aoi was determined, the glowing pellets shooting out of his mouth and even when the Geodude moved to the side to try and avoid the attack he just adjusted his aim and hit the other Pokémon. Geodude fell with a hard tumble, rolling a little before stopping.
"Finish up with Water Gun!" Naruto commanded.
"No Giga, move out of the way!" Kurotuschi cried. Too late, as Aoi was already up and hitting Giga directly with a Water Gun, the Geodude too stunned from the last hit to move fast enough.
"Geodude is unable to battle, Naruto wins this round!" The referee called, the flag on Naruto's side coming up in his hand.
"Alright Aoi!" Naruto laughed, allowing himself a jump in the air just as his Marill did. He recalled Aoi back into his Poké ball and patted the capsule with a smile. "You were awesome, take five okay?"
Kurotsuchi recalled her knocked out Geodude, rubbing her thumb over the top. "You did your best, now you can chill." She shakes her black bangs out of her eyes and glares at Naruto. "Okay kid, you're a little better than I thought. I shouldn't have used my lower level Geodude on you, but I won't be making the same mistake twice! I hope you've got another water Pokémon to fight . . ." she pulls out another Poké ball and tosses it. "Because my Nosepass is no pushover!"
Nosepass was a squat, stout Pokémon that seemed to be made out of pure, smooth stone with a bright and large red nose encompassing most of its body. "Whoa, never seen one of those before— hold on." He whips out his Pokédex to read the description of it.
Nosepass
Nosepass, the Rock type Pokémon. Nosepass's magnetic nose is pointed north, and is said to be completely unmoving. However, close observation has revealed that the Pokémon moves by a little over 3/8 of an inch every year.
Naruto hummed in consideration before choosing his next Pokémon. If all else failed, he'd just weaken the Nosepass enough that one hit from Aoi would take it down. "Yasu, you're up!" he called, throwing the Poké ball that held Yasu.
"Eevee!" Yasu cried, coiled and ready to fight.
Kurotsuchi snorted. "An Eevee? Maybe if it'd been a Vaporeon I could understand but your little Normal Eevee won't be able to beat Rocko."
"Rocco?" Naruto repeated to himself, biting his lip to muffle a snigger. "We'll just see about that." Naruto said loud enough for Kurotsuchi to hear.
Slightly annoyed by the boy's confidence, especially as her Geodude had lost, Kurotsuchi made the first move. "Rocco, Rock Throw!"
The throw was a decent one, bur Yasu was small and agile so dodging the rock throw plus the five more that accompanied it was child's play to the Eevee.
"Yasu, Shadow Ball!" Naruto called out.
"Harden Rocco!" Kurotsuchi countered. The Nosepass' defense rose and so the Shadow Ball that hit it was hqrdly as effective as it should be. The only indication that Rocco had even felt it was the slight wince the Pokémon gave.
Yasu jumped away speedily, light on his feet as he took his place in front of Naruto again. Nartuo scratched his chin in thought, eyes narrowing. Well . . . that could be problematic. I don't want to use Iron Tail right away, goodness knows that Gym Leader might very well find a way to counteract it and there goes my surprise!
"Rock Throw, and take as many as you can Rocco!" Kurotsuchi declared, and Naruto watched, amazed and nervous, as the Nosepass levitated rock after rock big and small. Suddenly they flew towards them with alarming speed and accuracy.
"Whoa! Watch it!" Naruto yelped, having to dance around and dodge them just like Yasu was doing. Only Yasu was doing far better being smaller, and some of the rock fragments still cut into Naruto's skin.
"Naruto!" Chouji, Ino, and Shikamaru cried out in alarm.
"Pokémon are dangerous creatures." Kurotsuchi lectured, though she did wince in sympathy as a large red line appeared across Naruto's arm from a flying fragment. "As such their battles and confrontations are dangerous for not just themselves but for their trainers or any other human around. If you're not careful you'll be seriously hurt . . . still, my bad kid. Accuracy isn't exactly the high mark of an attack like this."
"That still doesn't make it fair, call off your attack if a trainer is going to get hurt!" Ino shouted angrily. "No wonder this place is empty, who wants to battle a Gym Leader that doesn't care about the regular trainers?!"
"Shut up!" Kurotsuchi shouted angrily, glaring at the platinum blonde haired girl. "He's dodging just fine!"
"Oh sure, because that is fine." Shikamaru suddenly entered the conversation, scoffing at Naruto's cuts.
Breathing deeply, Naruto looked up at his concerned friends and smiled. "It's okay guys, really. Me and Yasu aren't out of this just yet. Right Yasu?!"
Yasu may have been more successful in dodging than his trainer, there were still cuts and bruises adorning the little Pokémon. It was only experience that allowed Yasu to shrug them off and stand proudly. "Vee!"
"Kid you've got guts and I've got to respect that." Kurotsuchi admitted. "Just for that, win or lose you've earned some points with me. Rocco, Rock Slide!"
There were less rocks to dodge for Naruto as Yasu had moved further up the field in his mad scurry to avoid more rocks. Yasu deftly twisted and ducked, leaped and curved around as many rocks as he could. Naruto was trying hard to come up with a good plan of attack. The battlefield was now less of a field and more of an exploded mine with how many rocks covered the surface.
Those Rock attacks are serious stuff . . . Yasu will tire out at this rate! That Nosepass is dangerous . . . it won't allow me to get any closer! I know that Rock Types are weak to ground moves and Yasu knows only one. What can I do with it? Naruto wondered.
"Yasu, go underground!" Naruto hollered.
"And now, Rock Tomb!"
"Dig!" Naruto cried out, alarmed as Nosepass stomped its foot once and almost immediately afterward slabs of rock rose like a barricade around Yasu. The Pokémon was completely hidden from sight. Naruto grit his teeth, glaring at the Pokémon across from him. Smug hunk of rock hadn't even moved very much since the match started . . . it was still in the same position—
Wait. It's faced the same direction since the match started . . . is this?! Naruto hoped this gamble would work.
"Yasu if you can hear me, Dig to the back! The back!" Naruto shouted, cupping his hands around his mouth.
Kurotsuchi laughed. "The back? What, towards the exit. If you want to forfeit don't use code words to try and hide kid."
"Who said anything about giving up!" Naruto laughed. "I'm going to end this battle right now."
"Oh, and how?" Kurotsuchi scoffed. From the corner of her eye she saw a couple rocks move, falling down their piles.
"Iron Tail!"
Kurotsuchi gasped in dismay as Yasu sprung up from the ground, dirt and rock exploding from around him as he summersaulted in midair to let his tail which glowed white hit the back of the Nosepass dead on. Nosepass tried to turn around to see what's going on, but his own nose proved his downfall. It put him back on course due north so quickly he stumbled for a moment and left himself open to the powerful attack of the Eevee. Rocco collapsed face first on the ground with a heavy, shuddering thud that seemed to rattle Kurotsuchi's bones.
"Rocco!" She yelled, worried about the powerful hit he'd just taken.
"Yes!" Naruto screamed at the same time, laughing happily when Yasu zipped over to him and bounded into his arms. "Nosepass can't face any other direction but North, and that was my chance!"
The referee waited a moment to see if Rocco would get up before raising the flag once again. "Rocco is unable to battle. Naruto is the winner of the battle!"
Naruto grinned as Yasu licked at his cheeks eagerly, celebrating their victory, and he could hear the cheering of his friends from behind him.
Kurotsuchi balled Rocco and made note to get him to the Poké Center as soon as she gave the brat his badge. "Come over here Naruto." She waved the boy and his Eevee forward as she walked to the middle of the field.
Reaching into her pocket, Kurotsuchi pulled out the Stone Badge. "As the rules state, once a trainer defeats a Gym Leader he or she is awarded the official badge of that gym. You've earned this one kid, keep it well." She placed the Stone Badge delicately in the middle of Naruto's open palm, and stifled a giggle at the wondrous expression on his face.
"Thanks Kurotsuchi-san!" Naruto beamed up at her, and Kurotsuchi smirked.
"Yeah well, I'm still kind of surprised I was beaten by a hedgehog-haired shrimp like you." She shrugs, affecting a wounded appearance.
Naruto snorted, ire stoked. "Well get ready to be knocked stupid, because my friends over there—" he pointed to Shikamaru and Chouji. "Are going to knock you down even harder than I did!"
From where the aforementioned kids sat, Shikamaru dropped his head with a groan. "That idiot, now the Gym Leader won't try to underestimate us. Troublesome blonde."
Naruto parted ways with the Ino-Shika-Chou trio after watching their gym battles. Shikamaru lost with his Pokémon having type disadvantages and the boy being too lazy to search for water Pokémon, but Chouji won and they all opted to stay so Shikamaru could try for a rematch.
Walking down his path, Naruto suddenly remembered what it was he was supposed to do. He fished in his bag for his XTransciever, and turned it on to make a few calls. Thankfully this version had a party line so that he could talk to several people at once.
His mother and father's faces popped up after a few rings, smiling at the sight of their youngest son. "Naruto!" Kushina greeted. "Hi honey, you've fought the gym leader yet?"
Naruto nodded. "Yeah, I've got a shiny new Stone Badge to add to my collection."
Minato grinned proudly. "Great I knew you could do it. Was this battle tougher than the last one with Sen?"
"It was definitely troublesome but I'm not sure if it was tougher. Mostly, Rock Throw hurts." Naruto summarized, confusing his parents.
"Rock Throw hurts . . . ?" Minato repeated, mystified. Then his eyes widened. "Oh no, did Kurotsuchi use that damn Nosepass of hers?"
"Wait a minute, what are those bandages on you?!" Kushina interrupted heatedly. "Did somebody— did the GYM LEADER use Rock Throw on you?!" she shrieked, enraged.
Naruto gulped, absentmindedly scratching at the bandages showing on his cheek and collarbone, glad she couldn't see the others wrapped around his arms and legs. "Well it's a hard attack to control, even she admitted it—"
"I'll kill that uppity brat!" Kushina howled, and the connection cut off leaving two blondes to gulp nervously.
"Dad . . . shouldn't you . . . ?"
"Yeah, I . . . I should, uh, probably contact Kakashi since he's close to the house and tell him to cut Kushina off. Listen son, I'm very proud of you and— hey, weren't you in a Contest too?" Minato suddenly remembered.
Naruto grinned, pleased his Champion father remembered. "Yeah, but I didn't win."
"Well how far did you get?" Minato pressed.
"I fought to the last battle, you could say if there was a second place I would have been it." Naruto admitted.
Minato grinned. "Then that only means you'll be first next time. I have to go, Professor Sarutobi is calling me— probably to ask why Kushina is rampaging at work. I love you Naruto, bye!"
Naruto cut off his XTransciever, shaking his head as he chuckled. He looked down at Yasu trotting by his side, the Eevee's ears drooped in exhaustion from the conversation that just took place.
"Yeah, they're a handful." Naruto agreed, before looking forward. "Still, let's just focus on our journey. Our next stop is Verdanturf!"
The ideas provided to help Naruto win were a combination of the manga and Ash's battle. Feh . . . Ash. I've lost hope for him entirely. Anyway, this chapter could use some reviews! So, until next time everyone . . . probably in another two weeks!
Love,
Bloody Mad~3
P.S: Edit: 10/12/13: Good God . . . did i really write Acquarion as the water evolution of Eevee? I'm so sorry . . . my mind is just on Walking Dead. nd Aoi is MARILL. MARILL. If i repeat it to myself over and over, will it stick?
