Renji Takahashi watched as fear crept into Sasuke's eyes, and he gave a slight nod of satisfaction. In the original anime, Sasuke was never one to shy away from sacrificing others for his goals. Renji still remembered that iconic moment during Sasuke's battle with Deidara—summoning Manda to shield himself from an explosion, only for the summoning beast to perish in the process. While Manda wasn't exactly known for kindness, that moment had shown how far Sasuke could go to survive. If that same cold pragmatism were ever directed at Pokémon, Renji knew he wouldn't hesitate to intervene.
Feeling Renji's approval, the massive Dragonite standing beside him slowly withdrew its overwhelming aura. The suffocating pressure around Sasuke lifted, and he exhaled with relief, then turned to the two Pokémon in front of him: Charmander and Pidgeot. His brows furrowed slightly as he asked, "Renji, which one of these two is stronger?"
"There's no absolute strength between Pokémon," Renji replied calmly. "It all depends on how you train them."
Sasuke considered that, then asked, "Then can I see their strength?"
Before Renji could reply, Charmander let out an eager, "Char! Char!" while Pidgeot spread its wings with a graceful cry, "Pidgeot!"
The two Pokémon dashed toward a nearby tree. Charmander lunged with sharp claws, striking the bark with controlled aggression. Pidgeot soared upward, then shot down like a missile, slamming into the trunk with a gust of wind. Both attacks were sharp, fluid, and full of natural instinct.
Sasuke frowned, watching every movement carefully. Their power, their speed—it was hard to say one was better than the other. They were almost evenly matched, and the indecision was written all over his face. But after a brief silence, his eyes sharpened. He pointed at Charmander. "This one... it uses fire, right?"
Renji nodded. "Yes, Charmander has an affinity for fire-type moves."
"Then I'll choose Charmander," Sasuke declared.
"Char! Char!" Charmander's eyes lit up with joy and it ran up to Sasuke, clearly excited by the choice.
Meanwhile, Pidgeot's wings drooped slightly. It glanced away with a dejected expression, the earlier pride in its eyes dimmed. Renji noticed immediately. He stepped forward, gently picked up Pidgeot, and ran his hand softly across its feathers. Looking back at Sasuke, now holding Charmander, Renji's tone turned serious.
"Remember, Pokémon are not tools. They're partners. Treat them with respect, or we will intervene. No second chances."
Sasuke's hand paused on Charmander's head. His eyes flickered with something unreadable, and then he gave a slow, solemn nod.
"Chan—Chan!"
A cheerful sound suddenly broke the moment. A Chansey had waddled up beside Sakura without anyone noticing. Holding a shiny egg in its tiny arms, it blinked its eyes and chirped again, "Chanseyy!"
Sakura turned at the sound and was immediately captivated. Her eyes sparkled with hearts. "So cute! Renji, is this a Pokémon too?"
Renji smiled, kneeling beside them. "Yes, this is Chansey. Seems like it's taken a liking to you."
"Chansey!!!" Chansey nodded and held out its stubby arms, asking for a hug. Sakura's heart practically melted. She scooped Chansey up without hesitation. "So soft and warm… Hello, Chansey!"
"Chan—Chan!" Chansey happily responded.
Renji chuckled at the interaction. "Looks like Chansey's already chosen its partner."
"Really?" Sakura gasped with delight.
"Chansey!!" Chansey confirmed.
"Alright, from now on, you're my partner. Let's do our best together!" Sakura beamed with joy as she hugged Chansey tightly.
Seeing the natural bond form before him, Renji couldn't help but feel a warmth in his chest. Two Pokémon entrusted, just like that. He had to keep up this momentum. Turning his gaze to the final person, he asked, "Mr. Kakashi, what about you? Would you be interested in raising a Pokémon as well?"
Before Kakashi could answer, Naruto leaned in. "Yeah, Kakashi-sensei! You should totally pick one too!"
Sakura joined in. "Right? You have to! It wouldn't be fair otherwise!"
With two eager students staring him down, Kakashi scratched his head, chuckling softly beneath his mask. "Alright, alright. I suppose I should."
Renji gave a knowing nod and turned to the group of Pokémon behind him. With a gentle whistle, he called for another partner. This time, only one responded.
From behind a nearby tree, a Pikachu emerged. Sparks danced around its cheeks as it stepped forward. "Pika Pika!"
Kakashi's eye narrowed in curiosity. But Pikachu suddenly felt challenged by the man's gaze. It raised its little paws, cheeks glowing, and zapped a bolt of electricity toward the ground. "Pika—CHU!"
Everyone's eyes widened.
Kakashi silently observed the precision and strength of the electric bolt. It wasn't raw power—it was control. "That jolt just now… that's easily on par with a C-rank jutsu."
He walked over and gently picked Pikachu up, cradling it like a partner rather than a pet. "Thank you, Renji."
"No need to thank me," Renji replied. "This bond is between you and Pikachu."
Just then, Sakura raised her hand with another question. "Renji, you said Pokémon eat energy cubes, right? What do we do if we run out?"
Renji nodded. "Don't worry. I'll be selling energy cubes to you."
"Eh?" Sakura blinked. "Then… what's the price?"
Without missing a beat, Renji pulled out a neatly folded price sheet from his pocket and handed it over. Kakashi's eyebrow twitched.
"That was suspiciously prepared in advance…"
Naruto, upon seeing the note, practically screamed. "What?! A low-grade energy cube costs 1,000 ryo per bag?! That's like… twenty bowls of Ichiraku ramen!"
Renji chuckled. "Relax. A single bag lasts a whole week for one Pokémon. It's not expensive when you think about it. Even a civilian could afford it if they tried, and you're ninjas."
Naruto grumbled, still doing ramen math in his head, but the others nodded thoughtfully. Kakashi looked at the list and raised a final question.
"There are different levels?"
Renji nodded again. "Yes. There are low-level, mid-level, high-level, and special-grade energy cubes. The better the cube, the more effective it is for training."
They all stared at the note in silence again.
And just like that, three more bonds had been formed under the fading light of Konoha's sky. But Renji knew this was just the beginning. The Pokémon Entrustment System remained dormant. The Shelter Requirement loomed. Until the shelter was truly built and recognized within the village, the full potential of the system—and of the Pokémon themselves—would remain out of reach.