Naruto: Johto Journeys
Chapter 37: After the Fall
"Pokemon" Normal speech
'Pokemon' Normal thoughts
"Pokemon" Pokemon that can talk
"Pokemon" Flashbacks
"Pokemon" Pokedex speech
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto and I don't own Pokemon. I do however, own this laptop and this story and NONE OF YOU CAN HAVE IT!
With the conclusion of what has been now been dubbed as the ROOT War, the Pokemon League Association is doing its very best to help those who were affected by the war. From the mouth of the Champion himself, Izuna Uchiha, we have received information saying that this war was brought about by the leader of ROOT known as Nagato. His plan was to take over the Johto and Kanto regions by taking control of the Legendary Pokemon, Lugia and Ho-oh, and use them to summon Celebi, the Time Travel Pokemon from Johto lore. However, his plans were brought to an end by methods that Izuna-san is not willing to disclose, but he did say that Nagato was killed as a result.
The amount of casualties were counted and...the number was too high for it be disclosed to the public. Pokemon Centres are filled to the brim with both people and Pokemon were injured and bearing fatal wounds. Many areas of the large cities, such as Celadon, Saffron and Goldenrod, have taken the largest amount of damage in terms of their infrastructure loss. The Pokemon League Association and the councils of the aforementioned cities, as well as those of the smaller towns and cities in Kanto and Johto, have decided to take the opportunity to rebuild and make their homes stronger and better equipped to handle disasters such as these should they come about once more.
To those who are to mourn the dead, Lavender Town will be hosting a funeral service for all that perished in the war. The sixteen gym leaders, the Elite Four and the Champion himself will all be present for the service and to pay their respects to those that fell in battle and to those that did not deserve to have died so soon. To those who mourning, our hearts reach out to you. The crisis has been averted and though no words can be expressed to convey our feelings, we do mourn with you all. To all of you listening to this radio broadcast, this is my personal message to you all. We will persevere and we will survive. We are a strong region and we will rebuild and be stronger than ever.
On a side note, it is obvious that due to the state of affairs, the Pokemon League Silver Conference Victory Tournament will be postponed until the reconstructions and the funeral service at Lavender are complete. The Pokemon League Association declares that it may take months to complete these actions, a year for the most, so to those who aimed to spectate, please be patient, and to those on the competing side of the spectrum, be sure to you use your post-mourning time wisely to train yourselves and your Pokemon.
This is Rukia Kuchiki speaking from Goldenrod City Radio Tower.
It had been one month since the end of the war that would have destroyed Kanto and Johto. The ROOT members that had not been killed in action were all imprisoned, given life sentences in the prison cells located behind Mount Silver where they would live for the rest of their lives within the freezing cold atmosphere that surrounded the highest peak of the joint regions. There, they would either die from the cold, succumb to guilt and commit their own suicides or remain in their cells until they passed away from old age.
Izuna and the Elite Four made certain of that.
With the Pokemon League being postponed for an unprecedented amount of time, as it was said on the radio as well as television stations across both regions, all that had been present were sent back to their homes. The competitors all returned to their homes and decided to distract their minds from the traumatic incident by simply training or by blocking out the world. However, there were also those who affected negatively by the trauma. As a result of the fear brought about by Nagato's attack, many required extreme amounts of therapy. Some had even had temporary battles with insanity due to insomnia or having sudden night terrors.
It was as if Darkrai itself had decided to cast its Nightmare attack over the entire area.
One day after the battle in Illex Forest had met its end, Izuna had brought together the five who had taken part in the final battle with Minato and Kushina. The group had been taken to give their respective reports, but they wouldn't talk.
"The war is over. Just drop it." Was Akatsuchi's words. His spoke for all five of them as Naruto, Hinata, Sasuke and Sakura all nodded their heads to the nineteen year old Hiker as if to agree with his words. They were back to their respective homes. Akatsuchi was actually under the guardianship of Onoki, the gym leader of Pewter City, and so he returned there. Sakura went to Cherrygrove City to see her parents as they were worried sick since they learned of her part in the war. Sasuke to Blackthorn City with his mother, Hinata went with her father to Saffron City and Naruto, with both his parents at his side, returned to New Bark Town.
They say war brings about the darkness within people that not even the most pure hearted individual could keep bottled up. The traumas brought about by the victims of war are great, but the ones who actually stood on the battlefield...theirs are much...much greater.
Blackthorn City, Johto Region
Sasuke sat in the couch that was positioned in front of his mother's chair. Feraligatr was laying down on the ground beside its trainer's resting place. There was an awkward silence between the two Uchiha as they stared at each other. The Big Jaw Pokemon's deep breathing was the only sound in the large house.
"Sasuke, are you okay?" Mikoto asked, breaking the silence. Sasuke looked over himself. He had bandages covering his arms and legs, and had large piece of cotton taped to the side of his face.
"Well, I look okay." Sasuke replied. "Why?"
"Sasuke...I don't mean physically. You're a strong boy, just like Naruto-kun. Both of you are, but it's because of the fact that you're just a boy that I'm asking you this. No one, especially not children, should have experienced what you experienced."
"You mean with the killing? Truth be told, I didn't even notice that I was commanding my Pokemon to attack without restraint until it was all over, but it was necessary. We had to stop them from tearing apart the fabric of reality. They were going to kill everyone if we didn't put a stop to them. I mean, I literally jumped through time to try and stop this guy with Hyuga and the dobe." Sasuke released a dry laugh, but the laugh quickly died down. Sasuke looked down at the ground and took a large, shaky breath of air. His exhalation was even more so and he glanced up at his mother, biting his lip as he did so. The look of internal conflict shone brightly in his coal coloured eyes.
"It...It was...the right thing...to do...right?" Sasuke's voice had an unsure tone to it. Mikoto frowned at her son's words.
"It was war. Though it isn't right, the needs of the many outweighed personal preference and we were forced to attack with the intent to kill. War is an ugly thing, Sasuke. You, a young boy of only thirteen, should not have witnessed such a dark moment in the lives of both humans and Pokemon. None of us wanted to experience that after what Danzo had done thirty years ago. Now Sasuke, answer me truthfully...are you really okay?"
Sasuke blinked rapidly to hold back the tears as flashes of the images of dead Pokemon appeared in his mind's eye. Him calling out the orders for his Pokemon to deal the final blows that would result in no opponent getting back up, no opponent getting time to get to a Pokemon Centre to heal themselves, blood, bone...and by Arceus, the screams and cries of pain from both human and Pokemon that filled his ears. The volume was something his mind struggled to handle.
The young Uchiha looked down at the ground, his hand unconsciously reaching over to his partner Pokemon. The Water-type raised its head and allowed Sasuke to stroke its scale covered body. "Okaa-chan..." Sasuke raised his head and for the first time in five years, ever since he had lost Itachi, tears fell from the boy's eyes. "...I'm not okay."
Mikoto didn't make any sort of verbal reply, she just shot out of her chair and wrapped her son in her arms. With that action, Sasuke Uchiha broke down and cried.
Cherrygrove City, Johto Region
"A-And there was...so much blood everywhere!" Sakura bawled her eyes out as she sat with Meganium, hugging the saurian Pokemon.
Sakura's father, Kizashi Haruno, was a kind-faced man with blue eyes, and dull-pink hair which is styled into the shape of a cherry blossom. He also had sideburns which flow into his angular mustache and a bit of stubble on his chin. He wore a dark, loose-fitting kimono-shirt which had a green, inner-lining and sleeves which extended beyond his kimono shirt. This was held closed by a simple obi which he wears along with a burgundy coloured three-quarter length pants, and a pair of simple slippers. He also wore a simple silver necklace with a pink cherry blossom design on it with a single petal being deep red in colour.
Mebuki Haruno, Sakura's mother, was a fair-skinned woman with shoulder-length, blonde hair with a single bang which falls down into her face. She also had green eyes and wore a white qipao dress with three red circular designs at the bottom of the front of her dress as well as the back. Underneath the dress, she wore pink three quarter length pants along with brown sandals.
"It's...It's okay, honey." Mebuki spoke soothingly to her daughter.
"No!" Sakura's head snapped up, tears streaming from her eyes. "I...I killed people! I killed Pokemon!"
"To protect yourself and your friends!"
"I'm a murderer!"
"No! You're not!" Kizashi's deep voice echoed through the house. There was a period of silence as Sakura stared in shock at her angered father. "You told us of how you helped your friends fight ROOT when you went to the Pokemon League! You told us that you did what you did because you wanted to protect them! Your actions may have their consequences, but they were done for the greater good, Sakura." He gripped his daughter's shoulders and forced her to look into his eyes. She glanced away, but he tilted her body so that she would always be staring at him.
"Your mother and I...we...we aren't exactly proud to say our daughter took a life, but we are proud of how you stood for what you believed in and for protecting the people you cared about even if it meant you had to dirty your hands."
"Sakura..." Mebuki spoke this time. "...you aren't a murderer. You aren't a psychopath. You aren't anything that would change you from what you really are. You're just a teenager who is currently scared and feeling trauma of the incidents she's just lived through. Your hands are dirtied, yes...but your father and I will help shoulder the burden of your trauma. We'll help you settle your uneasy mind and we will always be your parents and we will not abandon you in this time where you really need us."
"We love you, Sakura." Mebuki and Kizashi hugged their daughter tightly. Sakura's eyes brimmed with tears once more before she held her parents tightly. Meganium walked up to its trainer and nuzzled the top of Sakura's head. All the while, Sakura continued to cry loudly, venting her emotions out to the people who loved her unconditionally.
Saffron City, Kanto Region
Hinata sat with her father at the kitchen table. Her young sister, Hanabi, had been sent to her room so that she wouldn't be present for the current conversation and their mother, Hiashi's wife, was working overtime at the Pokemon Centre since she was one of the other nurses that helped the Nurse Shizune of Saffron City. Hiashi sat with a cup of tea set before him. He reached over to it and calmly sipped the hot liquid, relishing in its taste.
However, Hinata merely stared into the pool with a blank look in her pale eyes.
"Otou-sama?"
Hiashi set down his cup, acknowledging his daughter's words with a nod.
"What...What is my fate?" Hinata asked. Hiashi raised an eyebrow in confusion at her words, setting his teacup down as he did so.
"What are you asking, Hinata?"
"Neji Nii-san always used to go on about how it was the fate of the Hyuga to always be one of the best types of Pokemon trainers, that it was his fate that he would end up becoming such a great trainer and join the Elite Four, that it was his fate to surpass Hizashi Oji-sama. You yourself claim that it was the fate of the Hyuga that you would be its patriarch. So...what is mine? What is fate?!" She ended up yelling out her last question.
She slid her chair back and slammed her hands down harshly on the table. Tears filled her eyes as she looked to her father with sorrow and anger. "Was it my fate to take part in that bloody war?! Was it my fate to bring the end of so many lives?! I'm thirteen, Otou-sama! I shouldn't have...I didn't even know what I was doing?! Was it my fate to be their harbinger of death?! Was it my fate to spill the blood of humans and Pokemon alike?! Was it Naruto-kun's fate as well?! Was it all our fates to take part in the war?! I DIDN'T ASK FOR THAT FATE! I DIDN'T WANT THAT FATE, OTOU-SAMA!"
The tears flowed freely this time, cascading down her cheeks and dotting the tiled floor.
"I always knew Pokemon weren't meant to be used as a means of bringing harm. I always knew that they weren't tools meant to kill, but...after coming to terms with the reality of the situation...I realized just how powerful and ferocious a Pokemon could be if they aren't restrained. I realized just how vicious a human could be when they decide to play life or death in a battle. I...I don't...I don't think I can look Espeon in the face again with that in mind." Hinata released a mixture of a sob and a laugh. "Go on...say it. I'm weak in mind and spirit. I'm your failure daughter, I'm your murderer, I'm the one who brought shame to the Hyuga name because of what I did."
Hinata would have said more, but she couldn't as she was shot out of her personal berating when Hiashi slammed his hands down on the table. His teacup was smashed to pieces as it fell from its spot on the table and onto the ground. Hiashi's harsh stare became a powerful glare as he rose up from his chair. He walked around the table and towards his daughter who continued to look at the ground. His tall frame cast a large shadow over her much smaller one. She shut her eyes, tears falling at a much greater pace and in a much greater volume.
"W-W-Well. W-What are y-you waiting f-f-for?! Say it!"
"You...are not my failure daughter." Hiashi spoke. Hinata's head shot up at her father's words, her pale eyes looking into his own.
"Wh-What?" She sniffled.
"You have lived through war, Hinata. You fought in it, you survived and you came back to your mother alive. You came back to Hanabi...you came back to me." Hiashi raised his hands and planted them firmly on his eldest child's shoulders. "You have endured something that, I admit, not even I could have been able to come back from with my sanity intact. Your mind and spirit are strong. You have brought great pride to the Hyuga clan, my daughter. You fought against Legendary Pokemon, even managing to tame one of them, and came back alive. As I said before, you are far from being my failure daughter." Hiashi then showed the pride he held in his eyes. "You are my pride and joy, Hinata."
"B-But...But I...I ki-"
"I killed people too, Hinata." Hinata stared at her father and her eyes widened as she saw finally took notice of the tired look in her father's eyes. It was the same look she saw in her own pale orbs when she managed to look at herself in the mirror. "I have just as much, if not more, blood on my hands. I know I rarely show this side of me, but I was raised by own father in this same manner. I became strong because of it and I thought..." Hiashi sighed. "...I thought if I did the same with you, you would turn out strong as well."
"Otou-sama...why are you...?"
"I realize I haven't been much of a father to you as I should have. I am the father you need, but not the one you deserve...and I would like to be the one you deserve. And I will start...by consoling by daughter who has seen the fires of war and will continue to console her until she has recovered."
Hinata's face bore a shocked expression before her lips began to quiver and her body trembled. She then shot forward and buried her face in her father's robes. Formal wear or not, those things were getting tear stained.
Hiashi just stood there and rubbed the top of his daughter's head.
New Bark Town, Johto Region
The clock on the wall ticked and tocked as the second hand made its revolutions around the clock's circumference. Kushina and Minato stood outside Naruto's bedroom door with worried expressions on their faces. Kushina looked to her husband and he looked down at her.
He had returned from the time portal with Raikou and the GS Ball, but he had also come back with the burned and blackened corpse of Nagato Uzumaki. Naruto had had the look in his eyes that seemed as if he had seen hell come to life. He stared into the abyss and the abyss had stared back. But Naruto blinked. His mother and father would try to get him to talk, sit down and tell them what he saw and what happened when he jumped through the time stream.
Ever since they had gotten back from the meeting with Izuna at the Pokemon League, Naruto had locked himself in his room for the past month ever since the war ended. It was an understandable reaction, but it was very unhealthy in the way he carried it out. He only came out for food of which he ate very little. Typhlosion would follow him everywhere he went, but Naruto failed to take significant notice of his partner Pokemon as the Fire-type tried in vain to get its trainer's attention.
Kushina sighed before raising her hand to knock on the door. She gulped audibly as her knuckles tentatively reached to the wooden surface, and just as she was about to knock, the sound of the lock's tumbler echoed through the silent house. The door knob twisted and opened to reveal the young teenager, Typhlosion standing behind him on all fours.
Naruto sniffed as he wiped his eyes. Kushina and Minato frowned deeply as they saw his eyes were red, most likely from crying as they sometimes heard his choked sobs through the door. He looked terrible. His clothes were heavily wrinkled, his hair was even more messy than usual and he had the scent of a teenage boy who refused to shower after an entire month.
"Naru-chan." Both Minato and Kushina stared at their son as he remained silent, standing before them with a downcast look. He then raised his head and gave them a stiff nod.
"I...I'm ready to talk now. I'll have a shower and then we can talk...I probably smell like shit don't I?" He tried to pull off a joke, but his parents didn't laugh. Naruto headed off to the bathroom and had his shower before changing into a new set of clothes. The clothes consisted of a black, short sleeved t-shirt with a Poke Ball on its front, a pair of dark blue jeans and a pair of white socks.
He descended down the stairs from his room and entered the kitchen. Kyuubi and Typhlosion followed behind him, only stopping once they reached the borderline between the kitchen and the living room. Kushina had laid out a bowl of ramen for him and the younger blonde thanked his mother for the meal before eating it.
'At least he has his appetite back.' The former Champion thought as he looked at his son down the ramen bowl in three minutes. Kushina washed the bowl and then seated herself back down at the table.
"You can talk when you're ready, Naru-chan." Minato broke the silence between the three of them. "Your mother and I have plenty of time."
Naruto nodded his head before taking a deep breath of air. He exhaled before lightly slapping the sides of his face, turning his cheeks red. "Alright, well say what you all have to say and then I'll tell my part."
"Naru-chan, are you sure you're okay? I mean, you killed and saw people being killed. That's a very traumatic situation to put yourself in." The former Champion spoke.
"Tou-chan, I nearly died fighting Ho-oh. I was covered in second degree burns across my body and risked the ability to continue my career as a Pokemon trainer. While the scene was surprising, I saw enough blood and gore on the battlefield to last me a lifetime. I am..." Naruto frowned as he looked down at the table. "...not proud of what I've had to do, but I did for the sake of the ones I loved. Hina-chan, Kaa-chan, Sakura-chan, Akatsuchi, hell even Sasuke-teme. I also fought in a death match to get Mewtwo alongside you. I'm still shaken up from seeing it, even after this month has passed...but I've seen and done enough for that incident to not affect me as much as it should."
"That's not something you should be proud of, Naruto." Kushina said with concern in her gray-green eyes. "The battlefield is no place for a child."
"And yet I was chosen to be one of the Chosen Ones, the one to summon Ho-oh with the Rainbow Wing and the Clear Bell. I'm not much of a believer in fate and destiny, but...it does exist. That's the reality of the situation." Naruto replied. "Am I a horrible person for being a realist, Kaa-chan, Tou-chan? For being someone who can no longer scream at the sight of death?"
Minato and Kushina frowned at their son's words. The red haired woman shook her head before placing her hands atop Naruto's clenched fists.
"While I am angry at you for not telling me about your battle with Ho-oh you had with Sakura earlier on, your words do have sense to them." She said. "Minato-kun and I know that when a person experiences enough of one thing they develop a feeling of apathy towards it." Minato nodded in agreement with his wife before speaking.
"Naruto, you no longer scream at death, but you are human. You will continue to feel for the death of others. Tell me, if your mother and I were to have died in that war...what would you have done?"
"Killed Nagato myself and then mourn for the rest of my life. I can't imagine my life without you in it, Kaa-chan. Not so much you since you weren't there to begin with." Naruto directed his gaze to Minato who winced at the harsh words. "But I still would have mourned for you both."
"Exactly." Kushina said. "So don't beat yourself up over your alleged immunity. No one person is immune to the situation and so it's why I say that if you want to cry, if you want to vent...Minato-kun and I are here for you. We will be your shoulders to cry on, Naru-chan."
Naruto smiled softly as his mother got up from her chair and kissed him on the head. "Thanks...but I don't need to cry. I did enough of that on the way back through the time stream and in my room. I mean, what do I have to cry for? I mean in the midst of a war between a mad psychopath and the rest of the regions, I learned that said psychopath was my uncle, his top three members who were my enemies are actually my cousins, I fought Legendary Pokemon, caught one who was made to be a genetically engineered weapon of mass destruction, jumped through time and watched my psychopath uncle get electrocuted by Raikou! So tell me?! What do I have to cry about, Kaa-chan?! Tou-chan?!"
Naruto slammed his hands on the table harshly. "TELL ME WHAT THE FUCK DO I HAVE TO CRY ABOUT?!" He panted heavily as he had basically said all of that in one breath. He planted his face in his hands and shook his head. He leaned back in his chair and looked up at the ceiling with a sad smile on his face, his eyes becoming watery.
"I'm a killer. A cold-blooded, blood spilling, bone breaking killer." He chuckled dryly. "Kaa-chan...what do I do?" A choked sob broke free from his throat as his tears fell from his eyes. "I don't know what to do at this point...help me." His voice, usually brimming with confidence and determination, was broken and sad. Practically pitiful.
Once they heard that, Kushina and Minato raced out of their chairs and pulled the boy into their arms. Kushina pushed his head into her bosom, letting him be calmed by the sound of her heartbeat.
"Shhhhh Shhhhh. It's okay, Naru-chan, it's okay." She spoke soothingly as she stroked the teenager's head. Naruto then glanced out of the corner of his eyes and looked to his father.
"T-T-Tou-chan...you've...you've done this before. Ho-How did you...get over...it?" He spoke in broken sentences due to his crying.
"I...I never did." Minato replied with a deep frown. "I'm sorry. I really am a terrible father. Just when you want me to be there for you and ask for help, I can't do one SHIT!" Minato slammed his hand on the table. It was a wonder the surface didn't break yet from how often it was being abused. Minato ran a hand through his hair before leaned over so that he was looking Naruto directly in the eyes.
"Look at me Naruto." He said. "Come on...look at me, son."
Naruto looked away from the random area of floor and focused on his father's blue eyes. "I know...I know it's hard. Back when Danzo was in charge of ROOT, I was forced to put my humanity aside for that final battle and bring him down for good. I took down his Pokemon and almost destroyed his gym in the process..." Minato took a shaky breath as the memories came flooding back to him. "I was not much older than you when it all came to an end. Danzo had tried to take me down in a sneak attack with his other grunts and I killed them all, I killed their Pokemon too. I was proclaimed a hero because my battle was the one that brought an end to ROOT thirty years ago since it was then made public knowledge Danzo was ROOT's boss when I had arrived. I knew I was the cause. I was like you where I found my acts to be justified. I put the needs of the many before my own want to get the Earth Badge, but I knew that in that final moment...when he tossed me the badge and surrendered...when the ceiling came caved in above his head and crushed his body...I knew I had crossed the line that not many Pokemon trainers had crossed. You will grow from this experience, Naruto. You are a hero and not a murderer. You are a great child...and you are a greater Pokemon trainer than I ever could be."
Minato chuckled as he leaned back into his chair. "I mean, my kid devised a plan to stop Ho-oh and Lugia from rampaging, caught them, Raikou AND Mewtwo. How badass of a son is that?!"
Naruto released a laugh, sniffling while wiping away the remaining wetness from his eyes and face. "Well...I am your son after all. The son of the Pokemon Champion." He said as he raised himself up from Kushina's chest. Minato and Kushina smiled at the young blonde before ruffling his hair.
"That you are, Naru-chan. That you are." Minato muttered.
"Thanks." Naruto said as he looked back and forth between his mother and father. "...for not thinking any different of me because of what I've done."
"We're your parents. We love you unconditionally." Kushina smiled foxily. Naruto nodded before turning to his father.
"I can see that now." Minato matched Kushina's grin. However, it dropped at Naruto's next words. "But you still got some explaining to do old man."
"Woah. Talk about a mood killer." Minato muttered. "Can we go back to like two seconds ago when everything was nice and loving?"
"Did that already." Naruto replied with a nonchalant wave of his hand. "Now sit and explain. Where have you been and what have you been up to for the past twelve years that you could never come back home? You've had time to send Kaa-chan and I money and you even told me you were the one who sent me Umbreon."
"You evolved the Eevee into an Umbreon? Nice choice."
"Thanks." Naruto said with a smirk. "Now answer me. Kaa-chan and I BOTH deserve an explanation."
"The boy's got a point, Minato-kun. Even I don't know what you've been up to."
Minato sighed before nodding his head.
"Alright, well I'll start with what Kushina-chan already knows. When you were born and were one year old, I was still the Pokemon Champion at the time so I was extremely busy. I had to go and do all my Champion duties, sitting and waiting for a new challenger that was good enough to try and dethrone me, only to thoroughly kick their sorry asses into the ground. However, because of my Champion duties I was required to spend a lot of time away from you and your mother. The Pokemon League Association began to give me extremely difficult missions to do, such as helping create new Pokemon based laws for society, help pick the new Elite Four when the Elite Four from Izuna-sempai's reign had decided to retire from their positions, and then I was also given the task to help design the new Pokemon League system when it was decided that Johto and Kanto should link together and form a unified Pokemon League instead of just a Kanto League and Johto League. Thirty years ago, and even before that, Johto was still an independent region and so they had their own Pokemon training system and whatnot, but since Kanto was the original founding region of the Pokemon League Association, they had to make arrangements with Kanto to initiate their Gym Leader Challenge system as well allow for their own trainers to become members of the Elite Four. Izuna-sempai had remained with me during my own Champion reign to act as an overseer and a guide."
"I can see how that could keep you busy."
"Took the Pokemon League Association three years to finally get the paperwork settled because, as you know, Johto is a very traditional region. As shown in their infrastructure, they aren't that big on changing things and so to create a compromise to allow for Kanto to aid with modernization was a big deal to handle. It's actually what helped make Goldenrod City what it is today."
"So you basically helped make Goldenrod City...become, Goldenrod City?"
"Pretty much." Minato said with a shrug. "But...after that, I was given the task of doing the more...dark toned missions."
"Minato-kun, I get that as the Champion of the region you have a certain level of responsibility and duty to the Pokemon League Association...but you are the Champion. Aren't you basically the top authority in the region at that point? Who is more powerful than the Champion that could give you orders?"
"The Pokemon League Association is comprised of a great deal of individuals, each one holding power in terms of both Pokemon training and battling, as well as political sway. Each of the six known regions, Kalos having just been indoctrinated into the Association as they have just finished developing their Pokemon League and Gym Leader Challenge, are comprised of eight gym leaders and the Elite Four. These twelve figureheads act as the ruling government of their respective regions, but the Pokemon League Association's members who stand at the top are Champions of the region itself. The Champions come together and communicate via Visual-Audio chatrooms and are being worked on to use the new Holocasters that were made in the Kalos region. The Champion's Council is what we are called. The six Champions make the most serious decisions and it is by a democratic vote in which a certain situation should be carried out within a region by that region's Champion." Minato explained.
"So when it comes to the decisions that must be kept in the dark, the ones that people must not know about, the six Champions discuss it amongst themselves separately?" Naruto asked. Minato nodded in confirmation.
"That is correct. Though, it used to be the four of us since Sinnoh and Hoenn had already settled their own agendas. What was once Izuna-sempai, myself, Steven Stone and Cynthia Shirona, now comprises of a total of six entities now."
"Steven and Cynthia?" The younger blonde asked.
"The Champions of Hoenn and Sinnoh, respectively." Was the immediate reply to Naruto's question. "The Champion of the Silver Conference rules over both Kanto and Johto, thus Izuna is at the top by himself. Cynthia is still on the Council as she is still Champion, however, Steven and Alder, the former Champion of Unova, have been defeated and have been replaced by their successors. Steven was replaced by a Water-type Pokemon Master known and Wallace...a completely different Wallace..." He clarified as he noticed the confused expressions on his son and wife. "...and Alder was defeated by a prodigy Dragon-type Master called Iris. She's only ten years old too which speaks highly of her intelligence, maturity and strength. And as I said, Kalos just crowned their Champion, a young woman named Diantha. Did you know she's also a supermodel?"
"How do you know all this if you had retired from your position?" Kushina asked.
"Well, in layman's terms, it's because Izuna-sempai still keeps me in the loop, but to explain it in detail, I'll need to start from a bit before my retirement as the Champion to do so." Minato started. "As I told Naruto once before, during my reign as Champion, I had to take the mission to try and defeat Mewtwo. Kill it if necessary. I fought Mewtwo and I lost because I was unprepared for how terribly strong it was back then. I ended up forcing Mewtwo deeper into Cerulean Cave where the final acts of the battle ended with me undergoing severe mental trauma when Mewtwo tried to do a mind crush on me. Basically, Mewtwo tried to mentally destroy me. Charizard, Blastoise and Pikachu had managed to get stop Mewtwo before too much damage could be done and got me out of there, but I had been put into a two year coma as a result."
"Two years?!" The two Uzumaki exclaimed and Minato winced when he saw his wife glare at him.
"And you couldn't have told me this when you got out of it?!" Kushina roared.
"I didn't want you to worry."
"I'm not worried now. I'm pissed as fuck right now, Minato-kun." Kushina growled. "I'm your wife! What happened to your vow to always be honest with me?!"
"I never lied about it either so there was nothing to be honest about." Minato countered causing Kushina to grip her hair tightly, almost as if she were about to tear it from her scalp. "But yes, I was put into a two year mental coma from by battle with Mewtwo. I had to undergo another year of mental rehabilitation to make sure that I was still in working condition and that I wasn't damaged extensively by Mewtwo. Of course, once that was determined, the Champion's Council found it best for me to retire from my post because my three year long absence had been covered up by Izuna-sempai in which he had reclaimed his spot as Champion in order to do so. So they decided to make it an official resignation, and well...being out for three years...times changed and so did laws and regulations. It would have taken me much longer to catch up on everything so I agreed and allowed Izuna to become Champion once more while I resigned, but while I did resign as Champion, I was still a Champion-class trainer. Like Izuna-sempai, I was to be made an overseer, but due to my battle prowess being much greater than Izuna's I was given a special mission which was kept me away from home for the rest of your childhood instead of coming back home to Naruto and you, Kushina-chan."
"What mission was that?" The two asked.
"To look for the ancestor of all Pokemon, the original form of Mewtwo." He answered. Naruto and Kushina's eyes widened.
"You mean..."
"Yes...I was tasked with finding Mew. Mew was a Pokemon originally sighted in the Kanto region after migrating from far-off island regions when they were all destroyed during the battle between the United Regions Defense Force and Pokemon during World War 3. However, Mew had also been sighted in Hoenn as well, so I was partnered with Steven at the time to help look for the elusive Pokemon. I journeyed even as far as the Sevii Islands and went to Hoenn with Steven to look for the supposed home of Mew called the Faraway Island. I had given up on finding the island after a few years with Steven, but he insisted on trying to find out if the island was real, but my sources here in Kanto and Johto had traced the DNA of Mew through the Pokedex I had. I followed it and well...my obsession became unhealthy and even led me to Mt. Silver, where your mother's Moltres was currently being kept when she retired as a trainer to raise you, Naru-chan." Minato paused before sighing. "And that's pretty much why I wasn't here for twelve years. Three years due to aiding to create the joint region Pokemon League for Kanto and Johto, three more years due to having been placed into a coma and undergoing rehabilitation for fighting Mewtwo, and the remaining six were spent trying to find Mew in Kanto, Hoenn and then Mt. Silver."
Naruto and Kushina stared at the former Champion in shock. They had expected a simple, yet bullshit filled, excuse from Minato, but what he just told them...it was practically worthy of making them speechless.
"I don't even know what to say to all that, Minato-kun." Kushina said. "You left me alone to raise our son so you could try and catch a Legendary Pokemon? You're lucky I don't kick you out to live on the streets."
"I've lived in worse." Minato replied. That comment made Naruto pause in his own jab at his father's story. Contemplating it now, the Pokemon League did have to do a lot of things to ensure the safety of the region and in Minato's eyes, keeping the region safe would be like trying to keep him and his mother safe. Just...not from the home front. He was the Champion and now that Naruto had come face-to-face with the reality of the world he now knew that being a Champion came with a high level of responsibility and duty to not just one's own region, but to the others as well since the Champion's Council was basically what made the Pokemon world what it is today.
Naruto sighed heavily before rising from his chair and walking up to the sitting Minato. The elder Namikaze stared at his son's emotionless gaze in confusion...
"GURK!"
...and then received a second punch to the throat.
"You're the most two-faced person I've ever met. You're a loving husband and father, but you suck at it. You're the strongest trainer I could ever think of, but you make up such weak ass stories and excuses to cover up that you basically abandoned me and Kaa-chan just so you could look for a single Pokemon, even if it was orders from the people at the top. You piss me off right now, you know that. I'm beyond pissed actually, but...as much as I want to hate you...you're the guy who told me he loved me with all his heart and who rode in from above on Legendary Pokemon to save me and my friends. So...apology accepted, Tou-chan." Naruto grinned toothily. Minato looked up at his son with tears in his eyes, both from his sudden blow to the throat and from happiness.
"R-Really?" He rasped. Naruto nodded.
"I can't stay mad at you forever...but that punch to the throat is to remind you that while I have forgiven...I will never forget. I'd punch you in throat even harder if I could, but then I'd get charged for murder. And we wouldn't that...now would we, Tou-chan?"
Minato chuckled nervously at the boy's dark and evil tone before nodding his head stiffly. Kushina grinned widely with pride at her son.
'That's my boy.' Kushina thought.
Pokemon League Association Building, Kanto/Johto Branch, Inidigo Plateau
One Week Later
"Are they okay?" Naruto asked. Izuna shook his head in response to the question.
"No. I brought them in for questioning, just to ask them about how Nagato got ROOT to become operational and the parts they played in it. However, that was it. After they gave me my information, they started asking for you. They remember seeing you walk out of the time portal with their father's corpse so they want to know just how he died." Izuna stopped in front of the isolation chamber.
It was very much like a regular room comprising of three beds, a bathroom and was large enough to house all three of them. Wallace, Sapphire and Ruby sat with each other, not even talking. They just sat.
"This window we're watching through it one-way glass. We can see them, but they can't see us." He then gestured to the door. "Door locks from the outside so they can't get out and the room is actually just plaster covering ten inches of solid Steelix steel."
"Kind of overkill for a thirteen year old and two seventeen year olds don't you think?" Naruto frowned.
"They are the children of the mastermind of this whole thing. I'm not doing this only for our protection, but for theirs as well. They are kids, Naruto...though they aren't above the law, due to them being Nagato's children and that they were raised following his ideologies, I managed to get the sixteen gym leaders and the Elite Four to come to an overall vote that they shouldn't be sent to the snow prison near Mount Silver."
"You really would have sent them there?"
"If the vote had gone in a different direction, then I would have had to follow the acts of the majority. All the regions became a pseudo-democracy after World War 3, Naruto. The world we live in is a result of that." Izuna turned back to the huddling forms of Nagato's children. "So...are you ready?"
"I am, Izuna...but with what I'm going to show them, the real question would be are they ready?"
"A very mature answer for a boy of your age, Naruto. The war has changed you...I can see it in your eyes."
"Is it...Is it really that bad?" Naruto asked. Izuna didn't reply. The Dragon Champion walked over to the door and fished out the key from his cloak's pocket. He opened the door as Naruto took a deep breath in mental preparation. He then walked through the door and entered the room. The door closed behind him and Naruto glanced back at it, wondering if he would survive this encounter.
He shook his head. 'They've had their Pokemon confiscated and stored and I've been allowed to keep mine. I'm fine.' He walked into the room and looked at Wallace, Ruby and Sapphire. They were just staring at the white wall, not talking. The only sign that they were actually alive was that they periodically blinked their eyes. Naruto coughed loudly into his hand and the three siblings blinked rapidly at the sudden noise.
Their heads snapped in the direction of the cough and they immediately flew to their feet, pressing themselves against the back wall that they had previously been staring at.
"Wh-What do you want?" Wallace asked. Naruto raised his hands.
"It's alright, Wallace. I'm just here to see family, I came here to talk." He informed them. "Besides, Izuna told me that you all were the ones that asked for me." Naruto then sat himself down on the floor, cross-legged and with a small smile on his face. "So...what do you guys want to talk about?"
Ruby and Sapphire took protective stances in front of their little brother, their red and blue eyes, respectively, staring intently at their blonde cousin.
"We...We want to know what happened to Otou-sama!" Ruby stated. Sapphire and Wallace nodded their heads in agreement with their elder sister's words.
"Yeah!"
Naruto resisted the urge to sigh. They were broken with the loss of their father, their attempt to sound strong, confident and demanding had come out like a pitiful whimper as a result.
"He died. You all were informed of that by Izuna, they even said it on the news channels on the television and the radio."
"Yeah, but..." Sapphire sighed as she ran a hand through her blue locks. "...we want to hear it from you. You were the last person to see Otou-sama alive, you were the one who dealt the final blow and you...you are the one who knows the whole truth."
"Ruby...Sapphire...Wallace...what happened in the time stream after you took Raikou's Discharge attack, when he ran through to the other side of the time stream...it traumatized me for the entire month ever since the ROOT war ended. What happened there...I don't have to tell you what happened because I can show it to you." Naruto reached to his belt and unclipped a Poke Ball and enlarged it.
The three siblings' eyes widened when they saw the ball was gold on the top and silver on the bottom, the letters GS engraved into the golden top half in silver.
"The GS Ball?!" They exclaimed. Naruto pressed the centre button and the ball opened. A flash of gold and silver appeared from the ball, blinding to all that viewed it. Uncovering their eyes, Ruby, Sapphire and Wallace stared in awe at the hovering form of the time travelling Pokemon.
"Bi Bi Celebi?" The Grass/Psychic-type turned to Naruto. The blonde nodded his head.
"Yeah, these are the three I wanted you to see." The three glanced at their cousin in amazement.
"Y-You c-can understand P-Pokemon?" Wallace stammered.
"It's a gift." Naruto replied.
"Cele Celebi Bi Bi Celebi Cel Bi Ebi Cel Celebi." Celebi then gestured to Naruto before continuing to speak. "Celebi Bi Bi Bi. Celebi?"
Naruto looked to his cousins. "Celebi says that due to its connection to the time stream, it can show a virtual representation, a literal showing of the events that happened one month ago, to show you what exactly happened on that day. Celebi is omniscient of all things due to that link into the time stream and knows of the events that occurred. As I told you three, the events were traumatic to me, and thus the same thing could be said for you if you were to look upon it. Celebi would like to know if you're sure you want to see what happened?"
The three siblings looked at each other, staring into each other's eyes as they went through a silent conversation. They sat themselves down on the floor in the same manner as Naruto. They took deep breaths to prepare themselves and then looked at their cousin with a nod of acceptance.
"Show us." They stated simultaneously. Naruto nodded before looking to Celebi.
"Do it."
"Bi!" The Time Travel Pokemon replied with a stiff nod. It then hovered in between the four Uzumaki, its wings fluttered at a high speed and it closed its eyes in concentration. A green and blue aura surrounded its small body, growing in size until it made seem as if Celebi was a divine being sent from the heavens due to the intensity of the glow.
"Celebi Bi...Cele Bi Bi."
'Lord Dialga, I beseech thee? What's Dialga?' Naruto thought.
Celebi's eyes snapped open and its shining sapphire eyes were shown to be encompassed in a bright light that was the same colour as its aura.
"CELEBI!" The Time Travel Pokemon shouted and suddenly the aura exploded out of its body in the form of a powerful pulse. The world around the four Uzumaki was now nothing more than a swirl of colour before it began to take shape. And from there, Ruby, Sapphire and Wallace were forced to endure the act of watching what happened after they had fallen unconscious.
From their father's slip into madness after thinking they had died from Raikou's Discharge attack, to his declaration that he would race back even further in time than necessary to kill Naruto before he was even born. From when he was pinned down to the ground by Raikou, to the conversation between himself and Naruto. The words that were exchanged made the three siblings stare in shock at their father as he had uttered his surrender to his nephew, and to the world by extension. And then...they broke down into tears when they saw their father punch Raikou in the muzzle, sealing his fate as the Thunder Pokemon had unleashed millions of volts of electricity into the bloodied body. They watched as their father's violet eyes became obscured by the blackening of his burnt flesh, his screams echoing through their ears and how their cousin could only watch helplessly from the sidelines.
When it had all come to an end, Celebi's eyes lost their celestial glow. The Time Travel Pokemon then looked to Naruto and hovered to his side, frowning in concern alongside the blonde as they watched the crying trio.
"I...I told you that it was a traumatic incident for me. I didn't want you three to experience the same things I did since I was there to watch it all happen. I'm sorry for that...and I'm sorry I couldn't stop Nagato Oji-san from killing himself."
Wallace sniffed loudly before looking to the blonde. "Wh-Why?"
"Huh?" Naruto looked at Wallace in confusion.
"Wh-Why do you...care so much?" Wallace asked through his sobs and hiccups. "We did terrible things...Otou-sama...did terrible things. To you, to the people you care about, to everyone...and yet you sit here with us, you try to console us and pity us. You gave in to our demands and when you see us crying, you apologize as if it's your fault this is happening to us?! WHY DO YOU CARE?!"
Ruby and Sapphire hugged their younger brother as he went into his sudden emotion outburst, but they too looked at Naruto curiously.
"Though...Though we aren't as...e-emotional about it, Ruby and I want to know why you treat us...y-your enemies...with such an attitude." Sapphire asked. Naruto chuckled lightly before looking at them with his war-torn emotion filled blue eyes.
"Because you're my family."
"What?!"
He pointed to his eyes, the ones he knew were filled with the emotions and dead look that came with experiencing the ROOT war. "You did this to me. I can't look at myself in the mirror, or at other people for that matter, without somehow letting slip the gaze of a soldier. But you've suffered just as much as me, even more so actually. You lost your mother and your father, you're alone in the world now and you have nothing to keep you above ground. Now you're imprisoned for crimes your father committed, ones he made you all do due to his manipulation of your adoration for him."
Naruto sighed. "You may have been my enemies, but you're not my enemies anymore. You're my cousins, my family...and you're already under enough stress as it is with being imprisoned in this chamber by the Pokemon League Association. I have enough blood on my hands already, including Nagato Oji-san's. You saw what happened and you heard the words before he struck Raikou...he wanted me to make sure you guys didn't descend even further into the darkness of the world with his passing. I want to take care of you guys, I want to be there for you three...and it's because of that reason that Kaa-chan and Tou-chan have already organized the paperwork."
Having calmed down from Naruto's words, but still sniffling, the three siblings looked at their cousin. "What are you talking about? What paperwork?" Ruby asked. Naruto grinned foxily and Celebi released its equivalent of amusement through what could only be its version of a laugh, having already seen their future expressions.
"Your adoption paperwork. You guys are staying with me and as of this moment, you are officially Ruby, Sapphire and Wallace Uzumaki since it was shown that Nagato Oji-san legally got rid of his last name when Konan Oba-san died. You could add on Namikaze to your names if you want, but preferably, I wouldn't do that. Tou-chan's a dickhead so I'm not doin' it."
He kept the foxy grin on his face and Celebi's laughs were only increasing in volume as Wallace, Ruby and Sapphire stared at them with wide eyes and gaping jaws. It was like looking at a Magikarp's face in human form and that was hilarious in the minds of both Naruto and Celebi.
"I'll give you guys a few minutes for that to sink in, I've got some stuff to do." He glanced at Celebi as he did that.
Naruto and Celebi then proceeded to exit the building. Izuna looked at Naruto and then back at the three siblings as they continued to just sit there and stare at Naruto's former resting place.
"They that shocked at being told you convinced your parents to adopt them?"
"Mind raped."
Izuna chuckled as he walked with the young blonde down the hallways to the exit of the Pokemon League Association building.
"So, you need a ride? I can have Charizard, Dragonite or Aerodactyl drop you off wherever you need to go." He said. "Not to be insulting, but they are faster than your Pidgeot and Dragonite."
"None taken, but I got my own ride."
Izuna raised an eyebrow once they stepped outside. Naruto raised his fingers to his lips and released a sharp whistle and Celebi released an amused cry at the Dragon Champion as there was a boom akin to a thunderclap and a flash of yellow. The sounds and flash of light died down to reveal the Thunder Pokemon, Raikou, standing before them. The sabre-toothed thunderbeast growled at the blonde before bending down.
Naruto climbed atop Raikou and Celebi took a resting place by sitting atop the blonde's head.
"Not to be insulting, but Raikou's faster than your Charizard, Dragonite and Aerodactyl." Naruto grinned foxily before patting Raikou's back. "Let's go."
Raikou released a roar before digging its claws into the ground. With a roar that sounded through the air like a thunderclap, the Thunder Pokemon pushed off and a trail of gold and electricity traced its movement. And then...they were gone. Izuna blinked rapidly and as his mind registered what happened before shaking his head.
"That kid..."
Illex Shrine, Illex Forest
The flash of yellow and lightning came to a halt before the wooden shrine to the Time Travel Pokemon and Naruto hopped off of Raikou, patting the tiger-like Pokemon on the head. He fished out is Pokegear and chuckled.
"Four minutes. Nice."
Raikou growled, its chest puffed out in pride at being praised for its speed.
"Dobe, what took you?" Sasuke asked as he stood with Entei, tossing an Ultra Ball up and down as he did so.
"Was the meeting with Wallace, Ruby and Sapphire safe?" Hinata asked as she was sitting on the ground, leaning up against the Aurora Pokemon that was Suicune.
Naruto nodded his head. "They should probably be reacting to their news right about now. So..you guys ready?"
Hinata and Sasuke nodded before taking a few steps away from the three Legendary Beasts. Naruto set Celebi gently on the ground before Raikou. Naruto and Sasuke then took the Ultra Balls they held in their hands before enlarging them with the push of the centre button. They then pressed the button again and the capturing devices opened. In a flash of yellow and white light, the two deity Pokemon of the Johto region emerged.
The five Legendary Pokemon then all looked at the three trainers standing before them with matching looks of confusion.
"The war is over." Hinata started.
"And though we would like to keep you for ourselves and keep you as our actual Pokemon, you are all Legendary Pokemon." Sasuke said.
"It is because of that that we three have decided that we should let you all go. Ho-oh, Lugia, you are the deity Pokemon of the region and have your tasks to oversee the skies and the seas of the Johto and Kanto regions. Raikou, Suicune, Entei, you three are Ho-oh's subordinates and you should do the job of keeping humanity under your careful eyes in these regions. Celebi...well you're the Time Travel Pokemon, it's kind of obvious why we would need to let you go. Not to mention you were summoned and captured to be used for Nagato Oji-san's plans."
Naruto then set down Ho-oh's Ultra Ball and the GS Ball while Sasuke set down Lugia's Ultra Ball.
"You're free to go." The three trainers said simultaneously.
The five Legendary Pokemon stared at the three humans silently, no expressions on their faces, just pure stoicism. Ho-oh then gained a glint of what looked to be pride and joy in its crimson eyes. The Rainbow Pokemon then bowed its head. The Diving Pokemon, the Legendary Beasts and the Time Travel Pokemon followed suit, bowing their heads to the three teenagers.
"Wh-Why are you bowing?" Hinata asked. Ho-oh released a series of screeches while Lugia followed after with its song-like cry.
"We lost our trust in humans when the war started all those years ago. The Tin/Brass Tower, our roosts and the place where you humans worshiped us had been burned and three Pokemon were killed...the ones I made into my Legendary Beasts, my incarnations of the Volcano, Thunder and the North Wind."
"If you were any other set of humans, you would have chosen to keep us and use us like you would any other caught Pokemon. But with this act, you have proven that you three are not just any other set of humans. And why you, Naruto and Sasuke, were made to be mine and Ho-oh's chosen ones. Thus we believe we will be holding on to these. If you ever require our assistance, you may have it without question."
The two deity Pokemon then reached over and picked up the Ultra Balls in their mouths.
"As will we." Raikou, Entei and Suicune released simultaneous roars and Celebi released a child-like cry of its own before picking up the GS Ball. "Though Celebi says it's mainly because it wants to keep the shiny ball."
The three sweatdropped at the Time Travel Pokemon.
"So...you're saying you're...staying as our Pokemon?" Hinata asked. The Legendary Pokemon shifted their bodies in a makeshift shrug.
"More or less they say." Naruto said.
The Legendary Pokemon then bowed their heads once more. Lugia and Ho-oh flapped their mighty wings, releasing their respective cries to the heavens before flying off. Ho-oh vanished into the rainbow it had created and Lugia headed off in the direction of the Whirl Islands. Raikou, Entei and Suicune then split off in three different directions, trails of red, blue and yellow respectively trailing behind their rapidly moving forms.
And that left Celebi as it hovered in front of the Illex Shrine, GS Ball in hand. The small shrine's doors opened once more and the energies of the time stream swirled within its depths.
"Bi Biiiiii!" Celebi waved to the three trainers before vanishing into the time stream once more. The doors to the shrine closed by themselves and became locked once more, and hopefully there would never come a time where Celebi's powers would be needed.
Hopefully.
Naruto, Sasuke and Hinata then turned away from the shrine and began to walk away.
"So...that happened." Naruto chuckled.
"Dobe." Sasuke shook his at Naruto's ability to ruin the atmosphere. Hinata could only sigh as she held on to her boyfriend's hand.
"Naruto-kun, you really need to look at the mood."
"Awww, Hina-chan, why must you side with the teme?" Naruto playfully sobbed. "But still, it's pretty awesome what just happened. We literally have ownership of Legendary Pokemon."
"Yeah, well...at least you get to keep yours." Sasuke spoke with a twinge of jealous, pointing at the Master Ball that hung around Naruto's neck on a black cord.
"Hey, I risked my life to catch Mewtwo. I deserve it."
"Hn."
"Oh come on teme, don't be like that." Naruto chuckled as he saw Sasuke resist the urge to pout. "Sakura-chan wouldn't approve of you being even more of a teme that you really are."
"Hn."
"You suck Walrein balls."
"Hn."
"I'll kick your ass in the Pokemon League!"
"In your dreams, dobe!"
Hinata rolled her eyes as the two rivals continued to bicker. If she didn't know it was the mark of their friendship then she would have been annoyed by it, but...
'Boys will be boys.' She thought as Naruto let go of her hand to engage in a small game of Push-It-Super-Strong with the young Uchiha.
(A/N: Alright, I felt I should show the aftermath of the war and how it affected everyone, especially our main four. I mean, they are thirteen years old and just fought in a war. They will undergo some form of trauma if they fought in a war where they had killed people and Pokemon, especially Naruto since he was there when he saw Nagato commit his suicide. And the fate of the Legendary Pokemon. As you can see, they let them go, but TECHNICALLY they still have ownership of the Legendaries. Ho-oh and Raikou are with Naruto, Suicune with Hinata, and Entei and Lugia are with Sasuke. Celebi will not have a trainer per say, but it will be attracted to being at Naruto's side.
So with this post-war chapter over, the Pokemon League Arc will begin in the next chapter. Thus, when it is made, your next Johto Journeys chapter will be the start of the Pokemon League Silver Conference Victory Tournament and it will be battle after battle after battle. My forte and I assure you that I will do my best to not disappoint you all in that aspect.
Next time on Naruto: Johto Journeys, Chapter 38: To be a Master.
Hope you all liked this chapter. Remember to review, review, review!)