Karp
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Pokénin 008
🕑 Added 2025-03-04 19:49:04 +0000 UTCAfter accepting Cynthia as his mentor, Tekai was told to meet up at the south gate the next day at 7AM.
He had just left the castle, and was gathering his belongings to move into his new residence in the noble quarter.
Looking around the small room he had called home for the last 12 years, Tekai sighed in remembrance. He had spent long hours into the night reading in here. Likewise, this was where he practiced the Leaf Sticking technique, and wall walking.
It was a nostalgic place.
Picking up a burlap sack, Tekai carried all his worldly belongings with him and tied it to his staff to be hung over his shoulder. Three sets of clothes, 8 volumes of books, an extra pair of sandals, a mechanical pocket watch, and a framed black-and-white picture of him and Uncle Borah eating ice cream.
Today was the first time he had ever held money in the Naruto world, so his belongings were rather slim. Everything-meals, clothes, study materials-they had all been provided by the family.
Now that he was considered an adult, it was time for him to find his way in the world once again.
Sighing to himself, Tekai took one final look, then closed the sliding door for the last time.
Shuffling through the papers Grandpa Tatsushiro had handed him, there was one that had an address on it, and it came with a key.
Walking out of the gates that led to the castle, Tekai began the trek down the mountain towards the noble quarter.
The roads were wide, the buildings well maintained, and the people wore clean, well fitted clothes.
Most people he passed by in this area were servants running errands, or going about their tasks.
Many of the handymen who had stayed away in the past, as well as average citizens now bowed to him, or stepped aside out of his path, as they recognized the Fourth Grade official token dangling from his waist.
It was an odd feeling, to have another person bow to him. He had become accustomed to bowing to his elders, and other warriors, because he knew that they could snap his neck if he so much as uttered a disrespectful word, or farted in the wrong direction.
Tekai supposed that to the average civilian, anyone who molded chakra was a beast to be wary of. Now that he was recognized by the clan, he was the one people had to bow to or else risk a painful demise.
It was a weird feeling, but one he realized would always exist in a world with super powers.
On Earth, the gun was the great equalizer between men of low social status, and the wealthy elites. In Naruto, you either obeyed, or had a giant fireball blow up your house. There literally was no recourse for the peasantry.
Such a thought made Tekai understand why groups like the Akatsuki could become so popular. Pein's message was like a cry in the dark, a breath of fresh air for the helpless people caught in the middle.
The goal of bringing peace to the world was an admirable one, but the means through which he did so were highly questionable.
Shaking his head, Tekai decided he wouldn't dwell on it. No matter the time or place, there would always be strife wherever humans settled. It was simply in their nature.
Tekai blew a stray hair out of the way, and sighed. The best he could do as part of a ruling family was to treat people fairly. He didn't want to be a hero that tried to right every wrong. That path led to nothing but an early grave.
He was no shounen protagonist that would risk his life against an S-tier threat to save a random bystander. But if he saw some goons weaker than him beating on a kid, that didn't mean he would stand around and do nothing.
To Tekai, life was about knowing one's own limits. It was good to press at the edges of what was known, to explore how far you could push yourself. But it was one thing to see how far you could walk the tightrope, and another to yolo cannonball jump forward hoping you wouldn't miss the mark.
Perhaps that type of mentality is what separated him from the insane growth of shounen protags, but Tekai was pleased with his current path.
His journey into the Dragons Den proved that he was capable. Each of the zubats, and tentacools he had slain could use attacks any Genin would be expected to use. And Tekai had crushed them with ease.
It also wasn't always about how many jutsu you knew, what mattered is how well you used them. Minato + Flying Thunder God, Kakashi + Chidori, Naruto + Shadow Clones/Rasengan. These were all perfect examples of mastery, and showcased how devastating min-maxing abilities could be.
Like Bruce Lee said, he did not fear the man who had practiced 10,000 different kicks, but he did fear the man who practiced one kick 10,000 times.
Such wisdom really made Tekai begin to appreciate his Uncle more. The fact Tekai only learned one ability for all his 12 years in a world full of innumerable techniques was a miracle.
While he still tasted the bitter sting of a possible betrayal, he didn't want to wholly believe that Uncle Borah was harboring sinister intentions.
During his deep reflection of his present and past, Tekai was distracted from his thoughts by the sound of laborers yelling, and the movement of some gigantic blocks of stone.
Many machops, and machokes were hard at work stacking things, and Tekai had to shade his eyes to get a better look at what they were constructing.
Everywhere he looked, the construction workers' clothes, and large banners had a very familiar red colored R emblazoned on them.
“Is that a Pokémon stadium?” Tekai muttered under his breath.
“Pretty cool, huh? It's supposed to be completed in 6 months, just needs a few finishing touches, and she'll be ready to go. Hard to believe a stadium that can seat 90,000 only took a few months to build.” A tall blonde man with spiky hair, and wearing sunglasses said.
Judging his appearance, Tekai assumed he was somewhere in his mid to late 20's, possibly early 30's.
Smoking a big cigar, the guy grinned, and inclined his head at Tekai.
Tekai wrinkled his nose at the strong scent, and uncomfortably shifted in place, as he really didn't want to waste his time on small talk. However, this dude looked eerily familiar to someone he knew from the games.
“Names Surge, I’m in charge of protecting this operation until the Rocket Group finishes construction.” The man bodaciously introduced himself.
“Chuu!” A raichu followed behind the man, and looked at Tekai in challenge.
‘Out. Fight. EAT!’ Gil sent between their bond, but Tekai ignored it, as he was sure a fight against what was a Gym Leader in the games would end in certain defeat.
“Tekai Tatsushiro, a pleasure to meet you. What's all this about a stadium then? Is Blackthorn hosting the Chunin Exams next or something?” Tekai shook his head, and made some small talk, yet was fishing for more information.
“Yeah, with hostilities dying down, the Chunin Exams will resume, won't they? But nah, this place will be a huge money maker. The Boss foresaw a shift in the market, and knew a coliseum in a neutral country would make tons of ryo. The revenge matches will be killer.” Surge took a long drag on his cigar, and puffed a large cloud of smoke with a satisfied expression on his face.
Tekai nodded his head, and processed what Surge had just said.
Reading between the lines, Tekai formed his own analyses of the situation.
The Second War should be wrapping up just about now, so the Rocket Boss-Giovanni-wanted to cash in on the ninjas and warriors who had become famous in the war. Furthermore, many of them would have blood feuds. Setting them up in a ‘legal’ environment where they could slaughter one another would be the perfect place to publicly assert dominance, and put to rest grievances.
Not only that, but Blackthorn was a port city on the northern half of the continent. It was easily accessible by boat from Lightning, Earth, and Water. It also shared a land border with both Earth & Fire.
As far as Tekai was aware, the Land of Dragons hadn't gone to war with any of the major nations over the last decade, and instead had a conflict with two other neighboring nations: the Land of Fighters to the east, and Land of Snow across the sea to the north.
In Tekai's opinion, this money making scheme, it was…
“Genius. Your Boss is a visionary.” Tekai nodded his head again, and looked at Surge in a new light.
“Couldn't have said it better myself. Here's to our continued cooperation.” Surge puffed on his cigar, then stuffed one into Tekai's open hand, and turned back to the construction site.
“Ah, thanks!” Tekai belatedly called at his back.
“See you around, Tekai. If you ever need anything built, or any odd job taken care of, think about the Rocket Group. Our customers' wishes are our number one priority.” Surge nodded, and continued to puff on his cigar as he walked towards the laborers, and started issuing orders.
Tekai placed the cigar amongst his belongings, then resumed his journey towards his new home.
While he traveled, he thought about the implications of the Rocket Group, aka, Team Rocket operating so close to home.
He wondered if Blackthorn was just another place for them to set up a base and do business from, or if this was Giovanni's main HQ. Tekai doubted it was the latter, yet the fact that there was Rocket involvement in Blackthorn at all was concerning.
In the game series, Team Rocket were the ultimate yakuza/mafia organization. They stole and resold Pokémon, performed inhumane experiments, and tried to overthrow the government on more than one occasion.
It wouldn't surprise Tekai to learn that Giovanni would end up being as scummy as Danzo was in this timeline.
Team Rocket, or rather the Rocket Group as they went by, was something Tekai would have to watch out for.
Ordinarily, he would bring such concerns to his Uncle, but he still wasn't sure how much he could trust the man. Tekai was also going to hold off on informing Cynthia too. While she appeared to be a caring and strong individual, he would have to see her character first hand.
Besides, it wasn't as if the Rocket Group posed an immediate threat, and Tekai had no evidence of any malicious intent. If anything, they were valued business partners at the moment.
For now, Tekai decided to let things lie, but he would always keep an eye out, and be ready to inform his clan. After all, in the games, Team Rocket had plotted something with the Lake of Rage, and it just so happened that there was a Lake of Rage in this universe too.
Speaking of keeping his eye out, Tekai had been following some signage, and finally came to the complex where his new home would be.
“New home, new life. Let's unpack and see what awaits us, eh, Gil?” Tekai patted his apricorn pokeball, and mustered up some cheer.
‘Train. Sleep. Train!’ Gil responded.
“Heh, my thoughts exactly little guy. Let's go.” Tekai grinned.
It was time to see what kind of living condition a Fourth Grade Official earned.
Comments
AlthePal
You just answered a question i’ve had since chapter 1. I was wondering if ice cream existed in the world yet or if Tekai will have to create it for bonus points with Cynthia xD Too bad it already exists hah
Karp
Aye, but don't forget about Mewtwo.
Robert
Tbh Rockets are one of the more tame Teams from Pokemon, they aren't after ending the world or fucking with reality.
