Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Pokémon.
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Last time on The Rise of Chaos: With Ash, Misty, and Brock out leading their armies to their respective destinations, Naruto stays behind to secure Kanto and manage the foundations of the army.
During one of his recruitment sessions, Naruto is approached by a very familiar trio. Having been recently fired from Team Rocket, Jessie, James, and Meowth offer Naruto two things to secure their admission into his army.
The first was a motto.
The second was a bulky cannon capable of firing a Rasengan.
()
Looking out over the rolling ocean waves, Misty sighed in either contentment or slight depression. She couldn't seem to decide.
On one hand, she felt completely in her element patrolling the Johto region's sizable coast. The ocean was never outside of her view, her pokémon always had a great place to train, the days were sunny, the nights were warm, and the beach looked like it was made out of tiny grains of gold.
The ocean was always either: full of tiny ripples, full mild lumps, or engaged in a gentle rolling motion where the waves were just strong enough to produce that tranquil lapping sound Misty absolutely adored.
Because of her rank and close relationship with Naruto, Misty was also assigned to stay in some of the finest suites she had ever laid eyes upon.
Her days were filled with self-issued training sessions with her pokémon and often times her soldiers as well. Naruto's clone had already 'occupied' three-fourths of the Johto region and there wasn't a single sign of CHAOS presence in t region.
Her only orders were to report to Naruto once she saw any sign of enemy presence within the region. But, with the horizon filled only by the sunrise or blue skies, she became her own master.
With everything supplied by the army and with orders that weren't expected to be carried out in the near future, Misty and her soldiers had all the time in the world to do what they wanted.
But, there was one thing missing… or five things depending on the way you look at it.
They've been separated for about fifty days at this point.
Sure they talked over the Pokégear sometimes, but those times were few and often business related. Seeing as neither Ash nor Brock had reached their respective destinations and Naruto seemed to be the only one truly busy, the thought that the two were purposely avoiding her had crossed her mind multiple times.
But, each time it had come up she had brutally crushed it. It only took the thought of Naruto idly chatting on the phone as he lead them to the battle in Vermillion City for her too realize just how foolish the thought was.
But, even so, that feeling of loneliness remained. She still had all her pokémon, her apprentice, and the companionship and respect of an entire army but without them the void remained unfilled.
()
"And… we've arrived."
Appearing in crowded town center with a massive army behind him, some of Ash's shinobi were forced to take to the tops of nearby buildings when the area became too crowded.
Looking around him with an overwhelming sense of pride as every citizen within sight of the square stared on in awe.
"You know what to do." Ash said, while the Naruto clone split into three.
A powerful gust of wind washed over the town as Michiko and his other brigadier general made their exit. One was heading northeast towards Wintown while the other went south towards Summerland.
Meanwhile, him, Denkou, Katsuo, and about 10,000 other soldiers remained in Ring Town.
"Make sure we're alone." Ash mumbled to his apprentice.
"You got it."
And, just like that, he and Denkou were alone in the town square. An audience of thousands looked on in wonder as the two bowed before simply walking away.
Some began to cheer, some began to clap, some smiled, some sighed, and others simply nodded in relief, but the sense of safety was shared by all.
A couple of the younger more outgoing men and women in the crowd even went as far as to chase after the two after they had departed. Hoping for a chance to talk to the join the army, thank Ash for providing the protection, or to simply shake his hand; each had their own motives for following Ash.
But, those motives were soon forgotten by all once they turned the corner to find their target nowhere in sight.
()
"We've been here for less than a minute and already thousands are cheering for us." Ash said, while he, Pikachu, and Naruto's clone bounded across a couple buildings.
Again Ash was reminded of his dream to be a Pokémon Master.
"I could defiantly get use to this."
"We got a similar reception in Johto as well." The clone informed. "Not many people openly opposed out supposed 'occupation' of the region and quite a few people openly welcomed it."
"There can't be that much of a resemblance though." Ash said. "After all, these people know there in immediate danger from the CHAOS forces whereas the Johto population is practically untouchable as far as we know. So, you would think that they would see our presence in the region as needless."
"That may be true, but any sort of protection seems to be welcomed by a great majority of the civilians. Almost everyone in the world has seen the footage from Vermillion at least once; it's not hard to see just how helpless the people were before we intervened. And, there's also the fact that they just appeared right the middle of the Kanto region without warning."
With a baffled expression overtaking his facial features, Ash turned his head just enough to achieve a sideways glance at the clone.
"But there was warning wasn't there? I mean we did basically summon the army ourselves by injuring their scout."
"You're right, but that was only a warning for us. No one else knew that any amount of soldiers would be marching into Vermillion that evening, to them that was an unprovoked attack. And, essentially it was."
"I still don't think that has the same effect as having a massive army within miles of the city that has just succeeded in claiming the Almia region in a matter of months."
"And you're probably right, I imagine such a thing has a stronger effect. But, while the inhabitants of the Johto region likely react due to hatred towards CHAOS rather than fear of them the end result is very similar."
"Well it all works out well for us." Ash said, seeming to lose interest in the conversation as soon as they landed.
Quickly realizing their appearance, the glass doors slid to the side allowing them clear entrance into the imposing structure.
"This city is certainly well-off." Ash said idly, giving the building a low whistle of appreciation.
"Most all of their income comes from the immense amount tourists that vacation here throughout the year." Naruto commented as he studied the building's architecture. Running a hand along one of the large Corinthian style pillars lining the hallway just past the entrance, a couple ideas flashed through his mind before he continued. "Due to their lack of seasonal changes Wintown and Summerland also receive a substantial amount of tourist traffic as well."
"Makes sense." Ash said, silently questioning the purpose of such a high ceiling.
"I'm surprised you didn't know this already." Naruto said, motioning for him to proceed forward.
"And why's that?" Ash asked, systematically falling in step alongside Naruto.
"Many major figures in the pokémon training community have purchased massive estates within one if not all of the three cities for vacationing purposes."
"I never did study the habits or lives of any pokémon trainers." Ash said, while absentmindedly stroking Denkou's head. "I simply knew that they were the best and that I would someday be better."
"Well you might want to start studying them soon if you want to have much of a chance of beating them." Naruto said, bringing their conversation to a close before they finished approaching the main desk.
"Excuse me." Naruto said, causing the secretary to jump a bit before drawing her attention away from whatever she was looking at under her desk.
'In such a expensive looking place you would expect the employees to be a bit more professional.' Ash thought idly as he prepared sit through another session of politics with Naruto.
"Y-yes?"
"I was wondering if it would be possible to hold a meeting with the mayor."
"My apologize sir, but he's busy right now." The woman said, shuffling her legs a bit before shifting her gaze downward.
"Would I be able to make an appointment?" Naruto asked, unfazed by the complication.
"Sorry sir, but his booked for quite a while. Maybe if you come back in a week or so a slot will have opened up." Returning her gaze, to Naruto her eyes jolted to the left a bit towards Ash as though she had just realized his existence. "Now if you don't mind I'm quite busy."
"Well I apologize for our interruption," Naruto said, seemingly off put by the woman's sudden hostility. Who could blame him? "We shall take our leave."
"Yeah I apologize." Ash mumbled, harshly as Denkou sneered at the woman for him, his own being hidden behind his facemask. "After all dealing with such matters is only your job, who could expect you to take time out of your…"
"Satoshi."
"Fine."
Spinning on his heel just fast enough to cause a slight wind current, Ash choked back a chuckle when the secretary gasped. The sound of fluttering papers filled the spacious room as a number loose documents lifted off their piles, skillfully avoiding the woman's painfully inaccurate grabs before scattering across the marble floor surrounding her.
Naruto disapproved.
"Well that went well." Ash said.
And in a way it had, for him at least. Now he didn't have to listen to the boring dialogue that was bound to have occurred between Naruto and the mayor about purchasing plots of land for training, recruitment, and such.
But, then again it sort of felt like a shallow victory. After all it meant that a valuable source of recruits and resources had been swiped out of their grasp.
"Damn she was a bitch."
Glancing to his right, Ash attempted to read his human companion…. he failed quite readily.
"I'm sorry." Ash sighed feeling the rising tension. "I know I shouldn't have done that in uniform, but that bitch was-"
"Satoshi."
Pausing at the sound of Naruto's voice, Ash attempted to take note of their surroundings, they had left the building that was for sure.
"Satoshi."
That voice wasn't as calm as he seemed to remember.
"Yes?" Ash asked tentatively, glancing at Naruto's piercing gaze with more than a bit of worry.
"Contact Katsuo, while I try to get a hold of your brigadiers." Naruto said, his Pokégear at his ear in an instant. "Now."
'This can't be good.'
Ash fumbled his Pokégear clumsily as he began to analyze the reasons behind Naruto's order.
Flying through his contacts to Katsuo's, he heard Naruto speak once more.
"They have already occupied the city."
Snapping his gaze back towards his friend's clone, he realized Naruto's phone was still ringing, he was defiantly talking to him.
Apparently being mysterious isn't to high up on the war agenda.
"I sensed multiple aura signatures within the mayor's office as well as hidden along the ground floor." Naruto said. "They knew we were there as soon as we entered."
Ash was just about to comment on the situation before his the ringing from his phone suddenly ceased, being replaced by the voice of a not-so-calm Katsuo.
"Satoshi, you're not going to like this."
Ash bit back a curse.
"Report!"
"Two divisions have been spotted outside the city, one to the east and one in the to the north."
Glancing towards Naruto, Ash felt a bit overwhelmed when he only saw his back as he listed off orders over a three-way Pokégear conversation.
"They're closing in fast." Katsuo said, his breathing becoming a bit more labored as adrenaline began to flood through his veins. "My men and I are positioned just outside of the east gate, what do you want us to do?"
'Should they attack?'
Ash's vision began to blur.
'What other options are there besides that?'
His breathing picked up.
'Defend, but what would they be defending?'
He ran a hand through his hair.
'The city or the civilians?'
He began to tap his foot.
'How would they defend either of them?'
'By attacking?'
"I don't know." His voice came out so softly; Katsuo didn't even seem to have heard him.
Feeling a soft sensation against his cheek, Ash turned to face his yellow partner. The little pokémon gave him a thumbs up.
Ash gave his buddy a weary smile before a hand gripped his shoulder. Turning to his right, Ash glanced at Naruto receiving a firm nod before his shoulder was released and Naruto once again began to order around his troops.
"Satoshi?"
'Well the man needs an answer.' Ash thought, a grin stretching across his face as he did what he did best.
He winged it.
"Protect the civilians, make sure those filthy bastards don't take one step into this city!" Ash roared, his instincts taking over as he once again flew through his contacts.
"Yes sir! Alright, let's show them just who the hell they're messing with!" Katsuo cried eagerly, the line erupting with a roar of approval. "You know the drill, release your pokémon and two seal levels save the rest for when you need an extra leg to shove up their ass."
"Stick with your squad mates and cover their backs. The moment one of your squad mates is injured is the moment you extract violent retribution from the attacker's unwilling colon."
"This is the first real engagement in the war. This will go down in history not as a battle," A small 'click' sounded over the line, as Katsuo snatched a kunai out of the air before it could even touch his trench coat. "But as the moment the shit themselves in fear!"
The line was flooded with a roar of approval before it was swiftly cut.
Ash's face broke into a wide grin after listening to their reaction.
He listened to his Pokégear ring once before it was swiftly answered.
"Glad you could make it Satoshi." Naruto said over the Pokégear.
"Katsuo has engaged the division to the east." Ash reported.
"Understood." Naruto said. "That should give us a bit of breathing room."
"Michiko's unit is reported to have been ambushed by the division in the north. Shall I assist?" Ash's second brigadier general said, his gruff voice crackling with a bit of static.
"No I want you to go about evacuating the civilians." Naruto's clone said. "Satoshi, I want you to head to assist Michiko, while I report to my original."
"Yes sir!"
Hanging up his Pokégear, Ash looked over to the clone.
"I hadn't expected your leadership to have been so severely tested this early." Naruto said as he gave a nod of approval. "You've done well so far, don't stop now."
"I'm much too pumped to stop doing anything right now."
"I'll take that as a blessing." Naruto said, an unseen smirk forming behind his mask. "You all have trained nonstop for the past year for this moment. Make them regret it."
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'I hadn't expected this to happen so soon.'
Narrowly avoiding a slash aimed towards her midsection, Michiko responded by propelling a kunai into her attacker's throat. She ducked under a bladed thrust towards her head before one of her squadmates delivered a quick jab to the attacker's elbow, essentially breaking the man's arm in half and causing him to loss hold of his kunai.
Sweeping the man's leg's out from under him, Michiko snatched the kunai from the air before stabbing it into the center of the falling man's chest.
'I should have known not to let my guard down.'
Swiftly withdrawing the kunai, Michiko rose from her crouch in one fluid motion before launching the bloodied blade straight into the shoulder of an airborne attacker. Gasping in pain before moving to remove the extra addition, the man was momentarily astonished to find one of her squadmate's hands enter his vision before he saw no more.
Michiko took a brief examination of the battlefield before throwing a kunai straight in-between the shoulder blades of an attacker that had been attempting to close in one of her teammates.
'They're hardly organized.' Michiko thought, dropping out of her partial depression as she watched the enemies get torn apart one by one as they repeatedly got out numbered and outnumbered in their individual battles.
Michiko slid to the left before impaling the pathetic girl in the back before pausing.
'More?'
A scream of agony rang through the battlefield, breaking her from her thoughts, as the battlefield was flooded with silence.
"Take what weapons you can from the fallen while you can." She ordered, cutting short any thoughts of celebration. "Our job is far from over."
Five seconds passed before the tools were gathered. An additional thirty seconds was devoted to the reformation of her brigade as they watched a dust cloud form on the horizon.
"This group is stronger." Michiko muttered
"Looks like another division." Ash said, him and his pokémon taking position at the head of the brigade. "If they're twice as good as the guys you just fought they'll still get their asses whooped."
"You really think so?"
"I know so." Ash said, flashing her an unseen grin. "The only problem is that I know they can do better."
"You mean they're toying with us." Michiko stated, having come to a similar conclusion after the five-minute massacre.
"Yep. I'd rather not complain though, after all it gives us time to regain our bearings and evacuate the civilians." Ash said, while a dangerous glint shot through his eyes. "And it'll allow me to release some of my pent up energy."
Michiko sighed at that, deciding to give him a moment to himself.
'That makes no sense though, why would they throw untrained units into the fight and waste their one chance for an ambush?'
Shoved aside by the following combat, this question would not be revisited for quite sometime.
()
"Sir." Both divisions of Section 10 Alpha have been dispatched; the Section 9s have now engaged the enemy.
"Good, I have been disappointed if it had taken any longer." Hisashi said from his new leather office chair. "Send word to withdraw all units from Sections 10 through 8 from the Fiore region."
"Through 8, sir?"
"You can't feel it." Hisashi asked, his face twisted in a malevolent grin. "Both divisions of section nine have now been rendered KIA. It seems they are useless even in the act of stalling and I have the distinct feeling Section 8 will not fair much better."
"As you command sir."
"The first units from Section 7 have moved in." Hisashi stated, swiveling his charge away from his messenger and towards one of his generals.
"Yes sir. They have each begun their engagement now. One division of Alpha in the north and two to in the east."
"Yes, yes. Position two brigades of Section 6 Delta to flank their forces to the east and send additional Section 6 Omega and Zeta brigades in the north." Hisashi paused a moment. "And also, send a division of Section 6 Gamma to the east. I want to see just how much it will take to make them crack."
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Sliding to the right of a charging Vulpix, Denkou's tail shot into motion, swiping the pokémon's feet out from under her before it circled downwards landing a devastating Iron Tail straight in the middle of her back.
Denkou smirked at his handiwork before ducking under an Elekid's jab. Extending his Iron Tail to essentially jab him in the stomach, the Elekid doubled over in pain before being slapped across the face by the Pikachu's tail.
He was propelled into a double barrel roll by the strike, coming into contact with the ground for one low bounce before he rolled to a halt.
"Come on now." Denkou sighed, using his tail to deflect an oncoming Thundershock before slapping away a Nidoran mid-charge. "I'm going to start to feel bad if this keeps up."
Stepping out of the way of an unconscious Oddish before it slammed against one of the many oak trees lining the dirt path they were currently fighting on, Denkou sighed once more.
"And what about this massacre could possibly make you feel bad?" Bulbasaur asked tilting his head to the side innocently before striking a Staryu square in the gem mid-Rapid Spin with one of his vines. "Could it be the fact that these pokémon are the near equivalent of infants that were told to battle against full grown ass men?"
Butterfree glared at him, seizing a helpless Magby in a bone crushing psychic grip before throwing it into the back of an unsuspecting Oddish and causing them both to punch an hole through the trunk of a tree.
"Right, and grown ass ladies too." Bulbasaur added, questioning the morality of her choice in targets. "But, either way, the fact that were all grown ass is my real point here."
"I know what you mean." Denkou said as he crossed his arms before his tail slammed into the side of an incoming Magnemite. "I have yet to fire off a single volt of electricity, I can feel my self getting more anxious by the second. If I don't do anything overly destructive soon, bad things are going to happen."
"And of course nobody wants that." Squirtle drawled, while dragging an unconscious Clefairy behind him.
He casually dumped his cargo in the middle of their triangle, drawing both of their eyes downward.
"What is this?" Denkou asked.
"This," Squirtle said, tapping said pokémon with his foot. "Is the first evolved form I have seen on the battlefield yet. I figured that was reason enough for celebration."
"It's a start at least." Bulbasaur said, one of his vines deterring a Krabby in a violent manner. "But, the fact that we can hold a casual conversation in the middle of the battlefield still means there no were close to being a challenge."
"I'm trying to be optimistic here damn it." Squirtle said, while stomping one of his stubby legs into the ground. "I've only had to release one seal level and even that was for an overkill move on some cocky Voltorb."
Squirtle stomped his foot one more time. "I want a challenge damn it!"
"Ask…"
"And you shall receive."
Flinching at the new presence, Squirtle moved to block the incoming strike before a yellow blur flooded his vision.
"Well aren't you the badest bitch on the block." Denkou smirked, holding back the Luxio with his less then lengthy arms. "You make me use my hands."
The Luxio smirked.
Quickly releasing his hold on his mane, Denkou took a step backwards just in time to dodge a Grovyle's Leaf Blade. Denkou used his momentum to throw himself into a backflip, striking the Grovyle in the face with his tail while also jumping above the slash of a Linoone.
Channeling electricity into his tail, Denkou's backflip soon turned into a ball of electricity just in time for him to collide with the slash of a Sneasel. With nothing to use as leverage, Denkou was launched though the air a couple meters before he unrolled himself.
Digging his feet and one of his hands into the dirt to slow himself down, Denkou stole a quick glance at his surroundings.
Bulbasaur, Squirtle, and Butterfree were all in a similar position as him along with most every other ally on the battlefield. They were severely out numbered and it seemed like the skill level of their opponents had risen above that of a baby.
Denkou turned to face his attackers before straightening out his back, initiating a five second shake down.
"I give up." Denkou announced, throwing his hands up in defeat while lowering his head.
His four pokémon smirked, taking a collective step forward as a sign of their continued aggression. Their smirks grew when the Pikachu didn't move and the Sneasel even started to laugh after their second step.
"What the hell are you guys supposed to be?"
They stopped, the overwhelming feeling of power they had felt before having been ripped out of their sails in just one sentence.
"What?" The Luxio asked.
"I sure as hell haven't seen anything remotely like you guys in the Kanto region." Denkou said, lowering his hands to his sides. "You all must be foreign."
His face lighting up in mock realization, Denkou continued, "W e l c o m e! I am a Pi-ka-chu. You are inside a ba-ttle-fie-ld. Please exit right away you might be injured."
Ducking to the right of the Sneasel's stab, Denkou landed on all fours.
"Feisty." Denkou said, taking a quick sniff of her fur. "I know it was a kind gesture and all, but I'm not sure if you have the kind of attraction I want from my mate."
Dodging her second strike, Denkou jumped backwards to get a bit of distance between them.
"You told Squirtle you would give us a challenge." Denkou said, tilting his head to the side while remaining on all fours. "So where the hell is it?"
"Its about to be up your ass in a minute." The Linoone growled, making his appearance a couple inches in front of the Sneasel.
"Hey now." Denkou said, straightening his posture and putting his hands up in a patronizing manner. "Just because your girlfriend likes the goods doesn't mean you have to follow her lead."
Leaning backwards to avoid the following slash, Denkou felt an impact on his side. He felt a distinct stinging sensation before he found himself airborne. He twisted out of the way of a Charge Beam just in time for a Leaf Blade to find a home in his back.
His body bounced a few times against the dirt before he was able to regain his bearings.
"Okay." Denkou groaned, dragging his body up from the dirt. "So you don't completely suck."
Dropping onto all fours once more, before lowering his head in concentration, Denkou felt the squad shot into motion once more.
"Bold words for someone such as yourself." The Luxio breathed, the hot air tickling Denkou's ear. "Outnumbered in the face of superior opponents and you still manage to be somewhat condescending."
"Somewhat?" Denkou asked lowly, the fur on his chest beginning to glow a soft blue. "I never do anything halfway."
"Take him down." The Luxio growled, moving to take a bite of the Pikachu's neck.
A pulse of power pushed its way though the battlefield.
"Such a bold order." Denkou laughed, waving a finger at the Luxio as he and his squadmates started to gain control of their flight paths. "I said you didn't suck. You still blow, but you don't suck."
"And frankly,"
The Luxio turned, barely managing to hold off Denkou's tail with his own.
"I'm not sure if that is a good thing."
"And why is that?" Luxio growled through his teeth, his tail shivering violently under the weight of Denkou's. "Blowing isn't good enough for you?"
"Depends on the day." Denkou drawled, steadily increasing the pressure while relishing in the Luxio's desperate facial expression. "But you can never go wrong with a mixture of the two."
"Such a crude statement."
Disengaging from the power struggle, Denkou ducked to the left just in time to avoid the Grovyle's diagonal slash. He was forced to lift his tail to deflect the second Leaf blade before spinning around the Sneasel's attempted slash.
He flipped himself into the air before driving the startled Linoone into his own cozy little crater in the ground. Pushing off his body with his tai, Denkou launched himself backwards in a graceful arc to get some distance.
'Pikachu would be up my ass right about now.' Denkou cringed, taking advantage of his new distance cushion. 'I should have taken that Luxio out when I had the chance, they work too well together for me to get a chance like that again anytime soon.'
Stealing a quick glance to his right, Denkou's gaze returned to the partially huddled squad.
'I've got three options.' Denkou thought, idly noting the dissipation of his opponent's huddle. 'I can go head to head with the four of them as I am and get the challenge I wanted, I can release a couple more seals to give myself the advantage, or…'
Sidestepping the a vertical slash from the Grovyle before jumping on top of its horizontal counterpart, Denkou's body lit up with electricity.
'…Or I can do this my way.'
()
AN: Okay guys, this is usually the point in the story when I say hope you liked the chapter and reviews are appreciated, but this ending will be a bit different.
I have said many times that I appreciate your reviews, but I suppose I never really gave life to those words so I'll try my best now.
I know I am not a perfect writer, not everything I write can possibly be the best example of literature you have ever read, I'm quite aware of this. As such I realize there is always room for improvement, but there is only so much I can do when no one is telling me how they 'truly' feel about what I've written.
Don't get me wrong, if you don't have the time or simply don't feel like seriously critiquing my work comments like: "Good job." or "Can't wait for the next update." are still great to hear and they always give me great inspiration for jumping onto my computer to continue.
But, what I have been missing is criticism.
I feel no shame in telling you I was once the author of a terrible story. I was just starting out and I had no clue what the hell I was doing and naturally I got flamed. I'll admit I was extremely hurt when I got my first flame, but without that flame I wouldn't have gotten much better in my writing style.
Now I'm not asking for you all to flame me, but I would like to have a couple good-natured "Hey I like your story, but I don't like the way you 're handling…" or "I noticed you all ways seem to mess up with… Here is a better way to do it."
Anyways, that's all. I hope you liked the chapter and I hope to hear from you guys soon.