[Pokémon Breeder in One Piece] Chapter 315 (Patreon)

Another month passed.

"Hey, have you heard?"

"About Amegakure?"

"Yeah, it's terrifying. That Hanzō guy turns out to be a high-ranking member of Akatsuki. No wonder the Five Great Nations haven't acted against Amegakure's expansion—they're afraid."

"Of course they're afraid! Amegakure now has four Tailed Beasts, not to mention the Uchiha brothers, Madara and Izuna. I heard shinobi from all over the world are heading there to join Akatsuki."

For the past week, discussions about Akatsuki and Amegakure dominated conversations across the shinobi world.

Hanzō was now hailed as the "Sixth Shadow, the Rain Shadow or Amekage," though none of the Five Kage—save for Shamon, the Second Kazekage—acknowledged this title. Even Hanzō himself didn't adopt the moniker.

In this month, Amegakure had experienced explosive growth.

The most unexpected event was Saiken, the Six-Tails, traveling all the way from the Land of Water to Amegakure of its own accord. Upon seeing the living conditions of Isobu and Chōmei, Saiken eagerly joined them.

As Madara predicted, the combined reputation of Akatsuki and Amegakure attracted countless wandering shinobi and refugees seeking shelter.

From its original population of fewer than 3,000, Amegakure had now grown to nearly 20,000 people in just a month. The number of shinobi alone approached 5,000, much to Hanzō's delight.

And more people were still on their way.

Among the newcomers were rogue shinobi from other villages. Each underwent thorough investigation and interrogation. Those who defected for justifiable reasons were accepted, while those guilty of heinous crimes were imprisoned and used as test subjects for biological research.

"All those rejected by the Five Great Nations, be they ordinary people or shinobi, are welcome in Amegakure," Dak had declared.

Initially, the other Akatsuki leaders, including Bunpuku, opposed the idea.

Ordinary people required significant resources, couldn't contribute to combat, and would only slow Akatsuki's progress toward peace. The others suggested housing them in the outskirts of the Land of Rain until peace was achieved.

In reality, many civilians chose this route. Afraid of the four Tailed Beasts in Amegakure, they settled on the country's borders instead.

The Land of Rain had become a war-free zone. Even small-scale skirmishes near its borders were immediately investigated by Amegakure ninja. With the village's current numbers, such surveillance was manageable.

As a result, the Land of Rain was slowly transforming into the most peaceful nation in the shinobi world. Its reputation even surpassed the Land of Fire, attracting merchants, travelers, and refugees. The only downside was its perpetually rainy climate.

Dak argued that ordinary people could also become a formidable force.

The shinobi world was 99% civilians, who could become the primary trainers of Pokémon. And who could deny that trainers were a combat force?

An experienced trainer could command six Pokémon at the level of elite jōnin. In time, one trainer could equal an entire shinobi squad.

Upon hearing this explanation, Madara and the others understood Dak's vision.

By treating these refugees with both kindness and authority now, Akatsuki would have a loyal and ready resource of trainers to draw upon when peace was achieved.

However, despite these efforts, Amegakure still lacked the capability to rival the Five Great Nations.

Beyond their superior combat power, the Five Great Nations excelled in population, policies, reputation, resources, and national strength—areas where Amegakure fell short.

Though its population had grown to 20,000, and it boasted 5,000 shinobi, it was still insufficient for a shinobi world war.

Moreover, the Land of Rain's limited resources could only improve once Madara and Izuna's Pokémon learned the Sunny Day move.

Finally, the country's daimyo was a virtual non-entity, with no influence or wealth to support Amegakure.

These factors contributed to the other Great Nations' refusal to acknowledge Hanzō as a legitimate Kage. But Hanzō himself cared little for titles.

...

In Amegakure, Madara and Izuna were training their Growlithes in ninjutsu under Dak's watchful eye.

"Growlithe, maintain your balance," Madara instructed, watching nervously as his Growlithe practiced walking on water.

After a month of training under Dak's patient guidance, Madara and the others had learned the basics about Pokémon.

As a Fire- and Rock-type, Hisuian Growlithe was extremely vulnerable to water. Even giving it a bath felt like a life-or-death struggle.

"Woof!"

Growlithe confidently hopped twice on the water's surface, completing the exercise with ease.

"Hah…" Madara sighed in relief.

"Haha, don't worry so much, Nii-san!" Izuna laughed, pointing to his own Growlithe howling triumphantly atop a tree.

Izuna had initially shared Madara's concerns during training but quickly realized that Pokémon were naturals at handling energy. Growlithe had mastered chakra control almost effortlessly.

While Madara attributed his Growlithe's success to innate talent, Izuna suspected there was more to it. Seeking clarification, he consulted Dak.

Using his psychic powers and Aura, Dak discovered that chakra flowed through Pokémon almost identically to their elemental energy. The only difference was the location of the energy center—chakra stemmed from the heart, while elemental energy was centered in the brain.

"So, all Pokémon are geniuses?" Madara mused.

For humans, chakra control was a complex process involving 361 chakra points and an intricate network of pathways, requiring years of training and refinement.

In contrast, Pokémon bypassed these hurdles entirely, becoming adept at chakra control as soon as they matured.

However, Pokémon like Growlithe couldn't form hand seals, limiting their ability to use advanced ninjutsu. For now, chakra would serve primarily as a supplementary energy source for most Pokémon.

Exceptions included species like Machamp, with its four arms, or humanoid Pokémon like Hypno, Mr. Mime, and Jynx, which had five fingers and could potentially perform hand seals.

Combining Skills and Jutsu

"Nii-san, watch this. Dak said Pokémon could become invaluable partners for this reason."

Izuna called out to his Growlithe atop the tree. "Hey, get down here, you silly mutt!"
"Woof!" Growlithe cheerfully scrambled down the tree trunk.

The ability to manipulate the environment using chakra made Pokémon exceptional in certain terrains. Environments like lakes and forests could become strategic battlegrounds for ninja-trained Pokémon.

"Growlithe, use Ember," Izuna commanded, pointing forward while forming hand seals.

Growlithe exhaled small flames, which Izuna enhanced with a scaled-down Great Fireball Jutsu. The combination resulted in a significantly higher temperature and more intense flames.

"Did they just combine a skill with a jutsu?" Madara asked, observing the changes.

"Yes," Izuna replied with a grin. "But not every skill and jutsu can be combined. I tried it with your Growlithe and failed."

"Oh?" Madara raised an eyebrow. He had assumed any Fire-type skill could merge with Fire Release jutsu.

"Pokémon's strength comes from their emotions," Dak explained. "Your bond with your Growlithe isn't deep enough yet to achieve such synergy."

Dak referenced examples from the original world, such as Ash's Greninja, whose Bond Phenomenon reflected perfect synchronization between trainer and Pokémon.

(End of Chapter)

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