A/N - I know, been a little while since I uploaded anything, and now I'm coming out with yet another new story. I recently got really into Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl and I've spent a loooot of time playing those games. And since I've been asked by a LOT of people to write a Naruto x Pokemon crossover before, I figured it was finally time that I think of something and write it. Soooo, here you go! lol
Anywho, I'm bumping up the age of the various characters to at least 16. Seriously, who sends little kids, around 10 years old, out alone to travel the world? Nah, I'm bumping up their ages and that's that! lol
Alright, now that that stuff's out of the way, read on and enjoy!
Chapter 1 – New Discoveries
Naruto stared blankly at the ocean waves from aboard a ship. His thoughts were all over the place and he couldn't really make sense of everything that had happened. Nor was he even sure that his actions were the correct ones to take. He had considered simply sneaking aboard the ship and hiding out until it reached its destination, but he just couldn't bring himself to bother people like that if he was found out. So, he had asked the captain of the ship if he could board the ship and ride it until it reached its destination. Naruto didn't even care where he would end up, so long as he was away from the Elemental Nations.
What led up to this, you might ask? Quite simply, it was a combination of everything he had been through. From the mistreatment of the villagers to the severe lack of training from his supposed 'senseis', he just couldn't take it anymore. Hell, Jiraiya had taken him out of Konoha two years ago and hadn't bothered to truly take the time to train him. The fucking Akatsuki were after his life and Naruto truly hoped that Jiraiya would have taken the time to train him to the point he'd be capable of protecting himself. But no. Nobody truly gave a damn about him. At least nobody he could think of. Maybe there were one or two people back in Konoha that cared about him, but he couldn't really think of any.
The final straw that broke the camel's back is the fact that, after Naruto became so fed up with being ignored by Jiraiya so he could go peep on women again, the blonde had blown up at Jiraiya and demanded he take training him seriously. Jiraiya had casually dismissed him and made a blunt statement about how, if Naruto had any talent, he'd consider taking him seriously. Sure, Naruto knew he wasn't the smartest person, but he worked hard and overcame all of his problems to the best of his ability. As Lee and Guy often said, people like Lee and Naruto were geniuses of hard work, rather than natural-born prodigies. Hell, the 'prodigies' often let that title get to their heads and became total jerks!
Sighing, Naruto shrugged it off and took out a notebook from a seal he had inscribed onto his shirt. Taking a moment to think things over, he wrote down some basic information for the letter's recipient. By the time he was finished writing his letter, Naruto ripped the page out of his notebook and folded it up neatly. Closing his eyes for a time, he took some time to think on it before he made his decision.
Opening his eyes again, he bit into his thumb to draw blood before he went through the hand seals for the Summoning Technique. Slamming his palm to the deck, he waited for the poof of smoke to disappear before staring at a small toad. Blinking a few times, the toad looked around for a moment before settling its eyes on Naruto. "Heya Naruto. What's up?"
"Gamatan, I have a favor I'd like to ask you. First, I need you to tell Ma and Pa the truth about Jiraiya. The asshole never had any intention of seriously training me. He never cared. He'll try to get the toads to reverse summon me and I can't have that. So please, inform Ma and Pa not to carry out Jiraiya's will, okay?" Naruto explained.
Gamatan frowned slightly and said, "Alright, Naruto. I can do that, no problem. What else do you need?"
Naruto handed the toad the letter he wrote for Tsunade. Afterwards, he reached up and removed the necklace from around his neck. "Give these to Tsunade. Tell her I'm sorry, but I can't keep that promise. The letter will explain everything else to her. I just…I can't do it anymore. The Akatsuki will kill me if I stay in the Elemental Nations. I needed Jiraiya to take training me seriously so I could become strong enough to protect myself and my loved ones. But nobody ever cared enough to take my training seriously. They all wrote me off as a lost cause. I'm not stupid. Not by a long shot. But…nobody ever gave me a chance. I tried Gamatan. I really, really tried as hard as I could to push past all of it. But I've had enough. And inform Tsunade about that stupid promise I made to Sakura. Tell her to tell the bitch that she'll have to bring Sasuke back on her own. Because I'm not going to help her with that. Sasuke's a bastard and deserves to be punished for his crimes. But knowing the people of Konoha as I do, he'd be pardoned with barely a slap on the wrist, if even that. All because Sasuke's their precious golden boy."
Sighing heavily, Naruto closed his eyes and leaned back against the railing. "I've had it, Gamatan. I just can't do it anymore. I'm leaving the Elemental Nations and I'm NEVER coming back. I don't know where this ship will take me, and I don't care. Just so long as I'm left alone by these monsters, I'm happy. I hope I can make new friends and loved ones wherever I end up. And…can I see you guys whenever I want? I love all of you. And Ma and Pa are like grandparents to me. I never had any…and I'm not sure if my parents even loved me. Nobody would ever tell me anything. It hurts. So please, Gamatan, talk to Ma and Pa and deliver that message and the necklace to Tsunade. I know that she and Shizune cared about me…but I don't know if anyone else ever did."
Gamatan patted Naruto's knee and said, "You'll be fine, Naruto. I'll take care of everything. Hell, if I have any say in it, I'll try to tell them it's time to remove Jiraiya from our summoning scroll. He doesn't deserve us."
"Heh. Thanks, Gamatan. See you later. I hope." Naruto said before giving the toad some sweet candies he had on him. "Make sure to share those with Gamatatsu and the others, okay? Gamatatsu especially wouldn't like me very much if I forgot to give him some candy."
Chuckling, the small toad gave a salute with its webbed foot before vanishing in another puff of smoke. Once he was gone, Naruto stood back up and looked out at the waves. When the captain of the ship approached him a moment later, the blonde looked into his eyes and asked, "So, where are we going? I don't think you ever told me."
The captain smiled at Naruto before saying, "We're going to a region called Sinnoh. You're in for quite the surprise when you get there. Trust me when I say that your whole world is about to be changed in an exceptional way. I don't often visit the Elemental Nations, nor do I frequently take one of you shinobi to the outside world. But for the Hero of Wave? I'll make sure you get someplace safe, away from all the chaos. When we arrive, you should head to Sandgem Town and speak to Professor Rowan. He can explain everything to you about the world you're going to be in from now on. Just a heads up to you: you're going to encounter some weird, but fantastic creatures in Sinnoh and the other regions. They're called Pokémon, and they come in all kinds of different forms, varieties, types, and more. You'll see what I mean when we get there. Hell, if need be, I'll escort you to Professor Rowan myself. It might take you a while to get the hang of everything Pokémon and Pokémon-related, but I think you'll be fine."
"Thanks, Captain. I appreciate the advice. And an escort would be nice. I can't wait to see what these regions are like. And I'm eager to see some of these Pokémon you mentioned. Oooh, are they cute?" Naruto said.
The captain simply chuckled and said, "A lot of them are rather cute, yes. I get the feeling you appreciate the cute things in life?"
Naruto shrugged and rubbed the back of his head somewhat embarrassedly. "Yeah. I like cute things. Animals especially. I never told anyone back home about that, though. I was already ostracized enough without needing to add on to the horrible treatment."
Nodding in understanding, the captain said, "Makes sense. Well don't worry, you'll be just fine. I'm sure you're going to make plenty of new friends, Pokémon and Human alike. Though, I need to warn you. Most people in the Pokémon part of the world don't have and/or use chakra like you shinobi do. There are a few ninjas scattered about, but most of them have partnered with Pokémon and don't utilize the same skills they were once known to wield. Think you can handle that?"
Naruto smiled and said, "If I never have to fight against another person again, I wouldn't mind that. What all do people do with Pokémon, anyways?"
"Well, there's a lot. We'll start with…"
Tsunade – The Next Day
"What the hell do you mean you lost him?!" Tsunade shouted at the man standing across from her. "What the hell happened?! I thought you weren't going to let him out of your sight! What if he's been taken by the Akatsuki?!"
Jiraiya waved his hands in a placating gesture. "Easy there, Hime. I'm sure he's fine. But for some reason, Ma and Pa aren't willing to help me out here. I'd reverse summon him with their help, but they've been either ignoring me or chewing me out. I don't get it."
It had been three days since Naruto had disappeared without a trace. Ma and Pa, the sages of Mt. Myoboku, had told Jiraiya flat out that they wouldn't help him that very first day. It was almost like they knew something that he didn't, and it was quite honestly infuriating! He was supposed to be watching after the brat, but he just had to go and disappear on him!
Before either of them could say anything more, a toad appeared on Tsunade's desk. Shooting a quick glare at Jiraiya, Gamatan turned and gave the letter and the First Hokage's necklace to her. "Naruto instructed me to give these to you, Tsunade. He said that he's sorry, but he won't be able to keep his promise to you. He explained everything in that letter. As for the necklace, my best guess is he doesn't feel like he deserves it anymore after letting you down like this."
Tsunade could feel tears welling up in her eyes as she took the letter. When Gamatan looked at her expectantly, she shook her head and said, "That's his now. I want you to take that back to him, along with a response. If you will please wait, I need to read this."
Gamatan nodded once in understanding before smacking Jiraiya's hand when he went to snatch the letter from Tsunade. "Don't even think about it, Jiraiya. You have no right to touch that or harm Naruto ever again."
Jiraiya scowled, but relented, not wanting to piss the toads off any further. Well, that and the look on Tsunade's face told him that he shouldn't make another attempt. Instead, he watched as Tsunade's face contorted with a strange mixture of rage and sorrow the more she read the letter. This can't be good…
'Dear Tsunade,
I hate to do this to you, Tsunade, but I can't return home. I'm returning your necklace because I know there's no way for me to fulfill the promise I made to you now. I had hoped that my three years spent away from the village would have been more fruitful than it was. Instead, Jiraiya didn't train me in anything at all. He preferred to just tell me to work on the basics or try harnessing the Kyuubi's chakra. That was it.
The Kyuubi's chakra is full of malice and it hurts me the more I use it. Besides that, I needed skills of my own to fall back on rather than spamming shadow clones and the Rasengan. I was never treated like I mattered to anyone besides you and Shizune. Kakashi neglected me in favor of Sasuke, Sakura was always a massive bitch to me for even trying to talk to her or be nice to her. Hell, I'd try to cheer Sakura up whenever Sasuke upset her, but she always hit me instead of accepting my kindness.
In fact, none of my fellow rookies ever believed in me or treated me like I mattered. Hell, Teuchi and Ayame only treated me with any kindness because I was a frequent, paying customer. Then there's the villagers and our fellow shinobi. Nobody treated me with any kind of respect. I was treated with scorn and resentment; as if I was nothing more than a plague on the 'good' village of Konohagakure. Kurenai was never kind to me. Seemed to believe I was unworthy of being loved. Hinata may have cared, but she never truly showed it. I think she had a crush on me or something, which, while appreciated, I barely know her. She never tried to reach out and show me that someone cared.
Then you have Asuma and Kakashi. To Asuma, I was just that loudmouth pest that was barely worth a passing glance. Kakashi…just didn't care enough to train Sakura and me in anything besides the tree-climbing exercise. I thought that for once, I'd have a sensei that gave a damn about me and would try to help me with my problems and take training me seriously. Besides that, Team 7 was doomed from the start. I don't care if I was the dead last in class. My teachers didn't give a shit to try and help me and, even if I got everything right on the tests, they'd still give me low marks just because they didn't like me.
Seriously here, why the Third Hokage thought it was a good idea to put me on a team with Sasuke and his #1 fangirl is beyond me. Sasuke and I NEVER got along. And Sakura was a Sasuke fangirl that loved to abuse me in an effort to please her precious 'Sasuke-kun'. Then he gave us the worst sensei possible! The team could NEVER have worked, and he fucking knew it!
Sorry, Tsunade. Didn't mean to go on a rant there. The point is, nobody besides you and Shizune ever tried to help me or understand me. Nobody cared. Then you have Jiraiya. Ugh. That bastard barely taught me anything and wasn't exactly helpful when I was trying to learn the Summoning Technique or the Rasengan. His teaching method is lousy and it's a wonder I ever learned anything at all.
Then there's that idiotic promise I made to Sakura on the day of the Sasuke Retrieval Mission. Right when we were about to leave, Sakura begged me to promise her that I'd bring Sasuke back to her. So, when it came down to a fight between me and Sasuke, I foolishly held back just so I wouldn't kill him. Sasuke went for the kill every fucking chance he got and it's a miracle I'm alive! If I had been fighting him seriously from the start, I know I would have won and dragged his ass back to Konoha. But because I made that foolish promise, I ended up risking my life for nothing. So you can tell Sakura that she's on her own from now on. I am NOT going to keep that promise to her!
Finally, we come to the part that led up to me leaving for greener pastures. The Akatsuki are after me and the other jinchuriki. Jiraiya was supposed to be training me away from the village. He was supposed to take training me seriously so I would come back home with the power and the skills necessary to protect myself and the people around me from anyone that might try to harm us! But Jiraiya betrayed my hopes and aspirations. Instead, I was left alone most of the damn time all so he could go and peep on more women for 'research' so he could write that shitty smut he's so fond of. I would've been better off training with you. I would have loved to learn medical ninjutsu under you. I'd work three times as hard as anyone else would've just to be given training under you!
Tsunade…I'm sorry. I love you as I would any true member of my family. I love you and Shizune both. Please don't forget that and don't forget me. I have no idea where I'm going to end up, but anywhere is better than life in the Elemental Nations. I'm eager to see what the rest of the world is like out there! And, at least this way the Akatsuki won't be able to find me. I don't have to worry about anyone else. No more Sasuke, no more Sakura, no more villagers wishing to get rid of me…it sounds like a wonderful time to me. But…I'll really miss you three. Tonton included, of course. You three are the only ones that truly mattered to me. And don't let Jiraiya read this. I don't trust him not to try and come after me.
Oh! One last thing you should know! I know Ma and Pa have been refusing to reverse summon me for Jiraiya before I started writing this, but I'm not really sure why. I think they suspect something's off. But, just in case, I've asked them and the others NOT to try and reverse summon me. I'm NEVER coming back and that's final. It's my personal hope that they strike Jiraiya's name from the scroll and cut him off entirely. It would serve the bastard right.
Now, I think I'd like to get some rest. If you want to keep in touch with me…try to get the slugs and the toads to work together so we can keep in contact, okay? I'd rather not cut you and Shizune out of my life entirely, you know?
~Love, Naruto'
Calmly folding the letter in half, she laid it down gingerly upon her desk. Eyes filled with rage turned on Jiraiya at this point as she said, "You're lucky I don't kill you where you stand, Jiraiya. I trusted you. I believed that you would take training him seriously. What part of 'He has the Akatsuki out to KILL him!' do you NOT understand?! Naruto needed you, Jiraiya. But you betrayed our trust to mire yourself in your sick pleasures. Do you even care about him?"
Jiraiya frowned at her and said, "Not really. I know Minato named me his godfather, but I don't do kids, Tsunade. Besides, Naruto just…lacks what made his parents so great. Minato was a true prodigy, but Naruto just…well, he sucks. He's got no talent and he's not meant for greatness. The kid doesn't matter, and it might be better if he did get taken by the Akatsuki. Maybe he would've been born in another life with some actual talent. I don't see why you put so much stock in the boy. He's a failure and a mistake. Besides, if Kushina hadn't gotten pregnant, Minato would never have had to sacrifice himself the way he did. It would have been better for everyone if Naruto had never been conceived."
Tsunade's jaw hung slack for a moment before she snarled and leapt over her desk. Before Jiraiya could react in any way, Tsunade had slammed her fist into his face harder than she ever had before. When he began to go flying from the sudden blow, Tsunade grabbed his leg and began to slam him repeatedly into the floor, causing blood to fly from his mouth. Without warning, she grabbed him by the face and lifted him up off the ground. Walking over to her desk, she waited for Gamatan to move before she began to repeatedly slam the back of Jiraiya's head into the edge of the desk. Even when his head split open from the repeated blows and he began to bleed profusely, she didn't stop. Afterwards, she dragged him outside, through the window, and proceeded to throw him with all her strength at the Hokage Monument.
Taking a moment to breathe slowly and calm down, she returned inside and called for Shizune. Once they were alone in her office, Tsunade activated the silencing seals and said, "Shizune, due to Jiraiya's negligence, Naruto has left the Elemental Nations. I don't know where he's going, and I don't think he's even aware of his destination yet. Naruto is the only reason we even returned to the village. I already gave Jiraiya the worst beating of his life, and I don't give a shit if he survives this or not. I want you to begin packing our things tonight. Once we learn where Naruto has gone, we're leaving to follow him. Now, get me Kakashi and Sakura. I think it's high time we have a much needed 'talk'."
Shizune nodded and said, "I expect you to tell me everything later, Tsunade-sama. I'll send word to Kakashi and Sakura to come here immediately. I assume they're in the hot seat as well?"
Tsunade nodded. "Oh, they're in VERY deep shit, Shizune. I should never have taken Sakura on as an apprentice after what I just learned. From now on, I'm done with her. She can kiss my ass for all I care."
"Good. I never liked her anyways and couldn't understand why you'd accept her as your apprentice. Pardon my language, but she's a bitch. Did you know Naruto confided in me the day before he left with Jiraiya? He told me that he never had an actual crush on that bitch. Everything he did was his way of trying to cheer her up and make her feel better about herself. It was better to pretend that he was stupid than to show people how capable he really is. Then there was the promise he made to Sakura about bringing Sasuke back unharmed. Even he admitted that it was probably the dumbest promise he's ever made. I lectured him quite sternly for that, by the way." Shizune said. "Now, I'll summon Kakashi and Sakura. I hope you really let them have it, Tsunade-sama." And with that, the black-haired medic left the room.
Tsunade frowned to herself and thought, Did he not feel comfortable talking with me about it? Naruto-kun…
The door opening is what finally snapped Tsunade out of her temporary funk. When Shizune entered with Kakashi and Sakura, she was admittedly a little surprised to see Shizune shut the door behind her and take her place at her side. Shrugging it off, the busty blonde looked first at Kakashi and then at Sakura. "You arrived on time. That's good. Kakashi, your lack of any actual teaching has been brought to my attention. Your lack of care for your team has been noted as well. You will NEVER take another team. I won't permit it, and I'll get in contact with the Fire Daimyo to fill him in as well. As of this moment, you are demoted to Chunin in rank. As punishment for your negligence, you are going to be stuck on gate duty until I deem you fit for any other assignments. And, from now on, you're going to teach Naruto's peers everything you know. I want them to be ready to face the Akatsuki if need be."
Kakashi's eye was wide and he squawked in disbelief. "What the hell?! What on Earth are you thinking, Hokage-sama?!"
Tsunade quirked a brow and said, "I'm thinking that you're a lousy sensei and a lousy person. I'm also thinking that you are my subordinate and have to do as I say. Now, I suggest you leave and take over for Izumo and Kotetsu. I think they've had more than enough of gate duty for the time being."
Kakashi's eye narrowed into a glare before he turned and stormed out of the room. She's going to regret this.
Left with Sakura, Tsunade looked into the eyes of her pink-haired apprentice. Before the blonde could say anything, however, Shizune suddenly spoke up. "Tell me something, Sakura. Where do you get off? You hurt Naruto so much in more than one way. Do you even care about him?!"
Sakura scowled at that and said, "Of course I do! After all, he promised to bring Sasuke-kun back to me! And what do you mean all I did was hurt Naruto? He deserved it for being as stupid as he was!"
"Seriously?! He 'deserved' it?! With how strong your punches are, you could have given him some serious brain damage with how often you struck him in the head! And it sounds to me like you only care about that promise you forced him to make you. Did you know that your fucking promise is what nearly got him killed out there?! Sasuke was trying as hard as possible to kill Naruto-kun! But Naruto held back because of you. You rotten, uncaring, horrible little bitch! Naruto-kun deserves far better than the shit he's had to put up with here, especially from people like you." Shizune snarled out.
Sakura was gobsmacked at everything she had just heard come out of Shizune's mouth. After it all finally registered, however, she moved to strike Shizune. However, on her approach, she was suddenly hit with her master's insane killing intent. Slowly turning to face Tsunade, she paled as she saw the righteous fury within Tsunade's eyes.
Walking around her desk, Tsunade patted Gamatan on the head gently for a moment before looking back at Sakura. "As of this moment, you are no longer my apprentice. It was a mistake to ever take you on as my pupil. I will permit you to continue your work at the hospital, but you can find someone else to teach you. I want nothing to do with you anymore, Sakura Haruno. Tell me, why did you always abuse Naruto in such a way? What did he EVER do to you? Because from what I heard, all he did was try to be NICE to you. How do you excuse such behavior?!"
Sakura looked absolutely mortified. However, after a moment, she scowled and said, "That idiot kept pestering me for dates and was always annoying! That's why! Well, that and I hoped that it might make Sasuke-kun notice me for a change. It never worked, though. Still, he made me a promise to bring Sasuke-kun back and he NEEDS to keep it! I refuse to let him go back on his word!"
Tsunade clenched her fists so hard that her knuckles turned white. "So, that's all that matters to you. I see. No matter what, so long as he keeps his promise to you, you just don't give a shit about Naruto. Hell, Sasuke tried to KILL Naruto! You saw the state he was in after trying to fulfill that ridiculous promise you forced him to make! Hell, if Naruto tried to keep his promise to you, it's very likely that Sasuke will kill him next time. Hell, I bet you anything that you honestly believe Sasuke would receive a full pardon for his crimes. And, like the idiots they are, the civilians might agree with you. But, if I had it my way, and I promise you I will, Sasuke will be branded a criminal and will suffer the penalty for his crimes. I will sentence him to death, just like he deserves."
"But…! You can't do that! I won't let you hurt Sasuke-kun like that! Besides, it was that stupid curse mark's fault! You can't blame Sasuke-kun for what he did while under the influence! Sasuke-kun's innocent. Besides that, he's always been such a sweetheart to me. I just know he loves me, too! Can't you see we were meant to be together?! Who are you to come between us like this?!" Sakura exclaimed.
The Fifth Hokage chuckled darkly and said, "I'm the Hokage, little bitch. My word is law. And, just to ensure the message is read loud and clear, the next bingo book will include Sasuke Uchiha. And I'm going to make the condition that the only way we'll accept him back is in a casket. Mark my words, Haruno: Sasuke WILL die like he deserves. And just for the record, Sasuke's gay. He'd rather take it up the ass from his brother than get with any of you wannabe kunoichi. You're a delusional piece of shit and I honestly hope you get what's coming to you sooner rather than later. Now get lost before I throw you through the window!"
Sakura scowled before she quickly turned to storm off. However, before she could make it more than a few steps, Shizune stepped in front of her. "What the hell do you want?" the pinkette asked angrily.
Shizune scowled at Sakura right back. Before Sakura could even blink, a senbon dipped in Shizune's own volatile concoction was just millimeters from puncturing Sakura's eyes. "You're damn lucky I don't ruin your career as a kunoichi. Be glad you still have a use to this village other than being somebody's whore. I'm warning you now, bitch, that if you try to hunt down Naruto-kun with the purpose of dragging him back here…" Leaning closer, Shizune smirked devilishly at the frightened teenager. "I'll end you. And it won't be quick and easy. I guarantee that you'll regret pissing me off. Now, do be a dear and leave, just as Tsunade-sama said. Otherwise, I'm likely to kill you."
Sakura didn't need to be told again. She quickly hurried out of the office. Once she was gone, Tsunade smirked at Shizune and said, "There's definitely something you're not telling me. So what is it, Shizune? Are you interested in Naruto-kun?"
Shizune blushed prettily and glanced away. "Maybe. I don't know. I know I love him, but I don't know in what way. I just want him to be happy and safe. He deserves so much better than the hand he's been dealt. So, I honestly hope he contacts us again soon so we can go after him. I refuse to let him out of my sight again once we do find him."
Tsunade chuckled a bit and said, "I see. Well, we'll be sure to pack up everything we need once we get home. Let's just hope he contacts us sooner rather than later. I want to get the hell out of this hellhole."
"Agreed." Shizune said before she left the office to resume her normal duties. I hope you're safe, Naruto-kun. I really do.
Naruto – Three Days Later
Naruto smiled as he stepped off of the ship and onto dry land once again. Looking around his immediate surroundings, he couldn't help but notice the creatures he could only assume were the Pokémon he had heard of. All he could think at the moment was, They are so cute! I really hope I can befriend some of them. They look and sound like great company.
The captain stepped up beside Naruto and patted him gently on the shoulder. "Welcome to Snowpoint City. We're quite a way from Sandgem Town where Professor Rowan's laboratory is. I hope you're ready to journey through the perpetual blizzard that makes up Routes 216 and 217. We'll have to proceed from there through Mt. Coronet and from there, it's quite the walk still. Don't worry about it, though. I've trained my Pokémon up quite well enough to handle anything that might come our way. Heck, if you wanted, I bet I could catch a few Pokémon for you. What do you say?"
Naruto frowned in thought for a time before smiling at the captain and saying, "I would like a few to be friends with. But are you sure we shouldn't wait until I meet Professor Rowan? I'd like to study Pokémon under him before I really delve into the world of Pokémon as a trainer or breeder or whatever. Well, I know what I'd like to do. I want to become a true Pokémon Master. I want to do it all. Super Contests, the Pokémon League, battling the Elite Four and the Champion, breeding, even studying Pokémon like a Pokémon Professor would. So, as much as I appreciate the offer, I think I'd like to strike out on my own before I catch any of these lovely critters."
The captain found himself smirking at this point. "I suppose we'll just have to wait and see. You might see a Pokémon you really, really want. If you do, just say so and I'll do what I can for you. As for your dream to become a true master of Pokémon, I somehow get the feeling that you can actually pull it off. But there's far more out there than just the Sinnoh region. Once you're done in Sinnoh, be sure to let me know and I'll take you wherever you'd like. Personally, I'd recommend you check out the Galar region once you're done here. The Wild Area is a truly breathtaking sight to behold. For now, let me stock up on a few things at the Poke Mart and then we can set off."
"Ooooh. I want to see what a Poke Mart is like. I'm coming with you Mr. Captain!" Naruto said before quickly catching up to the man who had begun to walk off. "Umm, question for you. Do they accept the money used in the Elemental Nations? If they don't…how am I supposed to make any money here?"
The captain smiled at Naruto and said, "First, call me Richard. Second, they do not accept your old home's currency. They use a currency known as Poke Dollars. As for earning some spending money, there's a few ways you can go about doing that. The first is by battling and defeating other trainers. Whoever loses has to hand over some money. Not sure entirely why that rule was established, but whatever. The second way is by finding various things such as gold nuggets, pearls, and even mushrooms. You can sell those for the money you need. In fact, maybe I should take you to see the Underground Man in Eterna City. He can give you a kit that will allow you to enter the Grand Underground whenever you want. You can dig for a variety of items down there and then sell them once you're back on the surface. It would certainly make it easier for you to earn the money you need. But, to start out, I'll give you some money to get you started. Okay?"
"You'd do that for me? You're already doing so much for me Richard. I don't want to just take and take from you without being able to give something in return." Naruto said, frowning a bit.
Richard shook his head and led Naruto into the Poke Mart. "Don't worry about it. I can tell you've had things rough for a while now. I want to help get you back up on your feet again. Besides that, it's the right thing to do. And, since we'll be traveling together for a while, I think I'll go ahead and teach you all that I know about Pokémon. They have 18 different types that they can come in, and a lot of Pokémon have more than one type. Such as most flying Pokémon. I'll explain that to you on the road. For now, since we're at the Poke Mart, I'll start with explaining the various items you're likely to find. Once you've earned a few badges from the gym leaders, stores will sell you more. But, since you're just starting out, you've got a limited selection of items available to you at first. Potions are a basic necessity, but they don't heal a Pokémon very much. When more stock becomes available to you, you'll want to invest in acquiring some Hyper and Max Potions. Heck, when you can, I'd recommend buying a lot of Full Restores. Those are the best restorative items that money can buy."
"Anyways, moving on, we have the various Poke Balls for sale. The first thing you should know is that, by purchasing Poke Balls by multiples of 10, you'll be given a Premier Ball. So, say you were to order 100 Poke Balls. You'd be given 10 Premier Balls. Make sense?" Seeing Naruto nod, Richard smiled and began to collect a few items for the journey ahead of them. "Premier Balls have the same chance of catching a Pokémon as regular Poke Balls do. They're just colored differently. Again, once you earn a few badges, you'll be able to buy a wider variety of Poke Balls. Ultra and Quick Balls will be the best that you can get your hands on."
"Then comes the various other items they'll have available to you. Repels will keep wild Pokémon away from you for a while. Max Repels will definitely help the most with that. There's also buffing items such as X Attack or X Defense, which will raise a Pokémon's different 'stats' for a temporary amount of time in battle. As the names imply, X Attack will raise a Pokémon's attack power, while X Defense will help your Pokémon deal with physical attacks."
"There are also items that will permanently increase the various stats of your Pokémon. Calcium, Iron, Carbos, etc. By using these items, you can really toughen up your Pokémon. Then comes the TMs, or Technical Machines. By using those, you can teach your Pokémon a move such as Rock Climb or Strength, which can be used outside of battle to certain effects. Then there's other moves they teach that can only be used in battle. These include Thunderbolt, Rain Dance, etc." Richard said.
"For right now, since I have five out of the eight gym badges here in Sinnoh, I'm going to be purchasing some Hyper Potions and a few Full Heals just in case. You never know what you'll find throughout the various regions of the Pokémon world. It would be bad if my Pokémon were to faint out there. I think we'll be just fine once we reach Eterna City. The Pokémon in that area are much weaker than the ones around Snowpoint City and Lake Acuity." Richard explained.
Naruto nodded in understanding. "I see. Thank you very much for sharing all of that information with me. I really appreciate it."
After paying for his merchandise, Richard left the Poke Mart with Naruto. Walking with him back to the ship, Richard waved down his crew. "Lads, I'll be escorting Naruto here to Sandgem Town. I'll be gone for a while, so I want you to make sure to resupply and take care of things here. Don't let me down now."
"Roger that, Cap'n Richard!" the crew shouted before they hurried off to do their jobs.
Once they were gone, Richard smiled at Naruto and walked with him out of Snowpoint City and to the Acuity Lakefront. "I hope you can handle the cold for a while. We're going to be walking through a veritable blizzard soon."
Naruto chuckled dryly and said, "Well, I've been in the Land of Snow, but back then I had a cloak that helped shield me from the cold. Don't exactly have that now. So, I'm just going to have to tough it out. We'll see how it goes."
Richard chuckled and said, "I'm sure you'll be just fine. If not, there's a few kind souls who live on Route 217 that wouldn't mind parting with a few winter coats if need be. For now, let's just focus on getting to Mt. Coronet. Once there, we'll have a much easier time of things."
"Roger that." Naruto said as he followed his newfound friend.
Konoha
Tsunade scowled to herself as she listened to the civilians on the council gripe and complain about a variety of things. They weren't her main concern at the moment, however. The blonde could feel the elders, Danzo especially, eying her with a critical gaze.
Unable to take it any longer, Tsunade slammed her fist down on the table and exclaimed, "Would you all just shut the fuck up already?!" Seeing she now had their attention, Tsunade smiled pleasantly at everyone before she turned to address Danzo and the other two elders. "You asked a question before. Yes, Jiraiya is back in Konohagakure and yes, he's in critical condition after pissing me the fuck off. As for Naruto-kun, he has gone missing. Unfortunately, we have no idea where he may be, or if he's even still alive. You see, that's why Jiraiya's barely clinging to life right now. It was his duty to watch over, train, and protect Naruto Uzumaki. Instead, Jiraiya focused all of his time on his vices: peeping on women in their most private moments for his precious 'inspiration'. It was during one of these excursions of his that Naruto mysteriously disappeared. We have no way of knowing what's become of him. As far as we know, the Akatsuki might have abducted him. He might not even be alive anymore."
When the civilians began to smile at this piece of news, Tsunade scowled in disgust and said, "Don't you monsters celebrate. Naruto-kun was the only thing protecting you and the other idiots of the village from not just the Kyuubi, but the other villages. You see, as much as I am loathe to admit it, Naruto was our deterrent from war. Having the most powerful of the bijuu sealed into Naruto-kun made it a very risky move to try and attack our village. If word gets out that Naruto has disappeared, then we're essentially open season to our enemies. So, if you know what's good for you, you WON'T go spreading this news around. In fact, just to ensure none of you let it slip, I'm making Naruto's disappearance an S-rank secret. If you tell anyone, you forfeit your life. And unlike Hiruzen, I won't hesitate to follow through with your execution. Do you assholes understand me?!"
Danzo scowled and said, "So, because of Jiraiya's incompetency, we're in danger of war being declared once more. Let us hope that he learns his lesson from your beating…if he survives. Do you think the Akatsuki have taken him?"
Tsunade shook her head and said, "I don't know. Wherever he is, I just hope that he's okay. I'd send a search party out to his last known location, but unfortunately…the trail has likely already gone cold."
Homura frowned at this point and said, "It might still be worth a shot. What if we sent Team Kurenai to take a look and see what they can find? They're the best trackers we currently have, after all. If they can't find him…then I'm afraid we don't have any hope of learning Naruto Uzumaki's whereabouts."
The busty Hokage nodded and said, "It's worth a shot. If that's all, I want to go and get things started. I'd like to find a way to protect the village, regardless of whether Naruto-kun is here or not."
Shikaku spoke up at this point and said, "If you need help from any of us, just let us know, Hokage-sama."
"Thank you." Tsunade said sincerely. "Now, you're all dismissed. And remember, if you idiots don't keep your mouths shut and word gets out that Naruto is gone, I'll find out which one of you assholes let it slip and kill you." She said, smiling at the civilian side of the council. Needless to say, they shivered in fear before quickly hurrying out of the room.
Once she was back in her office, Tsunade requested that the Anbu go and retrieve Team Kurenai for her. As soon as they arrived, the busty blonde looked into their eyes, one at a time. "You might have heard by now that Jiraiya is back in the village. You might even be wondering where Naruto is. What I'm about to tell you is NOT to be repeated to anyone else. If you tell anyone, I won't just strip you of your rank and forehead protector, I'll kill you myself. Do you understand?" Seeing them nod, Tsunade continued on. "Jiraiya chose to ignore his duty and refused to train Naruto Uzumaki. Instead, he spent the entire 'training' journey peeping on women. About a week ago, Jiraiya once again gave into his vices. Only this time…Naruto disappeared without a trace. Jiraiya is in critical condition and might not survive the beating I gave him for risking Naruto-kun's life like that. I don't care if he lives or dies at this point. What I want is to know that Naruto-kun is okay."
"It's very possible that the Akatsuki has captured Naruto Uzumaki. However, it is my hope that Naruto set out on his own and simply left to get training of some kind somewhere else. I don't know. All I know is that I want him to be ALIVE. Because it's been almost an entire week since his disappearance, I'm not going to hold out any hope of there being a trail to follow. But, seeing as how you are the best team of trackers we have available, I'm sending you four to Naruto's last known location. Your mission is to try and find some trace of Naruto-kun's whereabouts. If you can't find anything, don't beat yourselves up about it. It wouldn't be your fault, after all. If anyone's to blame for Naruto-kun's sudden disappearance, it's Jiraiya."
Hinata was shaking at this point and covered her mouth with her hands. "N-Naruto-kun? M-Missing? No…"
Kurenai quickly placed her hand gently on Hinata's shoulder and looked her in the eyes. "He might still be alive, Hinata. You can't lose hope yet. Even if the trail has gone cold, we'll keep searching. Naruto has to be somewhere. And if the Akatsuki DO have him…"
Tsunade cut her off at this point. "If the Akatsuki have him, it won't be easy to find him. Jiraiya had a spy in the Akatsuki, but I don't know who it is or if they even know what's going on right now. And Jiraiya certainly isn't in any shape to get in contact with his spy. No, our best hope would be to wait and hope the spy makes contact with me. Otherwise, we'll just have to search everywhere, whether people like it or not."
"Anyways, here is Naruto's last known location. I want you to head out as soon as you are ready. If you can find any trace of him, follow the trail and see where it leads. Good luck out there." Tsunade said.
Team Kurenai nodded as one, each of them looking determined. After leaving the office, Kurenai looked at her team and said, "Pack for a few months, at the least. I get the feeling we're going to be at this for a while, and I don't want us going in unprepared."
Hinata and her teammates nodded and hurried off to do as instructed. Scowling angrily, Hinata wished dearly to go and kill that asshole Jiraiya for putting her Naruto-kun in such danger! However, she knew that it likely wouldn't end well for her. Instead, she settled for silently seething. Don't worry, Naruto-kun! I will find you!
A/N - And that's the chapter! Hopefully you all enjoyed it.
Anywho, you likely have some questions, such as whether Naruto received the necklace again or not. The toads haven't delivered it to him yet. Nor have they gotten around to giving him Tsunade's reply. They probably will in the next chapter. We'll see if I get around to it, or not. lol
As you can see, this Naruto is a liiiittle different. He's smarter, for one thing. On top of that, he loves and adores all things cute. And he IS going to find all Pokemon adorably cute. 'Cause let's face it, even the most horrifying Pokemon is still cute! At least I think so. I LOVE cute things. And yes, I'm a guy. So if you have a problem with a guy liking cute things, then tough molasses. :P
Alright, going to end this here. I have nothing else to say. lol. Soooo...bye!