In Naruto, the System Asks Me to Entrust Pokémon

Even though the understanding of Pokémon was still incomplete, it was clear how much they could help ninjas.

If these creatures became known, every ninja would undoubtedly fight to possess one.

After all, having such a companion would significantly increase one's chances of survival.

Why else were the Three Great Sacred Lands' summoning beasts so sought after? Was it not because of their immense power and the life-saving advantages they provided?

However, compared to the summoning beasts of the Three Great Sacred Lands, Pokémon were even more suitable. They didn't even require chakra to be summoned and could join the fight instantly.

If Ryo distributed more Pokémon in the future, even the high-ranking officials of Konoha would find it impossible to make a move against him.

Hiruzen Sarutobi went silent for a moment after hearing this. His previously angry expression softened as he contemplated the situation.

"No. Ryo is no longer someone we can afford to provoke. Danzo, you'd better abandon these thoughts—otherwise, you might bring destruction upon Konoha," Hiruzen said gravely.

Danzo frowned in confusion, not understanding why Hiruzen remained so resolute despite everything he had just said.

Suddenly, Danzo's expression darkened. "Does that Ryo really have Kage-level Pokémon?"

That was the only explanation for why Hiruzen would be so cautious.

After all, no one knew Hiruzen Sarutobi better than Danzo. Hiruzen may appear to be a kind old man, but that was just a façade.

Having served as Hokage for so many years, Hiruzen was anything but simple.

Hiruzen did not respond directly. Instead, he gave Danzo one final look and said, "I have nothing more to say. If you make a move on Ryo again and something happens, I won't intervene."

With that, Hiruzen turned and left without waiting for a reply.

Danzo watched him leave, his brow tightly furrowed. He turned toward the nearby Root ninja.

"What's going on?"

It was clear from Hiruzen's words that something significant had happened, something Danzo was still unaware of.

"Lord Danzo, the team we sent out has all been injured—severely. It will take months for them to recover," the Root ninja reported.

"Why am I only hearing about this now?"

Danzo rose to his feet, his eyes blazing with fury as he glared at the ninja.

The Root ninja trembled under his gaze and immediately dropped to his knees. "Lord Danzo, we just received the news."

"Hmph."

Suppressing his anger, Danzo waved the ninja away.

The Root ninja quickly left the room, not daring to linger.

"I need to find an opportunity to visit Ryo myself," Danzo muttered.

His desire to control the Pokémon had only grown stronger after his conversation with Hiruzen.

"If I can gain control of these creatures, the position of Hokage will be mine for sure—no, I'll control the entire ninja world," he whispered to himself, his eyes gleaming with greed, completely unafraid of the consequences.

Time passed, and the moon gradually set while the sun began to rise.

As sunlight pierced through the darkness, the black of night dissipated like ice melting before a flame.

In the backyard of the Pokémon Haven, the air was lively. Pokémon chirped and called to one another as they enjoyed their meals, celebrating the arrival of a new day.

"Alright, stop fighting. There's plenty for everyone," Ryo said with a helpless smile as he watched the Pokémon.

Turning to Dragonite and Espeon, he continued, "Dragonite, you'll lead the training today. Espeon will be under your care."

"Roar!"

Dragonite looked toward the training equipment and nodded enthusiastically, its eyes lighting up with excitement.

Espeon, on the other hand, shook its head frantically. "Bui!"

"Resistance is futile," Ryo said with a chuckle. "You've never trained before, and Dragonite knows how to do this well. You must follow its training plan."

When Dragonite first arrived, it was already at level 90. With its extensive training experience, teaching Espeon—a newly born rookie—would be a piece of cake.

Ideally, Ryo would have taken on the task himself, but he had no experience organizing training.

Thus, it made more sense to leave it to Dragonite while he focused on developing his own mental energy.

"Bui..." Espeon pouted but eventually nodded in reluctant agreement.

Without giving Espeon another chance to protest, Ryo turned away and began eating his breakfast.

Once breakfast was over, everyone went about their respective tasks.

After spending a full day together, the Pokémon entrusted to Ryo had grown familiar with one another.

Once they finished their energy cubes, they grouped up and headed out to play.

Espeon watched them go with a look of longing before being dragged toward the training area by Dragonite.

Ryo watched them leave and decided not to interfere. Instead, he found a spot in the training grounds, sat down, and began his own practice.

"Yesterday's battle made my shortcomings clear. From today onward, I'll focus on improving these aspects," he murmured as he unleashed his mental energy.

The surrounding stones rose into the air, enveloped in his psychic power.

A closer look would reveal that the mental energy surrounding the stones was slightly denser than it had been the previous day.

Though the change was subtle, it was noticeable with careful observation.

Crack!

Suddenly, as Ryo's mental energy intensified, the floating stones shattered into fragments and scattered in the wind.

"That's not right. If I simply increase the amount of psychic energy wrapping around the stones, the material won't be able to withstand it."

Ryo frowned, his expression turning thoughtful.

"Right, since the stone can't endure too much psychic energy, I should try compressing the energy, making it more solid and compact."

With that thought, he acted immediately, unleashing his psychic energy once again, controlling a stone as it floated toward him.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the training ground, at the Pokémon training equipment area...

Dragonite was doing its usual workout. With heavy equipment strapped to its back, it performed push-ups, its arm muscles taut and straining with every movement.

Nearby, Espeon stood watching in a daze.

It glanced at Dragonite, then down at its own four legs. Tilting its head, it blinked in confusion, its face full of question marks.

"Roar!"

Dragonite turned its head to glance at Espeon, noticing that the little Pokémon was just standing there without moving. Its brows furrowed slightly, and it let out a deep growl.

"Bui!"

Espeon nodded, stepping back with its hind legs and imitating Dragonite's movements. It stretched out its back legs and began lowering and raising its front legs in an attempt to perform a push-up.

Dragonite watched with a puzzled expression. Espeon's movements seemed correct, but why did it look so awkward?

Shaking its head, Dragonite decided not to dwell on it and continued its own training.

Time passed slowly in this rhythm of training and practice. Before long, the sky darkened.

Unfortunately, no new customers showed up throughout the entire day.