Fun with Partners

The next day...

The Guardians are called down to the Training Room.

'All of us training...' said Gokudera, shivering in excitement.

'I wonder what the demon instructor will have us do this time...' Yamamoto wondered aloud. 'Its not fair Mai-san is off the hook!' he pouted.

'That's because unlike you guys I have had plenty of years to master all my stuff.' Mai droned on wryly. 'And you just started very recently!'

'Ehehehe...that's true...' Tsuna said sheepishly. 'I wonder what they'll make us do...so far, we got the hang of our weapons...'

And so...

Down there, Lal Mirch, Reborn and Bianchi are there, causing severe stomachaches and prompting Yamamoto to help him up.

Not only that, Hibari is there too.

'H-Hibari-san too?' Tsuna blinked as Hibari zeroed in on Mai.

'Girl.' he said. 'Fight me.' he ordered as he took out his Cloud Tonfas. Mai activated her powers and the two got into a high-level melee fight with each other that caused shock, disbelief and awe at the high level. The speed and power is amazing.

'I taught Hibari what our Hibari knows as of last night, so this one's level increased.' said Reborn. 'Making him a more powerful opponent than he was before and this adult is twenty times stronger than ours. Ours is just versatile.'

Soon, Hibari is satisfied.

'You're pretty good,' he said. 'I'll ask you to look after Namimori and terminate any enemy you see. Dismissed.' and Mai left.

Tsuna is soon surprised that HE is HIS trainer this time...and this one is a life-and-death situation.

The boys realized that Mai was sent away due to this training. If she sees this...

She would freak out and all hell will break loose.

xxx

Namimori...

Mai is using her Bio-Radar to locate her quarry all over Namimori.

Its easy to tell flame-adepts apart from Civilians...and she would kill by overloading electric signals to their brain, causing Brain Death. Giggling, she also destroyed their boxes and rings. Although she can't destroy A-Class Rings...she tried before. She thinks she could with her Lightning Ring though but Reborn has it on her request.

Her phone rang.

'Moshi moshi? Heee?' Mai smirked. 'Izzat so? See? You can make it after all considering the stuff I sent you. Fufufu...ehh?! You want more of it? Fine but one carton box and that's it! Too much of it for months on end you'll be an insomniac forever, denied sleep for eternity from addiction you better not forget that!' she went to Tokyo to obtain her special-ordered boxes.

She grinned in glee as she went to Fushigimori to buy more of that tea blend that rejuvenates and soothes physical and mental exhaustion. She bought some for Koenig in exchange for making his deadlines.

xxx

That night...dinnertime...

'Okaeri.' said Reborn when its just the Mafioso. 'Now then...what are the boxes?'

'But first, reason why I called Hibari-ojisan here...' Hibari twitched as the boys balked.

"O-ojisan?" Tsuna squeaked.

"He's only 26!" Yamamoto sweatdropped.

"Is he THAT old in her eyes?" Gokudera thought while Hibari's right eye is twitching.

'You have your A-Rank Ring, right?'

'Hn.'

Mai have him two more rings.

'That's a C-Class and B-Class Ring. It has to do with these boxes. For us kids, demonstrate the full power of these three rings so what comes next will be easier to understand.' she said as she looked at the boys. 'Memorize this power output! C-Class!' Hibari emitted full strength before it shattered. 'B-Rank Next!' the ring also shattered. 'Finally...A-Class power.'

Needless to say, almost all of them DROWNED in his power.

'Holy smokes!' Yamamoto yelped, wide-eyed in shock.

'Mai...what's going on...?' Tsuna choked out as she gave them all boxes, and a sack to Kusakabe.

'I had boxes customized. Our adult and present selves have the same box sets but for me and Lambo-kun, its different. I'm a girl and he's a boy after all.' Mai chuckled in amusement. 'In our year 1994, this doesn't exist yet. It'll be on air in 1997 and we're high schoolers by then.'

'You damn otaku...what did you do now?' Gokudera snorted before chuckling too.

'Why don't you try activating your boxes~? C-Class Flames first, but you can choose any class anytime, but I recommend mastering the low levels first before you gun for the A-Class Level.' the guardians exchanged looks and Tsuna went first.

'I'll go first.' he said as he picked one of his boxes.

'Ahhh Tsuna-sama, that one is B-Rank right off the bat! It has two forms!' So Tsuna did. The thing that came out is...a cross between a dog and a lion...?

'Graaaw!'

Everyone stared.

'What did you do?' was the universal question as Mai handed everyone notepads next.

'To be different from the enemy at least...I had him make us Box Pokemon.' Mai took out the anime in question, causing Tsuna, Gokudera and Yamamoto to face-fault in their seats. 'I did a heavy research while I was in Tokyo and the money was enough to get Koenig interested in the customization. And unlike normal Box Animals...we get the better deal because they have more abilities and tricks...moreover, they can fight independently supporting us so they're a real asset, not a liability. They will also 'obey orders' transmitted to flames injected into their boxes like typical box animals if you want something done straight away. Get studying~!'

'So what's yours?' Reborn asked her, giving her her ring. Mai activated hers on C-Class and its a black and yellow cute thing with red cheeks.

'Pichu!'

'Oh, I forgot, they make great companions too just like any other pet.' Mai chuckled as Pichu jumped into her arms. 'But just like any box, they stop upon running out of power. But instead of going immobile, they go back to their Box instead.'

'Right guys, you heard her!' Reborn clapped his hands. 'Get used to your...pokemon!'

'I think we should watch those tapes sometime guys...this looks interesting!' said Yamamoto as they left the dining room.

'...what the...heck?' Lal twitched. 'I don't get it. Not at all!' she sputtered out, baffled and confused.

'Happy watching marathon.' Mai just gave her the DVDs.

The arcobaleno twitched.

'Well, let's watch the boys in the Control Room and see how they fare.' Reborn suggested.

xxx

Training Room 1 which the boys all shared...

'Let's see...I got a Growlithe, Dratini and Torchic Pokemon and their evolutions and ranking are stated here too.' said Tsuna, looking at his notepad. He looked at the one currently out. 'So you're Growlithe?'

'Graw!' Tsuna released his other pokemon with all of them sporting their flame colors and altered coloring to match. Growlithe is already orange to begin with, with black marks and Torchic is also orange from the get-go. Dratini however has a makeover of orange instead of the blue in both games and cartoons.

'I want to see what's mine!' Gokudera grinned as he and Yamamoto took out theirs. Gokudera has a Charmander, Eevee and Corphish. Yamamoto has a Squirtle, Chikorita and Wingull. In Gokudera's case, his Eevee has red and pink fur, and Corphish is red and white. Chikorita is in varying shades of blue while Wingull's feathers is a shade of alice blue and azure while retaining the yellow beak.

'There's even height, weight and abilities listed per form depending on flames we give.' said Yamamoto. 'Let's get used to the C-Rank form first. Amazing, its just like having several boxes at once!'

'And that's real neat and convenient too!' Gokudera agreed.

In the Foundation's Area, Hibari's personal training room...

He found himself having a Machop, Sneasel and Pidgey. Machop is mostly lavender with purple crests, and eyes. Sneasel is dark purple in color with white claws and heliotrope 'feathers', and Pidgey has red-violet plumage, cream-colored underbelly, pink feet and black eyes with black eye markings. And they suited his needs alright when he studied the notepad and had them spar with him...the last box however...is basically just a pet for companionship. A Skitty. And Skitty is a D-Rank form while Delcatty is a C-Rank. Even then it is still not defenseless.

Just who told that girl he likes...cute things...? He'll bite them to death! Its his hard-kept secret!

Hibari will be on the warpath after this.

xxx

'It seems even Hibari enjoyed his new toys.' Mai quipped as Pichu is still on her shoulder.

'But this looks like its worth it.' said Lal. 'Those unusual animals from a kid's cartoon show.'

'Well, we have unpredictability on our side too.' said Reborn. 'And dangerous box monsters made to look like pets.' he snorted. 'Totally unconventional and unexpected. But Mai, are you sure about this? That the work is perfect?'

'It is.' said Mai. 'Supply cannot keep up with demand and its just Koenig working to deal with all the popular Box Animals while his subordinates work on the weapons. I bribed him with special tea that enables him to keep working while still in 100% perfect shape both physical and mental functions. However if abused too much, he'll be an insomniac forever so I warned him that during my demand, I give him only one more extra carton box or else. Even a Mafia Boss WILL kill for that tea due to all that desk work.' she cackled. 'Well, I'll go check around Namimori again so the boys can focus on training...'

'Have you even mastered your partner?' Lal deadpanned.

'It was too easy with a willing, eager-to-help partner.' Mai smirked as Pichu cuddled into her cheeks. 'Isn't he so sweet?' she cooed, petting her partner before leaving.

'...'

xxx

Namimori Shopping Area...however...

She found several bio-signals.

That of the boys' future selves and hers...underground.

She whipped out her phone to call the base.

xxx

Vongola Base, Control Room...

'Mai, doushita?'

/Reborn...the future selves' bio-signals...they're located underground in Namimori Shopping Area, the newly-built one./ Mai reported as the arcobaleno stiffened. /I sensed them here...I'll be locating ways of entry and after that, report back. But just to be safe since locating hidden doors is not my specialty, I need an extra brain here. I'll be waiting at the school's rooftop./

'Is that so? Please do. I'll send someone.' Reborn sighed. 'Looks like we got something new to do...rescuing the future selves without causing...damages to both the past and the present. The only one unharmed will be Mai.' he said.

'How will she be unharmed?' Lal frowned.

'I told you...Mai's wish changed her appearance, body structure...everything down to the last DNA in Shamal's reports. And she's now a Squib. She's totally different from her counterpart who did not change and is still a witch. They were never alike. Only those completely alike 100% will be affected. She is perfectly OK by simply being different...and that this world's history about her is also different. Meeting each other is thus, perfectly OK.'

xxx

Tokyo...while Reborn is OK, Mai has her concerns since this wasn't her forte. As far as she's concerned, her duty is only to her famiglia and her boss. Things like time-travel and parallel worlds is not her piece of cake.

'You found your future-self, Potter-hime?' Oniwakamaru spoke as Mai nodded. Something of this degree must be informed personally. She is the last Potter Head after all.

'Hai. But its Millefiore who has my, and my famiglia's bodies.' Mai narrowed her eyes. 'Moreover we can't mess with time. My face might be different because of my wish, and I'm a flame-using Squib, but the fact remains that she and I are one person. But I still hope to meet her in a way because we are totally-different people. This has to be handled delicately...or as delicate as mafia-style can get.' she sighed. 'How are things in UK's Community of Idiots?'

'So far, we reassured the Ministry that ehem, you're still alive as your vaults remained active through Family Bloodline Magic. However, finding you is their responsibility so now they're turning Britain upside down.'

'Really, talk about brainless and incompetent!' Mai huffed. 'Have they ever wondered if my kidnappers took me overseas? This level of stupidity is amazing I'm so shocked.' she said sarcastically before scoffing. 'But it suits my own needs...and that depends on the information you got for me.' she said, patting the big envelope, containing information about her. 'If her life in the community of fools is appalling...I'll have you fake her death, and have her live with future Vongola once I tell her things should we meet. We'll make arrangements.' she said. 'After all, its not fair that only I got to enjoy life while my other self has it shitty. If permitted...I'll kill them all myself and put an end to a race of lazy brainless pigs and their chances of spreading that stupidity to the next generation.'

'Very well hime-sama. We will have you watch over your future self.' Oniwakamaru nodded. 'I'll inform the British Branch.'

'Aa. Time Travel...existence of Parallel Worlds...if the wizards hear of this, crazier things might happen so we better keep this quiet too. Just within our circle. If muggles can create this technology, what more of wizards? And chaos is happening because of it. We cannot have this leak out or all parallel worlds will collapse because some idiot decided to play God. To begin with, these worlds existed because of decisions we made in the past, and the results whether pros or cons that are the result of these choices in the present and future. There are thus, an infinite, countless number...created by our decisions and the results..so on, for eternity.'