Nurse Joy hovers around the counter, checking computer files and keeping an eye on the guests inside. The movement of the doors as they slide open catches her eye, and she turns with a bright smile.
"Hello! Welcome to—Namikaze-sama!" Nurse Joy gasps. Immediately there is a drop in volume as an awed hush descends, before it is shattered by urgent hisses and excited whispers, all eyes on the tall figure that strides across the room.
Minato for his part, swallows down the familiar nervousness that always comes with these types of things, even years after his being crowned Champion. He smiles at Nurse Joy, putting his hands on the counter and leaning his weight forward.
"Hello Nurse Joy, I'm looking for my son, Haru. Has he come in yet?" He asked politely, voice quiet.
"Haru? Well certainly, there was a boy… ah, I should have known—blonde hair, blue eyes he's practically your spitting image!" Nurse Joy recalled.
"He's got his mother's face really." Minato chuckled.
"Well he came in to get a check on his Pokémon, but he left a little while ago with a group of kids who wanted to do some battles. Apparently it was a joint suggestion. They should be at the park down the road, if you're quick you can catch the battles." Nurse Joy suggested.
"Thank you." Minato gave her a polite bow before turning and walking out the building. He grasps the backpack strap slung over his shoulder as he walks down the road. A chance to see what his son can do... ? He wouldn't miss it!
"This battle will be one-on-one match between Kiki and Kaoru..." he paused and looked between the two.
"Begin!" Haru jumps back and takes up a good position he had scouted out beforehand, camera on and ready to shoot.
"Akira, Water Gun!" Kiki calls out.
"Dodge it Blaze!"
"Mud!" Akira's cheeks swell, and then a small yet concentrated water attack hits Kaoru's Torchic who is unable to dodge in time. It hits the ground with force, bouncing.
"Come on Blaze, try and get up!" Kaoru entreated. The little Torchic hops up, a mad sparkle in its eyes as it chirps determinedly.
"Okay buddy, try and hit it with a scratch!" Kaoru ordered.
"Dodge Akira!" Kiki cried out.
"Keep on it Blaze!"
It's basically a cat-and-mouse game between the two starter Pokémon as the Torchic runs after the Mudkip. After a run around, Akira trips and falls.
"Akira!" Kiki cried out.
Kaoru sees his opportunity. "Peck Blaze!"
Blaze the Torchic hops on Mudkip and starts to peck it on top of its head. The Mudkip shakes it off and squeaks angrily.
"Tackle him Akira!" Kiki orders, and the Mudkip immediately flies toward the Torchic. It hits, and Blaze takes a heavy fall.
"Don't let up, Water Gun one more time!" Kiki shouted encouragingly.
"Come on Blaze dodge and tackle!" Kaoru cried.
Alas, Blaze is dizzy still from the Tackle he took head on, and with the heavy damage dealt by Akira's Water Gun, he's out cold.
Kaoru winces. "Return, Blaze... you were great buddy." He puts away the Pokéball, and smiles at Kiki. "Congratulations, you were much better at this than you thought right?"
Kiki nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah, I didn't think it'd be easy for me... but that's probably just because I had a type advantage."
"It was both your natural instinct as a trainer, as well as smart thinking with type advantages." Haru interrupted, walking forward. He holds up his camera. "I've got the pictures... you want to see?"
"Oh, please!" Kiki pleaded, and Haru obliged her with a smile as he held out the camera for her to take. Kiki and Kaoru both look at the pictures, Kin and Zasu coming up behind them.
"Wow, you're good." Kaoru remarked, looking up to Haru. "Can I get these pictures too?"
"Of course. And now, I'm fighting winner. Kiki, Akira, you guys up for a challenge?"
"Ready when you are!" Kiki claimed.
"Let's go then." Haru smirked.
The battle wasn't too long, with Kiki's only Pokémon already tired out, and his Poochyena showing the results of his training. Haru came out the winner, with Kiki taking defeat gracefully. After them, Haru once again took camera man position and snapped away in the battle between Kin and Zasu, in which Kin's Torchic defeating the Treecko soundly.
Now was the battle between Kin and Haru.
"Ishi, let's blow them away!" Kin declared, her Torchic practically twittering its approval.
"Shirou, rest up for now." Haru recalled Shirou back into his Pokéball, and gave a look to Shiyu who trotted calmly into the battle. "Shiyu's been with me for two years, don't expect this to be easy."
"Doesn't matter, Ishi will win!" Kin said with certainty.
"This is a one-on-one match between Haru and Kin. Begin!" Kiki, acting as referee, started the match.
"Ishi use Ember!" Kin starts it off, and Ishi runs forward as he spews little bullets of fire at Shiyu. Without needing prompting, Shiyu leaps quite nimbly to the side and mostly avoids the fire attack, only getting singed a little.
"Tackle Shiyu." Haru orders calmly, a small smile on his face. Shiyu races forward and hits his opponent's side dead on, sending Ishi crashing to the ground.
"Ishi, don't give up—scratch him." Kin told her Torchic. Torchic chirped an affirmative and raced forward, claws catching the light as he lifts up a leg and tries to hurt Shiyu.
"Shiyu, try reflect!" Haru gambled on a move that he still wasn't sure would work, but if not now when?
"Vee!" Shiyu's eyes narrowed as he crouched and concentrated, trying to form that shield. Haru and Kin both watch with interest to see if it worked...
Ishi rams into the barrier, seemingly scratching at thin air as Shiyu is pushed back into the air. Shiyu summersaults and lands on the ground again on all fours, looking mostly unruffled.
"Alright Shiyu! Quick attack, now!" Haru cheered.
Shiyu becomes a blur of brown that hits Ishi, the Torchic skidding away from the force. He lands, battered and scratched up, struggling to stand.
"Tor... chic." Ishi grunts.
"Come on Ishi you can do it, get up and try a tackle!" Kin encouraged.
Haru shakes his head. "Not a chance... Shiyu, another Quick Attack!"
The quick attack hits the still struggling Torchic, and it is sent flying back before crashing and staying down. Torchic is unconscious, meaning Shiyu has won the battle.
"That was great Shiyu! We'll get that little burn looked at, but I'm really proud of you buddy." Haru congratulated the Eevee, who bounded back to him with his tail happily wagging.
Haru looked at Kin after picking up Shiyu. "Kin, that was a good battle. Your Torchic is really quick on the draw, any faster and Shiyu would have gotten hit."
Kin smiles. "Well, it was worth it just to get some experience. What are you going to do now?"
Haru cocks his head to the side, thinking about it. "Well... I suppose I'll train a little more, since I want to challenge the gym leader here." He replied.
"Gym Leader Senn?" Zasu piped up from the sidelines. He whistled in consideration. "He's tough for a first timer... but it's not impossible I suppose. My advice, watch out for that damn Vigoroth."
"Thanks for the tip." Haru nodded. "Well, he's a normal type Pokémon trainer right? I might be able to do this if I play my cards right."
"It's not just about some luck and skill mixed together Haru." The familiar voice made Haru whip around with wide eyes.
"Dad!" he gasped. At the same time his other friends gasped out similarly, but with a different title.
"Hoenn's Pokémon Champion!" they breathed. Minato smiled at them, a little more at ease with the awe and shock on their faces since they were kids and beginner trainers, as opposed to adults.
"Hello there. Are you all friends of my son?" Minato asked.
"We just met today... but yes, I suppose you can say so." Kaoru replied nervously, trying his best to maintain his cool in front of the strongest Pokémon trainer.
"Dad this is—"
"Kaoru, Kiki, Kin and Zasu am I right?" Minato finished, pointing at each kid correctly.
"H-how did you know?" Kiki stuttered, a light blush on her face.
Minato grinned. "I was watching your battles from over there," he pointed to a tree, behind their group. "And overheard. You guys aren't half bad." He grinned teasingly.
"Th... thank y-you." Kin muttered lowly. Then she blinked twice, blinked thrice. "Wait... you're Haru's dad?!"
"Yup!" Minato chirped. "I've got something to give him, so is it alright if I steal him for a couple of minutes?"
"No, of course not." Kaoru replied a little more normally. "We'll just head back to the Poké Center... Haru, great battles alright?"
"You too. See you guys later." Haru nodded back at them all as they walked away, each chatting about the highlights and areas of interest in their battles. He turned back to his father, grinning nervously as the warm grin melted off Minato's face to be replaced by an exasperated look. "Um... fancy meeting you here?"
Minato rapped the back of his knuckles hard enough against Haru's head to make the boy wince and pout. "A letter Haru? Really?"
"I was just really excited to start my journey." Haru explained.
Minato snorted. "Oh, I'll say. Found that perfect moment— had your mother and I thinking we were going to celebrate with a big dinner and the gifts we bought you for your journey before you went off. Lo and behold, our little adventurer has absconded!"
"Sorry— ooh, wait did you say gifts?" Haru perked up, eyes glowing happily. "What gifts?"
"Interested are you?" Minato asked with a lazy grin.
"Gifts?" Haru prompted, eyes widening into pleading puppy dog eyes.
Minato rolled his eyes, putting on an act. "Well, I don't know... you left us just a letter, after all..."
"Please? I'm sorry about the letter, I should have called on the satellite phone! But please, please can I have the gifts?" Haru wheedled, hugging his father.
"Sure." Minato chirped as he gave in just like that, sliding the pack off and handing it to Haru.
"All right!" Haru yipped, unzipping the bag. He and Minato move over to a bench as the younger blonde goes through the contents within.
"Cool, an Xtrasciever!" Haru yelps excitedly.
"That's already got the numbers for me, your mom, and Kurama in there so you can contact us anytime." Minato explained.
"And I've got some pretty sweet Pokéballs... a master ball, dark ball, luxury ball, friend ball... ooh, there are doubles of them!"
"You can never have too many in my opinion." Minato mused, laughing at his son's enthusiasm. "You've got a bank account set up for any purchases you want to make, and any prize money you win okay?"
"This is really great, thanks dad!" Haru cheers, hugging his father. Minato hugs him back just as tightly, smiling as he nuzzles the springy yellow locks.
"So, I hear your looking to beat Senn huh?" Minato teased as he pulled back just enough to look at Haru.
"Yeah?" Haru agreed cautiously, an eyebrow raised.
"Well most trainers don't go to him until they've got at least three or four badges." Minato informed him. "He's very good at what he does, and you need some experience to try and battle him."
"But I'm here now, even if I lose I might as well get experience. Besides, I don't plan on losing!" Haru swore determinedly.
Minato chuckled and ruffled Haru's hair. "Well I have faith in you. If you say you can beat the Gym Leader then I'll believe you. So what sort of training were you going to put your Pokémon through?"
"Shiyu could learn skull bash, and maybe Shirou can teach him bite. Shizu and Shirou could do with going through some of the drills I put Shiyu through; at the very least I know the Gym Leader might get a few surprises from my Pokémon!"
"Of that I have no doubt." Minato agreed.