Chapter 10: Pokémon, Not Summoning Beasts?

Ryo nodded and looked toward Dragonite. "Dragonite, could you please fetch the Pokéblocks for Charmander and the others from my room?"

Dragonite nodded and walked off in the direction of the room.

As Dragonite left, Ryo turned his attention to Kakashi and the others. "Naruto, who are these people? Aren't you going to introduce them?"

"Ah! Right! Brother Ryo, this is Kakashi-sensei, a really strong Jonin. This is Sakura, and the smug-looking one is Sasuke."

Ryo smiled and nodded. "Nice to meet you all."

Then, his gaze turned to Kakashi. "The famous Copy Ninja... It's an honor to meet you in person today."

"Uh… hello."

Ryo's voice snapped Kakashi out of his thoughts, and he greeted him with a nod.

Ryo continued, "Since you're all here, how about taking a partner back with you?"

He rubbed his hands together, blinking mischievously. This was a perfect opportunity he didn't want to miss.

"Huh?"

Kakashi looked puzzled. "A partner? Do you mean Bulbasaur?"

Sakura and Sasuke also turned to Ryo with curious expressions.

Ryo shook his head. "No, I don't have any more Bulbasaurs, but I do have other Pokémon with similar talent and potential."

"Ganeya!"

Bulbasaur immediately protested, clearly unhappy with Ryo's statement.

Ryo chuckled awkwardly. "Alright, alright, you're the strongest."

Then he turned back to Kakashi and the others. "So, what do you think? Take a look first."

Kakashi was silent for a moment before nodding. "Alright, let's see what you have."

Ryo shook his head with a smile. "No trouble at all."

"Roooar~"

At that moment, Dragonite returned with the Pokéblocks from the room. After handing them to Ryo, it stood nearby like a security guard.

Ryo took the Pokéblocks from Dragonite, thanked him, and then handed one to Bulbasaur, who was already drooling. "Alright, time to eat."

"Ganeya!"

Bulbasaur grabbed the Pokéblock and began eating voraciously.

Naruto watched with curiosity. "Brother Ryo, what is that? And isn't Bulbasaur a bit too picky for not even eating ramen?"

Hearing that, Ryo couldn't help but twitch the corner of his mouth. "Naruto, Bulbasaur doesn't eat ordinary food. It only eats these Pokéblocks."

"Huh? What are Pokéblocks?"

"Pokéblocks are made from special berries. When Pokémon eat them, their training progress speeds up."

Naruto nodded belatedly but quickly followed up with another question. "Why do they help with training? And can I eat them to train faster?"

Ryo's eyelid twitched. Is this kid a walking question machine?

"Ahem—"

Even Kakashi found Naruto's endless questions awkward. He cleared his throat and looked seriously at Ryo. "You mentioned Pokémon earlier. Are these creatures not summoning beasts?"

Ryo smiled and nodded. "That's right. They're not summoning beasts—they're a different kind of lifeform."

"A different kind of lifeform?" Kakashi was full of doubt.

"Yes." Ryo nodded again. "Pokémon are unique creatures, different from summoning beasts. They are naturally born with control over certain elements, have powerful abilities, and possess immense potential."

Hearing this, the group fell silent, their expressions filled with disbelief.

Ryo's explanation completely overturned their understanding of the world.

But they couldn't deny the truth. They had seen Bulbasaur in action—using powerful attacks without chakra or hand seals.

Seeing their stunned faces, Ryo shook his head. "Alright, let me show you some other Pokémon."

He turned and walked toward the back door.

Kakashi and the others quickly snapped out of their daze and followed him.

In the backyard, several Pokémon were happily munching on Pokéblocks.

As soon as they sensed Ryo's presence, they all looked up.

Upon seeing Kakashi and the others, some Pokémon became curious, while others hid in fear.

"Mr. Ryo, are these... all Pokémon?" Kakashi asked, staring at the seven different Pokémon in front of him.

The others also turned to Ryo, waiting for his answer.

Ryo nodded. "Yes, they're all Pokémon."

"And... can they all become strong?" Kakashi asked again.

Ryo nodded once more. "Yes, they can all become very powerful, but it depends on how you train them."

Hearing this, Kakashi breathed a sigh of relief.

So, not all Pokémon are as strong as Dragonite. This made it much easier for him to accept.

At that moment, Sasuke glanced at Ryo. "Can all of these Pokémon become really strong?"

"Of course," Ryo replied. "If you train them well, they can become even stronger than your Hokage."

Before Sasuke could respond, Sakura jumped in. "That's impossible! These Pokémon might be good, but there's no way they can be stronger than the Hokage!"

She refused to believe it. In school, we learned that the Hokage is the strongest person in the world!

Ryo smiled but didn't bother to argue. It was clear she had been thoroughly brainwashed.

Hiruzen Sarutobi, you really are shameless, Ryo thought. The strongest? There are so many people stronger than you that I can't even count them on both hands.

"What? Am I wrong?" Sakura frowned, noticing Ryo's expression.

"You can ask your teacher, Kakashi. I'm sure the famous Copy Ninja Kakashi can tell the truth," Ryo said with a chuckle.

Everyone turned to Kakashi.

Kakashi sighed bitterly and nodded. "He's not wrong... but I doubt they can surpass our Hokage."

Sasuke's eyes lit up at this. Even if they might not surpass the Hokage, they can still become very powerful.

Ryo smiled. "Alright, enough about that. So, are you interested in taking a Pokémon with you?"

Hearing this, Kakashi's expression turned wary. "Mr. Ryo, what's your real intention?"

Given how valuable these Pokémon were, it was suspicious that Ryo was eager to give them away.

"Don't worry. I have no ill intentions toward Konoha or toward you. I have my own reasons for wanting to give these Pokémon away."

Kakashi studied Ryo's face. Seeing the genuine, slightly bitter expression, he began to believe him. Could it really be that simple?

At that moment, Sasuke stepped forward. "How much do these Pokémon cost?"

Ryo shook his head. "They're not for sale. As long as the Pokémon agrees to go with you, you can take it."

Sasuke nodded and walked toward the group of Pokémon.

"Sasuke..."

Sakura looked worried and quickly followed him.

The Pokémon became cautious as Sasuke approached, some even preparing to defend themselves.

"Don't worry," Ryo said gently. "He's here to find a partner. If any of you want to become stronger, consider going with him."

Hearing Ryo's words, the Pokémon relaxed and watched Sasuke carefully.

After a moment, Charmander and Pidgey approached him, while the others stayed in place.

"It seems they've chosen you," Ryo said with a smile. "If you're not satisfied, you don't have to choose them."

"But let me warn you—if you mistreat the Pokémon, we won't let you off easily."