Sharks in Sunny Places

Chapter two, here we go! So far, this seems to be getting a positive reaction. That pleases me. Drop a review if you see anything you'd like to see improved or worked on, please! I'll love your assistance. It makes editing this for the fourth or fifth time a lot easier. :) And yes, I actually did that for this chapter.

Disclaimer: Don't own Pokemon or Naruto. Boo.

Chapter Two: Stay Put

Hinata trailed after Kiba, the electronic doors slipping open, and the motion sensor beeping as they walked in. Everyone in the lobby turned to see who was entering, before turning back to work, play, or relaxation. It was a typical Unova Pokemon Center, with lots of light being let into the building from the large windows. A small waiting area was to the left of the entrance, and to the right was the PokeMart. Straight ahead was the nursing station, and two tall staircases would take you up to the Global Link, the Wifi Room, and the Trainer Rooms. Standing in the middle of the Center were Nurse Joy, Professor Juniper, and Shino.

"Ah! There you two are! Welcome to your best friend, the Pokemon Center!" Professor Juniper greeted, her arms spread in the air as she presented the Center. "Every time you reach a new town or city, the first thing you must do is find the Pokemon Center. That is a basic of being a Pokemon Trainer."

"If your Pokemon is hurt or tired, the Pokemon Center will provide a place of free recovery and rest." Nurse Joy continued. "It is also a place for shelter in case there is ever a natural disaster or other occurrences. You can resupply at the PokeMart."

"It is because of these reasons that the Pokemon Centers are so important. It is also why you MUST find the Pokemon Center in town, before you do anything else. Understand?" Professor Juniper looked at the three Trainers, seriousness in her eyes. Cell Eight nodded in unison, and Professor Juniper returned to her bright smile. "Very well then. Here are your graduating presents from me. After you take these, you are now officially Pokemon Trainers."

Professor Juniper each handed them a set of ten Pokeballs, each designed to suit them and their taste in Pokemon. Kiba was given five Fast balls and five Quick balls. Shino was given five Heal balls and five Net balls. Hinata was given five Heal balls and five Love balls.

"Good luck, you three, and enjoy your journeys with Pokemon. Nurse Joy will be here to offer advice, and there are plenty of Pokemon Trainers here to ask for advice and battles from. If you need me, contact me through the Pokedex or my system on the PC." Professor Juniper bowed, and left the Pokemon Center; She turned towards the Trainers and waved goodbye as she stepped outside the doors.

The three Trainers turned to Nurse Joy, who smiled and offered to heal their Pokemon while they settled down to converse with the other Trainers in the facility.

An hour later, Hinata, Shino, and Kiba were all eating dinner with their Pokemon when Kisame walked into the Center. Much to Hinata's chagrin, Kiba invited him over. Kisame smirked and nodded, but walked over to Nurse Joy and handed her his Pokeballs before he went to join the trio.

"Hey Shino, this is Kisame-san. Kisame-san, this is Shino-san, Yune the Sewaddle, Hinata-chan and her Tepig, Akamaru, my Lillipup, and I'm Kiba." Kiba introduced, pointing to each of them as he said their names. Shino nodded simply as he was introduced, and Hinata forced a small smile. Hinata briefly wondered what was wrong with Kiba, inviting him over. Shino wouldn't say anything or make any notice that the man disturbed him, but she had to wonder what Shino would think of the shark-man. Hinata knew he terrified her.

"Nice to meet you all." Kisame said gruffly, before sitting down across from Hinata.

"You're a veteran Trainer?" Shino asked, as he fed Yune parts of his fries. Hinata sat there and quietly ate her food, watching Pepper play with his food. She didn't want to look at Kisame. He was scary. How Shino and Kiba could bare to look at him was beyond her.

"More or less. I traveled around Unova recently, but I'm from the Hoenn region." Kisame replied, glancing over at Hinata and watching her stare at her Tepig. He knew he intimidated her. Of course he did. Again he was grateful for her friends. This way, at least, she could get use to him. Maybe one day he wouldn't be so scary to her, he hoped. Or maybe he'd always terrify her.

"Hoenn? Really? What kinds of Pokemon do they have there?" Kiba asked in between mouthfuls of food. Kisame smirked; At least her friends didn't seem terrified of him. Maybe a little nervous, but not terrified.

"Many types. Lots of Water-types. They have some interesting Pokemon, there." Kisame replied, pulling out a map from his bag and spreading it across the table. It would be easier to explain it like this, he knew, and this was common practice for Trainers from other regions. "About half the cities there have to be reached by Pokemon or boat. Lots of ocean and water." This caught Hinata's attention, and she peered at the map along with her friends. They hadn't learned much about the other regions in Trainer's Ed., so this was highly intriguing to her.

"Oh wow. They have a desert and a volcano? And the space shuttles?" Kiba practically squealed. Kisame had marked down interesting locations, from the shopping tower in Lilycove to the space shuttles in Mossdeep. "Kisame-san, you come from such a cool region." Kiba said, awed. Kisame snorted.

"It's not that interesting. They do have rather unusual Pokemon, though. Tropius, Sharpedo, Kecleon..." Kisame trailed off. Shino stopped looking at the map to turn to Kisame. Pokemon were possibly the most interesting things in a region, next to terrain.

"Isn't there special Bug-type Pokemon that live in Hoenn, as well?" Shino asked, pulling out a notepad and pen. He'd love to get some first-hand knowledge about the Bug-types there.

"Yeah, tell bug-boy what bug Pokemon there are there so he can go fangirl over them. Isn't Hoenn where Absol come from?" Kiba joked, smacking Shino on the back and earning a mild glare from the Aburame. Kisame chuckled at their interaction, while Hinata merely smiled.

"Yes, it is. And there are Wurples, which can yield four different forms, and Nincadas and their evolution. There's also Surskit." Kisame informed, pulling out a Hoenn-style Pokedex and placing it on the table. It opened, showing pictures of all the Pokemon Kisame had seen in Hoenn. And that is how the gushing over the Pokemon of Hoenn began.

Shino and Kiba were absolutely in love with Kisame. They looked up to him, and Hinata could see why. He was an experienced Trainer, he thought of strategies and Pokemon, knew bits of information from lands none of them knew much about, had dealt with hazardous situations, strategies, and terrain and always managed to come out on top. He was what most novice Trainers aspired to be, and he was going to make a great idol to them. They were utterly enthralled with Kisame.

That's why, when Hinata saw Kisame's Trainer card, and noticed it barely looked like he did now, she was suspicious. She was even more suspicious when he quickly hid it from them, switching over to something else before either of them could get a good look. And he knew she had seen. The glance he gave her, staring into her eyes, told her he knew.

It sent shivers up her spine. And yet, she wanted, no, needed to know why he looked so differently then than he did now. She hugged Pepper closer to her as she watched the shark-man interact with her best friends, worried, confused, and intrigued by this horrifying man. She needed to know, not only for her own sake, but for her friends.

They were obviously looking up to this terrifying man, and they wouldn't question him directly on how he looked. If he could hurt them and intended to, she hoped that she could prevent it. But she didn't know how to ask, either, so she just kept silent and made a mental note to tell her friends to look out. She'd just keep an eye on him, no matter how much she didn't want to. She asked him innocent questions as she tried to wish it all away on paranoia, but she couldn't. There was the nagging feeling that something wasn't right about how he was acting.

Kisame let himself be interrogated by the novice Trainers, Shino and Kiba asking the most questions, with Hinata occasionally piping up with a comment, question, or concern. It was surprisingly fun and entertaining for him, and he didn't mind reliving the memories before the incidents occurred.

He was able to observe Hinata, and see how she interacted with her cell. He approved of her cell-mates, they suited her and would influence her personality to become stronger. Kiba was headstrong, loud, confident, and eager. Shino was much more restrained, calculating, and ambiguous. Hinata was timid, soft-spoken, thoughtful, and very shy. She also seemed to be very determined. He wouldn't mind playing babysitter as much as he thought he would, if he could watch these three grow.

Though, he was worried how Hinata would react after he let her see what he looked like before...

It was an hour or two before Itachi's plan would be in motion, he remembered. Kisame was eagerly waiting for his plot in the plan. If everything went right, he would be able to easily protect Hinata and direct the creature towards their objective.

All he had left to do now was wait.

Hinata was in her room, brushing her hair and going over everything that had happened today. She had seen cousin Neji before he returned on his journey with Lee and Tenten. She had gotten her first Pokemon and started her own journey. And she had arrived in Accumula Town, all by herself. She had taken the first step on her journey around Unova, and she couldn't wait until she was able to catch her own Pokemon. If she could just catch one, then maybe Shino-kun and Kiba-kun wouldn't leave her behind...If she could just catch one, she could prove that she DID have skills as a Pokemon Trainer.

She wished that they hadn't all decided to travel alone, within a day to three days apart from the others. She wished she could ask them to reconsider, to take her along, to all travel together...But she lacked the courage, and she couldn't face herself or her family if she held them back. I'll never hold them back again, I promise.

Hinata set her hairbrush on the vanity, expelling those thoughts from her head, before flopping down on the Center's bed. It had been a long day, and many exciting things had happened. It wouldn't be much longer until the excitement from today happened every day, she mused. Pepper jumped onto the bed and cuddled up to her side, causing Hinata to smile and pet the pig Pokemon as she daydreamed about her future adventures.

Eventually, though, her thoughts turned to Kisame. He was fearsome, she knew. But from what she had seen of his personality, he didn't seem like such a bad guy. Actually, if you took out his appearance, he was actually a very decent man. He was a little gruff, and his voice added to his tough-guy personality, but he was polite and very intelligent.

From his stories,though, she knew him to be a very tough Trainer. One who had crushed many other Trainers before even stepping foot in Unova. She would like to see him battle, she decided. But there was something wrong about the way he was acting, it just didn't seem to fit with his appearance, or his battling style. She just couldn't figure out what.

Hinata was still thinking about Kisame when he knocked on her door. Hinata reluctantly left the comfort of her bed, clad in her pajamas, and opened the door to see the shark-like man standing at her doorway. She looked up towards his face, feeling very small as he towered above her.

"K-kisame-san? I-is there something you n-need?" She asked, inwardly cursing her constant stutter. As if he needed to know she was afraid of him! His solemn expression on his face worried her, and she bit her lower lip as she waited her him to speak. What is it, what does he need, why me why me why me? Hinata thought, a bit of panic bubbling up.

"Hinata-san, there's been an emergency in the town. All novice Pokemon Trainers are to stay in the-" Kisame was cut off by a loud crashing noise, and screams coming from the lobby. Hinata gasped, and looked down the hallway towards the lobby. What was going on down there? Why were people screaming? What was the emergency? "Dammit. Stay here, Hinata-san, and tell Shino-san and Kiba-san to remain inside their rooms."

Hinata shakily agreed as Kisame ran down the hall towards the lobby, pulling out her Xtransceiver to call her cell-mates to warn them to stay inside. She hoped everything would be okay...

She even briefly hoped that Kisame would be okay.

Pepper nervously squirmed in her arms as Hinata paced up and down the floor of her room. It had been nearly an hour since Kisame had warned her to stay in her room, and she was anxious. What had happened? Why were they screaming? What had gone so wrong that she had to remain here, instead of fighting? Was he okay?

There was knocking at the door, and Hinata warily opened it to seen Shino and Kiba waiting, grim lines on their faces.

Hinata swallowed and shakily asked, "What happened?" The two boys walked into her room and sat down, and Hinata sat on the bed while she waited for them to start speaking.

"A...Genesect, I think it was called, attacked a nearby building. It was high-leveled, and it wasn't owned by any Pokemon Trainers. It had destroyed the building and...Killed people and Pokemon...and then it came to the Pokemon Center, smelling food and injured Pokemon." Kiba explained quietly, and glanced over at Shino. The room felt slightly morbid, and Hinata suddenly wished she didn't know what had happened.

"The Genesect completely trashed the lobby, and it was only because of Kisame-san and another Trainer that they were able to bring the Pokemon down. The police took the Pokemon into custody, but it escaped again. Currently it's still on the loose, but is traveling up towards Striation City." Shino said.

"They think it's going to either attack the Pokemon Center there, or head towards Pinwheel Forest." Kiba grimly finished. Hinata nodded, assessing the information.

"Are w-we going to have to p-postpone our journey?" Hinata murmured quietly, biting her bottom lip.

"Not sure yet. We'll have to wait until tomorrow for the verdict." Kiba said, sighing and running a hand through his hair. "I just hope that it doesn't hurt anyone else."

"It's a Bug-type Pokemon, so it should go back into hibernation soon, unless it reaches Pinwheel Forest." Shino informed quietly.

"T-two days to r-reach Pinwheel F-forest? D-do you think it'll m-make it?" Hinata asked, her eyes shining with worry and distraught. She had finally started her journey, and now this happens...

"Couldn't tell you. Don't know how fast they are." Shino replied grimly. The room was silent, everyone thinking and worrying about their futures as Pokemon Trainers. Suddenly, there was a knock at the door, and Hinata got up to open it before Kisame opened the door himself, walking in slowly. He glanced over at Shino and Kiba, looking relieved.

"Couldn't find you in your rooms, didn't know if you guys were out there or not." Kisame said gruffly, and Hinata sat back down on her bed. She glanced over him, worried that the rampaging Pokemon might have hurt him during their battle. Kisame didn't look good, but he didn't seem to need medical attention. He had a few bruises on him, and there were cuts and tears in the fabric of his shirt and pants. There wasn't any blood, but he looked worse for the wear.

Hinata bit her lip and motioned for him to sit down, before grabbing her bag and looking for the first aid kit. Kisame noticed her reaching for it, and shook his head. While he appreciated the gesture, most of his worse wounds had already been healed.

"Don't worry about it, I'm fine. Just need a good night's rest." Kisame said reassuringly, sitting down. "It's my Pokemon that need the medical attention, and I left them with Joy." Hinata bit her lip, and put the first aid kit down. She glanced over him again, worried. Even if he was scary-looking and gave her a bad vibe, she couldn't just let him be injured...It went against her entire being.

"What happened out there, Kisame-san?" Shino asked quietly, and Kisame grimaced.

"That Genesect was...tough. Doesn't really help my case that the only thing they're weak to is Fire-types. Most of my Pokemon could hit it and do damage normally, but...That thing could nuke them." Kisame's grimace grew. "It had some cannon on its back that fired electrical attacks. It wasted most of my team."

"The other Trainer. They had a Fire-type with them?" Shino asked, and Kisame nodded. He looked tired, he sounded tired, everything about him just seemed...Tired, Hinata realized.

"Had two. Some Sinnoh Fire-type and a Chandelure." Pepper sneezed smoke out of his nostrils at the mention of Fire-types, and Hinata got up to put him in his Pokeball. She didn't want him to get riled up so late in the day. She also decided that she wanted a drink, and that she ought to offer one to Kisame.

"K-kisame-san, d-do you want a-anything to d-drink?" Hinata asked, and he nodded. "Shino-kun? Kiba-kun?" They both nodded as well, and Hinata grabbed four drinks out of her bag as she grabbed Pepper's Pokeball. Kisame gratefully took the drink from her as she handed them out. "H-how long do y-you think it will t-take for them to c-catch the G-genesect?"

"Dunno. That Trainer is out there, trying to catch it. If she doesn't, I don't know how travel will be affected." Kisame answered truthfully, taking a sip of the lemonade. Itachi-san...You'd better have that Pokemon restrained soon, and fast.

"Sh-shino thinks it w-will go into hi-hibernation again soon." Hinata informed, opening her drink as she sat down on her bed. Shino nodded in confirmation.

"Unless it gets to Pinwheel Forest." Kiba said dejectedly, playing with Akamaru as he sipped on his drink. "Hopefully that veteran Trainer will catch it before then." Kisame nodded in agreement, and turned the topic to lighter things.

Eventually, Kisame left Hinata's room and returned to his own. He was irritated. He hadn't know the Genesect would be that strong, or that he'd have that much difficulty battling it. The plan was botched up slightly, with the Genesect on the loose. Worse off, now some upstart girl was off trying to catch it.

And he had to hope that she did, before some idiot stumbled upon it and got himself killed. Kisame growled and flopped down on his bed, irritatedly thinking about how the Genesect was going to hamper his travel. Maybe Konan would be sent to catch it. At least the targets had been destroyed.

On the bright side, the battle had gone well enough that he was merely feeling tired, and his Pokemon hadn't suffered too great of wounds. He also got to watch Hinata worry about him a little bit. He smirked. Even with his appearance and fearsomeness, she was the type that would still take care of him. She'd make a good Trainer, and would eventually be able to face any type of Pokemon.

Hinata...The way she had looked at him, when he had walked into her room...made him feel almost human. She looked more concerned than terrified, worried about him and his physical condition than his terrifying appearance. He loved it. Her sweetness, her stuttering as she shyly asked about him...He enjoyed it. He hoped that tomorrow, she'd act the same way, instead of being fearful of him. He knew she probably wouldn't, however...Maybe after a week or so of varying degrees of his presence, he decided. That sounded about right.

He loved being treated as if he was human. Very few people had treated him like one since they had escaped. And if she would treat him as one, he would do anything in his power to keep her safe. Just like he'd do anything in his power to keep Itachi-san safe. And he knew, with her personality, that she would eventually stop seeing him as a monster. Eventually, she would see him as a human. And maybe, hopefully, she'd see him as a precious person...

With those thoughts in his head, he rolled over and tried to sleep, even though he knew the nightmares would wake him up. They always did, after all.

The next morning, Hinata woke up bright and early. A fierce stubbornness was in her mind, a mantra going through her mind. I will catch a Pokemon, no matter what comes my way! Hinata packed her things, and strode out into the lobby.

The lobby...Was in a vast state of disrepair. Hinata's fire died a bit inside. It was depressing to know that this place had been picture-perfect the day before, and yet...The memories of what Kiba and Shino told her shot through her mind. Hinata bit her lip, her resolve fluttering as she looked over the damage.

Kisame was already up, his large form looking over the railing, wearing shaggy-jeans and a roughly patched-up shirt with sleeves that went barely past his elbows. His bag was next to him, looking like it was in much better condition than his clothing. Hinata reluctantly walked over to him, feeling very nervous in his presence. She knew that he was probably the only reason she was still alive, and yet he still set her on edge.

"Genesect trashed this place. Couldn't stop it, either." Kisame said gruffly, and Hinata could tell he was agitated. She knew if she were in his place, she would feel upset that she couldn't have done much to stop the rampage. And yet, she still chanted her mantra in her head. I will catch a Pokemon, no matter what comes my way!

"H-have they found i-it?" She asked, her mantra giving her more courage than normal. She couldn't believe she was willingly talking to him, since none of her friends were here. But she ought to figure out what he was up to, she reasoned. Kisame grunted a negative, and glanced over her.

"Getting an early start?" She nodded, and Kisame snorted. "Wait for your cell-mates, don't wanna end up dead, do you?"

"I w-want to catch a Pokemon." Hinata said firmly. Kisame looked at her, and Hinata felt as if she was being analyzed by her father. Eventually, Kisame snorted again, shaking his head in disbelief. Hinata resisted the urge to giggle when she realized his hair looked like a wave when he did that.

"Fine, fine. Just wait a few more minutes and I'll come with you." Kisame said gruffly, before going to walk down the stairs. Hinata stared at him like a deer in headlights. What? He was going to come with her? Hinata almost started to hyperventilate.

Anxiety spread through her, her determination lessening as she watched Nurse Joy nervously hand back his Pokeballs. Oh Arceus, Arceus, Arceus... Kisame looked up at her, and saw her expression. A smirk flitted over his face, before pointing over at the PokeMart. Hinata obeyed, and rushed downstairs to start to stocking up on supplies.

Oh Arceus, why did he have to come along?

This was not going to be a good day, Hinata decided. At least she knew what he'd be doing today...

Hinata timidly took her first step into Route 2, peering around at her surroundings. Kisame boldly stepped into the route with ease, stretching and giving her a smirk. Hinata pursed her lips, determination in her eyes, before walking over toward the grass. Kisame lazily followed.

"Pepper, use Ember!" Hinata called out, and the little pig Pokemon blew fire out of his mouth, weakening the Lillipup. The Lillipup Growled in defiance, before charging at Hinata's Tepig. Hinata took this chance to throw a Pokeball at the puppy.

The red and white ball smacked into the Lillipup, before sucking it into the ball and falling to the ground. It shook three times, before dinging. Hinata's heart soared with joy and pride, having caught her very own Pokemon. She gasped, and dashed over to the Pokeball, picking it up and staring at it with pride.

She happily turned to Kisame, beaming as she showed him the Pokeball. She had begun to feel less nervous with him around as they had searched for a Pokemon, and the moment of actually capturing her own Pokemon just made her feel on top of the world. She was glad someone was here to see this. She was actually grateful he'd come to help her.

Kisame merely smirked at her, and patted her on the head. She mock-glared at him, her cheeks heating up with embarrassment. "Good job. And you didn't stutter when you called out that attack." Hinata blinked, remembering back, and realized that she hadn't. More pride and confidence shot through her, along with confusion and surprise that he had noticed.

Suddenly, the rush of emotions was too much and she just couldn't handle all the emotions she was feeling.

Hinata promptly fainted.

Kisame barely caught her before she hit the ground, and resisted the urge to panic. Well, shit. Now what am I going to do? He thought, before deciding to take her back to the Pokemon Center. They weren't that far into Route 2, anyway.

Kisame picked her up bridal-style, and carried her back into town.

Hinata woke up in a bed. Confused, she tried to remember what had happened before she had fainted. She'd caught her first Pokemon, and then...

Oh, Arceus, Kisame had carried her here.

Oh, Arceus. Where was here?

Hinata hurriedly sat up, and saw that she was in a Center's room. She carefully got up out of bed, seeing she was still dressed, aside from her shoes, and looked around for her stuff. Her bag was by the door, with Pepper and her Lillipup's Pokeballs attached to the strap.

Kisame's bag was right next to it. Hinata started to hyperventilate. Was she in his room? She must be, because she had given the key to her room back that morning. Oh, Arceus, Arceus, Arceus.

As Hinata was looking for her shoes, the door opened and Kisame walked in, Kiba and Shino right behind him.

"Yeah, Hinata-chan is- Oh, Hinata-chan!" Kiba exclaimed, topping mid-sentence from whatever he was about to say about her to tackle-hug her. "Hinata-chan, we were worried! You hadn't fainted in a long time, so we weren't sure what to do!"

Shino snorted. "I knew what to do, but Kiba insisted on panicking." Kiba glared over at Shino, who merely stood back, an amused smirk on his face. Hinata smiled at the two, before she remembered about something.

"My Lillipup! K-kiba-kun, Shino-kun, I c-caught a Lillipup!" Hinata exclaimed, picking up her bag and grabbing the Lillipup's ball. Kiba and Shino both smiled encouragingly, and congratulated her.

"Is it male or female? What're you gonna name it, Hinata-chan?" Kiba asked excitedly, and Hinata let the Lillipup out of the Pokeball.

"Sh-she's a she. And h-her name will b-be Mimi." Hinata declared proudly, as the Lillipup looked up at her and yipped hello.

And then Kiba had an idea.

"The first match will be between Kiba Inuzuka and Hinata Hyuuga. The winner will face Shino Aburame." Kisame announced to the people of the park. The people watching cheered enthusiastically. "The matches will consist of two-on-two Pokemon battles, and the winner's Pokemon will be healed to face Shino."

Hinata looked at Kiba from across the field, determination in her eyes. She wouldn't lose this, no matter what! Kiba grinned with anticipation, Akamaru and Koi both making yipping noises. Pepper threw up dirt, pretending that he was a Bouffalant while Mimi made gaga eyes at Akamaru.

This match would be interesting.

"Begin!"

"Pepper, use Ember on Akamaru! Mimi, Tackle Koi!" Hinata called out as soon as the match had begun.

"Koi, dodge and use Water Gun on Pepper! Akamaru, use Bite!"

Pepper suddenly had to dodge two on-coming attacks, Koi using Water Gun for a type-advantage, and Akamaru merely trying to inflict damage. Mimi, however, came from behind and Tackled Koi with all her strength. Koi flew back, and quickly regained her balance, though grimacing from the attack.

Pepper took this chance to use Ember on Akamaru, and made a direct hit since Akamaru had been charging towards Pepper.

"Good job! Now use Tackle, Pepper! Mimi, keep on Koi!" Hinata ordered, grinning and feeling full of confidence.

"Koi, take out Mimi with a Water Gun, then refocus on Pepper! Akamaru, take out Pepper!" Kiba shouted, a frustrated look on his face.

Mimi slammed into Koi with another Tackle, who shot a Water Gun at her as she flew back. Since Akamaru was still recovering from the Ember attack, Pepper easily took out Akamaru with a finishing Tackle. Mimi and Akamaru both fainted.

Now it was just Pepper and Koi.

"Water Gun!" Kiba ordered quickly, seeing his chance. Koi inhaled and aimed at Pepper.

"Dodge it, and use Tackle!" Hinata ordered, biting her lip. Pepper just barely managed to dodge, and sped towards Koi, Tackling her with all his strength.

Koi fell backwards, swirls in her eyes.

"Hinata Hyuuga is the winner of round one!" Kisame announced, raising his hand into the air as the crowd cheered.

Hinata couldn't believe she won. She stood there shocked, and then the butterflies in her stomach bubbled up excitedly, before she ran over to Kiba and hugged him. Kiba grinned, proud of his friend and his Pokemon, and twirled Hinata around as she hugged him.

Kisame grinned at the scene, remembering the elation of winning his first Pokemon battle for a few seconds, before calling Shino up. A local Audino healed both Kiba and Hinata's Pokemon, and Kiba went to go sit on the sidelines. He carried Akamaru and Koi with him as he went, and Hinata could hear him say how proud he was of them for doing so well in their first official match.

Hinata wanted this feeling to never end.

Hinata and Shino took their places, and Shino called out Ivy and Yune to his side.

"The match between Shino Aburame and Hinata Hyuuga will begin...Now!"

"Yune, use Bug Bite on Mimi! Ivy, Vine Whip!" Shino quickly ordered, and Yune quickly ran towards Mimi, while Ivy attempted to hold her down.

"Mimi, dodge them and Tackle Yune! Pepper, burn those vines with an Ember!" Hinata called, remembering Pepper's type advantage against both Pokemon.

Mimi managed to avoid the vines, but she didn't escape Yune's Bug Bite, and was forced to fling the sewing Pokemon off of her. Pepper easily burnt Ivy's exposed vines, causing the Snivy to hiss in pain, before charging towards Pepper in a Tackle.

Pepper dodged to the side, but didn't manage to completely miss Ivy's tackle.

"Mimi, Tackle Ivy! Pepper, focus on Yune! Ember!" Hinata called out, seconds before Yune attempted to Tackle Mimi.

"Yune, keep on Mimi! Ivy, don't let Pepper take out Yune!" Shino was too slow, and Pepper's fire was already hurtling towards Yune by the time he finished speaking. Yune fainted, while Ivy picked up Pepper and threw him with his vines.

"Tackle and Ember Ivy!" Hinata ordered out the finishing blow. Ivy didn't stand a chance, as Mimi Tackled the Pokemon straight into the fire.

"Shino has been defeated!" Kisame exclaimed. "The matches are now over!"

It was the middle of the afternoon when the Kiba and Shino departed, deciding to travel to the next city together. Reluctantly, Hinata hugged her two best friends, and told them to meet up with her in Striation City.

"We'll try our best, Hinata-chan!"

"Good luck. Please be careful of your health, Hinata-chan."

Hinata returned to the Pokemon Center to plan her next move. Her heart was heavy as she remembered that they had all agreed to travel by themselves. She had hoped that they would have forgotten, and that they would have all traveled together, at least for the first few cities. Now, she was somewhat depressed at being left behind. She could only hope they would travel with her later if she managed to keep up. That is, if they even wanted to travel with her in the first place...

As she walked into the Pokemon Center, her head full of gloom, she couldn't help but notice Kisame standing by the door. He stood there, his arms crossed and with a cocky grin on his face. He looked a lot less intimidating now than he had before, though she couldn't place why.

"Want a traveling buddy, Hinata-san?" He asked bluntly, and Hinata smiled softly. She was surprised, nervous, and worried, but she appreciated the offer. It made the journey to Striation City seem a lot less lonely, now that she knew someone would travel with her. At least someone wanted her, even if the person in question was a scary shark-man...

"O-okay, Kisame-san. Th-thank you." Hinata said, nodding as she smiled up a him. Kisame's grin widened, and he started up more of a conversation. Hinata's gloomy mood lifted all the while.

I liked the first ending I had better, but this one makes more sense and flows better. Hinata will hopefully become more and more use to Kisame's presence as it goes on. C: Still trying to figure out how exactly to get Kisame's character. He's suppose to be intimidating and sadistic, yet still polite. Since I haven't got him into a battle yet, I'm not sure how to work in the blood-thirsty/sadistic/battle-loving part of his personality.

Leave a review, please. Any suggestions and ideas on how Kisame should act will be much loved.