Minimum Pokémon
A Story by King
Chapter I – The Minimum Festival
"Come on Sasuke-kun, I want to try out some of the games!"
Dragging her long-time-crush-turned-recent-boyfriend through the partying streets of Goldenrod City was Haruno Sakura, her fair, cherry-blossom pink hair framing her face beautifully. In fact, beauty seemed to define young Sakura perfectly, from her black kimono with pink cherry blossoms patterned all over the right side, to the way her green eyes sparkled in the vibrant lights of late-night Goldenrod.
Although normally adverse to being led through crowds by his hand, the youngest son of the Johto Elite Uchiha Fugaku, and little brother of the legendary Red Dawn member; Uchiha Itachi, Uchiha Sasuke had a genuine smile on his lips.
He was dressed in the regal blue-and-black kimono of the Uchiha Clan, befitting only members of the main family. The famed Uchiha clan crest, a red and white fan greatly resembling a pokeball, was displayed on the back of his half-length ceremonial cape.
The young couple finally came to a stop at a small booth, where Sakura begged Sasuke to win her something at the game-stall.
Looking around silently to make sure none of the passersby were looking, Sasuke's eyes momentarily flashed red as he picked up one of the blunted throwing knives on the wooden counter.
His hands moved so quickly they became a blur, and the owner of the stand had to stare in shock at the five knives that had seemingly teleported into the bulls-eyes of the five targets on the wall behind him.
Sakura cheered as she hugged Sasuke from behind her cheek brushing against his own. He couldn't help the dusting of pink that flared across the bridge of his nose, nor the grin that pulled up at the edges of his lips like a marionettes strings.
The couple continued to enjoy themselves as they participated in the festivities of the Graduate's Festival that Goldenrod was hosting this year. In what seemed like no time at all, Sasuke noticed that the people in the crowds around him were beginning to gravitate towards the center of town; specifically beneath the Goldenrod Shopping Center.
"Sasuke-kun, I think the ceremony is starting." Sakura's slightly tired voice came from his side. She had an arm looped through his and was leaning her head against his shoulders as they strolled leisurely through the shifting crowd. "We should probably get going."
Sasuke gave a simple hum of agreement.
The ceremony was long and boring. They were called up onto a stage set at the base of the Center, in alphabetical order by their last names (which was torture for any Uchiha), and were given their trainer's license. They would move off to the side, wait until they were in a group of fifteen people, and then were led into the Shopping Center.
Sasuke had watched Sakura leave his side well over an hour ago, and by now the situation had given a whole new meaning to the word 'bored'.
"Our next graduate is a little special. I'd like a warm round of applause for this year's Top Graduate, Uchiha Sasuke!" the announcer's voice boomed over the city, and through the television sets tuned into this moment all over the world.
With a slight sigh, Sasuke stood up from his position, ever the look of royalty in his robes, and strode across the stage as if he owned the place. He may let his guard down when Sakura was around, but that was for Sakura and Sakura alone... and sometimes his Kaa-san, but she didn't count. Not even his brother, or his father had ever seen his softer side.
So, with his face set in a confident, cocky smirk befitting a child of the Uchiha clan's Main Family, Sasuke received his license, gave only the slightest of nods, and walked out.
The last group had just left, and so Sasuke had to wait for another few minutes so that the next group could be formed, and then brought into the Shopping Center for... whatever they were bringing them in for.
He tuned out the announcer and kept his 'I'm too important to listen to these names' look on as his thoughts turned back to Sakura, and how they would become strong together, strong enough to join the Red Dawn, and strong enough to defeat his father in battle.
Sasuke had barely noticed when the fifteenth person joined their group, and they were led through the front doors of the Goldenrod Shopping center. The second the doors closed the room was plunged in darkness, and Sasuke heard some frightened gasps and squeaks from the group.
'Tch,' he thought, 'They're all cowards,'
A walkway was lit up before them, and the pretty young woman leading their group walked up to a mechanical door on the other side.
They followed her, and without a word she opened the doors and ushered the group inside what seemed to be an elevator. The woman did not follow them in.
The elevator jolted and began moving, Sasuke watching the small lights indicating that they were moving upwards.
He seemed unaffected by the awkward silence, doubly emphasized by the cheesy jazz music playing quietly in the background.
Finally the elevator stopped, and the doors opened to reveal that the top floor of the center had been modified into a sort of waiting room. There were graduates all over the room, some chatting and some sitting quietly, but all were still in their groups of fifteen.
"Group Nineteen," a voice called from their right, and Sasuke turned to see another pretty woman, almost identical to the one who had led them into the Center, waving them over, "Group Nineteen, over here please!"
They ambled over, Sasuke ignoring the stares that many of the people (most of them girls) were giving him. They stopped in front of the woman who had a kind smile on her face. She looked down at a clip board, and then turned to speak to a man standing behind a machine.
Sasuke recognized it as a pokeball transfer device, the kind that they used in Pokémon Centers.
"Uchiha Sasuke." She called, oddly enough still speaking to the man operating the machine. He nodded, punched in a few words on a keypad, and then waved Sasuke over.
The raven-haired teen approached stiffly, and the man gave a small chortle. He didn't speak, only pointing to the small semi-spherical indent in the machine.
Though the group of teens watched in jaw-dropped awe, the only indication Sasuke gave that he was surprised was the slight raise of a single eyebrow.
A white light glowed around the indent in the machine, and not seconds later a simple, red-and-white Pokeball was nestled perfectly in the transfer machine. Sasuke took another step forward, picked up the Pokeball, and slid his hand back into his long kimono sleeves.
The pretty woman directed him to a changing room where he'd find a cubby with his travel bag in it, so that he could change out of the formal kimono and into his daily wear. Sasuke thanked her with a nod, and left for the changing room without a single glance back.
Sasuke stepped out of the room an almost completely different person. Instead of his regal kimono, he now wore a simple, long-sleeved black shirt and a pair of black cargo pants with many pockets. He had on dark blue converse with white soles, had a wallet chain hanging around his hip, and custom-made wireless head phones with the Uchiha crest on the back of each pad hanging around his neck.
He had spiked up his hair a little more, making it closely resemble the hairstyle that his great-grandfather, Madara Uchiha, used to have. His coal black eyes scanned the room, searching for a head of soft pink hair that, for the life of him, he couldn't seem to find.
His scan was cut short when the room went black, illuminating a projector screen that took up the entire wall opposite that of the elevator doors.
"Hello graduates of IMA, this is your principal speaking," the voice of Mifune, principal of the IMA for the last thirty-three years, drowned out all other sounds in the room, "there is one final requirement for you to pass this year. Think of it as your... final exam."
Hushed whispers echoed throughout the room. Nobody had told them that something like this was going to happen.
"In your packs, you will find a small circular tag, with a number on it. The number on the tag is the number of you trainer ID. The exam will begin when this recording ends, and the clock strikes midnight. When the exam starts, the lock on your partner's Pokeball will be released."
Huh, Sasuke hadn't even noticed that there was a seal-lock on Amaterasu's Pokeball.
"When the clock strikes midnight, you and your partner will have twenty-four hours to present either the Northern, or Southern gate guards of Goldenrod with five points. Your tag is worth three points to you; any other tag is worth one point. I will repeat, to make this clear for everyone. You need five points to pass. You tag is worth three points, but only to you. To pass, you must either present the guards with your tag, and the tags of two others, or present the guards with five tags." Explained the principal. Sasuke was almost vibrating with excitement... but first, he'd have to find Sakura. He didn't want them accidentally leaving from opposite sides of the city, Sasuke wasn't known for his patience and it would take too long to find each other again afterwards.
The murmurs in the crowd had gotten louder, and people were already beginning to prepare their Pokeballs for release.
Sasuke activated his Minimum, and his eyes shone red in the dark. The two tomoe spun rapidly as he scanned the faces of the people around him.
Where was sh- ah! There!
Sasuke had spotted Sakura's short pink hair in the corner of the room, her eyes closed and her head nodding slightly. He could tell she was psyching herself up for the coming fights, as her headphones with glowing-pink flower-petal designs were covering her ears.
She was wearing her red-rimmed reading glasses, and a white shirt with sleeves that hid her palms from view. The only designs on the shirt were two teal bands at the end of the sleeves. Around her neck was the red scarf with a black checkered outline design that Sasuke had given to her for her last birthday. Like him, she wore a pair of cargo pants, but instead of being black like his, hers were a crimson-red color.
Silently making his way to her in the dark, Sasuke listened to the last words of their school principal.
"Remember that I am proud of all of you, and as long as you fight for what you believe in, you will become strong. Now, let the Graduation Exams begin!" the room exploded in an uproar as some people began fighting with each other, others leaping out of the floor-to-ceiling windows that lined the sides of the room.
While Mifune-sensei had been talking, Sasuke had snuck up behind Sakura and wrapped his arms around her waist, leaning his chin on her shoulder.
To her credit, she didn't even flinch, already knowing that the only one who had the gall to do that was Sasuke.
Well, maybe Naruto had the gall to do it as well, but he wouldn't risk Sakura's wrath even if it meant he'd get a year's supply of free ramen.
Nor would he risk Sasuke's wrath, for that matter.
Ignoring the battles happening all around them, Sasuke whispered into his fiancées ear.
"You ready for this?" She shivered as his breath brushed across her cheek, but her face was split by a massive (and slightly terrifying on the otherwise adorable girl) grin.
"Hell yeah," she replied, fire in her tone and in her eyes.
"Shannaro!"
The poor bastards still left in the building never stood a chance.
Author's Note: Heya! Thanks to everyone whose read and reviewed, it's great that the terribly obscene amount of the two of you showed your like for my story!
lol
Anyway, what do you think of the first chapter? Not what you expected is it? Naruto will be introduced in the next chapter, and boy are you guys gonna be surprised! Oh, and sorry about the NarutoxDelphox pairing, that was an accident. Delphox was not supposed to be there. At all.
Well, whatever. See you guys later!
King