Chapter VIII: Shikamaru Meets Akemi
"I chose this Pokémon for you specifically. Frankly, because I have no idea what it is. There is little data on it in the legends, though from what I have gathered it is suppose to be extremely rare and valuble."
"So you're worried about its protection?"
"Her protection. There are few that know Pokémon exist and those people would seek her out, knowing that her powers are suppose to be legendary. However, her attacks do not seem above average and she has no skills that stand out. She is still young, though, so she may show promise if trained appropriately."
"What is she?" Shikamaru asked, very interested and grateful he was trusted with such a rare Pokémon.
"She is a Lugia."
"Lugia? What type is she?" Shikamaru put his hand on his chin thoughtfully.
"Flying and Psychic. It's quite a rare combination, too. Her name is Akemi, by the way.
"Bright and beautiful, eh? When can I see her?"
"Right now." Takuma took a Pokéball off his belt, but this one was a different color. This one was purple and pink on top instead of red, but Shikamaru didn't notice since he had never even seen a regular Pokéball before. Instead of the normal cry of a Pokémon, the young Lugia instead emitted a series of musical notes.
Home?
"Yes, little one, you are at home now." Takuma muttered, causing Shikamaru to stare at him.
"She is a Psychic type, Shikamaru. As such, she is able to communicate with people through their thoughts. She will do the same with you in time."
Strong…
"Well, what is she saying?"
"I think she is a bit frightened by your presence."
"You don't have to worry, Akemi. I won't hurt you."
Nara Shikamaru…strong…home?
"I definitely heard that one. Yeah, I suppose you'll live at home with me now."
"Her vocabulary is limited, as you can see." Takuma reached and patted the knee high Pokémon's head. "Her exact age is 15 days; I hatched her myself from an egg I found in a remote cave. Unfortunately, I also found her mother's carcass in the ocean not too far away, ravaged by sharks. I think she died before the sharks got to her, but I don't know how or why except that ninjas were involved."
"And why do you think that?"
"Because her body was impaled by kunai." At that moment, both of them became silent. Growing uneasy, the young Lugia glanced at each of them before approaching Shikamaru.
Home?
"Yes, you are in a good home. We will leave soon, but you will see Takuma again."
Takuma nice…
"I'm sure he is."
"There you are, Akemi…you shouldn't hide like that." Shikamaru wondered how a 30 pound Pokémon could just disappear like that.
Scared…dark…moon
"Do you like the moon?" He had found her sitting on a cliff overlooking the ocean. The moon was full and gigantic looking in comparison to looking at it from the village.
Moon light.
"Yes, it is very bright. Especially tonight. Would you prefer sleeping outside? I can stay with you if you want."
Like out…like moon.
"I like the clouds better, but the moon is also nice to look at." Shikamaru put his hand on Akemi's back and the young Lugia let out a few melodic notes.
Clouds?
"Yeah, the big fluffy white things in the sky. You can see them better in the daytime, so I'll show you."
Clouds pretty?
"Very, and they come in many different shapes and sizes. You can sometimes see things in them, like animals or people."
Home?
"Your home is with me now, if you like you can think of me as your father. I'll take care of you, I promise."
