AN: Naruto and Pokemon are owned by Masashi Kishimoto, Satoshi Tajiri, TV Tokyo, Game Freak, and Nintendo. Please read and enjoy.
"Let's give 'em everything we've got!" – Talking
"Bring it on!" - Pokemon Speech/Flashback
'Did I miss something?' - Thoughts
*Boom!* - Action
Poke'Legend
Chapter 8: Waterworks
"Alright everyone listen up cause I'll only explain it once! Our latest Intel shows high anomaly readings pinpointing directly to the Dewford Islands, the boss is convinced that it may be one of three keystones"
"Keystones?"
"Artifacts that are said to open doors to ancient tombs, he who possesses a key presumes control over its slumbering entity, legend states that he who carries all three can open the fourth and final lock, and gain the power to move continents" replied the orange haired Aqua Admin, earning many looks of awe from the lesser ranking members.
"This won't be a simple retrieval operation, these readings are too visibly abnormal to go unnoticed by any of Hoenn's Anomalist Branch Groups, no doubt they'll send Pokemon Rangers to investigate, and Team Magma would've caught wind of this as well-" explained Amber.
"Which makes it all the more reason to arrive as soon as possible, Matt how far are we from the islands?"
"Ten minutes tops-"
"Well we deploy in five, now gear up, the lot of you!" ordered the Shelly, leaving the grunts to scurry about in search for their equipment. The three Admins went topside to the Yacht's second level, where they gazed upon the slowly approaching island, knowing full well of the consequences should they fail in their mission.
Slateport City
"Sasuke, could you call in your father and brother, tell them lunch is ready?" came the voice of one Mikoto Uchiha.
Said raven haired teen gave a frustrated sigh before answering, "Hai-"clearly not in the mood to speak with anyone. He had lost the Absol yet again and this time due to the interference of some no name Trainer, and to top it off his brother was rather dissatisfied with his actions. How so? He was doing his job as a Trainer, to capture and tame Wild Pokemon.
As he walked out of their compound and up a trail, he came across their personal battlefield, where both Fugaku and Itachi were currently engaged in a one on one battle. Curious to see how it would turn out, Sasuke leaned by a tree as his father had chosen his strongest Pokemon to the field, Arcanine; a quadruped horse-sized canine with an orange pelt and jagged tiger stripes, and the evolutionary stage of Growlithe.
His brother on the other hand had chosen his much-slower Magcargo; a limbless snail whose body consisted almost entirely of bright red magma while on its back, carried its grey spherical shell, composed of hardened but brittle magma.
"Arcanine, Extreme Speed!"
"Magcargo, blind him with Smog!"
Rushing in at speeds matching a running train, Arcanine wasn't able to escape its tunnel path to escape the toxic fumes. Inhaling the violet clouds, the tiger tripped canine crashed into the ground while using its paw to rub the burning sensation that had traveled up its nostrils.
"Arcanine, Fire Blast!" snarling at the magma slug, the Fire-Type exhaled a roaring fireball that instantly took form of a Fire Kanji.
"Counter with Lava Plume!" Magcargo followed as instructed and spewed a wave of hazardous smog and blazing fire. Overpowering the single cannon shot, the volcanic storm consumed the Fire-Type. The flames soon diminished and surprisingly enough, Arcanine was shown to be physically fine while its fur had been scorched ever so lightly.
"I hope you haven't forgotten Arcanine's Flash Fire"
"Hardly, Magcargo bury him with Rock Slide!" Itachi declared, prompting the magma snail to summon white rings around and high above itself. Seconds later, large boulders began to fall from ripples of energy and crash upon the stage below.
"Arcanine, strike him down with Extreme Speed!"
With a snarl, the Fire-Type engulfed itself in a blurred white aura and charged its motionless opponent, narrowly avoiding the falling rocks in the process.
"Block with Harden!"
The magma snail coated itself in a flash of light effectively morphing its liquid body and brittle shell into tough steel. Not a millisecond later did Arcanine collide with the steel coated Pokemon, leaving a small yet visible crack on the snail's shell and dazing the Fire-Type.
"Magcargo, finish him with Ancient Power!" opening it's toothless mouth, Magcargo fired at point blank a spiraling silver orb of prehistoric power; tearing up the earth beneath them and launching Arcanine several feet away into unconsciousness.
"Well done Itachi, you've certainly proven that even a once weak Slugma could take down one of the fastest Pokemon in the world"
"He was never weak, just simply underestimated" exclaimed Itachi as he gently rubbed his hand against Magcargo's heated shell; the magma slug greatly enjoyed it's master's touch, despite it being impossible to touch his skin.
Fugaku couldn't help but agree, in the past he discarded the Slugma evolutionary chain due to their relatively low speed and overall attack power. Not to mention that the Lava Pokemon were amongst the least desirable, seeing as how a simple walk in the park could set it ablaze. Now, after his eldest son had proven their combat efficiency, was beginning to have second thoughts on the matter.
Returning Arcanine to its Premier Ball, the two were finally able to notice their one-man audience, "Sasuke, is there something on your mind?" asked the elder Uchiha, effectively snapping the boy from his awestruck state.
"N-No, it's nothing... mom just wanted tell you that lunch was ready"
"Ah yes, I'm feeling quite famished after that battle, let's finish this at a later time"
"We're going to have to cut it short then, there's a Trainer I met earlier today that's caught my attention"
"A Trainer you say... well I certainly hope he or she is strong enough to at least provide a challenge for you"
Itachi held back a groan at his father's response, being an Elite Four did not mean he was unbeatable. As strong and skilled as they were, Elite Fours have in fact lost Battles to common Trainers before; though it was always a rare case.
"I've witnessed his capabilities first hand, the boy is no pushover"
Sasuke narrowed his eyes towards his elder brother, "This Trainer... who is he?" he asked.
"You should know little brother; he did stop your little hunt"
All thoughts quickly turned to the blonde haired Trainer he had the great displeasure to come across, "Him!? Why the hell would you waste your time on someone like him?" retorted the young Uchiha.
Itachi smirked at his brother's outburst, clearly upset over his most recent encounter, "If you must know, the boy is actually quite the tactician, he specializes in counters and battles using a mixture of offense and status ailment… a Trainer like that is a rare find and one must never give up the opportunity for a battle" he explained.
"Tsk… he can't be that great"
"Well if you think otherwise, then maybe you should take the first round"
"That's not a bad idea-" added Fugaku, "-If this Trainer is as good as you state him to be, then a battle with your brother should be more than enough to prove his caliber… what say you Sasuke, will you meet this Trainer on the battlefield?" he asked.
"Father… it'll be my genuine pleasure"
Southern Beach
"Come on Corsola, we've got this!" cheered Naruto, as both Trainer and Pokemon zoomed across the water's surface. Other pairs weren't making things easy as their Water-Type partners held quick mobility within their aquatic territory; all eager to win the race
The Water Chariot Race was one of many popular sports around the globe, in order to participate, a Trainer is required to enter a Water Pokemon or one that was taught the third Hidden Machine; Surf. The event was commonly a three lap race with standard sporting rules, any attacks declared on other participants as well as unauthorized entrees would result in immediate disqualification.
While the current race wasn't a sponsored event, it was a very good way to earn extra Zenny. Naruto along with Kiba and several other Trainers staked a thousand each for a single lap win around the nearby islets.
"WINGUL!" warned one of many participants as they quickly approached a flock of floating seagulls.
Startled by the incoming Trainers, the flock scattered in attempt off the water's surface in an attempt to reach the skies. Leaning back, Naruto hinted Corsola to dive down and reduce speed, allowing the birds to pass overhead and leaving several unlucky Trainers to come in physical contact with them.
"Nice trick-" exclaimed Kiba as he and his dark scaled Lumineon gained momentum to hop over the startled birds. Without the need to reduce speed, the duo easily took first place, "-But you've gotta be fast if you wanna win!"
"Oh it's on now, Corsola, speed up with Rock Polish!"
"Corsola~" she cheered, allowing her body to be engulfed in a light blue aura before torpedoing herself across the ocean's surface.
The sight of the incoming coral caused the wild haired brunette to panic, "Lumineon, speed it up a little~" he wearily suggested, knowing that his deep sea partner possessed the natural speed but lacked a Stat Ailment to increase it.
"Seadra/Mantine/Gorbyss, use Agility!"
"Oh that's just not fair!" exclaimed Kiba as the speeding Trainers bypassed the duo almost instantly.
The five blitzed through the first few islets and quickly scuttled through the rest, those desperate to win began to overuse their Pokémon's Stat Ailment, resulting in off course collisions and forced dismounting. After making it past the last islet and losing seven of the ten Trainers participating, the remaining three charged the beach shores with the intent on taking the lead and winning the collected Ten-Thousand Zenny.
"Sorry kids, but first place is mine, Seadra boost up with Agility!"
Briefly giving off a bright glow, the blue scaled seahorse zoomed past the duo and quickly neared the shore, "Oi Kiba, you can swim right?" asked Naruto.
"Yeah... why?"
"Cause I'm gonna hafta' apologize for what's about to happen, Corsola! Launch with Water Pulse!"
Diving below the water's, the living coral resurfaced with a rocketing stream of water, carrying herself into the air and allowing her Trainer to ride falling water; sadly the force behind the uprising splash created a multi-directional wave, which promptly sent the brunette spiraling into the blue.
"And like that the race is-" grinned the leading contestant, seconds before Corsola and Naruto splash landed in front of them and skidding onto the sandy shores, "-Lost" he muttered, bearing a look of disbelief.
"Hehe... Victory!~"
"Corsola~" the two weakly exclaimed.
A good forty minutes later, all ten Trainers and Pokemon found themselves at the Beach Hut enjoying cold bottle of Soda Pop and sizzling hot plate of grilled meat and veg kabobs. While everyone reluctantly paid the blonde his earnings, the boy was a good sport and used said Zenny to buy lunch for the participants; earning the much appreciated thanks in return.
"So how long have you had it for?" asked Kiba, referring to the blonde's overgrown, light yellow Poke'Egg.
"About Five days now, the Dewford Nurse Joy stated that it had just entered the second state of its development"
"Midway to hatching huh, any idea what little bundle will be comin' out the oven?"
"It's a Snorunt... thought the color scheme made it obvious?"
"Hey, not everyone is an expert in Pokemon reproduction, if I want to know about breeding than my sister is the 'go to' encyclopedia"
"Your sister's a Breeder?"
"Yeah, Hana's a natural at that stuff, ya know she was the one that gave me Akamaru"
"Big mistake on her part-" the two Trainers frowned and turned to the newcomer, "One Egg and it was given to the runt of the litter, what a waste".
"What do you want Sasuke?" growled Kiba.
"Nothing to do with you, him on the other hand' would want nothing more than to humiliate you in the worst way possible"
"Oh? And would this 'plot of humiliation' have anything to do with what happened earlier in the woods?"
"By a slight majority, however, this mostly pertains to my elder brother, he seems to think highly of you and for him to even consider challenging some common Trainer is a pretty big deal to our family... if you are as formidable as my brother claims you to be, than you should have no issue proving it" responded the Uchiha, taking snatching and expanding one of his Poke Balls.
Naruto gave a stern look before replacing it with a grin, "If that's what you want then fine, let's battle! Corsola, let's go!" he exclaimed. Leaping off the bar counter and into her Trainer's arms, the three trailed farther away from the shack and apart from each other.
"BATTLE!" shouted Kiba, gaining the attention of nearby civilians, tourists, and Trainers; hinting them to clear out and keep a distance.
"So, how do we plan on doing this?"
"First to three wins, no substitutions"
"Alright then, let's dance! Corsola, take the stage!"
"Corsola~"
"Skarmory! Tear him to shreds!" declared Sasuke, tossing up his capsule and releasing his steel-armored bird of prey.
[Play Pokemon Colosseum OST – Cypher Peon Battle Theme]
"This guy huh? Let's see what old Dex has to say~" spoke Naruto with his PokeDex in hand.
"Skarmory: The Armor Bird Pokemon – Nesting within thorn bushes, the continuous scratches it gains will eventually harden into an iron-like state. It's hollowed wings can allow Skarmory to reach speeds up to 180 mph and can be used as blades".
"Let's not waste time, take her down with Steel Wing!" with a ravenous caw, the bird's steel plated wings shined brightly as it rushed the four legged coral.
"Corsola, brace yourself with Iron Defense!"
"Corsola~" quickly morphing her body into a dark gray iron, both metal coated Pokemon collided, echoing a loud clang upon impact.
"Skarmory, break her defense with Metal Sound!"
Taking a deep breath, the steel plated bird gave a horrendous shriek, forcing both Trainers and spectators to cover their ears. Naruto grunted as he kept his outer organ blocked and a watchful eye on his teammate, Corsola was shivering as she was continuously bombarded by ear piercing vibrations. Once her temporary defense had dropped, Sasuke took the chance to strike.
"Skarmory, get up close and personal with Aerial Ace!"
"Corsola, boost up with Water Pulse!" shaking her head and accumulating her senses, the living coral propelled herself up and towards the sky in time to avoid a high speed blitz.
"Can't escape now, circle around and hit her again with Steel Wing!" performing a one-eighty turn, Skarmory shot itself after its falling opponent with wings of razor steel.
Corsola however, had her eyes set on her Trainer who had given her the go to charge up her next attack, once within range, she spun towards her target, "Now Corsola, nail him with Ancient power!" declared Naruto.
Having a no second to react the Skarmory had accidentally placed a brake stop to its flight and was shot at point blank by a spiraling silver orb of prehistoric power. The steel plated bird was pushed several feet back before the initial explosion had it falling out of the sky, this however only lasted several seconds as the bird spread its wings and glided back towards the ground.
Corsola on the other hand had spewed a jet of water towards the warm sands, reducing her fall as upon descending.
"Let's see you dodge this, Skarmory use Swift!" ordered Sasuke.
Angrily shrieking at the damage inflicted to his armor, Skarmory followed as commanded and fired wave after wave of bright yellow stars.
"Corsola, Rock Blast now!"
"Cor~ sola!~" materializing a boulder as large as herself, she promptly launched the stone, dispersing the incoming stars within its path.
"Dodge and use Flash Cannon!"
"Speed up with Rock Polish!" not needing to be told twice, Corsola expelled a light blue aura and shot across the sandy arena at minimal speeds. While Water-Type Pokemon were both natural and swift swimmers, their speed on land differed greatly than when in water, Corsola was no exception as she had difficulty dodging a ray of silver energy.
Spectators shielded their eyes as the beam razzed the beach and picked up sand clouds. More clouds began to arise and soon neither Trainer could see the battle taking place, "Skarmory, that's enough!" ordered Sasuke. Confirming orders, the rays that echoed had ceased fire, leaving the audience leaning in for the results.
Once the sand had fallen, everyone was left confused as the four legged coral had apparently disappeared.
Sasuke narrowed his eyes at the lumps of sand scattered across the field,, "You could run, I'd give you that... but you sure as hell can't hide, Skarmory use Gust!" declared the Uchiha, completely missing the grin plastered on the blonde's face.
"Now! Hit 'em with Power Gem!"
Just as Skarmory began to flap its metallic wings, Corsola popped out from the first pile with a fully charged orange sphere. Sasuke paled and was forced to shield his line of sight as his Pokemon was engulfed in an energy based explosion. Dropping his arm only seconds later to bear witness Skarmory's unconscious form.
"That's one-" spoke Naruto as Corsola trotted back to her Trainer with the crowds cheering soon afterwards.
"So it seems-" growled Sasuke as he returned Skarmory back into his capture capsule and swapping out for another, "Put her down, Electabuzz!" tossing and releasing his second Pokemon.
A bipedal monkey-like creature with yellow fur with black bolt markings across and around its body, complete with a stripped tail, a pair of three claw-toed feet, thick forearms, sharp fangs, and a set of twin bulbous antennae. Electabuzz gave an intimidating roar as lightning discharged from its fur.
"An Electabuzz huh?" muttered Naruto as he brought out his PokeDex.
"Electabuzz: The Electric Pokemon – Electabuzz is capable of storing vast amounts of electrical energy within its body for extended periods of time. Electabuzz are extremely irritable and aggressive Pokemon and are prone to spirited competition".
Just as the entry had finished, Electabuzz was already charging head first with a fist full of lightning, "Whoa-crap! Corsola dodge with Rock Polish!" giving her overall speed a second boost, Corsola was able to evade the quick jab.
"Hey, why not give a heads up before starting!"
"Less talking, more fighting! Electabuzz, use Shock Wave!" giving a primal roar, the yellow furred monkey fired a jagged wave of high voltage lighting at his target.
"Corsola, use Rock Blast then follow up with Iron Defense!"
"Corsola~!" spinning back to face her opponent, she summoned a boulder and shot it directly into the path of the incoming lighting. The density of the spinning stone was thick enough to successfully block the electrical surge, giving the Dual-Type an opening to morph her body into solid steel.
Electabuzz snarled and discharged a higher and less uncontrolled watt of electrical energy which quickly blasted through the stone shield and electrocuted the iron cloaked coral. Sparks zapped across her body as the electrical surge came to a halt, Corsola was left shuttering in pain as her temporary defense came to an end.
"Seems like Iron Defense can't protect you from everything... and by the looks of things, it's given me an advantage over this fight" smirked Sasuke, instantly taking notice of Corsola's paralysis.
"And I think you should do some insight before you start making assumptions, Corsola use Refresh!"
Without delay, Corsola expelled a reflective crystalline glow from her immobile self, the process would take no more than a few seconds to fully cure a Pokemon of from a non-volatile status condition. Sasuke for one, would not allow an advantage go to waste, "Electabuzz, Thunder Punch now!" he ordered.
Slamming both knuckles together, Electabuzz engulfed both fists in a raging storm of electricity and made a mad dash towards the recovering coral.
'Wait for it... wait for it... Now!'
"Tackle him Corsola!"
Bolting from her position, Corsola ducked under a downward swing and hit dead center of her target's chest. Electabuzz doubled over the impact, unfortunately the yellow monkey stood his ground and grabbed a hold of Corsola by the horns. Lightning expelled from his fur as he prepared to electrocute his opponent.
"You are not getting away this time, Electabuzz use Thunder Punch!"
"No you don't, Corsola use Spike Cannon!"
Revving back a lightning coated fist, Electabuzz struck first, inflicting heavy damage towards the living coral. This however, wasn't enough to stop the barrage of glowing white missiles and was promptly knocked onto his back.
"Corsola, are you okay?"
"Cor~ sola~" she weakly responded.
"Electabuzz, finish her now!" he heard Sasuke declare while keeping an eye on the rising Electric-Type.
"Use Recover!-" declared Naruto.
Corsola was unsure, on one hand she would indeed heal battle damage but on the other hand it would leave her vulnerable and Electabuzz wasn't a naturally slow Pokemon. Chances are she would have absolutely no time to heal any major wounds before getting hit a second time. However, she trusted her Trainer wholeheartedly and began the healing process.
"-Like hell you are! Electabuzz, use Shock Wave!" the tailed primate screeched furiously as he shot a jagged wave of electricity, its somewhat uncontrolled pattern had unconsciously given his opponents their window of opportunity.
"Corsola, sidestep left and use Secret Power!"
Shining a hue of pink aura, Corsola dodged the stream of lightning and fired three shots of pressurized mud. Blind in its rage, Electabuzz wasn't able to process his Trainer's orders to move away and was promptly nailed by a super effective strike via Mud Shot. The tiger monkey snarled as he forcefully picked himself off the sand, however any attempts to fight would be proven futile by the now charging coral.
"Now Corsola, finish him with Earth Power!"
Outlined in a golden glow, Corsola trusted her frontal legs deep into the sand, causing many cracks and fissures began to snap and sink the granular material surrounding her opponent, it was soon followed by a rift of golden energy which quickly erupted in a blinding flash. Once the light subsided, Electabuzz was spotted immobile under small piles of sand.
"That's two" announced Kiba.
The crowds continued to cheer while Sasuke returned Electabuzz with a disapproving scowl, "Corsola, can you keep going?" asked Naruto, as his companion had taken serious damage during the battle, it was only natural for a Trainer to worry for his Pokemon.
"Cor~~~ sola~" it was clear that she was under no condition to compete in the third and final round, unfortunately the rules accepted had restricted team swapping and would be forced to battle again.
"We'll use Recover the first chance we get, let's try and focus on keeping a distance okay?" giving a weakened nod, the two awaited their opponent's last Pokemon.
'Son of a bitch knew I'd attack him, with Electabuzz lost in his fury there was no way he was going to stop to dodge' thought the Uchiha with a scowl.
Clipping the capture capsule to his waist, he swapped out for a Dusk Ball; much to the Naruto's surprise.
"Turn the tables, Dusclops!"
Materializing from the dark violet rays came a dark grey mummified cyclops. Its armless hands twitched as its head and shoulder wisp growths flowed alongside the ocean wind, and his three tooth-like projections crackled as its single eye glowed a malicious red.
"Dusclops: The Beacon Pokemon – It is said that within its hollowed body, lies an everlasting black hole that can consume anything it comes in contact with. Dusclops typically live in thick forests and can use its large hands to hypnotize victims into servitude" read the entry.
Naruto knew it was best not to tangle with a Dusclops, they were uncommon within the Sky Pillar and whenever they made an appearance, the local Pokemon knew that for their own safety, to stay clear of the single-eyed Ghost-Types.
"Get ready, here he comes!" warned Naruto.
Granite Cave
"Is it just me or is it getting colder?"
"Nope, we're definitely on the right track" responded Shelly.
Gazing down at their feet, one would notice the thin layers of ice coating the underground terrain, creating audible snaps and cracks with each step. As the team of Aqua Grunts and Admins trailed down the frozen paths, they soon came to a halt as their boots splashed against an extended puddle of water.
Matt reached down and fingerless gloves in the crystal clear liquid, "It's warm" he spoke, causing his fellow Admins to snarl.
"Move, now!" ordered Amber.
Taking off in a full out sprint, Team Aqua arrived at a melted archway that appeared to have been forcefully dug and drilled through. Following the half destroyed staircase and tribal drawings, the blue clad criminals raced past the hot winds and through the single ice and rock shattered passageway, eventually arriving within a frozen battlefield.
Several Glalie laid motionless on the ground as others pushed back their oppressors with rays of cold energy. Houndoom razed the air and frost covered ceiling in flames as their Trainers plowed through the Ice-Types and deeper into the icicle coated palace.
"Blaise!" shouted Shelly, effectively gaining the attention of Team Magma.
Said Admin smirked as his eyes landed at the source of the call, "Well, well, well, if it isn't little shellfish, fancy meeting you here" he spoke.
"And you know why, the stone will go to Archie, so you all better stay the hell out of our way!"
"Ya see, that right there, is something we're gonna hafta disagree with~"
"Take 'em down!" ordered Matt, tossing a Poke Ball along with rest of the team.
Quadruped, black and grey furred hyenas, along with large blue bats with gaping jaws, and overgrown bipedal blue platypus and red crayfish materialized from the ejected rays. Team Magma followed suit, releasing similar Pokemon as well as occasional Fire, Rock, and Ground-Types.
"Camerupt, Houndoom, use Flamethrower!"
"Crawdaunt, use Scald!"
Opening their pincers, the star-crowned crayfish ejected a stream of boiling water to counteract the incoming waves of fire. The Mightyena and Houndoom rabidly bit and clawed in attempt to tear each other to shreds while the Golbat struck with Wing Attack and Air Slash.
"Graveler use Rollout!"
"Golduck, stop them with Confusion!" the four armed boulders were stopped in mid roll and flung back towards their teammates.
As the Admins handled each other, Team Aqua came to realize that one had gone missing, "Dammit, Matt help clear a path, Shelly you go after Blaise, don't let him reach the Keystone!" shouted Amber.
"Got it! Crawdaunt, speed up with Aqua Jet and nail 'em with Crabhammer!" declared the muscular Admin.
Encasing it's body in water, the crayfish torpedoed past the other Pokemon and slammed a brightly shining pincer onto a Camerupt. The force of impact was able to knock down the volcanic two humped camel along with a fire breathing Houndoom. Not to lose an opportunity, Shelly dashed across the war zone and deeper into the aged palace.
"Courtney, cut her off!"
"Ninetails, burn her to cinders with Inferno!" she ordered, prompting the multi-tailed Pokemon to exhale a scorching hot stream of mythical blue flames.
The melting fires would have reached the Admin had the Ninetails not been frozen by the many remaining Glalie. Razing the field with Ice Beams, both opposing Teams turned their attention to the Face Pokemon.
"And then there's these guys" mutter Amber.
"Corsola-" muttered Naruto, gritting his teeth in anger as Dusclops continued to beat down on his already unconscious companion.
He brought up his Dive Ball and quickly returned her to the safety of her capsule, which in turn caused the Beacon Pokemon to turn its attention towards the blonde Trainer. "She was already beaten, there was no need continue afterwards!" exclaimed Naruto.
"Hmm, I don't think he cares"
"Dusclops~"
"That's playin' dirty Sasuke" retorted Kiba.
"Tsk, like I care what you think, now hurry and chose your next Pokemon, Dusclops is getting impatient!"
Naruto growled, "So that's how it's gonna be, fine then, let's see how you handle a trickster, Banette I choose you!~" he declared, sending his own Dusk Ball sailing across the air.
In a dark flash came the black skinned marionette, chuckling childishly upon his release, the child-sized Ghost returned a psychotic grin to match the menacing stare it received from the Dusclops.
"Dusclops, use Shadow Punch!" engulfing it's limbless hands in a black aura, the mummy wrapped cyclops thrusted both forward, sending a pair of overgrown shadow hazed fists at his opponent.
However to his shock and confusion, Banette had disappeared from his position, "What!?" exclaimed Sasuke, bearing a similar reaction.
"You left yourself wide open, Banette hit him hard with Sucker Punch!" bursting from the shadow of the unwary Dusclops, the marionette struck with a violet fog coated fist.
Stumbling back under the force of impact, Dusclops levitated back into position with a pounding headache and a look that promised pain.
"Dusclops, use Nightshade!"
"Banette, zoom in and use Will-O-Wisp!"
Unleashing a trail of black lightning from both palms, Dusclops motioned his hands to follow the speeding marionette. Banette however was more skilled in aerial combat and easily maneuvered around the bolts, eventually pelting his target with small wisp-like fireballs.
"Dammit, Dusclops flash him with Confuse Ray!"
With its body and one eye glowing violet, Dusclops shined a sinister light upon his opponent, causing Banette to fly about in a disoriented fashion.
"Banette!"
"Got him, plant a Curse on it!"
Not wasting time, the Dusclops expelled a menacing aura that encased the Confused Ghost in a pair of sinister hands; leaving the Dusclops rather winded at the end of the procedure. Sasuke smirked as his opponent was now on a timer, if his Pokemon couldn't bring down the Banette, then the life draining Curse would do the job.
"Now, strike with Shadow Ball!"
Cupping both hands together, an orb of dark energy began to generate at a rather slow rate. Sasuke grew irritated, Shadow Ball takes seconds not minutes to charge, so why was his Pokemon taking it's time to do so. It wasn't until he noticed the small flames coating his partner's overgrown hands that he came to a realization.
He had already forgotten about the Burn inflicted by Banette's Will-O-Wisp. This left him with the same disadvantage as his opponent, should the ailment grow too severe than his Pokemon could very well collapse from the scorching pain.
When time came, Dusclops had his Shadow Ball fully charged and ready to fire. Unfortunately, bringing up the attack wasn't the difficult part, it was hitting the target. Banette would not stop moving and continued to fly in an uncoordinated pattern, dropping his attack succession rate to twenty, if not at best thirty percent.
Banette soon began to slow down, many including Sasuke thought the Curse was taking affect and decided to take the shot, "Dusclops, attack now!" he declared, completely missing the readjusted gleam in the Pokemon's eye.
"Banette, dodge and use Hex!"
"What!?"
Allowing his Will-O-Wisp to buy time, Banette had successfully snapped out of his Confusion. He then performed an aerial somersault over the incoming Shadow Ball and struck his fellow Ghost-Type with an ominous spell. Eyes glowed red as Dusclops was outlined in a black aura, it hollered in pain as the flames lightly coating it's body dramatically grew in size.
"Whoa, what's happening to Dusclops?" asked Kiba.
"Hex is a move exclusive to Ghost-Type Pokemon and a selected few, it actually doubles the amount of damage inflicted if the target possesses a Status Condition, this makes it favorable to those who can inflict Burns and Poison affects" replied a nearby Trainer.
Banette continued on the offensive but suddenly came to a halt as an excruciating pain coursed through his small stature, leaving him open for a counterattack.
"Dusclops use Shadow Sneak!"
Diving into his own shadow to avoid further assault, Dusclops then extended his untouchable body towards his struggling opponent.
"Banette, you have to relax if you keep struggling the affects will only extend!"
Taking his Trainers advice, Banette gritted his teeth as the Curse drained a portion of his life energy. The pain was unbearable but only lasted a few seconds, "Now quickly, strike below with Sucker Punch and finish him with Dark Pulse!" declared Naruto.
Dropping down with a pulled back violet coated fist, Dusclops rose with a palm strike but was slammed onto the sands by the marionette's quicker punch. Banette rose back up, creating a distance between the two before opening his zipper-like mouth and unleashing a tangled circular wave of dark power.
[End Battle Sequence]
The impact erupted a sand cloud that blocked the results from the viewers. The particles soon resided, leaving an unconscious Ghost Pokemon in its wake. The crowds spent no time sending cheers and applause for the winners, Banette grinned and laughed childishly as he performed various victory poses for crowd.
'Luck... that's all it was... luck-' though Sasuke with a sneer.
Returning Dusclops to his Dusk Ball, the raven haired boy trailed away from the beach without a word.
An exhaled puff of steam fumed with every breathe, the temperatures within the frozen palace had dropped exponentially and continued to drop the deeper they traveled in. Blaise had brought out his Flareon and Houndoom to take down the Glalie defending the passageway. Their flames pushed back the hoard and eventually arrived at the center chamber, where a single chunk of carved ice stood perfectly on its frozen pedestal.
"Courtney, Tabitha, the objective is secure get ready to tunnel out-"
"Like hell you are!"
"Hmm? Didn't think you'd notice, well not like it matters now! Armaldo join the fray!"
Tossing a Poke Ball, Blaise had sent out his strongest Pokemon to the frozen field. A bipedal mantis shrimp, shielded with thick greyish blue plates with an accents of yellow, black, white, and red. Its oblong eyes protrude from the sides of its head and a pair of wing-like appendages extended from its long thick neck, along with smaller spiked trailing down its spine and a pair of back fins on its tail.
"Vaporeon, Crawdaunt, take him down!"
Much like Flareon, Vaporeon possessed a near mirror appearance to the white flare coated fox, the only difference was its opposing blue skin and fish-like attributes.
"Flareon use Flamethrower, Armaldo bulldoze them with Rock Blast!"9"Vaporeon counter with Water Pulse, Crawdaunt shatter it with Crabhammer!"
Fire and water met in a short clash before Vaporeon's element gained the upper hand, however was quickly countered by a spiraling chunk of stone. The Bubble Jet Pokemon jumped back as Crawdaunt rushed in front and smashed apart the incoming projectile with its glowing claw.
"Armaldo turn 'em to seafood with Crush Claw! Flareon, keep 'em away with Shadow Ball!" ordered Tabitha as he proceeded towards the Keystone.
Shelly and her team were forced to back away from the Flareon's barrage of dark energy, this also left her Crawdaunt in a struggle against Armaldo's superior strength.
"Dammit! Crawdaunt stand your ground with Harden! Vaporeon wipe them out with Muddy Water!" ordered the Aqua Admin.
Snapping his attention towards his opponent, Blaise was forced to act quickly before the Water-Type had a chance to flood the chamber.
"Armaldo, Harden up as well! Flareon, tackle Vaporeon with Flare Blitz!"
Both taller Pokemon proceeded to harden their already thickened body plates, while Flareon coated itself in a protective fiery armor as it bolted towards its target. Unfortunately, the Fire-Type did not possess the speed necessary to reach its opponent and was pushed back by a wave of murky water.
The tide pushed farther and eventually carried both Blaise and his Pokemon across the room and onto a frozen wall. Crawdaunt, with the aid of Vaporeon, was able to push back Armaldo and promptly send it crashing down with a hard swing of its Crabhammer.
Shelly scurried across the knee deep water and snatched the Keystone from its pedestal, "Let's move!" she ordered, returning Crawdaunt while her Vaporeon swam ahead.
Blaise gritted his teeth in both anger and pain, struggling to get up he reached for his earpiece and requested immediate assistance, "Courtney, Tabitha... Shelly's got the stone, intercept her now!" he shouted.
His frown intensified as he received static from the other end, which could only mean one of two things; either his equipment was damaged due to the aquatic attack or his fellow Admins were themselves in trouble. Returning his Pokemon, Blaise limped after the curly haired Admin.
Shelly felt her jaws chatter as the Keystone slowly began to encase her arm in ice. She soon arrived back at the entrance were both teams were now up against a much larger hoard of Glalie. Matt and Amber took notice of her and motioned her to rush towards them, which did not go unnoticed by Team Magma.
However, they could do nothing as they were pinned down by both the Glalie and a few Aqua Grunts. Suddenly, the Keystone gave off a misty blue pulse as a strange seven yellow dotted cross appeared on its surface; the Glalie then bulldozed through the waters and flames and froze the few of the invaders as well as the environment with amplified Ice Beams.
"Pull back! The lot of you!" shouted Matt, as he and his fellow Admins dash up the tunnel leading back into the surface cavern.
Preferring not to be turned into an ice sculpture, the Aqua Grunts followed their leaders out the only exit. Their sudden flee had caught the attention of several Glalie and proceeded to barricade the opening under a thick layer of ice, leaving Team Magma to fend off against the increasing hoard.
"Blaise, where the hell are you!" shouted Courtney, via earpiece.
"I hear you-!" echoed the Magma Admin.
"Hurry up or you're getting left behind! Rhydon, Graveler, use Dig!" spinning its drill-like horn, both the bipedal rhino and four armed boulder tore through the grounds below.
Slateport City - Market
Walking through the crowded streets, Sasuke frowned as his most recent battle continued to phase through his head, he was amongst one of the strongest Trainers in the city and the skill of his team was near unrivaled, and yet, he was only able to bring down one of the blonde's Pokemon.
"Judging from your facial expression, I'm guessing that victory went to your opponent" came a voice that muted the rest.
Sasuke felt pace slow to a stop, "My team was more than capable than beating his... he just got lucky" he replied, earning a sigh in return.
"Sounds like an excuse... there is no such thing as luck in a Pokemon Battle, a win is always secured by the skill of both Pokemon and Trainer"
Sasuke could only growl at his siblings words of wisdom as the elder Uchiha took the opposite direction of his trail. Sasuke took a few steps forward before glancing back at his brother's retreating self, seconds before continuing his path.
Pokemon Center
Sitting outside the emergency room, both Naruto and Banette awaited the end result to Corsola's treatment. Once the lights dimmed down, the double doors opened and out walked the pink-haired Pokemon Nurse and her Chansey.
"How is she?" asked Naruto.
"The beating she received was quite severe, though with proper treatment and rest, she should make a speedy recovery with a few days" she explained.
"That's a relief~" with a sigh, he handed over his Dive Ball, "Guess I'll leave her in your capable hands" earning a nod from Joy and a reassuring smile from Chansey.
Soon the evening clouds rolled in, washing the sky in the red, yellow, and orange colors that came with the sunset. Naruto and Banette had left their teammate to rejuvenate while they relaxed on the soft grass of the local park.
"Slateport City? Wow, you move fast Naru-Chan" spoke a surprised Lydia.
"Yup, once the Contest is over I'll be heading up to Mauvile City"
"Contest? Is our son planning on becoming a Coordinator as well?" asked Faust.
"Hehe, no Dad, just gonna watch a friend compete~" he snickered, before noticing his foster father's analyzing gaze.
"What?"
"It's a girl isn't it?"
"Huh!? Well, yeah but-"
"Oh~ has Naru-Chan found a girlfriend?~"
"N-No, she's just a friend... a-and I'm giving her my support is all" he responded with a small blush.
"Whatever you say kiddo~"
Naruto groaned as their conversation grew more embarrassing, soon being forced to cut the connection on his Xtransciever once his foster parents began to explain the steps of human reproduction.
"Nette~"
"Don't even go there-" warned Naruto, which led to the marionette bursting out in laughter.
"Well, looks like I came at a bad time, that was awkward"
"Itachi?"
"Are you still up for our battle?"
Naruto instantly beamed and hopped to his feet, "Are you ready for this?" he asked his starter, who gave light boxing jabs as his response.
"Someone's eager... let's make this interesting, how about instead of the traditional one on one, we have a Double Battle? We will be restricted to two Pokemon only, will you accept?"
Both Naruto and Banette's grins couldn't get any wider, "Whatever flows your way~" he replied.
"Then let's Battle!"
[Play Pokemon Battle Revolution OST - Gateway Colosseum]
"Magmortar, Talonflame, scorch the earth!" tossing a pair of uniquely designed capsules marked with a flame design and releasing the Pokemon within.
Magmortar was a large bipedal, vaguely humanoid Pokemon with a red and yellow flame stripped egg body. It possessed wide pink lips on its dark face, along with long yellow tubular arms with three small claws differing from the two larger ones on its feet. Snapped to its neck, elbows, and ankles were thick black shackles. While four pink spikes grew from its backside its head, shoulders, and tail were lit in by a large flame.
Talonflame on the other hand was a red orange, black, and gray feathered falcon. It possessed orange ovular spots on its underside and flame patterns that marked the boundaries between colors. Its head formed an upward crest with its tail forming a perfect 'V'.
Naruto was curious to what these Pokemon were capable of and therefor brought out his PokeDex.
"Magmortar: The Blast Pokemon - The sturdy tubular arms of Magmortar can be used as cannons to blast fireballs of over 3,600 degrees Fahrenheit. These Pokemon typically live within volcanic craters and can heal wounds by dipping into a pool of molten lava".
Switching targets, Naruto grew surprised when his Dex couldn't identify Itachi's Talonflame, 'Looks like I'll need an update if I want info on different regional Pokemon' thought Naruto, before snatching the Cherish Ball from his belt.
"Deoxys, come on out!"
'Oh? It's yesterday's mystery Pokemon~' thought Itachi.
Having witnessed the few Battles the red and blue alien had competed in, it was highly presumed that Deoxys was a Psychic-Type; however its known moveset made it difficult to determine whether or not it was a Dual-Type. Deoxys gave the Elite Four an uncaring glance before his tentacles morphed into arms and crossed at his core.
"Deoxys hold them down with Psychic! Banette, pelt them with Will-O-Wisp!"
"Talonflame, use Tailwind!"
Deoxys expelled a violet aura as it targeted both Pokemon, unfortunately Talonflame was able to zoom up and out of sight. Unlike most Special Attacks, Psychic required a much more concentrated focus, which is why Pokemon were immobile when preforming it. When the falcon left his sights, Deoxys focused his attention on the heavier Fire-Type.
"BzZZttzZ!"
"Ba~ nette~!"
Hopping over his teammate Banette flung his fireballs at the cannon armed Pokemon, the orbs made it half way before Talonflame swooped in at high speeds, effortlessly evading the blue wisps before they were put out by the following jet stream.
Itachi glanced at his Magmortar and noticed its arms were slightly drawn up as it struggled underneath the heavy telekinetic grip, "Magmortar, use Smog! Talonflame, carry the fumes with Tailwind!" he declared.
Erupting a cloud of toxic clouds from its hand cannons, the fire falcon began flapping its wings, creating wind that blew the heavy fumes towards their opponents.
"Deoxys counter with Icy Wind! Banette, ninja your way through with Shadow Sneak then stop Talonflame with Knock Off!"
Itachi knew the boy had a plan involving both of his Pokemon, otherwise the veil surrounding Magmortar would have remained. It was then that he felt a small drop in temperature and failed to notice the extending shadow due to the large quantities of black fumes. Banette soon bursts from his position and landing a surprise blow at Talonflame's exposed backside.
However, the falcon's spiraling fall lasted a well estimated point five seconds as it twirled back up with an already prepared attack, "Talonflame, use Aerial Ace!" ordered Itachi.
With quick precision and speed, Banette was struck hard by a bird torpedo, "Magmortar, fire a Hyper Beam!" halting its spew of toxic clouds, the heavy Fire-Type shot a quick charged orange beam through the Smog an frozen winds.
"Deoxys, Defense Form! Banette, retreat with Shadow Sneak!"
Allowing himself to fall, the marionette reverse swan dived back into his shadow and towards his Trainer. Deoxys on the other hand, possessed little to no time to perform the task requested as the powerful beam struck with an dust lifting explosion. Once settled, the DNA Pokemon revealed himself to have successfully shifted into his sturdy armored form.
"Deoxys, shift to Speed Form and take 'em down with Extreme Speed! Banette, support with Night Shade!"
"Magmortar, shield yourself with Fire Spin! Talonflame, protect your teammate with Steel Wing!"
Dashing at breakneck speeds, Deoxys would have tackled his opponent had he not ignited a ring of fire, instead the red and blue alien began running circles around the heavy Fire-Type. Magmortar glance left and right as the now blurred Deoxys began to uplift his barrier, he looked up to see a ray of black lightning that would have caused him to stumble out of his fiery defense had Talonflame not blocked it out with her brightly shining wings.
The falcon zoomed in towards the marionette as she blocked stray bolts at her companion, "Banette, evade and use Shadow Barrage!" Naruto declared.
Ducking underneath the speeding bird, Banette spammed and manipulated countless orbs of undead power, making it impossible for the bird to dodge as they all bombarded her.
"Magmortar, blast him away with Lava Plume~"
Jamming his hand cannons into the grounds below, Magmortar gave a war cry as thick flames and toxic fumes erupted into his surroundings; successfully striking his unawared opponent.
"Deoxys!"
"Talonflame, Aerial Ace once more!"
"Banette, dodge then pin her down with Hex!"
Evading left and right, Talonflame would not give the marionette the opening he so desperately needed. Eventually landing a blow that led to many, Banette was sent crashing onto the grounds below as where Talonflame flew higher up and prepared to sky bomb her downed target.
"Banette, are you okay?"
"Nette... Banette..."
"She'll be coming down any second, and Deoxys isn't faring well either... I don't expect us to win, be aren't going down without fight, Banette use Dark Pulse! Give it everything you've got!"
"Talonflame finish him with Brave Bird!"
Unzipping his mouth Banette forced out his nightmarish energy at full throttle as Talonflame bursts into flames shortly before coating herself in a blue aura. Both attacks impacted and remained at a stalemate for no less than five seconds before Talonflame drilled through and crashed into her opponent.
Turning the small dent into a crater, Banette was left unconscious while Talonflame fluttered out looking physically worse for wear.
Naruto gave a small smile as he a dark violet ray returned Banette to his capsule, "You did good, now rest up, you've earned it" he spoke.
"You nearly took down Talonflame, I'm impressed, but you forget this is a Double Battle, Magmortar use Fire Blast!"
"Crap! Deoxys, Teleport now!" flashing away from his position, Deoxys narrowly dodged a speeding fire Kanji.
The DNA Pokemon trailed several scorch marks from the previous attack, anything over the top such as a second Lava Plume, Fire Blast, an Hyper Beam would have Deoxys joining Banette in the Pokemon Center.
'Okay think, my advantage is Magmortar's low speed... his advantage, Talonflame's high speed and Magmortar's high fire power... they both make up for each other's weaknesses and their moves can be collaborated for higher damage, this won't be easy' thought the blonde as both Fire-Types regrouped.
"Deoxys, use Recover!"
"Talonflame, use Roost!"
It was no surprise that the orange red falcon would know that particular self-recovery move, as it was exclusive to Flying-Type Pokemon. Deoxys coats himself in a golden veil as Talonflame gives out a bright visible pulse, shortly before their wounds disappeared.
"Ready for the round two?"
"BzZZttzZ!~"
"Deoxys, Attack Form! Use, Night Shade!"
Trading some speed for attack power, the now whiplashing alien closed in its quadruple arms and unleashed a ray of black lightning from its core.
"Talonflame, cut him off with Aerial Ace! Magmortar, move in and use Flamethrower!"
"Mortar~" expelling puffs of flames, the Blast Pokemon dashed across the battlefield with mild difficulty as he was struck by stray bolts.
Talonflame was already ahead of her teammate as her speed allowed her to quickly reach her target, which instantly grabbed the attention of the red and blue alien. Just as the falcon disappeared from view, Deoxys heard the call of his Trainer, "Deoxys, strike your left flank with Zen Headbutt!" declared Naruto.
With his head giving off a bright cerulean glow, the alien smashed his head against the blitzing Talonflame.
"Bind her now!"
"Dodge with Acrobatics!" slipping away beneath an after image, Deoxys confusingly wrapped his arms around nothing before feeling a sudden heat draft.
Without needing to be told, Deoxys skyrocketed into the air to avoid a stream of intense flames, "Talonflame, uplift the flow with Tail Wind!" zooming in front of the flames, the falcon flapped gusts of winds that soon aided in creating a huge Fire Whirl that successfully captured their opponent.
"BzZZttzZ!"
"Deoxys, use Psycho Boost!"
'Psycho Boost?' thought Itachi in surprise, as the blonde had yet to reveal such a technique in the public Battles.
Further questions were answered as a visible orb began to grow within the flame based tornado and without warning shot down towards the earth. Eyes widening, Itachi ordered Talonflame to cease wind currents and pull out, unfortunately the vilocity of the plasma ball outmatched her speed, which resulted in her being caught in the blast radius.
The explosion had dispersed the twister, nearly knocked down Magmortar, and had taken down Talonflame; leaving the raven haired Elite Four, highly impressed.
"Excellent work, return~"
Magmortar and Deoxys shared a hardened stare as they awaited their Trainers orders. Naruto grinned as Itachi returned with an amused smile, both could feel the adrenaline pumping through their veins as their Battle raged on, and as much as they've enjoyed it, it would it have to end at some point.
"Deoxys, once more, use Psycho Boost!" crossing his four arms at his core and began gathering cosmic energy that soon gave form to a large multi-colored plasma ball.
"Magmortar, end this with Hyper Beam!" lifting both cannons, the egg-shaped Pokemon began to exhaust steam as the highly concentrated beams started to building up at the base of his arms.
"BzZZttzZ!"
"Magmortar!~"
Blasting a man-sized plasma ball dead center of the two powerful beams, a struggle for dominance was insured. Magmortar continued to pour every last ounce of its strength in order to push back the equally destructive projectile and to the surprise of both Naruto and Deoxys, he did.
"Quickly, push it back with Night Shade!" Deoxys followed orders and pushed back with black currents of electricity.
The struggle lasted a good thirty seconds before Magmortar's Hyper Beam obliterated the energy ball and razed through the nightmarish bolts as it struck Deoxys with blinding light, forcing Naruto to shield his eyes.
[End Battle Sequence]
Once it was safe to blink, both Naruto and Itachi gasped as Deoxys dropped to his one knee and kept himself up with his right arms. His right leg and left arms, shoulder, and part of his masked face was appeared missing as white sparks tried desperately to repair the damage done.
Naruto gave a low sigh, "Looks like we lost, no surprise there~" he spoke with a shrug.
"BzZZttzZ~"
"I know you can, but I rather not see you suffer while you regenerate, don't worry, this defeat will help us get stronger in the future"
Deoxys gave his Trainer a strained yet thoughtful look before giving a nod in response, Naruto smiled and returned his companion to his Cherish Ball.
"Will he be alright?" asked Itachi, with Magmortar trailing behind him.
"Yeah, he heals quicker than most of my team, a night's rest at the Pokemon Center and he'll be as good as new"
"That's good to know, though I believe I should be thanking you for this Battle"
"Thanking me?"
"It's been a while since I've battled normally, you know without official league regulations and just for the hell of it, it was fun"
"Oh... well, you're welcome then~" grinned Naruto.
"Who knows, if you keep working hard and treating your Pokemon with love and respect, then maybe, just maybe, it'll be me on the losing end"
"Oh, it won't just be you, I'll defeat all of the regional Four, this I swear!" declared the blonde Trainer, while receiving a light chuckle from the elder Uchiha.
Route 126
Speeding across the ocean's surface was a two floored, white and blue passenger boat. With many Aqua members maintaining the boat, one stood out from the rest as his Holo Caster gave a vibration. Opening the screen, the monitor shot out a hologram of its caller, "Amber, what news do you have?" asked Archie.
"Mission was a success sir, the Keystone is in our hands... though I recommend getting it sealed, its already turned our boat into a freeze tank"
"Noted, get it back to base and have our men study it, you've done an excellent job"
"Thank you sir, we'll head back to base"
Cutting connection, Archie gave a grin, 'We've already acquired one, with 'their' power, not even the Elite Four will be able to stop us' he thought, as the boat made way to its destination, Slateport City.
Next Chapter: Let the Contest, Begin!
AN: Holy Crap, longest chapter ever! I hope you guys enjoyed it cause it was a pain in the ass to write. Now first I'd like to point some things out that have happened recently that does not pertain to me in anyway is the recent updates in the Naruto manga. Okay so apparently, Naruto's got yet another boost in power while Sasuke got the Rinnegan... please tell me I wasn't the only one expecting the opposite?
Then, Madara actually manages to set his Moon Eye plan into action only to get betrayed by Zetsu after claiming to carry Kaguya's will or some crap; whatever it is, its left me more confused than I already am, don't try to explain it to me, I'll figure it out eventually.
But enough of my ranting, it's time to answer a few questions that most of you are most likely to ask.
One: Yes, if you haven't figured it out by now both Team Aqua and Magma are gathering the three golems, I'll try to fit in Regigigas though there's a slim chance he won't make the cut.
Two: Sasuke will play as 'one' of Naruto's official Rival in the series.
Three: Why was Naruto's PokeDex able to read Magmortar and not Talonflame? Well, Talonflame originates from a different region and Naruto doesn't have the upgrade for said region. As for Magmortar, since Magmar was introduced in the first gen it's only logical that Magby and Magmortar be introduced there as well, and since the Dex entry states that they can be found in volcanic craters, that pretty much dismisses the trade evolution requirement and can evolve through leveling up.
Four: How the hell did Deoxys lose to Magmortar? Well for those of you nerdy enough to care, Itachi is an Elite Four and should be considered one of the most powerful Trainers of the world, so in other words. It's only logical to think that Magmortar is at a higher level, Deoxys is at the Lv. 70 mark whereas Magmortar is most likely at Lv. 90 - 100 and not at the common Lv. 60-65 limit.
Since Deoxys stats changes with each form, I've estimated his Sp. Atk to be around 328 in his Attack Form while Magmortar had a whopping 383, not to mention that Psycho Boost had a base damage of 140 while Hyper Beam a 150, and since he's got two cannons to work with that technically doubles the damage done.
If you've got another question, send a message or a review, I'll try and answer them the best of my abilities (don't ask about a release date for my other stories, I don't have a schedule I just write 'em and post 'em when ready).
That should be all, be seein' you next tie, Ja Ne!