Naruto: Johto Journeys
Chapter 38: To be a Master
"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!
(A/N: All Pokemon that Naruto and Sasuke are using will be fully evolved. Thus, even though I haven't placed in Pokedex information for their pre-evolutions, it would be understood that these pre-evolutions would be registered as Caught and Seen in the Pokedex. Also, until the semi-finals of the Pokemon League is to take place, Naruto and Sasuke will not be using their main teams. Like I said before in previous chapters, Naruto and Sasuke have been practicing with the other Pokemon they have caught, training and evolving them so that they would have more an edge due to variety and adaptability in the battles.
Also, from this point onwards, Naruto has completed the Pokedex, except for Mew of course. With all the Legendary Pokemon the Kanto and Johto region had to offer finally being Seen and Caught, catching all the commonplace Pokemon would have been easy, especially since this chapter takes place after a timeskip. So all the necessary breeding, trading and training has been done. I have recently done a headcount of all the Pokemon Naruto and Sasuke have caught up to this point, so for all the Pokemon that they haven't caught prior to this chapter, I will place their Pokedex information for you all to read. So I end this paragraph with a congratulations to Naruto and his friends for catching 255 out of 256.
Finally, a few cameos from some of the original Pokemon characters, using their Japanese names mostly since I find those names to be way more badass than their English names in most cases, and some Naruto filler characters. They aren't going to be around long though since they are going to be utterly defeated for my main characters to advance to the finals.
Now sit back, and I hope you enjoy the epic, in my opinion, battles that will now unfold in this first episode of the Pokemon League Arc!)
Pokemon League Stadium, Indigo Plateau
It had been seven months since the end of the ROOT war and construction for all the cities and town across the joint regions of Kanto and Johto were virtually on the verge of completion. The Indigo Plateau had been placed as one of the top priority areas, but they had also worked to make advancements, turning the Indigo Plateau into more of a stronghold that the area where the Pokemon League would be held.
While they still kept the sixteen marble statues of each of the eight badges of Kanto and Johto respectively, the arches they were positioned next to had been completely destroyed and renovated. The arches that arced over the cobblestone pathway that led to the Indigo Plateau's entrance now had hidden slits which allowed for them to drop Steelix steel barriers, each barrier being ten tons in weight and was ten inches thick. Nothing short of a Legendary Pokemon would be able to take down those barriers.
The arches then led to the doors of silver which led to the inner city that was the Indigo Plateau. The image of a Shiny Pikachu sitting atop a golden Poke Ball which bore the words 'Pokemon League' on the Poke Ball's halfway mark, the Pokemon League Association's official seal, was emblazoned on the front of the doors. However, while the doors were impressive, the doors themselves were embedded into the heavily fortified wall known as the Memorial Wall. The wall was constructed in memory of all the lives that were lost during the ROOT war which had the Pokemon League The metal alloy was composed of a mixture of Steelix steel and the fossilized remains of the Shieldon and Bastiodon frills. Forged in the fires of Mount Ember on Three Island, the Memorial Wall boasted great durability and height. The Memorial Wall was thirty feet tall, twenty feet thick and measured a circumference of one thousand, two hundred and forty-four feet.
Sentry towers were placed at strategic points on the wall to protect the newly renovated city of the Indigo Plateau. And in the event of an emergency, should one like the ROOT war ever occur again, an underground safe haven had been constructed which was large enough to hold over one thousand people.
Now the Indigo Plateau itself was truly a work of art. A true metropolis consisting of numerous shopping plazas, apartment complexes and parks, the road to recovery since the ROOT war was assured. Cobblestone pathways were redone and snaked through the buildings and ran alongside the small man-made lakes and/or rivers that were constructed for the area. However, despite all of this, all roads, no matter how complicated they looked, all led to their pride and joy.
The Pokemon League Stadium.
Through much funding from the other regions, the Pokemon League Stadium had been completed and returned to its former majesty. The Pokemon League Stadium was a time honoured structure and so they adhered to that honour, making no changes to its design whatsoever. Its trademark wide, dome-shape; its large amount of seating areas that could hold up to thousands of occupants; the large battlefield that was outlined with white paint, and the great staircase that led up to the golden brazier. Though, the brazier now housed the leftover violet-white fire of Ho-oh's Sacred Fire instead of the bright yellow, red and white flames of Moltres in order to symbolize the rebirth of the Pokemon League and the regions it represented.
And now, with the sun shining brightly down from the endless blue sky, the clouds drifting overhead lazily, the scene that was currently taking place was revealed. Thousands of people and Pokemon alike filled the seats of the Pokemon League stadium. The large screens which were used to allow those who weren't close enough to the battlefield to see, were now active, along with the large stadium lights. All of these were placed at strategic points around the stadium so that not a single member of the audience would be able to miss even a single moment of the extravagant and captivating event that was the Pokemon League Kanto-Johto Silver Conference Victory Tournament.
The official Pokemon League Association blimp was hovering over the stadium so that the event would be broadcasted all over the joint regions on their televisions and their radios.
The air was filled with the loud and excited screams, shouts and other vocal representations of the audience's glee at finally being able to come to the Pokemon League again. The stadium was then silenced when the entry doors on either side of the lower areas of the stadium, opened. These doors were specifically made for the competitors to enter from, and entered they did.
Two large groups of Pokemon trainers walked out onto the battlefield. The groups were composed of four people across and thirty-two people down, thus making each group contain one-hundred and twenty-eight people and giving a grand total of two-hundred and fifty-six competitors.
The entire stadium then became silent when the sound of microphone feedback reached their ears. They looked away from the stadium and follow up the lengthy staircase that led to the golden brazier which held Ho-oh's flames. Sitting atop a newly constructed throne of gold, the Champion's throne, Izuna Uchiha patted the top of the microphone he now held.
Once he was assured that he gotten everyone's attention, his image showing up on all the wide screens being a testament to that fact, he rose from his throne and cleared his throat.
"Welcome one and all to our new and improved Pokemon League Stadium here at the Indigo Plateau!" He began his speech. "Through the much appreciated efforts of both the Pokemon League Association as well as all of you, the citizens of Johto and Kanto, having put forth large amounts of hard earned money, we are now capable of sitting here in this architectural marvel once more to view the thirty-first Pokemon League Johto-Kanto Silver Conference Victory Tournament where you will be able to see all of these fine, young trainers take part in amazing action packed battles for your own amusement as well as to see which one of these fantastic trainers will earn the coveted title of Tournament Champion and then go on to challenge the Elite Four and myself, the Champion, for the even greater title of being the Champion of the joint regions! So ladies and gentlemen, put your hands together for yourselves and to the young trainers situated on the battlefield!"
A large round of applause and whoops filled the air as everyone wholeheartedly agreed with Izuna's words. Many had donated money to aid in the reconstruction of the buildings after the ROOT war and it was very heartwarming to see that their donations had not been wasted.
"I know to many of you, returning to this place does not do well for you, having seen loved ones or pretty much having just seen people, perish or become heavily wounded right in front of yours and/or on the television screens, but we have become stronger as a result of it! We are the founding regions of the Pokemon League Association and we are anything, but weak! AM I RIGHT OR AM I RIGHT?!"
Cheers filled the air, people pumping their fists in the air wildly in support of Izuna's claim.
"And now before we begin, let's give a welcoming round of applause to some very important friends of mine. First off we have the Gym Leaders of the Johto region! Sadly, the Kanto region Gym Leaders could not make it here today because their respective cities and towns that are under their jurisdiction are still under re-construction, but know that they are all watching this competition from their homes, so a shout out to the Kanto Gym Leaders!"
Everyone politely clapped as they turned to the VIP section, while those that weren't close enough to it turned to the large screens as the cameras focused on it. Sitting in the Gym Leader section of the reserved seats were the Johto Gym Leaders; Shinno, with his aide Amaru, followed by Shibi Aburame, Fuuka, Kurenai Yuhi, Rock Lee, Tenten, Haku Momochi and Mikoto Uchiha.
"And now we have two of the trainers who took part in the Pokemon League that came with my defeat thirty years ago! I introduce to you all, Kushina Uzumaki, the second runner-up of the Pokemon League from thirty years ago, as well as her husband and my former successor, due to his retirement four years ago, Minato Namikaze!"
Everyone's eyes widened when a spotlight from one of the lights surrounding the stadium focused on the two aforementioned trainers. Kushina and Minato gave a polite smile and wave to the crowd members from the VIP section of the stadium's stands. Hinata, Akatsuchi and Sakura were also shown to be sitting with Kyuubi the Ninetails, Golem, Meganium and Espeon. Being friends with the son of the former Champion and his wife, as well as Hinata being the daughter of a gym leader, did have its perks.
The reaction was very much delayed as everyone was staring in shock at Kushina and Minato, before they broke out into the applause Izuna had asked them to provide.
When the applause died down, Izuna nodded to the pair in acknowledgement before turning to the competitors down below.
"Trainers!" He called out to the two-hundred and fifty-six young men and women on the battlefield. "You have fought your hardest to reach where you are now! You and your Pokemon have bled, sweated and cried, enduring and overcoming the numerous challenges that have obstructed your path to reach the Indigo Plateau! You, the two-hundred and fifty-six people here who stand before me, are the best of the best in Kanto and Johto and I hope to see your talents shine as this tournament begins! Fight your hardest for if you give mercy to your opponents, they may not be willing to do the same and it will be your own faults for being so naive! Believe in yourself and your Pokemon and I hope to see the one who comes out on top, to see the young man or woman who will hold the Championship Trophy and earn the right to face the Elite Four and myself in combat!"
The fires had been stoked and determination blazed brightly in all of the competitors' eyes, looking up Izuna as he stood atop his throne. His obsidian coloured eyes looking down on them with well deserved confidence. Some began to sweat little as the aura of the Champion came down upon them, while others relished in it, taking in the fact that they would be able to fight such a powerful trainer should they earn first place in the tournament.
"Now, the tournament will be placed into four types of battle rounds, where each type of battle round will take place over the course of a single day. The first section will be much like a screening process where each of your two-hundred and fifty-six will be paired up randomly with another trainer in a three-on-three battle. It is not like the Pokemon Grand Festival where it is done in alphabetical order. Pokemon trainers are expected to be able to think quickly on their feet and adapt to any situation and this will be a test to see if any of you hold that skill. Those who lose in these screening rounds will be automatically eliminated from the competition and you will then be able to choose either stay to sit in the stands which are reserved for those who have lost, or go home. This automatically cuts the competition down by half and so you see just how serious and tough this competition is."
Naruto and Sasuke looked to each other with smirks on their faces. It was just screening rounds and yet the number of competitors would be cut in half by the time they were done.
"And now let's begin this tournament!" A pair of large screens that were positioned on either side of the battlefield, suddenly blinked to life and revealed two large rectangles with three Poke Balls beneath each rectangle. In the digital rectangles, numerous faces were being shuffled as the computers of the Indigo Plateau's computer systems surfed through the two-hundred and fifty-six competitors who would be paired up with each other.
The images then stopped and revealed the two trainers who would be fighting against each other.
"And the first match is Sasuke Uchiha versus Shigeru Okido! And to those of you who are thinking it, yes, Sasuke is my relative, one of many of my younger cousins and is also the son of Fugaku Uchiha and Mikoto Uchiha, gym leaders of Cinnabar Island and Blackthorn City respectively!" Izuna notified the spectators. This resulted in the formation of a myriad of murmurings to spread throughout the crowd.
"Now all other competitors please step off of the battlefield!" Izuna instructed.
Shigeru was shown to be a fifteen year old boy with tanned skin, spiky brown hair and light brown eyes. He wore a black high-collared t-shirt with purple jeans and black sneakers. He had a lean build like most Pokemon trainers and was currently playing with the necklace he wore. The yin-yang charm, which was coloured yellow and green instead of the traditional black and white, was dangling in the wind. A confident smirk was plastered on his face.
"Knowing you, you're gonna get your ass kicked already." Naruto commented. Sasuke snorted.
"In your dreams, dobe."
As the other competitors were clearing out, Naruto and Sasuke walked beside each other, glancing back at Shigeru as he stood in the blue trainer's box on his end of the battlefield.
"He's overconfident if his smirk is anything to go by. His clothes look pretty expensive so he's a spoiled rich kid and probably thinks that just because he made it all the way here to Indigo Plateau, no one will beat him. Finish him quickly to knock him down a few pegs and show him why only I can be the one to kick your Uchiha ass into the ground." Naruto finished his observation with a cocky smirk at his rival.
"Yeah, yeah. And by the way, I resent that ass kicking remark, if anyone is going to be kicking anyone's ass it's me kicking yours into the ground." Sasuke replied, flicking the son of a Champion's ear. "Now move. You're in the way."
"Fuck you!"
And with that, Naruto left behind his rival as said raven haired teen took his place in the red trainer box. The blonde entered the viewing area for the one-hundred and twenty-eight trainers who were in his group, the group that was positioned on the left side of the battlefield, also known as the Red side. Naruto took a seat and looked up at one of the viewing screens that was in his line of sight.
He then felt a force impact with the couch cushion to his right and his blue eyes shifted in that direction to see the orange haired competitor that was Shizuka sitting beside him.
"So, your Uchiha friend is up to fight first."
"Yup."
"Gonna get his ass kicked?"
"He may be an ass, but he's one of the best trainers in my age group and my rival. That Shigeru guy is gonna get his ass curb stomped."
Shizuka raised an eyebrow at the younger trainer. "You're that confident in his skills?"
"I've fought with and against the teme too many times to know that he's not going to go down so easily in these stupid screening rounds. Just watch and you'll see what I mean."
Pokemon League Stadium- Battlefield
Due to the beginning of the event being only the screening rounds, the battlefield was very basic. It was covered with thick layers of gray coloured concrete which were supported by Steelix steel beams underneath in order to help resist against crater causing blows. And the construction workers would know since Izuna himself tested the battlefield's durability with his Dragonite.
The battlefield was outlined with white paint to form a large rectangle, with the red box and blue box that marked the standing points for the competitors being placed just outside the borders. A large circle was drawn in the exact centre of the field and had a smaller circle drawn within its circumference. Both were bisected by a long, white line that made the circular drawings take on the appearance of a Poke Ball.
The referee stepped up to the halfway line and held up the microphone he held. The feedback caught everyone's attention as the loud, screeching sound echoed through the air.
"I will now explain the rules of these Screening Rounds! All Screening Round battles are three-on-three Pokemon battles with Pokemon that you, the trainers should have selected and entered the day before this tournament began! These Pokemon are inputted into the system already so if anyone enters the battlefield and uses a Pokemon that does match the ones shown in the Indigo Plateau's systems..." The referee pointed to a clipboard that was attached to his hip, obviously holding sheets of paper that contained the names and Pokemon of each competitor. The competitors were arranged alphabetically by last name so it would be easy for the referee to find the combatants. "...you will automatically be disqualified! Secondly, no use of substitutions are permitted until the end of a single battle round! Thirdly, healing items are not permitted by either trainer! Fourthly, Hold Items such as Oran berries and Sitrus berries are allowed! Fifthly, in the unlikely event of a draw, draws are decided by a game of rock-paper-scissors! Those are the rules! Fail to obey any of the rules and you are immediately disqualified from the Silver Conference Victory Tournament!"
The referee then placed the microphone down and reached into his back pocket, pulling out the red and blue flags that represented the different sides of the battlefield.
"The first round between Sasuke Uchiha of Blackthorn City and Shigeru Okido of Pallet Town will now begin!" The referee swung down his flags and both trainers immediately reacted, grabbing one of the three Poke Balls attached to their belts.
The Poke Balls snapped open and unleashed simultaneous bursts of white light. The light swirled and then solidified as they slammed onto the battlefield.
On Sasuke's end of the battlefield was a large, bipedal, purple Pokémon distinct reptilian features. It had small, narrow eyes, large, spiny ears, fur-like tufts on its cheeks, and a short snout filled with pointed teeth. There was a long, venomous horn on its forehead. It had gray chest and belly plates, three claws on each hand, rounded spines on its elbows, and a single large nail on each foot. There was a ridge of long spines down its back, and it has a long, powerful tail.
Shigeru's Pokemon was revealed to be one with a humanoid structure and large mustache. Its snout was long and thin, and it had long, ear-like spikes extending from the back of its head. It had brown armour-like sections over its chest, shoulders, forearms and knees, which covered its yellow skeletal body. There were three toes on each foot, each of which had a white claw. In each hand was a silver spoon.
Nidoking the Drill Pokemon. A Poison/Ground-type Pokemon and the evolved form of Nidorino. It swings its big tail around during battle. If its foe flinches, it will charge with its sturdy body.
Alakazam the Psi Pokemon. A Psychic-type Pokemon and the evolved form of Kadabra. Its brain cells multiply continually until it dies. As a result, it remembers everything.
"Type advantage is mine! Plus Alakazam is faster!" Shigeru boasted. "Alakazam use Psychic attack!"
"Nidoking, Protect." Sasuke stated calmly. Alakazam's eyes shone with bright blue light, the same light which outlined the pair of spoons in its hands. Stretching out its arms, the Psi Pokemon crossed the spoons in front of its body, forming an X-shape with them.
"Al-La-Ka-ZAM!" Alakazam unleashed a powerful burst of telekinetic energy that shot through the air and kicked up a small streak of dust behind it, emphasizing the speed and power of the attack. However, Sasuke's Nidoking merely stood there before holding up both its barrel-like arms. The Drill Pokemon roared loudly before unleashing a pulse of green energy that then took on the shape of a dome that surrounded its body. The Psychic attack crashed into the Protect barrier and Alakazam gritted its teeth as it tried to break through the defensive move, but to no avail.
Immediately after the Psychic attack ended, Sasuke struck.
"Earth Power!" He commanded. Nidoking roared before rearing back its arms, clenching its claws tightly to form a makeshift fist. Nidoking slammed its arms down into the ground and its claws were embedded in the layer of earth and dust that covered the concrete below it. The earth and dust cracked and shifted beneath Alakazam's feet as veins of lava-like energy broke through the cracks. Alakazam's eyes widened before three pillars of earth and lava-like energy exploded out of the ground. The three pillars struck Alakazam harshly, sending the Psychic-type Pokemon skyward.
"Slam it down with Iron Tail and finish it off with Megahorn!" Nidoking streaked across the battlefield, moving with speed that did not match its heavy weight. The purple armoured Pokemon then leaped into the air, its thick tail shining like silver steel before it flipped in the air and crashed the rear appendage down on Alakazam's skull. The Psychic-type Pokemon rocketed to the ground only for Nidoking to fall after it immediately. Its horn glowed light green before the Megahorn speared through Alakazam's left shoulder, while its heavy feet slammed down on the Psychic-type Pokemon's legs. Blood flowed from the wound and Alakazam released a cry of pain as the bones in its legs were cracked from the force. Alakazam then fainted as the super effective move's power ran its course.
Nidoking stepped off of its opponent and unleashed a roar of victory while Shigeru stared in shock at how quickly his Pokemon had been defeated. By a Pokemon with a type disadvantage nonetheless.
"Alakazam is unable to battle. Okido-san, please send out your second Pokemon. Uchiha-san, you are allowed to substitute if you so choose to." The referee said. Shigeru growled as he returned his Alakazam, the Psi Pokemon vanishing as a beam of crimson when it re-entered the Poke Ball. Sasuke did the same with his Nidoking.
"YEAH, THAT'S MY SON!" Mikoto yelled as she stood up in her seat. "IN YOUR FACE KUSHINA-CHAN! MY BOY'S WAY BETTER THAN YOURS!"
"FUCK YOU MIKOTO! NO WAY THAT BOY WHO HAS A PIDGEY'S ASS FOR HAIR WOULD EVER BEAT NARU-CHAN!"
"WELL AT LEAST SASUKE-CHAN DOESN'T HAVE A PINCUSHION FOR A HEAD!"
"THAT'S HIS FATHER, DON'T BLAME ME FOR THAT!"
'Pincushion for a head?' Minato absentmindedly touched his spiky blonde locks at that comment before turning to his wife. "Kushi-chan, calm down." Minato said with a sweatdrop. "Some of the cameras are starting to face us."
Kushina looked down at her husband with a fiery aura surrounding her, her hair rising into the air and splitting off into nine 'tails' of crimson. "Like hell that bitch is going to talk badly about my Naru-chan and get away with it!"
"You can do that when the two fight each other on the battlefield. These are the Screening Rounds, Kush-chan, so control yourself and then you can scream all you want when Naruto begins his fight against Sasuke later in the competition, alright? Mikoto-san, how does that sound?"
"Bets! Bets! My Sasuke-chan or Kushina-chan's midget ramen addict!" Mikoto turned to her fellow gym leaders as she began to start a betting pool.
'She's already doing the betting pool. This is not good.' Minato thought. He then turned back to the battlefield and his eyes brightened with interest as he saw Sasuke recall Nidoking. "Kushi-chan, look, Sasuke's using a different Pokemon."
"KICK THAT BASTARD'S ASS, SASUKE-KUN!" Minato and Kushina turned to see Sakura hopping up and down on her seat. Meganium, Akatsuchi and Hinata were trying desperately to stop her from being too much of a fangirl, but it was really difficult. Golem could only watch as Espeon even had to resort to using its telekinetic abilities to prevent her from tripping and falling. The two parents sweatdropped as Hinata and Akatsuchi then turned to them with a pleading look on her face.
"Help me." Hinata squeaked.
Shigeru and Sasuke then pulled out their second Pokemon and tossed the balls skyward.
"EXEGGUTOR GO!"
"ARBOK, I CHOOSE YOU!"
Shigeru sent out the three-headed walking tree of a Pokemon while Sasuke's purple scaled serpent hissed when it materialized.
Exeggutor the Coconut Pokemon. A Grass/Psychic-type Pokemon and the evolved form of Exeggcute. Its three heads think independently. However, they are friendly and never appear to squabble.
Arbok the Cobra Pokemon. A Poison-type Pokemon and the evolved form of Ekans. With a very vengeful nature, it won't give up the chase, no matter how far, once it targets its prey.
"Exeggutor, Psyshock attack!"
"Dodge it."
Exeggutor's eyes shone with sapphire coloured light as a series of crystalline energy bolts materialized out of thin air. The energy bolts then streaked towards Arbok at high speeds, however, Arbok's form was quick and flexible which allowed it to avoid the wave of psychic projectiles. However, a few of the projectiles managed to strike Arbok, sending the Cobra Pokemon skyward.
"Type advantage alone won't save you." Sasuke stated. "That first round should alert you to that."
"Shut up. I'll take you down either way." Shigeru growled back. "Exeggutor, take it down with Psychic!"
"Use Dig as soon as you hit the ground!"
Arbok went with the momentum of being struck by Psyshock and bent over backwards so that its head was poised to strike the ground. It then slammed into the earth with great force, digging through the loose earth and dirt formed by Nidoking's Earth Power and disappeared from view. A cloud of dust then formed just as Exeggutor unleashed it Psychic attack, an attack which missed.
"Now!" Sasuke ordered. One of the holes caused by Nidoking's Earth Power was used to the Poison-type Pokemon's advantage as it popped out of the ground to Exeggutor's left and lashed out with a powerful headbutt that sent the Coconut Pokemon stumbling backwards. "Attack with Gunk Shot and finish it with Fire Fang!"
A glob of poisonous, viscous liquid flew from Arbok's open maw, crashing against the dual type Pokemon's body. Exeggutor unleashed a cry of pain as the acidic substance burnt against its tree-like body before Arbok wrapped its body around both legs, bringing the already clumsy Pokemon to the ground. It then opened its jaws, fangs glowing with yellow-orange flame, before biting down quickly on all three heads of the Coconut Pokemon. Small explosions of flame formed as the Cobra Pokemon struck like its animal namesake, moving swiftly and accurately.
Arbok then retreated from its enemy and flared its cloak widely, hissing in victory as Exeggutor lay unconscious on the ground covered with burns from the Gunk Shot and the triple threat Fire Fang.
"Arbok wins by knockout!"
The crowd erupted into a cheers as they saw Sasuke had won two-for-two. Shigeru and Sasuke removed their Pokemon from the battlefield before they each took out their third Poke Balls.
"Third Round, begin!" The referee swung down his flags once he saw both trainers were prepared.
"Machamp, crush him!" Shigeru yelled.
"Go, Hypno!" Sasuke sent out his third Pokemon.
Machamp the Superpower Pokemon. A Fighting-type Pokemon and the evolved form of Machoke. It quickly swings its four arms to rock its opponents with ceaseless punches and chops from all angles.
Hypno the Hypnosis Pokemon. A Psychic-type Pokemon and the evolved form of Drowzee. Always holding a pendulum that it swings at a steady rhythm, it causes drowsiness in anyone nearby.
The four armed, muscle bound Fighting-type flexed its muscles in an intimidating fashion, but Hypno's blank looking face showed that it either hid its feelings really well or it was just that apathetic towards its opponent.
"Now let me show you how you really use type advantage to its best." Sasuke smirked.
"Like you'll ever get the chance! Machamp use Earthquake! Then while it's off-balance attack with Dynamic Punch!"
Machamp reared its four fists back before punching the ground. The force of the earth moved across the battlefield as seismic waves, crashing into Hypnos's body and caused the Psychic-type Pokemon to stumble around while taking damage. Hypno then fell to its knees, sweating and breathing heavily as it worked to get over the dizziness caused by the Earthquake. However, a shadow soon covered its form and Machamp grinned widely, battle lust blazing in its eyes as it reared back all four of its fists which then glowed with white light.
"MA-CHAMP!" Machamp swung its fists forward, aiming towards Hypno. The fists made impact and a massive cloud of dust formed from the force, obscuring both Pokemon from view. Sasuke remained calm while Shigeru was grinning confidently like his Pokemon had been doing before.
"Ha! That's what you get for messin' with the best!"
"I've faced better than you." Sasuke replied coldly. "And you may want to swallow your words."
Sasuke pointed at the dust cloud as it was dispersing. The crowd and Shigeru stared in amazement as Hypno was laying on the ground, its head, arms and legs positioned at different angles while Machamp's fists were on the ground where it had cracked lightly from the force, but was shown to have missed Hypno entirely.
"Hypno, counter with Psychic attack!" Sasuke ordered.
"HYP!" Machamp's eyes widened as Hypno's own visual orbs were coated with sapphire light before a burst of telekinetic energy shot forth from Hypno's body and impacted with the Fighting-type Pokemon. "NO!" The Superpower Pokemon was sent skyward only to be quickly slammed down on the ground by another Psychic attack.
"Now use Psybeam and manipulate it with Psychic!" Hypno followed its trainer's commands and then, while pointing the index finger of the hand that was not holding its pendulum, a burst of multicoloured psychic energy flowed through the air at high speeds. Machamp, having climbed to its feet, quickly crossed its arms in front of its body in an effort to protect itself, but then its eyes widened, along with everyone else's, when the single beam burst apart into seven different beams of energy. The super effective strikes manuevered around Machamp's guard and struck home and sent Machamp rolling on the ground from the concussive force of the strikes.
Machamp came to a stop after rolling on the ground, groaning in pain as it lay on the ground, defeated.
"Winner, Sasuke Uchiha!" The referee announced. The people in the stands broke out into loud shouts and cheers. Shigeru fell to his knees, looking at Machamp in shock.
"H-How?"
"Hypno's most prominent ability is Forewarn, which alerts it to the move with the highest power. Though Earthquake and Dynamic Punch have the same power, Hypno was more aware of Dynamic Punch. Hypno was therefore able to see it coming as soon as you used it and position its body accordingly to avoid all four blows." Sasuke explained. "And as for the Psybeam manipulation...I picked that up from a friend."
The Uchiha glanced up at the VIP section of the stands and looked at Hinata as she sat next to a wildly cheering Sakura. The Hyuga heiress caught his gaze and gave him a smirk and a nod of approval. Sasuke then returned Hypno to its Poke Ball and headed back to the viewing area.
"SASU-KE! SASU-KE! SAS-UKE!" Mikoto and Sakura began chanting in unison, grinning at one another as they took notice of their simultaneous action.
Everyone else in the VIP section could only shake their heads as they planted their faces into their hands. The members of the audience near to the VIP section could only stare with confusion and wonder what sort of oddities Sakura Haruno and Mikoto Uchiha were.
Pokemon League Stadium- Viewing Area
"See, told you he'd win." Naruto said as he looked to Shizuka. The orange haired girl had her brown eyes wide with amazement. She then turned away from the screen, along with the other trainers, as the raven haired teenager entered the viewing area. Many began muttering to themselves about how it was guaranteed since he was an Uchiha, others gave him looks of approval and a bit of fear, while the remainder gave him determined glares, wanting to fight the Uchiha for themselves.
"Not bad, Uchiha." Kiba said as he and Shino walked up to them from their spot on the couch area where Naruto and Shizuka were sitting.
"Quite an exemplary battle, Sasuke-san. You have done quite a good job of raising your Pokemon." Shino complimented him. Sasuke nodded to Shino, but completely ignored the canine loving Pokemon trainer.
"Oi teme! That was a cheap shot using Hina-chan's tactic to win with Hypno. She worked her ass off to get Espeon to manipulate its Psybeam with Psychic and now you just made it look like anyone can do it."
"You can do it too, dobe." Sasuke replied in exasperation, rolling his obsidian orbs. "Besides, you were the one who advised me to use whatever opportunity I have at winning."
"Yeah, but I'm her boyfriend. I have privileges." Naruto scowled. "And don't use my own words against me."
"Woah Woah Woah!" Kiba said shooting to his feet. "Hina-chan? Boyfriend? You're dating Hinata?"
"Yeah, I am." Naruto's blue eyes stared into the Inuzuka's black ones. "Is that a problem?"
Kiba raised his hands in mock surrender. "No, I was just surprised that you of all people got a girlfriend, and Hinata at that. About time she confessed to you, it was so painfully obvious."
"Congratulation, Naruto-san." Shino nodded to the blonde. Naruto smirked at Shino in thanks before turning to Sasuke as his rival sat down on his immediate left.
"That was really amazing, Sasuke!" Shizuka exclaimed. "Those three Pokemon are really strong and you used them really well. I'm sure if you make it to the six-on-six rounds, that those three will be tough to beat with the other three members of your team. As expected of the son of a gym leader!"
Sasuke and Naruto looked to each other with amused smirks on their faces.
"I may be the son of a gym leader, but wait 'til you get a load of the dobe's credentials."
"What are you talking about, Uchiha?" Kiba asked with a confused tilt of the head. Sasuke blinked as he saw Shizuka and Kiba were all confused at his words.
'His mother is Kushina Uzumaki, Naruto's last name is Uzumaki. Kiba knows that, so why haven't they pieced together the fact that Naruto is Minato Namikaze's son yet? Shizuka is understandable because she barely knows Naruto, but for Kiba...' Sasuke shook his head alongside Shino as they looked at Kiba. "It's nothing Kiba. Just wait until the dobe fights."
"Fourth Screening Round Battle; Kiba Izuzuka versus Hazuki Toriumi!"
Kiba rose up from his seat with a toothy grin on his face, revealing his sharper than average canines. "Now let me show you how a real trainer fights with three Pokemon, Uchiha. Take notes, dobe."
"Last I checked, I beat Akamaru's ass into the ground when it was still a Growlithe. And the teme's my rival, not you, so only he can get away with calling me a dobe. Get your act together before I kick your ass, Kiba." Naruto shot back. Kiba growled at the blonde before walking off.
"I'll be seeing you cry when I beat you, dobe."
Naruto sat back down, having stood up to glare at Kiba in the face. "Might as well just watch him and see what he's made of. Knowing the flea bag, he's going all out from the get go. It'll give me a good way to see what he's got and since he's going to be trying to show you up..." Naruto turned to Sasuke. "...he's going to use your substitution of Pokemon per round. Intimidation tactics like that are a complete waste of time if you are able to keep calm and come up with counters for the Pokemon he uses."
"Well...we'll see what he's got." Shizuka and Sasuke replied in unison.
Pokemon League Stadium- Battlefield
Kiba took his spot in the red box while Hazuki stood in the blue box.
Hazuki Toriumi was a tall, seventeen year old boy with lightly tanned skin, greenish brown coloured hair which was spiked lightly in the front and had blue eyes. He wore a short-sleeved t-shirt which was pink on the collar, shoulders and sleeves, and had two hook-shaped areas of pink on the front and back by the stomach and mid-back areas. The rest of the t-shirt was a deep purple and had a similarly coloured stripe on each sleeves. He wore white wristband which had a single stripe of purple on each one. His jeans were tan coloured and he wore a pair of blue, yellow and white sneakers.
The referee raised his flags high into the air. "Let the battle begin!" He swung his arms down as he shouted. Kiba and Hazuki each took out a Poke Ball and tossed it into the air. They snapped open and in flashes of white light, the Pokemon contained within them materialized.
"Go, Jolteon!" Kiba shouted.
"Houndoom, let's go!" Hazuki yelled.
Jolteon the Lightning Pokemon. An Electric-type Pokemon and the evolved form of Eevee. Every hair on its body starts to stand sharply on end if it becomes charged with electricity.
Houndoom the Dark Pokemon. A Dark/Fire-type Pokemon and the evolved form of Houndour. If you are burned by the flames it shoots from its mouth, the pain will never go away.
"As expected of Kiba-kun." Hinata said.
"Pokemon with canine characteristics are much too predictable in this case, and knowing Kiba, he's probably using his main team. Unlike Sasuke-kun and Naruto who are more tactical and strategic in their battles, Kiba's more of a power-type battler and focuses on hitting hard and hitting fast. A berserker kind of battler I guess would be the proper term to use."
"I agree with you there, Sakura-san." The eldest daughter of Hiashi nodded. "But to get this far means that Kiba-kun must have some form of strategic mind otherwise he'd never have been able to beat people like Haku-san and Mikoto-san."
"Good point."
The two canine Pokemon bared their fangs at one another, circling the battlefield as they looked for an opening between their respective guards. Houndoom was larger and stronger, but Jolteon's naturally sharp fur and higher level of speed would be a quick counter against physical attacks, so both trainers were very cautious to attack.
Well, Hazuki was. Kiba on the otherhand...
"Jolteon use Quick Attack!" The Lightning Pokemon took off in a burst of speed, leaving a trail of colour behind it as it did so. Houndoom released a grunt of pain as it was struck, skidding backwards from the force of the attack.
"Houndoom, recover and use Flamethrower!"
"Counter with Thunderbolt!"
Houndoom dug its paws into the ground to stop itself from skidding before taking a deep inhalation of air. With a howl, a tongue of dark red flames poured out of its maw and streaked through the air towards Jolteon. The Lightning Pokemon unleashed a large number of volts of electricity from its body and the golden lightning bolt met the crimson flames in an epic clash of the elements. The two moves struggled against one another, one trying to overpower the other, but it resulted in a stalemate and produced a small explosion that kicked up a cloud of smoke and dust.
"Run through the cloud and attack with Flamethrower, Houndoom!" Hazuki commanded. Houndoom ran through the smoke as it was told and opened its jaws to bear down on Jolteon, but Jolteon's sharp sense of hearing allowed it to pick up on Houndoom's movements. The Lightning Pokemon turned and leaped to the side before crashing into Houndoom's side with a Quick Attack. The sharp points of Jolteon's fur impaled Houndoom's skin and Kiba smirked as he took notice of that.
"Thunderbolt!" He commanded. Jolteon nodded and unleashed the golden electricity from its body. Houndoom howled in pain as the voltage flooded its body. "Now end it with Double Kick!" Jolteon then released the Dark Pokemon from the pain of being electrocuted before rapidly turning and lashing out with a powerful mule kick to the jaw. One hind leg sent Houndoom's head rearing up before the other made Houndoom's jaw break with a sickening crack as it was sent spiraling through the air from the force of the super effective attack.
"Houndoom is unable to battle!" The referee announced. "Please switch Pokemon, Toriumi-san! Inuzuka-san, you are welcome to substitute as well!"
Kiba and Hazuki both recalled their Pokemon before calling out their second Pokemon.
"Flareon!"
Flareon the Flame Pokemon. A Fire-type Pokemon and the evolved form of Eevee. It fluffs out its fur collar to cool down its body temperature, which can reach 1,650 degrees Fahrenheit.
"Steelix, I choose you!"
Kiba's Jolteon was now replaced with its Fire-type counterpart while the Iron Snake Pokemon replaced Hazuki's Houndoom. The large serpent of steel growled at the Flame Pokemon which snarled in return. The referee then gave his signal to start the second round of the battle.
"Quick Attack to get in close! Then follow up with Double Kick and Fire Blast!" Hazuki didn't even have time to utter a counter as Flareon rushed towards Steelix and scaled its body. A blur of colour trailed behind the Fire-type Pokemon before it came to the top of Steelix's confused form. It then leaped into the air and lashed out with a kick with its hind leg that struck Steelix right between the eyes. The Iron Snake Pokemon roared in pain from the strike before being sent teetering when Flareon pushed off of Steelix's head with the second kick.
Flareon now hovered in midair as it had leaped away before opening its fang-filled jaws. Heat and fire built up in the centre of its jaws before expanding to the size of a basketball.
"FLARE!" The Flame Pokemon sent the massive fireball towards Steelix before it exploded outwards to form an even large five-pointed star of fiery destruction. The super effective attack slammed into Steelix's chest with explosive force that sent Steelix toppling to the ground, the earth shaking from the impact. Flareon landed on the ground, wearing a toothy smirk just like its trainer as Hazuki could only stare in shock at how quickly his gargantuan Steel/Ground-type Pokemon had been defeated.
"Steelix has fainted! Flareon is the winner!" The referee announced while holding up the red flag. "Prepare for round three!"
Kiba and Hazuki recalled their active and fainted Pokemon, respectively, before pulling out their final Pokemon. Hazuki and Kiba tossed their Poke Balls and the red and white capturing devices opened up to unleash simultaneous bursts of white light and energy.
"Umbreon!" Kiba's Pokemon barked.
"Sneasel!" The Dark/Ice-type Pokemon appeared before Hazuki with the mischievous smirk that made its species infamous in the Pokemon world.
The referee swung his flags to signal the start of the battle.
"QUICK ATTACK!" Both trainers commanded and both Dark-types vanished from view. There were a cries of both Pokemon littered across the battlefield and the audience members who weren't used to seeing Pokemon battles could gape in awe at the speed of the two combatants, only catching brief flashes of the action when the two collided with each other.
"Metal Claw, Sneasel!"
"Counter it with Iron Tail!"
The mischievous Pokemon's white claws shone with silver light, the same happening to Umbreon's tail.
"SNEEEEASEL!"
"UMBREON!"
Both Pokemon lashed out with their appendages which were now as hard as steel. A large shockwave was produced from the force of the collision and both Pokemon pushed against each other in an effort to overpower one another. However, due to Sneasel having upper body strength and giving it the ability to push more weight upon the point of collision, the dual type Pokemon pushed forward and struck Umbreon in the side. Umbreon released a yelp of pain as it rolled on the ground.
"Now use Blizzard!" Sneasel took a deep breath inwards before unleashing a large gust of ice and snow from its mouth. Umbreon was sent rolling on the ground, some of its right side being covered with plates of ice. "Now attack with Metal Claw again!"
Sneasel rushed towards Umbreon as it was getting up, its claws glowing with silvery-white light. The Steel-type attack struck home, nailing Umbreon in the chin and sending it skyward.
"Land down with an Iron Tail to give yourself some room!" Umbreon quickly flipped in midair to right itself before falling into a series of front flips.
"Sneasel dodge it!" The Dark/Ice-type leaped away as Umbreon slammed its glowing tail onto the ground with enough force to shatter bone. However, just as Umbreon touched down on the ground, it adjusted it body so it fell onto all-fours before taking off at high speeds.
"Quick Attack! Then rotate to aim an Iron Tail to the chest!" Umbreon left a streak of black and gold behind its body, the rings on its body shining as it rushed forth. It then shifted its body's angle so that it shoulder tackled Hazuki's Sneasel before planting its paws on the ground to spin its body around, bringing the shining rear appendage that was its Iron Tail and made a solid impact with the enemy Pokemon's chest. Sneasel's eyes widened as it released a cough and the wind was driven from its lungs.
"Now finish it with Dark Pulse!" Umbreon reared up on its hind legs, a sickening aura of ebony forming around its body, before slamming its front paws down onto the ground harshly. A pulse of dark energy rocketed forth from the point on impact and slammed into Sneasel. Hazuki could only gape in shock as Sneasel flew past his body, outside of the battlefield's perimeter and slammed into the wall with great force.
"Snea-sel!" The Pokemon grunted before falling into unconsciousness.
"Winner, Kiba Inuzuka!" The referee announced. Kiba scratched the underside of his nose while wearing a confident and cocky smirk. He returned Umbreon to its ball before walking back into the viewing area.
"What do you think of that?" Kiba gloated, his chest puffing out with pride as he sat back down beside Shino. Naruto and Sasuke didn't reply. Shizuka did.
"Well, you definitely got some skill. Your Flareon seems to be your best one out of the three Eevee evolutions you own." She commented, tucking a strand of orange hair behind her ear. "But this is just the screening rounds so I can't really judge you as well as I judge most of the trainers I've fought before coming here."
He suddenly gained a bit of a lecherous look on his face as he looked Shizuka up and down. "Bet you were pretty impressed by my strength and skill huh?" Shizuka wisely chose to stay quiet upon hearing that remark. The group of five then looked to the viewing screen watching the battles go by. There were a few of them that actually caught their interest.
The twentieth screening round featured a red haired boy who completely obliterated all three of his opponent's Pokemon with just his Sandslash. The one that just occurred recently, the thirty-fifth screening round, showed a man whose Snorlax was quite powerful. So strong that it made Naruto wonder if his father's Snorlax could earn a challenge from facing it.
"Screening Round number seventy; Shino Aburame versus Tsukushi Ishikawa!" The referee's voice echoed through the speakers in the viewing room.
"Ah, Tsukushi-san is here?" Shino raised a curious eyebrow.
"You know that guy, Shino?" Shizuka asked. Shino nodded.
"He is a fellow regular at the Bug Catching Contest at the park outside Goldenrod City. He is quite a skilled catcher, but I have never gazed upon his combat skills, so I am just as curious as you all are." Shino adjusted his glasses as he finished speaking.
"Well, it doesn't matter at this point! Just kick that guy's ass, Shino!" Kiba patted his friend on the back.
"I never got see what you could do when I beat your dad back in Azalea Town, so I hope you'll give me a good show, Shino." Naruto grinned foxily at the dark glasses wearing trainer. Shino nodded in reply.
"I will aim to meet your expectations, Naruto-san."
Shino then exited the viewing area and stepped out onto the battlefield, taking his place in the red box.
Tsukushi was a young boy, but bore a rather androgynous appearance. He had straight purple hair that fell to the middle of his neck, slightly pale skin and had purple eyes that matched his hair colour. His shirt was dark green on the shoulder, upper chest and arms, while everything else was a lighter shade of green. Wrapped around the collar of his shirt was a yellow tie or ascot of some sort. His pants were extremely short, stopping at the middle of his thigh, and was being held up by a brown belt which had a silver buckle on it. He wore long, white socks and a pair of brown boots. Attached to his back was a long net.
"Shino-san!" Tsukushi called out. "It's good to see you again after so long!"
"We saw each other three weeks ago at the last contest my Tou-san hosted. I am curious as to why you think we haven't seen each other in a long time, Tsukushi-san." Shino raised an eyebrow to further personify his confusion. Tsukushi chuckled nervously, scratching the back of his head in embarrassment.
"You have a point there, Shino-san. Anyway, let's get to battling so that we prove once and for all who is the better Bug-type trainer!" Tsukushi exclaimed with vigour. Shino nodded in agreement. He removed his hand from his pockets, showing that he had been clutching his Poke Ball during the entire conversation. Tsukishi pulled out one of the Poke Balls attached to his belt and allowed it to expand by pressing the centre button.
"First round of the seventieth Screening Round battle will now begin!" The referee swung the red and blue flags downwards and the trainers quickly responded, pelting their Poke Balls to the field.
"Go Butterfree!" Tsukushi called for the Butterfly Pokemon.
"Pineco." Shino's Pokemon materialized in white light. Both Bug-type Pokemon faced each other on the battlefield. Tsukushi chuckled as he looked at Shino's Pokemon.
"Your Pokemon is too slow to avoid this." Tsukushi muttered more to himself than to his opponent. " Butterfree, use String Shot!" The Bug/Flying-type did as it was commanded and unleashed a thick strand of silk from its mouth and attached it to Pineco. "Now swing it into the air!"
Butterfree flapped its wings heavily to carry itself into the sky, bringing Pineco along with it. Pineco then began to swing around in the air by the strong strand of silk as Butterfree built up the necessary momentum to toss Pineco skyward. Pineco soared into the air.
"Now attack with Aerial Ace!"
"Freeeee!" The Butterfly Pokemon flapped its wings rapidly and performed a loop-de-loop before vanishing from view as it reached the apex of the aerial movement. Suddenly, Butterfree re-appeared in front of Shino's falling Pineco and crashed headfirst against it. The super effective move made Pineco cry out in pain, but Shino replied with a single word.
"Explosion."
Pineco's red eyes snapped open and its body glowed with white and orange light. Butterfree was still in close proximity to Pineco and so Tsukushi could only watch in shock as Pineco committed to the suicide attack. The powerful explosion seemed to make the heavens quake and both Bug-type Pokemon were engulfed in a storm of fire, smoke and light. Both Pokemon then fell from the sky and crashed down onto the ground.
"Double knockout!" The referee announced. "Both Pokemon are unable to battle!"
"My, my, Shibi-san." Fuuka giggled as she watched the battle. "Your son sure does know when to use opportunity doesn't he?"
"I have taught him what I can. His tactics are his own, however, and I must say that I am also quite surprised by his use of the Explosion attack." Shibi replied. "Truly a tactic worth taking note of."
"Hmmm?" Shinno and Amaru turned to the Bug-type gym leader. "Is that pride I detect in your normally emotionless voice, Shibi-san?" The Flying-type gym leader asked with a teasing grin. Shibi remained silent at that.
"Shino-kun is much more unpredictable than I thought." Hinata said as she looked down at the Bug-type user. Sakura nodded in agreement.
"I'll say. Shino's always been quiet, but he was pretty smart back in the Academy with Professor Iruka and he always used to sit and look at the Bug-type Pokemon at the lab. I guess his studies paid off." Sakura said before she began to gush. "But his battle is nowhere near as awesome as Sasuke-kun's. His Nidoking really kicked off the battles and that Hypno totally owned that Machamp's ass!"
Hinata shook her head and turned to Espeon and Meganium. "We really need to get her and Sasuke-san into a relationship with each other, don't we?"
"Mega."
"Espeon."
The two Pokemon nodded in agreement. The cheers from the crowd then snapped them out of their conversation and back to focusing on the battlefield.
Shino and Tsukushi returned their Pokemon to their balls. Tsukushi ran a hand through his violet locks. "Man, Shino-san! I didn't expect such a tactic from you! I didn't expect such a tactic from anyone in this competition to tell you the truth, but you really are surprising to pull off an Explosion attack! But I won't fall for it again!"
"Go Shuckle!" Tsukushi exclaimed as he tossed out a Great Ball. In a flash of blue, the shell wearing Pokemon materialized onto the battlefield.
Shuckle the Mold Pokemon. A Rock/Bug-type Pokemon. The Berries it stores in its vase-like shell decompose and become a gooey liquid.
"Pineco." Shino tossed out a Net Ball and another Pineco took to the battlefield.
"Shuckle, attack Pineco with Stone Edge!" Tsukushi exclaimed. Shuckle nodded in reply to its command before raising its fore-tentacles and slamming them down on the ground. The torn up earth and dirt from the earlier battles came lose and hovered in the air, circling around the Mold Pokemon before Shuckle lashed out at the pieces of stone, sending them flying towards the Pineco.
"Pineco, Protect and then move in with Rapid Spin!" A green dome of energy formed around Pineco and the Woodworm Pokemon merely stood there as it was bombarded with numerous shards of sharp rock. However, the rocks were quickly deflected by the barrier that was Protect before it vanished. As soon as it did, Pineco spun rapidly, like a top, and raced across the battlefield towards the enemy Shuckle.
"Attack with Rock Slide!" Tsukushi ordered. Shuckle's tentacles reared up like wild Ekans and Arbok before digging underneath the arena. The appendages then burst forth from the ground and sent numerous amounts of rock into the sky before they fell down from above to create the makeshift Rock Slider.
"Move quickly, Pineco. Left, right, slow down and shift backwards, shoot forwards, diagonal to the left, now strike." Shino ordered. Pineco's rapidly spinning form began to swerve and twist out of the of the way of the falling rocks, following Shino's orders to the letter. Once it had done as it was directed, it shot forwards and struck Shuckle with great force.
The shell wearing Bug-type released a cry of pain as Pineco sent it skidding backwards. "Now use Gyro Ball!" Pineco's body spun quickly once more and struck against Shuckle numerous times. However, the Steel-type move didn't do significant damage, only whittling away at Shuckle's health since Gyro Ball's damage was only truly effective against foes which had a higher level of speed than its user.
"One more time, and then use Explosion." Pineco slammed into Shuckle from behind and Tsukushi could only stare, entering another state of shock as Shino used Explosion for the second time. Shuckle and Pineco were engulfed in the cloud of smoke and flame before it dispersed, revealing the two unconscious Pokemon.
"Double knock out! Shuckle and Pineco are unable to battle!" The referee announced. "Prepare for the final round!"
Shino and Tsukushi reached into their pockets and pulled out their final Pokemon.
"You've really gotten me fighting, Shino-san." Tsukushi said. "But I prepared myself in case I fought a strong enough opponent, which is why I brought along my best Pokemon just in case something like this happened. Say hello..." He threw the Net Ball into the air. "...to SCYTHER!"
Shino tossed out his Net Ball as well revealing the evolved form of Pineco in all its Bug/Steel-type glory.
"Forretress." The Pokemon spoke in a deep voice.
Forretress the Bagworm Pokemon. A Bug/Steel-type Pokemon and the evolved form of Pineco. Its entire body is shielded by a steel-hard shell. What lurks inside the armor is a total mystery.
"So you've stopped using Pineco and use its evolution. You're kind of a one trick Ponyta, aren't you Shino-san?"
"To each their own, Tsukushi-san. However, I too have made my necessary preparations for this event. I have planned out this scenario in which I would commit to the suicide based attacks of Pineco before finishing you off with Forretress. Your Scyther will fall and I will be victorious."
"We'll see about that!" Tsukushi grinned widely. "Attack, Scyther! Use Aerial Ace to build up speed and attack it head on before following up with Brick Break!" Scyther performed a loop-de-loop as its rapidly moving wings fluttered. As it reached the apex of the loop-de-loop, the Bug/Flying-type Pokemon vanished from view.
"Protect." Shino said. An energy dome formed around Forretress just as Scyther was about to strike the Bug/Steel-type Pokemon, however, just as it did, the energy dome vanished and Scyther's scythe-like arms glowed with white light. It raised the limbs high into the air before swinging them down with great force. The Fighting-type move struck harshly and released a cry of pain from the Bagworm Pokemon. Forretress lay on the ground, unmoving, eyes closed in pain and still has Scyther's scythes embedded it is armour-like shell.
"And that's the match." Tsukushi said with a bow. "You did well, Shino-san, but I..."
"Zap Cannon." Shino commanded with an unprecedented amount of venom in his tone. Tsukushi stopped speaking due to the young Aburame's interruption and Scyther's eyes widened as Forretress's eyes snapped open. A large amount of electricity suddenly accumulated in front of the red protrusions that were a part of Forretress's anatomy, forming two large orbs of electrical energy.
"FORRETREEEEEEEESS!" The Bagworm Pokemon unleashed the orbs of electricity. Scyther was too caught off-guard to avoid the strikes and the super effective move struck with terrific force against the Mantis Pokemon's body. Electricity flooded its body and the super effective move did its job as Scyther's body was now smoking and on the ground, twitching due to the electricity that continued to course through its body.
"Winner by knockout! Shino Aburame and his Forretress!" The referee announced. The crowd broke out into applause, Hinata and Sakura jumping from their seats as they clapped for their friend. Shibi and Shino met each other's gazes and the father gave his son a nod of approval. Shino nodded back to Shibi before returning Forretress to its ball, leaving the battlefield and one comically sobbing Tsukushi.
"Damn Shino, that was awesome!" Kiba and Naruto exclaimed.
"I thank you for your approval of my combat skills." Shino replied.
"I gotta admit, I was a bit worried there for you since you had your two Pineco use Explosion for double knock outs, but that Zap Cannon...damn that was epic!" Kiba said as he wrapped his arm around Shino's shoulder and shook him slightly. "How'd you learn to do that?"
"Much training and studying of Bug-type Pokemon. Forretress's ability is Sturdy and so when Tsukushi-san's Scyther used Brick Break, a super effective move due to it being a Fighting-type attack, I took that into account knowing that if Forretress played it had fainted for a while, it would get both trainer and Pokemon to lower their guards thus allowing for Forrtress to have sufficient time to charge the Zap Cannon and fire it." Shino turned to his travel partner. "Strategy is key in this tournament, Kiba-san. Power will only get you so far."
"Yeah, yeah, whatever." Kiba replied nonchalantly.
"Those Pokemon aren't part of your main team...are they?" Sasuke asked. The dark glasses wearing trainer nodded as he faced the young Uchiha.
"Well, yes and no, Sasuke-san. The two Pineco I used are not, but Forretress is." Shino replied. "Like Tsukushi-san, I placed a member of my primary team of Pokemon as a precautionary measure in case my Explosion tactic did not succeed. Forretress's high levels of defense, special defense and endurance would have proved to allow me to turn the tide of the battle."
"You've thought this out pretty well, haven't you?" Shizuka asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Indeed I have, Shizuka-san."
"Screening Round number seventy-one, Shizuka Reimei versus Kanna Kawamura!"
"Guess that's me. Time to show you boys what I can do." Shizuka said while cracking her neck and knuckles in preparation.
"Knock 'em dead, Shizuka." Naruto patted his female rival on the shoulder.
"Thanks, Naruto." She smiled at the younger trainer before jogging out to the battlefield.
The two female trainers took their spots in their respective boxes. Shizuka's brown eyes narrowed as she looked over her opponent.
Kanna Kawamura was a relatively young woman, her figure and height showing that she was most likely in her mid-twenties. Her skin was a beautiful creamy colour and she had a figure that made Shizuka absentmindedly glance down at her own out of envy. She wore a black, high collared, sleeveless top that stretched past her waistline and had single lines of dull bronze extending from the tips of the collar to the hem of the shirt. These also served to accentuate her sizable bust. She wore a dark violet skirt that reached to just above her knees and had on a pair of black high heels. On her right wrist, she wore a bronze coloured bracelet. She had on a pair of glasses with oval-shaped lenses and her deep red hair was tied up in a ponytail.
The referee raised the red and blue flags into the air. He looked between Kanna and Shizuka and took note of their determined gazes before nodding. "Begin!" He swung the flags down and the two female trainers threw their Poke Balls into the air.
"Cloyster, I choose you!"
"Get 'em, Victreebell!"
Cloyster the Bivalve Pokemon. A Water/Ice-type Pokemon and the evolved form of Shellder. Cloyster that live in seas with harsh tidal currents grow large, sharp spikes on their shells.
Victreebell the Flycatcher Pokemon. A Grass/Poison-type Pokemon and the evolved form of Weepinbell. Acid that has dissolved many prey becomes sweeter, making it even more effective at attracting prey.
"Cloyster attack with Ice Beam!" Kanna commanded. Closyter's permanent grin grew wider as an orb of ice blue coloured energy pooled at the tip of its frontal spike. Once the energy had reached its maximum input, it quickly fired in the form of jagged beams of icy energy that left a trail of frost behind it as the energy froze the water vapour in the air.
"Victreebell, use Leaf Storm!" Victrebell bent its mouth forward before lashing out with the leaf on its head and the two leaves on either side of its bell-shaped body. True to its name, a storm of leaves rocketed through the air, intentionally forming a wall of foliage that froze into an ice wall when they came into contact with the Ice Beam attack.
"Break through it with Spike Cannon and then attack with Ice Beam again!" Kanna ordered.
"Sunny Day and then Solarbeam!" Shizuki commanded.
Cloyster closed its shell so that only its frontal spike was protruding from the shell's closed form. With the force of a cannonball, the spike shot forth with amazing speed and slammed into the ice wall, making it crack apart. A second spike reformed before it was shot forth, but then took on a bright shine as the sun's rays were intensified by Victreebell's Sunny Day.
The Spike Cannon attack was launched twice more in rapid succession before breaking through the ice wall and shattering it. The ice wall had fallen away to reveal Victreebell already in the middle of charging the needed solar energy to create its attack. Cloyster opened its shell and charged the icy energy it had previously used to form an orb of ice blue.
"ATTACK!" The two female trainers cried out.
"CLOYS!"
"VICTREEEEE!"
Both energy attack shot forth with amazing speed and power before clashing against one another with terrific force. A massive shockwave resulted as the powers of the sun and ice collided, trying to overpower one another. However, the two attacks were not able to commit to the act and so it resulted in a massive explosion.
"Solarbeam again!" Kanna's eyes widened at how Shizuka had already ordered another attack. The dust cloud from the collision of Ice Beam and the previous Solarbeam hadn't even cleared, but Shizuka and Victreebell knew where to aim. Cloyster had strong defensive capabilities due to its thick shell, but it was slow and had even slower reflex actions. Thus, when the beam of golden energy shot through the smoke cloud, Cloyster and Kanna could only stare in shock when it made impact.
A massive explosion of light sent Cloyster flying through the air in an arc before it crashed down with ground cracking force on the battlefield. Its shell lightly cracked and blood flowing from the wound on its forehead, Cloyster was unconscious and defeated.
"Winner, Shizuka Reimei and her Victreebell! Shizuka-san, substitution is option for you! Kanna-san, please substitute for round two!" The referee exclaimed as he raised the red flag to signal Shizuka's victory. The crowd continued to be in a constant state of excitement as they started doing 'the wave'.
Both female trainers returned their Pokemon to their balls before pulling out their second ones.
"Vaporeon, I choose you!"
"Slowbro, let's go!"
In flashes of white light, the Water-type evolution of Eevee and the less intelligent evolution of Slowpoke appeared on the field.
Vaporeon the Bubble Jet Pokemon. A Water-type Pokemon and the evolved for of Eevee. It prefers beautiful shores. With cells similar to water molecules, it could melt in water.
Slowbro the Hermit Crab Pokemon. A Water/Psychic-type Pokemon and the evolved form of Slowpoke. If the tail-biting Shellder is thrown off in a harsh battle, it reverts to being an ordinary Slowpoke.
"Vaporeon use Rain Dance!" The weather suddenly began to change as dark cumulonimbus clouds formed overhead, blocking out the once bright sun. The dark clouds then began to rumble, producing thunder as a method of forewarning, before numerous droplets of water fell from the heavens. The dry battlefield was instantly coated in rain.
Immediately, members of the audience, as well as Shizuka and Kanna, began to put on the hooded coats that were provided for them should such an event occur as the coats protected them from the elements. Hail, rain and sandstorms were nothing to the audience members as they continued to watch the battle.
"Now attack with Iron Tail!" Vaporeon ran forward with blinding speed, its tail shining with silvery light, before it leaped high into the air and gained momentum by performing a front flip.
"VAPOREON!" The Bubble Jet Pokemon cried out as it slammed the iron hard appendage down on Slowbro's skull. Vaporeon then used the force of the Iron Tail to push off of Slowbro's skull and go into a backflip, landing deftly on its feet before racing forward and striking Slowbro across the face with another Iron Tail strike. Slowbro stumbled to the side, grunting in pain as it shook its head to rid it of the dizziness.
"Now use Shadow Ball!" Vaporeon opened its jaws and a blob of dark energy swirled to life, condensing into an orb.
"VA!" The Water-type unleashed the Ghost-type attack.
"Slowbro attack with Psychic! Bring it in close and then use Zen Headbutt!" Vaporeon's eyes widened as Slowbro's blank eyes took on an intelligent look, narrowing with concentration and glowing with blue light.
"SlooooowBRO!" The telekinetic strike raced outwards in the form of a pulse, destroying Vaporeon's Shadow Ball and reducing it to mere wisps of shadow before it slammed into Vaporeon's body. The Bubble Jet Pokemon released a cry of pain as it was sent flying through the air, only to be caught by Slowbro's telekinetic hold. Slowbro twitched a foreclaw and Vaporeon was sent rocketing towards the Hermit Crab Pokemon as it took a few quick steps forward. It lowered its head and the top of its skull was coated with blue energy. The Zen Headbutt collided harshly with Vaporeon's stomach and the Water-type Pokemon released a gasp of pain as it fell off of Slowbro's skull, curling into a ball from the pain.
"Now finish it with Focus Punch!" Slowbro reared back its fist as it began to focus. Blue light ran over the tightly clenched claws. Shizuka's eyes widened as she realized her Pokemon would be knocked out with this blow. It was then that she took note of the numerous puddles that formed from the ongoing Rain Dance. Her Vaporeon was currently laying in one since the impact it made with the soft earth allowed for the water to pool in the small imprint she made.
"Vaporeon, you're in a puddle! Convert your body into water!" She commanded.
"What?!" Kanna exclaimed. Slowbro struck forth with the Focus Punch, but Vaporeon's black eyes snapped open and suddenly its body began to wobble as it shifted its molecular structure from that of being solid flesh, blood and bone, to that of water. Vaporeon then vanished from view with a splash of water and a loud crash as Slowbro's Focus Punch made impact with the ground.
"Now finish it with Shadow Ball! Point blank!" The orange haired girl ordered. Slowbro's stupidly blank gaze became one of surprise as the water around its body began to swirl around before pooling together and solidifying, reforming Vaporeon. The Bubble Jet Pokemon's jaws then opened and Slowbro could only stare into its depth as dark energy pooled together, condensing into a spheroid of dark matter.
"POREON!" The Shadow Ball was unleashed at point blank range and Slowbro's head was sent snapping backwards from the force before it crashed down onto the ground, its face covered in burns from the attack.
"Winner, Vaporeon! Slowbro has fainted!" The referee raised the red flag for Shizuka's win. Shizuka decided to keep her Vaporeon on the field while Kanna took out her final Poke Ball.
"Go Lapras!"
"Oh that is a horrible opponent to face this early in the game." Naruto muttered.
"What are you talking about, dobe?" Kiba asked. "That Shizuka chick could beat Lapras with an Iron Tail. Steel-type moves are super effective on Ice-types, which Lapras happens to be."
"Kiba-san, while that may be true, Naruto-san is more correct." Shino adjusted his glasses as he spoke. "Lapras are known to be capable of learning a wide variety of moves such as Psychic, Blizzard as well as Thunder and Thunderbolt. This Kanna person is indeed skilled as she would have defeated Vaporeon earlier if it had not been able to convert its body to water and escape the Focus Punch. If Lapras does know Electric-type moves then Shizuka-san is in trouble and knowing that Lapras is part Ice-type, her Victreebell may also be in danger."
"Well shit." Kiba muttered as he turned his attention back to the screen.
The Transport Pokemon appeared on the battlefield and Shizuka's eyes narrowed as she could tell from the way the dual type Pokemon held itself, it was confident and strong. Its brown eyes blazed with determination and power and Shizuka repressed the urge to gulp. She then patted her face and steeled her nerves before glaring at the enemy Lapras.
"Vaporeon, attack with Shadow Ball! Use a barrage to distract and then get in close to attack with Iron Tail!" Vaporeon nodded before charging up a Shadow Ball and fired it. Ten more orbs of dark energy followed after in rapid succession before Vaporeon took off at high speeds, its finned tail shining like silver.
"Lapras, use Hydro Pump to take down those Shadow Balls!" Kanna ordered. The Water/Ice-type obeyed its red haired trainer before opening its jaws.
"LAAAAAAAA!" The Transport Pokemon cried out as it unleashed a voluminous amount of pressurized water from its mouth. The powerful Water-type attack was augmented in strength by the Rain Dance Vaporeon had called upon and so it seemed as if a miniature tidal wave had washed across the battlefield. The watery attack collided with all eleven Shadow Balls causing a few explosions of shadow and water, which only served to aid in Shizuka's plan to misdirect Lapras's attention away from her own Water-type.
Melding into the waters that soaked the battlefield, Vaporeon moved swiftly before regaining solid form, right in front of Lapras's face. The Water/Ice-type's eyes widened in shock at the sudden appearance of its opponent before Vaporeon's shining tail was brought down on its skull with terrific force. The super effective move did a great deal of damage, blood flowing from the wound to its head and over its right eye. A follow up sideways attack burst Lapras's lip, but the Water/Ice-type did not fall as its head swerved around and struck Vaporeon harshly. Its large horn stabbed into Vaporeon's upper left leg before it was sent to the water soaked grounds.
"Now finish it with Thunderbolt!"
"Dodge it!" Lapras obeyed and then with a harsh glare, Lapras unleashed a powerful bolt of electricity energy from its body. The electricity arced through the air faster than Vaporeon could react, thus the attempt to dodge had failed. Vaporeon unleashed a blood curdling cry of pain as thousands of volts of electricity passed through its body. The voltage then ended and Lapras gave a nod of approval as Vaporeon fell to the ground, fainting from the pain.
"Vaporeon is unable to battle! Lapras is the winner!" The referee raised the blue flag to signify Kanna's win. Shizuka returned Vaporeon before sending out her third, unused Pokemon.
"Ampharos, use Thunder!" She commanded as she tossed out her Poke Ball. The Light Pokemon emerged in a flash of white light before it clenched its hands tightly together, electricity bundling with its body before shooting it high into the sky. The blue bolt electrical energy arced through the cumulonimbus clouds of the Rain Dance before falling down from above, like the wrath of Arceus itself had been called upon.
"Counter with Thunderbolt!" Kanna managed to say and the Transport Pokemon let loose a strong bolt of electricity. Ampharos's wicked thunderbolt crashed against Lapras's Thunderbolt attack and an explosion of electrical energy was the result. Lapras was sent skidding backwards as a result of the explosion, however, it suddenly gaped in shock as Ampharos had ran across the battlefield and reared back its two fists which were already coated in blue electricity.
"Thunderpunch!" Shizuka ordered.
"AMPH!" One electrically charged fist came down on Lapras's blood coated horn, acting as a lightning rod of sorts since lightning was known to strike the tallest object in co-relation to its point of origin. The electricity flowed through Lapras's body.
"LAAAAA!" The Transport Pokemon cried out in pain.
"PHOROS!" The Light Pokemon brought its second fist and nailed Lapras right between the eyes. The Water/Ice-type Pokemon howled in agony before finally succumbing to the power of the super effective attacks. Lapras fell to the ground covered in electrical burns, its flippers randomly twitching because of said electricity.
Shizuka's Ampharos landed down in front of Lapras and gave its trainer a smile. Kanna stared at her unconscious Lapras in shock, falling to her knees as the Rain Dance began to finally run its course and the cumulonimbus clouds dispersed to reveal the golden rays of the sun once more.
"Lapras has been defeated! Winner, Shizuka Reimei!"
Amphoros ran up to its trainer and hugged the orange haired teenager as she jumped up and down with glee.
"Way to go Ampharos!"
"Ampharos!" The Light Pokemon nuzzled its trainer's nose as she grinned at it. She then returned the Electric-type Pokemon to its ball before running back to the viewing area.
Shizuka entered the viewing area for those in the red box and sat herself back down beside Naruto, whom she greeted with an enthusiastic high five.
"Totally kicked ass!" She exclaimed.
"Damn right." Naruto nodded in agreement. "I almost that Kanna lady had you with Lapras. You really got lucky with Ampharos because Victreebell would have been toast from a Pokemon like Lapras."
"Yeah, I know." Shizuka sighed as she leaned back into the soft cushions of the sitting apparatus. "But I've gotten Ampharos to a really high level so that it could move quickly. It's a major tactic of mine, to use Thunder as an explosion creator and thus let Ampharos clear the battlefield and go into close combat with Thunderpunch. No one expects a small Pokemon to move so quickly unless it uses Quick Attack or if it's a Flying-type Pokemon, so I took advantage of that."
"Nice." Naruto commented.
"It is an exemplary strategy, Shizuka-san. Kiba-san, you could learn from her."
"Shut up Shino!" Kiba pouted making Shizuka giggle in amusement. The group continued to talk and comment on the battles that followed. Some were intentionally drawn out for the sake of putting on a show for the spectators while others were ended in under ten minutes. And in the end, the final battle came about.
Looks like you're the only one left to battle, Naruto."
"Yup. Save the best for last, of course." Naruto replied with his trademark fox-like grin on his face.
"Save the best for last? Please, everyone knows I'm the best here. I've done things that most trainers would be jealous of." Kiba said.
Naruto rose to his feet and stood over Kiba's sitting form, and Kiba, despite his attitude to challenge anyone who would dare to glare at him could only sit still when he took note of the look in the blonde's eyes. Kiba was not able to recognize the expression, but it was the expression of the boy who had fought through war, killed for the sake of many and saw a man electrocuted to death by a Legendary Pokemon before his very eyes. The eyes of a boy who was too young to be a soldier.
"You're too overconfident, you're too cocky and you believe far too much in the fact that just because I was the weakest in the Academy that I am the weakest trainer now." Naruto stated. "You may have done things most trainers would be jealous of, but I've done things that I'm not proud of. I've seen too much and done too much and when we meet on the battlefield, I'll show you just how large the gap is between us."
And with that Naruto left the viewing area.
"What's his problem?" Kiba muttered.
"You were his problem and the problem with you is that you're an idiot." Was Sasuke's reply.
Naruto stepped out onto the battlefield and shook his head to rid it of the thoughts Kiba unintentionally brought up. The screams, the blood, the death...Naruto still had some trouble sleeping at night as a result, but he quickly repressed the emotions that came with P.T.S.D. and looked around, taking note of how the sun was beginning to set. Its fiery glow mixing with the fiery glow of Ho-oh's flames in the brazier.
He then focused on his opponent.
Shinji Furushima was a young boy who looked to be thirteen years old, the same age as Naruto. He was of average build and height thus making Naruto taller than him, had tanned skin, beady, black eyes and a head of straight purple haired that reached down to the middle of his neck. His clothing consisted of a dark blue t-shirt worn over a jacket that was only zipped up half way. The jacket was dark blue on the zipper lining, on the long sleeves, the hem and outlined the jacket's pockets, while the front and back, along with the cuffs of the sleeves, were coloured a dark royal blue. He wore baggy, dark purple cargo pants and had on a pair of dark blue sneakers.
Shinji had a cold, calculating look in his eyes, but also showed that he was overconfident and cocky by the way he simply turned away from Naruto.
"The final battle round, Screening Battle Number one hundred and twenty-eight! Shinji Furushima and Naruto Uzumaki...by Arceus. At Izuna-sama's orders it is to be noted that Naruto is the son of Kushina Uzumaki and former Champion Minato Namikaze!"
This got a large amount of surprise from the audience as well as Naruto's opponent. The cameras performed a split-screen view, showing Naruto on half and Minato and Kushina on the other.
"Champion's son or not, you don't look so tough." Shinji commented with a cocky smirk.
"I don't care if I'm Minato Namikaze's son. I worked tirelessly to get where I am today and talent is not genetic. I didn't get Tou-chan's talent and I had to work and train, bleed and sweat to make my way up the ladder to reach here at the Pokemon League." Naruto replied with his hand clenched tightly around the Poke Ball he held.
"Petty words from a weakling."
The referee raised his flags and the swung them down. "LET THE BATTLE BEGIN!"
"Electabuzz, stand by for battle!"
"Venusaur, take him down!"
Electabuzz the Electric Pokemon. An Electric-type Pokemon and the evolved form of Elekid. Electricity runs across the surface of its body. In darkness, its entire body glows a whitish-blue.
Venusaur the Seed Pokemon. A Grass/Poison-type Pokemon and the evolved form of Ivysaur. It is able to convert sunlight into energy. As a result, it is more powerful in the summertime.
The two Pokemon appeared on the battlefield after emerging from the Poke Balls in simultaneous flashes of white light. Naruto observed his opponent's Pokemon and his eyes narrowed as he took note of the red and white sash worn around its waist.
'Focus Sash to endure powerful moves. Obviously not one of his strongest. Neutralize and weaken immediately with super effective attack, strike from long range to prevent being afflicted by electricity that Electabuzz constantly discharges.' Naruto smirked as he looked into the crowd. His blue eyes scanned through the numerous amounts of people before catching the gazes of the ones he was looking for.
The three children of the deceased leader of ROOT sat in regular street clothing and watched with fascinated looks on their faces as they watched their cousin about to fight against someone that was not them. He looked specifically at Sapphire. 'Utilize maneuver I was taught by Sapphire.'
"Venusaur end this quickly with Earthquake and then use Petal Blizzard!"
"SAAAAUR!" Venusaur reared up on its hind legs before allowing gravity to take hold of it as it fell back down. Its forelimbs crashed down with devastating force and the battlefield was then filled with the great seismic forces of the earth. The Earthquake raced through the ground and impacted with Electabuzz's body causing it stumble around and release a cry of pain as the super effective move began to rack its body.
Electabuzz panted as it fell to one knee, the Focus Sash allowing it to hang on to its remaining health. However, a blizzard of pink petals suddenly swirled through the air as Venusaur shook the large tree that was on its back. The storm of razor sharp petals impacted with Electabuzz's body, slashing against its chest and staining it red with blood before it was sent crashing into the ground at Shinji's feet.
"Victor, Venusaur!" The referee raised the red flag.
"YEAH, GO NARUTO!" Sakura, Akatsuchi and Hinata cheered alongside their partner Pokemon.
"THAT'S MY BOY!" Minato and Kushina exclaimed.
"TOLD YOU MY BOY WAS BETTER THAN YOURS, MIKOTO!" Kushina stuck her tongue out at the Dragon-type gym leader like any mature woman would.
The Uchiha matriarch's eye twitched. "NUH UH! SASUKE-CHAN CAN WHIP YOUR BOY'S ASS INTO THE GROUND!"
"LIKE HELL HE COULD!" Surprisingly, Minato was the one who shouted this.
"Oi, what happened to being civilized in public?" Kushina raised an eyebrow as she turned to look at her husband.
"He's our son. We're badasses with a badass son, we must provide him with moral support and the only way to do that is to act like parents and embarrass him by being un-parent like."
"Hypocrite."
"Love you too."
The two then turned back to the battlefield and resumed their wild yelling and cheering for their son.
"KICK HIS ASS NARU-CHAN!"
Shinji-san please substitute your Pokemon. Naruto-san, the choice is option for you to begin the second round." Naruto nodded and he recalled the Seed Pokemon to its ball.
"Ursaring, stand by for battle!"
"UURRRRRRSARIING!" The Hibernation Pokemon roared as it slammed on the ground after materializing in midair.
"Blastoise, I choose you!" The Poke Ball soared into the air before popping open to reveal the Shellfish Pokemon as it materialized in midair.
Blastoise the Shellfish Pokemon. A Water-type Pokemon and the evolved form of Wartortle. It deliberately makes itself heavy so it can withstand the recoil of the water jets it fires.
The two heavy weight Pokemon glared at one another. Blastoise positioned its cannons to aim directly at Ursaring while the large bear-like Pokemon flexed its claws.
"Ursaring, Focus Blast!"
"Counter with Hydro Pump!"
Ursaring held its hands up, palms facing each other, and an orb of light blue energy quickly swirled to life, condensing to contain the massive amounts of power it held. Ursaring then roared as it thrust its arms forward and the Fighting-type move streaked across the ground. However, the attack was intercepted and blocked by the twin bursts of pressurized water that shot forth from Blastoise's cannons.
The two attacks collided with devastating force and an explosion of energy and water formed.
"Now attack with Earthquake!" Both trainers commanded. Blastoise and Ursaring raised their feet into the air before crashing them down onto the ground. Seismic waves raced out from the point of contact and collided with one another, but the collision resulted in both Earthquake attacks cancelling each other out.
"Earthquake again!"
"Use Blizzard to freeze its legs!" Naruto commanded. Shinji's eyes widened as he saw Ursaring about to raise it legs, but Blastoise suddenly opened its mouth and took a deep inhalation of air. It exhaled forcefully and the Shellfish Pokemon unleashed a powerful burst of snow and icy wind from its maw. The Blizzard attack struck Ursaring with enough force to send it skidding backwards before the ice continued to pool around its leg area.
Ursaring grunted and roared as it went to continue its strike, but paused in shock when it found it couldn't move. Looking down, both the Hibernator Pokemon and Shinji saw its legs were completely encased in solid ice.
"Break out of it with Focus Blast!" Shinji ordered.
"Attack with a Focus Blast of your own! Double shot!" Was Naruto's reply.
'Shit!' Shinji thought as he saw that while Ursaring charged up its own spheroid of energy, Blastoise was forming one its own in its hands, though both were smaller since the energy distribution was split in half.
"GRAAAH!"
"BLAST!"
Both Pokemon fired off their attacks. The Focus Blast from Ursaring did it job, shattering the ice. Ursaring quickly leaped out of the way and avoided the first Focus Blast from its opponent, but the Shellfish Pokemon had fired the second orb right after and struck Ursaring in the chest sending it skidding backwards from the force.
"Now Hydro Pump!" The twin blasts of pressurized water rocketed from the tips of its cannons and Ursaring quickly raised its arms to defend itself. However, the high pressure water blasts were known to be able to punch through steel. Thick areas of muscle, fat and bone would do little to resist the impact of Hydro Pump and so Ursaring was sent rocketing through the air.
Shinji was forced to duck as his Normal-type Pokemon was sent careening towards him before it impacted with the wall behind him, cracking it due to the force of the collision. Ursaring groaned in pain as it lay within the imprint it created in the wall before its head fell forward.
"Ursaring has fainted!" The referee raised the red flag for the second time. "Winner, Blastoise!"
Naruto smirked as he saw Wallace grinning widely at him for his proper use of a Blastoise. He then recalled the Shellfish Pokemon as Shinji did the same for his Ursaring, gritting his teeth as he did so.
"That's it! This is the last round of the Screening Rounds and I'll be damned if I have to fucking go home by the end of this! I'm not losing here!" Shinji took out a Poke Ball and tossed it. "DRAGONITE DESTROY HIM!"
The Dragon Pokemon formed in a flash of white light, but the referee suddenly took out his microphone and shouted into it. "Denied! Shinji Furushima, your listed Pokemon for the Screening Rounds were Electabuzz, Ursaring and Nidoking! Your Dragonite is a non-listed Pokemon for these Screening Rounds and so you are disqualified and Naruto Uzumaki wins by default!"
"No!" Shinji growled. "Fuck you! I'm taking him down!"
"Shinji-san, if you do not recall your Dragonite I will be forced to force you to withdraw from the competition!" The referee said. "Now stand down!"
"It's alright ref." Naruto's voice echoed through the air as he looked at Shinji's Dragonite. "I'll take him down for you. He's desperate and desperation will lead to a quick defeat."
"Naruto-san, I cannot allow you to..."
"Trust me." Naruto said as he took out his third Poke Ball. "I've had a lot of practice to deal with a Dragonite. Charizard...break him!" Naruto tossed the ball high into the air and revealed the Flame Pokemon in all its glory, roaring and unleashing an intimidating tongue of yellow-orange flame from its jaws.
Charizard the Flame Pokemon. A Fire/Flying-type Pokemon and the evolved form of Charmeleon. If Charizard becomes furious, the flame at the tip of its tail flares up in a whitish-blue color.
The referee nodded before stepping away from the battlefield.
'Extremely muscular. His Dragonite was made for physical confrontation. Slow reaction time. Special attack stat is lower than it should be due to focus on physical strength. Utilize weakness by overcoming with speed. Damage with weaker move and finish off with super effective strike. Initiate.' Naruto thought as he ran through his battle plan.
"Dragonite use Thunder!"
"Charizard, avoid and counter with Aerial Ace! Flamethrower at close range!" Charizard nodded before flying into the air to avoid the wicked thunderbolt that shot forth from Dragonite's antennae. The bolt created a massive explosion of dust and electrical charge as Charizard dodged it before performing a loop-de-loop and vanished from view at the apex of the aerial maneuver.
"Dodge it!" Dragonite quickly made to dodge the Aerial Ace as Charizard reappeared and Charizard streaked past Dragonite.
"Reverse direction!" Naruto commanded. Charizard quickly dug its claws into the ground and shifted its tail at an arc to allow for it to turn around, tearing small trenches in the ground with its claws before shooting back towards Dragonite with only a small loss in momentum. Charizard slammed its skull against Dragonite's chest before stabbing its claws into the Dragon Pokemon's shoulders to remain within close range as the two flew through the air. Charizard then pushed the heavier Pokemon down onto the battlefield, dragging it along the ground before inhaling and exhaling forcefully, unleashing a powerful tongue of fire from its massive jaws.
The Flamethrower attack washed over Dragonite's pain filled form and the Dragon Pokemon writhed in pain on the ground. "Lock its arm and prepare a Dragon Pulse!" Charizard nodded before flipping Dragonite over onto its stomach and pulled back on the Dragon-type's arm, locking it in place by performing a makeshift arm lock. A vortex of violet and silver energy then pooled within the Flame Pokemon's jaws and Dragonite continued to fight as Charizard held it down, trying in vain to free itself without having to break its arm.
The crowd was in amazement at how quickly Naruto had downed one of the few Pokemon that were placed under the title of pseudo-Legendary Pokemon. Those that new Naruto personally could only watch the young blonde with pride.
Naruto glared at the purple haired boy. "Your Dragonite is unable to break free unless it is willing to break its own arm and Charizard's Dragon Pulse is fully charged and only needs my signal to fire. Surrender now...or prepare to fight."
"DRAGONITE ATTACK!" Shinji ordered in desperation. Naruto sighed while rolling his eyes.
"Your choice. Break it, Charizard." Everyone's eyes widened when Charizard placed pressure on Dragonite's arm at the elbow joint and a loud snap and crack echoed through the stadium air before the Dragon Pulse was fired. Dragonite unleashed a loud cry of pain as the super effective energy blast made impact. The dust and light then died down to reveal Charizard standing victoriously with a vicious snarl on its face.
"A friend told me this." Naruto said. "Know your limits."
And with that, Naruto returned Charizard to its ball and walked off the battlefield leaving behind a shell-shocked, yet satisfied, audience (since they began to cheer and shout again), referee and opponent.
And thus the first day of the Pokemon League Kanto-Johto Silver Conference Victory Tournament met its end.
(A/N: Hope you guys liked this chapter. It was just the beginning of the Pokemon League so this and the next chapter are going to be consisting of short battles. By chapter 40, I should be on the six-on-six battles with the more detailed and long battles. It was a bit weird because of how I had to make these battles so short, but once I get through to the semi-finals with the six-on-six battles I'm gonna show you guys my good side for Pokemon battles.
Also, a note. No; Naruto did not use Ruby's Charizard, Sapphire's Venusaur and Wallace's Blastoise. They are his own Pokemon that were bred from his father's Charizard, Blastoise and Venusaur.)
Pokedex: Seen-255
Caught-255
Character Bio: Sakumo Hatake
Eye Colour: Black
Hair Colour: Silver
About: When the modern day Kanto region created the Gym Leader challenge, Sakumo was picked out of a number of candidates to become one of the eight and represent Vermillion City as its Gym Leader. Before becoming a gym leader, Sakumo was once a member of the United Regions Defense Force, an army created by the numerous Pokemon filled regions, and was a member of the Kanto region faction. The URDF was an army of humanity to help it defend against the Pokemon threat as the creatures hadn't been effectively tamed since this was during the early years of the modern Pokemon world. This was World War 3. During his time of the battlefield, Sakumo became well known for having defeated numerous Pokemon and had a special bond with Electric-type Pokemon, namely a Pikachu, which eventually grew to become a powerful Raichu. The Raichu helped save Sakumo numerous times during World War 3 and when it was all over, Sakumo retired from the armed forces. He was married and raised his son, Kakashi, who would later grow up become a member of the Elite Four. Sakumo is still the gym leader of Vermillion City and is a specialist when it comes to Electric-type Pokemon. His vast knowledge of battling due to taking part in the URDF makes him an experienced and powerful opponent that can only be bested by those who are ready to face off against his army tactics based fighting style. Calm, collected and bearing Pokemon that have fought on the warfront, Sakumo Hatake is a dangerous opponent to face, even with Earthquake on your side.
Naruto's Team:
Typhlosion(Male)
Pidgeot(Male)
Heracross(Male)
Quagsire(Female)
Ampharos(Female)
Dragonite(Female)
Hinata's Team:
Espeon (Female)
Butterfree(Female)
Nidoqueen(Female)
Jumpluff(Female)
Lapras(Male)
Togekiss(Male)
Sasuke's Team:
Feraligatr(Male)
Sneasel(Male)
Gengar(Male)
Rapidash(Female)
Red Gyarados(Male)
Rhydon(Male)
Sakura's Team:
Meganium(Female)
Azumarill(Female)
Porygon2(No Gender)
Wigglytuff(Male)
Ninetails(Female)
Raichu/Pika(Male)
Akatsuchi's Team:
Golem(Male)
Steelix(Male)
Sudowoodo(Male)
Crobat(Female)