Hello everyone,

Interesting, interesting things happening! I just wanna say that you all have made me doubt the name for our newest team member, Gyarados. When I said it was obvious, I didn't realize how many naruto names fit the giant water snek. I am staying with my original name choice, but I do recognize that it isn't so obvious. You win.

Anyway, on to the chapter!

Follow me on instagram at wtmcdonald author!

Reminder of pokemon and names:

Hashi - Hariyama.

Minato - Hypno.

Madara - Growlithe.

Shika - Absol.

Asuma - Teddiursa

? - Gyarados

Deceased:

Tsunade - Feebas

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

"Early riser?"

I turned to the owner of the voice, even though the nasally tone of voice was easy to discern. Gary Oak walked towards me, in full trainer gear. It seemed he meant to sneak away in early morning light.

"Yep. Something about sleeping in a comfortable bed, after so long on the road doesn't feel right." I told the boy honestly. I berated myself for calling him 'boy'. He was a man now, same as I was.

"I hope I don't develop that problem." Gary said with a chuckle. I brought my coffee up to my lips, and took another sip.

Professor Oak's back porch was one worthy of watching the sun rise on. It had an amazing view, that reminded me of my past life. It was just fields, and pastures. Grazing pokemon stirred with sun, and nocturnal's were disappearing to the forest on the edge of the fields.

"You should say goodbye." I said. I knew it wasn't my business, but I couldn't help but offer the beginner some advice. "You don't know if you'll make it back." I continued a little morbidly.

"I would never leave if I said goodbye." Gary countered, and I knew it was the truth. It seemed I had judged him a brat too early, he still cared for his family.

"Well, did you at least leave a note?" I asked as he turned away from me. I didn't get an answer, and I didn't push him for one.

Gary did not take the route that I knew would lead him back to the entrance of the ranch. Instead, he took off in the direction of the pastures, and the tree line beyond them. I watched him go, with conflicting emotions.

On one hand, I knew he was smart and would be fine. On the other, I knew that dangerous pokemon dwelled off of the beaten path.

Is this how him and Red will grow so strong so fast? Is that how Brendan did it?

I shocked myself with the last name. I hadn't thought about the boy who had handed me my first defeat in a long time. I absentmindedly wondered where he was at on his journey. I already had three badges. Would he have five or six at this point?

"He thinks he's smarter than he is."

Once again, I turned around. Daisy Oak walked towards me, also holding a cup of coffee. The meganium that followed her was unexpectedly large. I had never seen one so close, so I wasn't sure what to expect.

Gardevoir, and meganium. I guess I know she's smart enough to get a starter.

"Don't we all." I commented back as I turned away from the extremely rare pokemon Daisy was showing off. Something told me she had some other, impressive pokemon, stowed away on her belt.

My legs flashed to her toned legs, instinctively, before looking away. Her blue jean shorts displayed her legs splendidly. I took my peak like a true man should, shamelessly.

"No doubt." Daisy said as she plopped down in the chair beside me.

"Back to your duties today?" I asked. It was the easiest, and fastest, way of getting to the bottom of her looks towards me yesterday. I needed confirmation that she was indeed the owner of that Gardevior.

She shot me a look that said 'you're not slick'. I weathered her disappointing gaze, and waited. Eventually she huffed at me before answering.

"Yes." Daisy said. "And my first duty is to make sure that you don't lose control of your gyarados. That wouldn't look good on my record."

"And watch over your little brother from afar, no doubt." I said.

Daisy laughed and pointed at the sky above us. I followed her finger for a moment before finding it. It looked like a cloud from the ground, at first. Then I saw the blue-scaled legs, tail, and long neck. It was an altaria.

My eyes immediately focused on it's cloud-like wings, trying to discern if it was feathers, or really clouds. I gave up quickly, as the impressive dragon was too far away. My respect for Daisy continued to rise.

"Impressive set of pokemon." I couldn't help but tell her as I got another sip of coffee.

"I could say the same about you." Daisy countered quickly, although I could tell she enjoyed the flattery. I continued to watch the altaria float about happily. It blended into the sky so well, you wouldn't know it wasn't a cloud unless you were actively looking for it.

"Thanks" I said as my hand dipped to the floor of the porch, where Shika laid around lazily. I had yet to release any other of my pokemon from their balls yet. Madara was off somewhere with his father still. I was letting him get all the time he could.

"How did you get her?" Daisy asked.

The question brought a pain to my chest, although it was a much smaller pain than normal. When I thought about Tsunade, I pictured her swimming around happily, instead of her broken body in Hashi's hands. I couldn't help but smile at the memory, and the realization that I was finally healing from her death.

"I was on Cinnabar when it blew." I told her. I didn't need to explain any further, and I was sure that I couldn't have even if I wanted to.

Daisy looked as if a light bulb just went off in her head. "I thought I recognized your name. You were Blaine's last challenger?"

The reminder of the old Gym Leader triggered a small bit of hatred in my guts. I smothered it quickly. There was nothing else I could do to him. No sense in talking bad of the dead.

"That's right. Tough old coot." I joked, although it fell flat. I curse myself for my morbid sense of humor.

"Yea he was." Daisy agreed, looking somewhere on the horizon and lost in a memory. Absentmindedly, I wondered how many badges she had.

I finished the last bit of coffee and looked over to see that Daisy had also. I stood up then, and stretched a little bit. Shika flipped herself off of the floor, and began stretching like a cat would. I still couldn't decide if she was more feline or canine. I didn't think long enough for my brain to hurt and moved on.

My feet found the steps of the porch, and then the grass of the back yard. I released all of my pokemon, but one with practiced ease.

"Time to make this big lizard my bitch."

Daisy led me through what had to have been five different sixty acre pastures. We didn't arrive at the location until the sun was almost at its peak. We made great time for walking, and it showed just how her legs got to be so toned and impressive.

"This is where I stop." Daisy said as she found a nice log to sit on. Her meganium sat down beside her also. It acted a lot like a very majestic dog would.

I nodded to her, and just continued on. I was sure my location was in front of me somewhere.

"Yell if you need me." Daisy said as I disappeared around some trees.

Sure enough, in about another hundred yards, the trees parted to reveal a massive lake. So massive that I could barely see the opposite shore on the horizon. I turned to my pokemon.

"This is where we'll do it." I told them. "Minato, I want you to get in it's mind immediately and focus it's rage on everything but us. Make him think we're family, and that he has to protect us. We're strictly playing defense here guys. Do not attack him. Let him release his anger on the pokemon in the water or if he finds some in the trees somewhere."

I reached for the teddiursa in Hashi's hands. I took Asuma away from him. I was surprised that the little bear didn't wine at all. He just dug his little sharp claws into my shoulder slightly. No harder than a cat would. Still stung for a while though.

Hashi was my first line of defense, and I didn't need him holding a baby pokemon doing it.

My hand went to my belt and I grabbed the gyarados' ball. I released him as far away as my pokeball would let me.

He materialized into the world with a roar that rattled my bones and my courage.

Immediately his eyes turned towards us and he lunged. I pushed the return button on my pokeball quickly. Hashi moved in front of me anyway with an electric covered fist.

Once the gyarados disappeared, Hashi took up his place by my side.

I released the gyarados again. He roared as soon as he materialized, and then turned towards us. His eyes narrowed, and in my mind I could feel Minato working his magic, manipulating the massive flying water-dragon-snake thing.

Gyarados lunged again. I returned him, and released him in the same movement of my arm.

This time, he did not roar when he appeared. But his massive head did turn towards me with rage in his eyes. Dark type energy gathered around his mouth, and I knew Minato lost his connection with the gyarados' mind.

I returned the massive pokemon again and released him quickly.

My plan was simple. If he threatened us at all, he got returned. If he turned his rage to the world, then I would allow him to do anything except kill another human or their pokemon. Wild pokemon were fair game, as far as I was concerned.

This time, when he looked at us, I felt Minato's manipulation take hold. The gyarados and I had a staring contest for a long time and I did my best to convey that we were his team and his family through our link.

Tobirama.

I named him quickly, and on a whim. Something told me that if I gave him a name, then he would be quicker to accept us. I already knew his gender. I had known it was male for a long time now. I spent a lot of time staring at its description in the pokedex.

The massive blue pokemon turned away from us and dove into the water. Waves flew around the lake from where he disappeared.

Minato kept me up on his progress, and Tobirama was being a fucking menace to the local population in the lake. The first thing Tobi killed and ate, was a magikarp… one of his own kind.

Next was a whiscash.

Then a kingler.

Then a beautiful swanna and her baby duckletts paddling around it.

A part of me thought I should stop him, but I did send commands that the wild was free game. Plus I knew that feeding that monster would be a problem. Tobi would have to hunt for his own food from now on. No way I could afford that. Especially if this was any indication of how much he needed to eat.

There was even a bibarel that he ate in one bite.

It took him four hours to return. I lost count of all the pokemon he killed and ate. I did keep track of his rage, through my link with Minato. It slowly lessened with each pokemon he killed.

In the meantime, everyone got their daily training in. I even spent some one-on-one time with Asuma. I taught him commands, and to obey me during a battle. It was very similar to the beginning training Hashi and I had done. All of my other pokemon didn't need such training. Except Tobi of course, but I had no idea on how to approach that type of training.

When my newest pokemon returned to me, he floated on the top of the water for a long time. I turned to him initially and sent reinforcing thoughts to him. After that, I turned away and continued working with Asuma.

The whole time I was on edge, and had Tobirama's pokeball in my hand. Hashi also stood on standby the whole time. Minato's training consisted of what he was doing all day, manipulating a massive rage monster into believing we were his family.

I realized, during the middle of all of this, that I had been neglecting the Hypno lines most useful techniques. They weren't the most powerful psychics out there. In fact, they were some of the weakest.

Unless it came to the subtle aspects of being a psychic. Such as future sight, dream eater, etc. Hell they could even learn nightmare, a traditionally ghost move. I had gone completely against those advantages and turned him into a physical attacker. Now we were playing catch up.

We stayed like that another two hours. The whole time, Tobirama pretended to be laying about. Minato's link told me he still wasn't completely trusting of us. There was no doubt that any misstep by me or my pokemon would lose all the trust we had gained today.

Once we had all eaten dinner, and the sun was about to set, I turned to my newest pokemon.

"We have to go now." I told him. Minato translated in our minds.

Tobi leapt up out of the water and glared at me. I knew he was pondering the advantages of attacking me. I spoke before he could get the chance.

"We can come back tomorrow, and you can do the same thing." I told him. "And the next day if we need to. You're a part of our team, our family now. But we have to go for the night." I continued talking as if it understood. In reality, it did because of Minato. But I knew some of the concepts were hard to understand for such a lonesome creature. Such as a family, and team.

We continued to stare at each other for a long time. In the end, Tobi made the wrong choice and decided to lunge at me. I sighed in disappointment as he disappeared into a red light. I hoped that all the work I had done over the day wasn't undone.

I said goodnight to all my pokemon besides Minato, and returned them. Minato touched my shoulder, and the next thing I saw was the back porch of Professor Oak's house.

Oak was sitting in a rocking chair, with a cup of something in his hand. I knew it wasn't coffee. It was a deep amber. He looked like he was expecting me again. I doubted anything happened on this ranch without him knowing.

"You did very well today, Brawly." Oak said.

My hand went to the back of my neck. "It doesn't seem like it, Professor." I responded. "I have a proposition."

Professor Oak smiled, as if he knew it was already coming. "Before you begin, and I deny you. Why don't I just tell you mine and we go from there." He said.

I didn't respond, but I did stop right before the steps of his house. I waited for him to finish his sip of what had to be whiskey.

"That stone in your backpack. Is it what I think it is?" Oak said.

Immediately I knew he was talking about the Mega Evolution stone for Hashi. I must have had a surprised look on my face, because I couldn't even ask how he knew before he was speaking again.

"There is very little that escapes Alakazam's senses nowadays." Oak said.

At the same time, his alakazam appeared on the porch beside him, with a stone floating in front of him. Minato, who I still hadn't returned, looked at the stone and I could feel it through our link. It gave off the intense sort of energy that Hashi's did, but it was completely different.

It was a mega evolution stone for Oak's Alakazam.

For the first time all day, my growlithe appeared by my side. He was growling in the direction of Professor Oak. He must have sensed my unease with someone discovering my secret. I did not have a good track record with old men and evolution stones. And Oak was essentially the league. I didn't need this enemy.

Oak's arcanine appeared right in front of me. The look in its eye was not the look I needed to see. Never would I want to be on the wrong end of this arcanine. Madara stepped in front of me with a brave look on its face.

"That's enough. I'm not threatening you Brawly." Oak said.

A small bit of relief spread through me, but the arcanine in front of me didn't move.

"I said that is enough." Oak's voice had changed, and immediately the roar of what I knew was his dragonite sounded throughout the ranch. That was the voice of an ex-champion who didn't get defeated, but retired.

The ears of the arcanine in front of me immediately flattened on it's head like a scared puppy. It turned to it's master and bounded on the patio, where it layed down at his feet. Oak's entire demeanor changed back into the grandfatherly persona he liked to portray. His hand dipped and petted the arcanine while whispering to him. The dog ate it up and started licking his hand, properly berated.

"Sorry about that. He is overprotective." Oak said as he turned his attention back to me.

I hadn't been idle, and decided to take my backpack off. I unzipped it and reached to the spot the mega evolution stone sat. I took it out, deciding to trust the old man, instead of making an enemy. I didn't have a choice to be honest.

"Yes, it is for my hariyama." I told him as I held it out.

Oak's hawk-like eyes seemed to eat the stone. His gaze looked like he was taking notes of the yellow stone.

"You may stay as long as you like, Brawly. Free board, free use of the ranch. I just want the opportunity to study another stone." Oak said.

I didn't answer right away. There was no way I was going into something like this without thinking it over. I decided I needed more information before I could answer him.

"The league cannot know that I own that." I told him, without room for argument.

Oak nodded immediately. "They do not know of mine either."

"Why are you looking into it at all?" I asked.

"Sycamore claims to have figured it out. He is testing on ace trainers this year. The power balance would immediately shift to kalos. There is a reason the leagues live in harmony nowadays. The champions keep the peace. It is the threat of mutual destruction. If that changes, and three more champion level trainers pop up, loyal to Kalos. There will be a war, as sure as the sun rises, there will be a war. And it will be devastating." Oak explained.

I wanted to deny him and tell him that he had too little faith in humanity. But I was not naive. My experiences in this world and my last told me of what we were capable of. There wasn't a single atrocity I had heard that a human wouldn't do.

"So it is for peace, then?" I asked, hopeful. I considered what it would mean for me. If we succeeded in cracking the code, then I would immediately be on the hook if Kalos invaded. The responsibility would be mine to bear. But who else would do it? How many people, besides Oak and me, had a mega evolution stone? And how many had found them over the years before throwing them away?

Oak nodded to me. "Yes. So that you, Daisy, Gary, Red, and countless other trainers don't have to experience the tragedy of war."

"Surely I am not the only option." I told him, before I gave him my answer.

"No, there were others that made their findings a little too public. They are no longer with us." Oak said. The lines around his eyes tightened slightly and he took another sip of whiskey.

I sent up thankful prayers to whatever God I needed to that my father was knowledgeable about Mega Evolution. I could have easily been on the run being hunted, or dead.

I had never been one to shy away from responsibility. But I knew that the ramifications would reach beyond me. It would affect my team. I couldn't make that decision alone.

"I'll need to ask my team." I told him honestly.

Oak actually smiled at that, before nodding.

I released everyone, and to my surprise, my teddiursa ran into my arms and not Hashi's. In the meantime, Minato relayed the information quickly.

There was no hesitation from Hashi. He knew what was at stake. But there was one image that ran through everyone's mind, putting into perspective for use. Something I hadn't even considered.

The image of Mewtwo floating above us, with destruction in his eyes, flashed through our minds. Hashi's answer was clear.

"Hariyama!"

The next day, the gang and I teleported back to the lake with a new purpose in our minds, while Daisy left for something that happened in Viridian. I released Tobirama in the lake and told him to go wild.

He must have sensed our mood, because he did it immediately.

The rest of us trained harder than we had for a long time. Myself included. I knew that I would have to share the load for Hashi. I already had a theory that I would take on some of the energy into my own body to balance it out for him. I would need a tough body for that.

Madara showed up too, with a new collar on his neck. I didn't know why, and when I asked Oak, he said that it was purely for identification. But there was a small slot that looked to hold a stone on it. I got the hint, if he helped me with this mega evolution stone, he would help me evolve my growlithe.

He really was willing to help me out for the chance to experiment. Professor Oak was a good guy to have backing you.

I decided to test another theory of mine. I grabbed the rainbow feather that was in my backpack. Some testing when I got the feather told me that it was unnaturally durable. So I stabbed it through the cloth of the collar. It went through the fabric with a little wiggling, but didn't break. I had him run around a little bit to make sure it didn't fall out. I realized that he was so obsessed with it, that if it did fall out, he would pick it up. So I set him to training with it around his neck constantly.

For the next two weeks, we returned to the lake every day. We trained and trained and trained. Tobirama raged on the local population. I estimated he cut the lake's population down in half in that time.

Everyday he got a little closer to us from his spot in the water, after he raged out. Everyday he was a little calmer.

It was on day twelve that he came fully up to the shore. I had been working with Asuma again, who was definitely in battling shape now. I wouldn't be using him for gyms anytime soon, but I would be challenging one and two badge trainers with him soon. He was advancing rapidly.

Minato let me know that he was approaching, so I turned to him.

Tobirama snaked up to me, to where he was looming over me. Then he leaned his head down to where we were eye level. His breath smelled absolutely horrid. I knew what he wanted, but I was terrified to do it. I did it anyway, and decided to take a leap of trust.

My hand reached up, and I rubbed him underneath his jaw. I didn't know what I expected, but it definitely wasn't the slimy feeling of dragon scale. I expected a fish-like outer exterior. I got a dragon's exterior.

Tobi rumbled deeply. And then he turned around and went to destroy the local population again. I just blinked confusedly for a few moments. All of us were bewildered for a while. But I just shrugged my shoulders and went back to work.

Day thirteen, Tobi snaked out of the water and wrapped himself around where we were training. He just watched us, and I knew he was trying to protect us. Minato's manipulation was definitely working.

He had twelve days of practicing, and I knew that the manipulation was taking hold in the dragons mind.

Day fourteen, he was doing the same thing when Professor Oak flew down out of the clouds on the back of his dragonite. I smiled, as I knew what was coming. I had been thinking on how to get gyarados to train with us. I figured a good old fashioned beat down to show him he wasn't the strongest thing on the planet would do.

As soon as they breached the clouds, Tobirama was roaring at them. Oak's dragonite returned the roar with one of his own. My ears threatened to bleed.

Tobi snaked back into the water and away from us, a good sign. It showed good instincts. He didn't want us to get hurt while he defended us.

Oak disappeared from the back of Dragonite and appeared closer in the air, hovering. His alakazam right beside him, holding him up via telekinesis.

Tobirama launched himself out of the water. It looked like a waterfall, going up towards the sky. I realized that was exactly what it was. The move Waterfall, a staple of a young gyarados.

Dragonite sent a dragonbreath that sent Tobi back into the water licking his wounds. I mentally thanked Oak again. Minato had memorized the dragon type energy quickly. I didn't put it past Oak to know that he was handing me a wider move pool.

Tobi tried the same move again. This time, the dragonite smacked him down with his tail, knocking him out easily. My eyes widened at the ease with which the dragonite owned the gyarados.

Oak and his pokemon disappeared quickly.

When gyarados woke up, he slithered over to me with a pleading look on his eye. I smiled, and realized that I owed Oak the world.

I didn't know how much I would repay him in the future.

A/N: Boom!

Big ramifications this chapter everyone. So big!

Gyarados is Tobirama! Could have been Kisame or Zabuza like y'all recommended!

Oak is still a monster, although we knew that. He is researching mega evolutions himself. If you think about it, it isn't out of the kindness of his heart. He has the resources to look into some of Daisy's pokemon for mega evolution. But why would he subject his granddaughter to that responsibility. This boy, Brawly, is a much better option for him. But I wouldn't hold it against him, everyone of us would make the same decision.

Things are moving along everyone!

Let's talk in the reviews!