"Then what Pokemon do you want?"

Naruto rubbed his face against Vulpix's body. "I want this Pokemon."

"A good choice," Okami complemented Naruto as he verified some things on the Pokemon App in order to turn him into a Pokemon trainer. Convinced that he was ready, he was about to proceed when he heard loud sounds coming from the door.

KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!

"Who is it?!" Okami shouted as he approached the entrance. The knocks were getting louder and more urgent, so Okami had no choice but to open the door. That was when he saw Iruka who was dumbly staring at him. "Iruka-san? Why are you here?"

Iruka grinned. "Hello, Okami-kun. I was just wondering why your store is closed. I thought you were sick again."

"Oh, hi Iruka-san, that was rude of me. I was just very busy today," Okami replied as he gestured Iruka to enter. "You are the second one to visit me today."

Iruka followed him inside and saw Naruto hugging Vulpix. "Oh, so it's Naruto."

Naruto turned around while his hands are busy petting the Pokemon. "Oh, so it's you Iruka-sensei."

Iruka raised his brows as he noticed Naruto's actions. Turning around, he saw Abra who was asleep while sitting down. At the countertop, he could see Pidgey eating some green beans while Caterpie was almost done with her sushi. He looked at Okami and asked, "Are these strange pets yours, Okami-kun?"

Okami explained to Iruka about Pokemon just like the way he explained it to Naruto, which garnered several gasps from the teacher.

"Are you saying that they are Summons?" Iruka scrutinized each Pokemon and frowned. "I can't feel any chakra from them."

"Indeed, Iruka-san. I was about to turn Naruto into a Pokemon trainer using our clan ritual when you arrive."

Iruka chuckled when he saw Naruto and Vulpix playing with each other. "Sorry if I interrupted you, Okami-kun. Does it involve your clan secrets? Do I have to leave?"

"No, it's okay. You can stay, Iruka-san."

Iruka looked surprised. "I thought you want to hide your powers, Okami-kun. Didn't you say that your clan wanted you to be secretive about it?"

Okami cursed himself for doing such a simple blunder. Luckily he was really good at adlibs and his mind started to work fast to justify his actions. He had a hurt look on his face while facing Iruka. "If I had a choice, then I could just stay hidden because I know it's dangerous for me to expose such unique Jutsus. But I knew for a fact that I have to expose some if not all of my secrets to you as well as the others if I want to ask help from Konoha. After all, I am just a stranger in this village who happens to have a unique bloodline. And I don't want to be labeled as a spy."

Iruka nodded as he looked at him with sympathy. To face such a situation at a young age was disheartening, so he decided to give his support to the young kid who was just striving to survive.

Okami turned around and looked for any vacant place where he could place the Pokemon Duplicator. He summoned his Pokemon App and changed some of the settings. When he was done, he walked towards the countertop, did some fake hand signals, and slammed his right hand on the floor while shouting, "Summon: Pokemon Duplicator!"

Swirling mass of lights appeared behind the countertop. After a few minutes, the lights dissipated and a rectangular booth with a metallic door appeared. Okami remembered the phone booths that were commonly present on Earth when he saw the machine. When he saw the lighting effects when he summoned the machine, he was secretly pleased and thanked the one behind the Pokemon App for being extra.

"WOW! What was that?!" Naruto almost dropped Vulpix, which made the fox-like creature annoyed. He pacified him right away and the Vulpix was calmed down. "What did you do, Okami?"

Iruka was silent as he fixed his gaze on Okami.

"Clan secrets," Okami answered smugly as he took Vulpix from Naruto, which made him almost teary-eyed. "I need to place Vulpix inside the Duplicator. It's much easier to understand if I demonstrate it."

Okami went behind the counter, pressed the red button located just above the door handle and opened the door. Okami placed the unsuspecting Vulpix inside and closed the door again. All of them waited in anticipation, eager to know what the result was. After a few minutes, a mechanical sound reverberated across the room and the door opened automatically. Vulpix leaped towards the counter's surface and gave a slight squeak. Okami then grabbed a piece of chocolate cupcake and fed it to him. He went behind the countertop and picked up a red egg, almost the size of a football.

"Here it is, the egg of a Vulpix," Okami explained as he approached Naruto. "Hold it. It's not that fragile."

Naruto accepted the egg and felt the heartbeat throbbing inside. "Is this Vulpix?"

"Yes. Just stay still while I proceed with the ritual," Okami instructed as he pulled out his Pokemon App and pressed the confirm button. The App disappeared after he initiated the process and did some fake hand signals while shouting, "By the power of the Ketchum clan, I hereby give you the power to summon Pokemon." He finished it by slamming his right hand on the ground, just like what he did earlier when he summoned the Pokemon Duplicator.

Rivers of red chakra gushed out from the egg, swirling around Naruto's body. The egg shone brightly and the silhouette of Ninetales appeared just above Naruto's head, which went inside him as soon as they heard a cracking sound. The shells then disintegrated and what was left was a sleeping Vulpix on Naruto's hands.

Iruka was alarmed when he saw all these things, suspecting that the Kyuubi's seal was broken. The red chakra, the Kyuubi's image, it was just like the events in the past. He pulled out his kunai and went in a fighting stance, ready to protect the children. "Stay far away, Okami-kun!"

Okami just stared at him in bewilderment. "What are you talking about, Iruka-san? The process is finally done. Naruto is now officially a Pokemon trainer and Vulpix is his starter Pokemon."

Naruto stared at the Pokemon, his face almost touching the fox's head. "Is this my summon, Okami?"

"Yes." Okami checked the Pokedex entry through the App.

Vulpix Male Level 1 Type: Fire Skill: Tackle

Ability:

Drought - This ability creates harsh sunlight when the ability-bearer enters the battle. Only activates when the Pokemon

Evolution: Ninetales (Fire Stone) EV: Locked IV: Locked

Okami wondered if the ability was good for Naruto but he had no choice but to accept this result. He gave the Pokemon App to Naruto and let him read the information. Naruto nodded as if he understood everything.

"Did you tried talking with him?"

"Not yet. Do I just have to talk with him like the normal way we talk?"

"Uh, huh."

Naruto patted Vulpix's head. "Hey, Vulpix. Wake up."

Vulpix was roused up from his nap. As soon as he saw Naruto's face, he then gave a slight squeak.

"Heeey! It talked to me! Okami, it really talked to me."

"What did he tell you?"

"He clearly said, 'It's you'. Did you not hear it?"

"Outsiders will only hear it as animal sounds. Only their trainers can understand what it actually meant." Okami picked some left-over cupcakes on the table and gave it to Naruto. "Vulpix love chocolate cupcakes. You can make it stronger by letting him fight with you or overstuff him with these cupcakes. Your choice. If you want to know more about his ability and the way he fights, just communicate with him. Remember, Pokemon summons are not slaves but your partner, so communication is the key to smoothen your cooperation."

"Will Vulpix leave me?"

"Never. Unless you release him."

"I'd never do that!" Naruto refuted as he looked at Vulpix like he was his most prized possession. Always bullied by people, he never felt accepted by anyone in the village. This was the first time someone called him 'partner' and accepted him as family. It did not matter even though the one who accepted him was a Pokemon. "I guess I have an additional friend."

Naruto carried Vulpix like a baby and fed him the cupcake with his free hand. The slightest sound uttered by the Pokemon almost always elicited a giggle from him.

Iruka softened his gaze when heard Naruto, who was considered an outcast. Iruka perfectly understood what it meant to be alone and just like Naruto, he was constantly seeking attention from the other kids using pranks when he was a kid. Luckily, he had Mizuki as his close friend. He wanted to know more about what happened earlier and faced Okami. "I'm sorry I've reacted that way when I saw the overflowing chakra. What was that?"

"The color indicates the nature of the starter Pokemon, Iruka-san. It was red because Vulpix is a fire type. The image that appeared just above Naruto is Vulpix's evolved form, Ninetales. You see, most Pokemon changed their appearance as they reach a certain level, which is called evolution. There are many ways the Pokemon evolve and one of which is by fighting to gain experience."

Iruka was convinced when he heard Okami's explanation, eliminating his doubts. "Are they the only Pokemon you have?"

"There are many kinds of Pokemon, Iruka-san. But these are the only ones I can summon as of now."

Okami was about to explain more when the Pokemon App appeared on his hand.

Congratulations for turning Naruto Uzumaki into a Pokemon Trainer.

You earned 100 PP.

You have performed a hidden mission: Create your first Pokemon Trainer. You are rewarded with 100 PP.

"Sweet loot," Okami exclaimed loudly as he saw the Pokemon Points he earned through Naruto.

"Okami-kun?" Iruka was wide-eyed when Okami suddenly shouted.

"Oh, sorry, don't mind me," Okami was flustered when he realized that he reacted foolishly. He stared at the clock and changed the topic right away. "It's late, Iruka-san. Do you want to have your dinner with me?"

"Sure."

Okami turned his attention towards Naruto. "What about you, Naruto?"

"I'd love to, Okami." Naruto continued feeding his newly owned Pokemon.

=============================================

They had their dinner at Ramen Ichiraku as per the request of Naruto, who wanted to celebrate his first partnership with his Vulpix by eating ramen. Much to Naruto's dismay, Vulpix never listened to him and ignored him as he whined about the benefits of consuming ramen.

It was almost 9 pm when he arrived at his house. Okami unsummoned all his Pokemon and went upstairs. When he was done preparing his beddings, he summoned back all his Pokemon and allowed them to roam the room. Vulpix lied down on the pillow while Caterpie crawled towards the young plant set at the table. Abra teleported towards the cabinet top while Pidgey perched on the coat hanger stand. Okami laughed as he saw them choose their own sleeping place and was about to plop down when he remembered his earned 200 Pokemon Points.

Summoning his Pokemon App, he checked on the list of Pokemon available for exchange and accepted the reward right away. As soon as he felt the familiar sensation, he then exclaimed, "Summon: Rattata."

A small, quadruped rodent Pokémon appeared. It has purple fur with a cream-colored face, paws, and underbelly. Its narrow, red eyes looked at him as the rounded ears with cream-colored insides twitched. The single whisker on each cheek swayed while its long tail was tightly curled at the end. What impressed him most was its large teeth. He suspected its teeth would still grow.

"Rattata, how are you?"

{Okami...I want to bite something. My teeth need to be trimmed.}

Okami forgot that this was the prominent feature of Rattatas. Their teeth would continuously grow and the only means to stop them was by gnawing things. He could easily solve this problem by unsummoning Rattata but he did not like doing so. But he could not allow his Rattata to be restless unless he wanted his things to be bitten. He thought of the unused blocks of wood he had downstairs, and said, "Wait for me, okay? I'll get something for you."

{Okay...}

Okami ran downstairs and took a large basin along with the blocks of wood as he went upstairs back again. He placed the large basin on the floor and put Rattata inside. The blocks of wood were placed beside the Pokemon. "Don't bite the basin, okay? If you had an urge in biting, just use these blocks."

{Okay...Thank you, Okami.}

Okami was pleased when he heard Rattata's reply. He planned on finding out Rattata's favorite food tomorrow since it was already late. Before he slept, he checked on the Pokedex entry to find out more about the Pokemon.

Rattata Male Level 1 Type: Normal Skill: Tackle

Ability:

A Pokémon with this Ability can always flee and use teleport successfully, regardless of trapping moves and abilities. This Ability has no effect on switching out.

Evolution: Level 20 (Raticate) EV: Locked IV: Locked

Okami wondered what would happen if he absorbed Rattata and Caterpie, both of which had Run Away ability. He suspected that nothing could trap him anymore but he needed to verify such suspicion. Overspent, he closed his eyes and slept.