Shikamaru's Adventure: Sinnoh
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D/C: I own nothing
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Day: 17 of 243
Time: Night
Location: Oreburgh Gym
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Shikamaru watched as Roark examined a couple of items that Munchlax had managed hold on to, which was quite a few. Whatever they are, it caused the Gym Leader to smile nonstop. The Nara could not help but snort at the fact he met the Gym Leader and out of all places in a mine.
Just his luck… Now there is no way that Shikamaru could get the element of surprise now considering Roark met Munchlax, Chimchar, and Abra. Now to rethink a different strategy. That alone seems such a drag…
"Armor fossil, heart scale, keystone…an oval stone." Roark listed off the items that Munchlax found on his exploration. "Your Munchlax is quite the miner."
Shikamaru shrugged, he glanced over at the corner of the room to see all his Pokémon cuddled together around Munchlax who is snoozing away. He had wrapped a blanket over them and allowed Munchlax to hold his sling bag. "He picks up random things and hides them in his fur. Mostly berries and shiny things."
Roark pushed away from his table and faced towards the Nara's direction. "Is he going to be okay? Your Munchlax?"
"To tell you truth, I do not know." Shikamaru sighed shaking his head. A small smile appeared on his lips as he rested his chin on the palm of his hand. "Munchlax puts up a front about and deals with things by getting into brawls. He will be okay; I just need to get him a basket full of berries. Or food in general."
Roark looked over at said Pokémon thoughtfully, he had to admit with the support system around the Pokémon. "How long have been raising him?"
"My dad won a Pokémon egg in a festival he took my mom while she was pregnant with me." Shikamaru said with a loud yawn. "I was born and shortly after, Munchlax hatched from his egg. Grew up together and been through a lot since then."
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Day: 18 of 243
Time: Early Morning.
Location: Oreburgh Mine: Entrance
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"Oh no…" Sakura paced back and forth in front of the Oreburgh Mine, she tightly gripped her pink and red backpack to herself. "Should I have met with him last night…What if he already left…? Oh, no…Where is he?"
Sakura glanced into the mine wearily, she did not want to go in there alone even with her Pokémon. The Pink Haired Trainer had fallen asleep as soon as she finished packing and just woke up an hour ago. The first thing she did was quickly get ready and ran off towards here. Now she has no clue where Shikamaru is. She knew that Shikamaru was going to be here yesterday but has no clue about today.
"There you are…"
Sakura whirled around to see Shikamaru walking towards her, he was walking along side of his Munchlax. Munchlax held onto his hand and held onto a blanket with his other hand. "Sorry, I fell asleep and…"
"I left here early so…it's all good." Shikamaru shrugged, in actuality, it slipped his mind after what occurred yesterday. "You are ready for the start of your journey?"
"Yeah." Sakura shifted her backpack nervously. "I'm ready."
"Good…time to train," Shikamaru said walking passed Sakura towards the mine.
"Train?" Sakura looked at Shikamaru and the Mine, back and forth wearily. She let out a sigh knowing that there was no way around it now. At least she has a friend with her.
"There is a gym here and I need to earn a badge," Shikamaru said he glanced around the cave keeping a close eye for any wild Pokémon. "And I need to waste some time."
"Why?" Sakura asked she shrunk toward Shikamaru when she heard screeching.
"Found an Armor Fossil." Shikamaru tugged on Munchlax's arm. "Roark said he knew someone in town that could revive the Pokémon."
"You met the Gym Leader?" Sakura asked in surprise. "Have you already challenged him?"
"No." Shikamaru said, not going into detail.
"Munchlax."
"I am not going to carry you." Shikamaru deadpanned to his Pokémon.
Munchlax looked at him with tearful eyes, hiding his trembling lips with his blanket and relentlessly tugging on Shikamaru's arm. "Munchlax…Munch…"
"Ugh…Fine." Shikamaru sighed, he winced when Munchlax climbed onto his back. Sakura saw the Nara smile at his Pokémon and when said Pokémon looked away, he yawned loudly. Said smile turned into a wince when Munchlax pulled on Shikamaru's hair.
"Hehe." Sakura snickered behind her hand in an attempt to hide it.
"Shut up. He's trying to sleep."
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Day: 18 of 243
Time: Mid-Afternoon
Location: Oreburgh Mine
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"I'm training to be a Pokémon Doctor…" Sakura huffed out, following Shikamaru deeper into the mine carrying an exhausted Rosie in her arms and Diamond kept close pace with her. The three of them are covered in dirt, mud and a couple of bruises here and there. "How does this help me with becoming a doctor? Man…I'm going to need a shower."
"You never said if you are studying for healing Pokémon or Humans…" Shikamaru said, unlike Sakura, he does not look as worse to wear. Although his hair was out of his signature look and had one or two bruises. Chimchar hung around his shoulders and he looked like he was out of breath. Munchlax walked alongside of them, singing a tune here and there. Abra has a light grasp on Shikamaru's pants as he admired the mine, especially the shiny looking rocks. "Either way, as a team, we need to train together. You need the training…."
Shikamaru said the last part under his breath, he cannot get over the fact at how delusional Sakura is about Pokémon. When it comes to Pokémon, you have to understand that it is not an easy ride. Even with his slothful nature, he puts in extra work to raise Pokémon. What they are doing is only the beginning of a long journey. "Stop your complaining, it's attracting the wild Pokémon."
Sakura frowned deeply, but she did not argue with Shikamaru. After what happened with Rosie the other day, and the training session they just went through…Made her rethink a lot of things. One thing was made clear though, Shikamaru Nara is holding back his true skill. Far more than she originally thought. She has so much to learn, and now she must learn how to sew. Considering her current clothing has rips and holes. "I'm trying…"
"I know…but you keep complaining." Shikamaru said scratching his cheek. "
"…Shut up…"
"Munchlax!" Munchlax huffed out towards Sakura's direction.
"What did he say?" Sakura asked, glaring accusingly at Munchlax.
"Shut up." Shikamaru deadpanned, he flinched when Sakura kicked him in the back of his left knee. "OI! That's what he said.
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Day: 18 of 243
Time: Late Afternoon
Location: Oreburgh Mining Museum
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"Shieldon!" A small, yellow, ceratopsian-like reptilian Pokémon ran around Shikamaru laughing aloud as he chased after Abra. "Shield!"
"Abra!" Abra laughed along, running away from Shieldon.
"He already seems to like you," Sakura said with a small laugh.
"He's like a sugar-fueled hyperactive kid…" Shikamaru deadpanned, he kept a close eye on the Pokémon ensuring he won't himself or anyone else. He winced when he saw Shieldon head bumped against the wall, leaving a rather large dent. "Oh no…"
"Don't worry about that, that…" Roark attempted to say but was interrupted when Shieldon and Abra slammed into the shelves. "This happens a lot…"
Without saying anything, Shikamaru slowly walked over toward Shieldon and Abra. He took out Abra's Pokéball, returning her back and promptly picked up Shieldon. Shieldon squirmed in Shikamaru's grasp eventually letting out a huff seeing as he was not being let go of anytime soon. "Now let's go..."
"Shieldon!"
"I am not letting you go."
"Shieldon?"
"Yes…I understand you."
"Shieldon, Shieldon, Shieldon."
"I know…I'm weird," Shikamaru responded to the recently revived Pokémon.
Sakura waved at Roark and the scientists that helped them before she hurried after Shikamaru. "Where are we going now?"
"Pokémon Center…Have to reserve a room for tonight…" Shikamaru huffed out. "I am going to challenge Roark in three days. Until then…we train. Go home, get rest…whatever."
"You could stay in my home instead of the Pokémon Center." Sakura provided.
"Naw...I left my stuff there and it would be too much of a drag." Shikamaru said he patted Shieldon on his back when he felt the Pokémon started to fall asleep. "We are going back to the mine tomorrow and train again."
"This is going to end badly…"
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Day: 21 of 243
Time: Early Morning
Location: Oreburgh Pokémon Center
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Shikamaru quietly packed all his belongings as his Pokémon slept around the room he had acquired in the Center. Today was the day he would challenge Roark to a Pokémon battle and hopefully, he would get a badge. He already is behind his schedule as it is. Once everything was packed up, Shikamaru nudged his Pokémon awake. "Time to get up."
Shikamaru's response is groans of protests. "If we win the badge on the first try…I'll treat all of you."
"Munch?"
"Chim?"
"Abra?"
"Shield?"
"Fine." Shikamaru only shook his head as his Pokémon friends quickly got ready themselves. Headed towards the door, Shikamaru opened the door and allowed his friends to leave him. Once they all left the room, they headed out to look for something to eat breakfast. "Food first then we head out to look for Sakura…"
"Abra?" Abra tugged on Shikamaru's pants sleeve.
"I know that you three are more than capable of going through with this," Shikamaru responded, he reached down and patted Abra on the head. "Don't start disbelieving in yourself."
"Chimchar." Chimchar nervously said.
"Munchlax, Munchlax." Munchlax yawned, he picked his ear while waving with his free hand.
"Shieldon?" Shieldon tilted his head to the side trying to comprehend what Munchlax just said.
"Ignore him…he doesn't know what's he talking about." Shikamaru shot Munchlax a glare.
Munchlax stuck out his tongue at Shikamaru in retaliation. "Munchlax."
"Abra…" Abra hid her face with Shikamaru's pants leg mumbling. "Abra, Abra…"
Shikamaru reached down and picked up Abra to carry her. "There, there now..."
"Chimchar?"
"Munchlax?"
"Shieldon?"
Shikamaru let out a sigh and prepared for himself. "Fine."
In one instant, his Pokémon attempted to climb on top of him and that instant he was pulled down due to the heavyweight. "What a drag…"
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Day: 21 of 243
Time: Early Morning
Location: Haruno Household
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"Shikamaru said once he earns his badge, we are leaving the city." Sakura gushed out, she sat at her family's table eating breakfast. "I can't wait!"
"You're going to end up swallowing down your fork if you keep talking and eating at the same time." Kizashi laughed doing the same thing.
"I still say this is a bad idea." Mebuki huffed out, sitting next to her husband with her own breakfast. "You should stay here, Sakura."
"Mebuki…we spoked about this..." Kizashi lightly warned his wife. "We agreed that Sakura is to go on an adventure."
"Yes but not with some…" Mebuki couldn't find the right word to describe Shikamaru Nara that her daughter keeps talking about. As far as she knew, the boy is a delinquent and good for nothing.
"Then come to see the gym match then," Sakura said, standing up from her seat. "Shikamaru isn't a dealing-"
"How much do you even know about him?" Mebuki cut Sakura off, with an eyebrow raised. "Hm?"
Sakura bit her lip wondering if she should tell her parents what exactly she knows about Shikamaru. "Shikamaru is from Johto, his main plans are to get into Battle Frontier."
"That's all?"
"I spoke to his human friends, and they seem very nice." Sakura sighed, picking up her plate she headed into the kitchen to wash her dishes. "Apparently he already traveled around Kanto and Shikamaru…doesn't really talks much about his family. The only thing I know is that his mother calls him daily and his father…I don't know if he is in the Battle Frontier. All I know is that Shikamaru needs to get in there to battle him."
Kizashi hummed in thought, his eyes darted over towards his wife. He could see that she was thinking of something in an attempt to keep Sakura at home. "Mebuki…stop."
"What? We don't even know who this boy is or if he is capable of taking care of our daughter?"
Sakura watched her parents argue, she silently sneaked out of their view up to her room and took her belongings. She decided that since her parents already knew where she was heading to, Sakura left her home knowing fully well that could be the last she will see her home for months. The last thing she needed is her mother trying to emotionally blackmail her into staying again. Sakura understood what her mother is trying to say and do. To fulfill her dreams she must learn, a make or breaks it time for her.
"I need to make my own choices for once." Sakura said she didn't look back as she ran off towards the Gym.
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Day: 21 of 243
Time: Mid-Morning
Location: Oreburgh Gym
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Shikamaru stood in front of Oreburgh Gym, both hands stuffed in his pockets waiting for Sakura to arrive. The last thing he needed is for the pinked haired girl to start nagging at him. With a sigh, Shikamaru mentally though all the possible tactics he could use to go up against Roark. He knows that he could go up against Roark with Munchlax, but he made a promise to himself he would not use the Pokémon until he makes gets all eight badges. Then it would be a total freefall.
"Shikamaru." Sakura ran up to Shikamaru, huffing out, feeling out of breath from her run. "Are you ready?"
"I'll be a drag…but eh." Shikamaru shrugged, he headed towards the front entrance of the Gym. "Might as well get it over with."
To be continued…
R/R